Tag Archives: dog care

The Care and Cost of German Shepherd Puppies

Just for you: a chapter from If You’d Asked Me…the ultimate collection of bathroom or waiting room reading, A new chapter appears here every three weeks, usually by Friday. You can get a complete copy, right now, in PDF format, or, if you like, as a paperback. For details, visit our Books page or send a request through our Contact form.

Section II: Going to the Dogs
(Or Cats)

14. Are German Shepherd puppies easy to take care of? How much do they cost?

Part a) of your question: No.

Part b): A lot. And the cost of the puppy is just the start.

My dog of choice has been the German shepherd, all of my adult life. Until popularity led to overbreeding, the German shepherd was one of the finest dogs you could own. But you have to know dogs and you need some training and skill in handling large, high-drive animals.

A healthy German shepherd defines high drive. You will need to work with the dog every day: training it, playing with it, walking it, running it, socializing it: do not even think you will get away without several hours of concentrated interaction every day. If you aren’t experienced in training large, powerful, intelligent dogs, you’ll probably have to hire a trainer to help you with the job and to train you in how to teach and handle your dog.

Your veterinarian will be pleased when you bring your pup in for its first check-up. The vet’s investment advisor and also her Porsche salesman will be even more pleased! Before you bring the pup home, set up a savings account at your bank and have a monthly deposit automatically transferred from checking to this account. You will need it to cover the vet bills. True, a Ger-shep may not be a walking vet bill in the sense that a Doberman pinscher is, but either one can rack up some pretty breathtaking tabs at the vet’s office.

And finally, be aware that there are a surprising number of unethical breeders turning out German shepherds, and probably just as many who are not shady but who don’t know what they’re doing. Take plenty of time to look into the breed and to get references to quality kennels.

Can I Get Out of Walking My Dog?

Just for you: a chapter from If You’d Asked Me…the ultimate collection of bathroom or waiting room reading, A new chapter appears here every three weeks, usually by Friday. You can get a complete copy, right now, in PDF format, or, if you like, as a paperback. For details, visit our Books page or send a request through our Contact form.

Section II: Going to the Dogs
(Or Cats)

13. How can I keep my dog healthy and happy without ever walking him again?

You can’t. Just like you, your dog needs regular, moderate exercise to stay healthy. Unless you’re disabled, it’s your choice to ruin your health by not getting up and walking around the block once a day. It’s not, however, your dog’s choice. If you can’t do that, either hire a dog-walker or find someone to adopt the dog who can do it.

Here in Arizona, it is too hot to walk the dogs in the summertime—even after dark, the asphalt on the roads can burn their feet. When we got out of the sack at 5:30 this morning, the thermometer on the back porch registered 100 degrees. One of the corgis here doesn’t tolerate heat well; the other will go for a long time, but exercising a dog in high heat is a bad idea (their bodies do not regulate heat in the same way as ours do). So there will be several weeks in July and early August when their doggy walks will be curtailed.

The result is that their claws grow long enough to make it uncomfortable for them to walk: I have to file or clip their claws, which they hate. But that’s only the half of it. If they don’t get exercised, they develop joint problems—dogs can get a backache from loafing around, same as you and I do. They become overweight. They may develop diabetes. They become neurotic with boredom.

Just like you and me.

Snowball Fight with Your Dog?

Just for you: a chapter from If You’d Asked Me…the ultimate collection of bathroom or waiting room reading, A new chapter appears here every three weeks, usually by Friday. You can get a complete copy, right now, in PDF format, or, if you like, as a paperback. For details, visit our Books page or send a request through our Contact form.

Section II: Going to the Dogs
(Or Cats)

10. Is it OK to throw a snowball at my dog?

Is it OK for the dog to remove your head?

If you’re playing “fetch” with snowballs, some dogs think snowballs are the best thing since tennis balls. But, dear heart, do not throw anything AT your dog.