Feed a 1.5 month old German Shepherd puppy. Care and feeding of a German Shepherd puppy by month. Puppy feeding schedule

Before talking about feeding, the puppy's owner will have to make a choice regarding the form of food. You can prepare food yourself, and the contents will be several times cheaper than using store-bought ingredients. However, natural food requires time and attention to detail so that the pet grows healthy and receives all the necessary microelements and vitamins. If we talk about ready-made food, the manufacturer took into account the age characteristics of the puppies, included the necessary minerals, all you have to do is pour the food into a bowl.

  1. Always ensure the cleanliness of the dishes from which you feed your pet.
  2. Change the water every 3 hours in the summer and every 5 hours in the winter.
  3. After finishing the meal, wipe your puppy's face with a paper napkin or towel.
  4. During the first month the puppy is in a new place, be close to him during meals. Observe the pet's position and adjust the height of the bowl to suit its characteristics.
  5. The food you feed your dog should not be too hot. The best option is room temperature. To properly test the mode, place your ring finger in the middle of a bowl of food. If you feel hot, leave the food to cool.
  6. Make a strict nutrition schedule; meals should be taken strictly at the same time. Otherwise, the puppy will have problems sleeping, lethargy, and growth will slow down.
  7. There are times when a pet refuses to eat for unknown reasons. In such situations, remove the bowl from the puppy’s sight and offer him to eat after 30-40 minutes.
  8. Food for German Shepherd puppies should not be too dry or, on the contrary, liquid. Prepare food so that it has a consistency similar to sour cream.
  9. Experienced German Shepherd owners unanimously insist that feeding the puppy should be done after an intense walk. It makes sense to listen to them.
  10. To prevent your pet's digestion from being disrupted, monitor its food hygiene. If possible, let your dog rest for 1.5-2 hours after eating.

Choosing the right cookware

  1. First of all, you need to take care of your pet's bowl. It can be clay, metal, ceramic, plastic. The last option should be excluded; dishes of this kind fidget on the floor, not giving the pet the opportunity to eat normally.
  2. Small puppies often have loose legs, especially for those living in an apartment. Organize the feeding area based on the floor covering. If your home has laminate or linoleum, place a non-slip mat under your puppy's bowl. It can be fabric or silicone.
  3. It is known that at the age of up to one year, the puppy’s skeleton is just forming, as a result of which the frame is extremely fragile. For this reason, you need to place the bowl so that it is located at the level of your pet's neck or chest. Otherwise, during the period of growth, the puppy will constantly bend over, which will entail a curvature of the spine, a high raised croup, weak bones of the front legs and chest, problems with swallowing and digestive activity. You can adjust the height of the container using special stands, which are sold in all pet stores.

Features of the diet of puppies

Two-month-old puppies need to be fed 5-6 times a day with an interval of 3-4 hours. For pets that have reached 3-5 months, it is enough to feed them 4 times a day. From 6 months to one year, the dog is fed 3 times a day. After this age, it is necessary to transfer the animal to two meals a day - morning and evening.

Age: 1 month

As a rule, puppies are sold 40-45 days after birth. During this period, the animal's diet includes dairy products (in particular, yogurt, milk and cottage cheese), several types of meat, oatmeal and rice.

At this age, puppies have rapid metabolism and a relatively small stomach. For this reason, portions should be small (250 g), but substantial. As mentioned earlier, feeding should be done every 3-4 hours.

Meat
Make sure that the puppy receives meat twice a day. It can be raw beef, cut into pieces, or chicken. Both products contain the optimal ratio of BZHU, due to which the pet will begin to grow before our eyes.

You can also give boiled meat, but it contains less enzymes than raw meat. It is recommended to give boiled beef or chicken in cases where the puppy has stool upset or general malaise associated with digestion. To properly prepare a meal based on boiled meat, cook oatmeal or rice porridge, cool it, and crumble the meat. Dilute a little with water, if the mixture is thick, check the temperature and give it to the puppy.

Important!
It is strictly forbidden to mix meat porridge with milk. The recommendation is relevant because after milk is digested, casein is produced, which slows down the absorption of nutrients by the stomach. In this case, the meat must be mixed with round grain rice or oatmeal, but not with semolina.

Dairy
Cottage cheese should be given for breakfast, but not in dry form, otherwise the pet will choke. Mix 200 gr. product with kefir or yogurt, add a raw chicken egg. By and large, puppies refuse such food, but they need it. Therefore, train your pet immediately, do not fall for tricks if he suddenly decides to refuse to eat.

You can make cottage cheese with your own hands from kefir. Second option: mix fermented baked milk with raw eggs and pour into boiling milk. No one will definitely refuse such a delicacy; the dairy product turns out aromatic and tender.

Age: 2-3 months

The digestion of dogs at this age is already adapted to plant fiber and protein without any consequences. It's time to add natural oils and vegetables to the diet, so that in addition to porridge, cottage cheese and meat, your pet receives other minerals. Portions should be 300-350 grams, feeding frequency - 4 times a day.

  1. Add a teaspoon of olive or sunflower oil to meat porridge once a day. Periodically feed your puppy boiled carrots between meals. It is worth considering that chicken eggs should be given no more than 3 times a week. Cottage cheese, porridge, meat - no changes.
  2. In the summer, focus on fresh fruit; many “Germans” have a passion for watermelons, melons, peaches and apples. Pamper your pet with treats 2 times a day. Watch your stool, if there are negative consequences, reduce your fruit consumption and give boiled chicken with rice porridge.
  3. At this age, the puppy can already be given large brain bones so that it develops its jaw and grinds down its teeth. If you keep a pet in an apartment, it is enough to pre-cook the bone. For animals that have access to the local area, it is better to choose the raw option.

Age: 4-5 months

Starting from this period, the puppy needs to develop ligaments and joints. Also at this stage, teeth change, as a result of which the basis of the diet should be foods rich in calcium. The dog is still fed 4 times a day, keeping the serving size to 300-400 g.

  1. Changing teeth weakens the cartilage tissue, so your pet's ears may not rise. To promote full development, add collagen to your food. It can be found in confectionery gelatin or topical dietary supplements (for dogs).
  2. At four months of age, puppies are intensively developing their skeleton, in particular their posture. To help the body and lay the foundation for full development, gradually introduce chondoprotectors into your food. They are sold in pet stores, the main thing is to strictly follow the instructions and do not increase the quantity without permission. An alternative to the drug is Arthra, which can be purchased at a pharmacy.
  3. As for the basic nutrition, it remains the same (cottage cheese, meat, porridge, vegetables and fruits). However, now you need to feed the puppy not boiled meat, but beef tenderloin from the head. It contains a large amount of gelatin, which has a beneficial effect on the formation of the skeleton.
  4. You can prepare broth based on beef, veal, chicken, and then season meat porridge with it. But you shouldn’t make it too rich, so as not to burden the pancreas. The broth can be replaced with edible gelatin: dissolve it in water and stir into food (cottage cheese, porridge, mixed vegetables).
  5. To help speed up the replacement of baby teeth with molars, give your pet brain bones. It is also worth focusing on calcined additives marked “puppy”; pet stores sell a special series for German shepherds. If you have difficulty choosing, consult your veterinarian.

Age: 6-12 months

Once the puppy reaches six months of age, you can prepare porridge not only from pure meat, but also from offal (heart, liver, stomach). You should not give your dog thin bones; strong teeth will easily gnaw them, and the fragments will fall into the esophagus. Puppies 6-12 months old should have three meals a day, serving sizes vary from 350 to 450 g.

  1. At the same time, every month you need to reduce the amount of cottage cheese eaten for breakfast, and at the same time increase the amount of meat. If you are a cable owner, remove milk from your puppy's diet completely. In the case of females, the product is given daily.
  2. At this stage, the puppy’s owner needs to add active minerals, chondroprotectors, calcium and other vitamins, based on the weight and age of the pet. Don’t forget about vegetables and fruits; feed them to your puppy between main meals.
  3. To diversify your diet with cereals as much as possible, you can add buckwheat, millet, and millet to the existing rice and oatmeal. Combine them with each other, mix in raw or boiled meat/offal. Break a raw egg (sometimes a chicken egg can be replaced with a quail egg, doubling the quantity).
  4. It is allowed to give the puppy sea or river fish 2 times a week. However, these days you should not feed your pet meat. You should not overuse fish, as its composition destroys vitamin B in the dog’s body, which leads to digestive difficulties and stunted growth.

The basis of feeding a German Shepherd puppy is considered to be meat, cereals (except semolina), fresh or boiled vegetables and fruits. Don’t forget to pamper your pet with marrow bones, add food additives, gelatin, and calcium. Choose the right bowl and adjust the height of the stand. Follow a meal schedule, increase portions based on age, and walk more in the fresh air.

Video: training a German Shepherd puppy

Having decided to become the owner of an intelligent, quick-witted, devoted German Shepherd, a responsible owner should know that the health, correct behavior, and appearance of an adult dog depend not only on its upbringing and care, but also on a well-chosen, balanced diet for the animal during puppyhood. It is in the early period that the formation of immunity and the formation of the dog’s musculoskeletal system take place. Finding information about what food is best to feed a German Shepherd puppy is not difficult: you can study a lot of specialized literature, get recommendations from a veterinarian, or ask your breeder. Of course, it is better to do this in advance so that you have time to prepare before the baby enters your family. Let's try to figure out the question together: what to feed a German Shepherd puppy. This is especially important for novice dog owners.

Selection of cookware

Dreaming of raising a beautiful and healthy dog, the owner must take care of a properly equipped feeding area for his pet. This should be a special stand with a height adjuster where the bowl of food is placed. If you feed your puppy from childhood without taking this point into account, in the future you may end up with a dog with weak front legs, a high rear and a hunchback.

The most convenient bowls are made of ceramic or stainless steel: they are more durable. There should be two of them: for food and for water. The container with food should be at chest level for both the baby and the adult German. The dog will only need to tilt his head. In this position, deformities of the spine, neck and joints can be avoided.

To prevent the dog's paws from spreading on the floor and the bowl from moving, the covering underneath should be covered with a non-slip mat. After the meal, the dishes are washed until the dog's next meal.

In summer, the water is changed at least three times to avoid intestinal infections.

Basic Rules

Experienced breeders adhere to the following rules when feeding the offspring of German Shepherds:

    The puppy is given food at room temperature or slightly warmer. You can test this by placing your finger in the center of a bowl of food.

    After finishing the meal, wipe the baby’s face with a napkin to remove any remaining food.

    Having drawn up a feeding schedule, you need to stick to it, otherwise the dog may have problems sleeping and development will worsen.

    The thickness of the food should resemble the consistency of sour cream.

    By adhering to the requirements of food hygiene - giving food to the dog one and a half to two hours after an active walk, giving it a rest after eating for 2-3 hours, you will be able to avoid digestive disorders.

    After 20 minutes, the bowl with uneaten food is removed, this will prevent satiety with food and overeating.

Do's and Don'ts: Product List

The dog owner develops the eating habits of his pet. It is important not to indulge the dog’s whims from puppyhood, but to choose the right, healthy food. You need to feed with fresh natural products or high-quality industrial food of at least premium class.

The following is allowed in the diet of a German Shepherd puppy:

    milk, low-fat cottage cheese (calcined cottage cheese is very good), fermented milk drinks (kefir, yogurt, fermented baked milk);

    rabbit, beef, horse meat, chicken, boiled turkey;

    offal (heart, lungs, liver, tripe, kidneys, udder, spleen) boiled;

    beef ears and noses (as a delicacy);

    boiled eggs, soft-boiled or in the form of an omelet 1-2 per week, the yolks can be given raw;

    bread (in small quantities), cereals (what cereals can be fed: rice, buckwheat, millet, sometimes wheat, and, if there are no signs of allergy, rolled oats);

    boiled sea fish (without skin, bones, scales), it is advisable to introduce it at an older age (some types of fish contain substances that destroy minerals and vitamins, which impairs the development of the puppy);

    vegetables (zucchini, beets, pumpkin) boiled, stewed, finely chopped or grated raw;

    greens, finely chopped;

    fruits, berries (as a treat if your pet likes them);

    seafood (squid is useful as a source of vitamins B6, B12, B2 and PP);

    a few drops of vegetable oil in each serving of food;

    large bones (spicy chicken and tubular ones are not allowed).

It is important to know which foods are unacceptable in the diet of a German Shepherd puppy. Errors in nutrition lead to digestive disorders, diseases, and can cause the death of a small pet. What not to feed, list:

    sweets;

    baked goods and pasta;

    pickles, pickled, smoked products;

  • grapes and sorrel;

    legumes and corn grits;

    fatty lamb, pork;

    cabbage, potatoes (cause bloating);

    Salt, sugar and spices are not allowed.

It is unacceptable to feed the puppy food from your table, flavored with various herbs (spices), which also has no nutritional value for the shepherd dog. Such a diet leads to the fact that the dog will become picky about food, refuse to eat its usual food, and will constantly beg for handouts. In addition, human food is unsuitable for the sensitive stomach of a kitten. Food from the table will worsen the condition of the coat and cause diseases of the dog’s internal organs.

You can feed your shepherd baby with natural food and ready-made dry or wet food. Mixing different types of products is allowed, but not in one feeding. In this case, in the morning meal the baby is given puppy pellets, which can be soaked, and in the evening - natural food. Feeding portions with a mixed diet are halved.

When transferring a little German from natural food to dry food, the granules must be soaked in warm water, milk or kefir. They begin to introduce a new product little by little, gradually completely replacing their usual food with it.

Types of feeding

Natural products and ready-made factory feed are suitable for feeding German puppies. The variety of food allowed for a dog’s diet will allow you to prepare many healthy, tasty dishes. But some dogs may experience diarrhea from such food, and then veterinarians will recommend that you eliminate the harmful product; you can try introducing dry food or canned food for dogs.

It is important that natural products are fresh and dishes are prepared from high-grade raw materials. Ready-made food for German babies is allowed only in premium or super-premium class. The main protein here is meat products. High-quality feed is completely digestible and produces little undigested waste. The cost of such products is high, but they are produced taking into account age and breed characteristics, contain vitamins and minerals necessary for a growing body, and are balanced in the content of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. Cheap economy class feeds are made from offal, contain bones and cartilage, low-grade grains and soybeans.

Features of feeding natural food

Natural food will allow you to diversify your shepherd's menu as much as possible and satisfy the dog's different taste preferences. This is a natural, familiar food for dogs; it does not contain dyes or flavor enhancers that have a detrimental effect on the health of animals. The disadvantages of natural food are the difficulty in creating a menu and the length of time it takes to prepare dishes. The food spoils quickly. It is problematic to take it with you when traveling with a small pet. It is inconvenient and takes up a lot of space. Additional vitamin and mineral supplements are often required. But if the owners have enough free time, then they will cope with these tasks.

The feeding pattern for shepherd puppies is as follows: a third is meat or fish, a third is cereals in the form of porridge, a third is dairy products, vegetables and fruits.

The diet of a six-month-old shepherd puppy is almost the same as that of an adult dog. Food is given in two doses. Let's look at a sample menu for a six-month-old German Shepherd puppy for a week, table:

Monday

1. Calcined cottage cheese, raw chicken yolk.

2. Raw beef, cut into small pieces.

1. Dry granules soaked in water.

2. Buckwheat porridge with rabbit meat and herbs.

1. Curdled milk. Dried slices of bread.

2. Lean raw lamb, finely chopped. Millet porridge. A few drops of vegetable oil.

1. Dry granules. Sugar seed.

2. Boiled beef tripe, cut into pieces. Hercules porridge. The berries are fresh.

1. Low-fat cottage cheese. Omelette.

2. Boiled squid. Grated zucchini. Greenery.

1. Curdled milk. Dog biscuits.

2. Boiled liver, cut into pieces. Hard-boiled egg.

Sunday

1. Ryazhenka. Crackers.

2. Boiled fish. Rice porridge. Stewed pumpkin. Greenery.

Features of feeding prepared foods

There are many advantages to feeding a small shepherd dog with industrial food. This also saves time: there is no need to create a menu, you do not need to spend a lot of time preparing dishes. Drying is convenient when transporting a dog and when traveling with the animal. Factory feed takes up little space and can be easily used in any cramped conditions. Using such food, there is no need for additional administration of mineral and vitamin complexes: high-quality food from well-known brands includes everything necessary for the growth and formation of a dog.

Many lines of super and premium food include dietary food, products for the treatment and prevention of various diseases. The optimal price and composition is the German super-premium food for puppies - Royal Canin.

If you have chosen dry food only to save time or save the family budget, you should think about preparing semi-finished products. After all, not a single best premium food can compare with natural meat.

Features of feeding puppies of different ages: how much and how often to feed

It is not difficult to calculate the feeding rate for an adult shepherd dog: it is approximately 2-3% of the animal’s total weight. On average, this is 1 kg 200 g of food per day. An adult dog is fed 2 times a day, in the hot season - once.

The diet and food intake of a small dog should be regulated as it grows. Breakfast is served at seven in the morning, and the last meal is at 22:00.

The puppy’s diet is selected taking into account the animal’s age, temperament, build, individual appetite and activity. Owners with experience are of the opinion that up to 3 months the kitten can be fed ad libitum, only after adjusting the number of feedings and the dog’s diet.

A newborn baby will have enough mother's milk. But it happens that the puppy cannot suckle on its own or the baby has to be separated from its mother if she is sick or has died. In this case, until the age of two weeks, the small shepherd dog is fed ten times a day with goat, cow or sheep milk using a syringe, pipette or baby bottle. The required amount of food per day is 150 ml.

What to feed a 1 month old German Shepherd puppy? At the age of 40-45 days, babies are usually sold. During this period, the puppy is given dairy products (yogurt, cottage cheese, milk), several varieties of meat, porridges: oatmeal and rice, meat, soups and pureed vegetables, at intervals of 3-4 hours. The baby has a small stomach, it is important that the portions are small - up to 200 g. Meat is given twice a day. Dry cottage cheese is not allowed for your baby - it will choke, you can mix it with kefir, yogurt, or add an egg. Although the kitten does not like such food, it is necessary and useful for him.

A one and a half to two month old baby is fed six times a day, providing about 200 grams of food per meal. At 2 months, oils and vegetables are added to the shepherd dog’s usual menu. The digestive tract is already prepared for the absorption of fiber and protein. Portions are increased to 300 g, fed four times a day.

At 3 months, you can begin to give the puppy large brain bones for the development of jaws and grinding of teeth: boiled if the pet is kept in apartment conditions, raw if it lives in a local area.

At 4 months, the dog is still fed four times a day, portions up to 350 g. From this age, the puppy’s joints and ligaments actively develop, teeth change, which weakens the cartilage tissue, which is why the shepherd’s ears may not stand up Therefore, special attention is paid to calcium-containing products. A dog needs collagen to fully develop. To do this, you can purchase food gelatin or special food additives. The basic diet remains the same.

At 5 months, for the correct formation of the skeleton and good posture, chondroprotectors are gradually added to the dog, and marrow bones are given to quickly replace milk teeth. Feed composition and number of feedings - 3 times a day.

At 6 months the puppy is switched to two meals a day. At the age of six months, up to a year, the puppy is fed with a volume of food of at least 500 g. For males, milk is completely removed from the diet. At this time, you can start preparing porridge not only from meat, but also from offal. Acceptable grains are added: millet and sorghum.

It is important to constantly monitor your pet, be attentive to how it looks externally, how well-fed it is, what is the condition of its fur, teeth, eyes, and pay attention to the slightest changes in its behavior.

You notice that the puppy is not eating well, but is active, perhaps he has overeaten. If your pet completely eats the food and leaves full, remember this amount and do not exceed it later. Sometimes the puppy licks for a long time, chases the empty bowl, but the baby’s weight gain is not going well, which means he doesn’t have enough food. Review the menu and dog portions.

Whatever nutrition option you choose for your little friend, feeding natural foods, ready-made dry food or canned food, it is important that this is based on the dog’s nutritional needs and taste preferences. There is no need to insist on a product that the animal refuses to eat; offer a replacement.

Proper nutrition is the key to a healthy and happy life for your four-legged friend. Follow a meal schedule, increase portions according to the dog’s age, exercise and play with your dog more. Remember that only the owner is responsible for how fully his pet will live.

Feeding a German Shepherd puppy at 1 month is not much different from feeding it up to 4 weeks, but there are still differences.

Correct position when feeding

The shepherd dog has grown significantly in one month and stands confidently on all 4 legs - it’s time to get used to eating from a bowl located on a stand.

It is important to teach this position while eating from an early age so that the baby does not develop the habit of throwing food out of the bowl and picking up pieces from the floor - one, and his exterior is correctly formed - two.

It will be difficult, but possible, to wean him off from picking up pieces, and it will be impossible to correct the hunchback, high hindquarters and weak front pasterns.

The bowl should be at the height of a one-month-old puppy’s chest so that he can only put his muzzle in there. Place a rug made of thick fabric under the shepherd's paws so that the baby's paws do not move apart and the rug itself does not slide on the floor surface.


Special bowl for feeding shepherds

As the German Shepherd grows, the height to which the bowl is raised should also “grow”.

What and how to feed a 1 month old German Shepherd puppy

A one-month-old German Shepherd puppy is already familiar with a variety of foods and should eat 1 glass of food per day - this is true, but you still need to focus not so much on the total volume as on the general condition of the animal.

The feeding rate for each shepherd dog is individual, and it can only be established experimentally.

The food should be eaten “in a sneaky manner”, and the satiated baby should calmly move away from the bowl to his place and, most likely, go to bed. If the eater is bloated after breakfast or lunch, give him a little diluted milk with magnesium, and it is better to reduce the portion next time.


As they say: “After a hearty lunch, you should sleep”

The poor fellow who has not eaten enough will spend a long time “scraping” the bowl with his tongue, asking for more with his entire appearance. However, at this moment there is no need to add anything to the bowl, so as not to accustom the dog to handouts and begging. The portion will be increased at the next feeding.

Eating whims or developmental transition period

If your baby willingly eats one type of food and refuses another, do not indulge such whims. Otherwise, you will have to feed your German Shepherd only what he wants. As a rule, it will be unhealthy or even dangerous food.

Reasons for refusal

On the 25-30th day of development, taste reactions in shepherd dogs become more acute. If before this period the puppy relied more on smell, now taste complements the range of sensations.

During this period, it is especially important that the food offered is neither hot nor cold, nor bitter, nor spicy, etc. Otherwise, the shepherd will associate the smell of this type of food with an unpleasant sensation in the mouth and refuse to eat THIS for a long time.

The second reason is that after this meal the baby felt sick, and he associated the malaise with the taste and smell of this food.

The third reason is that the puppy is not hungry by the time of feeding.

He would happily chew some “yummy” food, but you will do the right thing and don’t offer any “yummy” food instead of real food, so as not to teach him to be capricious and pick at food.

You can’t force feed, but you also don’t need to change food “at the request of the workers.”


If your pet refuses to eat, do not follow his lead.

In 10 minutes. After discarding what is in the bowl, put its contents in the refrigerator. At the next feeding time, you will reheat and give the same food again.

From one month onwards, you can skip one feeding without harming the health of the growing dog.

By the way, you shouldn’t worry that your puppy’s menu is too monotonous: your pet can do just fine without culinary delights, which can lead to gastritis. Gastritis in German shepherds whose feeding regimen was not followed is a frequent phenomenon, its development is asymptomatic, the course is severe, even fatal.

Your dog only needs systematic, proper feeding at regular intervals!

A one-month-old shepherd dog is fed 6 times, timing the time with the general daily routine in the house. For example, the first portion is at 6 am, and the last at 21.00: 6.00 – 9.00 – 12.00 – 15.00 – 18.00 – 21.00. Small deviations in one direction or another are allowed for no more than half an hour.

Feeding puppies at home

Usually, by 6 weeks, the bitch’s lactation weakens and the milk itself is no longer so rich as to be a complete food for her children. You will need to introduce several new products to your puppy's menu.

Blood

It’s good if you have the opportunity to buy blood obtained from the slaughter of farm animals - it contains more than 30% complete, easily digestible proteins, has bactericidal properties (the first 4 hours after slaughter), and prevents the occurrence of iron deficiency anemia. Pork blood is given only in the form of boiled fibrin (clotted blood).

When feeding with blood, salt is excluded from the diet!

Blood can be preserved in reserve, like regular meat, but the value of such a product decreases significantly.

Meat

From 4 weeks, you need to give boiled pieces of chicken or rabbit, cut large enough so that the puppy has to work hard to chew them. Very useful for the development of jaws and neck muscles!

Fish


When feeding fish to a puppy aged 1 month, you must strictly follow the rules.

At this age (1-1.5 months) you need to introduce sea fish into your diet. The ideal option is the salmon family (salmon, mykiss, whale, chinook salmon, sockeye salmon, coho salmon, whitefish, pink salmon, whitefish, nelma). For now, the fish is only boiled, without bones, and only once a week.

If a little “German” eats fish more often, then B vitamins are destroyed in his body, which causes indigestion and growth retardation. But without fish, the body does not receive the enzymes that bind iron, the deficiency of which leads to a decrease in the immune system of the developing German Shepherd. A serving of fish should be one and a half times larger than a serving of meat.

Fat and oil

At 1 month of age, additional fats and oils are introduced into the puppy’s diet. Young German Shepherds should receive 2.6 g of fat per 1 kg of weight per day. This means that at 1 month the baby will need 10-15 g of animal fat (butter) or vegetable fat. Butter contains carotene, tocopherol, choline, phosphatites, vitamins A and D-2.

Vegetables contain polyunsaturated fatty acids that promote metabolism and tonic the walls of blood vessels, and vitamin E, which is not found in animal products.

With a lack of fat, skin peeling, dandruff, hair depigmentation, hypovitaminosis and developmental delay are observed. The shepherd dog should eat fats on a rotating schedule: today – vegetable, tomorrow – animal.


Potatoes, butter, meat, fish, vegetables - all this must be included in the puppy’s diet

Bones

At one and a half months old, German Shepherd puppies are given large joint sugar bones in their raw form.

Potatoes and tomato paste

At 1.5 months, tomato paste and raw potatoes are added to the diet. High-quality tomato paste contains ascorbic acid, tocopherol, lycopene and beta-carotene - antioxidants that reduce the risk of developing complex diseases of internal organs. How many times should I give tomato puree? The weekly dose for 6 weeks is ½ tsp, you can give the entire portion at once.

Raw potatoes, which in addition to starch and a lot of useful substances, also contain potassium, which is necessary for the proper functioning of the heart, is necessary for water-fat metabolism and healthy kidney function. 100 g of grated raw potatoes contains 2 times more potassium than meat!

Norm – 1 tbsp. l. freshly grated potatoes with juice and pulp.

Vegetables


Add zucchini, turnips, beets, and pumpkin. While the baby receives them in stewed form, mixed into porridge with bone broth. Two-month-old German Shepherd babies eat almost all vegetables and fruits raw, except pumpkin and beets.

Top dressing

At 4-6 weeks, mineral supplementation is introduced, which you can do yourself:

  • bone meal – 1 cup;
  • phytin – 40 crushed tablets;
  • glycerophosphate – 40 crushed tablets;
  • calcium lactate – 20 crushed tablets;
  • calcium gluconate – 20 crushed tablets;
  • activated carbon – 20 crushed tablets;
  • brewer's yeast with sulfur or selenium – 450 g;
  • white school chalk - 15 g;
  • salt – 5 g.

Fertilizer is given along with porridge, 0.5 tsp. daily for up to 2 months. From 2 months the same dose is given three times a day.

What to Avoid in a Month-Old Shepherd Dog's Diet

Here the rules of care and feeding remain unchanged:

  • low-quality products;
  • factory products with various additives;
  • food with spices;
  • overfeeding with vitamins;
  • hot or very cold food;
  • boiled potatoes;
  • tubular bones;
  • sweets, sausages, smoked meats;
  • sorrel;
  • overfeeding or underfeeding;
  • "treats" from you and your friends.

Drying can only be used at one feeding per day

Attention! At such a young age, you cannot feed your baby only dry food, no matter what super class it is.

It may contain components that cause severe allergies. “Drying” only as a substitute for the 1st of 6 daily feedings.

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How to properly raise a German Shepherd from puppyhood

The German Shepherd is, one might say, a classic breed of dog kept at home. If you have a need for such a strong, intelligent and loyal friend as a “German”, it is better to raise him from a puppy.

You need to prepare for the arrival of a baby in the house. Pre-purchase feeding utensils (at least two bowls for food and water), a grooming brush, special shampoo and, if possible, toys.

Think about and choose a place for your pet to sleep and rest, and also take care of such an important point as feeding the animal. You need to decide whether the dog will eat artificial (dry or wet) or natural food. If it’s natural, then figure out when and what food can be given to the puppy. The issue of feeding the animal must be taken seriously. A dog, even one as strong as a shepherd, is not a wolf. And her stomach is not tinned. He cannot digest “everything.” A German Shepherd, especially at a tender age, needs to be fed correctly, a certain number of times a day, in order to raise a healthy and full-fledged dog.

The stomach of a small shepherd is not so picky, but some important conditions when feeding still have to be observed.

Choosing food

It is recommended to take puppies from their mother no earlier than one and a half months of age. This is largely due to the fact that dogs are mammals, meaning newborn babies need breast milk. When the puppy is switched to solid food, he can be taken away. But before that, you need to decide what to feed him:

  • artificial food (dry and wet options);
  • natural products.

If you choose the first option, then you need to choose high-quality feed. It is advisable to obtain recommendations from the breeder and veterinarian. Modern experts for large breeds most often recommend the Royal Canin line of food, which has balanced versions for each age stage.

These foods are balanced taking into account the growth and development of the dog over a given period of time. They can be given to your pet starting from two months.

In the second case, the owner takes care of the cooking. And he must remember that the puppy’s diet must be selected according to the age and requirements of the animal’s growing body. As he grows up, the need for certain products will change.

Royal Canin dry or wet food is an excellent option for feeding a puppy, it contains the necessary daily requirement of vitamins and minerals

Feeding frequency

  • one and a half months – 6 times/day;
  • three – 4 times/day;
  • six – 3 times/day;
  • after 7 - you can transfer your pet to twice feeding.

Diet is no less important than the choice of food or dry food. You need to feed your baby at regular intervals, that is, at the same time and in the same place, so that he gets used to the regime. It is especially important to maintain intervals for the smallest puppies. Violation of the regime is fraught with intestinal disorders and errors in raising the dog. Food must be fresh. If your pet leaves something on the plate, the remains should be removed immediately after finishing the meal. The dog should always have fresh water. Under no circumstances should you feed your pet from your table. You can’t pamper your baby with sausages and smoked meats from your table even during school hours. These foods are bad for his digestive system.


The puppy must know his bowl and eat only from it. Responsibility for the pet's eating behavior lies entirely with the owners.

Nutrients in a dog's diet

When choosing a diet for a German Shepherd puppy, it is important to follow the principles of nutrition and variety. All essential nutrients must be contained in foods in the required proportions:

  • proteins;
  • fats;
  • carbohydrates;
  • minerals;
  • vitamins.

According to modern principles of veterinary medicine, proteins should account for at least 30% of the total daily amount of feed. Protein deficiency leads to disruption of the development of the animal's muscle corset and joints. Its low content affects the animal’s immunity for the worse; it weakens and may get sick.

A significant part of the natural diet should consist of protein products. As for factory-made foods, good manufacturers also make them based on the dog’s needs.

Fats of plant and animal origin must be present in the food of a German Shepherd puppy in the amount of two and a half grams per kilogram of the animal’s weight. The daily norm of carbohydrates in dog food is sixteen grams per kilogram of the baby’s weight.

Vitamins and minerals must be added to dogs' food if they are naturally fed. You should ask your veterinarian about the amount and type of medications your animal should receive.

In the case of nutrients, it is important not only to avoid their deficiency, but also their excess. An overdose of calcium and vitamins D and A, for example, can cause disruption in the development of the dog’s skeletal system.

How to feed a one-month-old puppy?

At one month of age, in a normal situation, puppies are still fed with their mother's milk. Starting from two weeks, breeders introduce complementary foods. The first complementary food is an egg (one piece per liter of milk). Then they are given thinly sliced ​​meat (beef). Then porridge (buckwheat, semolina and Hercules) is added to the diet. At three weeks of age, puppies are fed broths and liquid soups. Supplementary feeding can be offered to puppies four times a day, but only after feeding with mother's milk.

By 1 month, puppies are already eating a variety of foods. If such a baby gets to the owner, he must maintain the diet that the puppy received from the breeder for up to two months. The baby should receive one hundred grams of meat per day, about two hundred grams of dairy products per feeding. With properly organized feeding, the puppy gains 150-170 grams per day.

When feeding German Shepherd puppies, you can also use dry food. Although experienced breeders prefer natural products for babies, they recommend introducing artificial food from two months.

Dry food is also suitable for this breed of dog, but it is better to introduce it only from two months or give it to an adult dog

Rules for feeding a one and a half month old puppy

  • food should be at room temperature;
  • the puppy must eat the entire portion;
  • everything that he hasn’t finished eating must be removed;
  • The dog should be fed in a strictly designated place;
  • fresh water should be available to the puppy around the clock.

You can pamper your pet with soft bones, but only after the puppy has eaten the main dish. This is both a delicacy and a useful mineral supplement to food. To avoid rickets, it is customary to add fish oil to puppies’ food, just a few drops. Gradually, the amount of this tasteless, but very healthy product can be increased, but you need to start small, a couple of drops.

Fish oil is very beneficial not only for people, but also for dogs. When administering it, you must follow a strict dosage

Baby's diet at 2 months

  • cottage cheese two hundred grams + kefir in a small amount;
  • two hundred grams of porridge (buckwheat, millet, rice) with milk;
  • two hundred grams of porridge in water + finely chopped meat (beef) up to 50 grams + boiled vegetables;
  • boiled poultry or beef + one hundred grams of porridge;
  • repeat any item of your choice + vitamin supplement (pharmacy option).

This menu can be offered to a shepherd puppy at 2 months old. You can change it at your discretion, change the order of products, but as a basis it is better to stick to it. With such a diet, the baby will have enough nutrients for full growth and development.

Cottage cheese and kefir contain calcium, which is necessary for the healthy development of the dog’s skeletal system.

How to properly organize food for a 4-month-old dog?

The puppy is growing rapidly, getting stronger, moving more and more actively. Therefore, it is very important to continue to feed him properly. A four-month-old puppy weighs about 20 kg. This is already a fairly large and developed teenager. Not all puppies grow the same, so your pet may weigh slightly differently than stated.

By four months, puppies begin to shed, “adult” hair grows, and teeth change. The animal grows rapidly, so the diet must be rich in nutrients and contain all the necessary nutrients.

Otherwise, deviations in the dog’s development will begin. If the dog does not eat dry food, then it should receive one chicken egg per day and boiled vegetables with each meal. Vegetables should not be a separate dish, but should be offered to the animal along with the main food.

Nutrition of a five-month-old shepherd dog

When the pet turns 5 months old, the frequency of its feedings is reduced to three times. A single serving should already be quite large and reach half a kilogram. Eggs should be included in the diet no more than twice a week. The food of a five-month-old puppy consists of approximately the following products:

  • cottage cheese with kefir + vitamins;
  • porridge with meat and egg;
  • porridge with meat and vegetables.

Porridge and meat products account for approximately the same amount by weight; you can even add a little more meat. Vegetables should not be a separate dish - they are mixed with porridge or meat products. Both vitamin supplements and microelements should be added to the feed.

By five months, each portion should be at least 0.5 kg so that the dog can eat

Six months - what and how do we feed?

How many times and what should you feed your pet every six months? He eats three times a day. The main products are still meat and cereals. Diversify your diet with fermented milk products, eggs, milk, and vegetable oil.

After six months, the puppy is transferred to feeding twice a day, and the portions become larger. Feeding is an important part of caring for an animal. It may seem that organizing the feeding process for a German Shepherd puppy is a tedious and troublesome task. But we are responsible for those we have tamed. Therefore, if you have adopted a puppy, you need to take these troubles philosophically. A healthy, loyal dog that grows from a well-groomed puppy will repay your care a hundredfold.