How can I ensure my German Shepherd lives a long, healthy life?

Keeping Bebo normal weight throughout his life is the most important factor in longevity for dogs. Also regular steady exercise without a lot of jumping will protect his joints and reduce painful arthritis as he ages. With German Shepards hip issues can cause problems so the best thing to do is keep his rear legs strong to suppor his hips. I also give omega 3, and a good quality joint supplement in addition to a good quality dog food. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Bebo.

1. Rusty should not get bathed more than once a month unless he is very dirty. Bathing him too often will strip his skin of it's natural oils and dry it out. He can be brushed daily, and should have his ears and teeth cleaned daily. Cut his nails when they become too long. 2. He should get at least 45 minutes of exercise twice a day. GSDs are a high energy breed that need a lot of physical and mental stimulation. 3. You should leave water out for him all the time during the day so he can drink whenever he is thirsty. 4. Great question! Yearly check ups are recommended, but bring him into the vet whenever you have a health concern. I hope this helps :-)

An average life span of a GSD is 12-15 years. Health issues in GSDs include hip dysplasia, bloat, pancreatitis insufficiency, epilepsy, and cancer. Cancer is a middle aged to older dog disease, but it's really hard to see at what age they die from illness as it can vary within the breed. Some GSDs can live longer than others. It's important to make sure Bruno is a health weight, he is exercised daily, is kept up to date with his vaccines, and if you have any health concerns or questions, take him into the vet right away.

If you can find a safe, enclosed area where he can run free, that would be ideal. Walks are wonderful, of course, but you cannot go fast enough to work him into a good, sustained trot or even suspension gait, which is typical of German Shepherd Dogs. There are bicycle attachments whereby you can ride a bike with him running alongside, without the danger of his crossing in front of or behind you, or getting away. Before you embark on any serious exercise regimen with him, as the vet to look at his hips to be sure they can tolerate it. The vet cannot certify him free of hip dysplasia, but can spot a poor hip joint.

Make sure she has vaccines including DHPPi (distemper, hepatitis, parvo, parainfluenza) and rabies. Depending on her age, the vet the can tell you her vaccination schedule. Spay her before she goes into her first heat (around six months of age) to significant reduce the risk of her developing mammary tumors and eliminate the chance of her developing a pyometra later in life. Put her on a good flea and tick prevention program, make sure to deworm her, and give her heartworm protection. I would have your pup seen by a vet this week to start all of these things to keep her healthy :-)

At one month of age, Annie is still too young for vaccines. Her first series of vaccines should be given at 6-8 weeks of age, and she should get the DHPPi combination shot. This protects against distemper, hepatitis, parvo, and parainfluenza. You should make an appointment with your vet when she is that age to get her vaccines. As for feeding her, I do not recommend making her a vegetarian. Dogs do benefit from meat. She should be fed a puppy formulated food, not human food, in order to grow properly. Brands of puppy food I recommend are Royal Canin, Hill's Science diet, Purina ProPlan, and Iams. I hope this helps!

Commercial dog foods are required to contain all necessary vitamins and minerals and Gunner should not need an additional vitamin supplement. I'd recommend purchasing a high quality puppy food intended for large breed dogs and using the feeding recommendations on the bag as a general guide for how much to feed in a day. Many dogs need less food than what is suggested on the bag, and if he doesn't finish the food offered in 15 minutes you don't need to coax him. It is important for large breed puppies to stay lean when growing for appropriate growth of the bones and joints.