Scales of Justice

Also, try some challenging toys, like a rubber tyre (toy type available at pet outlets) attached to rope tied to a tree or a high point where the tyre swings at head height (you can put treats inside the bottom of the tyre). Also try other toys with treats inside (kongs etc) - they give some joy for a while. Used 3 litre drink bottles (used for juice etc) emptied, delabelled and washed are enjoyment for busy GSDs. Marrow bones are a challenge for most dogs and they can't eat a whole lot of the bone so diarrhoea is not a problem. Edited to add: You said you were crating her when you are not home, if that is for long periods you may need to watch that she doesn't become a boredom barker.

best4koda, You have answered your own question. A dog of this sort needs more attention and or more exercise (preferably both). Three walks a week is not enough. She needs more exercise, especially daily. What would also benefit her much more than the exercise as well would be to feel to be part of your family, ie. a house dog where she can see what's going on around her and to interact with her human "pack" and where her human pack can guide her bad behaviour as she does it. Dogs of this type require stimulation mental and physical. She is also very young and will not turn the corner until after three years of age in terms of settling down.

Also, can anyone tell me - in defined tick areas is there less chance of dogs picking up ticks in well mown non treed areas? ie in large open parkland with no trees or long grass or are ticks just as bad in the open areas too?

Can anyone tell me if ticks are worse on the coastal areas or are they just as bad inland?

Re Shortstep's video clip: That video clip is not even a clip of Australian GSDs. I find it irritating that an isolated example such as appears in that video insinuates that that is how GSDs in Australia move today (changes in the last 50 years). I'm sure you can find very poor examples of movement in any breed. The majority of Australian breeders have sound moving dogs. I've seen many breeds in the show ring moving with incorrect features of movement so to focus in on that video is a misrepresentation of the true picture of the breed in Australia. The person who started this thread wanted recommendations relevant to Australia. I realise toydog was trying to raise the point that one should avoid poor movement but there is a certain insinuation that is implied with the posting of that video. My advice to the original poster is that they should visit many kennels and view what is available in Australia and make up their own mind when they purchase. They may be pleasantly surprised.

Most of these dog attacks have the same thing in common - irresponsible owners who leave their dogs to contact the public without supervision. The breeds of dog usually get the wrap but they should throw the book at the owners.

These are only generalisations. Some GSDs are friendly with everything (and the reverse). Also I don't believe the breed is stubborn, I've found them to be highly trainable and very willing to please even as 9 week old puppies. They would not be used in the forces if they were stubborn and difficult to train. I have owned and trained GSDs to very high levels for many years and I've always been amazed just how quicly the breed picks up on training. "Two types - calm and hyperactive" - another generalisation. Behaviour depends on many things - breeding, upbringing, training and the owner. There are good and bad of all breeds. If a Chihuahua were GSD size they may have as bad a reputation (or worse) than GSDs or other large breeds. Our perceptions only reflect our own personal experiences.

Your perceptions are not quite right. BCs were mentioned in negative terms and although there has been some discussion to the negative of GSDs many of the posts were in positive terms.

The human race frequently scrapes the bottom of the barrel. They have far less integrity than animals do.

I'm not prejudiced, der .... 1. I can't stand any dog not accompanied by a leash and owner. 2. I can't stand any dog that barks non stop and causes a nuisance 3. I can't stand any dog that poops on my footpath. 4. I don't have much time for little white fluffies who more often than not, are the culprits of 1,2 and 3 above. 5. I don't think there is any other breed that lives up to a GSD. So you see I'm not prejudiced ;) ;) Really what it all boils down to is that I really can't stand ignorant, irresponsible dog owners.

Father asks to buy a puppy for his 16 year old son who lives with them. They come to visit - Father is lovely with the dogs but his son holds his hands folded under his armpits and doesn't touch the dogs, parents or puppies, the wife does the same. FAIL!

Kavik, When GSDs are in full coat and they do not have any skin issues, very little hair comes out in a comb. Perhaps your tumbleweeds all year round may be akin to a skin problem.

Kavik, I did not say they were low shedding. I said they were low maintenance but on the down side that they do shed. The shedding process is more limited to changes between seasons not a WHOLE YEAR problem. You can only get a "whole dog's worth of hair when they are in the shedding process. I did not say that all GSDs would be suitable. If you reread what I said, I said that one should be selective about where they buy and buy from parents who fit the bill. My words "It is imperative to buy from parents that do not display high drives and thoroughly check out the parents and their environment to make sure that the parents are not over the top. Some can be. From the right breeding you should be able to find a great companion with a stable demeanour."

A German Shepherd would fit the bill on most counts BUT you would need to be very selective in where you buy. It is imperative to buy from parents that do not display high drives and thoroughly check out the parents and their environment to make sure that the parents are not over the top. Some can be. From the right breeding you should be able to find a great companion with a stable demeanour. GSDs are great with kids when they are reared from puppy with kids. Provided you choose one from the right breeding and provided you thoroughly socialise a GSD Puppy amongst other dogs and society in general they are usually well adjusted. Looks are a deterrent and GSDs have a unique intelligence where even the most unlikely docile and placid GSD can leap into action to protect their owners when needed. GSDs are able to discern body language in people and can usually pick up bad intentions by instinct. Size of course they have. Low maintenance and grooming in the short coated varieties although they do shed at least twice a year.

5 to 6 months old may be OK, but I'd be more wary about bringing in an adult dog (more towards the 12 months end of the scale), especially if that dog you bring in has come from a kennel where it is used to competing. The worst scenario for dog fights is when you bring in an adult dog (particularly a female when you have other females) to a pack when it has not grown up in the pack. Depending on personality it may work but it also may not. If you read many other threads about dog fights on DOL you will see there are many who would agree with me.

Bringing in another adult dog when you already have two older dogs may not necessarily be a good idea, especially when you will have three dogs - that is, two older dogs to gang up on a younger one. Not a great scenario. Consider a younger puppy.

Hi Mattgsd, A couple of things that are necessary. Firstly, your puppy needs a special "area" where it can feel safe and secure. In the wild a puppy would be retreating into a den. Your puppy needs a "den", not just to be left outside the door. A den is a secure place for a puppy where the puppy can feel comfortable and "out of danger". A pen with a kennel in it, a kennel right near your back door or some construction where your puppy can retreat into while you are not home. It is important that your puppy feels it has an area where it can feel safe and secure. When that is taken care of, leave your puppy for a few hours with a large marrow bone in the "den". You will be able to give the puppy a marrow bone and leave. Hopefully the puppy will take an hour or so amusing itself with the marrow bone and at the conclusion of that hour it will certainly be tired. The puppy will then want to sleep (in the den). Start by only being away about 3 hours or so. Continue this every time you leave and your puppy will soon be happy on its own for longer periods of time.

Get your friend to check out around the home whether they have any Lead Paintwork that the puppy may have been exposed to. I know some people who had an 8 week old puppy who had fits and the puppy had lead poisoning from chewing old paintwork.

Leelaa17, Have you noticed that a GSD is stood differently in the rear to other breeds? When you bring a GSDs legs 4 square (as the other breeds are stood) the slope becomes less obvious. You need to inform yourself about the function of the GSD firstly. The GSD is a trotting breed designed to cover the most amount of ground with minimum of effort. You cannot compare the gait of a GSD to the general dog in the street or other breeds which is why most people take exception to the GSD. Many other breeds are designed for different purposes, many are not trotting breeds, many are not working breeds and many do not rely on trotting over large distances. Many straight stifled breeds are not ground covering in their gait in the same sense that a GSD is and do not have the necessary forward thrust of the hindquarter to sustain endurance at that speed. With less ground coverage a dog needs to take more steps, with more steps comes more expense of energy and so on. I suggest that you read up about GSDs and then make your decision as to what pleases you. I am merely addressing this reply to Leelaa17, so please do not use this as an opportunity start a 600 page thread about the pros and cons of sloping back and "decrepit" hindquarters which have been done to death over the last few years. I am only saying to Leelaa17 that she should research her own breed and then make up her mind about what is right and what is wrong.

Yes. When they swallow whole. Yes. They can exit the stomach before totally breaking down. I would not feed my dogs chicken necks AT ALL. But I'm sure if you smashed the necks into smaller pieces they would probably be OK. The worry is when the whole chicken neck is ingested in one whole piece

Puggy puggy I disagree with you. My vet said he has done heaps of bowel surgery from lodged chicken necks. Because he has done so many of these ops. he advises against feeding chicken necks to dogs at all. Lindainfa, I would watch your dog very closely indeed to make sure nothing is amiss in the next two days. If anything does not appear to be right - straight off to the vets.

Have you had her elbows x-rayed? She may be toeing in to relieve pressure around the elbow area.

That's your answer. I would try to channel her into chewing something a bit more benign than sticks. If she is passing larger sticks through the bowel you may run the risk of the bowel being pierced and/or colitis developing. See if you can get her onto a large marrow bone or something else in the place of sticks.

I don't think it is normal. I would try to determine what she has been eating which may be making her constipated. Did the dropping have bone in it, or perhaps stick. Does she chew on sticks or other matter that may be causing the consistency of her dropping to become difficult to pass? Some puppies eat rocks etc. Sounds awful but you might need to fossick through the poo and see what's in it.

rajacadoo, I think you would achieve more chance of improving the problem by feeding a balanced high quality dry food diet which is correctly balanced with all nutrients, rather than playing around with Vit C and Calcium. I have seen cases of overknuckling of the growth plates in youngsters from incorrect diet which was improved very rapidly by ceasing the diet and replacing with a balanced dry food. Perhaps it would also be wise to have his elbows checked by the vet also.