Bringing Your

German Shepherd Home

After a lot of work and effort...

you’ve found the perfect puppy and the day is quickly approaching when you will finally be able to bring your German Shepherd home. Whether you are adopting an adult dog or purchasing a puppy, you have several preparations to make for your new canine buddy.

Supplies to Have on Hand

Bringing home a new dog is a big event and it is not uncommon for new owners to forget to purchase all the supplies they will need when the shepherd arrives. Among the most critical items are food, bowls for food and water, a collar, a leash, several safe chew toys, supplies to clean and clean up after your shepherd, and of course, there’s the crate and all the supplies that go with this purchase.
 

Food and Bowls

Your new dog will need to eat only a few hours after you bring him home, so be sure to have food and bowls on hand. Not just any food will do, so make sure to ask your breeder or the shelter/rescue staff, if adopting, what food your dog is currently eating and how much they eat at each meal. Whether or not you plan to continue with this food, you shouldn’t introduce a new food immediately as this could cause gastrointestinal problems.
When it comes to choosing food and water bowls for your new shepherd, keep in mind that puppies and some adult dogs take great pleasure in carrying their bowls around, stepping in them, tossing the food, or chewing on them. Plastic bowls are inexpensive, can be easily tipped and destroyed, and are difficult to clean.

Ceramic bowls are heavy enough to be stable, but break easily, and are often not dishwasher safe. Stainless steel bowls are easy to clean, are relatively durable, and bottom weighted bowls won’t tip.

Collars

Measure the dog’s neck, making sure that you allow room for comfort without making it too loose.  A flat-buckle is a good choice for a puppy or an adult, as this collar is often used for early puppy training. However, a young puppy can grow through several sizes before he or she reaches maturity.

An adjustable collar can last longer as your puppy grows, but it is a little more dangerous. When the collar is at its tightest adjustment, it leaves a significant amount of collar to be tucked, forming a loop. An active puppy can get this loop hung up on his crate or outside on the fence. Additionally, the adjustable collar typically fastens with a plastic clip. Some of these clips are much more durable than others, so make sure that you don’t buy one that will break easily. Training or choke collars are made either of rolled nylon or leather (like rope) or metal links. The collar is made to tighten, or choke, as the dog pulls. You may wish to use this collar for training purposes, but it should not be used as your shepherd’s everyday collar. This collar is easily caught on protruding objects and could potentially strangle your shepherd.

Leashes

For a puppy, choose a lightweight leash with a small clip. Owners frequently make the mistake of running out and purchasing the thickest, longest leash as possible. A thick leash has a heavy clip, which will clunk against your puppy’s head. As your puppy grows, you can increase the weight of the leash and clip accordingly.

Leashes come in assortment of materials: nylon web, cotton, leather, and metal chain links. It would not be wise to purchase a chain leash for a German Shepherd as it is associated with a negative impression that you are using your dog as a weapon.

A good leash to choose is one made of leather because it is durable, lightweight, and strong. The only drawbacks are price and taste. Leather is more expensive than nylon web or cotton, and some dogs find leather irresistible as a chew toy; however, a nylon web can be tough on the hands if you have to reel a dog in, and cotton must be cleaned often and tends to wear on the edges.