German Shepherd Dog

Dog Breeds - Part 1


German Shepherd Dog

The German invader!


Came from Alsace of Germany, brought by the returning American soldiers,invaded the hearts of dog-lovers all over the world, popularly known as the Alsatian (if you have guessed it is the German shepherd dog (GSD), you are right). Only few know Alsatian and the German shepherd are one and the same (a case of split personality? no, it so happened people called it by name Alsatian for years, then came awareness about dogs and its breeds, the elite dog keepers fashionably called their dogs “German shepherd”, whereas “ordinary” people still call their German shepherds as Alsatians ). There are


Too many cooks!


Classification: like in most of the cases there is no universally accepted norm. Different countries have different kennel associations like the kennel club of India (KCI), American Kennel Club (AKC), Australian National Kennel Club (ANKC) , New Zealand Kennel Club (NZKC), United Kennel Club (UKC), American Pet Registry Inc.(APRI), and so on. Only consensus among them regarding universal standards is lacking. The AKC has grouped these beauties in ‘Herding’ class; where as the FCI put them under ‘Group 1 Section 1 #166’, the CKC as ‘Group 7- Herding dogs’, The ANKC as ‘Group 5 (Working Dogs)’ and so on and on….


Listen to the father.


Breed Characters: German shepherd that compete in dog shows, must have an appearance that conforms with the guidelines of the individual kennel club as no universally accepted standards exists.

As per Max von Stephanitz, the ‘Father of the German Shepherd Dog’ - "The most striking features of a correctly bred German Shepherd are firmness of nerves, attentiveness, “shock-resistance”, tractability, watchfulness, reliability and incorruptibility together with courage, fighting tenacity and hardness."


Height: Male dogs 24 to 25 inches (60-65cm.), Bitches 22-24 inches (55-60cm.)Weight: 77-85 pounds (35-40kg.)


Color conscious!


The GSD is handsome, well proportioned and very strong. The hair is a double-coat and can be either short or long haired. Although the black and tan saddle (Fig 1) may be most recognizable, German Shepherds come in a variety of colors and patterns (not all are accepted by the various breed clubs is another thing!). Two toned German Shepherds can be black and tan, black and red, black and brown, black and silver, black and cream, blue and tan, or liver and tan. Solid colors may be black and solid white or any of the dilutes (liver, blue, or cream). Dogs with coats that have tricolored hair (black and white with either brown or red) are called sable( Fig 2). Sables can come in a variety of mixtures as well including black and silver, black and red, black and cream, and black and tan.

There are few more markings helpful for recognising them.

1. 'striping' - black stripe markings on the legs found in some sables,

2. 'pencilling' - found on the sable as black lines on the top of the dog's toes,

3. 'tar heels' - black that runs down the back of the dog's legs, and

4. ‘bitch stripe’ - grey hairs along the back of a female or a neutered male.

Certain qualities desirable to ideal GSDs


Color

White is generally not an acceptable color for the German shepherd; however they are now being recognized as a separate breed, called the American White Shepherd.


Head.


The head should be noble and in proportion to its body, and the forehead a little convex.


Eyes.


Eyes of medium size, almond shaped, set a little obliquely (not protruding), with a lively, intelligent expression. Color darker the better.

Ears.


Ears should be moderately pointed, wised at the base, in proportion to the skull, open toward the front, and held erect when at attention. The ideal carriage being one in which the center lines of the ears (as viewed from the front) should look parallel to each other and perpendicular to the ground. Ears that are not completely erect are consisderesd as a disqualification (the ears of puppies less than six months may droop slightly).


Nose.


The nose is most often black, blue or liver rarely occur, but is considered taboo for shows.

It has a strong scissors bite

It has a sturdy, muscular, slightly elongated body with a light but solid bone structure.,

Its bushy tail reaches almost to its hocks and hangs down when the dog is at rest.

Its front legs and shoulders are muscular; its thighs thick and sturdy. It has round feet with very hard soles.


Nature: Noble in appearance, character and purpose, a German shepherd is courageous, brave and has keen senses. These dogs are capable of warm companionship and are active and dignified. They befriend children once they get acquainted and are unconditionally loyal, obedient and protective and hardly ever run away. They do not allow intruders in their homes and can get along with other family pets and animals,. Sensitive to voice and intelligent enough to understand things quickly, German Shepherds are eager pupils.


The American line of a German hero.


First it was the American soldiers who brought German shepherd dogs (GSD) to thier country as they were so impressed by the role they played for the German army in World war 1. From the army camps the German shepherds travelled a long way to reach the top notch among the best dog breeds.


German and Eastern European lines tend to be stockier, with shorter snouts and more muscular chests, and typify the working lines. The North American lines have a tendency towards a longer croup, longer back, higher wither and temperament making them ideal for companionship.


American GSD lines tend to have sharp angulations in the hind quarters, more so than any other breed. These angulations allow them to hop seamlessly with lesser touch on the ground. American lines tend to be bred for elegance and nobility. They are often less active and less dominant than their German counterparts, which make them better pets.


German line GSDs are generally stockier than their American counterparts and more moderate in both structure and movement without severe angulations as in American lines. They may not appear as graceful and dignified but instead have an air of muscular agility.
When the German lines are high-energy, high-intensity dogs, the American is Graceful and elegant companions.


Longevity: The life expectancy is about 13 years. A GSD becomes "middle-aged" between 5-7 years old, and is generally considered aged at about 10.

Exercise: GSDs require a lot of exercise; they can be reared in apartments provided there is provision for giving them the much needed exercise. Two hours a day will do.

Roles: The GSDs are excellent in Herding, they are ideal for the jobs like trekking, tracking, Searching, Rescue-duty etc. GSDs are extensively used as Guard Dogs and Guide Dogs. Their loyalty and affection make them good pets.


Some of the common ailments found in GSDs.


Hip dysplasia. This is caused by Genetic disorders can be diagnosed by early x-ray verification.
Hair-loss (Alopocia) due to several factors including deficiency of vitamins and minerals, Fungal and parasitic infestation or even the use of bad soaps. Carbolic acid based soaps are never to be used.
Ear-infections. The most common ailment, reason improper or no cleaning, better management of the ears can keep the ailment at bay.
Maggot- attack. Especially in hairy varieties small wounds and scars on the skin may go un-noticed which will turn out to be breeding ground for maggots (pest flies which lay eggs in animal wounds causing the wound to worsen)

A good dog is worth ten friends, keep it in ship shape and be a proud owner of a proud dog.

Don’t envy your neighbor’s dog, own a better one..

To be continued...

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Something About Man's Best Friend. A Foreword

Image courtsey: tombraider4u.com

Dogs of all hues. Something About Man's Best Friend - A Foreword.

This article is only foreword for a series of postings to appear in this site; describing the various types (breeds) of dogs and their specialties, as dog is the undisputed best-friend of human being it would of immense use to be familiar with the characteristic features of each breed and the ways of rearing, and even dealing with them. The author is a research fellow in the veterinary research institute in Kerala, he will only be happy to share information regarding dog rearing with those who love his best-friend and wish to know more of these four-legged wonders.

Dogs are classified in the "canine" community (family canidae, species Canis familiaris) by the scientists. The word "canine" reminds the fangs of the legendary Dracula and the readers may develop an aversion to this group, but remember these canines are essential for them to lead an omnivorous (those which eat vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian foods) life style and there is nothing to be afraid of their dental pattern! Ancient remains of human beings have almost always found accompanied by skeletons of dogs, this is a standing testimony to prove that the canines they have are just teeth of devotion and nothing less than that!

The present species of dogs is supposed to be evolved about 30,000 years back, there are different schools of thought regarding their origin, the most popular one is that they evolved from wolves (there are instances reported of wolves mating with domestic dogs). Some people of the scientific community are of opinion that dogs evolved from the jackals and yet others claim dogs are the progenies of coyotes ugly! As the case belongs to 30,000 years back let us leave it to the "school teachers"! Altogether there are more than one hundred breeds available in the domestic dog species.

Man's ambition and greed have tempted him to domesticate anything and everything that came in to his way, almost all attempts to domesticate animals like hyenas, Gazelles, wild-cats, foxes etc have failed miserably. Even the domestication of the so called "domestic cats" is said to have progressed only half-way! The cat never lets anybody mess with its life, master or no master! So called domestication means only that much to this small animal.

But what about the dogs, in this case also there is nothing for the man to be proud of, it is believed that dogs just came to the man and asked with his jesters, asylum from predators and left-over food from man in a trade-off for the watch-man duty he offered voluntarily. If the dog is domesticated now, it is not by the merit of the man but by the grace of the dog! In a sense, it is the dog which domesticated the man! By offering security at night from snakes and predators dog made man stop wandering and lead a settled "domestic" life. All by the grace of the dog!

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Sexy bitches in Kovalam

Now I aint no tourist in the classic sense of the word and when I say bitches I mean bitches. And not of the two legged kind either, though that’s convenient, but the original four legged canine breed. Pure stuff.

The best and most sexy bitches of the four legged kind are to be found in Kovalam and you guessed right, my blood group is pervert positive. I mean come to think of it, how would a cross between you and your neighbor’s dog look like. Would it bark, bite and catch flees like a puritan or would it kiss, smooch and fuck around just like us humans?

Anyway, I was observing some real beauts in kovalam when Malcolm Radney from Rhodesia was bargaining with little Kavita’s mother for a price. Kavita is 10 and Malcolm wants to fuck her. Better still, own and fuck her up. After a bit of a debate, the mother (not second or third but the real thing) settled for a black and white tele along with 50,000 bucks read rupees.

As dear mother was looking at her kid being taken away by Malcolm, I was on to the next german shepherd. Was chasing it down the beach, my cock at the ready when right beside, Aunt Margaret from U.S of fuckin’ A was playing along with the balls of dileep deep in the beach waves. Forgot to introduce you, dileep is a polio infested kid coming from a local fisherman family. But fuck that! I am after that beaut of a german shepherd, and where did it go? Shit!

I then walked down the board saying “dog’s own country” and I saw my next bitch. Make no mistake. I always make sure it’s a she before I make my move. After all what do you think I am, a no good homo? No sireee, am cent percent pure hetero. Well then, I saw my bitch and after a bit of a run was almost inside her when all of a sudden, a cop did his duty by grabbing me up my ass and pushing me inside a jail cell. All that for just trying to pass my time with some genuine bitches? Of course I tried to give the cops my mentally pre-prepared lecture on ‘whats the point in kicking me up when little kids from poor families are getting screwed in the ass each day by people of different nationality?’. But it didn’t go on for long since I was busy drinking up the variant vibrations of piss which was being graciously poured down my throat and I couldn’t speak anymore.

The only thing left to say is that I somehow made out of the cop hell an example or two under my belt of how Pasolini might have felt after shooting ‘salo’ under my belt.

And there definitely is a lesson I learned from all this. Its not worth the risk just to fuck some four legged bitch. Should have gone for the two legged kind, just like ol’ Malcolm Rodney.

How to Train Your Pet

All it takes is a little Time and Love !!!

One may envy watching the neighbor’s dog stopping its barking, lying down, or retrieving the object which was thrown away etc as ordered by him, while yours may be a perpetual nuisance both for you and your neighbors. As the TV ad goes “don’t envy your neighbor’s pet” own one like that! There is no miracle in making the dog obey your orders. It can be made possible to anybody including yourself. Training of dog is not a hard job it is easier if your pet belongs to an intelligent breed and you have a some time and effort to spare.

Very simple.

The following is a simplified description of the training methods those can be practiced by ordinary people who have just some time to spare for their pets. A dog well-

Trained is treasure where as an untrained or ill trained one can be a menace for the whole locality. Doberman, Labrador, or Alsatian, are a dog trainer’s delight, as they pick up lessons faster hence they are considered as intelligent breeds.

Personality development.

Nowadays people spend a fortune to purchase new varieties of dogs such as Rottweiler, Doberman, Alsatian, pug etc and keep them simply as their status symbol. As in the case of man, real beauty of a dog lies in its personality, dog training is in a sense a personality development program for the pets. Beauty is not much for a pet but proper training is the real thing.

It follows wherever you go.

See how an little pug stole the heart of millions and became a celebrity overnight through “Hutch” ad. By trained behavior your dog also can be like that one which follows the kid “where ever it goes.

Catch them Young.

Best time to give training for your pet is at the age group of 2 to 3 months, after six months it becomes unfit for training.

Why is your pet Aggressive.

1. congenital aggression

Some dogs by their breed are aggressive. Example: Rajapalayam, Rottweiler etc.

2. environmental aggression

Sudden change of environment can make a dog aggressive

3. Aggression due to illness

A dog suffering from some illness or pain may show aggressiveness.

4. fear induced aggression

It may be the fear factor which makes the dog aggressive in certain times.

How to Minimize aggressive behaviour in your pet.

1. Anti aggressive pet- training
2. psychological treatment
3. Increase in the quantity of protein in its diet.
4. Anti adrenergic drugs (testosterone antagonistic will prevent the unusual over- aggression.)
5. Castration of male dogs may reduce aggression.

Best time for Training

Better to chose early morning hours for training (a fresh brain is better for learning for pets also.

Feeding while Training

Never give any hard meal before or at the time of training (keep it a bit hungry to make snacks tastier) snacks such as biscuits, cake-crumbs etc during training are good tit-bits (token of appreciation).

Commonly used commands for Training.

1. “Sit down” or “down” to make it sit down.
2. “Come on” calling the pet to walk to you
3. “Catch” (Fetch) for fetching any object which is thrown against your pet
4. “No” – preventing him from doing any mistake.
5. “Retrieve”- the dog to take back any object
6. “Don’t touch” To prevent it from eating any food offered by strangers.

Method of training.

1. SIT DOWN

In order to make a pup “sit down” it should be called with low voice to sit down and simultaneously pressing down by holding in the neck with the hand. If it is showing reluctance, repeat the same by saying the word sit down, do it until it will do it by itself. Then stand apart from the dog and say “sit down” it will do it without pressure. “Tit-bits” (Token of appreciation) is a must in dog (or any pet) training. You can give one or two biscuits when it obeys each order itself.

2. SIT UP

Make the dog in the sit down position and then slowly raise his neck by saying the words sit up. Repeat this until it does it with out any reluctance. Stand apart from it and say “sit up” if it is not doing direct by hand, try again and again till it learns.

3. COME ON.

For this a dog should be called by its name several times a day for about a week to make it accustomed to its own name. A dog may be pulled by holding the cord attached to collar using the word “come on” the meal dish may be placed at a distance and drag it slowly towards it by saying the words “come on”. This should be repeated until it learns that lesson, and the dog should be patted and treated with some tit-bits each time saying some sweet words also works.

4. NO.

Always utter the word “NO” when it is doing any mischief, so that it will get accustomed to the word. Put the meal dish at a distant place when the dog is going to eat it, prevent it by uttering the word ‘NO’. Repeat this for some time and then allow it to eat. When the pup is constantly barking, put your fingers around its mouth and say “NO”. Repeat this for some time until it recognizes and stops barking when you say ‘NO’

5. DON’T TOUCH.

A dog should be trained not to eat any food offered by a stranger. For this, put the meal dish at a distance. When the dog approaches the food to eat it, say “don’t touch”. And take away the dish. Repeat this until it recognizes the word.

6. CATCH / FETCH.

For this throw an object (a small ball or a piece of bone is enough) away from it and utter the word CATCH. If it does not mind your command, take it to the object, put the object inside its mouth and say the word catch. Repeat the same until it runs towards the object and catch it. It should be patted affectionately as a token of appreciation. Every time and each time it runs and catches the object, you should remove the object form the mouth, and then throwing it to some distance. Repeat this until he catches the object and takes it back to you with out the application of any force.

Tips

1. training is a process which requires patience both for the trainer and trainee. Remember your trainee is a raw and innocent one, so always keep cool while engaged in the training process.
2. Always choose early hours of the day for training so that both you and your trainee get some exercise
3. Do not feed your dog before training (then only tit-bits will appeal).
4. Always pat your and some sweet words to your dog when he obeys your commands
5. A dog should be trained at the age group of 3-6 months

A well trained dog is worth ten friends and ill trained one equals ten foes. Let children play with the pets, this acquaintance give them the power to resist allergies towards animal odor and particles (hair excreta etc) when they are grown ups. Pets play great parts in rekindling the tender feelings in children and make them good persons in future.

The instructions for proper dog training may sound like tall orders for adults who are either busy or lazy. If entrusted to kids, they will do it with pleasure and bring dramatic results in the rearing of your pets, because children are pet- trainers par excellent, the reason is simple they love their pets, that is all and nothing else!

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