Dog Breeds: The German Shepherd

Originating in Germany in the 1800's, this dog was originally used for herding sheep, but now it is used for police and security work, as guide dogs, sniffer dogs, tracking dogs, guard dogs and companion dogs. It is the world's most numerous dog breed. Litters are usually large in number. Also called the Deutscher Schaferhund and by its original name Alsation.

This dog is 23 to 25 inches at the shoulders (57.5-62.5 cm), weighs 75 to 95 pounds (34 – 43 Kg) and has a life expectancy of 12 to 13 years.

Indiscriminate breeding has created many problems, both physically and behaviourally. Arthritis of the joints, eye disease, gastrointestinal disease, hip dysplasia and other problems are quite common.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police experienced so many problems with their German Shepherd police dogs that they discontinued using German Shepherds and switched to the smaller more agile Belgian Shepherds. Because of the extensive training given to their dogs, they could not afford to have them develop serious medical or behavioural problems requiring euthanasia after only a few years of duty.

German Shepherds come in black and tan, black and grey, solid black, yellow, cream and white. Dogs of the last three colours are not allowed to enter dog shows.

A German Shepherd's coat is short, straight and firm with a thick undercoat. When standing, a Shepherd's hocks are angled rather than perpendicular and the front legs are straight. Thighs are strong and muscular and the chest is deep. Erect high-set ears give the impression of alertness. Arched, round well-formed feet have large pads. The large black nose is extended to a flat tip.

Well-bred specimens of the breed are attentive, alert, resilient, steady of nerve, loyal, calm, obedient, responsive, self-assured, courageous and tractable. Lesser animals are nervous, fearful, timid or aggressive. So, as you can see, the quality of individual dogs varies considerably.

Mom and Dad had a German Shepherd – Keeshond cross that developed hip dysplasia, paranoia, arthritis and aggression. He had to be euthanized when he was 8 ½ years old. His brother, who had no behavioural or medical problems of any kind, is still alive at 15 ¾ years of age. So, even dogs from the same litter vary greatly in health and behaviour. This makes choosing a German Shepherd a difficult decision as you can never be certain of just what you will get.

However, if you get a good one, you will have a fabulous dog that will show you loyalty and devotion for many years.

Until next time,

Teia

Dog Illnesses and Symptoms

All dogs should be treated as members of your family. As a family member, you must pay adequate attention to your pet’s health. If appropriate and adequate vaccinations are administered to your dog from the time he is a puppy, most of the common dog illnesses can be easily prevented. Therefore, yearly medical examinations should be undertaken along with regular vaccinations at intervals recommended by your veterinarian. That being said, for various reasons, vaccinations may not have been given, or your dog may come down with an illness that does not have a preventive vaccination.

Sometimes dogs become sick but they may not appear to be ill. Therefore, it is very important to recognize and understand dog illness symptoms.

Some elementary observations are useful to recognize certain common dog illnesses. Dogs need a lot of sleep but their sleep is marked by alertness. If a dog is sluggish then there may be various causes contributing to it, right from anaemia to old age. Whatever the reason for the sluggishness, your dog should be taken to a veterinarian for a thorough check up.

If the dog is limping then you should check for prospective painful areas using a firm and yet gentile hand. If you discover a painful area, then take your dog to the veterinarian to determine what is causing the pain, Thereafter, check for any signs indicating lameness from time to time.

The appetite of most dogs is affected by ill health. Look for any signs of loss of appetite. Before taking the dog to the veterinarian for a thorough check up, make sure that the dog food has not spoiled. Frequently in hot weather, dog food will go rancid fairly quickly.

Another important sign of dog health problems is excessive thirst. Canine parvovirus can cause dehydration in dogs, which will result in prolonged drinking by your dog. Whenever your dog exhibits excessive thirst ensure that you get him to a vet for a check up as soon as possible.

A pronounced weight loss is also an indicator of ill health. Check the eyes for any ulcers, discharges, veins or sores. The mouth of a healthy dog is pink. There should not be any discolouring or cavities in the teeth. Look for signs of discharge from ears. It is advisable to clean the ears from time to time.

The dog's head should be regularly checked for sore patches, hair loss, or deep wounds. Investigate the limbs and trunk for the same signs. If the dog is vomiting, there may be various underlying problems. If the body temperature of your dog is not between the range 38 to 39 Celsius it is an indication of some kind of illness. In all of the previous situations, a trip to the vet is recommended.

Check your female dogs for any kind of foul smelling vaginal discharge, which needs the immediate attention of a vet. The symptoms of pain and discomfort experienced by a dog can give us many clues about the possible underlying illness. If the dog is suffering any abdominal pain, it may be due to canine hepatitis, enteritis or it can be a simple case of constipation.

If your dog’s abdomen swells it could indicate canine bloat. If the same thing happens to a puppy it could indicate roundworms.

Sudden aggression by your dog may indicate that it has contracted rabies. This is particularly true if your dog is slobbering at the same time.

Roundworms, tapeworms, and whipworms frequently cause anaemia in dogs. If the lips, tongue or gums of your dog are pale instead of pink, this is a sign of anaemia. Your dog scrubbing his butt on the ground or floor is also a sign of worms, however, this can also be caused by stool stuck to the hair around the anus or to itchiness caused by recent grooming.

Behavioural changes in your dog can be an indicator of worms, arthritis, heart disease or parvovirus. Whenever behavioural changes occur, take your dog to your vet because changes are not a normal occurrence.

Kidney diseases sometimes cause blood in the urine. It could be as simple as kidney stones or as complicated as failing kidneys. If you have ever suffered from kidney stones you will know how extremely painful they are. Kidney problems must be treated by a vet as soon as symptoms are noticed.

Eye infections and entropion cause bloodshot eyes in dogs. These diseases will also, in most situations, be accompanied by tears or squinting.

A ruptured diaphragm, obstructed airway, lungworm, bronchitis, pneumonia, food poisoning, heatstroke or allergies can cause respiratory problems in dogs. If your dog shows signs of laboured breathing, particularly when he is at rest, take him to a vet immediately.

There are various reasons for a sudden change in weight of dogs. To ensure that it is not a serious problem, take your dog for an examination by your veterinarian.

A hernia might be caused due to long term constipation in dogs. Be sure to check your dog’s stool on a regular basis. If it is extremely hard or your dog has difficulty passing it, this is an indication of constipation. If your dog’s stool is runny or very soft, it is a sign that your dog has diarrhea. Any pancreatic disorder, food poisoning or a sudden change in diet can give rise to diarrhea in dogs. Neither constipation or diarrhea is normal for a healthy dog, so a trip to the vet is recommended.

Allergies, parvovirus, hepatitis, lungworm, TB, pneumonia or distemper may be one of the reasons for your dog to cough. Persistent coughing is not normal and needs to be checked out by a vet.

The dog may suffer from hair loss due to mange, red mange demodectic, scabies, cheyletiella mange, or Cushing’s syndrome. All must be treated by a vet.

I hope that the above symptoms will alert you to possible problems in your pet. If you catch problems early, there is a much better chance of a successful outcome. I have found that my veterinarian, who was introduced to me and the other dogs in our house when we were puppies and therefore knows our histories and normal appearance, invaluable in keeping us fit and healthy.

Until next time,

Teia

A Memorial Tribute to KOKO

Dad and I were sitting together in the plant/computer room of our house just a few days after the beginning of 2008. The holiday guests had all left and we were looking back over the holiday season. Dad mentioned that it hadn’t been the same without “Koko” and that maybe he should write a memorial tribute to him. We tossed some ideas back and forth, but nothing really came of it other than a few notes that were filed in the computer desk. The other day, when the technician came to try and fix the problem we were having with our Internet connection, we found those notes and decided that the time had come to complete that tribute. This posting is the result.

If you look at the picture accompanying this posting you will notice that it is an apricot Poodle; that was “KOKO.” He was born on November 10, 1992 and had to be euthanized on December 19, 2007. He was partially blind, nearly deaf and during the last few months of his life, he lost control of his bladder and was urinating all over the place. Frequently when mom and dad tried to get him to eat moistened dog food, he would take a few bites and then his bladder would let go and a big puddle would end up on the floor. He was embarrassed and ashamed of this and he would run away and wouldn’t finish his meal. In addition to all of this, he began to pace the floor in confusion, so mom and dad felt that it was time.

It is very difficult to euthanize a pet, but it is particularly hard when you have had your pet for a long time and it is only days away from Christmas when you should be celebrating, not having to put a long time friend down.

Mom and dad got Koko in January of 1992 as a companion for their Bichon Frise, “Brandy.” The breeder was an elderly lady who was hospitalized in early December. As a result, Koko had little interaction with humans as there was no one in the home. The breeder’s son went to the house twice a day to feed the dogs and let them out to go to the bathroom. This created two problems. The dogs were not socialized and the larger dogs got most of the food and the rest fought over the leftovers.

For the first few months Koko would not let anyone touch him, but with a lot of patience and coaxing mom and dad eventually could touch him, but only with one hand. If anyone tried to touch him with two hands he would panic. He watched Brandy all the time and then mimicked whatever she did. If someone came to the door and Brandy jumped up and down and barked, then after watching what she did, Koko would do the same thing. It was interesting watching him learn what he should do.

One day when Koko was about six years old, mom and dad’s granddaughter came over with her new “Beauty Set.” All the adults were sitting having coffee in the kitchen and she was playing in the nearby family room. She then called everyone and asked them to come and see what she had done. Everybody went to look and there was Koko, the dog that you couldn’t put two hands on, sitting quietly beside her with hair curlers all over his head.

Koko was always afraid of going hungry, so whenever the food bowl was empty, he would drag it to wherever mom and dad happened to be in the house to show them that it was empty. The bowl was a ceramic food bowl and it weighed about one and one-half pounds, so dragging it around was quite a chore for a ten pound dog.

In 2001 the family moved from Regina, Saskatchewan to Creighton, Saskatchewan where we currently live. After the move, Koko would allow mom and dad to pet him with two hands or hold him and pet him. I think that the move probably made him feel insecure and as a result he wanted more contact with mom and dad.

At Creighton, Koko was introduced to walks in the bush. He thoroughly enjoyed these walks which usually involved our family’s dogs plus a neighbour and his three dogs. The bigger dogs frequently jumped into the ponds along our walking route and swam around. Koko would stand on the edge of the pond and watch the others, but he would not go into the water himself. Then one fall day a few years ago, the other dogs were in the water and Koko was standing on the bank of the pond watching when suddenly he made a massive leap and landed in the deep water about five feet from shore. He went right under the water and when he came back up coughing, he quickly swam to shore and climbed out. No one has any idea what made him jump in, but it was the one and only time mom and dad ever got him to go swimming. A couple of years later, in the spring when it was warm enough to take him out again, he was too stiff from arthritis to go on long walks, so mom and dad left him home when we went. It wasn’t the same without him, so mom and dad stopped taking all of us for walks in the bush.

As Koko got older, he enjoyed curling up beside mom on the loveseat while she watched television and he would curl up beside her in bed at night. Mom and dad miss his welcome bark when they come home from up town and his wagging tail letting them know he was happy to see them.

Mom, dad, and their younger daughter were all present when the veterinarian gave Koko his needle. Moments later the vet checked his heart with a stethoscope and pronounced him dead. Everyone said their goodbyes and mom left the room. Dad and his daughter were still in the room talking to the vet when dad noticed that Koko’s tail was wagging. The vet saw dad staring at the wagging tail and said that it was just muscle spasms. It might have been, but dad is sure that it was Koko’s spirit letting everyone know that everything was alright. I’m sure from his wagging tail that he has gone to a great place, but we all miss him.

Until next time,

Teia

PS from Dad. I’m glad that Teia pushed me into helping her with this memorial tribute. Koko went from a dog with a lot of social problems to a loving and faithful companion to all members of the family. We still miss him and his joyful welcome home greetings, but we know that he is no longer in pain and that he is in a place where he is happy. His wagging tail told me so!