How to Stack Your German Shepherd Dog

You have dropped by this blog because you have been looking form information about German Shepherd Dog. This post is about stacking a German Shepherd  - making a GSD stand in a pose that you often find in dog shows. German Shepherd Dog has a unique stack position that features one rear leg under the body and the other stretched backward, exactly contrary to the conventional "square stack", featuring parallel front and rear legs or "extended stacks". The question is how to correctly stack a German Shepherd Dog.

Stacking a German Shepherd Dog

 First off, I will suggest you not to try stacking your GSD on sleek or slippery floor. Rough floor is appreciable; grassy lawn is highly appreciable. My next suggestion in this regard is not to stack your GSD on over grown grassy field, because the grass will hide the dogs feet. A freshly trimmed ground is the best option that any German Shepherd guys would look for.Remember, a freshly trimmed ground works best for trotting German Shepherds as well.

Stacking German Shepherds is probably a bit more technical than other dog breeds that have conventional "square stacks". Start of with slightly tiring the dog by trotting him for a few moments. How much to trot him before making him stand in stacked position? That's really an appreciable question that any new GSD owner would like to know. Trot for a few minutes until his tongue hangs out. Please note that over tiring the dog will not yield you desired result. After the trot,walk him a bit to bring him to a normal stance.

The next step is making him stand in the desired pose - staking. Place your palm under his chest, lift him a few inches from the ground and gently release him, trying to place his front legs down vertically straight. Viewing right down the shoulder to make sure the front legs are perfectly straight and feet are not twisted outward, which is why I suggested freshly trimmed lawn that won't hide his feet.         

Don't remove your hand from under his chest; reach around the hind part of the dog and place your foot just under the dogs belly, in order to mark the position where his inside hind paw will be placed. Place the inner leg, i.e. the leg which is on your side, by gently pulling it to the mark - your foot-point.

Next step is to place the outer leg stretched backward. Gently stretch the outside legs backward and place it such that the hock is positioned exactly at right angle to the ground. It is not advisable to pull the leg back too far, as doing that the hock cannot be positioned straight, and that will be a faulty stack.

The whole process is quite tricky and you need to be immensely patient as the dog may repeatedly remove its hind leg that is placed inside - under the belly. Without being patient you cannot make a dog stack properly. Once your German Shepherd gets used to with the process, things will turn out to be a lot easier for both - you and your dog. A poorly stacked GSD will display a faulty anatomical view, even though he may have a very good structure. This is where the knowledge of staking German Shepherds properly comes to play a very vital role.

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Skin Problems in German Shepherd Dogs

What are the chief causes for skin problems in German Shepherd Dogs?

Most German Shepherd Dog owners, both newbies and even some of the old owners, arise this question. What are the major causes for skin problems in German Shepherd Dogs. Vets are oftens called for skin problems in German Shepherd Dogs and even re-occurrences of the skin problems in their GSD. German Shepherds are prone to skin problems more than some of the other dog breeds. So here's why?

• First cause includes heavy infestation of internal and/or external parasites.
• Second cause includes bacterial, yeast or fungal infections, causing severe hair fall and develop patches, redness, swelling and sores.
• Third cause includes fly bites and gnats that eventually cause hot spots on your German Shepherd's skin.
• Fourth cause includes extended time pass in water and/or in dirt
• Fifth cause includes thyroid
• Sixth cause includes allergies in certain foods, plants, grass or weeds
• Seventh cause insufficient nutrition. Nutritional deficiency cause dry skin and dermal ailments such as eczema, dry hair etc.
• Eighth cause Improper grooming, which is the most common cause of skin problems in most German Shepherd Dogs
• Ninth... Yes, nervous problems caused by insufficient stimulation can also be responsible for skin problems in many dog breeds including German Shepherds

Alike improper grooming and insufficient nutrition, allergy is amongst the commonest causes of skin problems in GSD breed. Dust mites, dirt, grass or grass seeds, pollen, weeds, fleas and parasites are the common allergens, that make the skin red and inflamed, with fur coming out in lumps. Certain common foods known to have allergic reactions on dogs are beef, raw eggs, cheese, milk, corn, soy, uncooked meat, spices, etc. Turmeric is good for skin. Adding little amount of vegetable oils in the dogs food while cooking may be a good option to prevent dry skin in German shepherds and other breeds.

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Intensive Hydrotherapy Session helped German Shepherd Puppy to Recover from Hip Displasia

A German Shepherd puppy "Fred", that has been suffering from severe joint pain and couldn't walk effortlessly has been put to intensive hydrotherapy session. Good news is that after having undergone a tenure of well planned hydrotherapy session, Fred is almost fit to join the training session to serve as a police dog.

Fred had been diagnosed with displastic hip at the age of 6 months. Vets and canine experts planned to to put poor little Fred in a course of swimming sessions. Fred has successfully passed his assessment test to start off with the training program with Devon and Cornwall Police in January, 2012.

"Fred's police dog career looked like it was over before it had begun but, following his hard work in the pool, he is now one of eight puppies about to begin their training as police dogs. Fred was literally thrown in at the deep end and has worked hard to ease his stiff joints and build up the muscles in his legs. There is now no reason why he won't go on to become a successful police dog, able to assist tracking missing people, locate stolen property, chase and detain suspects, and keep order in crowd control situations", said Sergeant Paul Glennon. So the future now looks really bright for Fred!

Fred, who is going to be a smart police German Shepherd Dog had initially joined the force through the Devon and Cornwall Police puppy schemes. He was taken care of by volunteer canine experts until he reached 12 months of age. A series of 13-weeks training course is awaiting ahead for Fred. The scheme has been highly successful, which literally created a demand for the willingness of puppy walkers, who are given practical dog training and special classes on "Dog Socialization" by the Dog Training School. All puppy walkers have to have a settled family background, a well secured garden and most importantly willingness to undertake daily exercise, grooming and care of the dogs.

Sergeant Glennon said: “In order to find the best people to look after our dogs we are looking for homes in Devon, Cornwall and even Somerset... What is most important is that we find the right people who have the time, patience and determination to give our dogs the best start in life... To help us give these dogs to get the best start to their training we need more walkers to come forward... Ideal applicants will have previous experience caring for dogs but what is most important to us is that they share our aim to produce a well-balanced, confident and social dog at the end of the year.”

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