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Have you ever considered having your German Shepherd “fixed”? This term is often used to loosely describe the procedure of neutering or spaying one’s dog. This ultimately compromises a dog’s ability to breed. It does seem like a radical procedure, and many dog owners consider it a very debatable subject. Just like any other procedure, neutering or spaying one’s dog has its pros and cons. Let this article help you learn some facts to help you decide what is best for your German Shepherd.

It is a proven fact that spaying your German Shepherd prevents future health problems. For female German Shepherds, the procedure can prevent potentially lethal uterine infections. It can also decrease the chances of your German Shepherd from contracting breast cancer. All in all, it protects your dog from all the risks that come with pregnancy.

Most dog owners also opt to have their dogs spayed out of convenience. Heat periods can turn out to be a very messy and inconvenient experience for the dog and its owner. Just like humans, dogs in time of heat will secrete a bloody discharge. Often times, this requires the owner to confine the dog in a space to prevent it from making a mess in the house.

For male German Shepherds, the procedure can help protect them from testicular tumors. It also decreases the dog’s desire to mark its territory. In most cases, the procedure helps keep sexual arousal in check, which at times can be a very unpleasant experience for dog owners. Most importantly, it helps male German Shepherds control their aggression and overt desire to be overly dominant.

That being said, the procedure of neutering or spaying one’s dog also has its disadvantages. In a way, the procedure can affect the dogs’ hormones. In effect, there have been instances of dogs developing obesity after the procedure. In addition to this, the procedure itself can become very costly. And since the procedure requires general anesthesia, a whole different set of risks are brought to the table.

However, the issue here is not so much about “if” it should be done; so much as it is about “when” it should be done. Some argue that spaying a dog during its formative years can cause other health problems. In this case, the safest bet is to have the procedure done once the dog turns at least a year old.

Whatever the case, spaying or neutering German Shepherds, as with all dog breeds certainly has its risks. However, granted that the procedure is done as an informed decision with the help of trained professionals, this risk may prove to be the greatest investment for your German Shepherd’s health. Invest in your dog’s future, know the facts, and do what needs to be done.

Camille Goldin reveals the importance of neutering and spaying your German Shepherd. She writes for TrainPetDog.com, a website that gives information on different Dog Breeds.

My little neighbor, 10 year old Hope, came over to visit my dog. Hope, such a beautiful name for a beautiful child, is a very grown up 10 year old little girl. She loves my dog, Katie Bear. Katie is a big beautiful Golden Retriever. Her nickname of bear came about because when she scrunched her face it got all wrinkly, making her look like one of these big expensive plush stuffed bears. She is so huggable. Katie is also 14 years old and very sick. I have been holding off the inevitable last act I must do for her. I have been pushing away my duty to do what must be done, but what cannot be done. Ah, no way, impossible. I cannot do it. Never! Not to my Katie. I carry Katie up and down the stairs. Yes, I carry my Golden. I know soon I must do this terrible duty, but not now, not today…or so I thought. Life changed for me this day because wisdom came and visited me in the guise of a young child. Hope came, looked at my Katie and said “Sonja, your Katie, my friend looks so sad today, doesn’t she?” Well that did it. I knew I must do what no one should ever have to do. Katie was “leader” of the gang. She was friendship, love, compassion and kindness all rolled into one “golden-bear”. Yes, my other dogs followed in her pawsteps. She did not leave this world without leaving her traces behind. She left us many wonderful “Golden Memories”. My own golden nuggets I call them.
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That was 2 ½ years ago. Today I hear…

“Benny, Benny, come here Benny! “These are sweet words in my ears. This call comes from Don, Benny’s friend. Don is a veteran; he has lost both of his legs in the war but sits proudly in his chair. Benny is his buddy, my black lab.

Hi, my name is Sonja, and I am the owner of three dogs. Two of my dogs are therapy visiting dogs and they bring tremendous joy to the “friends” we visit. “Friends” is what we call the residents of a home that look forward to the visit of a therapy dog. Let me tell you a little bit about these two dogs.

Benny, my black lab, is about 6 years old now. Benny is a wonderful dog (even though he likes to steal my pillows). He loves going to visit our friends in the home. His tail is like a rotator as soon as we come near our first “friend”. Clearly this is where he loves to be. Actually, this is where he belongs. He is gentle, good natured and full of love and affection. And, he is always hungry….yup, a true lab, he is always hungry. Of course the residents love to feed him cookies. He truly makes their day brighter and better. “O boy, he is so soft”, or “Wow, he looks so good.” These are comments I often hear.

Then there is Nikki, my 2 year golden puppy. I call all my dogs “puppy”. Nikki is a typical 2 year Golden. She is full of life. She keeps me hopping. And, just like Benny, she brings pure gold to our friends. Nikki was certified as a therapy dog just after she became one year old. Nikki visits in a home called “Fields of Gold Manor”.

On my fourth visit with Nikki to the home, the director, Dorothy, noticed that one of the residents was watching Nikki closely out of the corner of her eye. Dorothy whispered to me “Why don’t you go over and show her Nikki”. Well, I wasn’t really too thrilled at the prospect. I have observed this patient, Helga, during the last three visits. She is mean. Really! She lies in her chair; she is old with grey hair and a constant scowl on her face. Anyone who comes near her or tries to talk with her gets a tongue lashing. So I kept away from her. And now, Dorothy asked me to take Nikki to her.

It’s a good thing that dogs do not have preconceived ideas like we do. Nikki stood beside her chair, leaning in, anxious to visit. The lady slowly looked down at Nikki, and the biggest smile came over her face. She was instantly transformed from an old lady with grey hair into a warm friendly looking person. “Oh, my baby, my beautiful looking dog” she crooned. “How beautiful you are, and so soft” she whispered. Nikki must have sensed what was happening because she was calm and very still, leaning into the chair even more. She gave Helga the “Nikki look”. Actually, the best way to describe this look is that it is just like “Diana’s famous look”; her head bent down slightly, her eyes looking up at you, full of love and warmth and acceptance.

“I had a dog just like you once”, “I miss her so much, I really loved my dog” Helga stroked Nikki speaking only to her.
“Ask her some questions” Dorothy nudged me, “See if she will talk with you”
“Helga, what was the name of your dog?” I asked quietly, not wanting to disturb her thoughts.
“Maxie.” “I loved my Maxie so much but he is not here any more” tears run down her cheeks as she stokes Nikki. This is enough for me to take in one day. I ask one more question.
“Helga, would you like me to bring Nikki back to visit with you?”
“O yes! Yes! Please, that would be so nice, I love Nikki” “I have no one else; I am all alone you know.”

So now we visit with Helga regularly. Helga has quite a sense of humor, and we all enjoy the time we spend together. What a happy ending this is. It doesn’t always happen that way.

This brings me to another experience. One I wish I could forget or go back in time and change. I can do neither. I was visiting with Benny in the “Home on the Hill”. Linda, the director, had asked me to go visit with Frank, a new resident just moved in the day before. Benny and I walked into the room and the first thing I noticed was a wall covered in framed pictures of Golden Retrievers. They were everywhere. Frank was lying on the bed; the ordeal of moving into his new home had worn him out. He got up when he saw us. He looked handsome, tall with light grey hair and sparkling eyes despite his condition.
“You brought a dog” “Oh, isn’t this so nice” “I have a Golden, you know”.
“Yes, I see that” I smile at him. “These must be pictures of your precious Golden?”

“Yes, my baby is living with my sister now, in Chatogway, about 4 hours from here” “I miss her so much.” He gently starts to stroke Benny. “I know my sister looks after my Molly.” He tries to be brave, but breaks into tears, leaning into Benny, his face snuggled into Benny’s shoulder. “O thank you so much for bringing Benny to see me, I just miss my Molly so much, this is so wonderful.” “Will you come again” he pleads with me.
“Of course I will” “Benny wants to see you again too, we will be back soon”

Frank had a very hard time adjusting to his new home. His biggest joy was always when Benny came. My, he got excited, happy, even thrilled. Only dog lovers can understand this fully. Frank was not feeling good today. “When will you bring Benny next time?” he asks with a certain fear in his voice. “Soon, I will bring him soon” I gently take his hand before we leave.

Well, so far this year it has been an extremely busy summer for me. Unfortunately, with work demanding more and more of my time, and with home issues demanding more and more of my time, my volunteering has lapsed this summer. This has created a void in me. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

After my short “sabbatical” I went back last Saturday night. This was an unscheduled visit. I could have cried. Everyone was so very happy to see Benny again (not me so much). We had a “Benny” party in the lobby.

What a wonderful time my Benny had. Of course he did! Everyone was petting him and talking to him. Wow, he was being treated like royalty

It was just great to see this joy. We all talked and laughed and joked. Everyone talked about their summer, how they were doing, what was going on in their own world. I felt better then I had for a long time. My new resolve is to go back to my weekly visits no matter how busy I am. I do not want to miss out on these opportunities anymore.

Before going home, I took Benny up to see Frank. I was so looking forward to see Frank’s joy at seeing Benny. Heck, I had even taken a picture of Benny and given it to him the last time I saw him. Just a little extra joy I wanted to pass on.

We walked into the familiar room…it was empty. No pictures, no clothes. Bed made. I felt the blood drain from my face. I even started to shake a bit. I thought “no way”; what I am thinking cannot be. I searched for Frank’s nurse. “Lilly, where is Frank?”
Lilly looks at me sadly, she knows he meant a lot to me. “Frank died last week.” “They found him in the morning. He passed away gently during the night”

“O wait, she says, I have something for you.” She went to her nurse’s station and came back with the picture of Benny that I had given to Frank. ” When we found him he was holding this picture close to his heart”, “and I thought you might want it back”

I slowly turned around once more, Benny at my side. I looked at the empty bed, the wall that should have been covered with pictures. I felt the emptiness deeper then I had felt anything for a long time. I do not ever want to be reminded of my mistake. The mistake of a promise made, and not kept. I knew exactly how Frank felt. Lonely, forgotten, even his new friend Benny, did not come as promised. He died alone reaching out for a friend that could have been there, but was not. I cried for Frank, for his loneliness, and for me.

I would like to tell you of another story. This story is not about me or my dogs, but a fellow therapy worker. This is a very touching tale of a faithful friend being there for another friend.

I listen to a radio station that once a year has a big blitz to collect money for the Sick Children’s Hospital in our city. They set up a remote station right there in the hospital lobby for three days and interview parents and kids that have been touched by this hospital. The music plays in the background as the kids, parents, doctors and nurses tell their stories.

This year the radio station also interviewed a lady with her therapy dog. The dog is a regular volunteer in this hospital. The lady was telling us that one day a young child, about 5 years old was dying. Mommy “I want my doggie with me”, please, “I want my doggie here.” And of course, the dog did come, after cutting through some red tape to be allowed into the room with this child. The child died with the dog at her side.

When I heard this interview taking place while the dog was being petted by the interviewer, I couldn’t stop crying. Everyone was crying. What a moment.

There are also funny moments. I mean you mix people and dogs and there is bound to be humor.

I can remember one winter, when the neighborhood kids were not so happy with my Golden Retriever. My Katie Bear, she is not with me anymore, got loose. And, full speed ahead, she ran down the street, into the front yard of a home day care centre. There she spotted a snowman, grabbed the carrot nose, and ran back home with it. These are the times when I should have had my camera. The little ones were not impressed at all, they cried “The dog took the snowman’s nose,” “Our snowman doesn’t have a nose anymore.”

That very same Katie, while we were visiting with our senior friends, very quietly stuck her head deep into one senior’s purse and stole her muffin. That senior was not impressed either. “Your dog stole my muffin” she yelled, shaking her finger at me.

Ah, those golden moments.

My name is Sonja-Ruth Bird and I am the owner of 3 dogs, Dukie, Benny and Nikki.
Benny and Nikki are Therapy Visiting dogs, and Dukie is blind.  I have been married for 27 years to my husband, Chris.  Chris has been battling the monster, MS for a number of years.  href=” http://www.mimfreedom.com”>Come and see my dogs, or contact me here. People and Pet Health are my passions.

Large breed of dogs, do they make nice pets? Is the first question when people think about buying a large breed dogs. Some of the reasons why they need to be given a second thought is they are not suitable for small homes, to apartments for obvious reasons like lack of space. A big home with a large garden is ideally suitable for these large breed dogs. They also have a chance of pushing down the small children.

Before you buy a large breed dog, make sure you learn and read a lot about these dogs. This will help you make a wise decision. Basic things which you need to read about are how to train the dog? What to feed it with? You will also have to take care of the point that they do not injure others. Imagine a sixty pound dog pounding on you to greet you when you come in.

Irrespective of any breed your dog is, the dog is basically a social animal. It likes to be with family, but at the same time it also needs to exercise a lot. As someone said, idle mind is devils place, idle dog can develop destructive tendencies and there are chances that it develops negative feelings about the owner. So it is advised to take the dog on regular walks and exercises. For any kind of dog playing is a necessity.

Big dogs or the large breed dogs have good appetite. More food means more cost to you. You must take care that the dog eats only the food which is very healthy and which increases the stamina. In case the dog is skips a single meal, it should not feel weak. The food supplied should be healthy, balanced and of high quality. Large breed dogs are little rough on their toys, so make sure that you but big and durable toys for them.

Afghan hounds have a personality as cat. They like to kindled and pampered by their owner and once they are done with the playing around with the owner they like to take a nice nap. This breed of dogs is good with all the age group of people, especially with children. These are loyal, and gentle. The Afghan hounds are very loyal to their master.

They like show off their abilities and capabilities. The Afghan hounds boasts of a very long coat of hairs and they also need constant grooming. The average life span is around 13 years.

Saint Bernards are popularly known as family dogs. They have a deep bark and need large place to play around. They need periodic grooming because of their weight and large size. These dogs live for around eight to nine years.

There is this new breed called Newfoundland. This breed is sort of a great cuddly bear.

They behave very friendly with children and make great family pets. In case you are petting them, make sure you have a fenced garden. These dogs shed a lot, so they need periodic caretaking.

Can you remember the last time you ran an obstacle course. Besides being in the armed forces, the chances are it was in your childhood. Can you recall how hard it was ? In fact, if you only looked at the course without ever trying it you are aware of how challenging it appeared.

So if we acknowledge the difficulty of such a course why do we expect our dogs to be able to do such a course. After all, they are a test of endurance, agility and conditioning. Are dogs innately conditioned to run through tunnels, over bridges and jump fences ? No, they have to be trained.

Agility dog training programs are created to give dogs the physical capacity to run an obstacle course. They aim to make your pet stronger and fitter. As a dog in an obstacle course remains under the control of it’s owner, the course also teaches the dog to respond to commands. This has two benefits, it teach the dog obedience training and builds on the relationship that an owner must have with his/her dog. Dog agility training programs also help your pet to cope with unpredictable situations and effectively think independently. For example, it isn’t clear to a dog how to run through a tunnel or even why it should do this. Your pet has to be instructed on these techniques so that it will be able to apply these skills to different obstacle courses in different locations.

Indeed, this is a challenging task for any trainer to communicate these skills to a dog. It should take quite a few hours of instruction with a skilled trainer before your dog will be able to tackle an obstacle course. Once this initial training is completed, it will be your task as the owner of the dog to continue it’s training. In the end, it is about creating a strong connection between you and your dog. Once you have taken over this training role, it is up to you to keep your dog fit and up to date with the new obstacle course challenges. This might be hard to begin with but you will derive a great sense of achievement if you can improve your dogs performance and shave a few seconds of it’s time.

And the cutting edge of all this training is to involve your pet in an official competition. I am sure you have seen these sorts of things on TV at dog shows like Crufts and the like. There is a perception that these kinds on events are cruel to the animal but most dogs can’t wait to do a course. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that these events are the highlight of any show along with the relay events. If you have seen such a competition you will notice just how much the dogs enjoy running through the courses as they wag their tails furiously and bark excitedly. Possibly the dog gets excited by the noise of the crowd but it makes for great viewing to see the excited dogs.

However, to be successful in completing any obstacle course the animal will need strong agility dog training to ensure it has the skills but stays safe at the same time. This is a part of agility dog training that many people don’t take into consideration. The goal of agility dog training is twofold, develop the skills and techniques of the animal but also ensure that it doesn’t get injured.

And the real motive behind this type of training is to keep a dog fit and active, which ultimately translates to a healthier and well adjusted dog. It’s also great fun for you too.

Get tips for training your pet, including German Shepherd dog training tips and effective dog potty training

Having a pet is wonderful as they can be your great friends and companions, and the best stress busters. They may not behave like us, but they do need attention, love, care, and respect. They need to be disciplined just like kids with patience, love and understanding.

If you want your dog to be well behaved and disciplined, you need to have its attention, to make sure that it understands what you are trying to say/teach. No use trying to tell your dog something if it is out of sight or ear shot, for if it isn’t interested, it shall not obey and ignore your words; which means it is okay to ignore (a wrong signal).

Before you start teaching, your dog needs to learn to concentrate on you and what you are saying. A simple way to start is via the game of Fetch which can be played with a stick, ball, or cloth. The benefits of the game is that it is interesting, makes the dog learn to observe, understand and respond to you; plus the exercise, and fun that goes along with it.

Please note that your dog might take time to respond, and learn especially the independent and shy dogs plus those who aren’t the type to fetch things. Hence, be patient. You shall need to pamper and shower them with love and attention after every session regardless of whether they did what you wanted or not. Remember they need to be trained just as you teach a kid anything new. Moreover, start training early to get better results.

You can start with some colorful thing (cloth/ball/stick) and grab your dog attention by dangling in front of it. If it responds by trying to lick/catch it, throw it at a short distance away from you. Whatever the dog does (sniffing/picking it up), praise it so that it realizes that it has done something good. If the dog picks it up, teach it to return to you through gestures (clapping/waving hands, calling its name) or anything else you think it shall respond to. Don’t expect it to fetch or return at once, as taking interest and learning takes time.

You can increase its interest with colorful items, something that moves as movement generally attracts dogs. Get the dog to notice the object by moving/throwing the object, or just letting the dog feel/touch it. If the dog responses slowly, create interest like making it face a wall, so the object (ball) returns back to him.

As the session progresses, gradually increase the distance between the object to fetch and you. Increase the number of fetches until the dog actually picks it and runs away with it. Here, you need to redirect it back to you through a gentle tuck or nudge of the cord tied to its collar.

Hence, it might be tough in the beginning but it pays in the long run to be patient for once the dog learns to fetch and obey you, teaching new tricks or activities become easier.