Kantenna Kennels

Quality,Type & Temperament

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First time GSD owners

Origin
German Shepherd Dogs originated in Germany where they were bred by farmers to tend and protect the shepherd and his flock of sheep. The father of the breed Rittmeister Max von Stephanitz founded the German Shepherd Dog Association in 1890 and today the breed is recognised worldwide as one of the most valued dog breeds.  The dog is a working breed and as such the temperament is the most important part of the breed and must come before his 'good looks'.
Temperament
The dog is a working breed and does best with something to do. If you are at work all day and need a dog to guard your house a German Shepherd isn't for you. He could become noisy and destructive and cause you and your neighbours a problem. They are an active breed and need regular daily exercise and something to stimulate their minds.  German Shepherds are very loyal and loving and want to be close to you at all times. These dogs are good with children but like all breeds must be supervised while in the company of children.
Health & Care
The breed are relatively low maintenance i.e. their coats don't matt and a good brushing once or twice a week is usually enough to keep the coat in good condition. They do however have a 'moult' at least twice a year and lose a considerable amount of undercoat which does need stripping out with a good comb. Hydrobathing every two or three weeks keeps the coat smelling sweet. Flea and tick control is a must as the breed is allergic to fleas and will suffer flea dermatitis if your flea control is spasmodic.
Hips & Elbows i.e. joint problems in the breed
A lot of people will say 'so you want a German Shepherd, better watch out for their hips'. The real story is that today worldwide the breed has the best hips it has ever had and like a lot of other breeds have in place Hip and Elbow schemes administered by breed Councils. In Australia our schemes are administered by the German Shepherd Dog Council of Australia and serious ethical breeders routinely x-ray all their dogs to obtain their 'A' Stamp and 'Z' Stamp which means they have scored sufficiently low to be bred with. Puppies are not x-rayed before they leave the breeder.
Exercise: It is important you set aside time every day if possible to exercise your German Shepherd. A good walk on lead finishing off playing with a ball or Kong is excellent to burn off excess energy. Do not over exercise youngsters under 12 months of age on enforced long distance walks or bike rides - leave pounding the pavement until after hips and elbows are x-rayed.