What To Feed Your German Shepherd

Throughout the history of the German Shepherd breed, these dogs have served as loyal, faithful companions and servants for humankind. As you read this article on your computer screen, thousands of brave German Shepherds the world around are on duty as watchdogs, police dogs, search-and-rescue dogs, bomb dogs, drug dogs, sheepherders or military dogs. No other breed works harder than the German Shepherd. Your German Shepherd deserves care fit for a king or queen, including a high quality diet to sustain this hard-working dog's complex nutritional needs.

Unfortunately, the German Shepherd breed has been known to suffer from allergies that manifest themselves in skin problems. By feeding your beloved German Shepherd a special diet that you prepare yourself, in your own kitchen, using German Shepherd dog food recipes that incorporate ordinary ingredients that you can purchase at the local grocery store, you can help alleviate some of the problems caused by your German Shepherd's nutrition and allergy issues.

German Shepherd nutrition is vital to your German Shepherd's care. The best dog food for your German Shepherd may be homemade food. Food that provides adequate German Shepherd nutrition includes five components: protein, starch, vegetable, fat, and seasoning. Mix and match these recipes, and keep track of which German Shepherd dog food recipes are your dog's favorites. German Shepherd nutrition is easy to provide once you know the basics.

For the protein component, brown lean meat like ground turkey, chicken, beef, or lamb. The starch component can be met with wheat germ, breadcrumbs, oatmeal, mashed potatoes, cooked rice, or boiled noodles.

Experiment with different vegetables to see what kind of vegetables your dog likes. Most dogs prefer sweet vegetables like peas or carrots to cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower or kale. Add a small amount of fat like olive oil or corn oil to your dog's food to keep its coat healthy. Seasonings are a matter of taste. Most dogs like a combination of salty and sweet tastes. Again, experiment with different flavors until you know what your German Shepherd likes.

German Shepherds have sensitive stomachs, so an important aspect of German Shepherd nutrition is to make any dietary changes gradually to allow the dog sufficient time to adapt its system to the new diet. This is true even when the dogs are very small. Ask your German Shepherd breeder for a sample of puppy food so you can continue to feed your new puppy the same dog food as the breeder fed it. Add a little bit of nutritious homemade food to the breeder's food every day, until finally your dog is eating one hundred percent homemade food.

Consult your veterinarian before you make any changes to your German Shepherd's diet. If your German Shepherd has been diagnosed with a medical condition or takes prescription medication, consulting your vet is extremely important, as ingredients in dog food may interact with your German Shepherd's medications. The more information about your German Shepherd's care you can learn, the better care you can give your dog.

Jan Ryan wrote a Ph.D. thesis on German Shepherd nutrition after treating her two German Shepherds' allergies by making healthy changes to their diets. German Shepherd care, including nutrition, should be top-rate because these dogs are so dedicated to working for humankind. A varied diet of homemade food is the best diet to feed your German Shepherd. Combine a variety of foods to create new German Shepherd dog food recipes and make a note of which ones your dog likes the best. Keep a notebook of these recipes, along with other German Shepherd information and records of your dog's health care.

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