German Shepherd Dog Training

german shepherd virginia
German Shepherd care?

hello how much care does a German Shepherd need? How often do you have to give them a bath things like that thanks (and does any body know of any good German Shepherd breeder in virginia again thanks)
and what are the health problems i have to think about and what can i do about them and how long do thay live

I have a german shepherd now and just recently had to have my older one put to rest, but they are the best dogs. I got both of my through rescue groups. My older one was a pure bred and my younger one is a german shepherd/husky mix. My older female had numerous problems including arthritis in both of her hind legs, as well as a skin problem that came and went. I had to give her a bath every 5 days with medicated shampoo for about 6 months until the problem cleared up. then it would only flare up occasionally. She also had thryoid problems and was on a pill a day for that. I only bath my younger one when he gets extremely dirty from playing at the dog park or running in the yard if it’s muddy. They are known to have hip problems as well as other medical problems. You might want to reasearch the breed on the internet so you can see what you might be getting into. My current dog is the mix but looks mostly like a shepherd. He is great and very very friendly. Loves to run and play, likes to chew things, enjoys walks, riding in the car, and hany kind of activity that involves his human family. Very gentle and loving. Even with all the problems my older dog had, I would take her back in a second and do it all over again. They can be stubborn if they want, but they are easily trained, and very very smart. Don’t know about the breeder as I always get my through rescue.

Awesome Dogs of the United States Military

After the attack at Pearl Harbor, in 1942, the U.S. Military joined with the American Kennel Club to establish Dogs for Defense. The American Kennel Club recruited dog owners to donate quality canines to the military. The Quartermasters Corps was responsible for supplies, food service and materials management. On March 13, 1942, the Quartermaster Corps of the army took charge of turning these pets into soldiers. The U.S. Marines also trained handlers and canines to be soldiers in the Pacific during World War II.

At first there were over 300 breeds of dogs accepted into the program, but eventually the list was narrowed down to German Shepherd Dogs, Belgian Sheepdogs, Doberman Pinschers, Farm Collies and Giant Schnauzers. Of the 19,000 dogs screened for the program between 1942 and 1945, 45% were rejected. In the beginning, civilian volunteers trained the recruits, but after the first training center opened in Front Royal, Virginia, the training was done by the Quartermasters Corps soldiers for the Army and the Marines trained their own canines.

The training took 12 weeks. It started with basic obedience and progressed to training with gas masks, muzzles, military vehicles and gunfire. After the basic training was complete, the dogs were moved on to training in specific duties.

Sentry dogs: Walked on short leashes and warned  their handlers by growling and barking. They were always on patrol with their handlers.

Scout or Patrol dogs: These dogs did the duties of the sentry dog but they were trained to work silently. They detected snipers or ambushes from the enemy. These canine soldiers saved the lives of many of their handlers.

Messenger dogs: These dogs required extreme loyalty because they were used to silently carry messages back and forth between their two handlers.

Mine dogs: These canines were trained to find trip wires and mines. There were 140 dogs trained as mine dogs during World War II, but it was determined that the dogs had trouble finding mines during combat.

The majority of the dogs were trained as sentries. Of the 9,300 dogs that were trained, 3,174 were used by the Coast Guard. These dogs were used to guard the coastline, harbor defense and protecting industrial plants and airfields.

In 1944, the military started using  canines for combat. The sentry dogs in combat could detect enemy soldiers up to 1,000 yards away. In order to alert their handler without giving away their positions, the dogs would stiffen, and the hair on the dog’s back would stand up. Over the years, military working canines have been used in not only World War II, but Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Afghanistan, and they are currently deployed in Iraq. It is noted that in Vietnam, canine war dogs saved as many as 10,000 lives.

One of the first war memorials was erected on Asan beach in Guam in 1944. It was moved to the United States Naval Base on the island in 1994. This particular memorial is dedicated to the Dobermans that served with the Marines during World War II. The inscription on the memorial statue reads…”always faithful”.

About the Author

Joseph M. Sabol is a world class Doberman breeder. Please go to http://petvitamins4u.com or to http://theroadhousedobes.com for further information.

German shepherd talking to a baritone… and a cork floor!

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