Puppy Care Guide

1. Bringing Your Puppy Home

The journey home and first 48 hours are critical for your puppy's confidence and attachment. Keep the environment calm, quiet, and predictable. Limit visitors for the first few days to allow the puppy to settle and form a bond with its immediate family.

2. Feeding & Nutrition

We recommend continuing with the diet your puppy has been weaned onto — a sudden change in food will cause digestive upset. Any dietary changes should be made gradually over 7–10 days by mixing the new food with the old in increasing proportions.

Recommended Feeding Schedule

Nutrition Guidelines

German Shepherds benefit from a diet high in quality protein (minimum 28–30% crude protein for puppies) and moderate fat, with balanced calcium-to-phosphorus ratios critical for bone development. We recommend a reputable large-breed puppy kibble or a well-formulated raw diet under veterinary guidance.

Avoid free-feeding (leaving food down all day). Structured meal times support training, house-training, and healthy weight management. Remove uneaten food after 20 minutes.

3. Exercise & Joint Health

This is one of the most important sections of this guide. German Shepherds are predisposed to hip and elbow dysplasia, and inappropriate exercise during puppyhood is a leading preventable contributor to joint damage.

What to Avoid

• Running on hard surfaces (concrete, tarmac) — always opt for grass or softer ground
• Repetitive jumping on or off furniture, in and out of cars, or from heights
• Climbing and descending stairs excessively before 6 months
• Forced fetching, frisbee, or high-impact games before 12 months
• Dog parks with uncontrolled rough play from larger dogs

Healthy Activity

Free play in a secure garden at the puppy's own pace is ideal. Puppies naturally self-regulate when given free choice. Lead walks, training sessions, and calm socialisation outings are excellent low-impact activities that build confidence without stressing developing joints.

4. Veterinary Care & Vaccinations

Register with a veterinary practice immediately after collection. Your puppy's first appointment should take place within 72 hours of collection — this is a condition of your Health Guarantee.

Worming should be carried out every 2–4 weeks until 12 weeks, then monthly until 6 months, then quarterly thereafter. Your vet will advise on appropriate flea and tick prevention for your area.

5. Socialisation & Training

The socialisation window for dogs closes at approximately 12–16 weeks of age. Experiences during this period shape the dog's emotional responses for life. Positive, controlled exposure to a wide variety of sights, sounds, people, and environments during this window is essential.

Socialisation Checklist

• Different types of people — children, elderly, people in uniforms, people with hats/glasses/beards
• Other vaccinated, friendly dogs of various sizes and breeds
• Urban environments — traffic, crowds, public transport, shops
• Rural environments — fields, livestock, water, uneven terrain
• Household sounds — vacuum cleaner, washing machine, television
• Handling — teeth, ears, paws, being lifted, grooming
• Car travel — keep journeys positive and short initially

Basic Training From Day One

Begin training immediately — German Shepherds are highly intelligent and begin forming habits from the moment they arrive home. Reward-based training (treats, toys, praise) builds the confident, biddable dog the breed is known for. Keep sessions short (3–5 minutes), frequent, and always end on a success.

Core foundations to begin from week one: name recognition, sit, lie down, leave it, recall, and crate/calm training.

6. Crate Training & House Training

Crate Training

A crate is not a punishment — it is a safe den and one of the most useful tools for raising a well-adjusted dog. Introduce the crate gradually using food and positive associations. A puppy should be comfortable resting in a closed crate for 2–3 hours by 10 weeks if introduced correctly.

Never use the crate as a place of punishment and never confine the puppy for more than 2–3 hours during the day at this age without a toilet break.

House Training

Take your puppy outside to toilet:

• Immediately after waking from any sleep
• Within 5–10 minutes after every meal
• After any exciting play or activity
• Every 1–2 hours as a routine during the day

Choose a consistent spot and use a consistent cue word. Reward immediately after the puppy toilets outside. Accidents inside should be cleaned with an enzyme-based cleaner without comment — punishment after the fact is counterproductive and damages trust.

7. Grooming

German Shepherds have a double coat that sheds year-round, with two significant shedding periods (spring and autumn). Regular brushing reduces shedding significantly and keeps the coat healthy.

• Brushing: Minimum 3 times per week; daily during shedding season. Use an undercoat rake and a slicker brush
• Bathing: Every 6–8 weeks or as needed. Use a dog-appropriate shampoo. Over-bathing strips natural oils
• Nail trimming: Every 3–4 weeks. Introduce nail handling from day one to prevent sensitivity
• Ear cleaning: Check weekly. Clean with a vet-recommended ear cleaner if needed. Do not insert anything into the ear canal
• Teeth: Brush daily with a dog-specific toothpaste, or provide appropriate dental chews

Begin handling all parts of the body from the very first day home. The more comfortable a puppy is being handled, the easier every aspect of care — and veterinary treatment — will be throughout its life.

8. Mental Enrichment

A German Shepherd without mental stimulation is a destructive German Shepherd. These dogs were bred to work all day alongside a handler, solving problems and performing complex tasks. Their intelligence demands an outlet.

9. Signs of Illness — When to Call Your Vet

Contact your vet promptly if your puppy shows any of the following:

• Vomiting more than once, or combined with diarrhoea and lethargy
• Diarrhoea lasting more than 24 hours, or blood in stools or urine
• Refusal to eat for more than 24 hours
• Visible bloating or distension of the abdomen (treat as an emergency)
• Difficulty breathing, persistent coughing, or nasal discharge
• Lameness, stiffness, or reluctance to bear weight
• Pale gums, excessive drooling, collapse, or seizures
• Eyes that are cloudy, red, or have significant discharge

10. Keeping in Touch with HausRuma

We care deeply about every puppy we breed. We love receiving updates and are always happy to answer questions as they arise throughout your dog's life. No question is too small — please do not hesitate to contact us at info@hausruma.com.

We are particularly grateful for updates at key milestones: first vet visit, first training class, and of course the big moments — first birthday, any show achievements, health testing results. We keep records for all HausRuma-bred dogs and this information helps us continually improve our breeding programme.