German Shepherd Dog: Care

Originally bred to herd flocks all day, German Shepherds are built for action. This means he's got lots of energy that he needs to burn off with daily exercise.

If you leave him alone for long periods of time without exercise, expect trouble. Boredom and inactivity lead to behavior problems--chewing, digging, and barking. The German Shepherd desperately needs to exercise both his body (jogging, a romp at the dog park) and his mind (training exercises like agility or obedience competitions).

Like many herding breeds, German Shepherds are barkers. Barking isn't necessarily a problem, but it can be if the dog is bored. Learning the "Quiet" command should be part of every German Shepherd's obedience training.

German Shepherds like to chew, and their powerful jaws can destroy most materials. If they pick the wrong thing to gnaw on, they can damage their teeth, swallow something that makes them sick, or even choke. Save your dog, and your belongings, by giving him safe chew toys and bones so he can entertain himself when you're not playing with him.

« Personality | Next: Feeding »