German Shepherd is a kind of breed that caused different oppinion among different peple. While some see it fierce and threatening, some others, especially who had a German Shepherd look at it much more tenderedly.

The German Shepherd is often aloof – they don’t often walk right up to a stranger but size them up, as if silently figuring whether you are worth their time. Some dogs take longer than others to warm up and create a bond, but once that bond is made is a dog that will face any threat imaginable to protect their family.

It is this loyalty and sense of duty that has made the German Shepherd a dog that willingly guided the blind, works as law enforcement, herds livestock, competes not only in shows but in dog sports, is a friend to the military and performs countless duties in homes throughout the world.

In the late 1800s cavaly officer Capt. Max Von Stephanitz sought to perfect a dog for farm work. As with many animals bred for function, what was needed locally was different than the dogs available. The breed today takes the look of a defined breed but not all are the same. A dog developed as a show dog might look very different from one developed for police work, which may have a different body type from one working on the farm.

American soldiers brought the breed to the US after being introduced to the breed in the military. The breed is still today used to assist soldiers throughout the world.

By the standard, the male should be 24-26 inches at the shoulder with females 22-24. They should be longer than they are tall, with an image of power and grace. Disqualifications from show include: cropped or dropped ears, nose not mostly black, undershot jaw, docked tail and all white dogs. There are many many dogs that are larger than the standard, or all white dogs, as well as all black dogs, that are still fully German Shepherd. For those interested in details of show conformation requirements they can be found at http://www.akc.org/breeds/german_shepherd_dog/

In early development it was felt the GSD should be above everything utility and intelligence. The breed is still today a working machine…functional in the ability to cover ground easily whether after a loose cow or an escaped criminal. They are distinctive in appearance and although known by different names are the same breed throughout the world.

The GSD is one of the breeds some pet food companies have developed special formulas for. They are also many people who feed a raw meat and bones diet. An important factor in feeding German Shepherds is food selection. Do not feed for fast growth – it does not necessarily mean a bigger adult but can mean a weaker adult. High energy food that boosts fast growth should be avoided especially in the rapid growth time of 3-8 months of age. This reduces the chances of displasia later. While selection of breeding dogs and testing hips and elbows before breeding is certainly a factor, equally is diet.

Many things vary within this breed. One GSD charges fearlessly into a conflict that includes gunfire while another trembles in a thunderstorm. Some have been guilty of biting while others would never except under extreme threat threaten a human. Some are bold in any circumstance, some are borderline fearful. Handling and breeding can make an immense difference in this breed. Additionally the breeding and genetic markers for disease can affect an otherwise suitable working dog. Genetic issues affecting the eyes, skin, heart, neurological system, digestive and skeletal systems are all possible within the breed – and most are found by testing before breeding.

It is this testing and the maintaining of healthy, tested clean lines that makes a good GSD an investment. A few health issues to watch for besides the hip and elbow displasia include thyroid disorders, skin allergies, Addisons, vonWillebrand’s disease, heart murmurs, cardiomyopathy, epilepsy, wobbler syndrome and spinal bifida can all affect the breed. Many problems show up at under 2 years old. A condition called EPI, Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency, is another issue that can be overlooked.

A more complete list of the health issues that can affect the breed is at http://www.awsaclub.com/healthgenetics/caninegen.htm – and remember that although it can look like they are prone to every disease known to canines, many of these can be eliminated by genetics.

Although not genetic, owners of GSD should be familiar with the danger of bloat. Like many deep chested dogs, GSD is susceptible to this critical emergency that needs immediate medical attention. This condition is fast-striking and fatal.

Do not be deterred by the list of health issues in the breed – instead, use that to choose your dog wisely. Understand that without testing you have the risk of losing a dog you’ve become attached to – and it may well be worth $ 700-800 for a dog that has a healthy genetic family rather than getting one of unknown background for $ 150 then spending thousands treating problems that are lurking unseen. For a tested, working and show type dog bred for temperament, trainability and soundness do not be shocked by prices $ 1,500 or $ 2,000 and up. Many of these come with health and soundness guarantees.

Dogs of 12-15 years are not uncommon. With a reported average litter size of eight, it’s important to choose mates wisely.

The trainability of the German Shepherd is well documented. The movie “K-9” and it’s sequels revolved around a German Shepherd, as did the infamous Rin Tin Tin. The first seeing-eye dog in 1928 was a German Shepherd. The GSD is one of the most intelligent dogs in the canine world, in one test just behind the border collie and poodle. John Kennedy, Roy Rogers and Franklin D. Roosevelt kept GSD.

Schutzhund, a competition not for the faint of heart, is but one thing the GSD excells at. This competition tests the dog’s intelligence, soundness, tracking abilities, willingness to work, courage and trainability. While photos from these competitions show dogs scaling obstacles and making spectacular leaps to latch bites onto the arm of a “suspect” it’s important to remember these dogs are highly trained. They are not vicious…they are trained to get to a suspect, restrain them and ideally get them on the ground for the safety of their handlers.

No dog, German Shepherd or otherwise, should be teased or mistreated to induce aggression. The difference between an aggressive dog and a trained K-9 is extreme. A K-9’s training is based on play – an aggressive dog is based on survival, and this difference is critical to understand. It drives an aggressive dog to unspeakable acts and reflects poorly on the many great dogs of the breed that are highly trainable.

A good dog with obedience training doesn’t need special training for protection. These operate from a position of defense of the home – and the bark of a GSD is often enough to change the minds of someone who thinks they want to do harm. The natural protection instincts of a good GSD is normally sufficient to deal with a threat.

It is no surprise that there are many heroes in this breed. Ceasar, a K-9 handled by Corporal Mark Sarna of the Shaker Heights Ohio Police Department, had a resume that included drug detection, tracking suspects as well as being a certified therapy dog and friendly with children. Griff, a K-9 with the Summit County Sheriff’s Department, and his handler Deputy Kathy Wilmot is another awarded dog and a great illustration as to the unknown these dogs and their handlers can face. Called to a domestic disturbance where the suspect was threatening to burn down the house of a girlfriend with her and her kids in it, Griff tracked the suspect through freezing rain. While he wanted to continue, the humans insisted on returning to the command unit and before long a second call came in. The suspect returned to the home and was becoming violent. A very dangerous situation evolved with the suspect assaulting the dog and handlers, attempting to kill the dog hands on despite being tazered. Griff not only never gave up but never shifted position – he put himself between the suspect and his handler, willing to lay down his life if need be. After the incident was over it was learned the suspect had commited an armed robbery just hours before, was out on bond and had a previous stint of 13 years in prison.

In the dangerous work of police and military work many German Shepherds have paid the ultimate price for their instincts and training. They serve faithfully and have confronted the worst of humanity, not only on a daily basis but also in events such as the World Trade Center and Oklahoma City bombing.

Because these are bold, intelligent and trainable dogs they must have a home that will TRAIN them. Select a good, healthy dog and put the time into training them. This doesn’t take 6-8 hours per day…it’s teaching things in small ways on a day to day basis. Left to their own devices they will be unhappy and find their own means to entertain themselves, and you probably won’t like it. A bored, untrained dog can destroy vehicles, homes and lives. Once trained then you can sit back and enjoy your beautiful, functional, intelligent and well mannered dog.

For the right home the German Shepherd is a wonderful companion and security that doesn’t fail with power outages. If yours is the right home, do your homework and find the best dog for you. They’re a wonderful breed with a big heart.

Training your pet is extremely key . It is the solution that helps you get a great connection with your dog.  If the pet you have is very obstinate, proper training can help remedy that.  You can train weimaraner if you want to do so.  If so, then you ought to have the right training method.  The best method is one that gets probably the most from your dogs.  Less than great training approaches will also result in an improperly trained animal.

Boston, MA 10/28/10 – Bill Snitterman is the CEO of a local publishing firm that specializes in dog training books.  He owns quite a few dogs himself and he is a big advocate of the importance of having the right methods. “Your dogs will respond based on how you treat them,” said Snitterman. “The best approaches have been designed so that you get the most effective of your animal.  It also releases  some of the burdens of training.” Snitterman was also one of the many who were nearby at the launch of the new webpage – http://www.weimaranerproblems.com/train-weimaraner/, it studies weimaraner training.

Taking the position of pack leader is one the top training approaches out there.  This advice has been frequently advocated by trainers all over since the idea of dog training came to be.  This works the top since dogs are pack animals and they respect their pack leader.  You won’t have as a good deal control over dogs if your weimaraner doesn’t have a great deal control over them.  

However, in training, it is critical that you do not take things too far.  Since you are taking the position of superior animal/alpha dog, it doesn’t mean that you have got to be horrible to your pets.  It does not mean that you need to snarl always. You should not hit your pet or cause them any physical harm at any time.  Doing that is likely to make your weimaraner fear you and it can also bring about issues with cowering.  It is not the way to make your dogs obey you and it is going to create compliance by way of fear.  

If you are training more than one dog, it is really key that you keep your animals from going at one another.  This shows that you are to keep your dogs from fighting.  If you do then they will determine their own superior animal/alpha dog.  Power in a group of animals should be avoided as it should be kept back for the behaviorist.  

You also should show constancy when it comes to your pets.  This shows that you have to persist with the instructions that you have earlier given out.  You should not flip-flop – it is not recommended.  You should protect your dog from doing something that you would on the whole allow.  For example, don’t let them hop on the chair without reprimanding it, especially if you usually do not on the whole allow it.  

An expert dog trainer could help you if you find that yourself stuck when you train weimaraner or any other dogs.  You can also go and use a self-help book.  There are surely a great deal of these guides out there.  They may help you train weimaraners and when followed correctly, they can prove to be some of the best training devices.

Secrets to Dog Training (formerly named SitStayFetch) has been revamped and was officially launched on February 2, 2009. SitStayFetch has been the top selling dog training course for over four years, and it has been bought by over 64,000 dog owners world-wide. Having reviewed it in great detail, I can fully understand why it continues to hold the top spot . The revamped version promises to be even better!

Secrets to Dog Training is an extremely comprehensive guide, written by the world renowned trainer, Daniel Stevens. Although the 261-page manual is impressively detailed, its step-by-step format provides straight-forward instructions on how to quickly identify and solve dog behavior problems. It also includes many excellent pictures!

All of the training methods described in the book are tried and true, having been used by Daniel Stevens in his own life as a professional dog trainer.

A 5-page table of contents lets you know from the beginning that this guide is jam-packed full of information. The course is not just one more dog training guide, although that section alone is worth the purchase price. The first part is for owners of a new dog or puppy, covering subjects such as diet and nutrition, house training, how to puppy-proof your home, choosing a vet, grooming, general health, etc. These are just some of the subjects covered to give you an idea of the wide range of information.

Several different training techniques are outlined in the course, including crate training, clicker training, dog whispering, and more. Next, the more advanced behavior issues such as chewing, biting, aggression, digging, jumping, etc. are covered. Several informative and interesting case studies are included in this section. We all love a good story!

In addition, there is a chapter on how to understand your dog and the significance of the owner being perceived as the alpha in the home. Doggy facial expressions, vocals and body language are also included in this section. Aided by photographs, the chapters on obedience training are well articulated and the many stances and commands are presented in excellent detail.

I’ve outlined just a fraction of what is covered but I’m sure you will agree that it is impressive. I had already heard great things about this course before I actually took a look at it so had high expectations. I have to say that Secrets to Dog Training has not disappointed me – in fact, I’m amazed at the quality and quantity of the information offered for such a low price.

This book is well-written using easily understood language. My reading experience was enhanced by the fact that the book is broken down into small chapters, making it easy to understand and follow. Being faced with a wall of text can be quite overwhelming!

I was glad to see that Secrets to Dog Training provides instructions for obedience training for all ages and problem behaviors. All too often dog trainers offer training for puppies, not recognizing that these problem behaviors can continue into a dog’s adulthood.

Another excellent feature is the free consultations offered by the team at Secrets to Dog Training when you buy the course. Just send the team an email and they will provide you with an individual answer for your specific dog behavior problem. You’ll receive a response full of practical tips and expert advice.

The following bonus items are included when you buy the guide: an audio book plus 5 extra e-books on house training, security training, aggression, grooming, and secrets to becoming the alpha dog.

A new and exciting bonus being included with the course is a 30-minute downloadable video, which shows effective methods to solve those annoying obedience issues. It is presented by Dave Johnson, the extremely popular dog care professional, who makes it all seem so easy!

The detailed information covered is easy to comprehend and extremely effective. This book is not only useful to dog owners who need help with problem behaviors in their pets. The information in this guide would be of use to everyone looking to have a great rapport with their dog.

Schutzhund is a form of dog training or dog sport foundered in Germany over a century ago. The word Schutzhund actually means protection dog in German and was used to assess German Shepherds to determine if they were suitable for police work.

Although it was initially just German Shepherds, testing now occurs on dogs of many different breeds. The test is both rigorous and demanding, so the numbers of other breeds that pass are limited.

Schutzhund Basics

Enrolling your dog into Schutzhund training may still prove difficult, however if you are keen to learn the techniques and principles behind this training method, there are many DVDs that can be purchased or acquired. It is important to understand though, that the training is highly specialized, very strict and very structured, which means you will need to maintain this consistently for your dog to learn. For this reason, it may not be the best form of training if you have a young family.

The training will over time teach your dog the skills of obedience, tracking, protection, sniffing and retrieving, and will commence when your pup is just a few weeks of age. Of course, you may not be able to commence your training until your pup is 8+ weeks of age when you bring them home from the breeder.

Schutzhund Training Principles

Although it is possible to get specialized training DVDs that focus on a specific principle, you can expect your Schutzhund training DVDs to cover the following areas:

Clicker Training – This is a form of positive reinforcement that is gaining popularity with trainers around the world, even if it isnt associated with Schutzhund. It involves using a little clicker button whenever the dog is good. First you will need to train your puppy to know that the clicking noise equals a good job.

Obedience – This is the core of any training method and is the first test in Schutzhund, covering a set of 11 basic commands. The commands however may use multiple instructions in one, such as sit, down and stand. In addition they cover instructions like focus and attention, targeting, retrieving, motion exercises, pointing out an object and heeling. To pass this test, your dog must be able to execute all 11 commands perfectly.

Tracking – Leveraging from the obedience commands to target and find an object, which has been pointed out, the dog will learn to track all sorts of items and people. The training will teach the dog to remember a scent when provided to them and then to pursue that until they are called off.

Protection – Using more commands the dog is taught how to identify potential threats and how to attack them. Police, guard and attack dogs are taught using this method. Another form of protection is where the dog is taught that it must protect a person or object; this is then done without commands.

Schutzhund training is designed to give a dog an education to enable it to be a specialized working dog. Although this may not be the aim with your dog, the training DVDs can provide useful instruction on training and assist in developing your dog understands of commands. As stated earlier, there are a number of different courses, so it is best to research the types of training courses first before purchasing them. Understand the success rates and the philosophies they employ and whether they are likely to be useful for your breed of dog.

Vintage $ 1000 Bill

Sheila Hornsby has worked in the Uptown area of Dallas for Park Cities Pet Sitter for nearly five years. Many of the pets she cares for reside in the high rises that dot the Oak Lawn, Turtle Creek, and McKinney Avenue streets. On the evening of Monday, July 28th, she was taking a dog from the 1900 McKinney Avenue building outside for a walk, cutting through the parking garage in the back of the building to get outside. Ms. Hornsby noticed something on the ground at the edge of the parking garage where she was walking, and initially stepped over it. As she glanced back at the item on the ground, she looked more closely and saw that what she stepped over looked like a $ 1000 bill, enclosed in a plastic sleeve. Ms. Hornsby picked up the plastic sleeve and examined it, feeling pretty certain it had to be a fake since she had never heard of a $ 1000 bill being circulated. She put the item in her back pocket with the intention of doing a little bit more investigation about it later that evening.

When Ms. Hornsby arrived home, she looked online to see if a $ 1000 bill had ever been issued by the federal government. She found that, indeed, there was. She learned that the U.S. government had last issued the $ 1000 bill back in 1945. Ms. Hornsby then took a photograph of her find and sent it to her mother, who had worked in a bank for 26 years, to see if her mother could determine if it was authentic. After her mother looked at the photo, she told Sheila that it was likely a real $ 1000 bill.

Once Ms. Hornsby realized that she had found an incredibly valuable, vintage $ 1000 bill, she said that her first thoughts were about how she would locate its rightful owner(s). I know many people probably think that I legitimately found the $ 1000 bill, so I should keep it. But I know that if I ever lost something of great value that I would hope whoever found it would be kind enough to try to locate me. So my instinct was not to keep it; instead I immediately felt this huge responsibility to find the person who had lost it.

Ms. Hornsby searched the internet to determine what options she might have to find the owner of the $ 1000 bill. Contacting the police, posting in Lost & Found areas of community websites, and posting flyers around the neighborhood where the item was found were all things she considered. After sleeping on it, she decided to first create a brief flyer and give it to the concierges at the 1900 McKinney Ave building. The flyer said, FOUND POSSIBLE COLLECTIBLE ITEM. Found near building while walking dog on Monday night, 7/28/14. If someone is missing a collectible item, please have them call me and describe it, in order to ensure that it is returned to the rightful owner. Thank you, Sheila.

On the morning of Tuesday, July 29th, Ms. Hornsby went to the 1900 McKinney building and spoke to Concierge Susan Gutierrez. Ms. Hornsby told Ms. Gutierrez that she had found a collectible item the previous evening, and wondered if anyone had reported the loss of any valuable items in the last 24 hours? Ms. Gutierrez told her that, yes, in fact a resident of the building had reported losing a vintage $ 1000 bill, and had contacted the buildings management about the loss on the off-chance that the item was turned in. Realizing that the owner of the lost $ 1000 bill had been located, Sheila made arrangements to meet the owner later that evening when she could come back with the item.

On the evening of Tuesday, July 29th, Ms. Hornsby met the rightful owner of the vintage $ 1000 bill in the lobby of the high rise building, with a number of concierges and passersby in attendance. When she returned the bill in its sleeve to the resident who had lost it, she was overwhelmed by the positive response of its owner and of those witnessing its return. It was so gratifying to see how surprised, thankful and happy the owner of the bill was to have it returned, said Ms. Hornsby. He kept saying how upset he had been at himself that he had lost the sleeve with the bill, and was certain no one would ever turn it in upon finding it. I really felt like I restored some of his faith in humanity by doing the right thing and returning what I had found. The people that were in the lobby that night when I returned the bill said it really inspired them to want to do similar good deeds, because doing so clearly created a lot of happiness. I did not realize how simply doing the right thing could be so inspiring.

Park Cities Pet Sitters President, Joette White, learned about Ms. Hornsbys find and her attempts to locate the owner of the valuable item from the sitter herself. Ms. White said that upon hearing Sheilas story she simply felt a lot of pride in her sitter and in her company. My business is built on the credibility and trust of my staff. We ask our clients to entrust us with the care of their beloved pets, and are given access to peoples homes when they are away. Having dependable, honest and trustworthy staff is a requirement for what we do. But it is also part of our company mission to be thoughtful to the people around you and think how you can impact them in a positive way, said Ms. White. The actions that Sheila took to do the right thing, of her own volition, is exactly what I would want her or any of my staff to do in that type of scenario. I cannot help but feel proud and inspired by the thoughtful actions of one of my staff.

Park Cities Pet Sitter, Inc. has served the Dallas area 7 days a week, 365 days a year since 1992. Pet sitting, daily dog walks, pet taxis, overnight sitting, pet supply shopping, litter box cleaning and dog training are all part of the services PCPSI offers. Park Cities Pet Sitter is bonded and insured, and all sitters are employees–not independent contractors. A manager is on-call 24 hours a day to handle any emergencies. Additional information about Park Cities Pet Sitter can be found on their website at http://www.pcpsi.com.