New Pup Owner Questions
 

We are about to receive our first German Shepherd pup and have some questions we thought you might be able to help with. If you have the time, please let us know your thoughts on the following:


1) Is it possible to mate 2 black & tan shepherds and get a 99% all black litter? Just trying to validate some of the information we're getting from our breeder.


2) We'll be receiving our pup @ 8 weeks. From this age to adult, do you have food recommendations such as what kind, what brand, how much per day and when to adjust these for growth?

3) Do you recommend pet insurance? If so, do you recommend any particular company?


If you choose to help us with these questions, thank you for your time & knowledge. We appreciate the help!!!


Cory & Kara :) :D

Welcome to the forum & congrats on your decision to get a GSD!
1. I have no idea!
2. You might want read through some of the "what to feed" type threads. There are a lot of options and opinions. What ever you decide, do some research and read the labels carefully. This link can be helpful Dog Food Reviews and Ratings | Dog Food Advisor
3. With 3 gsds, I'm just beginning to look into this myself.

Congrats on decided to get a GSD! As for your questions;

1. Its not likely, but I guess it COULD happen, maybe one of the parents is actually a Bi-black and not a black and tan which would make the possibility that much more likely, also depends on what coat color the grandparents were!

2. As for food... well that really depends on how much you are looking to spend on food, I personally recommend Blue Buffalo, Acana, or Taste of the Wild. The good thing about the Acana is that it is designed for all stages of life, so technically speaking you can feed that from puppyhood right through to the dog being a senior. How much depends on the size of the puppy, for puppys up to 6 months it is advised to let them eat as much as they want to eat three times a day ( my gsd puppy at 10 weeks is now eating about 1 1/2 cups 3 times a day). There are also guidlines per weight and age on the bags of food so also depends on the food i guess.

3. Pet insurance... well here is my opinion on it... if you feel like you are going to need it ie: you know you wont be able to afford a couple hundred to a couple thousand dollar vet bill should your dog become ill or injured. Then I recommend getting it, its great to have if you know you wont be able to afford the bill should something happen, that being said if you know you WILL be able to handle any heavy expenses then maybe you might want to save your money. Talk this over with your vet, they can recommend a good pet insurance place that is in your area

Best of luck to you and your new pooch!