German Shepherd - Breed with a rich and long history. Initially, the animal was used as a shepherd dog, and now you can see dogs for this work. Head of the pet in the house, there is a question about the life expectancy of a pet. How to extend your life and what factors affect this?
The average number of years
The average life expectancy of pings is 12 years. True, it is believed that the life of dwarf rocks is longer compared to the risen fellow and is 17 years old. This is true: the weight of a large animal affects the operation of the cardiovascular system, the musculoskeletal system. The easier the beast, the smaller the load is experiencing organs.
Veterinarians note that tall dogs are more likely to suffer from articular dysplasia, cardiomyopathy, arthritis. However, thinness also harms health. Lack of weight leads to the development of renal diseases. Each breed is measured its life cycle, which depends on the genes and the anatomical features of the beasts. The more complex the exterior of the dog, the shorter it will be her life. Signs of many ailments are:
- a deformed skull, a stubborn muzzle;
- Thinking, tightly pressed ears;
- scolded eyes;
- The color of the iris (blue shade of the eyes is often associated with deafness);
- weak pigmentation of the skin (tendency to allergic reactions);
- the size of the limbs, their length;
- Case size, forehead shape.
Comparing the exterior of the pet, it can be concluded that the harmoniously folded shepherd will survive its fellow with short legs, an elongated body or with long overgrown ears (pools, fees and others). Another reason that affects the health of the pet is genetic deviations. The more in demand the breed is, the higher the chance to purchase a puppy with a negligence. These anomalies are obtained due to violation of unscrupulous breeders of selection rules.
Other factors affecting the life expectancy:
- diet;
- external conditions of detention;
- Lifestyle;
- animal floor;
- General health.
Dogs living on the street have a smaller life expectancy than dogs that are cared for a person. Animals contained at home, always get food on a schedule, they drive them to the veterinarian, follow hygiene and so on. Dogs living in the village are also distinguished by a long life. Fresh air, natural food, unlimited walks have a beneficial effect on the health of the pet. However, if you follow the dog, do not teach simple teams, it can escape or get lost. There were cases when the animal specially killed a neighbor or robbers.
German Shepherds, which are constantly walking in the fresh air, get mental and physical exertion, better retain their shape and are not as susceptible to diseases like lazy or low-lifting pits. The maximum registered shepherd age was 2 dozen years.
Also for the life of a pet affects the relationship with the surrounding people, other animals. If the dog is fenced from stress, the owners behave calmly, carefully, the life of a four-legged friend will increase by a couple of years.
How to increase life pet?
The most important thing for the German shepherd is activity. Pots need long, frequent walks. It is advisable to walk the pet three times a day, combining a walk with games. If there is a special platform with projectiles, then work out the stairs, jumping. An excellent option will be the pool, where the dog can make plenty of water in the water, the animal swims well. Active lifestyle allows you to maintain the physical state of the PSA at the desired level. The life of animals, which, due to circumstances, cannot be mobile or are in closed spaces, are subjected to psychological violence, reduced.
To extend the life of Shepherdka, It must be fed correctly, but not to overpay. This applies to any pets. The diet must be balanced in accordance with the health data of the dog, its activity. Food must include cottage cheese, boiled vegetables, raw beef meat or birds. The amount of protein in food should be about 70% of the entire portion.
According to the results of the studies, it is known that Each 2 kilogram of excess weight reduces the life of an animal for about a month. The breed of German shepherds is characterized by good health. In rare cases, such ailments are observed as: dysplasia, osteochondrosis, dermatitis, allergies.
A pet should be at least half a year to drive a preventive inspection to the vet. Some owners of dogs hold their favorites on "drying", that is, a pet consumes only dry food.
Most breeders tend to ensure that shepherd is better feeding with natural food than even super premium-grade feeds, with the addition of vitamin and mineral complexes. Natural feeding menus should include such products:
- non-fat varieties of meat, poultry meat, geese, turkey;
- by-products, it is rare to give the liver dogs, eliminate the kidneys;
- boiled marine fish without bones, leather;
- Chicken and quail eggs twice a week, in any form;
- Cottage cheese, if there are no lactose intolerance, you can give pet milk;
- Grain crops: Hercules, buckwheat, rice, barley, millet, barley;
- All types of vegetables in boiled form, except corn, cabbage, which are served fresh;
- various fruits;
- Pumpkin seeds, cedar nuts.
It is allowed to add salt to small portions of salt, vegetable oil, various additives: tricalcium phosphate, bone flour, yeast.
Lifestyle
The German breed refers to a universal service group. Pots can be guards, conversions, search engines or fighters after passing special training. Features of the character of a shepherd (fearlessness, obedience, concentration) allow PSAM to easily get along with people, to carry out that they require without manifestation of stubbornness, aggression. These large dogs do not bring the recovery life, they are vital to perform physical exertion that can be presented in the form of sports competitions, games: Frisbee, Adzhiliti, Weightpulling and others.
With German shepherds, you can walk in the forest, tourists, walk in the mountains, just run through the park or to arrange a cyclerix. It is important to remember that the passage of the animal should not turn into a torture, walks in hot weather should be moderate, you should not attend the street for a long time during the cold rain or frost. The breed diseases and defects significantly reduce the performance of the PSA and reduce the life expectancy.
Diseases, vices:
- Cryptorchism;
- Spondlomelopathy;
- Body disorders, limbs;
- Incorrect bite, hanging ears;
- Low pigmentation of skin and others.
Skin is also vulnerable from dogs, seborrhea, piederma, scabies often occur. There are individuals with impairment in the immune system.
How to determine the age of the dog?
The age of the animal is most often determined by the teeth. However, it is impossible to find out a specific figure, as many factors are influenced: PSA power, content conditions, bite features, and so on. Consider the highlights. Puppies until the semi-annual age occurs the change of teeth with the replacement of fangs. At the age of 1, the teeth of PSA are white, there are tubercles on enamel. After two years, the tubercles become less pronounced, erased, but enamel remains snow-white. For the fifth year of life, teeth are yellowing, there are no traces from the tubercles. In the interval between 6 and 10 years, it can be seen that the teeth in the animal is settled, some may be fused. Possible manifestations of caries, dental stone.
The definition of age on the exterior of the dog is so. Being puppies, German Shepherds almost disresses in their adult fellow. Color wool close to wolf. Its true zonar, sanguable color puppies are acquired on the fourth month of life. At the age of 5 months, the ears acquire a standing form, however, the process can not occur for a long time due to improper feeding of the puppy - in this case there is an insufficient amount of calcium, trace elements.
For the ninth month, the puppy reaches the growth of an adult individual. By one and a half years, the animal was fully formed, it is active, massive, energetic. Approximately 3 years ends the youth period, maturity comes. The dog becomes more restrained, calm, judicial. The chest department of physical exertion increases in volume. The flourishing of the German shepherd forces lasts until the achievement of the eight-year-old age. During this period, one can say, old age comes. Teeth are yellowing, wool fades. An animal is resting more. Problems are possible.
Some hairs are painted in a gray color. Usually the beginning of the process is manifested in the face of the muzzle. Despite age, the animal is still workable. With domestic content, the dog may be more active, vigorous. For the tenth year, muscle decreases in volume, wool becomes less smooth, disheveled. Skin cover hang. Gray hair is visible throughout the back of the animal, on the chest, the indigenous teeth may be absent. The dog moves little, the gait becomes screaming.
In old age, the pet needs minimal physical exertion, high-quality, but easy food.
Did the life expectancy of boys from girls?
Life expectancy also depends on the floor of the pet. Usually females are experiencing males for 2 years. Street males can die at an early age. As a rule, the yard dogs live an average of 7 years. The short life expectancy is due to external factors: food quality, stress, disassembly for the territory, diseases surrounding.
The dog can get under the wheels, and being a puppy to stay without parents or get lost. In some countries, a program for the catch of homeless animals is being conducted with subsequent resuscitation and transferring their new owners. However, there is another option - the killing of the stray dog.
Another factor relating to any animal is Sterilization, castration. These actions are able to extend the life of a pet. Animals that often come into mating or give birth a lot, compared with a sterilized person die before. Pretty dogs are more located to the risk of diseases of the reproductive system, various tumors.
Often, female hormonal failures occur in females, which is changing the behavior of a pet, an endocrine system. The bits are at risk of diabetes. Females can go back to the achievement of the ten years due to unsuccessful pregnancy, mating. Before choosing a puppy, you need to weigh all the pros and cons of rock, gender, content conditions.
The German Shepherd is a devoted and affectionate friend, it is worth taking care that the pet life is joyful and long.
About how to properly care for the German Shepherd, look in the following video.