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German Shepherds/Questions Answered by Expert Lori Iverson
| Subject | Date Asked |
| Alsation x husky | 8/14/2009 |
| Q: Milly is 12 weeks old and I have had her for 2 weeks,during this time she started wetting when she ... A: This is a common problem with puppies. Their bladder control is not that great and when they get ... | |
| breeding | 8/12/2009 |
| Q: I just adopted a 7 year old male german shepard. Is he too old to breed ? He is an AKC champion and ... A: There are too many variables here to answer this question. So I am going to give you some questions ... | |
| floppy ears | 8/10/2009 |
| Q: My German Shepherd is 13 months old and he is a large long coated black male and kennel registered. ... A: Yes very handsome! He is actually what we call a bi-color, he is not a true black. The tan ... | |
| german shepherd behavior | 8/5/2009 |
| Q: I have a 18 month old female sherherd. She is verk kind but she goes crazy when people are around ... A: German Shepherds are very protective of their property. Your female is going to protect you from ... | |
| feces eating | 8/3/2009 |
| Q: What causes my German Shepherd to eat his feces, we pick up his poop and he finds it and eats it and ... A: Most dogs find their own and other dogs poop interesting. He is not lacking anything in his diet. ... | |
| Puppy Behavior | 7/31/2009 |
| Q: I have a 18 to 20 week old German Shepherd mix. He is neutered and up on his shots. He hasn't ... A: I apologize for the delay, I went away to shows without checking the site for questions. This is ... | |
| night frenzy | 7/31/2009 |
| Q: Lori, While I do not have a German Shepherd (now) I found your site while googling for night frenzy ... A: Sorry for the delay, I went away to shows without answering. If this is in the evening, before ... | |
| Afraid to walk down the street? | 7/27/2009 |
| Q: We recently adopted a German Shepard mix. We take her 2-3x a day walking in our neighborhood. Last ... A: This is a common problem, something scares the puppy in a certain area and then they associate the ... | |
| My German Shepherd Ears | 7/27/2009 |
| Q: my German Shepherd is 8 months old and has one good standing ear and one half up. Is there a reason ... A: Your dogs weak ear will probably not get much better unfortunately. Some lines have weak ears. It ... | |
| OFA's | 7/26/2009 |
| Q: I'm looking at a 3 month old shepherd to purchase. The owner said that the father's parents tested ... A: This is a good question and I wish more people would be aware of the OFA testing. OFA is the ... | |
| Training | 7/24/2009 |
| Q: I have 5 Months old male German Shepherd. In the morning I walk him for half an hour. He stays all ... A: What a good question! As long as all of you are consistent with your commands and how you train, ... | |
| My 6 month old is stealing food | 7/22/2009 |
| Q: We have a new baby in the house. (our only dog) We've had him since he was 8 weeks old. He is almost ... A: This is a very common problem with larger dogs. All those tempting snacks that are just about ... | |
| Behavior of mixed german shephard | 7/21/2009 |
| Q: Our dog is a mix of shephard and the other part is unknown. The dog is about 43 lbs. She is very ... A: There are many breeds of dogs, actually any breed or mix that could be susceptible to something ... | |
| Problem | 7/17/2009 |
| Q: i have a 9 month old male GSD....whenever i bring him in from outside i rub him for awhile and i ... A: Be assured that there is nothing wrong with your dog. When you are rubbing/petting him on the ... | |
| German Shepherd Ears and Teething | 7/15/2009 |
| Q: I purchased a female full breed german shepherd a few weeks ago. She is about three and a half ... A: Shepherd ears never look the same 2 days in row when they are teething! They can go up and down and ... | |
| German Shephard and cats | 7/13/2009 |
| Q: We just adopted a 3 year old German Shephard and have had her three days - she does well with other ... A: This is a hard question to answer as I cannot see what the dog's body language is when she is after ... | |
| GSD adoption question, purebred, coat ID? | 7/12/2009 |
| Q: At this time I am in the market for a GSD but am considering possibly helping out with a dog in need ... A: I have not been able to access your pictures so cannot give an opinion, can you email them another ... | |
| German Shephard Ears | 7/11/2009 |
| Q: My Shepherd is now 19 months old and his right ear has a crease and it will not stand up at times. ... A: Your dog is too old for the ear to straighten out with taping. I couldn't say how much surgery ... | |
| very territorial/protective german shepherd | 7/9/2009 |
| Q: I have an 8.5 month old female german shepherd dog. She is good with my husband and me. She is good ... A: I would recommend obedience classes. I don't think your pup is being bad - just normal tendencies ... | |
| breathing, warm nose and warm body.... | 7/6/2009 |
| Q: his body is warm and so is his nose, should i be worried?? A: Sounds normal to me, especially if it is hot where you live. If he is eating and drinking and alert ... | |
| Timid Dog | 7/5/2009 |
| Q: We have recently purchased a pure breed golden Retriever. She is a really good dog but has a huge ... A: I think you are correct in assuming that something has scared her outside. I could have been ... | |
| what do i do | 7/4/2009 |
| Q: i have a lovely rescured german shephard called roxy she is lovely towards me could not ask for a ... A: Apparently the "trainers" in your area only like to take money from people that don't have real ... | |
| I think my GSD has a mental defect | 7/2/2009 |
| Q: My GSD is 1 year and 3 months old. His name is Chopper. I think he may have a mental defect. He is ... A: Sounds like you have a very dominant dog on your hands. Chopper needs to know who the leader of the ... | |
| german shepherd | 7/2/2009 |
| Q: Your opinion on getting a German shepherd pup from a mother just turning 1 year old? A: My first question to the "breeder" would be WHY - why did this female get bred on her first heat? ... | |
| german sheperd pup | 7/1/2009 |
| Q: a 16weeks old german shepherd , how do i get him to come to me when out walking ? he keeps doin his ... A: This is the age when they start to get more confident and want to go and explore. Can't blame him! ... | |
| puppy food | 7/1/2009 |
| Q: I give my 4 mnth GSD puppy 3 time feed daily.and I want to give him home made food only.my questions ... A: It is very hard to feed home made food and make it balanced for all the correct nutrients. Your ... | |
| gsd bad habits | 7/1/2009 |
| Q: I have a German shepherd male puppy 4 and half months old. My problems are following... 1) He pee ... A: The problems you are having are very common. The reason he pees everywhere is because he cannot ... | |
| height and health | 6/30/2009 |
| Q: i am having a German shepherd female dog of 1 year,but its chest not as wide as healthy gsd dog,and ... A: I hope you mean 21 inches.... that is 1 inch below the bottom end of the height standard for ... | |
| My Papillon is too thin? | 6/30/2009 |
| Q: I have a 7 months old Papillon puppy that came to me at a little before 6 months. Her breeder used ... A: You are obviously well aquainted with getting a dog to eat properly! You have done all of the ... | |
| what do i do | 6/29/2009 |
| Q: i have a lovely rescured german shephard called roxy she is lovely towards me could not ask for a ... A: Sounds like you have a dog with behavioral problems (you probably knew this) that involve not being ... | |
| my german shepherd puppy | 6/29/2009 |
| Q: sometimes zoey my 5 month old puppy barks alot. I noticed today that when she was barking her voice ... A: You need to read up and research how to stop a puppy from barking. If she is lonely and you are ... | |
| what to do? | 6/28/2009 |
| Q: I have a alomost 8yr old gsd. She's imported. I have a male also/fixed of course his age is 5 yrs ... A: This is 2 part question. First her behavior to the pup. I am not sure what you mean by "going ... | |
| my dogs are killing chickens and ducks | 6/25/2009 |
| Q: Lucy is the oldest up until i got scrappy she had never killed any of my family chickens or ducks, ... A: You are going to have to kennel them when you are not there to supervise. This is usually the only ... | |
| GSD Puppy | 6/25/2009 |
| Q: I have a 4 month old female gsd, she currently weighs 21lbs, she looks very thin and often scarfs ... A: In my experience, although I am not a vet, is that your puppy has a mega esophagus or the aorta may ... | |
| two 4.5 months old Shepherd puppies | 6/24/2009 |
| Q: i have been gifted 2 male cros german, belgian shepherd dogs. both dogs grew in the garden moving ... A: sorry for the delay - I have been away. You are going to have a big job in socializing these pups. ... | |
| puppy ears | 5/23/2009 |
| Q: how long does it tke for a german sherp puppys ears to stand up A: The ears should be up by 4-5 months, if not then they need to be taped. Teething causes the ears ... | |
| Strays/Training | 5/22/2009 |
| Q: We have recently had a male German Shepherd show up on our doorstep recently, and we have decided to ... A: Yes you can retrain him, I would suggest private classes with a trainer who will be able to work ... | |
| feeding | 5/22/2009 |
| Q: So please tell me what brand of food do I give it and also how much space will it require because I ... A: Feeding - use a premium brand of large breed puppy, Eukanuba, Royal Canin, Sensible Choice, Eagle, ... | |
| Best Shepherd Pup?? | 5/22/2009 |
| Q: I have two male Siberian Huskies and a SIberian Kitty cat. The oldest husky is 7 yrs and the ... A: I would use process of elimination. Take the 4 pups away from the rest of the litter and their ... | |
| german shepherd nipped at me | 5/14/2009 |
| Q: I adopted a female german shepherd from the animal shelter. She is about a year old and we have had ... A: What you should do is never startle your dog again when she is sleeping. A sleeping dog that gets ... | |
| gsp female puppy being aggresive | 5/14/2009 |
| Q: Me and my wife recently bought a gsp female puppy , she is 11 weeks old now,she is doing pretty good ... A: Young pups play hard and so the playfighting can get out of hand. I would probably let the cats and ... | |
| German Shepherd and her seasons | 5/13/2009 |
| Q: we have a lovely German Shepher bitch who is 8 years of age... she still comes into season every 4 ... A: Your female is one of those bitches that cycles frequently, not uncommon. The only way to ... | |
| house training 8 week old GSD | 5/7/2009 |
| Q: We brought a 8 week old GSD home, He's very smart but I would like to know the correct way to house ... A: I would recommend housetraining using a crate. Make sure it is the right size and that you never ... | |
| crate | 4/28/2009 |
| Q: I have an almost 7 month old great dane which we have had for 3 months. He is very calm and docile ... A: Crazy busy is right!!!! You have crate trained him, so you are on the right path. I would crate ... | |
| GSD | 4/25/2009 |
| Q: I AM PLANING TO GET MY SELF A GSD PUPPY BUT I AM VERY MUCH PANICKED AS TO HOW AM I GOING TO ... A: You have yourself an unregisterable dog, but I think that you know that already. Of course you can ... | |
| 9 month old gsd weight | 4/24/2009 |
| Q: My 9 month old male german shepherd puppy only weighs 70 lbs and is very lean, his head is still ... A: Early neutering at 3 mos may have some effect on his secondary sex characteristics. Bigger head ... | |
| Coexisting with a westie | 4/22/2009 |
| Q: We have a beautiful 1 year old male GSD and a 6 year old female westie that has been with us since ... A: As has been suggested, it is best to let them work it out as the Westie will let him know when she ... | |
| nuetering | 4/21/2009 |
| Q: we have a pure bred gs he is 21 months old , he is very territorial and aggressive, he resently bite ... A: This is a good question. Many people are under the false impression that neutering will solve ... | |
| pregnent gsd food | 4/20/2009 |
| Q: my GSD is 1 month pregnant wt food can i give her A: I would feed her the diet you have her on now until about 6 weeks, then either increase the food or ... | |
| GSD | 4/19/2009 |
| Q: I AM PLANING TO GET MY SELF A GSD PUPPY BUT I AM VERY MUCH PANICKED AS TO HOW AM I GOING TO ... A: I am unfamiliar with the registry process in your country, but generally most countries have a ... | |
| Female in heat | 4/18/2009 |
| Q: I have just gotten a puppy shepherd and I heard that when they are in heat they bleed. Is this true? A: Yes that is correct, but puppies come in heat usually around 9 mos to 18 mos. so if she is younger ... | |
| jumping on back doors and windows | 4/17/2009 |
| Q: I have a 9 month old german shepherd who will not stop jumping on doors and windows. She is also ... A: I don't know if she is doing this when she is inside or outside. A 9 mos old is can be very ... | |
| Left ear flopped | 4/16/2009 |
| Q: My german shepherd is 10 weeks old. When we first got him we noticed his left ear was flopped over. ... A: What is happening with your pups ears is normal. They may go up and stay up until he is done ... | |
| house break | 4/15/2009 |
| Q: I have a 12 week white German Shepard and he is still not house trained.He also play in it and mess ... A: That is why black and tan GSD's are better.... just kidding. :-) Sounds like you need to crate ... | |
| feeding | 4/14/2009 |
| Q: I'm getting a german shepherd in the summer and I wanted to ask you if royal canin is the best food ... A: My experience with Royal Canin is excellent. You can start with the large breed puppy and then go ... | |
| development | 4/14/2009 |
| Q: How can you tell how old a GSD is? We came across a beautiful, purebred stray without name tag or ... A: Sounds like you found an awesome dog for your family. She doesn't really look like a pup, just has ... | |
| Long coat gene | 4/13/2009 |
| Q: I am looking to purchase a German Shepherd puppy where the Sire has a regular coat and the Dame has ... A: This is a great question! If the male did not carry the long coat gene himself ie he was ... | |
| my 4 1/2 old german shepherd | 4/10/2009 |
| Q: I have a female GSD will be 5 months 4/28/09, she eats about 5 cups a day of IAMS puppy food, but ... A: Most dogs will eat their whole meal quite quickly. So this is normal. How is her weight, can you ... | |
| neutering | 4/10/2009 |
| Q: what age is too old to get my german shepard neutered? or can he get too old? A: A dog is never too old to be neutered. Unless of course he has health problems that will not allow ... | |
| Creating a plan for my new GSD pup | 4/8/2009 |
| Q: I am looking for advice as to creating a plan for my new German shepherd pup I will be getting home ... A: The best solution is to crate train her and keep her crate in the downstairs living area. Putting ... | |
| GERMAN SHEPPERD ROT MIX | 4/8/2009 |
| Q: MY DOG IS 3 TO 4 MONTHS OLD HE IS BEING AGGRESSIVE WITH MY 1 YEAR OLD TERRIER MIX. THE DOGS RAN OUT ... A: Your puppy needs some leadership training. Everything he is doing is normal puppy behavior, but not ... | |
| inbreeding | 4/7/2009 |
| Q: can you breed a German Shepard father with his daughter? A: Yes you can but the bigger question is why would you want to? Unless you know the bloodlines very ... | |
| Underwight Dog | 4/2/2009 |
| Q: I have a German Shepherd that is 3 years old. He stays outside 60% of the time. He eats for the most ... A: Worms might keep his weight down, if he had any. I don't worm my dogs unless I get a fecal sample ... | |
| GSD | 4/1/2009 |
| Q: someone made a comment to me that my GSD is not pure bred i have attached a photo of the dog.please ... A: A purebred GSD will have registration papers in the strictest sense of what is really purebred. No ... | |
| Underwight Dog | 4/1/2009 |
| Q: I have a German Shepherd that is 3 years old. He stays outside 60% of the time. He eats for the most ... A: There are many possible reasons why you think he is under weight. If you do not feed him meals then ... | |
| My GSD in pain | 3/30/2009 |
| Q: My 3 year old male shepherd was neutered in Feb 2009. Since he cries when he gets up and does not ... A: I cannot answer this question because it is of a medical nature. If this were my dog, I would be ... | |
| German Shepard Puppy | 3/30/2009 |
| Q: We have a puppy around 8 weeks or so old, how often are we to feed him, and what amount of food do ... A: Congrats on your new puppy! Depending on your schedule you can feed him either 3 times or 2 times. ... | |
| pulling his hair out | 3/26/2009 |
| Q: i have a long haired shepherd and he wont stop bitting at himself and pulling out his hair i haved ... A: I need more info to answer this question. Is the area he is biting localized and where is it. Is ... | |
| My German Sheperd dog | 3/25/2009 |
| Q: I have a one year old GSD and he has has diarrhea on and off for about a week or so.. i thought it ... A: I think because of the blood in his stool, that I would take him to the vet ASAP. If he is drinking ... | |
| German Shepherds and Deer running | 3/22/2009 |
| Q: To my utter dismay my 1 year old female GSD ran through the electric fence to chase a deer. We are ... A: I hope that you have become less upset about this incident. Please try to put it into the dogs ... | |
| german shepard | 3/22/2009 |
| Q: we have a male that is 2 years old he stays really hyper we cannot get him to just lay by our feet ... A: Sounds like you have a really active dog! You need to get him out and exercise him more. Play ... | |
| My GS Jasper's Ear Problems | 3/20/2009 |
| Q: My eight year old German Shepherd, Jasper has been suffering with ear infections his whole life. The ... A: Sounds like what you have is a hematoma on his ear, a blood blister caused by the scratching. I am ... | |
| GSD Puppy Aggression | 3/20/2009 |
| Q: I have a 4 ½ months old GSD puppy. He becomes aggressive around his food and bones. He will start ... A: I am really glad that you have asked for help with this problem, as it is only going to get worse if ... | |
| urinating in inappropriate places | 3/18/2009 |
| Q: I have a pretty aggressive German Sheperd that is now 9. Ever since we have had her (all 9 years)she ... A: This is not a common problem in German Shepherds, just a common problem with all dogs. If she has ... | |
| excersice | 3/17/2009 |
| Q: i have a 9 month going on 10 month male gsd when can i start running him and having him pull ... A: Depending on what you mean by running him, here are some suggestions. If you are just jogging a ... | |
| purebreed | 3/14/2009 |
| Q: how do i know sheperd is a purebreed? A: In a nutshell, the original certificate of registration, either from the American Kennel Club or the ... | |
| 9 week old GSD crate Questions and Concerns | 3/13/2009 |
| Q: I realize this may be a little long but I actually have 3 questions on the same topic. We have a 9 ... A: I apologize for the delay in answering your questions, I have been having computer issues. Congrats ... | |
| Almost 4 yr old German Shepherd with skin issues??? | 3/13/2009 |
| Q: I have a GSD that will be 4 in July, he has had problems with him bitting at his front paws when I ... A: I have been pondering this question for a couple of days so I apologize for the delay. I feel your ... | |
| how do i get my puppys ears to stand up | 3/11/2009 |
| Q: my german shep is about 11 months i got him from a pound his very shy but i dont get why his ears ... A: There could be several reasons why his ears won't go up. First since you got him from the pound he ... | |
| My 8 year old German Shepard | 3/9/2009 |
| Q: Greetings, I have and 8 year old Black & Tan GS. He's a big dog but way too heavy. (Close to 150) ... A: I am really glad that you are concerned about his weight. Any overweight dog and especially an ... | |
| german shepherd training | 3/5/2009 |
| Q: please can you help we have a lovely German shepherd pup (boy) who is 12 weeks old and very big, he ... A: This a very common problem and the westie doesn't have anything to do with it :-). My advice would ... | |
| advice on my german shepherd | 3/4/2009 |
| Q: i'm realy just looking for some training advice, i have a 3 year old white german shepherd, hes a ... A: I apologize for the delay in answering, but here are my thoughts. There are several things I want ... | |
| German Shepard Training | 3/4/2009 |
| Q: I have a 2yr old female shepherd,we have had her since she was a pup,she is very good except every ... A: There are 2 issues here that you need to deal with that are actually related to the same solution. ... | |
Lori Iverson
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
I can help answer questions on feeding, grooming, training, exercise, behavior, choosing a puppy, development and showing.
Experience
I have been training, showing and breeding German Shepherds for 25 years. I have bred over 50 champions and put several obedience titles on my dogs.
Organizations
CKC, GSDC of Manitoba (life member),GSDC of Canada, Northern Lights GSDC.
Education/Credentials
Bio.Tech. (ie.Vet tech) I worked for many years as a vet tech in reproductive and digestive physiology. Formerly owned a pet supply, training centre and grooming shop. Now retired - except from dogs of course!
Awards and Honors
My kennel has bred many Best in Show, Best in Specialty, 2 Futurity Victrix, 1 Maturity Victor, and several Selects. The "Nobler" dogs have been ranked in the top 5 GSD's consistently for the past dozen years.
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