We will give supply for feeding and general care chart, giving full details of the basic diet so that puppy will not suffer any growth check during this vital period of adjustment. You can also be assured that the puppy has been properly "wormed" and you receive a vaccination certificate at the time of purchase.

It is advisable to follow the feeding recommended by us, as some puppies can suffer stress from leaving the kennel and stress can develop into diarrhoea. If you maintain the same feeding pattern as us it will help relieve the stress and not upset the puppy's tummy any further. The diarrhoea normally only lasts a day and puppy should soon settle into his new home.

Ideas on diet vary greatly from one breeder to another. Overfeeding was the biggest problem of yesteryear and many suggested diets in older books would result in overweight, sluggish and unhealthy puppies. The best guide to quantity is the weight of your puppy, which must always have a moderate "waistline". The guide to quality is the vitality and condition of the puppy. Nature is generous in her gift of vitamins, minerals and other nutritional essentials, and all can be found in abundance in the balanced diet. A healthy puppy does not have to be rattling with a multitude of vitamin pills. Excess supplementation with artificial additives can have serious side effects. The proper diet must not only provide all the essentials, but it must supply those essentials in the proper proportion.

The constituents of food basically fall into four groups: PROTEIN, FAT, CARBOHYDRATES (STARCHES) AND VITAMINS/MINERALS. When fed in correct proportion these three will provide the essential bodybuilding material and fuel for energy.

PROTEIN - The building block that builds new body tissue and repairs the wear and tear of the body. The most complete form of protein is found in meat, eggs, milk, fish and soya beans. Lesser quality protein can be found in other vegetables.

FAT - Provides body warmth and energy and assists in the absorption of the other nutrients. Natural sources are fatty meat, milk and vegetable oils.

CARBOHYDRATE - The fuel for growth and energy. Abundant in cereals, vegetables and honey.

VITAMINS/MINERALS - These help regulate all aspects of cell activity. Quantities are minute but vital. They are found in natural nutritional material such as milk, meat, eggs, fish and fresh fruit and vegetables.

When considering a suitable diet for your puppy or adult dog remember that many of the diseases found in domestic dogs are unknown in their wild counterparts. The main reasons for this are nutritional imbalance, allergic reaction and over or under feeding in dogs dependent on human beings. Wild dogs eat the stomach and intestines of their prey first, thereby ingesting a large quantity of cereal matter rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin B, carbohydrates and minerals.

This can be replaced in the domestic dog by feeding good quality, balanced dry food. An all meat diet is not only expensive it is also grossly deficient, leading to a number of serious problems including growth deformities.

After 15 months bone, growth has stopped and you will have to vary the quantities of the food according to the special demands and activities of your own dog. Metabolism varies in dogs as it does in humans, so there can be no hard and fast rules as to quantities of food. The best guide, as stated before, is the weight of your dog, which must look like an energetic working dog. As he ages he may require much less food. Suggested weights for German Shepherds at about 18 months are:

Males height about 65 cm = 34 - 38 Kilo's. Females height about 60 cm = 26 - 30 Kilo's.