Wildhertz German Shepherds

Breeders and Exibitors of quality Long Stock Coat German Shepherds

• Welcome
• Our Females
  • Wildhertz Let's Dream Big A Z
  • Gewalt Shelby Cobra
  • Takimbre Yore Joyous A Z BSC1
  • CH. Akarla You Lookin' At Me A Z BSC1
  • Leberhine Vienna BSC AZ
• Our Males
  • Wildhertz Poetry In Motion A Z BSC
  • Eroica Tom
• Puppies
  • Planned Litters
  • Puppy Guarantee
• Previous Litters
  • Paige/Erik
  • Willow/ Pickle Litter 2021’
• Health
  • Common Injury Factors
  • Hip Dysplasia
  • Puppies & Exercise
  • Bloat
  • Puppy Growth & Feedfing
  • Weight
  • Growth Disorders

Hip Dysplasia

Everyone who owns a German Shepherd has some level of concern regarding hips. Most vets like to “palpate” the hips and “feel for looseness”. This is misleading. It is also misleading that if your puppy sits sideways or "bunny hops" while running that they have dysplasia. This is simply NOT true. Puppy hips are loose when they are young and the hips tighten as they get older. If you have any concerns at all, the ONLY way to know the hip status is to X-RAY the hips. It is important to understand that there is a possibility that a puppy from my kennel or any other kennel can develop hip dysplasia, even though every dog we breed has had its hips x-rayed and has good hips. I wish that I could say that a pup from my program will never have bad hips. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Because of the nature of the breed (and other factors listed below), there is still a small risk that a dog from my kennel can have a bad hip. Hip dysplasia has four major causes: 

• Genetics 
• Nutrition 
• Over feeding 
• Excessive exercise at a young age.

It is felt that genetics play between a 25% and 30% role in a dog having hip dysplasia. This means that owners can assume a great deal of responsibility (70% to 75%) in their dog developing good hips. This begins with feeding a high premium dog food). It also means that you should keep your dog lean. Carrying too much weight at a young age is going to add stress on soft puppy bones which can greatly have an effect on skeletal development. 
New owners need to also be very careful of over exercising a pup. The German Shepherd breed grows and develops very rapidly and by 14 months of age your puppy should be its full adult size. However, your puppy will continue to fill out and become more mature looking until 3-5 years of age. 
It is VERY important to your new puppy for the first 6 months of your puppy’s life NOT to let it go up and down stairs on a regular basis. If you have stairs in your home you will need to carry your puppy. Puppies have bones that fuse in their elbows and growth plates in their hips. Going up and down stairs can cause a lot of pressure and stress on them. It CAN cause future problems if these are not fused and closed properly. 
We also recommend that for the first YEAR you do NOT let your puppy jump in and out of anything. This includes ute's, 4 wheel drives, high porches, etc. Once again, this causes a lot of stress on young developing elbows and hips. You should assist your puppy in and out of such vehicles until a year of age. Also in regard to developing bones and joints, we DO NOT recommend any type of forced exercise or road work prior to 12 months of age. Just every day normal puppy play is enough to keep your pup fit until its body is done fusing bones and closing growth plates. After 12moths of age your puppy, if fit, can easily join you on a long run or bike ride. Just give them the time to grow up first! Their hips and elbows will thank you for it.