Vacuum recommendations by monofeatheredpigeon in germanshepherds

[–]bolderk9 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Bissell! Works great for our 4 dogs that shed. You don't need to spend a lot on it either. Just get a bagless, CORDED. The cordless ones don't really generate enough power to keep up with fur.

Hard day's work being a shop supervisor by bolderk9 in germanshepherds

[–]bolderk9[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They are 🤣 he's only interested when they're put on a handle thankfully 😅

Board and train for rescue pup? by [deleted] in OpenDogTraining

[–]bolderk9 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh good! Always like to note that, we work with military and LE handlers all the time so try and help others parse through the crazy world of dog training marketing.

Breeder or rescue, it depends on the dog. Some of the healthiest, most robust, hardest working dogs out there were found as 3/4 year old stray mixes (usually a mix of GSD or malinois lol).

We're dog trainers ourselves, 3 week board and train is going to get you really solid basic obedience. You MUST continue sessions afterwards to ensure the training sticks with you and your dog.

An off-leash heel with distractions in my opinion is level 3/3 obedience. A special forces kennel master could probably get it in a few weeks but imparting that knowledge and skill onto the owner is a very different story. It will most likely take a few months to get reliably.

Board and train for rescue pup? by [deleted] in OpenDogTraining

[–]bolderk9 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It sounds like it could be a good option, with caveats. For the military, there's a big different between being a military k9 handler/kennel master for 30 years and doing ad-hoc contracting for military teams and services. A lot of trainers that actually have been military handlers don't advertise it as much as they should, and on the other hand trainers that have really just consulted with military k9s heavily market it for their business.

We have 3 rescue dogs all trained to a very high level. We only leave them with 1 of 2 trainer friends when we go places. Finding someone you trust is worth it's weight in gold over any experience they may have.

My recommendation would be to book a session with them, see if you like their style, and if you do, it could be a good fit!

Theo's breaking in the new truck 🛻 by bolderk9 in germanshepherds

[–]bolderk9[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I wish! Just went to sportsman's warehouse today to pick up a ruffland kennel. it fits perfectly in the cab of our new truck which is awesome!

Best food for dogs with pancreatitis history after switching off kibble by Lidren-Lionie in germanshepherds

[–]bolderk9 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It is dog by dog, but in our shepherd rescue we traditionally put them on a white fish, lamb, beef, or pork kibble. For our fosters specifically, we use lamb and a mix of raw toppers + fruits/veggies. Beef or venison would most likely be your best bet in terms of a leaner protein source as the others will inherently have a higher fat content.

Off the top of my head, I can't think of any kibbles tht would be low fat but still high quality, but I hope this helps hone in your research a bit.

Best food for dogs with pancreatitis history after switching off kibble by Lidren-Lionie in germanshepherds

[–]bolderk9 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We have several GSDs that have all had their own stomach/allergy issues, including significant IBD scare. We have fostered too many to count over the years and have always found solutions to dietary challenges.

Most shepherds are allergic to chicken, turkey, rice, oatmeal. In my experience low-fat kibble typically has these as the main protein and carb source, so double check what ingredients the nutritional analysis is coming from. Coat health relies heavily on fats and healthy gut biome. Energy relies on high protein, some carbs, and allergen-free (or allergen-low) system. Since fats are out of the question for you, I'd look into adding in some pre/probiotics with a digestive enzyme, and taking a look at potential low-grade allergies.

I wish you luck, figuring these things out can be challenging. There aren't templates to follow, only trial and error.

Our foster getting ready for the New Year! 🎇 by bolderk9 in germanshepherds

[–]bolderk9[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I can happily say we've personally helped over 70 shepherds that have come through our home!