So now we are talking about how much weight can a german shepherd carry. If you’re looking for the short answer, that’s 25% of your actual weight. Because this percentage can indeed vary from dog to dog depending on a variety of factors such as: Dog’s age, general health and nutrition.
And yet, not all dogs can really carry something on their backs. So it’s better to watch the next part where you can find out “What is the ideal weight that YOUR GERMAN SHEPHERD can carry? How do you know if your German Shepherd is capable of carrying weights?
How much weight can a german shepherd carry – The ideal German Shepherd to carry weights.
If you really decide to have a working GSD, you must choose the perfect GSD. First of all, you cannot get a GSD for your work. Don’t get me wrong, Showlines are the perfect dogs, but they were not bred to work with you. They are more like family dogs. They can really help and protect you, but they are not very hardworking.
Also, show line German Shepherds have a sloping back that can be broken if you choose to let them carry any weight. This is really serious, show line German Shepherds also have more bent legs than working line German Shepherds, making them suitable for hip dysplasia. So please, if you have a German Shepherd show line, it’s best to ignore the rest of this article. But if you have a working German Shepherd pedigree, it’s best to continue reading this article, as this article gives you a step-by-step guide to get what you need on your hikes.
To ensure that your GSD can carry 25% of its weight on its back, you must follow a series of steps:
Registering with a veterinarian
This is the number one step in all dog training. This is a vital step that, unfortunately, many dog ​​owners skip because they consider it unimportant. However, this is the most important step. If this step was not successful, unfortunately you cannot continue with the steps mentioned in the rest of the article. You should take an X-ray of your dog and make sure he has no problems with his back and legs. You must ensure that your dog does not have Hip Displaysia. Not only bone problems, but also diseases such as:
diabetes, heart problems, neoplasia, or any abnormal condition that can affect your overall health, especially if your dog has a condition that can easily make you thirsty. If your dog really has no problems, you can make sure he can “physically” carry 25% of his weight. Please be careful, I said physically.
How much weight can a german shepherd carry – Dog age check
Now, making sure your dog is 100% healthy. You might actually consider starting training your dog. However, you need to determine the ideal weight your dog can carry based on his age. A GSD can carry between 1 and 25% of its weight (30% if you have a very good GSD). If your dog is less than 6 months old it is best not to carry weight as dogs under 6 months of age are still developing their bones and back, requiring your young dog to carry things on their back can really hurt your back and in extreme cases can destroy your back. legs.
However, you can actually start to practice carrying an empty backpack just to get his back used to having something on it, but never load him until he is 6 months old.
How much weight can a german shepherd carry – more explained
Now, if your dog is between 6 months and 4 years old, you can have him carry 25% of his weight if he is healthy, because during this period dogs are very energetic, strong and can easily achieve this.
Now, after 4 years, you really need to lose weight gradually. As a dog ages, its energy levels begin to decline and its ability to carry objects eventually declines. Now this should not apply to all dogs, as many dogs remain as strong until 7 or 8 years old as they were at 2 years old. So it really depends on your dog. However, as a general rule, when you feel that your dog is starting to age, you should gradually reduce the weight until it disappears completely.
