A German shepherd is a wonderful dog. It features all of the excellent characteristics of a canine with exceptional intelligence and training capacity.
This breed is a versatile dog because of all of its features. It could be a defender, a hunter, or a seeker.
This breed of puppies appreciates learning from an early age and picking up new things fast.
If you intend to adopt a 7-month-old German shepherd, you should learn about its characteristics.
Let’s get started!
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7-Month-Old German Shepherd
Here is the essential information you should know about this dog if you want to adopt one:
Weight
This breed has entered the adolescent, or teen, stage of growth. The days of your dog being an adorable, charming, fluffy small puppy are over. Now they are getting bigger.
Before the age of five months, dogs experience significant development surges. Their development has drastically slowed by the time these puppies reach six months.
Compared to the preceding six months, growth decreases a little at month seven. They are, nevertheless, still over 50% of the adult size and have gained roughly 5 lbs since the previous month.
Males may weigh from 57 to 62 lbs, putting them in the big dog type category. Females weigh between 49 and 53 pounds, near to the 50-lbs mark.
They may gain 5 lbs from the month of six.
Height
A 7-month-old German Shepherd is between 53 and 63 cm tall. They’re starting to take on an adult-like appearance at this time. If they don’t develop all 42 adult teeth the previous month, they should now.
Their whole double coating of fur may be entirely covered when they reach adulthood. To aid in shedding, regularly comb with a decent undercoat brush.
Ears will almost certainly be fully upright by this time. However, it may occupy one year in certain circumstances, and you might need to attempt taping if they’re not at this stage.
Behaviors
They’re still giant puppies at seven months, but things may turn dicey. Puppies around the age of 7 months might experience a behavioral phase equivalent to that of human infants in their terrible twos.
In reality, your adorable floppy-eared puppy could become a severe pain in its neck. It may perform in some previously unseen actions.
It may begin to bark more frequently, grow demanding, chew on items, disregard your directions, or have more mishaps around your house.
Don’t lose hope! These are typical behaviors for a dog whose hormonal changes are fluctuating.
This stage is a critical moment to focus and interact with your dog. According to research, 37.1 percent of canines surrender are between 7 months and one year.
It won’t be easy. However, when your dog gets to the one-year mark, your likelihood of success in training behavioral exercise rises.
They may be stubborn this time.
Fear
During teenager, your German Shepherd may experience fear for many weeks. Around the age of 7 weeks, it typically occurs.
The dog is fearful of both familiar and strange persons and a variety of other objects.
Throughout these tumultuous days, be calm, patient, and willing to show your patience with your pet.
Tell it to stop whenever the dog exhibits fear, see the frightening thing or strange person and hold it to demonstrate that your house is entirely safe.
This stage will be brief, but your pet will need a significant amount of effort and calmness from you.
Sleep
When it comes to the sleep need of a 7-month-old German shepherd puppy, its age plays a significant role.
Your dog, like human babies, requires 15 to 20 hours to sleep daily to ensure optimal development of its immune system, nervous system, and muscles.
Many pups may rest during the day to receive the sleep they require.
Period Of Adolescence
The adolescent stage begins when a puppy turns six months old. At this period, and until adolescence, a puppy attempts to express itself and displays a strong sense of autonomy.
Since this stage, your puppy has begun to disobey commands that it previously followed. Allowing it to act in this manner is not a good idea since it will develop a bad habit.
This challenging time usually ends when puberty arrives. The very first heat in female dogs usually begins around this period. Male dogs start spraying around this month.
This time also demonstrates the ability to protect and guard. As a result, pay special attention to the puppy’s training.
Resource Guarding
Teething is in your dog’s growth over this period, but another issue could arise. Resource guarding might begin to emerge, as it did the last month.
Your pet may develop a strong attachment to its stuff, such as chewing blankets, toys, or food.
It is a typical stage where dogs don’t want anybody to use their belongings. They might also snarl or growl at other pets or individuals who wish to take their stuff away.
This behavior must be stopped as quickly as possible, or else it will cause future issues. For instance, your puppy may react aggressively to other people and canines in public places.
It’s best to keep your pet away from public places such as parks at this age.
Health
The dogs should be thriving and healthy at this age. However, it’s wise to double-check that they’re the right size and weight when they reach 7.
You can keep track of their progress by keeping a notebook of their weekly measurements.
They should have the first three vaccinations at the age of seven months. The rabies vaccine will not be necessary until they turn one year old.
Although some vets advocate neutering or spaying your pets at this age, many breeders suggest waiting until puppies reach at least one year.
Canines who get fixed before they reach the age of six months seem more prone to having hip dysplasia, a joint problem.
Apart from a balanced diet and plenty of exercise, your dog’s health will not be a significant concern at this stage.
However, you still need to pay attention to their health to avoid potential health problems in the future.
You may go into their parents’ backgrounds and histories to see if their bloodline has any inherited issues.
You can use specific instruments, such as DNA tests, to forecast future problems. One instance of a genetic identified in your puppy’s DNA is degenerative myelopathy.
While it seems pretty early to look for significant ailments, you also can keep an eye out for any signs of illness that your dog may experience. If you detect anything unusual, take it to the veterinarian.
Health isn’t a big concern at this age.
How To Train A German Shepherd At The Age Of Seven?
Crate or toilet training, bite inhibition, and lots of socializing should all be in place when your German Shepherd is seven months old. If they’re not thoroughly socialized already, it’ll not be easy to train.
Around 16 weeks is when the opportunity for sociability closes. They should know how to perform at least 5 basic orders and 2 advanced obedience orders.
It would help if you strived to train them two new complex commands every month.
If you are unsure how to train your puppies, here are some valuable tips you can apply:
- Consistently teach them for at least 10 to 15 minutes daily.
- Interact and communicate with them at this age.
- If they refuse to accept your directions, don’t be aggressive with them.
- When they are obedient, give positive reinforcement like compliments or goodies to encourage them.
- Demonstrate your authority, but never compel them to obey or understand.
Start now if your puppy doesn’t know at least five fundamental instructions. If you are unsure how to train your pet, the following video may be helpful:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zttUukvfl94
How To Feed A German Shepherd At The Age Of Seven?
At this time, your German Shepherd’s diet remains highly critical. They’re still growing and putting on weight, so healthy and balanced nutrition is essential for their growth.
To keep their developing bones healthy, you’ll need to ensure they’re getting the right amount of protein, calories, and nutrients.
It is preferable to provide your pet with a variety of nutritious foods. Chicken, turkey, and fish are lean meats with considerable protein content.
Apples, blueberries, bananas, peas, pumpkin, and carrots are all healthful vegetables and fruits to include in their diet.
Some vegetables and fruit might be poisonous to your canine, so be cautious. Besides exercise, try to avoid eating too several goodies.
Ensure to select non-fatty, low-fat treats. Obesity might be caused by too much cholesterol in foods.
How To Care A German Shepherd At The Age Of Seven?
It will be challenging to care for German Shepherd dogs when they reach seven years. They’re high-energy worker canines that need to keep active.
They prefer to be given particular duties to complete. If you don’t provide them with something to accomplish during the day, they may become bored and engage in potentially dangerous misbehavior.
They require about 35 minutes of physical activity daily at this period. Every day, it’s best to offer them one long walk or two short ones.
Keep in mind that their bone is still forming, so the excessive force on the joints might be damaging.
They need activities at this age.
In A Nutshell
That’s all essential information about a 7-month-old German shepherd you should know before adopting one.
This dog breed is outstanding and worth raising with smartness, susceptibleness, and trainability.
If you intend to buy one, don’t hesitate! Hopefully, this article will be helpful for you. Thanks for reading!
