8-Week-Old German Shepherd: Loyal, Energetic, Active Canine Partner

Your 8-week-old German Shepherd puppy can be a bundle of joy and can bring all kinds of happiness and fun to your life. You might not have realized just how much you would love your furry little friend, but there is no doubt that they are probably changing every part of your daily routine. You might not be sure what to expect from your new little friend over the coming weeks, especially since you are just in the puppy phase of things.

If you have just started thinking about getting a German Shepherd puppy, you will probably get to pick them up at about eight weeks of age. This means that you will need to know all about what German Shepherds are like at this age so that you can be ready to bring your new canine buddy into your home. German Shepherds are some of the most sought-after dogs for family pets, but they do have some requirements that you need to meet for them to succeed after they have been added to your home.

If you are ready to learn more about 8-week-old German Shepherds, you need to keep reading.

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What to Expect From Your New Puppy

New puppies need to have lots of attention as they are not self-sufficient and they are not used to your home or your routine. They might also be missing their littermates and their mother. You will need to be sure that you have a routine in place right away to make sure that your puppy feels safe and secure right away.

Being clear with your expectations is also essential so that your puppy feels at home and understands what you want from them. 8-week-old puppies are very high energy and they are still working on learning about motor skills as well as how to act as a grown-up dog. You will need to play with your puppy, work on training techniques, and help them to get settled into your home and into your routine.

Puppies can demand a lot of your time, but the time that you spend with them is very rewarding and fun. Make sure that you are not getting overwhelmed and that you remain patient with your young puppy. The tone that you set with your puppy will be the undercurrent for all of your future interactions with this dog, so having patience is very important.

8-Week-Old German Shepherd Puppy Schedule

The best schedule for your 8-week-old puppy takes into consideration their needs and your normal routine. You will need to adjust your own routine some since your new puppy will need to be let outside more often and will need to go on walks during the day, but you should not give up all of your normal plans. Your puppy needs to learn to fit into your schedule so that you are not turning your whole home upside down to fit the needs of the puppy and not your own.

Your 8-week-old puppy will likely only be able to hold their bladder for about four hours at the most. This means that you need to be sure that you are prepared to get up in the middle of the night for a few weeks to walk them or let them out as needed. You will also need to be sure that you get them outside to go to the bathroom first thing in the morning to prevent accidents in the house. Also, be sure that you plan to get your dog outside after each meal that they eat since your puppy will usually need to go to the bathroom within a half hour of eating.

This is a schedule that you should consider using for your puppy at this age:

Time of Day	Activity
8:00 AM	Walk or let puppy out
8:15 AM	Feed puppy/let puppy out
9:00 AM	Walk puppy
11:00 AM	Play with puppy
12:00 PM	Possible snack for puppy/ let puppy out or walk them
2:00 PM	Walk Puppy
4:00 PM	Train puppy and play with them
6:00 PM	Feed Puppy/ Let puppy out or walk them
8:00 PM	Play with puppy
10:00 PM	Let puppy out or walk them before bed

8-Week-Old German Shepherd Puppy Size

Most German Shepherd puppies at this age will be about 15 pounds. Your dog will be quite a bit shorter than their final height of about 24 inches as well. Not every puppy is tiny at this age, and you could have a dog that is much smaller or much bigger than the average-sized puppy at this age. The runt of the litter might be much smaller and the largest puppy could be much bigger.

This is a good ballpark size for your needs if you are going to crate-train your puppy, however. You will want to be sure that your puppy can only turn around and lay down in the crate that you pick. This is a good way to make sure that your puppy does not make a mess in the crate, which defeats the crate training and housebreaking process.

By the time your dog is 9 months old, it will likely be 55-70 pounds and its full height. The crate and other care supplies that you get for your puppy will not last them through the first year that you own them, but you might want to keep these supplies for any future puppies that you decide to get. You will need to be aware that the size of your puppy when you get them from the breeder will not last. You will have a much larger pet within a few months, but you do need to be prepared to care for a very small dog for about two months at least.

How Much Exercise Does an 8-week-old German Shepherd Puppy Need?

A German Shepherd puppy will need a lot of exercises. These little guys to be kept busy or they might chew up things that are not for their use or annoy you with barking or running around too much in the house. You will want to be sure that you plan to walk your puppy at least twice a day or you can play with them twice a day to keep them from getting bored.

You will want to use these playtimes to help with training and to teach your dog to walk on the leash and to listen when they are called back to you. These skills can be a big help as your dog gets older and an 8-week-old puppy is a perfect age to learn these tricks with ease. You will want to work on connecting with your puppy just as much as you will want to work on keeping them busy when they are this little.

If your dog does not seem to want to be very active, you might need to start paying attention to its overall well-being and health. Lethargy in puppies is not normal, and you might need to take your dog to the vet to be checked out. There are various conditions that can make very young dogs feel poorly and the only symptom that you might see if a lack of energy. You do not want to ignore something like this for too long, so make sure that you are wary about your dog being lazy all the time at this age.

How Much Sleep Does an 8-week-old German Shepherd Puppy Need?

Your German Shepherd puppy will sleep a lot at this age. When they are not playing, they will surely be sleeping. Your little puppy might sleep for as much as five or six hours a day, but they will sleep in half-hour bursts in most cases. This means that you can count on your puppy playing hard and then falling asleep for a period of time, only to wake up and do it all over again.

Most 8-week-old puppies will not sleep through the night, so you will need to be prepared to get up in the middle of the night to let your puppy out to go to the bathroom as well. This should slack off as they get older and their bladder grows, but just be aware that your puppy might not sleep through the night for the first few weeks that they live with you.

Some puppies are better at sleeping than others, but most puppies will sleep frequently throughout the day in between playing sessions. This is normal, and you should not worry about your dog’s well-being so long as they are still waking up to be active and act like normal puppies in between their napping sessions.

How to Train an 8-week-old German Shepherd

There are many different things that your 8-week-old dog will need to learn from you. You need to be sure that you cover all of these things every day in brief sessions if possible. Things like potty training will have to happen repeatedly all day, but you can work on other kinds of training like crate training each day for a time as well.

Perhaps the most important thing that your 8-week-old puppy will need to learn is potty training. This is where the crate can be your best friend during the early weeks that your puppy is living with you. You will need to remember to take your puppy outside often, at least every four hours since their bladder will be small enough at this age that this will likely be the maximum time they can wait to go outside. The crate can be a great place to have your puppy wait when you are gone or cannot watch them for an extended period of time. You do not want to start the habit of having your dog make messes in the house due to being unable to pay attention to them at this early age.

Once your puppy is used to being crated and they are starting to understand the routine to do with going outside to go to the bathroom, you can try to add some time in between breaks to go outside. This will tell you how long your puppy can wait before they need to go to the bathroom. As they grow, this time period will extend.

You will also need to train your puppy to walk on a leash and you could want to train them to do tricks and other fun activities with you. Always make sure that you are using patience and positive reinforcement with a German Shepherd. These are very sensitive dogs and they can sometimes get overwhelmed if they think that they are in trouble all the time. You do not want to make your puppy stressed and defensive, so you will need to keep your training sessions short periods of time, especially in the beginning.

How Much to Feed an 8-week-old German shepherd

German Shepherd puppies should only be fed puppy food as they are growing. This protects their bones from unhealthy growth and makes sure that they are getting everything that they need from their nutrition as they grow. Puppy food is balanced specifically for the needs of a very young dog and you will want to make sure that you do not switch your young dog to adult food too soon.

The puppy food that you have selected will give you a guideline for your dog’s weight and how much to feed them. You should focus on kibble-based foods and follow the mid-range feeding guidelines to start with. You will need to watch your puppy’s weight and decide if they need more or less food over the course of the first week that you are feeding them this food. If you need some guidance about how to handle feeding a German Shepherd, you will want to reach out to your vet. Veterinarians can help you to make the right feeding plan for a dog of any age and you will be able to count on this advice when compared to the suggestions on the bag of food that you have selected.

Make sure that you do not make sudden changes to your dog’s food either. You will need to slowly wean your puppy onto a new food if you decide to change the food brand at some point. Shocks to the digestive systems of dogs can lead to diarrhea, vomiting, and a lack of appetite, so you need to be careful that you do not cause this to happen to your dog.

How to Deal with 8-Week-Old German Shepherd behaviors

One of the most common issues that people run into when they get their first German Shepherd is biting and nipping. This is a common way that German Shepherds communicate as puppies, but it is a very undesirable activity for them to be engaged in. You can work on this issue with them quite easily at this young age, which is a good idea since it is much harder to deal with when your dog is bigger and can easily hurt someone that they are trying to nip or bite.

Verbal scolding is very effective with German Shepherds as they are pleasers and they hate to think that you are not happy with them. Setting your puppy back away from you and using a firm “no” can remind them not to push into you and nip. You can also teach useful skills like sitting and waiting to help them to control their emotions when they are feeling like nipping to get their point across.

Make sure that you are being gentle if you use techniques like holding their mouth shut and saying no to your puppy. This can cause them to hurt themselves by biting their own tongues or it can make them panicky. For some puppies, this technique works really well, but in other cases, it is too aggressive. You should always be seeking to direct your puppy toward positive behaviors and not get them in trouble for specific behaviors that you do not like.

The crate can be your best friend if your dog has started to be nippy and grabby with your hands or the hands of friends and family. Usually, nipping is a sign that your puppy is feeling overstimulated, and sometimes a little break in their crate in the quiet can help them to calm down. This can work well for jumping on people’s legs or ignoring commands and queues as well. Remember that the crate is not meant for punishment. You will just want to use the crate to help your puppy to feel calmer and under control inside themselves.

9. Potential Health Problems happen on 8 Week Old German Shepherd

German Shepherd dogs can have really touchy stomachs, and puppies can be just as susceptible as adults. You will need to make sure to feed high-quality dog food and be sure that you do not overfeed or change dog foods abruptly. Make sure as well, that you pay attention to your dog when it is outside playing as German Shepherds might like to pick up things that are not edible and gobble them up.

Diarrhea and vomiting can be a sign of serious things like Parvo, or poisoning, so be sure that you are not ignoring these symptoms if your puppy shows them. Any kind of challenge to a puppy’s digestive system like this can lead to a serious medical condition almost right away, so you should not wait to see if things get better on their own if your German Shepherd puppy is vomiting or has chosen not to eat a meal.

The common problems that impact this breed, such as hip and elbow dysplasia, are more commonly expressed in older dogs. Puppies do not usually show these conditions at this young age. You might also find that your dog could have heart problems later on in life, but once again, this will not be likely to be an issue for your puppy.

Puppies are also not prone to bloat as in older dogs, or eye issues. Most of the health risks that can be associated with this breed are not issues that impact puppies. You will need to be sure that you are informed about the different kinds of health risks that this breed can be prone to for the future. Your puppy will likely be very healthy and not show any of the conditions that older dogs can be prone to, but you should be prepared for the future.

Knowing more about the health of any dog breed that you are thinking about getting as your companion is important. You will want to be sure that you are prepared to deal with these health risks if they should come to pass and should impact your dog.

8-Week-Old German Shepherds Are Really Fun

Having a young puppy can be really fun and an 8-week-old German Shepherd puppy can be a bundle of joy and energy that you have added to your home. Make sure that you have a crate that is the right size for your young puppy and that you have some puppy food on hand for them as soon as you get them home. You will want to make sure to take your puppy out to go to the bathroom frequently and you need to plan to exercise your dog a few times a day.

Your young puppy will grow very fast and will turn into a big adult dog before you know it. You should enjoy these weeks when your dog is still a little puppy since this phase is so brief in the scheme of things. The puppy weeks with a young dog are a great time for bonding and you will be forging the ties that make your German Shepherd your best friend when you start working on training and life skills with a young puppy.