How to take care of a Caucasian Shepherd Dog

Caucasian shepherd dogs are intelligent and eager to please, which works in their favor with how much they can be trained. However, they can also be willful and independent, so it is essential to establish yourself as the alpha early on. This independence is a great trait when it comes to leaving your dog on its own in the yard or inside of your home, but it means that extra steps will need to be taken for training the Caucasian Shepherd, as they are bred to think for themselves.

How to train a Caucasian Shepherd puppy

Crate training is usually recommended for caucasian shepherd puppies, as it helps them feel safe and secure while learning the house rules. When it comes to feeding, caucasian shepherd puppies should have four small meals per day until they are about four months old. After that, they can be transitioned to two larger meals. As for exercise, caucasian shepherd puppies need plenty of room to run and play. A daily walk or trip to the dog park is a great way to tire them out and prevent destructive behavior.

This early introduction to other dogs and people is essential for their socialization to prevent them from being fearful or automatically aggressive towards others in the future. Of course, early socialization is critical for any dog breed, but even more for a Caucasian Shepherd, especially if you expect them to run into strangers on the street or other dogs on a typical basis.

The period of 2 months to a year is also a critical time in which you can establish yourself as the pack leader to the Caucasian Shepherd puppy. If they respect you and see you as a leader, they will be much more susceptible to training after a year. This respect does not come overnight or through dominant or aggressive acts towards your puppy. Quite opposite, the puppy needs to be 100% comfortable and fully trust you before they will start to respect and admire you.

With proper care and training, caucasian shepherd puppies will grow into well-rounded adult dogs.

How to prepare for your Caucasian Shepherd puppy

Caucasian Shepherd Puppies are a big responsibility. They require plenty of exercise, socialization, and training from a young age. Here are some tips on how to prepare for your new arrival:

-Give your puppy exercise. A caucasian shepherd dog does not need intense exercise, but some level of exercise is essential. This can be a combination of walks, runs, and playtime. They are more susceptible to training when they have had their fair share of walks and play.

-Make sure you socialize your puppy from an early age. This breed can be wary of strangers, so it's important to expose them to different people, places, and situations from a young age. They will always have a guard dog mentality, but they should not be fearful or protective in situations when it's unnecessary.

-Start training your puppy as soon as possible. Basic commands such as sit, stay, and come should be taught early. However, caucasian shepherd dogs are intelligent and need stimulation, so keep training sessions interesting by surprising them.

Preparing for a caucasian shepherd dog takes time and effort, but with the proper care, your caucasian shepherd dog can be a good family dog and loyal life companion.

How to feed your Caucasian Shepherd?

It goes without saying that your Caucasian Shepherd will eat substantially more than an average dog. You must adequately budget for this, especially since they must receive a healthy diet because of how much energy such a large dog uses up in just a few hours.

For puppies from 2 - 5 months, we recommend going purely with dry puppy food. This stable dry dog food will provide consistency, high protein count, and a safe option for your dog as they are growing each day. It is also easy to measure, as the amount you feed them will change quickly and perfectly. And a lesser appreciated aspect is that it will train your puppy to be happy with the food they receive. Getting a variety of foods early on, especially human foods may spoil them, and they may be unhappy receiving dog food, which can be a massive problem as they age.

From 5 - 12 months, it's essential to continue to feed a high protein count dry food designed for large breed dogs, but you can mix it with a wet food topper if you like. It is possible to already feed your puppy raw at this point, although we recommend speaking to a veterinarian as your puppy could still have a more sensitive stomach, and raw may be too early at this stage.

After one year, we recommend bringing raw or healthy cooked meat into their diet, typically mixed with dry food. If you mix it with dry food, you can assure that they get lesser ingredients in their diet that may not be gained from the meat. The meat, however, will ensure that they receive their healthy proteins and fats, which are the building blocks for a healthy diet in a large dog such as the Caucasian Shepherd.