German Shepherd diet should be monitored closely it the dog is to be kept in the best of health. Dogs were probably the first domesticated animals. Dogs have been around humans for thousands of years and thousands of different breeds have been developed to serve various needs and purposes. The German Shepherd is not as old as you think. It has only been around for a little more than 100 years. But in the short time that it has been around mine, this dog has proved itself extremely capable, intelligent, dedicated, loyal, strong and hard working. And to keep this hardworking dog well-nourished and healthy, one must have a good German Shepherd diet plan. Just like humans need a proper diet to be healthy and stay in shape, dogs too need a good diet.
A proper German Shepherd diet involves balancing all the nutrients. Remember that the German Shepherd is quite a big dog and its size is comparable to that of humans and hence its dietary requirements are not too different from that of humans. One key difference is they need a lot more protein than humans, meaning you have to give the dog a lot more fish, meat and eggs. Very much like us, dogs need to consume cereal and vegetables apart from meat. The meat can be cooked or uncooked. You may feed the dog chicken, mutton, beef or even fish if the dog takes a liking to it. But fish is generally not preferred as cleaning the little bones out can be tedious. Dogs can eat raw meat, but it is advisable to boil the meat a little to get rid of possible pathogens.
In a German Shepherd diet, while meat is universally liked by all dogs, the preference fro vegetable can change. Dogs are primarily carnivorous. They were after all bred from wolves. The German Shepherd in particular resembles a wolf in appearance, strength and size more than any other dog. In fact, while the breed was being developed, some of the dogs were bred with wolves. But you cannot keep the dog on a purely carnivorous diet, vegetables and grains are needed in the diet. Preference for meat can change from dog to dog. Some dogs may prefer chicken over beef. The same hold true for vegetables as well. Some dogs may reject certain vegetables and have a liking for some others. Experiment with your dog and find a preference.
But your German Shepherd diet is not too good without exercise. The body of the dog needs to absorb the nutrients. German Shepherds are hardworking dogs and will get plenty of exercise since most of them are used by police and fire services and defense personnel. Such a hardworking does need nutrition and a lot of meat should be there in the diet. And watch the fat. Fat can affect dogs just the way it does humans. But a minimal quantity of fat must be there in the diet, or else it will lead to the condition known as rabbit starvation.