Lovely white German Shepherd. And amazing that his coat is kept so clean.

miremoses:
mehn!! shadow tall o,28.0 inches is just OK for a male gsd..when I measured my female rott,I measured her from d back & got 21 inches(6+ months)..I will measure her from d shoulder to know her exact height since its d proper way of measuring dogs,right?

That's the guideline I used for his measurement. I think it's pretty much the same with yours. Your dog is quite tall for 6 months. Remember shadow is a year plus.

So i was supposed to jog/walk shadow last weekend but so many things came up and i couldn't. But good news we went jogging on Saturday and I must say it felt so good. I know the both of us enjoyed it a lot. And he was really good. I told my nephew to come with me as "back up" because i just kept having this vision of Shadow getting so excited and he would run so fast and end up dragging me like a rag-doll but thankfully it didn't happen. He is a really good jogging partner and I'm really excited because I've always been giving excuses that I want a jogging partner and now I've found the perfect partner. He never once tried to out run me. When i slowed down he slowed down as well. He was a bit excited when we first stepped out but after a few minutes he calmed down. Luckily there weren't much people out so I didn't really have to worry much. Jogging is an excellent way to keep your dog focused. Shadow didn't stray even when we passed the dreaded grassy area. Normally he would drag me to the grass by all means but because he was focused on keeping up with me we passed that area twice and he didn't even notice. We did see a cat though but he just walked passed it. Raised with 6 cats he is used to seeing cats run around.
Before I decided on jogging with him I got the all clear from the vet because of his fracture last year. I also did a little research of my own.
1. For large breeds you shouldn't start jogging with them until they are at least a year old, ideally 18 months. Because their bones are still growing and they haven't fully developed. Shadow is roughly 13 months plus. The reason I decided to start after a year is because I feel he needs this to burn off his excess energy. Whenever we play I see him dash around the yard and even though the compound is quite spacious, I can see that Shadow still needs more space to run around.
2. Never feed your dog prior to jogging or running. If you do you have to wait at least 4 hours for the food to digest. You also have to wait at least an hour after you're back to feed your dog in order to prevent indigestion and/or bloat. I usually give shadow his dinner by 6pm but i had to wait till 8pm because we got back around 6:45pm. I'm still thinking about it because he has been on a strict feeding schedule so this kinda messes up the whole thing.
3. Always start lightly especially if you have a dog that hasn't been exercised in a long time. What we did was interval jogging and walking. He didn't seem too tired when we got back because he immediately started playing with babydog and puppydog(formerly called sheep).
4. Never take your dog out to jog when the weather is hot. Dogs tend to overheat because their whole body is covered with fur. Also the hot tarmac roads can hurt their paws. The day i took him out was a bit hot so i had to wait till the sun went down and it cooled down a bit before we went out.
5. Always make sure you have water for your dog if you're going out for long. He/she should learn to drink from a water bottle if you're out.
6. I'm very unfit. We went out for 40 minutes and by the time i was back i thought it was the end of the world. Now i know its not only shadow that needs the exercise. We will be going again today if the weather permits. I think I'm becoming addicted to jogging with Shadow already. I can't wait to take him out this evening

I believe Cbay has said everything. What I found that worked for me is once I offer my dogs food. I leave it for 15 minutes. Whatever doesn't get eaten is thrown away or kept till the next meal time. After 2 days they were all eating properly without wasting time. Usually shadow can take the whole night to eat his food but once I started this method he eats everything because he knows I will pack it all up if he doesn't finish it.
Also make sure she doesn't have any illness that could be causing her loss of appetite. And always ask your vet what they are giving the dog before they administer. I never allow my vets to give my dogs anything before knowing what exactly it is they are giving them. It's sad to say but you know there are a lot of quacks out there who just want to make money.

younghartz:


she wanna practice anambra system of marriage.

Hahahaha

miremoses:
we are no longer in d 'era' where mothers pick wife for their son...allow shadow to choose his wife

I'm sure shadow won't mind the wife I picked for him

Name: Shadow (the Destroyer)
Breed:German Shepherd
Sex: Male
Age:1 year 1 month
Current weight: 41kg *Update
Height: 28.5 inches (from shoulder)

I've finally seen shadows wife

@LordRegalia thanks so much for the advice. Someone has actually told me the same thing and I try to practice it when we are out for walks. I always keep him on my left. I don't do the hand thing but I will from now on. I've never really looked at if we are facing traffic or not so i will take note from now on. The lady in the picture isn't me, she's my friend. She actually wanted to see if Shadow would allow her walk him. So i let them and quickly took the pictures. You know I actually thought a shorter leash would be better for him and was going to buy one tomorrow. I saw a super short leash in the pet store.
We are going for our walk/jog this weekend so i will definitely practice all you have said and give you feedback.
Thanks once again for the advice

LordRegalia:


Hello blasiangurl85.

If you do not mind, and with your permission I would like to say a few (or maybe not so few) words about walking Shadow.

Nope don't mind at all

uchpanila:


Mere looking at the prong collar shows its dangerous.

Yep, if not used properly it can be dangerous.

seyeobadofin:
blasiangurl85 your whatsapp number needed !

I responded to your bbm request. What exactly is the problem?

Charlesdegaulle:
Just that i prefer using the dry food since its faster and less messy. Anyway, my pockets says something different right now...

Yes I started out feeding my dog dry food because I really didn't want to much stress but feeding chicken and beef scraps is way cheaper. I usually make enough to last for 2 weeks. Pack them up individually and freeze them. So each day i bring out one pack to thaw and feed them. It makes things easier

Shadow the Destroyer! 2 months, 5 months and 1year. It's amazing to see how much he's grown in just 10 months.

Wanted to post these pictures yesterday but I think the Internet connection was bad.

Out for a walk
Lemon time
Trying to take a selfie with shadow
The deadly looking prong collar

LordRegalia:



Yes, jogging would be very good for Shadow. He's a GSD and their energy levels are hyper so he'll enjoy it so much. Just be sure he doesn't get carried away with it and shoot off dragging you behind him and flinging you off balance. Also be sure his fracture is completely healed before putting the pressure of jogging on his limbs. I jog with my boerboels sometimes but had to reduce the frequency because it always causes a panic and near stampede when people see me and 2 or 3 dogs bounding towards them. I don't want anyone running blindly into an oncoming vehicle while trying to "escape" from a guy and his dogs that aren't even chasing him / her in the first place. It almost happened once.

Tan boerboel with a harness. I think I remember the dog. Had a little chat with the owner where he was asking how I got my dog to listen and obey. Was complaining bitterly that his dog "doesn't hear word". And true to form the dog wasn't listening. Just wanted to pounce on any dog that passed by them and was dragging the guy senseless each time it did that.

My boy and I were seated right beside the Royal Canin canopy. There were these 3 little boys, brothers whom I believe were of mixed parents, whose family was seated close to us. The oldest couldn't be more than 7 years old and the youngest about 4 years old. The youngest one kept hugging and stroking my boy's head (easily bigger than his body) and was constantly trying to take the leash from me and drag my boy away saying he wanted to go home with the dog. You should've seen me pleading for custody of my own dog. It was just so cute and funny.

Hahaha I get the similar reaction when I'm out with shadow. People just cross over to the other side once they see us coming. Will definitely get the all clear from the vet before we start jogging.

Yes I remember those children and your dog. It was really funny seeing how they were hugging and trying to take him away from you. I must say your dog is super well trained to allow them to do all those things. I kept looking and to be honest was a bit afraid. Didlove1 and I were sat close to you.

Mitchy I believe LordRegalia is right. Make sure to ask before you do anything. When I did it with my neighbours dog I just told them I have a lot of left overs that I would like to give their dog because it seems like a waste to throw them away and they agreed to it. I would go everyday with the food and the owners were aware of what i was doing. It didn't stop them from giving the dog one whole chunk of boiled yam( I don't understand how the dog was meant to eat a slab of yam). Since they know you had a dog previously they might just see your actions as you are missing your canine companion.

uchpanila:
Am so much enjoying this, our mods won't see this to move to front page only topics of killing or hanging snakes.

My boy KRONOS is coming up and am gathering his diary. Say hi to shadow from ME and KRONOS!
.

Please they shouldn't move it to front page o! It will just derail the post. Shadow says Hello to KRONOS the father of zeus

LordRegalia:


That's great then if you step out before him. In that case i suppose it's youthful exuberance that's behind his excitement. It would wane with time but it never completely goes away. I walk my dogs every single day and they always get excited whenever they see me with their leashes. Always. From the oldest to the youngest, the reaction is always the same.

What was the colour of this boerboel, do you remember? And where was he parked with his owner? Just curious.

Yes I guess so too. I've been thinking maybe we should start jogging together.
The boerboel was tan?(brown) I don't remember where the owner was parked. But I remember the dog was really chubby

Just tell them you have some left over doggy items you would like to give her. I'm sure they won't refuse. If anything I'm sure they would be happy they don't even have to bother about her.

LordRegalia:


I was quite happy as well when we won a bag of food. In fact, even before our name was called, I kept saying "We had better win o!". And voila! We did. First time I ever won anything via raffle draw.

Do tell, which boerboel was it you saw at the walk that you so remember? Can you describe him?

And do you let Shadow out the gates before you when going out on your walks or do you step out first? Because if he's usually out the gates before you, that may well be the reason why he gets so excited during the walk.

I must say, for a first time with a large breed dog you really are doing a good job with Shadow.

Hahahaha I said the exact same thing as well about the draw.
Well I always try to step out before him. Trust me I've read and watched so many training videos. He knows what to do. As soon as we get to the gate he sits patiently. If he tries to leave before me i tell him no and close the gate until he's calm then we repeat. He just gets so excited.

The boerboel I remember was really big(fat) I think he had a harness on and I remember we passed him to get our prize and I was afraid he would pounce on Shadow.

miremoses:
@blasiangurl85..how many times do u feed shadow a day(presently)

Twice a day. I divide his portions into 2. I tried once but he would always leave a lot left over

Walking Shadow

I didn't start walking shadow properly until he was about 4 months and when I did he was terrified of cars. He would literally stop when a car was passing by. It was very bothersome especially when I was preparing him for the Lagos dog walk. I thought he wouldn't be able to attend initially because of this. But then I was encouraged to continue walking him and try to distract him when a car is passing by. So thats what I did. Whenever we were out and a car was passing by I would offer him a treat so he would focus on me and it worked. After a few days he wasn't scared of cars anymore. And then the pulling started. He was always dragging and pulling me whenever we went for walks. Too much excitement I guess. And yes I became the laughing stock for people in my neighbourhood. Honestly if i wasn't me i would probably laugh at myself as well. But I didn't give up and incorporated his obedience training to our walks. That really helped(along with his treats). We would walk a few steps then i would tell him to sit and shake then offer him a treat. As he got bigger though it became harder, he was always too excited whenever we were going out for walks. Like i said earlier, I have watched millions of YouTube videos and none of them worked on Shadow.(Why does it always look so easy in the videos)I was never able to teach him to heel. I tried every technique I watched on YouTube but he just didn't want to heel. He knew what to do but he just didn't want to do it. He knows to sit and wait patiently for you to open the gate to let him out but the moment that gate is open its dragging time. Sometimes I would wonder to myself, "how can he enjoy walking with his collar choking him?" But I guess thats why he's a dog. He would do the funniest things sometimes when we were walking. Once he just randomly jumped into a gutter. It was so shocking and funny. Thank goodness it was a dry gutter. And if we see a grassy area he MUST go there by all means. After much frustration and much research i decided to buy a prong collar and wow! He immediately stopped pulling. I know some people would say using a prong collar is dangerous for dogs but from what i researched if used properly its just a correction tool for the dog. And yes there is a big risk of doing a lot of damage especially if it's not fitted properly. I researched a lot before actually using it on him and even though a lot of people would say using them aren't good, they worked for me. He understood almost immediately that if he tries to pull the prongs would grasp tighter around his neck. And i did check the prongs, they are not sharp and did not hurt his skin. From my research it's meant to mimick how dogs correct eachother(they usually grab themselves with their teeth).I used it only for about a week and a half and only when i was taking him out for walks and after then he was really good at walking (almost) beside me. No more pulling, no more dragging, no more people laughing at me saying "madam, shey this dog no too big for you? You go fall down o!" And when I stopped using it he wasn't dragging me anymore. I could finally walk my dog without getting shoulder pain after the walk. And it really made me enjoy our walks.
Since his fracture he hasn't been out on walks. Too many things happening, first the fracture, then I travelled, then he got tick fever. Now that he is better and gaining a little weight I decided to take him out last week Saturday just to see how he would be. Everyone at home kept saying no because they feel he's still looking a bit skinny but I took him out anyway. I thought I would have to use the prong collar because it's been a while but I decided not to and to my surprise he was good. He didn't pull(as much) and we were able to walk without any incident. I haven't taken him out since Saturday because the weather has been soooooo hot. We do a little exercise in the yard. Shadow loves playing fetch and is actually good at bringing the ball back to me (as long as i give him a treat). I think I've found the perfect toy for shadow that he won't rip apart...LEMONS!!! We have a lemon tree and I decided to use one of the lemons as a ball. As soon as he bit through and tasted the sour taste he immediately stopped and I could see he definitely didn't like the taste. So now he plays with them without biting through. We've been playing with the same lemons for a week now and he hasn't made any attempt to rip them apart. Thats a record for shadow, usually within a day or two whatever toy I buy for him is done for. Hurray for lemons!!!

You know this is one of the reasons I'm so reluctant to mate shadow or the other female dogs I have because you don't know where those puppies will end up. I'm actually so angry right now.

I usually boil the chicken backs for him. Although I'm hoping eventually to transition him to raw. You can boil them and pack them up in little containers and freeze. Everyday I bring out a container to thaw and feed him once it's fully thawed. Since you said they give her noodles you can also mix a little of the chicken stock with the noodles.

LordRegalia:
Hello blasiangurl85.

A latecomer I am, only started reading Shadow's diary tonight. Very interesting diary you've got there though it'll take me days to get up to speed. But hey, slow and steady wins the race they say. Also a good looking boy Shadow is, with so many fans.

Interesting to discover you and Shadow were at the Royal Canin Bar Beach Walk. I was there as well with one of our boerboels and like you we also won a bag. Real nice event that was, lots of good dogs everywhere. Unfortunately I was not a petlander at the time, otherwise I probably would've known to look out for Shadow.

Keep up the good work with the diary.

Thank you yes it was a really nice event and like you said a lot of lovely dogs. Yay!!! You also won a bag of dog food. I can't tell you how happy I was when we won as well. I remember a particular boerboel at the event but not sure if he was yours.
Thanks for stopping by my diary. Shadow is my first large breed dog and I just want to share my experience with my Destroyer

MULLAH123:

wow, i know it wouldnt be easy caring this much. I must say you are really trying, the expenses, time and everything. I love and have this pet ish in mind. hopefully one day i go own like shadow, but seeing this much fear dey catch me o..lollss. on the average please let me ask, how much will one be spending for the upkeep of a pet like shadow.

Thanks, yes taking care of a dog is a bit time consuming but once you are able to know what needs to be done it makes things easier. When I buy dry food it costs more money because I use a whole bag for the month combined with either fish or canned food. But when I feed chicken and beef scraps it costs between 6000-8000 a month.

MaziOmenuko:


Poor shadow, he's gonna die a virgin!!

Nice diary btw

Thanks

olumig:
That would be swell if you have just one or two dogs to feed, imagine having six or more.

Yes definitely feeding 6 or more will cost more. But you could cut costs by adding other things to the chicken like rice,potatoes, or the noodle dog food. At least the dogs would still get a sufficient amount of protein in their food.

Hi Mitchy, this is really a sad situation and a bit complicated. The only advice I can give you is either you try to offer your help regarding feeding. I have done that in the past when I saw my neighbours were not taking care of their dogs and they didn't refuse. Since you said the man is quick tempered and also beats the poor dog mercilessly, approaching him might even make it worse. You can find out if maybe they are willing to sell her off. Maybe talking to his wife might help but somehow I doubt it. It's sad but that's the reality of how things are. A lot of people acquire pets and aren't ready for what it takes to raise and care for them. I really really really hate hearing stories like this.

barcaboi:
yes dear but the ikorodu version b4 d main beach own....tnx dear bn a nanny no easy

OK. Haha yes it isn't, at least they have mom to take care of them.

Food time = sleepy time he was more than satisfied with that meal

The next 8 days are going to be yummy.
After that... I hope I'm able to get more or else it's back to dry food