Welcome to Southernwind Kennels,
Where excellence meets passion in the breeding of exceptional German Shepherd puppies. Our focus is on delivering the highest quality canines through meticulous breeding practices upheld by industry-leading standards. With a dedicated team of experts, we prioritize the health and vitality of every litter we produce.
At Southernwind Kennels, we take pride in our selective breeding approach, ensuring that each German Shepherd embodies remarkable traits such as intelligence and loyalty. From the moment they enter the world, our puppies receive top-notch care, including socialization, vaccinations, and grooming, setting them on the path to becoming valued members of your family. Discover the unparalleled quality and devotion that define our breeding program at Southernwind Kennels.
CONTACTS
CECILIA MARTINEZ 352-667-3844
FRANCO "BEBO" SANTANA 760-577-1688 (Belgian Malinois) DSWK
JENN SOWIECKI 586-933-7862
SOUTHERNWIND PUPPY FEEDING INSTRUCTIONS
A puppy eats a lot of food. From birth up to six months of age, he’ll need to eat two to four times as much as an adult dog to support all that growth. A good rule of thumb (paw?) is that after his first week of life, when his weight doubles from what it was at birth, a puppy should gain one to two grams per pound of anticipated adult weight each day. This means that if your German shepherd puppy weighs 85 pounds as an adult, he should gain three to five ounces per day as a puppy.
ALWAYS feed Puppies high-quality foods. Generally speaking, puppy food is higher in protein and enriched with vitamins, minerals, and fats essential for growth–that is, when compared to dog food made by the same manufacturer. Still, ingredients across brands can vary greatly. Commercial puppy food must meet AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) nutrient standards for growth, and many companies go above and beyond those standards, testing their products to make sure they support puppies’ development.
They don’t have to, though–they’re only required to meet the minimum nutrient standards. In most cases, you get what you pay for. Lower-quality ingredients are found in the cheaper brands while “premium” and “performance” varieties include higher quality ingredients for improved digestibility.. Southernwind recommends ProPlan Performance 30/20 chicken-based all life stages.
We all are aware that “puppy food.” It’s more likely to have the extra nutrients a puppy needs until he’s fully grown. (Ask your Veterinarian for guidelines on when that might be–small dogs of course mature more quickly than big dogs.) Regular food labeled “for all life stages” is fine too. We use Pro Plan Performance 30/20 chicken-based all life stages
Consider breed-formulated food. Large-breed puppy formulas help bigger pups grow at a rate gradual enough that they have time to develop strong bones and joints. Small-breed formulas provide concentrated nutrition in small, bite-size kibbles that meet a smaller puppy’s high metabolic needs. And, yes, medium-breed formulas aim somewhere in between. If you can’t find breed-formulated food, that’s okay.
Here at Southernwind we start feeding our Puppies at 3 weeks with a mixture of Goats milk, puppy food gruel, with ground meat and cottage cheese. They are fed three times a day for they are with their mothers milk as well, by the time they are 6 weeks they are weaned and eat three to four times a day, but the puppy food is not them grinded in the blender, it’s just left to moisten in the goat's milk. By the time they leave to their homes they are eating their puppy kibble mixed with some raw ground beef or good High quality canned food, we do over yogurt, cottage cheese, and boiled eggs periodically and we always recommend some type of supplement if the puppy is not eating well. Puppies at 8 weeks should be eating three times a day, but never leave the remaining food for more than 10 minutes, always take the food away
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How Much Food
Puppies need to eat a lot–and not too much. You should be able to feel but not see their ribs, and they should have a visible waist when you look down at them. This is true for puppies of any breed, big or small. In general, you should follow the guidelines on the back of the bag of dog food, and adjust up or down depending on your puppy’s appetite and body condition.
When
At around eight to 12 weeks of age your puppy is probably eating two to three times a day. He doesn’t have to eat that many times though. If it suits your schedule to feed him only twice a day, just divide the amount of food you’d normally give into two meals instead of three or four. After he’s six months old you can–and should–reduce the number of meals you feed him to two. Start reducing the amount of food he gets as well, following guidelines provided by food manufacturers, adjusting as needed. If you’re feeding too much, most dogs will let you know by leaving some behind in his bowl.
Puppy Considerations
Large-breed puppies need slow, sustained growth to help prevent orthopedic problems, such as hip dysplasia. Raise them on a diet designed for large-breed dogs or food for adult dogs. Whatever diet you choose shouldn’t overemphasize protein, fat, and calorie levels. Feed your dog at set times each day rather than leaving food out all the time so he learns a schedule. The exceptions are tiny breeds such as Chihuahuas, who can be prone to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). They should always have food available to nibble on. Never feed your puppy from the table. It only encourages begging. Everyone in the family must follow this rule.
Difference Between labeled Puppy Food
Generally speaking, puppy food is higher in protein and enriched with vitamins, minerals, and fats essential for growth–that is, when compared to dog food made by the same manufacturer. Still, ingredients across brands can vary greatly. Commercial puppy food must meet AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) nutrient standards for growth, and many companies will go above and beyond those standards, testing their products to make sure they support puppies’ development. They don’t have to, though–they’re only required to meet the minimum nutrient standards. In most cases, what you pay for is what you get. Lower-quality ingredients are found in the cheaper brands while “premium” and “performance” varieties tend to include higher-quality ingredients for improved digestion.
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Since they’re just little dogs, puppies probably just need less food than most adult dogs, right?
Wrong.
Puppies need twice the energy intake of adult dogs and, depending on the breed, 25 to 30 percent of their diet should be protein. During the first few weeks of their life, puppies get all their nourishment from their mother.
Treats to use in Puppies
We at Southernwind Kennels recommend a treat that is healthy and dual purposed. We like Bil-Jac Treats and Homemade treats which are very easy to prepare, either boiled Chicken or liver and then cut into pieces and dehidrated or cooked in the oven until they get a bit hard but still gummy, as far as teeth mainenance and treats Greenies are a treat that puppies enjoy and are good for dental care, also they are available with weight specifications to avoid overfeeding.
Southernwind strongly recommends puppies to be maintained in the Supplements they have been raised with, it is well known the puppy's immune system may be at risk when there are changes in their lives for which we cannot be more emphatic with maintaining these puppies in the same Supplement regime.
Please read the following information about
**Puppy's immune system