A German Shepherd home check has two main hunting grounds: the powerful hindquarters and the depths of that double coat. Stand your dog on a level floor in good light, work in a calm, businesslike order, and remember this breed's stoicism. Shepherds often keep working and playing on a sore leg without complaint, so your hands and your eyes on the gait have to notice what the dog will not announce. A weekly rhythm turns small findings into a pattern you can act on.
Hindquarters, Hips, and the View From Behind
Watch the dog trot away from you first. The stride should reach evenly on both sides, the hips level without a rolling sway, and the hind feet should land cleanly rather than scuff or cross. Then watch your Shepherd rise from rest and climb a step or two, noting stiffness that eases with movement or a new habit of pushing up mainly with the front end. Feel over the hips, thighs, and down to the hocks, comparing sides: muscle that has thinned on one leg, heat over a joint, or a flinch as you flex gently all deserve a written note with the side named.
Deep Into the Double Coat
That dense undercoat hides skin trouble better than almost any other feature, so check with fingertips against the grain along the neck, shoulders, back, belly, and especially the tail base and breeches. Look at the skin for redness, flaking, hot spots the dog has been licking, ticks after country walks, and mats packed tight in the undercoat behind the ears and under the collar. Shepherds shed heavily in season, and loose undercoat left packed in place keeps moisture against the skin, so comb through as you check and clear what the brush brings out.
Ears, Teeth, Tail, and Working Feet
The upright ears are easy to inspect: look inside for redness, dark debris, or odour, and note head shaking. Lift the lips along that long muzzle and check the big teeth, particularly the rear chewing teeth, for build-up or breakage, and look for pink, moist gums. Run the full length of the strong tail feeling for lumps or sore spots, then work each large paw for cracked pads, torn nails, and anything lodged between the toes. Finish with rib feel: under the coat and muscle, ribs should be found with light pressure, with a waist visible from above.
Findings That Merit a Prompt Call
Book in for a hind-end weakness, wobble, or lameness that does not settle with a day or two of rest, one-sided muscle loss, or a Shepherd that starts dragging or scuffing hind toes. A swollen, tense abdomen with restlessness, drooling, or trying to vomit without result is an emergency in this deep-chested breed. So are collapse, pale gums, and laboured breathing. Growing lumps, spreading sore skin, smelly ears, appetite loss, or a marked change in drinking and energy also belong on the call list rather than in the wait-until-the-annual-visit pile.
Records for a Dog That Hides Trouble
A Shepherd's file grows most useful when your notes name sides and specifics: right hind stiff after rest, small mat with red skin at the tail base, left thigh slimmer than right. Vague worry helps nobody; placed detail guides hands at the appointment. Stored in KinsLe, a Pet Passport keeps those gait, coat, and weight notes with your German Shepherd's records, building the long view this breed rewards.