Why is my German Shepherd puppy so lazy?

If your German Shepherd puppy is lazy then you’re probably wondering why and what you can do about it.

This post will show you a number of reasons why it might be lazy and a number of things that you can do to get it to be less lazy.

So, why is my German Shepherd puppy so lazy? Possible reasons are that it is bored, it’s diet is not the way it should be, it is depressed, it is naturally calm, it’s ill, it’s hot outside or that it is not getting enough exercise.

There are a number of things that you can consider when trying to figure out why your German Shepherd puppy is so lazy and

Why your German Shepherd puppy is so lazy

Each of the different reasons why your German Shepherd puppy is lazy will likely come with a number of clues.

Below, I will mention a number of reasons why it might be lazy and the signs to look for.

It’s bored

The reason why your German Shepherd puppy acts lazy might be that it is bored.

This would be more likely if it doesn’t get the chance to be active very often and if it suddenly becomes very energetic when it is about to do something exciting such as when it’s about to play or go for a walk.

It’s not getting the right diet

The reason why it is lazy could be due to something in its diet.

This would be more likely if it suddenly started to become lazy when you started feeding it something different or you fed it more or less than usual.

You can take a look here to see everything that you need to know about what you should be feeding your German Shepherd puppy.

If you are unsure of what food to get for your German Shepherd, consider getting dog food designed specifically for German Shepherds. You can find dog food specifically designed for German Shepherd puppies on Chewy here. 

It has depression

Dogs can get depression, like humans do, and it could be the reason why your German Shepherd puppy has been acting lazy.

This would be more likely if it has not always been so lazy. It would also be more likely if it suddenly became lazy after something happened such as if it lost a friend, you moved home or a family member moved away.

It is naturally calm

It might be the case that it is naturally a calm dog. This would be more likely if it does not act unusually in other ways as well and if it has always been calm. It would also be more likely if it does show signs of getting excited sometimes such as when it sees a squirrel.

Related post: How to tell if your German Shepherd loves you

Illness

The cause could be that it is ill and it has less energy than normal because of it or it is causing it to feel less energetic. It could also be that an injury is causing your German Shepherd puppy to be less active.

This would be more likely if it started being less active suddenly and if it started after it ate or did something that might have caused it to get ill or injured. It would also be more likely if it has been acting differently in other ways as well such as if it has been crying or if it has become slightly snappy or aggressive.

If you think that illness or injury might be causing it then it would be worthwhile for you to see what a vet has to say about it.

Heat

Being too hot can also cause your German Shepherd puppy to start acting lazy.

This would be more likely if it started to act lazy when it started getting hot outside and if it tends to become more active in the mornings and evenings when it is cooler.

If it is hot outside then be sure to give it access to shade, water and a cool area.

Not enough exercise

German Shepherds are supposed to be an active breed and when they don’t get enough exercise it can cause them to develop behavioral issues. Generally, it is recommended that a German Shepherd get at least an hour of exercise per day.

However, it is also recommended to limit the amount of exercise for German Shepherd puppies to 5 minutes per day for every month of age. So, a 4 month old puppy would get 20 minutes of exercise daily. This is because the exercise could damage their rapidly growing joints.

However, this is a debated topic so it would help to consult with your vet on how much exercise your German Shepherd puppy is ready for. Other ways to stimulate it would be to train it or to give it toys to play with.

Things to consider

Before trying to get your German Shepherd puppy to be less lazy it would help to have a good understanding of what is causing it to be lazy. Some things that you can consider are mentioned below.

If it has always been lazy

If your German Shepherd puppy started to be lazy suddenly then it is important that you consider what happened at around the time that it became lazy. It would also help to consider whether or not it has been acting unusually in other ways as well.

If your German Shepherd puppy started to act lazy suddenly then it would normally be a sign that you should take it to the vet.

When it becomes less lazy

It would also help to consider the timing of when it becomes lazy. If it seems to become lazier at certain times then it could be the case that there is something causing it to happen. For example, if it gets lazy shortly after dinner then it could be that there is an issue with its diet.

How to get your German Shepherd puppy to be less lazy

There are a number of things that you can do to get your German Shepherd puppy to be less lazy that I will mention below.

You can look at the book Training Your German Shepherd on Amazon to get more tips about how you can train your GSD.

Make sure its diet is right

As mentioned above, if it is not getting the nutrients that it needs in its diet, it can cause it to become less energetic. If you want to get your German Shepherd puppy to be less lazy and for it to be as healthy as possible it is important to make sure that it is eating correctly.

You can look here to see what you should be feeding it.

Take it to a vet

Since illness or injury could be the cause of your German Shepherd puppy being lazy it would help to take it to a vet. It would also help to talk to them about the diet it is getting while you are there since they will be able to give you tailored advice.

Keep it cool

Since heat could be contributing to it being lazy it would help to keep your German Shepherd puppy cool by giving it access to shaded areas, lots of water and allowing it to come inside whenever it needs to.

Give it toys to play with

Another thing that you can do is to give it things to play with such as toys or puzzle games. You can also spend more time playing with it or training it yourself to help keep it stimulated.

Give it exercise

As mentioned earlier a lack of exercise could be the issue. If it is not currently getting much exercise it would help to make sure that it does by walking it, playing fetch with it or letting it swim. As was also mentioned above, it is important to take its age into consideration when deciding on how much exercise to give it.