German Shepherd and Muscles Building (Step by Step Guide)

Do you believe that your German Shepherd needs some extra exercise to build some muscles? If your German Shepherd was injured, too weak, or is getting older, exercise on a daily basis is a must for dogs like this.

German Shepherd is a high-activity dog, and he requires more time for exercise than most other dog breeds. If your German Shepherd doesn’t get enough basic vitamins, enough daily exercise, and he doesn’t have a proper diet, his whole body will have consequences, not just muscles.

In this article, you will learn how to gain the muscles of your German Shepherd in the right and natural way. Let’s see now how you can transform your German Shepherd dog into a Hulk!

How to build muscle in a German Shepherd dog?

To build the muscle of your German Shepherd dog, make sure that he is getting enough daily exercise (walking and training), the right supplements, a proper diet, have always drinking water, and a good place for sleeping.

All of these factors are important if you want to have a healthy, muscular German Shepherd dog. 

Without enough exercise, the muscles of your German Shepherd will become too weak.

The proper diet and supplements will provide to the body of your German Shepherd enough vitamins, to keep him healthy. Without that, the body and its immune system will become too weak, and your GSD can easily become weak and sick.

The body of an adult human is made from 60% of water, and the body of an adult German Shepherd is made of 70% of water! Keeping your German Shepherd always hydrated is crucial for his muscles and body health.

We all know how important is a sleep of everyone. Without enough sleep, our body will suffer, and later, he can become sick. Usually, the dog sleeps for around 12-14 hours during the day. 

Now when we know some basic routines which can significantly improve the condition of our German Shepherd’s muscles, let’s see which activities are the best for muscle building.

If you want to build muscles in your German Shepherd and make him stronger, we recommend you to try one of these dog activities:

• Walking
• Running
• Swimming
• Tug of war
• Schutzhund
• Adventures
• Agility Training
• Obedience training
• Playing with the toys

Walking.

This maybe sounds ridiculous, but most dog owners don’t walk their dogs each day. Obesity is the number one health issue for dogs. Make sure that you walk your German Shepherd outside each day for at least 60 minutes, no matter how big your yard it is. Only this “little step” can significantly improve his muscular mass.

Running.

Do you love running? Then maybe you should invite your furry friend to come with you! Running is also healthy for their body, not only for our body. This exercise can easily burn fat, and make muscle much stronger. Make sure that you bring water for your German Shepherd, and you, and make short pauses always.

Swimming.

Swimming is one of the best ways to make the muscle of your German Shepherd bigger and stronger. During the swimming, your dog will activate every muscle,  plus he will enjoy that! Dogs love to swim and you should let your GSD swim until he gets tired. Make sure that you bring safety equipment.

Tug of war.

We all know how German Shepherds love to bite and try to destroy everything, especially our new shoes, bed, or carpet... But this behavior can be beneficial for us and them! Playing tug of war with your German Shepherd is also one of the best activities to do! This game can improve his mental and physical health, and also improve their muscle mass. If you have a German Shepherd, you should try this game!

You can find perfect toys for this game HERE.

Schutzhund.

When you have an extremely strong dog, like a German Shepherd, then he needs an extreme sport for him - like Schutzhund. This sport is something that you should try with your German Shepherd, but we recommend you first ask for advice from a professional dog handler. With the help of the right dog trainer, the muscles of your German Shepherd dog will be on the highest level!

Adventures.

German Shepherd loves to explore new places, and if you going on an adventure, try to bring with you your German Shepherd! Long walks will help your dog in many ways, but also it will help him to build stronger muscles.

Agility training.

To start with agility training,  you don't need to have any fancy and professional equipment! You can always improvise, and your German Shepherd will be grateful for that. This activity is also very popular among dog owners and trainers, and it's recommended for every dog! During this training, your German Shepherd will not only get stronger muscles, but he will also learn new tricks, commands, and become a healthier dog.

Obedience training.

Another great way to improve the muscles of your German Shepherd dog is obedience training. This training will improve the mental health of your dog.

Playing with the toys.

Playing with your German Shepherd and his toys can have a lot of benefits for your dog. Toys can help your German Shepherd to build stronger muscles, new tricks, and teach him good behavior.

Are German Shepherd muscular?

Yes, the German Shepherd is one of the strongest dog breeds out there. They’re powerful, athletic, and smart. Thanks to his muscles, the German Shepherd has a bite power of 238 PSI. With that power, he can easily hurt humans, and in some rare cases, his bite can be life-threatening.

How to fatten up a German Shepherd?

The best way to fatten up a German Shepherd dog in a healthy way is to:

• Feed him with food of higher protein and fat content
• Add some extra meal
• Add natural and healthy food to his diet
• Don’t skip dog treats
• Make sure that he is eating the right amount of food
• Give him B Vitamins
• Try with food supplements
• Don’t skip vet checks
• Daily exercise

If your German Shepherd is skinny, and you want to build stronger muscles, you must first fatten up your German Shepherd enough, so that he can have energy for all exercise and turn fat into muscles.

Suggestion: How much exercise does a German Shepherd need?

How to make German Shepherd stronger?

If you want to make your German Shepherd stronger, you must exercise with your German Shepherd every day, feed him with good food, and provide him with the right supplements. To achieve jaw-dropping and amazing results, you must be patient and consistent.

German Shepherd love to work, but none German Shepherd love to train all day, without any time to play games with his owners.

Training isn’t only hard work. Good training includes game time, rest time, and action time. Find a balance between these things,  and you will be amazed by the results.

How to make a German Shepherd puppy stronger?

If you want your German Shepherd puppy to be strong now, and letter become a strong adult dog, you must start training your dog from the first steps, giving him good food with a high level of necessary vitamins, and never skipping vet checks. 

The ideal time to start training your German Shepherd puppy is 7 to 8 weeks. Please, don't give your puppy some extremely hard tasks! Start with the basics, teach your puppy how to sit, lie down, stay, etc.

What to feed your German Shepherd to gain muscle?

Every food with the right vitamins can help your German Shepherd to build stronger muscles. This can be raw food, dry food, or homemade food. 

This dog food can help your German Shepherd to gain muscles faster:

1. Bully Max High-Performance Dog Food to Build Muscle
   
   
2. Maximum Bully Dog Food for Muscle Mass
   
   
3. Purina Pro Plan Sport Formula Dog Food
   
   
4. Crave High Protein Dog Food for Muscle Gain
   
   
5. Victor Classic Hi-Pro Plus Dry Dog Food
   
   
6. Diamond Naturals Extreme Athlete Real Meat Recipe Dry Dog Food
   
   
7. Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein to Build Muscle Mass
   
   
8. Visionary Pet Keto Natural Beef Low Carb Dog Food
   
   
9. Bully Max Muscle Building Powder for Dogs

Of course, if you want to build stronger muscles in your German Shepherd, giving him only food will not much help. You need to take action together with your German Shepherd and train.

📝 Related blog post: Best food for German Shepherd to gain weight 

If you want to gain weight of your German Shepherd dog, and you are not sure which food can help you with that, these food are one of the best for gaining weight in dogs:

1. Miracle Vet High-Calorie Dog Food
   
   
2. Crave — Real Chicken Protein Grain-Free Dog Food
   
   
3. Purina—Pro Plan 30/20 Sport High Protein
   
   
4. Earthborn — Holistic Coastal Catch Grain-Free
   
   
5. Nature’s Variety—Instinct Ultimate Protein Grain-Free Cage-Free Duck Recipe
   
   
6. Bully Max — High-Performance Super Premium Dog Food
   
   
7. Ziwi Peak — New Zealand Beef Recipe Canned Food
   
   
8. Merrick — Backcountry Raw Infused Great Plains Red Recipe
   
   
9. Nature’s Logic — Canine Chicken Meal Feast Dry Food
   
   
10. Nulo Freestyle — Limited+ Salmon Recipe Grain-Free
    
    
11. Solid Gold — Barking at the Moon High-Protein Grain-Free
    
    
12. Nutro — ULTRA Puppy Superfood Plate
    
    
13. Adirondack — 30% High-Fat Puppy & Performance
    
    
14. Wild Frontier — Nutro with Turkey & Duck Grain-Free Puppy Food
    
    
15. Stella & Chewy’s — Perfectly Puppy Beef & Salmon Dinner Patties Freeze-Dried Raw
    
    
16. Nature’s Variety—Instinct Raw Boost Senior Recipe
    
    
17. Nulo — Freestyle Trout & Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free Senior

📝 Blog suggestion: Should German Shepherds eat grain free?

Daily calorie requirements for German Shepherd dog.

If you are trying to maintain a proper diet for your German Shepherd, then you must know how many calories your dog needs in one single day.

After long research, we have found an ideal table that contains all the necessary information for calorie intake.

German Shepherd dog calorie requirements (body weight in pounds):

Body weight (pounds)	Puppy up to 4 mos.	Puppy over 4mos.	Neutered adult	Intact adult	Obese prone	Weight loss
1	115	77	61.5	73	58	/
2	194	129	104	123	97	/
3	264	176	141	168	132	/
4	330	220	176	198	154	110
5	390	260	208	234	182	130
6	447	298	238	268	209	149
7	501	334	267	301	234	167
8	552	368	294	331	258	184
9	603	402	332	362	281	201
10	654	436	349	392	305	218
11	702	468	374	421	328	234
12	750	500	400	450	350	250
13	795	530	424	477	371	265
14	840	560	448	504	392	280
15	885	590	472	531	413	295
16	930	620	496	558	434	310
17	972	648	518	583	454	324
18	1017	678	542	610	475	339
19	1059	706	565	635	494	353
20	1098	732	586	659	512	366
25	1299	866	693	779	606	433
30	1491	994	795	895	696	497
35	1674	1116	893	1004	781	558
40	1848	1232	986	1109	862	616
45	2019	1346	1077	1211	942	673
50	/	1458	1166	1312	1021	729
55	/	1566	1253	1409	1096	783
60	/	1670	1336	1503	1169	835
65	/	1774	1419	1597	1242	887
70	/	1876	1501	1688	1313	938
75	/	1976	1581	1778	1383	988
80	/	2074	1659	1867	1452	1037
85	/	2170	1736	1953	1519	1085
90	/	2264	1811	2038	1585	1132
95	/	2358	1886	2122	1651	1179
100	/	2450	1960	2205	1715	1225

German Shepherd dog calorie requirements (body weight in kilograms):

Body weight (kilograms)	Puppy up to 4 mos.	Puppy over 4mos.	Neutered adult	Intact adult	Obese prone	Weight loss
0.45	115	77	61.5	73	58	/
0.90	194	129	104	123	97	/
1.36	264	176	141	168	132	/
1.81	330	220	176	198	154	110
2.26	390	260	208	234	182	130
2.72	447	298	238	268	209	149
3.17	501	334	267	301	234	167
3.63	552	368	294	331	258	184
4.08	603	402	332	362	281	201
4.54	654	436	349	392	305	218
4.98	702	468	374	421	328	234
5.44	750	500	400	450	350	250
5.89	795	530	424	477	371	265
6.35	840	560	448	504	392	280
6.80	885	590	472	531	413	295
7.26	930	620	496	558	434	310
7.71	972	648	518	583	454	324
8.16	1017	678	542	610	475	339
8.61	1059	706	565	635	494	353
9.07	1098	732	586	659	512	366
11.34	1299	866	693	779	606	433
13.60	1491	994	795	895	696	497
15.87	1674	1116	893	1004	781	558
18.14	1848	1232	986	1109	862	616
20.41	2019	1346	1077	1211	942	673
22.68	/	1458	1166	1312	1021	729
24.95	/	1566	1253	1409	1096	783
27.22	/	1670	1336	1503	1169	835
29.48	/	1774	1419	1597	1242	887
31.75	/	1876	1501	1688	1313	938
34.01	/	1976	1581	1778	1383	988
36.28	/	2074	1659	1867	1452	1037
38.55	/	2170	1736	1953	1519	1085
40.82	/	2264	1811	2038	1585	1132
43.09	/	2358	1886	2122	1651	1179
45.36	/	2450	1960	2205	1715	1225

 

Source: Animal Medical Center of Chicago

How to build muscle in German Shepherd legs?

If you want stronger muscles in the legs of your German Shepherd dog, the best way to improve muscle mass in his legs is by daily walking, jogging, playing tug of war games, agility training, running, and later, you can include dog running parachutes, for better results. 

Have in mind that you can't achieve great results after only 4 or 5 training. If you work all day with your German Shepherd during the whole week, we are 100% sure that his body will later suffer from some disease or inflammation.