5 month old german shpherd

Question
i have a puppy german shepherd , i want to know how often I should bathe her?
and also I notice one of her ear is floppy, also regarding training isse you
think a remote collar will help? she is taking puppy classes at petsmart,, but
the trainer doesnt seem to be that good, boring class


Answer
I very seldom bathe dogs, mostly females well after their season is finished.  The puppies I raise for a large dog school are not spay/neutered until they are a year old. This allows the school to select the very best as breeding stock, which they did with the one Shepherd I raised.  For all but the very best dogs, it is best to spay at 4-6 months.  Having a female in season is a big hassle with the bleeding and all that, and there are worse things that can happen than accidental breedings bringing on unwanted puppies.  It also reduces the chances of cancer later in life.  I hope my lecture doesn't offend you.  I receive several questions a week from people unprepared for their female to come into season.  

Bathing a dog strips the natural oils out of the skin, and unless you rinse the last bit of shampoo out, it will irritate the skin.  Feed a decent diet, brush regularly with a soft bristle brush, prevent rolling in stinky stuff, and you should be able to go at least months without bathing if not indefinitely.  I have an older Lab that hasn't had a bath since she came into my care almost 4 years ago.  If she was ill groomed, somebody would say so on her frequent public outings.  

The floppy ear is a common problem, but I am not sure there is more to do than feed the correct diet and hope for the best.  At her age, the correct diet is not a fast growth producing, rich puppy chow.  She should go on an adult chow now making the switch over a week so as not to disturb her digestion.  Do not feed much else.  Dog chows are carefully formulated to provide a complete and balanced diet.  Supplements upset the careful balance and do more harm than good.  The adult chow will slow growth, but give more time to develop sturdy joints before reaching the same adult size.  Overweight is a big problem in some other breeds.  Shepherds seldom will eat more than they need.  

I am a big believer in obedience training, but many classes are poorly done.  One big advantage of a class is learning to stay on task around other dogs.  Dogs learn by repetition.  The drill they must have can be boring.  Dogs see all the people and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in the pack and a top dog.  Life is much easier if the 2 legged pack members outrank the 4 legged ones.  You can learn to play the role of top dog by reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with a treat. Start at http://www.dogsbestfriend.com/  For more on being top dog, see http://www.dogbreedinfo.com./topdogrules.htm

A remote collar is no substitute for diciplined  training.  Shepherds sometimes are a little high strung and react poorly to them.