German Sherpards

[crow_noir]

to luvmyrott

i never said anything against obedience training. i beleive in it completly!!! however even guard training won't work if your dog doesn't have a good sense of judgement. my dog (ten year old rescue) has never had any of the training and has always known real threats from normal situations. and many other people have experienced the same thing.

i do agree though that all dogs should go th=rough some form of obedience training.

[crow_noir]

to mkgwolf

that pic is so neat! thanks for sharing!

[Ewoodward]

I'm "owned" by two pure GSD's, and one GSD,Mal,Husky mix (June 13th DOTD, Pharlap)....and although I think the world of them, I'll be the first to tell you, GSD's are NOT for everbody!!
First, they are high energy animals, and SMART....which means that you either need a good yard for them to run in, or take the time to exercise them DAILY. As for being smart, that also means they can easily get bored if you don't provide them with lots of stimulating mental activities.
As far as grooming, they aren't particularly high-maintenance, except, they do require quite of bit of brushing in the spring/early summer when they blow their undercoat.
Some things you migh consider "downfalls" of the breed (not necessarily all GSD's will have these characteristics, but a good majority do, so you should be aware of these things before considering making one part of your family.):
*high prey-drive (can you say "cat killer"???)
*territorial aggression (this could be a problem if a kid hops the fence to get his ball back...you may be able to avoid this problem if you heavily socialize your dog as a pup, and throughout his life, with other people, kids, other dogs, and sometimes even cats.)(One of my boys gave the water-meter reader a warning nip in the rear one time, after he hopped the fence to read the meter...)
*stranger aggression (part of the loyalty/protective complex thing....also might be avoided through heavy socialization)
*fear biting (also, usually an issue of socialization and training)
*certain health problems common in the breed (hip and/or elbow dysplasia, ect....)

These are just some of the issues anyone who has never had a GSD needs to consider before making one part of your life. They are wonderful dogs, and many have already commented on their virtues. But anyone considering obtaining one needs to realistically evaluate their circumstances, to make sure they have the time necessary to provide socialization, training, mental stimulation, exercise, etc.... Not to mention the MONEY to feed (these big guys and gals eat a LOT more than a lap dog) and provide proper medical care (which may only amount to yearly vaccs and check-ups, if you are lucky, but can end up being medicating your dog daily to give relief from the pains of severe hip dysplasia....or other medical maladies. I'm STILL paying on hip surgery for my baby Chewey that he got last November.) So I guess what I'm saying is that you HAVE TO count your costs (time and money) as part of your consideration of taking on this wonderful breed and integrating it into your family.
Sorry this post is so long....

[ July 05, 2001: Message edited by: Ewoodward ]

[ July 05, 2001: Message edited by: Ewoodward ]

[crow_noir]

thank you ewoodward for posting that. alot of people don't know how to properly give both sides of the story. it helps emensly when choosing any breed. only responsible breeders give all the facts. for example, i love my rat terrier to death, but i'd never get another one again. true they are very loving, very smart, and very loyal. however they are loyal to a fault. they are possive and very territioial. and there territory is where ever they can see, where ever they are at. and out of the dozens that i have met they are all pretty much the same. again, another breed that you don't want as 100 lb. dog. however, they are Great hunters, and will restrain their prey drive for other house hold pets.
i really wish people would give both sides of the story more often.

[mkgwolf]

German Shepherds blow their coat twice a year? I thought they just shed constantly. I have a husky and when he does blow his undercoat it looks like a dog blew up in my yard. What about water, some breeds like the water more than others (Labs) but it depends on the dog. How much do you feed one of your GSD's a day?~

[Ewoodward]

Well, they blow their undercoat once a year, like the northern breeds do (husky, malamute, etc…) and it looks like somebody blew up a dog in the yard. This is usually in the Spring to Early Summer time period depending on local climate. In the fall they drop their guard hairs and grow new ones…this isn’t a very major shed, and you might not notice it as much. There should be minimal shedding during the rest of the year.

As far as feeding goes, if I feed strictly a high quality kibble, with my 3 dogs (115 lbs, and two 90 lb growing dogs) I go through 50 lbs every 1 ½ to 2 weeks…they tend to eat a little less in the heat of the summer. It usually equals out to 4 or 5 cups a day, each. If you buy cheap stuff (like Walmart’s “Ol’ Roy”), you’ll have to feed them as much as twice the amount you’d feed with a high quality kibble, because it’s mostly non-digestible bulk. I like Diamond Hi-Protein, because it has no soy, my Pharlap has soy allergies. It does have some corn in it though, so if your dog has corn allergies, that wouldn’t be a good choice. Now if you feed a raw diet or a combination raw/ kibble diet, it’s a whole ‘nother ballgame.

As for water, my two pure GSD's are not fans of swimming...they can, but they sure don't like it...the one time I tried to make them swim (thinking "once they get used to it, I know they'll like it!") was a total and complete disaster and they nearly drowned me! Pharlap, my GSD/Husky/Mal, on the otherhand, enjoys swimming, as long as it's on him terms. Chewey, my younger GSD does enjoy wading in the creek up to his knees, but not all out swimming. I think its just an individual trait...some like it, some don't. Alot of it probably has to do with how young they are when you start trying to acclimate them to water. I started a lot younger with Pharlap, and he's the only one who seems to enjoy it.

-Erin

Originally posted by mkgwolf:
<STRONG>German Shepherds blow their coat twice a year? I thought they just shed constantly. I have a husky and when he does blow his undercoat it looks like a dog blew up in my yard. What about water, some breeds like the water more than others (Labs) but it depends on the dog. How much do you feed one of your GSD's a day?~</STRONG>

[ July 05, 2001: Message edited by: Ewoodward ]

[ July 05, 2001: Message edited by: Ewoodward ]

[puppycloud]

Originally posted by sinister_sister_4:
<STRONG>Does any one know any thing about German Shepard? mostly about there personality? I am thinking about getting one and I have been looking for some info online but some of it repremans itself. so I need some help clarifing it. Thanks Alot</STRONG>

I have a german Shapard mixed with Collie and she is VERY Protective and she is a sweet dog very playful too

[puppycloud]

Originally posted by sinister_sister_4:
<STRONG>Does any one know any thing about German Shepard? mostly about there personality? I am thinking about getting one and I have been looking for some info online but some of it repremans itself. so I need some help clarifing it. Thanks Alot</STRONG>

i have a german shepard colliemix and she is VERY protective and she is a sweet dog very playful too! Good luck w/ your new dog and I hope this will help you
!!!!!
VERYVERY

[SolenY]

Hi, I am new to this venue, but I read your message about German Shepards. I have to tell you what I know about them.

I am 52 years old, and my 11 year old GSD is my 6th dog. German Shepards are (in my opnion) the greatest companion aminal any person can have!

There are some drawbacks. You have to be willing to understand the dog, and go the extra mile to keep them busy! German Shepards are large working dogs, and are not happy without plenty of exercise, and a job or mission to complete every day. They gain the utmost satifaction in this activity. They respect, and love you more for providing reason or purpose in their lives.

[ilovehounds]

german shepards are great dogs, we have had one for ten years now and she is the sweetest thing in the world. She lives with two hounds two shelties a boston terrier a chihuahua and a min. pin. and she has never hurt any of them. The shelties are very snotty and if she gets close to them they will snap at her but she has never snaped back she just walks away with a sad "Im sorry look on her face".

Our friend have a big gorgeous male shephard and he is so adorable a big puppy. I have nothing bad to say about the shepard they are great dogs in my books.

Here are some pics I took of Jake our friends shephard, they will take your breath away.



Jake

[jennifert]

Well, you are right! Jake is absolutely beautiful and stunning looking!

[sammi]

Jake is beautiful! Thanks for sharing with us.

[Sudilar]

Jake is so handsome!!!!!!!!!