German Shepherds are the best dogs in existence! I've had 2 - one purebred and one cross (Max is a cross).

Let me tell you about Max: He has almost human intelligence, which is good and bad. If he wants something then you can bet he'll find a way to get it. If he wants out of the house, then you can bet I'll be running down to his favorite doggy friend's house to round him up. But on the positive side, he learns tricks extremely quickly.

He also seems to have a "6th sense" - he seems to know what I'm going to do before I do! If I even think of taking him for a walk, he's waiting by the door or following me around barking until I get my shoes and coat on and go.

He's unbelievably loyal - he sleeps by my side of the bed every night. When I get up to go to the bathroom, he comes with me. When I go downstairs in the morning, he goes with me. When I'm painting or watching TV or whatever, he's right there by my side. When I take him for a walk off leash he runs all around, but he's back checking to make sure I'm OK at least every minute.

He's very sensitive. If he thinks somebody in his "pack" is hurt, he's right there checking on them. When the kitten falls, he turns her over with his nose and sniffs her everywhere just to make sure she's OK.

I do not - EVER - leave Max unattended outside. He's a real sweetie, but I absolutely would not trust him not to bite a stranger who came to close to the house.

As far as his energy level: outdoors, he's a ball of energy. If I take him off leash, he literally runs ten miles to every mile I walk. He's full-speed ahead until he collapses from exhaustion. Indoors, he moves slowly and carefully and sleeps most of the time.

Prey drive: WOW He loves to chase anything small which is moving quickly. When he catches it, he just sniffs and licks - but he sure is scary when he goes after it, especially when it is a little dog or kittie.

My family's purebred German Shepherd was very similar - extremely loyal, smart and protective. He was 8 years old when he adopted our family, so his energy level wasn't as high. My parents were stupid enough to keep him outside off leash all night long, and we lived in town. That meant that nobody was allowed to approach our block after dark (even people who lived there - it appears he didn't have a sense of smell). It was extremely frightening to encounter him at night. If he had been kept indoors, he would have been the perfect pet and companion.

For anybody considering getting a German Shepherd, just keep in mind that allowing them outside off leash is out of the question, unless you want a lawsuit. Other than that, and their shedding, they're the perfect companions.