Your Experience w/ German Shepherds

[chatton18]

So my room mates dog is on the downhill with a failing liver. He's a big (was about 85lbs, now down to 70) deaf white boxer that has a great personality. I'm starting to look at new dogs and have always liked shepherds and wanted to hear from those of you that have experience with them. I'd probably adopt an adult one from a local rescue (3-5 yrs old). I understand the issues with them shedding which isn't a huge deal. What other issues have people had with these. I'd like to get something that will be okay running 3 to 4 miles a couple days a week and capable of longer hikes but nothing that's going to be bouncing off the walls because we don't have a farm. I'm in NJ so it can get relatively hot and humid here in the summer and we don't have central air so if they have a tough time with heat its probably not the best breed for me to adopt. Any other thoughts/comments let me know. Thanks in advance.

[OldLarry]

great dogs but they freak some people out. Just me but I don't want a dog that scares everyone. No like they are rottys or pits or anything though.

OTOH, some people WANT that- Michael Vick, crack dealers, you know. Upstanding citizens. Contributors to society. Pillars of the community.

[chatton18]

Yeah, I was browsing through petfinder, its amazing how many pit bulls are up for adoption. I might consider it if I was on newschoolers and wanted to live as gangster of a life as possible...

[OldLarry]

repeat story, but when I lived in NYC a few years ago I went to he aspca on 93 and 1st and EVERY dog in there was a pit except for one, which was a pit/rottweiler mix.

crack dealers are like, responsible, loving dog owners and shit.

[Tippster]

Shepherds are great. If you're gonna be doing a lot of running, hiking, etc. you may want to get the hips checked out before deciding on a dog - displasia is very common in that breed.

[irul&ublo]

I have had two shepherds and a shepherd mix (1/2, 1/4 lab 1/4 golden) over the last 20 years. Current one is just short of 10. German lines and no hip issues, though he's got some arthritis in one shoulder.

great dogs. very smart, very loyal, very trainable. as w/ any breed, however YMMV...it depends on the dog, breeding, socialization, etc. as w/ any large breed, you need to exercise care when around other people, dogs etc. they can also be territorial, but that's in their breeding. they like to work/be active

short hair shepherds have a double coat. the bottom coat sheds 24/7/365. rake him/her 1-2 times a week and you can remove a lot of the hair.

I'm all for shelter dogs, but if you did decide to get a puppy, that's a whole different issue.

As for running...depends on the dog...NO CONCRETE OR BLACKTOP!



cosmo and his "brother" samson

[chatton18]

Yeah, I'll be getting an adult shelter dog. I don't really want to deal with housebreaking, teething, etc. and I don't really want to drop the $$$ on a breeder when I can give a dog in need a home for a donation/fees for shots that i'd be paying anyways. The rescue I'm looking at seems to have a pretty intense vetting process, hopefully they'll wave the fact that I'm 24 considering i've been living with a big dog, I come home for lunch every day, have a fenced in yard, etc.

[HD333]

[QUOTE=irul&ublo;2952241

As for running...depends on the dog...NO CONCRETE OR BLACKTOP![/QUOT
Dog jong question.
No pavement for any dog when running or specifically shepards? We want to get our 4 month old lab running when he is ready to do so but want to do it right and not mess the little guys feet up.

[irul&ublo]

[quote=HD333;2952263][QUOTE=irul&ublo;2952241

As for running...depends on the dog...NO CONCRETE OR BLACKTOP![/QUOT
Dog jong question.
No pavement for any dog when running or specifically shepards? We want to get our 4 month old lab running when he is ready to do so but want to do it right and not mess the little guys feet up.[/quote]

Its not just their feet...knees, shoulders etc. and not just shepherds. but since shepherds, like a lot of larger breeds, can have joint issues, its better to do any strenuous exercise on natural surfaces.

[Jax]

Another GSD thread: http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...erman+shepherd

[Game Over]

we have had one full and one half, and 3 of my friends have them.

great dogs, but they kill cats (if the cats run) and are not allowed on my ranch unleashed anymore since i got smaller livestock. seems like no matter how well trained they are they go crazy wild dog like and chase livestock if they did not grow up around that type of animal.

[DoWork]

OTOH, some people WANT that- Michael Vick, crack dealers, you know. Upstanding citizens. Contributors to society. Pillars of the community.

Or if you want an extremely intelligent, loyal and motivated working dog to be your companion and protect your family and belongings when you're not around. Yeah, real shitbags, Larr. You're totally right.

My parents used to raise and breed shepherds when I was a kid and lived with them. Amazing dogs, hands down the most loyal dog you'll ever own. Extremely intelligent and eager to learn, they are the epitome of the family dog to me. Too bad they get a bad rap from fuckin' shit-for-brains fucktards that probably also think Pitbulls are horrible, bloodthirsty dogs stright from puppyhood. No Larry, that's not aimed at you btw. Fwiw, when I lived in the ghetto, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing that the dregs of society crossed the street to avoid my dog and knew where it lived, either. As a friend, companion and USEFUL example of doghood, you'd be hard pressed to beat a shepherd.

[OldLarry]

I'm not saying pits are bad from puppydom- I'm saying a HUGE % of pit owners are vs owners of other breeds. Most tinylittlegdoginapurse people suck, too, but for different reasons.

[schuss]

Had a lab/shepherd mix. Entirely too smart for her own good. Understood full sentences and spelling. Crazy protective if she felt threatened too, great dog.

[chatton18]

Thanks for all the advice. With all dogs, i understand its a lot of work, but it seems like the general consensus is they're good dogs. I don't really worry too much about people thinking they're mean and will test their disposition. I'll probably take it to a vet to get its hips checked since i'd like to trail run with them. Should I take it to an orthopedic specialist, or will just a general vet do the trick. i'll probably start the application process in the next week or two. Hopefully the rescue group isn't too crazy about me not being a stay at home mom on a 30 acre farm.

[Tye 1on]

Had a lab/shepherd mix. Entirely too smart for her own good. Understood full sentences and spelling. Crazy protective if she felt threatened too, great dog.

lmao, yeah, we had two, the first one was so damn smart she knew her dozen or so different toys by name, and had such a play drive, she once played fetch with a blade of grass and wouldn't give up.

Great dogs if you pay attention and work hard on obedience. I like the 'how to be your dogs best friend' book from the monks of new skete...

[Garth Bimble]

I've had 2 and the one I have now is the best dog I've ever had. She's smart, obedient and easy to train. They can be intimidating but I guess that's one of the reasons for having one. Mine can act damn ferocious but is really a pussycat.

Aside from what's already been mentioned both of mine, particularly as they got older developed 2 issues. One is a hyper-sensitivity to noise. We would have to sedate our first Shepherd around the 4th of July due to the noise of fireworks, and the one I have now runs and hides when we use the fireplace (because of the popping) or if we turn on the oven (she thinks the smoke detector will go off). Thunder and fireworks also send her to the basement.

Another issue is gas. Both of my shepherd's could/can rip farts that would knock a buzzard off of a shit wagon. I've had 3 other breeds and fed them all the same stuff and none of them came close to the reek that the shepherd's produce.

Despite all this they are still my favorite breed and I plan to get another when my 12 year-old goes away...

[TNKen]

Another issue is gas. Both of my shepherd's could/can rip farts that would knock a buzzard off of a shit wagon.

That's some funny shit right there.

Had a shepard/elkhound mix that was a great dog, kinda. Great for me, the wife and the guys I worked with. Bit lots of other folks, always sneaked up behind them.

Dad had a black/tan shephard. Great dog, suffered with hip displasia. Watch out for rescue dogs and get them checked. Usually doesn't hit until around 6-8 years old.

Ken

[jon gaper]

great dogs,but.....

a rescue shepherd needs to be checked out very carefully for aggression


that is the main reason they end up at the pound

[irul&ublo]

Thanks for all the advice. With all dogs, i understand its a lot of work, but it seems like the general consensus is they're good dogs. I don't really worry too much about people thinking they're mean and will test their disposition. I'll probably take it to a vet to get its hips checked since i'd like to trail run with them. Should I take it to an orthopedic specialist, or will just a general vet do the trick. i'll probably start the application process in the next week or two. Hopefully the rescue group isn't too crazy about me not being a stay at home mom on a 30 acre farm.

If you currently have a vet, ask for advice. They can check physically and give you some info. To really check the hips, elbows etc., they will have to do an x-ray, which will require sedation, and then have the x rays read by a vetrinary radiologist and orthopedist. That's how its done for dogs who are certified.


Also...see if there is a GSD rescue orginization in your area. They often screen dogs by having them fostered by volunteers to ferret out any temperment or health issues.

[sfotex]

Got a big 'ol (115lbs) male sheppard that's 3. He was the warranty replacement for his 1/2 brother who had bad hips and had to be put down.
Best dog ever, he's super mellow and big wimp. Does great with my 1.5 year old son, but he does seem to eat a few of the wife's chickens a year.

[coreshot-tourettes]

Something I've not seen people address is the fact that you have to be a dominant owner. Most people that get good working dogs like GSDs, Huskies, Akitas, etc. do not speak "dog" and will let the dog be alpha and run all over them, leading to problems with aggression and a trip to the pound.

My friend adpoted a pound lab mix that was really dog-aggressive. If she growled at another dog he would flip her over and hold her down while saying NO while she struggled. Couple weeks of that and she was much improved.

[Flyoverland Captive]

Something I've not seen people address is the fact that you have to be a dominant owner. Most people that get good working dogs like GSDs, Huskies, Akitas, etc. do not speak "dog" and will let the dog be alpha and run all over them, leading to problems with aggression and a trip to the pound.

My friend adpoted a pound lab mix that was really dog-aggressive. If she growled at another dog he would flip her over and hold her down while saying NO while she struggled. Couple weeks of that and she was much improved.

Quoted for truth. I have a Husky/Shepherd mix, by FAR the best dog I've ever had, but I need to constantly let her know who the alpha is. Not a dog for the timid. She's ultra-protective, and will not tolerate smaller dogs approaching me. She'll play with them in the park, but if they get within ten feet of me, she goes into guard-mode, and if I don't immediately intervene, she'll attack.

When out in public, leashed, she's fine; but inevitably a kid will approach and ask if he can pet her. I have to say no; she will only tolerate me touching her. She's a one-person dog all the way.

[irul&ublo]

you should be the alpha (or dominanant) with any dog you own...some are just easier to get the message across to.

[Chainsaw_Willie]

My friend has a 1-1/2 yo female. Her parents were Eastern European imports, so not the typical American Shepherd look. She's almost all black with only some tan on her legs.

She's very smart and generally well-behaved (they hired a trainer right off the bat) but she has dog-aggression issues and has put holes in three other dogs including my dog (a few stitches), the dog of another friend of mine (bit hard enough to tear muscle, requiring lots of stitches), and one of his neighbor's dogs. The thing of it is, she's somewhat unpredictable in this regard. If a dog gets near her food bowl or tries to pick up one of her balls or toys she gets aggressive and that's predictable but there have been times when she's just running and playing with another dog and suddenly it's like a switch gets thrown and she goes into attack mode.

She's pretty high strung, too. Frankly, not the dog for me as I don't want a dog that's going to be biting other dogs or potentially people.