german shepherd dogs?

Question

Has anyone had a german shepherd as a pup or from an adult? Were they easy or difficult to train? and affectionate pets? any information would be great.

to Robin D Yes I have asked two questions about different breeds of dogs today - and the problem with that is? This is what yahoo answers is for to ask and answer questions! I am asking peoples opinions on their pets, I would not get a another pet without, consulting people like the Natinal Canine Defence League or the Kennel club first!

Answer 1

Hi Missylu
Heres a site i found for you, it gives you all the information you will need

http://www.germanshepherdrescue.co.uk/

Good Luck

Answer 2

I own 1 German shepherd and 2 other shepherd breeds. German shepherds make great pets, however, before getting one, research the breed. They can be obstinate and dominant. If you get one, obedience training is a must. Once this is established, your GSD will be your best friend for life. They are very smart and training can be easy if you are consistant with it. Starting from a pup is the easiest way but if you get an adult, make sure it is one that has had basic obedience already. The GSD is the best dog I have ever owned. He is loving, protective, has a wonderful personality and I will always enjoy my GSD.

I have included a link regarding more information on this breed.

Answer 3

Have you heard of Joyce Stranger? She's an author who has written lots of animal story books - not just for children but for adults too - she's also an animal behaviourist who has been heavily involved in dog training & has owned several German Shepherds & has written non fiction about them - the joys & pitfalls & how she got along training them.

She's very enjoyable to read ... I'm sure that if you could get hold of any of her books then they would be a great help to you. Both before & after you got a German Shepherd.

I've found a website about her - that lists all her non fiction books about her German Shepherds & other dogs - it also gives more information about dog training etc. The link is below.

Your local library may have them or be able to order them for you. Or you may be able to buy them on Amazon or eBay. Oh & on the site it says that you may be able to order them directly from the author.

Hope that this helps ...

Answer 4

I have had two german shepherd dogs, one was a puppy 12 weeks old, and the other was a 2 year old rescue dog. I am going to get another GSD soon.

I absolutely am besotted with this gorgeous breed, they do say that once you have owned a GSD, you never want any other breed of dog again, and its true.

They are easy to train, i.e. Guide Dogs for the Blind and the police train them, and they are so affectionate, loving and loyal, you really don't want to thinks about any other breed.

When you are walking down the road with them, you feel so proud that they are with you and feel so smug that you own them, especially when you see other dog owners with their dogs, you look at them and think that your dog is definitely much prettier and well behavoured than their dog.

So yes, yes, yes, a German Shepherd dog from a puppy is good, but a rescue adult is fantastic, they just want loving homes to take them away from the harsh kennels.

Answer 5

I have a five year old german shepherd, and we just got a puppy, too, who is now 3 months old. He has been INCREDIBLY easy to train, he is very well behaved already at 3 months old. My older dog, the five year old, is absolutely wonderful – he is affectionate, completely well behaved, totally aware of his size and very graceful. The puppy is crate trained and loves that, he has learned to sit, to greet people by sitting (rather than jumping on freaking out), he always asks to go out, he stays right by my side leash or not, and always answers when called. At only 3 months old, this is really impressive (as I had a weimerainer before, bad girl). I would highly suggest a german shepherd, so long as they are exercised and trained they are wonderful pets.

Answer 6

This is the second question about breeds (at least) that you've asked in the past few minutes. You might actually want to cut to the chase. Go to the library and get a book called The Right Dog for You. It lists the more common breeds and rates them for affection, trainablility, how much work to groom, how much exercise they need, cold vs hot climate, etc. It will really help a lot.

I've found that many of the people giving their "advice" on this site don't know whta they are talking about. Their opinions are based on experience with one dog of the type, or they think you should get one because "it's cute!"

You are committing to an animal for as much as 15-20 years, so you should do more reliable research than that.

And yes, usually GSDs are very trainable, which is why they are used for police, rescue and guide dogs. They can be very affectionate, but tend to prefer one person in the family over the rest. They were originally bred to herd sheep, so they have a strong work ethic and like to have something to do. Very active and large. Drawbacks include their popularity which leads to a lot of poorly breed specimens with hip displaysia and other genetic physical and mental faults. Avoid buying from backyard breeders and puppy mills. Go with a recommended breeder referred to you by experts in the GSD fancy. Another drawback, GSDs tend to have this distinctive whine when they get excited. I find it VERY annoying, but that's just me.

Answer 7

I have a german sheperd who is two and a half and is very affectionate. I have had since he was a puppy and we bonded the first week. But you have to be good with dogs because they can be a handful when there puppies. My dog was very easy to train he knows how to play fetch, sit, lay down, give high fives,and dance, and it didn't take that long. German sheperds are very protective though. I consider it a good thing but you might have your own opinion. They do tend to think they are the boss when they get about 2 though. But as long as you show them that there not then you will be fine.

Answer 8

they are intelligent dogs but with a strong guarding instinct which must be channelled if you don't want a dog who lunges and tries to bite people. They are very affectionate towards their owners. Too affectionate sometimes as they suffer emotionally if left alone and away from their owner. They can suffer seperation anxiety. Go to training classes. Be aware that once they are adults, you will need to be able to execise the dog properly. They need off the lead galloping once a day. You will also have to get used to brushing properly as they shed way more than any other breed I have fostered.
It's not a breed I can own although I have fostered a few. They are too clingy and inclined to want to guard for my liking.

Answer 9

I have a seven month old german shepherd that I have had for about 4 months. He is great! Very easy to train, sweet, loyal, wonderful with kids and other pets (dogs, cats, mice...everything so far). He is about 75lbs right now and still growing.

Answer 10

Ive bred German Shepherds for years, trained them, study the bloodlines and genetics of the breed, and the typical German Shepherd Dog is loyal and affectionate and very easy to train. Dogs with American bloodlines in their pedigrees usually are easier for a novice owner to work with, than most German bloodline dogs, because many German dogs tend to be more energetic and dominant, and can sometimes be too active to be good house dogs.

Socialization is very important in the German Shepherd Dog. The more a German Shepherd puppy experiences people, places, things, etc, positively, the more confident and stable the dog will be. The Art of Raising a Puppy, a book by the Monks of New Skete, is EXCELLENT to read for learning how to work with a German Shepherd Dog and show them what you want, in a way that the dog can understand. It also covers the stages of mental development in a puppy. German Shepherd puppies go through two stages of development when they will act shy, and people often aren't aware that those stages are normal and don't know how to deal with the way a dog may act when going through those stages.

The German Shepherd Dog wants to please the owner and wants to be with you. Whenever a dog of mine escaped the kennel, he/she wouldn't leave but would come running to the house, looking for a way to come in to be with me, That is typical of the breed. However, you do have to earn the dog's respect. Like a 3 year old child, the German Shepherd will sometimes test you to see what it can get away with, and you have to firmly but wisely show the dog that you run the house and he doesn't.

Heres the link to the general information article I wrote when I was actively breeding the GSD.

http://www.angelfire.com/in3/gsd/newpuppy.html


This article deals with housebreaking and other aspects of training a GSD to live in the house.

http://www.angelfire.com/in3/gsd/pottytraining.html

The below link goes to my GSD coat and color genetics website. There is information on that site too, about GSD development.

http://www.geocities.com/sahiela2


There are several good forums on the breed online. Here is the link to one I often visit and contribute to.
http://www.germanshepherds.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php

There is also a good yahoo group on German Shepherds, GSDGenetics.

Answer 11

I had a rescue GSD, he was 7 years old, I was worried as at the time I had a very young son, he was an absolute treasure though, fiercely protective of me and my son in particular, he had a recall problem at first, but after 3-4 months training he was ok. They are very intelligent dogs, but need lots of interaction, dont like being left alone and need quite a bit of exercise... I used to walk twice for 45 mins each.

Sadly, he died a few months back. Broke my heart!