Why do people praise German Shepherds as a breed but hate Pitty breeds?

Question

I have noticed alot of answers in response to pitbull questions where people say "Get a German Shepherd instead they arent so aggressive, better dogs, more docile" Where are these people getting their information from? It has to be mostly the media and heresay, because in my case I base my opinion on lifetime experience.. and my conclusion is the opposite. Don't get me wrong I love all dog breeds and I especially love German Shepherd dogs. However in my experience I would have to say that overall GSD's are far more aggressive, unstable and territorial than any pitbull breed I have ever known. That is not to say I haven't known GSD's who were great well behaved dogs, but overall more of them have been aggressive, particularly to strangers, and other dogs. Yet out of all the pitty breeds I have known not a one of them has been aggressive in any way.. I have known about 20 pitty's, and about 30 GSD's.. out of those dogs, 0 pits and about 20 GSD's were aggressive and bit people and dogs.

One GSD attacked the paperboy and then the neighbour and had to be put to sleep when his aggression went out of control, another constantly cornered the neighbours and tried to bite them, he was a retired police dog, a working police dog bit a child while visiting a school as part of a program to teach kids about dogs in law enforcement, a man I know who is a retired police officer breeds GSD's many of his dogs have bitten him and attacked others, a GSD down the street tries to attack me and my dogs constanly, his owners got rid of him because of it, yet another GSD owned by a police officer but not used at work tried to kill my dog when he was a pup. I still realize that not all GSDs are like this and I still love and respect these dogs as a breed, my moms dog is a shepherd, my dog is a shepherd mix and they are not aggressive at all. But not a single pit I have known was like that, not one bit or attacked a person or dog, and none are aggressive at all.

Because of these lifetime experiences I am far more wary of GSD's than I have ever been or any pitbull breed. That doesnt mean I think all GSD's should be banned, it just goes to show that even the "best" dog breeds can be aggressive even those used to serve and protect people.

Answer 1

I love this question. It just shows that you have to go by the individual dog... and not the breed. I am a Pit Bull owner... and I have encountered many Pits. I never had a problem with aggression when it comes to this breed. LOL I have had more trouble with Golden retrievers and mix breeds.


Stephen K,
If you want to see some examples of Pits being a hero ("pulling someone out of the rubble" so to speak) I suggest you check out this site:
http://www.lawdogsusa.org/home.html

Pit Bulls are wonderful dogs... and in world war 2 one pit bull was honored as a war hero. And this dog helped inspire the K-9 police force program.



April,
I must say for someone who "claims" to be a animal lover you sure are cold hearted. I find your comments to be ignorant and disgusting. People like you are only spreading the problem with your ignorance and hate... it is really sad. People like you should not be allowed anywhere near an animal.
What is someone said to you that your dog should be put down because it is the breed that it is. Who cares about the individual dog... who cares if your dog is nice and sweet and you know for a FACT that most dogs of that same breed are the same... what would you have to say for yourself then? ANYONE who is willing to condem an entire breed to death because of what breed it is are the ones who should be penalized. Isn't that racial profiling? You don't think so? Explain to me the difference.











Ten Facts About Pit Bulls Every One Should Know
1. Pit Bulls are commonly used as therapy dogs. Whether they are visiting a senior care facility or helping someone recover from an emotional accident, Pit Bulls are making a mark as outstanding therapy dogs.

2. Pit Bulls are used in Search and Rescue work. One example of well known SAR Pit Bulls is Kris Crawford and her dogs. Kris and her dogs have helped save the lives of many people during their efforts. http://www.ForPitsSake.org

3. Pit Bulls serve as narcotic and bomb sniffing dogs. One Pit Bull, Popsicle (named that because he was found in an old freezer) has the largest recorded single drug find in Texas history. Read more about Popsicle here. Including how he found over 3,000 lbs of cocaine in Hildago, Texas.

4. Pit Bulls are great with kids. They weren't referred to as the "nanny's dog" for nothing that's for sure.

5. Pit Bulls are not human aggressive. The American Pit Bull Terrier as a breed is not human aggressive. In fact, quite the opposite is true of the breed. They are gentle and loving dogs. Like any dog individuals can be unsound and have behavior problems.

6. The Pit Bull was so popular in the early 1900's they were our mascot not only in World War One, but World War Two as well. They were featured on recruiting and propoganda posters during this time period.

7. Sgt. Stubby. A Pit Bull war hero. Stubby was wounded in action twice, he saved his entire platoon by warning them of a poison gas attack and he single handedly captured a German spy.

8. Pete the Pup on the orginal Little Rascals was a Pit Bull.

9. Pit Bulls score an 83.4% passing rate with the American Temperament Test Society. That's better than the popular Border Collie (a breed who scores 79.6%). View the ATTS stats here.

10. They are dogs not killing machines.

Answer 2

If I remember right, GSDs had a very bad reputation for a while. I love these dogs and the sight of one of them doing Schutzhund or something can be frightening. That said, I have no idea why people promote GSDs as less aggressive - it's too generalized. It depends on the dogs you encounter. I haven't met an aggressive GSD or pit bull - but I haven't spent a lot of time with either breed. I've been bitten by a Boston Terrier that was trying to play and it hurt like you wouldn't believe.

If either breed were terribly aggressive, they wouldn't be used as service dogs, IMO. I looked up some things on search & rescue dogs, which I found interesting. The first site talks about a pit bull, the second about the merits of GSDs, and the third states, "'The breed [of the search & rescue dog] isn't critical ... the attitude is.'"

Answer 3

I own 2 German Shepherds and love the breed to death. I have researched the breed and try to know about as much about them as I can. I have been around everything from a timid to an aggressive, and I will defend them to the death. Now I have also been around pits. I have a friend that has been trying to start a pit bull rescue, but the city will not allow it. I believe that a lot of the issues can be worked out, and as Ceasar as shown, even a dog that has been faught can be turned around. Now, what a lot of people don't know is that German Shepherds are the number 1 biting dog in the world, however, what is not included is the number of those dogs were police or military dogs. German Shepherds have been trained for protection pretty much since they were first created in 1899. But what I have here is something that I bet a lot of people have never seen. I was looking for videos of German Shepherds doing protection work because I love to see them in action, when I came across something I would never have though to see. The two gentlemen in this video have put alot of work into these 2 pits and have trained them for protection, but also, they did it in German. I invite anyone who reads this to check out this video, as it may give you a different look at pits

Answer 4

I have wondered this myself. I think people just have a bad opinion on pit bulls in gerneral. Because of the media. It's crap!!! Pit Bulls are not a bad breed. My father in law is a vet, and he said some of his best patients were Pit Bulls. It's not the dog, It's the owner! Granted, you have to be careful from who you get a Pit Bull, because some people are inbreeding them, which can cause behavioral problems. However, I think the main problem is that people that get a Pit Bull don't understand that they have to be responsible for that dog. Pit Bulls are very powerful dogs, and you have remember that when caring for one. GSD's can be just as dangerous. That why cops use them in their K-9 untis. They're smart and can be very aggressive. However, Pit Bulls are very smart and can be very loving. People just need to take responsibility for themselves and any pets they have. The dogs are not to blame if they get out and bite somebody. The owner should make sure their dog is properly secured. I'm glad there is someone else out there that doesn't share the majority of the population's point of view.

Answer 5

The truth is, any dog can be unstable but some breeds are more territorial and aggressive than other breeds. These dogs NEED additional training above and beyond a petco obedience class.

These dogs are NOT for everyone, but as their popularity rises, any Tom **** or Harry gets one, and gets in over their head, leading to the stigma of certain breeds. (And it also leads to irresponsible breeding which adds fuel to the fireZ) Also the media seems to only pick up stories about pits and rotties (and certain other breeds) you never hear about chows or danes on the news, yet they are listed on the cdc's list of dogs that are of "interest"

My grandmother raised GSDs for over 40 years, they are incredible dogs, but they NEED a job, they need to be properly trained and stimulated, or the end result is just a mess. My cousin bought a GSD, did not train it or give him any proper stimulation and he bit 3 people and had to be put down.

I am a nurse, and I do rescue, so I have personal experience with good and bad pits, rotties, GSDs, danes, chows, etc...

One of our very best therapy dogs is a Am. Staff (pit) She is a dream dog.

How a dog is raised and trained is more important than breed.

Bigotry crosses species lines.

BTW - Pits were not BRED to fight, while the fighting aspect of the dog came into their history early on in ancient Rome (Along with fighting lions and tigers) it is NOT what they were originally bred for. This is a **MYTH** that is carried on by people who dont care to research the ACTUAL history of the dog.
http://www.pitbull411.com/history.html

Answer 6

Those kind of answers are usually from ignorant people who are easily swayed by media representations and casual observations. German Shepherds are commonly (and quite visibly) used as police dogs, and so the common perception is that GSDs would make great family guardians. Pitbulls are often the subject of sensationalized news stories about attacking people (usually children), and so are commonly demonized. The truth is, though, most of the animal's behavior (good or bad) is strongly influenced by training. You could train a pitbull to be a police dog, or a GSD to be a fighter. Regardless of the breed, if you train a dog with love, compassion, and a firm (not abusive) hand, it will make a fine companion and family pet.

Answer 7

Pit Bulls tend to be more animal aggressive whereas GSD tend to be more people aggressive. Bred and raised right, neither breed should have any unwarranted aggression issues, but in the case of bad breeding or inappropriate training it results in the pit being aggressive to animals and GSD to people. I don't think one breed is better/worse than the other. It all comes down to breeding and training.
I think pits just have such a bad name because stupid 16 year old boys who want to be "gangsta" get pit bulls and train them to be mean. I don't know many people who do that to German Shepherds. GSDs are just as capable but they tend to have more responsible owners as a rule.

Answer 8

You might want to think twice about breeding 2 white Shepard's together. Don't get me wrong, I love white Shepard's, my own Annie died of cancer on Christmas night 1999. However, in order to get a white Shepard you have to have predominately recessive genes and with that comes a boatload of potential health problems like hip displaysia, cancer(most notably lymphoma), tear ducts that dry out permanently, allergies, etc.... When you breed 2 white Shepard together the chances of the puppies having any and all of the above plus more problems is almost guaranteed. And unfortunately if you sell the pups you can be held responsible and be required to give the money back on most states because you knowingly sold pups that could have long lasting, expensive health problems for profit. I love whites and would love to get another one but knowing this I would never get one that had 2 white parents because of the even high risks of illness. My Shepard Annie had hip displaysia and died of lymphoma, she was only 5, and both of her parents were regular colors and registered show dogs.

Answer 9

there have been alot of reports of kids & adults being injured or even killed by a pitbull & pits have a tendency to turn on their owners its just in their breeding. German shepards there have been fewer reports on them attacking but pits & german shepards if trained properly can make great pets my cousin has to pitbulls they are sweet dogs but they are also very strong.also people see the police using german shepards in thier K-9 units so people associate them as being a helpful dog. but in my opinion people base their views of these breeds of dog by media coverage & some by experience

Answer 10

GSD are seen used as police dogs.
Pits are seen used for fighting and protection (especially by dealers). Same as Rotties and Dobermans a few years ago.

The people who use the breed determine more about its perception than anything else does. Especially since its much easier for the media to villify a dog that is used by the 'bad people' than one that you have to be able to trust since LEO's use it.