German Shepherd

Well, I, for one will be getting a German Shepherd in about six weeks and I was wondering who, in this forum, has a German Shepherd? I just thought if you have any knowledge from owning a German Shepherd that you could share or all around thoughts.

I can't wait till I get my GS and I have prepared myself a great deal! Anyway, happy posting!

Hey, Big! I've had German Shepherds since I was 12 years old. Once you've lived with a Shepherd you just can't imagine life without one.

Are you familiar with the Monks of New Skete? (www.dogsbestfriend.com) They are famous for their dog training techniques and also for the German Shepherds they breed and train. I met one of their dogs once when I was travelling and I was so impressed. All of mine except my first one, Purdue, have been rescues; Bimmer, the GSD who shares my life now, is a GSD/wolf mix and sometimes I think he's the only thing that keeps life with our Fila Brasileiros from getting too strange. He's half their size, but they both do what he says!

Wow, no, I haven't heard of them. But I'd be happy to check 'em out! I can't wait till I get mine! Six more weeks, Six more weeks, it's what I keep telling myself !

I'd be happy to see a pic of your GS/wolf though!

Hi Big Dog. You can see any of our pictures at the gallery. There's a link at the top of the page. "dog pictures" from there you click on members galleries and search by the first letter of the user name. The last time I checked Renee had more than 50 pictures of her family.

Wow, thanks for letting me know.

I've had GSDs. I love 'em! My last one was from a reputable breeder and was wonderful....absolutely wonderful. I had babies at that time and a daycare. He was absolutely fantastic with the kids and trustworthy beyond belief. He was well socialized and completely comfortable around friendly strangers. I would never think that he was protective because he seemed to like everyone, repairmen, delivery people whomever... I never had to worry about any overprotectiveness or any mistakes. Something did happen one time that was weird very late at night on the front porch...the brass door handle jiggled...someone was out there and he became utterly vicious....gnashing teeth, ready to defend the household. He was easy to train, very willing and smart.

I've been fascinated with other breeds too and that's why I haven't had one for a long time. I got my Lab when he died because I just didn't want to be comparing another dog of his breed to him all the time and so I got a different breed, different sex.

And also I've been obsessed with Dobermans for so long, I really wanted to try one. So that's what is my latest "project." LOL. I love Dobermans too, very different but I now can say that I can't imagine life without a Dobe. But GSDs are a super breed too. I do like the clean, no hair aspect of the Doberman. But I also have two Chihuahuas, the Lab. See? I told you I like lots of breeds.

Congrats on your upcoming pup. I do hope you are going to a reputable breeder. That is so important. Good luck!

It is a very reputable breeders one of the best in my area. I got his name and number from the local vet.

Before I decided on the GS I was thinking between a Doberman or a Rottweiler. But I decided on the GS. For one, there aren't many breeders of Dobermans where I live, I actually couldn't find any. Rottweilers, I was thinking... and thinking... I actually found one place but the woman I was talking to I just didn't trust and she was a bit rude, not to mention the price was a little too high.

So I decided to go with the GS. Reasonable price, reputable breeder, great dogs.

I can't wait. Thank you all for your responses and keep em comin'!

I'm a bit concerned.

I don't have to many people who have dogs to bring over to my house and vice versa. In fact, I don't think I have any. I have next door neighbor who has a Lakeland Terrier but I doubt it'll work. So I'm a bit worried about socialization. Not with human contact (no problem at all there) but more with dogs. I don't want him to see every dog as a threat.


Does anybody have any suggestions?

You'll usually get quite a bit of dog-to-dog socialization just walking him, but if you check with your vet, local pet supply stores and even humane societies they can steer you toward puppy and training classes that will be a big help to you.

Parks are okay, but can be a bit overwhelming for a puppy if there are dogs off leash that just run right up to him. It can be counter-productive if they scare him.

I agree. When your pup is through with his puppy shots, get him right away to a puppy kindergarten obedience class. They're great. Make sure you find a reputable trainer who uses positive methods. Even before the shots are through, you could ask the trainer you're going to use if you could come visit once a week so your pup can meet other dogs. Make sure with the trainer that they have been vaccinated and be careful not to overwhelm or let anything frighten your pup. It is essential that he gets around and has GOOD experiences with other dogs, adults, kids and all kinds of enviornments; noisy traffic, city streets, woodsy places, gets exposed to everything you're ever going to want to do to him....clip nails, baths, car rides...you name it. Saturate that pup without scaring or overwhelming him by the time he's 16 weeks. And keep it up thereafter. Don't skimp on socialization. It was a real project for me. I had to drive an hour almost every day to get my dog around lots of people because the nearest city is that far. I really, really went out of my way to work this pup and I am glad I did. These protective types need an abundance of exposure to things.

Good luck.

Alright thanks, I was looking into walking him and I know I can do that at least once a day. I think I'll look into a puppy kindergarten. Do you pay monthly for puppy kindergarten, and is it expensive? How long is he going to be there? Sorry, for all these questions I just want to get everything straight. And thanks for the help .

You're going to be such a good Shepherd person! Now, don't get so worried and wound up in what you're "supposed" to do that you miss the sheer spontaneous joy and the little day to day mischief of your very first German Shepherd.

Truthfully, I have no idea how much puppy kindergartens and trainers are. They're definitely a boon, but I've got to admit I've only used training classes once, and that was when Purdue was 4 years old. By all means, take advantage of them because they will not only make things easier, they'll give you all sorts of opportunities to see your new puppy do all sorts of funny things that will only happen in that setting.

Just don't forget to have fun! Puppies are fun and they understand fun and yours will teach you the joy of all sorts of small, simple silliness and the importance of not being too serious.

He's only going to be a puppy for a very short time, so make the most of it.

Oh, and by the way, when he hits adolescence somewhere around 7 to 9 months, you'll think you have the dumbest dog that ever managed to walk. It passes. Their brains start to function again and they become these amazingly intelligent and rational creatures and you wonder if you just dreamed the part where that doggy brain went AWOL.

With a German Shepherd, it's all about love and realizing that you're dealing with a rational, intelligent creature.

Wow thank you! I've wanted a dog for like five years but there have been so many complications that I was never able to have one and now finally, in six weeks I can have my very own GS! I'm just so happy! Again thanks for all the help!

I agree....after the shots do as much as you can with them. Regular parks always have kids and dogs on leashes walking around ....most outdoor cafes or bars allow pets here and that's great too....everyone wants to pet a pup.

I loved my classes. I did kindergarten and agility for young dogs. It was a blast...met all kinds of nice people and their pups. I drove once a week for an hour class. It was an hour and a half drive for me, but worth it. The obedience (kindergarten) was $60.00 for a 5 week session and the agility was $10.00 each time. (pay at the door) But it will vary considerably depending what part of the country you're in.

Anyhow, it was worth it to me for the extra socialization. Training wasn't the main reason I went. I've always trained my dogs myself. But this Doberman I really felt needed more....more socializing, more training. So, we'll continue doing stuff with him forever. It's too much fun not to and they're so very capable of so much more than we think sometimes. So, it's really neat to be very involved with our dogs....very neat!

Yeah, I think kindergarten class for my pup sounds great.

apollo...He is the best dog i have ever owned! you wont regret this choice!

Man! What an awesome looking dog! I don't think I'll regret it either! 4 more weeks!!

thanks! another pic of apollo is at the new member forum.

I have a BC/GSD mix, who is mostly BC. However I have been around purebred GSDs, including a long-haired called Coke. He was a great dog though he could come off as aggressive towards those passing by. He loved his owners (though they made him live outdoors and he barked out of boredom due to this), and was simply a great dog. GSDs are such loyal, loving dogs, great for families because they are gentle with their family but good guard dogs.