I'm looking for some German Shepherd advice and info.

[JohnO]

My 15-year old son has been asking to be the one to pick our next dog for a long time now. Currently we have a 14-year old 20 Lb mini poodle who sleeps on my son's bed every night. Prior to the poodle we had Retrievers. My son really wants a German Shepard Dog. Lately he has been fired up over the possibility of a new dog because I told him we were considering adopting Shellback's Belgian Malanois (https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....Needs-new-home). I showed him pics of Shellback's dog and he was excited.

I have some feelers out to breeders in the area and my wife is looking as well. My son too. I'm getting inundated with picture messages of dogs he finds online. I'm in the very beginnings of the search process and felling overwhelmed with all the possibilities out there. I have received recommendations to a breeder who provide dogs to many police departments in the North East, others to a breeder who primarily breeds service dogs and some to go to Lancaster, PA and get a dog from the Amish.

Some of the claims I read on various breeders and trainers websites really sound like a stretch of the truth. One guy I'm affectionately referring to as the Dog Whisperer since he claims to be able to match you with the perfect dog for your needs. My wife spoke with a breeder today who told her how vaccinations given too soon are altering dogs DNA and shortening their lifespans. This breeder said that they have breed out the vaccination contaminated dogs from their stock and now have GSD dogs that have lived to 17. I've seen puppies advertised from $350ish to the Monks of New Skete taking applications for $4500 puppies. Hopefully this drinking from the fire hose will slow down as I focus in on some good prospects.

My son is homeschooled so he is going to have plenty of time to be with a new dog over the next 4 years before college. We are looking for a good sound dog. My wife says she would prefer a female and my son is OK with that. No plans for the dog to do anything but be a well socialized family pet that has some basic protective instincts.

Tonight I was out to dinner with some guys from work. I got warned that the GSD is on the "nasty dog list" created by homeowners insurance companies and that I could get dropped. I'm wondering if GSD owners have dealt with this and how? I was driving home thinking that I should remind my son what a great dog Spanky was (our Golden who passed when my son was a toddler). My wife tried to interest my son in one of the sporting breeds but he really wants a GSD. If all the good breeders have wait lists for their dogs and I see people in my neighborhood with German Shepards then the homeowners insurance issue can't be that insurmountable.

For a minute there I thought we might find the perfect puppy before the week was out. Now I'm hoping we will have one by Spring.

I guess I will be beating the bushes again tomorrow.

[punkey71]

On my phone so I will be brief.

I've had 5 GSDs over my life. Every one a wonderful companion, protector and gentle with children.

They're all I will ever have. I'm biased, I admit.

I will tell you that when shopping for homeowners insurance Liberty Mutual would not insure me due to my GSD.

Erie Insurance would. The dog wasn't going anywhere.

That hair though....they shed 12 months of the year. Be ready. Still worth every moment (and hair) for our family.




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[Dagga Boy]

Mine came from a Shepard rescue. This is one of the best dogs I have ever had. She is a bit over protective of the house, but I can think of worse traits. Yea....be prepared for lots of shedding, but brushing is good bonding time.

[OlongJohnson]

Some good friends had a shepherd-husky mix. Best. Dog. Evar. She was so good natured, smart and trainable it was ridiculous. Total pussycat, but people would actually cross the street to avoid being too close when we were out walking her because she looked wolfy. I didn't get a dog for a lot of years because I was afraid of looking at whatever dog I got and thinking, "Why aren't you as smart and cool as her?"

The only caution I'd mention is that the larger, more assertive breeds do require a strong dominance frame to be maintained. Fourteen is old enough to begin to be able to do this appropriately; it takes a certain amount of maturity, discipline, self-awareness and social skill to be firmly in control and maintain that consistently throughout all interactions, even when it's play time, not just in "training time." Without that, the dog is liable to decide it's actually the one in control, and be more of a handful. And who is on top is sorted out between each individual in the household, not just "all the people" vs. "the dog." So be mindful that you'll be training your son in how to interact with the dog just as you're training the dog in how to behave. Done right, it should be a very good learning experience for all.

[Oukaapie]

I've got a GSD. They are fantastic but go with a reputable breeder as hips and elbows can be a nightmare. Determine what activities are likely and look for that temperament and level of drive. If you want a house dog that will go for walks then a high drive GSD will make your life a nightmare unless you really start to challenge his body and mind.

Understand that your GSD will be smarter than you.

[Failure2Stop]

Have 2 GSDs.
Very different personalities.
One came from a pet breeder, one came from a breeder that primarily supplies police and fed with search/rescue dogs.
"Pet" dog is tightly bonded to my wife, very obedient, generally likes people, still submission urinates if he thinks I'm mad (over 2 years old).
"Search" dog is extremely food motivated, very nosey (literally), bonded more evenly across the family (wife/kid/me), but very skittish about new people, doesn't like "new" things (retreats), however, defensive of us and home.

I have exposure to numerous breed of dogs, owned boxers and and pitt. I don't see myself looking for anything other than a GSD ever again.

ETA: the hair...my god...the hair

[Peally]

I just picked one up from a rescue, but then again I don't need a working dog, just someone to bark like a retard (see avatar) when someone is at the door.

Prepare for hair everywhere.

[Matt O]

Prepare for hair everywhere.

Seriously, this cannot be over-stated. The shedding is epic, even with weekly brushing. Make sure you are ready for that.

[SamuelBLong]

I spent years thinking about getting a GSD before I got mine - this is him... Enno. He's a long coat german shepherd. Allegedly, long coat shepherds have slightly higher temperament and are a little more relaxed. That's certainly been the case with my fur baby.

Most loving, protective, smart, trainable dog I have ever come in contact with. At 12 weeks age it took him about 5 reps of every behavioral training thing to get the concept... about 20 more reps of each thing to correct the details and he's had it ever since.

Really do your research about the breeders. I would advise you to look at the German Working Lines, as the American Lines have more hip/elbow issues due to improper breeding... thats why you see some GSD's with a fairly straight back and hind legs and why you also see them with an incredibly oversloped back due to show dog breeding.

A good breeder is not going hide anything... they'll be very forthcoming with pedigrees and bloodlines, certifications, breed surveys and hip/elbow xrays of both parents.

As you've said, you'll see everything from $350 puppies to $5000 puppies from places like Kraftwerk. Much like with guns, you get what you pay for to a certain extent, then you are just paying for name and reputation without any guarantee that the dog is going to match up.

If you need help decoding German Pedigree's and certifications I am more than willing to help offline. PM me and Ill forward you my cell.

Insurance is a matter of finding a good carrier. GSD's do have a bad rep for biting and causing injury, but there are a few things you can do...

First, start training day 1 for AKC's good citizen test... its relatively cheap and easy, and the dog will be recognized as knowing how to behave around people. This can be done pretty much anywhere... petco/petsmart/local AKC dog clubs and trainers.

Second, consider Schutzund's BH certifcation... that is the base obedience trial... unfortunately you cant trial them till a year, but if your dog can pass the test (GSD's no problem!) you can prove that you can literally leave the dog alone, unrestrained, in a distracting environment, and they're not going to do anything until you tell them.

[luckyman]

Have 2 GSDs.


ETA: the hair...my god...the hair

I might have said this before but...
You don't know what hair is until you've dealt with a GSD / Chow mix.

My grandson is coming over this weekend and is a little allergic. I've been vacuuming like mad the last 24 hours (wife out on business trip) but dog is generating hair as fast as I can vacuum it up even after thorough brushing. [emoji12]
On the flip side I get told 'most every walk how handsome he is.