Want to get a German Shepherd but looking for some answers to questions first.

[BE4TNUT]

About Me:
Hello Everyone. I am a 28 year old livign in Massachusetts and I am a dog person. I love dogs, and German Shepherds are one of my favorites. I had dogs growing up. Oone when I was really little that we actually gave to a neighbor when we moved. The neighbor was a lonely old man who our dog always went over to visit him. My other dog who was in my life much longer was a Golden Retriever that my parents surprised me with when I was in 3rd grade which I had up until she passed away while I was in high school.

So that is my history with dogs. Up until last year I had a work schedule where I worked 3 days a week, 12 hour shifts and wanted a dog but didn't think it was fair for the dog to be home for 14 hours without me there. I now work a normal M-F 8am-4:30pm shift and would really like to get a dog. I currently live in a 1000sq/ft apartment. Very close by there are walking paths and not far from me there are elementary schools with athletic fields.

GS and Apartment Life:
So I have read that German Shepherds can be good dogs for apartment living, unlike some other breeds. It said they are fairly mellow indoors, and outdoors is when they really get to be their active selves. Is that a good generalization of the breed? I plan to be walking the dog 2-3 times a day (or as needed by the dog's needs to relieve themselves) and bringing the dog to a nearby field to play with and hopefully have another dog or two meet me there for them to play together also.

Diet:
Onto food. I hear so much about regular dog food not being good for pets since there are things that aren't naturally in their diet in these foods. What is a good balanced diet for them? I don't mind giving them real meat from time to time but a diet based solely on that I would imagine could get very expensive. I saw the raw food diet information in the forum but curious what your routine for your dog is with food.

Training:
Next question is training related. I saw some places on the internet that German Shepherds do not train like other dogs. But these sites then try to sell me an eBook on how to train the dog. This makes me think it is a scam. I know this breed is VERY intelligent and I would think could be fairly easy to teach all sorts of things. I used to spend time training my Golden Retriever all sorts of things for tricks. So does convential dog training (positive reinforcement) work well with this breed?

Other Animals in the Home:
I do have my girlfriend living with me right now who has two cats. I know I need to make sure the dog will get along with the cats first so there isn't a problem there. Do they normally not mind cats or is it entirely up to the dog? My dog growing up and our cat would normally play and sleep together. I found a young German Shepherd at a rescue that I would like to inquire about. He is a 9 month old male, but want to make sure I have these questions answered first. Is there anything I should look for or be careful about when it comes to a shelter dog?

Crate Training:
Lastly I would like to crate train, and it will be the dog's own personal space where if eh doesn't want to be disturbed he can get away from us humans haha. Is it ok to get a crate the size they will need when they are full grown, or shoul dyou start smaller and upgrade as they grow?

Barking Concern:
Since I do live in an apartment also, I will need to be mindful and careful of the dog developing the desire to bark excessively. It is my understanding with a "barker" you can train them to be more quiet when needed.

Is there anything else you may think I am overlooking or anything that you wished someone told you when you were looking into your first German Shepherd?

Thanks in advance for all information!

[Emoore]

Welcome to the forum! I think it's awesome that you're asking these questions before going out and getting a dog.

Based on a couple of things (being in an apartment, being gone 8 hours a day, having cats), I think that adopting a dog who is not a baby puppy would be best in your situation. If you take the time to look, you can find a young adult who is housebroken and good with cats. Also baby puppies will yell and scream and whine all day for the first couple of days which may not be the best in an apartment.

The 9 month old male you're looking at-- is he in a foster home situation? Any idea if he's ok with cats? Why was he surrendered to the rescue? Is he housebroken?

As far as training, the very best thing you can do is take a training class with your dog. Taking a class is far far better than trying to learn from a book because in a class situation the dog learns to focus on you when there are other dogs and people around and also because the instructor can act as a second set of eyes and see when you could do something better. An actual training school or club is better than PetSmart or PetCo.

[juliejujubean]

From my personal experience an apartment is not a bad place to raise a puppy as long as you exercise them fully, we have a walking trail right attached to our perimeter and she loves it. Its all about socialization. Make sure your pup is around thing young so it wont be spooked. Like bikes and people and children. As for the food, i feed mine blue wilderness by blue buffalo, she loves it and its great for her. Try dogfoodanalysis.com and check out what they have to say about foods, really informative. As for the crate, for inital potty training i had the smaller so she would not pee on her self but once she got it, we got full size and its great. As for barking, she does not really bark at anything, but it is her personality. I do recommend you get a pup and when you do, introduce it to the maintnence guys. Saves a lot of headache
Any more questions let me know, i tried going off the top of my head with the answers.

[BE4TNUT]

Great information and fast. I will check out the dog food nutrition site also. I like the idea of a training class, I will see what is in my area.

As for the dog I found that is part of a rescue... He is 9 months old, in a foster home, housebroken and the listing says he has a natural curiosity towards cats. I do not yet know if he was surendered or how he got to be in the rescue. I also have not yet met him but he is adorable in his picture. I know part of it is how well you get along with the dog right from the start so I should know more once I can meet him.

The adoption listing:

Beautiful Jackson is a 10 month old Shepherd mix. He is currently 40 pounds and is highly intelligent. He is a puppy through and through. He loves playing, chasing balls, squeaky toys and playing with others. He does not have a lot of patience for very young puppies but will tolerate them. He has normal curiosity around cats, is housebroken and is great in a crate. Because of Jackson's intelligence he is highly trainable (beyond sit and stay) as requires someone with strong leadership. His ideal home would be one where his people are physically active and would include him in their day to day activities.

Spayed/Neutered • Up-to-date with routine shots • House trained • Primary colors: Black, Tricolor (Brown, Black & White) • Coat length: Medium

The rescue requests not to inquire about any dog unless you are ready to adopt in the next week or two. I can understand this so they don't have people going around to the foster's homes just to look without intentions of adopting one. The rescue is a network of fosters, their actual place of operations is in VA but they operate all over the place with volunteers and fosters.

[GSDkid]

I would definitely check with your apartment complex before getting a GSD. Some mark GSD's as an "aggressive dog" and probably won't allow one. I can't compare a GSD to a GR but GSD's are very easy to train. It just takes consistency and patience as would any other dog. The GSD was my first actual dog I've ever had and through all the scary talk about how destructive they are, they're not that bad or maybe I just got lucky with mine.

For Crate training, I bought the crate that she would be staying in when she's full grown. Puppies grow fast and before you know it, she'll be full sized already. Plus, it saves to not have to keep introducing a new area to her.

[Jack's Dad]

I would be a little concerned about the "requires strong leadership".

Strong leadership is a great quality to have with any dog but when I see that specifically stated in connection with a particular dog, for me is red flags. Maybe nothing though.

Rescue people will be better able to tell you about the network of fosters etc... Again though, I would prefer a rescue where I deal directly with a specific organization. the only problem dog I ever really had was from a rescue similiar to what you are stating. That doesn'rt mean the one you are referring to is not good. Just something to check out.
They should question you and you should find out about them.

[BE4TNUT]

I did notice the strong leadership in the description and it did catch me for a moment but I didn't know if just because these dogs are very smart they may be referring to someone who is going to train them and not let them run the house.

It could be me justifying it, but I think I will have a better idea once I can meet him and see how he is.

About the GSD being allowed in the apartment complex, there are a couple of other German Shepherds that I see people walking there all the time and also there is no listed breed restrictions in the apartment rules. The unit I am in is owned by my family and not rented from the main office people.

[Germanshepherdlova]

As far as the cats-from what I have observed between my dogs and my cats and also my sisters Doberman's and her cats is that the cat has a lot to do with if they will get along or not. If the cat is skittish and runs whenever she/he sees the dog then it is much more likely that the dog will chase her. If she is not a nervy cat and is calm and just walks along then the dogs seem to leave her alone. Some dogs do have true cat aggression-but my dogs and my sister as well react to cats according to the way the cats react to them.

[misterW]

Will there be anyone there during the day? All day alone five days a week might be an unhappy situation for a Shepherd. They can form very strong attachments to their owners.

[wyoung2153]

Disclaimer: Just my opinion and experience.

I think it's a GREAT idea to get a GSD, though I am biased. You sound like you are on the right track as far as gaining information before you actually own a GSD. I grew up with Lab mixes and GSDs are very different in almost any aspect. Their energy, their play, their temperment, their learning capabilities, etc. They are MUCH easier to train than any other dog I have encountered.

As for apartment life. Some say that it's not ideal for a GSD though they will do just fine with enough exercise. My personal opinion is that if you make time for your dog in whatever living quarters you have.. you will have a happy dog. When I first purchased Titan, I lived in germany. Their back yards were near non existent unless you had a ranch or a farm. So there was just enough room in my yard for Titan to go to the bathroom and as a puppy to play in small bursts. I opted to take him to a field every single day. His exercise routine was: Morning Walk around the village, crated during work ours, after work we'd go for a walk/run/hike then end up at a field to play fetch or train for 30-45 minutes. Since I lived in what I might consider an aparment (duplex with barely a yard) I would HIGHLY encourage you regulate play time and not leave toys out to his disposal at all time. I did not do this with mine and because of that he ALWAYS wanted to play. I have just started regulating now (2 years later) and he is a completely different dog. Hind sight's 20-20. lol. Though now I'm stateside and have a HUGE yard. So that could be the change too

As for diet. Titan was on kibble up until a few months ago. It was a pain! He was so picky and didn't like kibble at all. For health reasons and to try something he might like better, I switched to the raw diet. For not having a local butcher to get great deals with, I don't think I did too bad in pricing. I payed about $100 a month for my 100lb boy. That's not terrible in my opinion but I know for a fact you can go cheaper when you buy bulk. I am not looking at a prepackaged raw that is actually MUCH cheaper than going to a grocery store. You have to be careful with prepackaged foods and make sure you are getting human grade quality. Two I would suggest looking at are K9Kravings and Blue Ridge Beef (the one I am switching too) If you are looking at Raw or something other than kibble, go to the forum under Nutrition.. there are SO many people willing to help you get started.

Personally, I would rather start with a puppy only because you seem to have specific requirements you want for your dog; no barking, cat friendly, less activity in the house, etc. With a puppy you can much easier train to your needs and living situation. Though you could also find an adult dog that is trained and very adaptable. Don't let anyone tell you you can't do this with an apartment or a full time job. I am in the military. I am single and worked insanely long hours sometimes. I got Titan when he was 7 weeks old. I had to make sacrifices to my personal life but that what you have to do sometimes. I got up a little earlier to give him exercise and attention. I had to work out with my leadership at work to leave during lunch or half way through the day to let him out until he was potty trained and could stay in his crate while I worked.. which most of the time was M-F 0730-1630. but sometimes I would work late. And once he was old enough for me not to come home at lunch (as I lived 30 minutes away from base) I just extended his exercise in the evenings when I got home and was sure to tucker him out. I got him involved in Search and Rescue in a local group. I would suggest being a part of something outside the home as well.. be it a dog group that meets up, a type of service, agility courses, herding, etc. For Titan.. Routine was ESSENTIAL. I had to create one and stick to it. He is a much happier dog when things are the same every day. But do remember that these are very adaptable dogs. My situation changes all the time. Deployments, leave, trips, moving, etc. Most of those he comes with me and loves it.. when he can't come with he has learned to adapt very well to a new routine with whomever is watching him.

Training: Not too much to be said here except TRAIN TRAIN TRAIN! Work with him daily!! it's good for him and fun for you! I did not take Titan to a training class. And although he is the best trained dog I have owned, and is one of the most well-trainied dogs I know. I wish I took him to one because it's MUCH different. Your dog learns to focus on you when there are other people and animals around. You get the socialization. You get pointers from someone who might catch something you never realized.

Sorry this was so long but I felt the need to share with you my opinion. Hope some of this helps and good luck with your GSD! Welcome to the forum and keep us updated!!!

~Whitney