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Is a GSD puppy right for us?

2K views 16 replies 15 participants last post by  WateryTart 
#1 ·
Apologies to be posting something that's been posted on here a lot in the past, but I've been reading all the other stuff and I'm still a bit cautious.

I've always wanted a GSD and now it looks like my family may have the time and resources to finally own one, but as I've been doing my homework I'm still not sure if the breed is right for us. Could more experienced GSD owners give me some feedback?

I'm looking for a loyal, trainable, intelligent family companion who's good with kids and guests but not overly aggressive, stubborn, or clingy. Ideally, we can train it for Therapy Dog work. Right now we have a small house with a small yard in town. We have a 4 year old daughter who is gentle with animals and hope to have another child or two in the next few years. We have 3 cats and occasionally dogsit our friend's Yorkie. About once a month we throw parties and have a bunch of people over at the house, and our daughter has her little friends over about once a week, so our dog needs to tolerate guests (especially kids).

If we get this puppy, someone will be home with him all but 2-3 days a week, then he could stay with our in-laws as she babysits our daughter (they have a medium sized fenced yard and two dogs of their own) or would go to a doggy daycare for $20 a day. It would get a 30-45 minute walk in the evenings as well as obedience classes and therapy dog training. We'd like to take it to the dog park a couple of times a week and spend time playing with it in the backyard or at the park in the evenings, plus go on camping trips and the occasional hike on the weekends.

I've owned and fostered dogs before, everything from mutts to Australian Shepherd mixes, Beagles, and purebred Labs. They were sweet dogs, but the AS were a bit too hyperactive and destructive; the Beagles I had as a child inevitably escaped and ran off as soon as they had the chance; and the labs, while nice, were just not all that interesting to me.

Years ago, my ex and I adopted a mutt from the shelter that we believe was an Australian Cattle Dog and GSD mix. I've never had a bond with a dog like I did with that guy. What I really liked about him was his combination of intelligence with a laid back demeanor in the house. He would come snuggle and enjoy a tummy rub and play games all night, but otherwise he was content to just lay at your feet in the house. I think this is the "aloofness" that people mention when they talk about GSDs--I've seen a similar attitude in most of the GSDs I've met--and I really liked it. He was great on car rides and just the most loyal, chill dog most of the time. Take him outside, though, and he'd romp and play for hours when it was playtime. He was awesome.

However, he was also stubborn to train (he'd obey only when he wanted to) and, despite working very hard to socialize him as a puppy, he did not like when strangers came over (he'd bark and snort the whole time, but never bite or bare his teeth). He also got a bit dog aggressive at times on walks and was **** to train not to drag us on the leash. I'd like to not have to deal with that.

We'd prefer a puppy because of our daughter and the cats--we're a little wary of brining a large adult dog into the home that we don't know, even it's been trained and gotten good temperament references from a rescue. While a GSD is my first choice, we're also considering a Golden Retriever, ACD, or Doberman.

What are your thoughts? Does it sound like we would handle a GSD and give him the exercise and stimulation he needs, or should we look at another breed? I want to make sure our dog has the home, exercise, and stimulation he deserves to be happy while also fitting into our own lifestyle.
 
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#2 ·
It depends on the dog. Could I suggest you use the search engine on this site and look up:
*landshark
*dog parks
*dog aggression
to see what problems other members here have experienced with their dogs.


I have a small yard. I follow Nitro with a watering can when I send him to toilet, to anoint the spot he pees in, to avoid brown dead patches in my lawn. When the ground is soft he tends to tear up the lawn when he brakes when playing.

My first german shepherd Tessa would have been an ideal fit for your family and life style. She was a submissive girl with low prey drive. Five years after her death (old age), a non dog owning family we know still talk about her.

My current german shepherd Nitro is a dominant male, with a high prey drive. He would be a poor fit for your family for the first few years. A boisterous puppy could unintentionally hurt your 4 year old. Going through the adolescent stage with my current dog, some days were yuck. Now that he is past that I have an awesome dog.

If you get a dog like Tessa, yes. A dog like Nitro, until he's mature, would need diligent supervision with a young child, to avoid unintentional injury when playing. He loves kids, by the way. While gentle, loving and smoochy, he is on lead when meeting them as he doesn't live with any.
 
#3 ·
Honestly when I read your post I thought you sounded like you might be happier with a Golden. Then I saw that on your list and thought well..honestly, MY impression of your lifestyle and what you want to do with it, you are more likely to be happy with a Golden than a GSD. My 2c

Definitely not an ACD off that list....though people may disagree with me on that.

Your description of laid back demeanor in the house is not what I would call the aloofness that GSDs are known for. Some are not social butterflies and just really don't care to love on or be loved on by people they don't know (not to be mistaken for an unstable or aggressive dog.
 
#5 ·
Yeah, I agree that I am not sure a GSD is a good fit right now for your family. That's not to say that you couldn't find one that would fit into your life, but that it would be more the exception and not the rule.

Goldens are wonderful, but be careful, there are lines that have severe resource guarding issues.

A Cattle dog, no. Just no. Great dogs, even worse fit than a GSD.

I am not a fan of Dobermans. So I won't even comment.

I can't believe I am suggesting one, but have you looked at Boxers? I also really like Tollers and Welsh Springers, and Portugese water dogs.
 
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#10 ·
I've had 3 Boxers. They are great family dogs but they aren't low energy, they aren't as quick to train as a GSD or a Collie. But they will settle in the house, usually directly on your lap.

If we get another one, it will be from German lines. The American lines I'm seeing are getting nervy.
 
#11 · (Edited)
If you have the room, english mastiffs are big ol teddy bears. A neighbor of mine growing up had one, we would climb him and wrestle with him and play with his ears and he would never ever get annoyed. One time we were in the front yard and some weird guy approached us, he somehow didnt see the dog lying on the porch. The dog who wouldnt lift a finger if a tornado struck but bolted to the front yard fence and scared off the guy. I will always remember that, love those dogs.
 
#12 ·
I see no one has really mentioned this but a 30-45 minute walk once a day is really not enough in my opinion for a german shepherd, a golden might be more suited for that type of exercise schedule but a GSD might just go crazy. I really like goldens tbh they are such characters and very easy to get along with, and with your parties and wanting to go to the dog park with your dog and the children I really believe that a golden would be much better suited for you. It does depend on what shepherd you do get a low drive, low-ish- medium energy and doing all the right things with them as a puppy could work but getting puppy it is hard to ensure all those qualities.

My friends family just got a Newfoundland, not sure if you have ever thought about them but they have a 2 year old and he is fantastic with her, very laid back and doesnt require too much exercise, although the smaller yard and house might be a bit of a problem, though I don't know exactly how big your house is and you could get away with the smallest size of them (still fairly big though) depending on what you like

100% no cattle dog, I know people on a farm who still have problems with their cattle dog (amazing trainers and dog people but just crazy dog with so so much energy and drives)
 
#13 · (Edited)
Firstly let me start off to say.. German Shepherd's are very loyal to their family members and want to be with you 24/7 no matter what, that's what they prefer rather than off chasing balls, or going somewhere they like. They would literally rather sit with you while you're in the bathroom and shower too that's the type of dogs they are. Also, your shepherd is gonna be very, very hyper especially if they're only getting 30 - 45 minute walks, shepherds sold as pets are WL dogs, they need at least 2 - 3 hours when they're adults. You'll be dealing with loads of destruction and lots of nipping if you don't do at least 2-3 hours daily. My current puppy right now isn't aggressive, but he sure is one stubborn puppy, he knows the command "roll over" and when he does it, he starts complaining .. He's a very vocal pup, probably the most vocal one I've ever owned, so it completely depends on the puppy... Some are stubborn, some are eager, you never know.

Secondly with a GSD puppy, they're giant land sharks as puppies, constantly nipping and biting, my current pup is great with my nephew who's 4 years old, but there are times he gets to hyper and starts nipping him or pulling at his clothes so I have to correct that, either way, he's very good with kids, the tolerance is absolutely amazing, he lets them touch his paws, tail, literally everywhere and just sits there and takes it, I don't let the kids do that anymore with him because now he's use to being handled, but he's very gentle. So I wouldn't be concerned too much about the child / GSD issue, than again, you're gonna want a low-medium shepherd since you have such a young child. Also shepherds are instantly suspicious of all strangers, so you're gonna be dealing with your guests being stared down by your Shepherd, and some so friendly greet compared to a happy Golden Retriever that wants to greet every stranger the moment they walk in, also Golden Retriever are great during car rides.

To be honest with you, I think you'd be perfectly fine with a shepherd but you'd have to change a couple of things if you really are determine to get this breed. But in all honesty .. I totally recommend going for a Golden Retriever, less stress for you, for one thing, another thing is, they have very soft mouths so won't be hard on your child during the puppy stages (still will be nippy, obviously), a Golden will also be okay for 45 minute walks, or you can easily just take your pup to a pool or lake and tire him out just from that he'll go nuts, they're also very trainable, goofy great dogs and get along with other dogs nicely, yet LOVE people so you won't have an issue with guests. Everything you asked for (your list of wants) all fit perfectly with a Golden.

Go for a golden.
:) Hope that helps.

Edit: If you do decide to get a puppy, or even a Golden, be search to research the **** out of the breeders, this is so you have a healthy dog with no future issues, and so, you won't have the issues you had with your past dogs, you want a good temperament, solid dog that'll be good with your child and people, that's nice and mellow.
 
#14 ·
Shepherds come in all shapes, colors and drives. The most important thing is temperament. The dog should have a sound mind. This is always non-negotiable. Then, in your case at least, get a puppy with medium/low prey drive and a more submissive pack drive. Look at Show lines (but German show lines not AKC) rather than Working lines as a point of departure. A Shiloh shepherd might also be a good option for you. But even a low drive dog needs lots of daily excercise.
Have you thought about a Belgian Malinois or Dutch Shepherd? If you have, kill that thought immediately. >:)
 
#15 ·
It's a hard decision, to say the least, and it's hard for anyone else to say precisely what kind of breed is best for you--particularly when you consider that all dogs are individuals. We have two shepherds and have fostered six, and they all had distinctive personalities and different traits, energy levels, issues, etc. But I have written a brief post about considering a GSD puppy, if you are interested: https://thedoggerel.wordpress.com/2...et-a-german-shepherd-puppy-11-things-to-know/
 
#16 ·
Geez, I don't know where people get the idea that West German show lines are a sack of potatoes. No, as a rule, they are not as driven or hard as most working lines, and they can, and do, make good family pets, but that does not mean they are all that easy either.
 
#17 ·
I'm looking for a loyal, trainable, intelligent family companion who's good with kids and guests but not overly aggressive, stubborn, or clingy. Ideally, we can train it for Therapy Dog work. Right now we have a small house with a small yard in town. We have a 4 year old daughter who is gentle with animals and hope to have another child or two in the next few years. We have 3 cats and occasionally dogsit our friend's Yorkie. About once a month we throw parties and have a bunch of people over at the house, and our daughter has her little friends over about once a week, so our dog needs to tolerate guests (especially kids).

If we get this puppy, someone will be home with him all but 2-3 days a week, then he could stay with our in-laws as she babysits our daughter (they have a medium sized fenced yard and two dogs of their own) or would go to a doggy daycare for $20 a day. It would get a 30-45 minute walk in the evenings as well as obedience classes and therapy dog training. We'd like to take it to the dog park a couple of times a week and spend time playing with it in the backyard or at the park in the evenings, plus go on camping trips and the occasional hike on the weekends.


[snip]

What are your thoughts? Does it sound like we would handle a GSD and give him the exercise and stimulation he needs, or should we look at another breed? I want to make sure our dog has the home, exercise, and stimulation he deserves to be happy while also fitting into our own lifestyle.
I can't tell you what's right for you.

I can tell you that I have a very mellow show line dog who would probably prefer more exercise than 30-45 minutes of walking and a few games in the yard. A short walk for this dog is 2 miles; a regular one is 3 or 4. We've done 5, and she would probably handle longer if I could. One or both of us probably have her out for between an hour or two of walking most nights unless she has class. All in, I would say the dog walks 15-20 miles per week. I probably walk about 10 of that with her and my husband probably walks 15.

We train weekly in obedience and also dabble in a dog sport. She goes to daycare once a week for the exercise and gets off leash hikes and/or Chuck It sessions on weekends (sometimes weeknights too, if I feel lazy I'll throw her in the car and take her somewhere to run and play rather than walk her). We play games in the yard and house.

The reason I go into detail here is that while she needs less than a lot of other shepherds, she needs a bit more than what you describe. I feel pretty confident using her as an example of a relatively low key shepherd. I would guess people on this forum would characterize her as low drive. The more I think about it, the more I'm unsure; she is energetic, she has some drive, but she is pretty laidback. I guess I'd have to see how someone else would describe her if I ever meet anyone from the forum offline. Either way, she's a really easy GSD.
 
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