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.
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.