German Shepherds Forum banner

Things you didn't know about GSDs

167K views 361 replies 250 participants last post by  Sebastian Murarescu 
#1 ·
Until you owned one... I'd love to know odd and some mainstream facts that people just did not know about GSDs until they own one.

I'll start - the whining! I was told when researching the breed that they are not big barkers and usually only bark when they feel its necessary. I can attest to that as my dog really only barks when there's someone at the door or when those **** delivery guys slip menus under the door :) whereas my neighbor's sheltie seems to just bark its head off out the window and seemingly nothing...

What I wasn't told is the whining :). not whining dogs who learned whining will get them what they want but whining as most GSDs do - being vocal, whining when excited, whining when I make funny noises, sometimes just whining out of nowhere (not including health issues that we do not know about that's causing them pain or something) - German shepherds are just big vocal dogs that love to "talk" ... I did not know that until owning one but once I did and asked other shepherds' owners they all pretty much said "oh yea that's a GSD for you" lol

so, what did you not know about until getting a shepherd?
 
#36 ·
^^OMG!!! My wife would have killed him right there!!!

One of the GSDs i grew up with was the most destructive dog we ever owned....he stole and ate entire bars of soap from the bathrooms, tubes of neosporin, ate the carpet, ate the walls, hotwheel cars, stole a roast off the counter, stole a large pizza......on and on. He grew up to be a great dog but my mom and i had to literally block the front door on several occasions to stop my dad from taking him to the pound.

My dad ended up loving him as much as the rest of us.
 
#39 ·
The most destructive dog I had was a Chinese Shar-Pei I fostered for 8 months. He chewed the door to my bedroom, chewed the molding off next to the door of the other bedroom and also chewed several shoes and the handle of an umbrella. I still have a pair of shoes somewhere with his teeth marks in the heel.


That's pretty bad! My Golden was a counter surfer and she stole packages of thawing chicken several times, but never a roast. Eventually my family learned not to leave anything on the counter to thaw... She also loved bread and would steal and eat whole loaves of bread. :rolleyes:
Oh yeah she also once stole a gingerbread house off the kitchen counter, dragged it all the way into the living room to her dog bed and ate it down to the bottoms of the walls. Surprisingly she didn't get sick at all. I thought someone had thrown it out until I found the cardboard base with the bottoms of the walls attached in her bed. She never destroyed anything, just stole food. Well, except for the time she found my bait bag with treats in it.

When I was a kid my family's 15 pound Cockapoo mix once climbed on the kitchen table and started eating the cheese off the pizza that was sitting there waiting for us to eat.

My GSD hasn't been destructive at all though and doesn't counter surf.
 
#38 ·
My dog isn't pb, but apparently received enough genes from mama to behave in many of the same ways!

Surprised me:

--This velcro thing! I thought he'd grow out of it, that it was a young pup thing. At just shy of 9 months, nope. Still waits outside the bathroom door when I shower, still wants to accompany me to the potty. Still wants to be wherever I am. Curious about every single thing I'm doing.

--The intelligence and intensity! For a mutt, this guy is pretty smart! When we're "training," he is really focused on what we're doing. I'm honestly extremely surprised by this. VERY pleasantly so. I mean, he LIKES it. He LIKES to focus and earn his treat or praise. My other two, (non-GSD) just didn't hold focus like this guy can.

--The sensitive tummy stuff is the bad "surprise." His mom was fed cheap crap (not my choice, not my dog) and she never had any issues, not a single one. (Other than a whole lot more poop) Sigh.

--The bond. I knew, but didn't know, how strong a GSD/ (mix) can bond to the owner. Sure, I saw it with my son and his WGSD... and I bonded to that dog, too, but... I didn't really understand it until Bailey. I have two other dogs and I love them with all my heart. I'm bonded to them, of course, but it isn't the same. My oldest dog is my sweetheart, but she never followed me around like this, never wanted my attention like this, never was so "driven" like this guy is. Hate to say it, but she isn't anywhere near as smart as he is. I feel like a traitor, but it's true. My middle dog is more bonded to my bf, for some stupid reason. (I exercise, feed, do almost everything - yet truth be told, she is "his" dog.)
 
#41 ·
--The bond. I knew, but didn't know, how strong a GSD/ (mix) can bond to the owner.
Yeah I was surprised about that too. Mostly about how quickly Bianca bonded with me even though I got her when she was 4 years old and she'd lived in her previous home since she was a puppy! I had some trouble bonding with her, I think it was because it was probably too soon after I lost my Golden Retriever Ginger who was my heart dog. But she bonded with me almost instantly even though I was having trouble connecting with her.

My Golden and I had a really strong special bond. I could just move my head or hand a little and she'd know what I wanted her to do, or I could say something to her that wasn't actually a command she knew and she'd know what I meant anyway.
When I got Bianca I had trouble getting used to a dog who didn't know what I meant all the time and didn't know the hand gestures I used and things like that. She's learned some of that now but she's still now as in tune as Ginger was.
 
#40 ·
I had no idea how human focused GSDs can be. Not clingy but so in touch with what their owner(s) are up to and feeling. I can twitch a finger and Banjo will come over. I can smile at him and his tail will flip around some. They watch us so very closely and carefully and use that vaunted GSD mind effectively.

I also had no idea that they can be utter goofballs. Silly even. Humor in animals is debated, but I'm going to go with it exists. Mischievous maybe, he does things he knows are naughty when in the heat of play, knowing I will laugh and I SWEAR it looks like he's laughing too.
 
#42 ·
their intensity! Alot of stuff actually I've had other dogs before and did lots of researching however they never tell you that everything you read about owning a GSD and actually OWNING the darn GSD are 2 very different things! Yeah you hear everyone say they shed like crazy and you THINK you prepared for it, then you bring one home. You read about the crazy mouthiness of the "land shark" then you bring one home and start another thread about it because you are positive something is wrong with yours because it's impossible an entire breed can be so flesh hungry!

Just how smart they truly are. Everyone knows they are smart but then you own one and you actually can see their little wheels turning and them figure out how to solve a problem the fact they truly think not just obey.

How loving and loyal they truly are. All the sites say that they are loyal however seeing it in person is something VERY different.

Oh and of course the fact you will never pee in peace ever again (or the nose peaking around the shower curtain just to make sure I didn't get sucked down the drain)
 
#43 ·
I agree with all of the above except that I have a door to my bathroom and I use it.
 
#46 ·
i didn't realize how much i could love a dog. i had noooo idea a dog could mean so much to me and be the love of my life lol.

but i have to say, before i got my german shepherd i read sooo many books. not once did anyone anywhere in the books mention the landshark phase!! i almost gave up my pup cause i thought it was him being too aggressive and mean, but thank god i found this forum and you all told me it was normal! i'm sooo glad i stuck it out. i think if people knew about that before getting a german shepherd less dogs would end up in rescue/shelters.
 
#47 ·
Got my first GSD so many years ago that I can't remember what surprised me then. But every dog is different and the things I didn't know that I do now are (most have been mentioned)

1- sensitivity. She hates getting in trouble, doesn't stop her from getting into it- but she still hates getting yelled at

2- "working line" vs "regular line/BYB"- which also equals the intensity!!

3-the "helpfullness"

4- that "houdini" gene- I have to put clips on the crate to keep her in it now and have had to since about 4 months old

5-the "water" obsession- my poor hose, or should I say hoses...she LOVES to attack them

6- the "separation anxiety" factor- this one seems to have it more than my previous and I spent lots more time with my first one ( i was in high school)
 
#51 ·
i too, definitely thought something was wrong with chobahn when he was a baby. i didn't know they were called "landsharks" until i found this forum. yes, i was the ignorant first time owner, but after a little reading, it all made sense! i remember telling my mom "all he does is follow me around in the morning and try to eat my robe! he's the devil in a dog's body...a menace" i was soooo sure he was going to be a bitey monster his whole life. i couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel because it took him a while to get out of the landshark phase. i also didn't know how vocal they are. i first learned this when we had him in puppy class and our trainer wanted us to hold our dogs on our laps. well...one by one everyone else did it and their dogs were LOVING it! they were laying all sprawled out on their laps quietly taking in all the attention and petting. yeah, well not mine. chobahn was sitting in my lap screaming and whining "arrrrrarrrrrrarararararar" in this shrill tone and it was so flipping embarrassing i wanted to die lol. the trainer told us that shepherds are notoriously vocal creatures, so i felt a little better, but seriously...he drew a crowd.

i also learned that like a child, if they're quiet, they're getting into trouble. well, at least mine is haha
 
#58 ·
i remember telling my mom "all he does is follow me around in the morning and try to eat my robe!
i am a first time pup owner and i bought this pdf book about training. And they called that "the bathrobe assault" lol
I could not stop laughing it was hilarious because it's soo true haha

And another training tip somewhere else said when tethering or giving a time out, use a hand signal the same hand signal everytime time that lets them know that ur taking away their play or whatever and it says use a hand signal that says "you're a jerk. Fun's over" i thought that was so funny

Those are funniest things i have come accross
 
#53 ·
i can tell what he is doing by listening to his footsteps. for example, if i'm in the basement doing laundry or something and leave him unattended upstairs, the second i hear trotting or prancing, i KNOW he has something he shouldn't. i'm waiting for the day he figures out that i figured him out and he just starts walking instead of prancing after he thieves something.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Vala
#55 ·
i'm waiting for the day he figures out that i figured him out and he just starts walking instead of prancing after he thieves something.
Ahhhh yes the prance. That trot will make me whip my head around fast enough to hurt sometimes. GSDs telegraph their naughty. I have learned that Mals(mine at least) are a tad sneakier, Peppy just takes stuff and walks off.
 
#54 ·
That there is no door that can be truly shut from a GSD inside the house. Bedroom doors and bathroom doors if given enough time will open . Daisy is the master and has created some embrassing moments. Lucky has picked up on it however his is more gentle bump,Daisy just tackles it and the door is open.
 
#76 ·
That there is no door that can be truly shut from a GSD inside the house....
:rofl: Oh sure, this is funny NOW, but it sure wasn't funny when I learned this one the hard way! My middle naughty dog had pulled an escape act and I was trying to get her back home from the neighbor's yard.. and look who is bounding up towards us? Yep, Mr Bailey. He'd figured out how to open the dang back door. He knows how to open it to get out AND in now. Who needs a doggy door?? :laugh:

And I want to add another thing that has surprised me. I don't think this is very GSD-like at all, though? (I don't know!) I don't need to hardly scold this boy at all. A simple NO, OFF, etc is all it takes. He seems to really want to please and if it doesn't please, he doesn't really want to do it. I so love that quality. :wub:
 
#56 ·
I had GSDs growing up but all were older rescues....Now with Stella I have learned what a landshark is....counter surfing.... and always finding my shoes or slippers somewhere other than where I left them.... And then there is always the I will make you play with me by stealing forbidden objects and showing them to you
 
  • Like
Reactions: Vala
#173 ·
I had GSDs growing up but all were older rescues....Now with Stella I have learned what a landshark is....counter surfing.... and always finding my shoes or slippers somewhere other than where I left them.... And then there is always the I will make you play with me by stealing forbidden objects and showing them to you
You sure you're not describing my Jake ;) Right now he's in a phase where he's stealing everything that he's not supposed to have. And the counter surfing is driving me nuts!
 
#59 ·
:laugh: Ah, yes, the vocal antics. I bought Lobo at 8 weeks and took him to my vet the next day. After his check up, the vet trimmed his nails. He barely even tipped them, only trimmed a half a millimeter, I swear. Lobo whined, howled, and cried so loudly, even the staff from the front came in to see what horrible thing was happening to him. Dr. Johnson said, "The world's biggest babies are male German Shepherds."
 
#60 ·
LOL our first GSD came from the shelter intact, we had to get him in ASAP though because he'd been injured in that "area" so they had to be removed anyway. No clue what was up with that.
Anyway, after the neuter, we brought him home and he was dopey the 1st night. The next AM, he was all hunched up and could barely walk! He was literally walking straddled like he'd been on a horse all day. I was so freaked out, I literally thought he was dying!
He was okay. Whew. That was my intro to GSDs and their drama :)
 
#61 · (Edited)
Their intelligence for sure shocked me. I read a ton of stuff and knew they would be easier to train and they would be more in tune to what I want.. but until I got Titan as a pup I didn't realize it at all.

He is so good and half of the things he does I never taught him. He is the only dog I have ever known that will not try to get out of the room/crate/whatever I put him in. If I leave the door ajar and leave him in there, even if I don't say stay.. he will just sit there waiting for me to open it. If I go outside without him for whatever reason, he will just sit at the door waiting even if I know he could get out. I NEVER had to lock his crate, I could just shut it til it touches and leave him there.. I swear I would come back later that day and he would still be in it.. never really tested that for more than an hour or so.

He knows when bedtime is too.. if it's getting to that time he will pace form the stairs to where I'm at.. look at me and then go back to the stairs until I decide it's time.

WATER. Oh man does he love water. I did not know GSDs would like water that much.. he loves EVERYTHING about it.. drinking it, playing with it, swimming it, fetching in it, splashing in it, EVERYTHING. It's my favorite part of living near the beach and rivers.. I get to take him swimming!! Growing up, my lab/BC mix HATED water. So this is so new to me!

Never knew how Routine they were.. if Titan's routine gets messed up.. he is the most pathetic looking dog.. no spunk or anything until he figures it out. That being said they are the most adaptable dogs I've ever seen. If my routine/location/whatever does change.. he's in that pathetic state for all of a day or two until he gets the new routine down. Being in the Military that helps a lot!

The bond is another thing. I knew that you would bond with your dog but I never understood it until Titan. His is infact the love of my life, and I his. He loves other people who will play with him.. but I am the only one he wants love from.. which I like it that way.. I'm a jealous mommy :) And now that I have a new puppy.. he is getting much more needy which is a change for him.

"My house will never be complete without one." Is a great one. I 100% agree!
 
#63 ·
Yupp, mine have been talking to me for years. The range of their vocalizations is pretty awesome, and add that to the expressiveness of their eyes and ears, and they are excellent communicators. I would say they were near human, but that would be an insult.
 
#67 ·
Yupp, mine have been talking to me for years. The range of their vocalizations is pretty awesome, and add that to the expressiveness of their eyes and ears, and they are excellent communicators.
Kind of sad that Titan isn't vocal like that. He really only lets me know when someone is on the property and does the mouth snappy thing (any one know what I'm talking about?) without vocals when he gets VERY excited.

His expressions are PRICELESS. I know exactly what he wants just by looking at his facial expressions. Did not know dogs had that in them :)
 
#64 ·
That they're so smart it makes them a PITA... everyone always says, "they're so trainable, because they're so smart!". In reality, it almost makes them harder to train, because they pick up on and take advantage of every. Little. Inconsistency. "Well hey, that's not how you asked me last time, so....no." This also contributes to the houdini gene :laugh:
 
#66 ·
Last night mine somehow opened the cupboard that has the plastic containers for left overs, etc. & brought me one while I was reading....GREAT...now he opens flipping cupboards...he alreadys knows how to open the storm door & last summer turned on the outdoor faucet:eek:
 
#68 ·
I didn't realize that I actually look pretty good in Hondo pants.

" Hon, do these pants make my butt look big?"
" I can't tell, Hondo is in the way."
" Perfect!"
 
#72 ·
I never knew I could love a dog so much and still get so mad at her for stupid stuff--like stay out of the kitchen when I am cooking or eating--EVERY SINGLE DAY I TELL HER THIS AND EVERY SINGLE DAY SHE TESTS ME....but omg the love I have for this dog--she is my heart and I am her heart..Just wish she would listen better--but she knows that when she brings me my pillow every night there is a treat in it for her--so now she just brings it without me asking-Precious, loving dog..
Jan Oh, and the shedding--there are no adequate words for that -
 
#73 ·
Vocal - I went to a local pet shop to use their bathing facility. She whined and hollard so much and so loud the owner came back to see if she was ok because the customers were getting worried. When the bath was done, she was happy and ready to go like the bath never happened. (8 months old)
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top