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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?
 
#123 ·
I have two dogs Luke is my German... I adore how he tells me about his day when I get home from work... This must be a German thing because my other dog does not. He also parades around the house with whatever he finds first when we get home... It usually is a baby but it can be a sock or remote whatever is closest. Luke however is usually the last to figure out that someone is walking a dog outside because he is always following me around not my husband.

One thing that I didn't realize is how nasty their ears get.. He has a fit however when I try to clean them does anyone have any tricks? He also if very good with picking up all the tricks the only thing he will not learn is how to speak (Ironic since he loves to talk to me all the time)

Another funny thing about Germans is they hate when you work out.. I started the work out program Insanity and he really gets upset when I start jumping around or moving quickly. He prances around and jumps up (not on me but will run in circles around me and does the German leap and barks) He also gets right up in my face when I am doing sit ups.

Lastly I love my "good morning mom are you still alive toe lick" He loves to lick feet I know it sounds gross but he will find my feet under the covers and lick them or sit on the couch and lick my feet its gross I know. He LOVES to give kisses excessively, I am not sure what that means I always forget to mention it to the vet but once he decided to start its hard to get him to stop...
 
#124 ·
I don't know a whole bunch about the breed, but what i have noticed from my pup and the breeders dogs i got him from...
I didn't know how vocal they are. Not with the barking, but mumbling..especially when my dog is told "no"..he walks away mumbling to himself. His father and mother, and is littermates do the same thing. How much they use their front paws...when my pup sits in front of me, he puts his paw over my knee, or both paws on my lap while he is sitting, leans back and stretchs his neck out.And how naturally protective they are of their people, other animals in the house etc.
 
#125 ·
I didn't know about the the teleporting. Cinnamon or Cinnamonster as we like to call her, will be on the bed sound asleep. I walk to the kitchen, turn around and she's right behind me and not a footstep did I hear. I always ask her, "how do you do that?" Because before she was on the bed she thundered down the hall like a herd of buffalo!. Oh and on the vocal thing, it's not just that she's vocal it's that she always has to have the last word. She just makes me laugh. I recently read that once in your life a dog comes along that changes everything. Cinnamon is definitely that dog. Totally GSD. This is one of the best threads I've read in a long time. Thanks for the laughs and shares.
 
#129 ·
Okay, I love all these stories... and I have had GSD's in my life since I was about 3. So I thought I knew all of the features.....

Nope.

Wendy is the class clown. When another dog is being disciplined in class - she yelps and it sounds like 'yeah', then snuffs and looks at me like - " can you believe he/she thinks that is okay?????"

Then there are the lap dances - when we mold our puppies into a sit next to us and the notebooks come out for lecture - Wendy oozes into my lap in a headstand and almost summersaults over me in order to get as much of her lanky butt into my lap. Even the trainer has to stop and smile at her as I try to correct her back into her sit or lay mold.... She does make a good lap desk once she settles.....

But when it comes time to perform the latest lessons - she always gets stellar ratings from our trainer - that is why she is allowed a little goof time during class.
 
#131 ·
I enjoyed reading all these posts, our little girl exhibits most of what's been posted so far except the Houdini thing but that's most likely because we've got a new style crate that the door has to be lifted/slid upwards instead of swung open.
If there comes a time where she can do that alone I'll REALLY be impressed!
 
#143 ·
My pup Maia got out of this style today, yesterday was her first day in it. AND she did it in the time it took me to close the door and sit on the couch. She's going to be a mess! But she stole my heart faster than any women!

I didn't know how quickly they start to form a bond with you, or when asked to do work will cut the non sense and work. I also didn't know how fast they catch on, we were learning how to go on walks one correction is all she needs to know to stop paying attention to a person doing that activity (walking, running, cycling), although she decides to push it some times. I am overall just amazed by this breed.

I have only heard her bark once so far and that was to her refection, which is a bit odd because she never barks at other dogs. I guess she didn't like the ghostly image, or maybe it was all of her actions being mimicked. I found out real quick what kind of bark they have on them! And she is only 13 weeks!

I just got my Maia yesterday and I would seriously hurt anyone that tried to take her away! I had always been drawn to GSDs, when I think of a dog that was always the first breed I thought of, and boy did my gut steer me correctly!
 
#133 ·
My Dog Thinks She’s a Cat:
When she stands up right after waking up. She lowers the front of her body and stretches her front legs, then stretches her back legs. One time, she was doing her little “Gotta cover up my pee” thing in the backyard and her back leg kick turned into a back leg stretch.


The Water Gene:
We picked up an adjustable-height stand for Bella's water and food bowls, because we didn't want her stooping her head to eat. What does she do, takes a mouth full of food, drops it on the floor, and eats it from there. She's pretty good about drinking from the elevated water bowl though and only occasionally takes a mouth full of water into the living room before drinking it – dribbling water all the way. Granted, we only adopted her about 7 weeks ago (the vet thinks she’s about 4 or 5 years old) and she’s only recently started opening up.

Velcro Dog:
The other day, we took her to a groomer – we tried bathing her in the backyard and in the bathroom tub but she was too much for my wife and I to handle. When we got her home, she was on the living room couch and I could tell she was not happy – the groomer said she had a little trouble with Bella when trying to blow-dry around her head – so I sat down next to her and tried to pull her into my lap. She just flopped down next to me, facing away from me, and pushed herself as close to me as she could. At the time, I had my arm sorta around her neck and she put her head down, pinning my arm to the couch. We were like that for at least an hour. I would try to lift her head or pull my arm out and she would just push her head down harder.



She’s normally not very clingy, but she has her moments when she won’t let me out of her sight. Sometimes, we'll be on the couch in my game room and she acts like I'm invading her space when she's trying to sleep, so I'll turn off the Xbox and go into the living room to watch TV. 5 minutes later, here she comes to see where I went.


Being Vocal:
Bella has only made a deep whining, almost howling noise twice. Once at me when my wife and I came home from work and once at my wife when she got back from the store. Other than that, the only other times she’s been vocal is when she and I were playing around and she got really excited and when the vet took her temp and then tried to look in her ears. Although, when she’s laying on her side and stretching, she’s makes this low growly/moany sorta sound.

Oh and she yelped pretty loud once when a big spark of static electricity jumped from my finger to the tip of her ear, but I don’t blame her because my finger was actually tingly for a few minutes after that. NEVER brush a dog when she/he is laying on a wool blanket. NEVER.
 
#134 ·
How in tune with Nature and the world they are compared to other breeds.
 
#135 ·
I agree with the whining thing. Nothing/nobody ever told me about the whining, just that "barking isn't really a problem".

Other things:
- They are lazy in the house.
- They can be drama queens in public.
- They are extremely clumsy and need focused exercise to counter that.

I was pretty well informed about the breed beyond that.
 
#136 ·
They are extremely clumsy and need focused exercise to counter that.
When Bella first wakes up - after sleeping for at least a couple hours - and she tries to walk, she's like a puppy trying out her legs for the first time. Once she almost knocked herself down. She was in our bedroom, did her "just woke up" full body shake as she was walking, started to fall over but caught herself by leaning on the wall by the door, but then didn't handle the transition from the carpet in our bedroom to the wood floor in the hall, her left foot slid to the right as she was making a left turn, caught herself again by leaning on another wall and then went prancing to the backdoor like nothing happened. When we got to the door she looked at me as if to say "I meant to do that."
 
#137 ·
I am not sure if anyone has said this, but how talkative they are. Hero would always 'sing' to our ring tones on our cell phones. It was nice to know when someone was calling. :)

Like Brisco said, how they look at everything. Yesterday Gunner and Lil Bit were playing in the back yard and an airplane flew over. Gunner stopped playing and watched the plane. It was pretty funny.
 
#139 ·
My first GSD was an Angel...... Keisha - never whinned - never counter surfed - never stole.... she was perfect from the day I brought her home.
I had her for 12 years.

After Keisha died I said no more GSD, well hubby decided he wanted another one.....

Well we got Hawkeye...... he WHINES all the time, he counter surfed, he stole things, he emptied his water bowls and took them outside, the ones outside he'd bring them in.
He's done it all a real GERMAN SHEPHERD which I did not know they were like that.

BUT we love him..... he's getting much better........ but I could do without the whinning.
 
#162 ·
Harley is an angel as well. Doesn't whine unless its walk time. Never counter surfed, chewed anything and he has got to be the most gentle water drinker I have ever seen. Not even a tiny drip on the floor. I'm afraid I am being spoiled to no end and if there is a next one, it will be a little holy terror devil child!!!!!!!!
 
#145 ·
I am truely amazed at how smart they are! I knew they were smart and could learn quickly but I never knew how much until Gunnar came along. I remember trying to teach him to shake one day and he wouldnt get it so I gave up. A couple days later I told him to shake and he did it perfectly! what a little stinker. now i can tell him shake now give me the other paw and he will keep his paw there until you grab it and actually shake!
He is a big cry baby too. When we wrestle and play he will let out huge whines. I swear the bf just chopped off his leg! it cracks me up!
and he is a huge slobbery drinker! omg theres more water on my kitchen floor then there is in the pool! its like he drinks then saves some in his mouth and slowly lets it out away from the water bowl! and when he drinks he MUST be able to put his whole face in the water so he can blow bubbles as he drinks!
He thinks hes a lap dog. and that the couch and my lap are a safe zone! I never knew a dog could give you such a guilty look as in saying mom save me from dad! hes trying to get me! lol
I would never change a thing though. He is the other love of my life!! and I will never have another dog again! :D
 
#146 ·
lol sounds just like mine. i wear hearing aids so we got jake to be a alarm clock and also a guard dog for when i got moved out. i was amazed that it only took a few mornings before he caught on maybe like a week and he knew my phone alarm ment playtime for him haha he would have been 8-10 weeks when we started training him to wake me up. he also forgets to swallow the last drink of water and dripps it in the floor. i have slipped and fallen quite a few times while rushing thru the kitchen on my way to work or classes. I always thought the water thing was just with my dog lol
 
#147 ·
Messy with water!!! I avoided mastiffs and st. bernards because they drooled too much. Never imagined a GSD would be so drippy:0 I love him though, drips and all.
Droping toys in the water....toilet!!! His ball sinks and gets stuck and he runs to me with this look on his face like Mommy come help me. They sits patiently while I dig the ball out with a fork or some other pointy object. I try to keep the lids down...a husband and 11-year-old son...good luck with that
 
#148 ·
I also love going to the trainer. She will be working next to me showing me something and tell her dog to sit or go down and Sieger will do it then look at her like give me my treat now. He thinks he needs to please us both!!!
 
#149 ·
Not sure if this is just with Stark but, THE PAW. Its always on us, not like hes trying to shake. Just like hes telling us here I am. Ive read it can mean dominance, but he shows no signs of dominance toward us. He knows where he fits in the pack. But, no matter what we are doing he comes over to us and puts a paw on us. If im in bed reading/ watching tv he will come next to the bed and put his paw on my arm. If im sitting somewhere he can lay near me he has to have a front paw on me. Same thing with the boyfriend. Sometimes it seems like he doesnt even want anything but to just put his paw on us.I think its cute.
 
#152 ·
well for starters jasmine has two types of barks, one is a play bark when she is on her back and playing and the other is your knock on the door bark , that bark i let her go with it to let her be known.....love that bark.

this summer we just started playing freezbie and boy does she love it and chews them up, but well be in the yard and then she picks up the freezie and looks at me to say ...come on lets play, just all around smat dogs.
 
#153 · (Edited)
For me it was their intelligence, protection and goofball-ness.

I mean, I knew they were a very smart and protective breed of dog. But I underestimated that for sure!

Someone else mentioned "sitting with their butt an inch off the ground" and such knowing half the time I would not catch it and it was easier on her part! lol. In training Bella I came to find out she is extremely intelligent. It was a breeze to teach her all she knows. She senses so much. She knows what to do by a hand movement or a look I give, she almost senses what I want her to do and does it. I am truly lucky.

I love how protective she is. Again, I knew they would be, but she is exceptional. She is protective but even in the midst of letting the neighbors dog know to get off the property she listens to my commands. No matter how riled up she is, she listens. She takes our family seriously and shows us everyday in her constant watch, searching rooms, and listening. If the UPS man pulls up, she is on alert. The second he leaves, she is off searching each room (paying close attention to the kids room) for intruders before she settles back down. She has a play, protection, alert, sleep, and I am going to bite your face off sort of bark sets. I've grown to know which is which and how to adjust what I am doing.

Last of all she is a major goofball!! The prances outside, she shoves her nose under snow and runs like a bull dozer, she rolls on her back in the grass forever! She is a true comedian at times haha She loves sticks! We have a burn pile and I swear she picks the largest stick from it, drags it out and brings it to me or my husband to throw. If a stick is TOO big, she will drag it out and break apart off!
 
#156 · (Edited)
This thread has had me laughing today. My puppy nips at me all the time, complains if i tell him off or if i'm not walking fast enough, is over dramatic when i accidentally step on him, whines constantly about everything, and has no concept of how sharp his claws are (i get scratched everyday).
Like some people on here i thought that my pup had some behavioral problems, but obviously he doesn't at all, :crazy:. He is also very, very smart and pick up things really quickly.
 
#157 ·
Yeah I had no idea German Shepherds were such pansies. I mean, my Boxer whined a lot too when he was a puppy, but he has always been an absolute tank. I could probably hit him in the face with a bat and he'd think it was a game. He literally feels almost no pain. When he goes to the vet for shots he doesn't even notice he's being punctured.

He got bit by another dog once and it was a really deep, painful-looking bite. He didn't even squeal. The vet said he'd probably be in pain for several days and may have trouble turning his head (the bite was in the throat area). Nope. He acted completely normal.

Then I got my GSD and found out that not all big dogs are created equal. He's the biggest pansy in the world. The slightest mild twist of his skin elicits a squeal of pain like he's been shot. It's ridiculous. And he whines constantly about anything and everything. It's almost comical that a ninety-pound dog could be such a wuss.
 
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