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Where does your love for dogs/GSDs come from?

24K views 128 replies 114 participants last post by  ADogCalledQuest 
#1 ·
Where does your love for dogs/GSDs come from? Does it stem from growing up with dogs? Your family/parents always owning a beloved pet? Or do you just love them because you feel it was somehow programmed into you?

What about your love for the sport you compete in? Is it a family tradition? Or something you've independently learned to enjoy?
 
#59 ·
I grew up on a farm in central Montana. My parents had GSD's since before I was born. Diamond was their dog when I was little...they have pictures of my sister and I sharing leftover pancakes with her when we were still crawling.

Then it was Sasha, who had a litter of puppies that I cared for until they sold. Duke from that litter was my brother's dog. I had Gemini when I was in college and then Rebel after Gemini.

I've grown up with them...there's no other dog like them. I still cry about Duke, Gemini and Rebel...
 
#60 ·
Wow, great question. I'm on my fifth GSD.

I think my first stray pick up did it for me. Bo. He was like 90% GSD. Dog was the most gentle big dog I'd ever seen but could also be the scariest. He tipped the scales at around between 100 and 110 pounds. Black and tan. He followed me home one day and we just clicked. This dog with out a doubt would die for me or my family without hesitation. He stayed in our basement and or one car garage while we were away. I came home from school one day to find blood all over the garage floor. My dad who is of the mindset of not getting too close to animals freaked out and we got him to the vet. It seems the mailman would cut between our car and the garage door going to the next house. The door had small pane windows. He went through two of them and scared the heck out of the mailman. He never again cut between the car and garage door. We never dreamed he would do something like that. We replaced the windows with wood panels and Bo was fine. He was just such a smart impressive dog. We lived in a moderate crime area meaning we had our house broke into several times until Bo was here. After that, no more break in's.

Every GSD after Bo was more experience and the breed just consumed my thoughts when it came to dogs. To me, the GSD is the ultimate dog.

Now I currently have Cruz. He drives us nuts most of the time. He has West German workinglines and shows every bit of it 100% of the time. It's our first WL GSD. We are making good progress as we learn from him and we take more classes. Our instructor has two WL GSD's. He is working with us on some small issues, but our goal has now been set. We along with Cruz want to break into SAR. It should help with his energy level and give us all something to do. We are also looking into Agility with the same trainer. He is just lacking focus right now. But as I said he's improving daily. Even though this dog tests us daily, we would never let him go. He's one of us to the end.
 
#61 ·
all my life (child to adult) i have had/has a German Shepherd(s). My parents loved them and passed the love :wub: onto their children (4). 3 of the 4 kids have GS today.
 
#62 ·
when i was little and my mother dropped me off at the sitters, Clare had a rather large male GSD and he followed my everywere i went and slept at the end of my bed when it was nap time. Clare (my sitter) told my mom that he waited everyday by the door for me to arrive like clock work. My mom was a teacher so she missed alot of my firsts and Clare always captured them on camera, i used to have a picture of me learning to walk holding onto his ear :) that is were the love came from.
 
#63 ·
I was raised with them my entire life. I remember waking up from a nap once as a young child, with my dad leaning over me and inside his jacket was this adorable little puppy face looking at me. That was it. :)
 
#65 ·
Yes! it sure is an addiction.....a perfect and loyal,devoted addiction :wub:
 
#66 ·
My parents used to breed GSD. I remember there almost always being a litter of puppies and helping my parents with them. My mom would set up meetings for potential local breeders, and arrange a meet with the people and there GSD. She would also be the one to sit with the dame as she was birthing. Those were some beautiful memories. My dad would be the one to contact and arrange Shepherds from out of state or country. My family is fluent in German so there was a bit of contact from German breeders. I always enjoyed going to the airport to meet people and there GSD. That didn't happen to often cause it was very expensive to arrange out of country breeding . But my favorite part was always being able to play with the pups when they were old enough to go away from the mom. I also loved training with my dad, watching how he would work with the dogs and pups and seeing the focus in the dogs eyes. Always amazed me. My dad also let me help with the task of deciding if people were capable of buying a puppy. That part was hard cause some people just had bad reasons to buy one, and my old man would have nothing to do with any sort of "leave the dog alone for hours to guard a scrap yard" kind of persons.

I'm sorry, sorta long answer, but have so much love and respect for the breed, it's hard to sum it up.
 
#67 ·
I've loved dogs for as long as I can remember, when I was a boy growing up I either had a dog or was begging my parents to get a dog.

When I was 8 years old we moved into an old farm house that had about 4 out buildings on the property and a porch that was about 4 feet off the ground and wrapped around the front and side of the house. Shortly after we moved in the humane society came over told us about a big black German Shepherd stray that lived around the property. They warned us that he was skiddish and very aggressive. They had tried to catch him, but couldn't so they resolved themselves to dropping off food for him every week and asked if we would leave food out for him. Well my Mom agreed we would continue feeding him and we would see him from time to time, but as soon as he saw us he would disappear.

Well I personally made it my mission to befriend this dog, my mom would yell at me constantly to stay away from him, but I didn't listen. Every time I saw him I would follow him where ever he went, it was usually into an out building where he would slip through a hole in the barn and get away. Well one day he dashed under an opening in the porch and I followed him in, he got cornered and lunged at me barking ferociously. I ran out of there like my feet were on fire.

About a week later we had just pulled in the driveway from grocery shopping, I opened the car door and got out. This big black german shepherd came running up to me and licked my hand. From that day on he never left my side. He was there when I got off the school bus and was always playing in the field or sleeping by my side. He was the best dog I had ever had protective obedient and loving.

After he died, we had a few other dogs, all mixed. They were good dogs, but as soon as I moved out on my own I bought a German Shepherd and have never owned another breed since.

In my opinion they are the best breed of dog, at least for me.
 
#68 ·
I grew up with a Mom who loved animals and a Dad who never was around them growing up and didn't understand them.. He was always pretty much aloof to the woof as we grew up until my mom's friend gave her a standard poodle. After that he (and we all) loved dogs. Smart, loving and almost human our poodles were great dogs. When I got married we got a std. and he was a great dog for 13 years until his hips and lower back gave out.
I had never had GSD's or liked them for that matter growing up. We always had a bully GSD or 1/2 breed in our neighborhood that looked at my brother and I more as dinner than a family friend. I was often chased by the neighborhood bully on my bike and as a young kid cornered by one that stood in the door jam and growled at my brother and I for three hours until my parents came back from dinner with their friends...
Needless to say it didn't go over very well when my wife gave my son a GSD puppy for a b-day gift. That pup turned out to be one of the smartest, loving, eager to please dogs that set the standard that all our GSD's are now measured by. Never trained in Sch or PP she was W/L naturally protective and one time stopped an early morning intruder in our house from doing something really stupid that would have wound up with his demise. She was the neighborhood dog and played with kids and all my son's friends and a complete ball hog. There wasn't a squirrel in our area that dared to tread on our property with out fear of death.. Even the postman loved her and she looked forward to his late afternoon visits with out even a warning bark when he arrived. She would have jumped on a grenade for us and it was the toughest thing I have ever had to do when cancer forced us to put her down. Up to the hour she was put to sleep she would still chase the ball and bring it back..
On last story... as a 4-5 year old dog she for some reason didn't like the cable guy.. One Saturday he arrived to work on my line. As he approached the open front door only the screen door was closed. She saw him come up from our sunken living room and in two giant leaps had hit the screen door, broke it off the hinges, knocked the cable guy flat on his back with the screen over him and she on top barking at him... I called her off, helped him get up and tied her on a short tie in the kitchen. After making sure his pants were dry and he was ok, I reintroduced him to her and she was his buddy...
At any rate, we have come to really love GSD and their character, it would be hard to imagine any other type of dog in our house. We now have two a mom and her 1.5 year old pup...
Phil
 
#69 ·
Well, ever since I was a little girl I wanted a dog that looked wolfish because I adored "Balto" as a kid. It wasn't until I met my neighbor's Lab/German Shepherd mix Buster that I fell in love with GSDs. This love was only solidified by interacting with my other neighbor's German Shepherd/Doberman mix Roxy and finally, by handling one of the cutest puppies ever at a pet adoption event I volunteer for back in 2010.

This dog was an adorable German Shepherd mix puppy named Liam and he bonded with me. I love all the dogs I've handled, but aside from Zoe and another dog I worked with that I named Loki, they were the only ones I really clicked with 100%. I would've adopted him myself if I could, but my father didn't want another dog at that time and I don't have my own place yet, so my hands were tied. It broke my heart when no one adopted him and when the time came to put him back on the bus Liam started crying and whining for me. I almost lost it, and then and there I decided when I was able to get another dog, I wanted a German Shepherd or some kind of German Shepherd mix. I couldn't save Liam from the ACC and I couldn't find him a home, but I wanted to get a German Shepherd to honor his memory one day.

This October, I was claimed by an adorable and feisty German Shepherd/Doberman/Beagle mix puppy when I was volunteering for Love Wanted with my boyfriend. It was meant to be, as even my mother thought Zoe was adorable and so we decided to adopt her. My father was indifferent by this point, he knew one way or another we were going to get another dog if I kept volunteering at the adoption events haha.

I hope Liam was eventually adopted and the ACC didn't euthanize him. I'd like to think that he's a spoiled house pet somewhere in NYC and I'm thrilled that I was able to finally live up to my promise about getting a German Shepherd/German Shepherd mix in his honor too. :)
 
#70 ·
First of all, loving animals was hard-wired in me (esp. dogs and horses--I trained horses pro for many years). My father loved dogs, and every dog we got while I was growing up ended up 'his' dog, you know? I LOVED wolves, I think that was hard-wired also, and for me to love GSDs was, I am sure, because to me GSDs looked the most like wolves. I had to wait until I was on my own to get one, however. As much as my Dad loved dogs, he didn't like GSDs. My mother's family had one while he was courting her, and the dog didn't want him anywhere near her, LOL. Guess he held that against all GSDs!

In the early '80s, I found out that people were crossing GSDs with pure wolves, and, of course, I had to get one. My first was 1/4 wolf, and he was such a great dog that next I went for half wolf, half GSD. Please, I don't want to get into an argument about the ethics of such breeding, etc. I had a number of them over the years, all GREAT canine companions, and at the same time I had GSDs, never over 3 canines at once--in my mind, for me, that's the limit, otherwise you can't give them the time and attention they need. I am still a HUGE fan of the wolf/shepherd cross, but not for everyone. It takes someone who knows enough about canine behavior to look past a great deal of posturing, someone assertive enough to be alpha to 120 lbs of muscle and bone and a brain that exceeds even our beloved GSDs. Thank God, though, they don't have the drive of our working GSDs--in comparison, they're a bit on the lazy side.

I had one wolfdog and one GSD when Michigan passed a ban on wolfdogs (based on the lies of one woman, but that's another story). He lived the rest of his life with us until he died at 14, with no one the wiser--my vet was the only one who knew the breeding of all my dogs, and she kept their secrets. Now I have only purebred GSDs, but would get another wolf shepherd again if it were legal to do so. I do love ALL my GSDs, but as I look back, I have had more sables than anything else--could it be because they look more wolf-like?

Long live the GSD!
 
#71 ·
I was raised with dogs my entire life. Our family is of German heritage, so I'm not the only one in my family to own & love the GSD!
 
#72 ·
This may seem odd on a dog forum, especially considering I own 3 dogs and am getting a puppy this year, but in most ways, I am not really a "dog person". My family always had a dog as child, indoor pets, but I never really got attached to them. I never felt that bond with any of them. When I was in my teens, I dreamed of owning an English mastiff or St Bernard, but after researching the realities of giant breeds, pretty much gave up on a dog of my own.
None ever attracted my attention. I had no desire to rescue a mutt of any sort. Then later on I had a friend who got a GSD pup and I was totally in love! I had previously thought GSDs were mostly just for serious dog trainers or police. Where I grew up they were not common at all, mostly labs, cattle dogs, and aussies, and mixes of these. I became determined to have one someday and waited a few years till I had a house.
If I couldn't have a GSD or a Shiloh, I wouldn't have a dog at all!
 
#73 · (Edited)
My love for the gsd comes from my dog as a kid. My parenst took him from the police thinking he didn't take the training. He was the most loving loyal dog he had the best temperment of any dog I have ever owned. I would look into his eyes and we had this amazing bond. last year when I had to put down my golden we had the same bond. I have had the bond with two dogs in my lifetime I am very lucky. Although my girl now is really close. My golden who has passed would growl if you were all in the bathroom he hated closed spaces. Gsd are smart, loyal. The males have this confidence and walk with pride. The second you come in he house they turn into big mushy bables. My husband love came from both his parents love for dogs and his german shepherds as he grew up. Our six year old is dog crazy. He has ran and will sit on the sidewalk if he sees a dog coming he lets dogs come up to him. Now that he is older he slowly walks up and asked the owner we have taught him. Everyone in our neighborhood knows he loves dogs and usually stop to let him pet their dog. Everyone think he wll be a vet. When our gs was a puppy and we still need to crate her. He would tell her crate and she would listen to him. He would kiss her lock the crate door. She would sit and wait for us to come back and he would let her out. She listens so well to him. People laugh when they see him give her commands. To watch him play ball with her it' so cute. :) She goes between my feet on our bed at night and his bed.
 
#74 ·
My childhood. My mother. We always had GSDs. But it became a truth for me when I spent my eighth grade year at the Bahrain International School and my Ma imported Skada from Germany. Our First Ever champion SchH dog!

And when we were transferred to Johannesburg two years later (in 1995), during the end months of the apartheid, and I wasn't allowed to leave the house and visit the shops without my PPD dog at heel, well, it was solidified.

No other dog compares to the GSD.

None other.

When you are barely a teen, and you walk streets lined with soldiers to pick up some tomatoes for the evening meal, well, you gain a whole new appreciation for your faithful companion.

We passed some men one night, lingering (rightfully so, on their own country's soil!), and they perceived us as a threat. One of the men postured when he saw us walking (a block from the grocers) and said to me "I bet my knife is faster than your dog!" I was able, at fifteen years of age, to say, "You might be right. But I am not your enemy, nor is he." And we passed safely by. Idk to this day whether it was my non-aggressive attitude or the dog on watch, but there is something universal about these beasts who share our most intimate lives. I wouldn't have had the fortitude to respond so kindly, so humanly, in a warring country where I was, by virtue of my blue eyed blonde appearance, an unwitting enemy, were it not for my very loyal, proven dog, the dog I absolutely trusted had been trained to protect my life.


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#75 ·
And, lol, Zeeva... I just had a thought. It probably wasn't the dog at all! It was probably my American accent, with my deep southern drawl, that made the men realize I wasn't an Afrikaner! Nonetheless, without the dog, I don't think we would have had tomatoes with dinner that evening :) I would have turned around, if not for Skada. I was an outsider, but I was still afraid. When you're fifteen years old, living in a country at war, you tend to be extra cautious ;)


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#76 · (Edited)
There was this game online where you could own a virtual pet and you had to teach it fetch or other tricks, feed it, etc. I chose the GSD in the game. It was a pretty realistic looking environment for the most part.
Then at the animal shelter I fell in love with MaCGyver who my aunt/uncle ended up adopting. There was also a volunteer who had a female GSD, named Gypsy, who always went nuts to see me, but at one time jumped a 5 ft fence to see me. She scraped her chin pretty badly but didn't care at all.
Then at the animal hospital I worked at there was the longcoated GSD, Baron. He sometimes patrolled/guarded the hospital when there were reports of people breaking in for narcotics. He's the reason I got a long coat.

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#77 ·
My grandparents had a female GSD that I remember very well even though I was about 7 when she passed away. I loved that dog to pieces, I remember her being very tolerant of me, letting me climb all over her and using her as a pillow when I watched movies :) She was very protective of me, I once told my mom I was running away (I was about 2 or 3 lol) and they sent their GSD after me I only made it to the end of the block before she caught me and dragged me home by my dress lol.

My stepdad was also in law enforcement, he had a black GSD that I grew up with and I saw the working GSDs when I got to ride along with him. I have literally loved the breed as far back as I can remember :)
 
#78 ·
Like most people, or I assume most people, we had a GSD when I was wee lil tyke. Born the same year my lil brother was. Lived to be 13 before we had to lay her to rest. Best dog in the world. Would walk me to my bus stop and be there waiting at the stop when I was supposed to be home. From my first days of kindergarten until junior high. Just a real amazing pup.
 
#79 ·
Several places. Cops as friends and family with experience. My uncle had a GSD mix when I was young. The one guy my mom dated a long time ago had a sweetheart female. My boyfriend had experience with them from his job. Boyfriend's sister has one. They are beautiful creatures. They are often protective of /loyal to their families. They are smart. They may shed a lot but they aren't as slobbery as some dogs. They love playing. I could keep going.

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#80 ·
I've loved dogs as long as I can remember ever since I was a child with my first favorite and still currently favorite breed- the Golden Retriever which I hope to find one day from a reputable breeder of course. Two of my aunts were animal lovers and both had horses, one of them used to breed Dobermans and had quite a few around including a little black/tan smooth Dachshund that I loved to play with. My grandparents had a GSD mix that I remember feeding biscuits through her kennel and my grandmother used to let her out of the kennel to run every day since they lived in the woods at the time. Also as a kid I always had stuffed dogs laying around one of them was a almost life-size GSD. I never imagined to have a GSD though, my boyfriend always wanted one and I had loved all breeds of dogs but I do not regret ever owning one, that is for sure.
 
#82 · (Edited)
I'm really not sure. I've always loved dogs. I think I started saying I wanted to be a veterinarian when I was in kindergarten or so. I grew up with dogs, my family got a puppy the year before I was born so she was here before me, she passed away when I was almost 16 (she was almost 17). Most of my other relatives also had dogs. When I was old enough to get my own pets I did, starting with fish, then frogs and toads I caught, other amphibians, reptiles, hamsters, etc... I also would bring home injured or orphaned animals as a young kid, and then stray kittens/dogs once I was old enough to start being allowed to roam on my own (or my friends/neighbors would bring me them, as I was the "animal expert".) My mom always hated when I would do that, she would tell me I couldn't keep them and get exasperated every time but she never kicked them out... I also started walking dogs in my neighborhood then, and when I was a little older I started doing pet sitting for friends/neighbors.
There was a woman in my neighborhood who was a police officer and rescued/rehomed dogs and cats. I tried to help her out and would walk her dogs and sometime petsit. One of her dogs liked me so much he started showing up at my door-- she sometimes took them to this woody area to play off leash and I guess he decided he'd rather play with me.
I am not sure when I got interested in GSDs first. When I was about 9 or 10 I started walking a GSD for an old woman in my neighborhood who was disabled and could not walk her dogs. Coco was an awesome dog, a large GSD but very gentle and well behaved. I would walk him to the park as often as I could. A few years later I had another neighbor who had a really nice GSD and Rottie, I was friends with their kid and I also walked and petsat their dogs. I really wanted a GSD of my own and even started researching different breeders when I was 11 or 12. However after our family dog passed away, I ended up finding a stray Golden Retriever instead and when no owner was found I kept her. I had not been a big fan of Goldens until then but she changed my mind. Then I found my terrier mix, and he also made me change my mind about terriers. So I did not end up getting a GSD for a long time.
 
#83 ·
When I started having an interest in law enforcement and then when I started my career I was able to see how much these dogs have to offer and realized that there was (IMO) none better than a GSD
 
#84 ·
Where does your love for dogs/GSDs come from? Does it stem from growing up with dogs? Your family/parents always owning a beloved pet? Or do you just love them because you feel it was somehow programmed into you?

What about your love for the sport you compete in? Is it a family tradition? Or something you've independently learned to enjoy?
I have always loved dogs and had many of all kinds, growing up.. but loved cats more actually. I didn't actually develope a deep love and passion for them until I got Titan, in fact I didn't even really like GSD's (american lines apparently). I wanted a dog to be my companion and security while I lived overseas by myself and fell into a litter of GSD puppies from a poor breeder but (luckily) had an amazing working line, I didn't know better at the time. Just rasing him and learning his behavior and companionship has brought this love of mine to a whole new level. I will never ever be with out a dog for one.. but more specifically a GSD. I just love them.

I don't really do a sport (I'm assuming dog sport).. either way I don't do either, lol. I am involved in SAR and that was a total unplanned coincidence. Deployed and came back to Titan who had started going with my friends to their SAR training.. continued from there. If it weren't for them, I would have never done it.
 
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