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German shepherd or another golden?

2K views 18 replies 12 participants last post by  AnnKitt 
#1 ·
Hello

I currently own Tyler a 4yr old Golden retriever male who is fab and I'm ready to add another dog and I know Tyler will love having a brother but for the life of me can't decide what to pick.

I'm torn between another Golden and a GSD.

I was brought up around shepherds and love the breed as much as I do Goldens

On one hand most of my dog owner friends say get another golden no breed can match Tyler's play like his own and so I'm advised to get another golden but I've always wanted to own a GSD and I think the combination of a Golden and Shepherd works well even though their so different.

But I also have the issue that I feel like I'm betraying Tyler's breed if I even think of owning another breed I know that sounds bizzare and stupid , it's the only way I can explain how I feel

I'm hoping those who have both might help or those who have experience of both might help.

I get a lot of conflicting information on German shepherds too , I know they shed a ton and I know they need a lot of socialization and training which I'm more than prepared for but on one hand I get told they are very aloof with strangers to the point you can't take them to busy area's like Christmas markets ect and that they have a higher energy level than Golden's and are not laid back like Golden's or easy going like Golden's but on the other hand Ive been told that's nonsense it's all about how well bred they are and if a shepherd is well bred from a good breeder who breeds for temperament and health and then you train and socialize then GSD's can go to Christmas markets and busy area's and that they are no more energetic than a Golden and that they can be laid back especially long coats they tend to be more chilled?

I've also been warned by some that shepherds are having issues are nervous temperaments in some lines and their can be aggression in the breed but others have said that's only if you go to a bad breeder good breeders don't breed from nervous or aggressive dog a good breeder will only breed two dogs who have good stable temperaments

Any advice would be much appreciated
 
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#2 · (Edited)
I have had three Golden's and got my GSD, Max when my last Golden was older. She has since passed away, but they were great together,

That said, they are very different. I will try to shed (see what I did there) some light on a few of those differences.

Shedding:

First, Goldens shed like maniacs too so you are used to it to a certain degree. I find that my GSD sheds a similar amount for most of the year, but in the spring the GSD is a world record shedder. With either breed, YMMV depending on the dog.

Living with both:

My experience was that the two became fast friends and got along great. My GSD completely honoured my Golden as the senior dog in the house. My golden was more likely to instigate play, but early on I could see that it wouldn't be long before the GSD would be far too strong for my geriatric golden. So I would intervene whenever it got amped up, and I taught them that not only were there limits to the level of physicality, but also that it was an outside activity. They enjoyed each other a lot.

Training:

Training both breeds are a breeze. They each can learn new behaviours and recognize patterrns easily. The difference is that a golden is much easier to correct. One sideways look and they are instsantly sensitive to your dissatisfaction. The GSD is certainly more strong willed, and needs much clearer communication if you wish to stop unwanted behaviour.

Public interaction/behaviour:

The Goldens just want to meet everybody and seem to be in a permanent state of dopamine drip. I find this actually makes it harder to train them in public places because they are easily interested in other people. The GSD really and truly only cares about you. Even as a young puppy, people would try to call Max over to pat him (who doesn't love a puppy?) and he had zero interest in them.

If your golden is untrained, there are almost no consequences. The GSD at 4 months instantly had leash reactivity. It was easily fixed, but it had to be taught what was acceptable and what wasn't right away. I always had to be mindful that any bad habit picked up while he was young was going to be a problem when he became an 85 pound working line dog.

In the house:

My goldens were like happy little Gund bears around the house. They happily greeted everyone that approached the house and basically never barked. The GSD, will bark at anyone who not only approaches the house, but also anyone walking by...lol. I can successfully tell him to stop barking, but I will never get him to not to start barking at the potential "threat".

Nerves/ fearfulness/reactivity:

I think this has more to do with the dog, and breeder that you pick. Good GSDs are out there, but it takes work to find a good one.

Exercise:

I always have thought that daily exercise was important to provide for any dog to have a good quality of life. For the GSD ( at least mine) it is imperative. Draining energy is a built in requirement.


Summary:

You have had GSDs, so you are familiar with the breed. I am happy that I got a GSD, and the pairing with the Golden was geat.
I think you would be happy either way. That you are considering all of this in advance suggests that you are being thoughtful about the realistic demands of a GSD puppy. That is a great first step.

P.S. My GSD could not only go to a Christmas market, he could do it off leash without a problem
 
#3 ·
I have had three Golden's and got my GSD, Max when my last Golden was older. She has since passed away, but they were great together,

That said, they are very different. I will try to shed (see what I did there) some light on a few of those differences.

Shedding:

First, Goldens shed like maniacs too so you are used to it to a certain degree. I find that my GSD sheds a similar amount for most of the year, but in the spring the GSD is a world record shedder. With either breed, YMMV depending on the dog.

Living with both:

My experience was that the two became fast friends and got along great. My GSD completely honoured my Golden as the senior dog in the house. My golden was more likely to instigate play, but early on I could see that it wouldn't be long before the GSD would be far too strong for my geriatric golden. So I would intervene whenever it got amped up, and I taught them that not only were there limits to the level of physicality, but also that it was an outside activity. They enjoyed each other a lot.

Training:

Training both breeds are a breeze. They each can learn new behaviours and recognize patterrns easily. The difference is that a goden is much easier to correct. One sideways look and they are instsantly sensitive to your dissatisfaction. The GSD is certainly more strong willed, and needs much clearer communication if you wish to stop unwanted behaviour.

Public interaction/behaviour:

The Goldens just want to meet everybody and seem to be in a permanent state of dopamine drip. I find this actually makes it harder to train them in public places because they are easily interested in other people. The GSD really and truly only cares about you. Even as a young puppy, people would try to call Max over to pat him (who doesn't love a puppy?) and he had zero interest in them.

If your golden is untrained, there are almost no consequences. The GSD at 4 months instantly had leash reactivity. It was easily fixed, but it had to be taught what was acceptable and what wasn't right away. I always had to be mindful that any bad habit picked up while he was young was going to be a problem when he became an 85 pound working line dog.

In the house:

My goldens were like happy little Gund bears around the house. They happily greeted everyone that approached the house and basically never barked. The GSD, will bark at anyone who not only approaches the house, but also anyone walking by...lol. I can tell him to stop barking, but I will never get him to not bark at the potential "threat".

Nerves/ fearfulness/reactivity:

I think this has more to do with the dog, and breeder that you pick. Good GSDs are out there, but it takes work to find a good one.

Exercise:

I always have thought that daily exercise was important to provide for any dog to have a good quality of life. For the GSD ( at least mine) it is imperative. Draining energy is a built in requirement.


Summary:

You have had GSDs, so you are familiar with the breed. I am happy that I got a GSD, and the pairing with the Golden was geat.
I think you would be happy either way. That you are considering all of this in advance suggests that you are being thoughtful about the realistic demands of a GSD puppy. That is a great first step.

P.S. My GSD could not only go to a Christmas market, he could do it off leash without a problem

Thank you so much for taking the time to help your advice has helped a little and I have a lot to think about.

Shedding doesn't bother me thankfully.

Tyler is trained very well so will my GSD if I do choose one all dogs I own will be well trained as well as socialized properly from an early age.

With exercise I was more asking do GSD's need more exercise than Golden's as I'm often told GSD's have more energy to burn than Golden's.

Tyler is happy with his 30min off leash run in the morning playing frisbee and then 45min walk in the evening with lots of play in the garden in-between with training and brain games too. But some have said GSD's need more than that as their not as laid back as Goldens
 
#4 ·
With exercise I was more asking do GSD's need more exercise than Golden's as I'm often told GSD's have more energy to burn than Golden's.

Yes, they do, but not more than you are giving your Golden. The difference is plenty of Goldens get way less exercise than you are giving your dog, and they do fine. With the GSD, they go a little "nuts" without the exercise.
 
#7 ·
If you get a good GSD, he will be focused more on you than on your Golden. Are you getting a second dog mainly to entertain Tyler or for you because you have a lot of time on your hands to work with both? Reality with a GSD puppy is very different from a dream. Listen to your gut. To me: 'doubt' means "no".
I added Bo when Deja was 6 years old because I always have had multiple dogs and love the dynamics. They get along great and often enjoy chasing each other or engage in mouth-wrestling. But both crave working with me individually. Neither one would have needed the other to live happily with me. They are my last duo. It took my about 40 years to realize that having one dog is so much easier. 💡💡
 
#8 ·
I think you answered your own question. Everything you posted about Goldens is positive. Everything you posted about GS's is negative. It does not sound like you would be happy with a German Shepherd. So get the Golden until you are ready to live with and address all the negatives you brought up.
And, btw, no one owns a German Shepherd, you are just along for the ride; they determine the route.
 
#9 ·
I think you answered your own question. Everything you posted about Goldens is positive. Everything you posted about GS's is negative. It does not sound like you would be happy with a German Shepherd. So get the Golden until you are ready to live with and address all the negatives you brought up.
And, btw, no one owns a German Shepherd, you are just along for the ride; they determine the route.
Totally agree. OP, make sure to post a picture of your new Golden puppy ;). I am sure we all love to know your decision and btw, most of us love other breeds as well.
 
#10 ·
I feel like it’s easier to go from gsd to golden than golden to gsd. although it can absolutely work… there are likely things that you’ve become accustomed to that will require you to adjust your expectations of life with a gsd. the dogs getting along, shedding, energy and training aside…
  • if your gsd isn’t welcoming of guests - are you set up with space to secure them? how will you deal with the gsd protesting that the golden is still mingling or the golden protesting that it’s had to be put away with the gsd?
  • are you able to walk both dogs separately or deal with two dogs while one is a reactive adolescent gsd… how will your golden react in response to the gsd in that situation? or if charged by an off leash dog… a golden may become submissive where as a gsd is more likely to cause damage.
  • is your experience at the holiday festival going to be ruined if someone comes close to interact with your golden but your gsd makes it clear that they don’t want strangers encroaching in their space?
  • judgement and discrimination… your gsd may unfairly be blamed for things, people may cross the street when they see you coming, not want your dogs to greet theirs or come near their children, etc
these are the things to think about - those are some common things that gsd owners deal with and wether it’s a permanent trait or a temporary phase, you have to be realistic and prepare for it.

i think you should also spend some time familiarizing yourself with the breed standard because it calls for some degree of aggression and aloofness…. that said, yes there are social gsd, but it still doesn’t come close to golden level social.
 
#13 ·
yes yes yes, I have had goldens my entire life and currently have a rockstar golden who made my transition to a full tilt working gsd wayyyy easier than it should of been, so yes I have both but fodder answered everything I could say because every point she referenced is relevant in my life with the two.. and I’m blessed to have one of those rare weird social gsds that like most people and are really happy. That said she’s a part time job at home.
 
#12 ·
My family (technically, my two families, the one I grew up in, then later, me and my wife) had a Golden and GSD in the same household on two occasions.

The first was decades ago, and it did not go well. As a teenager, I had a really nice Golden Retriever female, a granddaughter of Gold Rush Charlie, purchased myself with summer and after school job money (you could do that back then, before purebred dogs commanded thousands). Everyone in my family who knew this dog still talks about her, we'll leave it at that. She had a fabulous temperament. I went off to college, and when the Golden was a senior-ish dog, maybe 9-10, my Mom, Dad and younger brother took in a white GSD female, as an informal rescue. The dog had a sweet side, but had been at least somewhat abused, and had a nervy disposition. She could not be trusted with other dogs, especially females. The Golden was not at all dog aggressive. The shepherd attacked her and caused stitches, after which they were kept separated. Same sex aggression might have had something to do with it, but it seemed to trigger more from jealousy and insecurity than hormones. The Golden got along well with all dogs and did not have a chippy bone in her. The Shepherd passed away after a few years. The Golden lived to be over 14.

In the second instance, about 10 years ago, my wife and I had a Golden and a rescued Shepherd. That Golden had bonded, to a deeper degree than I've seen before or since, with a male Newfoundland. When the Newfie passed, we adopted the Shepherd, who was two years old. This Shepherd bossed the Golden, but was not nasty about it. No fights, no bites, no stitches. They could be and were trusted together. That said, they did not exactly become best friends. The Golden mourned for the Newf, and never got over his loss. She got leptosperosis and passed away, less than a year after we adopted the shepherd. For her part, the GSD lived on as an only dog, though she often vacationed with other dogs and did just fine.


My take aways. . . That is a pretty limited sample, but two real world pairings. Can you do it, yeah. I don't think they are the best suited to be kennel or house mates, in general, but a more mellow GSD could coexist with a Goldie. I would think there might be better choices, not least of which, another Golden. A nervy GSD, which bites out of fear or insecurity, might take it out on a Golden housemate. That said, a nervy GSD who is a fear or insecurity biter would never be my choice, even if they were an only dog.
 
#14 ·
I personally think it all depends on the individual dog. If you already have a Golden Retriever that’s still young (say around 2-4 years) and is friendly, and well trained and socialized, it could help be a mentor dog to a new German Shepherd puppy. With any adult dog and puppy, you’ll need to give them some separate time. I’d get the opposite gender of what you already have though (so if you have a male Golden then go for a female Shepherd or vice versa). When we had our former 2 shepherds, I used to do a lot of pet sitting for our neighbors and we would frequently keep their Golden on weekends and walk her throughout the week and she got along great with ours. Our current puppy is 7 months old and LOVES other dogs, especially doodles because that’s what he has mostly played with and met since we brought him home. He is a very low drive Shepherd and more of a family companion type dog. I think it would be easier to integrate if you can find a German Shepherd puppy with a soft temperament (but not too soft) rather than a hard temperament.
 
#16 ·
I think all your negative comments about GSDs came from people who warned you away from getting them. Try to separate your concerns from what you’ve heard. Yes it was good advice, but only as a comparison, not as a final decision maker. You should know the negatives but did anyone share the positives? If you aren’t sure, try fostering for a while to get to know the breed.
 
#18 ·
Thank you to everyone for your advice and experiences it's much appreciated.

I have decided that even though nothing put me off the GSD I have decided to get another Golden because I'm not the right person for a GSD even if they could suit me I'm not the right person for a GSD and the best thing for me to do for the breed would be to be honest with myself and not get one knowing deep down I'm not the right person for the breed.

So I'm sticking to the breed who is perfect for me but most importantly I'm perfect for the breed too and that's Golden's
 
#19 ·
I think you are making a great decision!! We had a Golden/lab mix. When she passed, we didn't want another retriever as we thought we'd unfairly compare her to the new one. We went with a GSD - I, too, had them as a child and loved them (but I was not the one training them!) I love my current GSD, but if I went back in time, I'd choose another Golden instead of a GSD. They have VERY different temperaments. Good luck to you!!
 
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