How Did You Get Involved With GSDs?

I actually never thought I would own a GSD. My mother bought her first one when I was 12 and he absolutely HATED me for the first two or three years that we owned him (we later noticed that he had the same reaction to both of my siblings when they hit that pre-teen age - not sure why). Anyway, he was the most loyal and loving dog to her and turned out to be a very wonderful pet to have (though we had many at the time). My father also got a Shepherd x who was a beloved member of the family for many years (we lost her this Spring).

When I moved out, I moved in with my now fiance, who had never lived with dogs in the house. We were living in apartments, so I adopted two cats. Over time, I found myself walking a lot in the evenings, and we live in the city, so I started to wish I had a dog to keep me company on my evening strolls, and even just to have as a form of reassurance at night when I was home alone. This led to me exploring different breeds of dogs, one of which was the doberman pinscher (beautiful breed) and the other, at the total opposite end of the scale, was the French Bulldog. Well, I was down visiting my parents one weekend (who now breed and show GSDs) and went to visit a friend of theirs who also breeds GSDs. I had been toying a bit with the idea of perhaps getting one of my own, as the breed DID match well with what I was looking for in a dog. The breeder showed me one 11 month old dog, Tigger, who came trotting up to me, let me pet him, showed NO fear at greeting me (with a smile) and who let me walk him around the yard on his leash with no problem. There was something about him that kind of 'hooked me' and I went home thinking about how great it would be to own this beautiful dog. One week later, he was mine.

So far he has been fantastic with all the people he's met, he gets a bit excited around other dogs, but he loves to play with my sister's female GSD on the weekends and is a wonderful companion on my walks - I can finally go for a 'romp' in the park and leave myself (and the daily 'grind') behind.

I'm glad I gave this breed a chance, they're an awesome dog!

I had only had one previous dog, and it hadn't gone well. It was a rescue and I wasn't prepared for the trauma the dog had suffered as a puppy. I had to put that dog down after it killed another dog. So I went on with life as a cat person secure in the notion that dogs weren't for me.

Ten years later, friends and I bought a home together. A beautiful Malamute lived with us, and when he died, I grieved as everyone else did. My housemates immediately got a new dog, and I guess I was feeling left out. I wanted a puppy too, but they felt like it wouldn't be good to have two puppies simultaneously. Plus they reminded me that my last dog experience had gone poorly. So I didn't do anything.

Unbeknownst to me, my sister had been feeling for my situation. One night she showed up at 9 p.m., and when I opened the door, there she was with a baby german shepherd puppy in her arms. she had found a breeder who was trying to get rid of a puppy who wasn't breed quality.

So I am in the most undesirable circumstances. My housemates are not supportive; in fact, they are angry. I know nothing about german shepherds, and this puppy was so scared. There was no leash, collar, food, or crate. I was sure I would be returning this dog to the breeder immediately.

I am really sure how we made it the first year. In addition to a very nervous/fearful temperament, she had numerous health problems which cost me $5000 the first summer I had her.

She and i had to learn together, and I fell deeply in love with her. Her name is Hazel, and we are constant companions. She is so well-behaved. My history is working with kids in trouble so I kept using those tactics. Hazel goes into timeout when she is in trouble. She stays until released. Everything is about consistency. I never let behavior slide. I even told her bedtime stories when she was little. Now she is almost four. People stop us constantly because she is so pretty. At the dog park, she is known for her gentleness. Puppies love to follow her because she never snaps. Everyone remarks on her sweetness. She doesn't get friendly with humans easily, but now she is relaxed to be pet by strangers. When she gets agitated, I use that bedtime story voice, and she always calms. She loves it when I talk to her, and I still tell her stories about what a good girl she is. She is great off leash, and I love to take her out to the country where she can run. My mother who has never liked a dog in her life, is nuts for Hazel, and whenever I'm at her house, Hazel follows her everywhere.

I can't imagine another breed I would love like I love my shepherd. A friend who has a shepherd got a second puppy this winter. This puppy was a border collie, and is very beautiful, but my friend always remarks on how he didn't realize that nobody loves their human like a shepherd.

This is my first post. Thanks for reading my story.

Hazelmom

ok Not the answer that will be popular at first, but hear me out.
I was raised with Great Danes growing up so that was the only breed that I knew. Then when I got married and had children there was NO time to take care of a dog. Children raised, Husband on the road I wante d someone to come home to. So yorkies.... small easy to take with me. (HA HA....) But the whole time a friend of mine had a police dog German Shepherd that was retired and BEAUTIFUL. I was scared to take my grandson around him (I know DUMB) then my friend had to get my grandson one day and take him for a while. To make a long story short my grandson would have choked to death if it had not been for this German Shepherd....he came and got my friend to let him know that the baby was choking!!!!
Then when Jack and I decided we wanted another furbaby we decided German Shepherd. Now we have only had Barnie since Saturday but already our grandsons are in love with him and he is so gentle and great with them... I would not trade Barnie for anything he is fantastic. I would trust all 7 of my grandchildren in their care.

i grew up with golden retrievers ALWAYS - and while they are fabulous dogs, when i moved out on my own i decided that i wanted something just a little... different. i did dilligent homework and decided that a gsd sounded like just the dog for me. little did i know how much i'd luck out: i did my homework on breed, but not nearly enough on HOW to pick a breeder and how to pick a puppy. so! armed with the newspaper (i know i KNOW), i called a lady advertising $350 pups. i dedided to "just go look" - yeah right. the pups were 5weeks old at the time, so after playing with the little turkeys for 2hours, i couldn't pick (they were all very similar in temperament) so i just pointed. long story short, when i came back a few weeks later to pick my pup up, i didn't notice til i got home that i had the wrong puppy (notch in the tail fur was in a different place, which i hadn't noticed as i'd been preoccupied for the entire drive with the puppy breath and sweet face). so i called the breeder, horrified that this puppy i'd already fallen in love with was promised to someone else. laughingly, she told me that if i was happy, she was happy - the pup i'd taken home had been her favorite. kascha was with me for 13yrs - through my first marriage, first child, divorce, cross-country move, when i met my 2nd husband she kissed him first, best babysitter i've ever had for my kids, second marriage, and second child. i grew up with her. and amazingly, for a "backyard breeder" !newspaper!-picked puppy, she was healthy and hearty (ofa good hips) - i couldn't have been luckier.

she died a few years ago and after much agonizing over whether to get another shepherd (wondering how much of her was HER and how much was german shepherd-ness) or another breed, i decided that i'd never be happy with anything less than a gsd. so, i got yago (or did he get me? sometimes i think THEY pick us...). then early this year we adopted another gsd, nyxie, from rescue. together with my husband's aussie mix shai, we've got a genuine little dog pack. love each and every one of them.

and just for the record now that i know: some of what i loved about kash was unique to her, but soooooooo much is reflected in yago and nyxie too. there'll never be another breed for me.

rock on, all you fellow shepherd nuts!

I grew up with dogs my entire life. My mom's breed of choice was cocker spaniels and my grandparents owned and bred blue heelers on their farm. As long as I can remember, I always wanted a GSD. I was drawn to the breed even as a young child. My mom liked smaller dogs and had zero interest in one...or me having one. I finally got my first GSD 13 years ago, when I was 20. Somehow I always knew they were the breed for me. Although I love dogs in general, I bonded to GSDs in a way I didn't with my other dogs. To me, their personality, temperament and traits are wonderful. I love their loyalty, their intelligence, their drive and the way they bond to their family. I love that they're velcro dogs but aloof with strangers.

I now have a GSD and a GSD X and have been involved in GSD rescue for the last couple of years. I've told DH to accept the fact that we will never be without atleast one (preferrably more ) GSDs in the home.

I grew up with a house full of pets. Before I was a twinkle in the eye my folks had standard Poodles. They were family, not dogs. When I was old enough,Cocker Spaniel (after I saw Lady and the Tramp), many kitties, always 2 or more, as I would find them and bring them home, GSD/Min pin mix when I was 15-my Dad loved Roxy more than us kids. It crushed him, literally, when she passed at 16-she was his heart dog. We even had Marvin the field mouse, lived 10 years, YES, 10 years. I grew up in an "animals are family" home.

I always loved the big dogs, though none in our family. GSDs, Dobies, Rotties, Mastiffs, etc. But, I always loved GSDs.

Met bf, now hubby, he too loved GSDs, never had one, but grew up with many through family and friends. We always sadi, when we can have a dog, it would be a GSD.

Fast forward. Moved to the burbs, lived our lives. Neighbor had a dog that always barked. We worked 15 hrs. a day, we felt bad for the barker bt never had the time, nor took the time to find out why the dog barked so much. I quit my job, was home while looking for a new job, working on the house in the meantime. I found out why said bog barked so much. HUGE Shepherd, everyone was afraid of her. I was on a ladder one day and felt "watched" turns out doggie was at the bottom of the ladder. I took my time, knew what to do, and she was on her back for belly rubs in 5 mons. NICEST dog I have ever met, 45 lbs underweight, severly neglected, abused (I heard what was happening once I was home).

She would be at our door at 7:30 am every morning. She would stay with me all day, and I trained her during the day, and she knew that she had to go home at 4:00 pm (the kids got home to yell at her and hit her). She came back over after dark. EVERY DAY. We set up a place in the garage, left the door open enough. That only lasted so long. Soon we made her a place in our spare bedroom. She slept over every night-the POSs never even noticed.

Even with our food, she was underwieght. Christmas time came, they tied her up and went on vacation for 2 weeks. It was 18 degrees in the sun. Cold winter. We finally decided after 5 days that they were gone, she could not escape, no one was feeding her. Shelter-good luck! water-yeah right. One morning I looked out the window to see if she was still alive-we dicided the night before that we would free her that day-otherwise she would die on that chain. So, I was looking, and someone came and took her collar off. She Immediately trotted off, climbed the fence, and came to our front door. I immediately openned it of course, and due to the terrian and trees, the person in her yard had no idea where she went. She spent Christmas with us, had a place at the table with our family, had TONS of presents to open and was warm and loved and safe.

Because we were so close, we could not keep her-we would have done ANYTHING to keep her. She had to go on the underground railroad. I sent out a plea, which was answered by an angel. A long tripp later she was safe, adopted by her foster and cherished. The vet determined based on lack of weight and nutrition (after we fed her for months) that she would not have survived through Jan. if she was left outside. I saw her several years later and would not have recognized her. What a beauty-inside and out.

It was her that made us promise that we would ALWAYS adopt the abused, old, and neglected. It was her that made us promise ourselves that this noble breed would always be part of our family. It was HER that showed me no matter what horrors endured, they can be brought back. It was HER that prooved GSDs were ment to be in our lives, our home, our family. What I accomplished with her in a few months amazed me-she was so well trained, so sweet, so special.

No one ever looked for her, no signs, no ads, no nothing. I found out she was the FIFTH dog that perished in that family-2 on the chain, 2 HBCs, and one disappeared. They purchased another pup, did not last more than 5 months. As we left the neighborhood, 2 new dogs in the yard, sometime chained, mostly out with no shelter. They were smaller dogs, calls to AC did NOTHING. They were inside every once in a while.

Her picture is on my desk and always will be. She was OUR fist Shep, our first rescue, and our inspiration to alway help the breed, to always help ANY animla that need it.

I will never ever forget her, EVER. She was saved, she endured **** for 5 years (her age when liberated) and was a gem. I love my hub, my family, my pets, but SHE is the first I want to see at the bridge, she is my inspiration.