Originally Posted By clownbear69:
Well I have owned two GSD. The first one, is Grandfather was the champion /or royality (something like that never got straight answer) from Germany. Very well behaved dog. He was very intellgent as well (most shepards are). We live in a subdivision and never had any issues with the first one.

Our second one on the other hand has had some issues. He has attacked all the dogs in the immediated area (and yes he has gone to obedience school as well) Yet there is a catch to the story. We have an electric fence around our property to start with yet the dogs got attacked. Example one of the neighbors has a racing dog (greyhound or what not who cares) My dog (Thor) was in the yard with his shock collar on in the fenced area. He knew almost from the start that if he passed at all he hear the tone and get zapped hard. This neighbors dog can out run mine easily yet the neighbor see it as he got out the yard.

Now my dad has put up a 4 foot high fence around the yard. Yes Thor will attack but if he is provoked. A German Shepard, even though a great family dog, is still a working dog at the end of the day. Why do you think police departments use them. On top of this the German Shepard is family dog. As long as he/she knows the family members he/she will protect them.

As a side not to shepards my first one (Aboo) was with my step family (Mom sis and bro) a couple years before I cam into the picture. I only had one incident, he knocked me over. We disiplined and never again. I hope this helps if you have any question go ahead and ask

Originally Posted By Marmike600:


Thank you very much for the reply. From all accounts from the foster family, he is really laid back. He (Hercules) is around 4 years old, neutered, and is good around pretty much any dog. He has been socialized with many other people of varying ages with supposedly no issues.

I guess it will take the neighbors meeting him to assuage any concerns. In the mean time, I will keep him (when we get him) in the fenced yard and slowly invite the neighbors over to meet him if they will. I may ping you with questions if you dont mind. Thank you again.

Originally Posted By Marmike600:
I guess it will take the neighbors meeting him to assuage any concerns. In the mean time, I will keep him (when we get him) in the fenced yard and slowly invite the neighbors over to meet him if they will. I may ping you with questions if you dont mind. Thank you again.

Originally Posted By aa777888-2:

That's exactly right, you need to make him the canine social butterfly of the neighborhood. Take him for lots of walks, meet all the kids, parents, dogs, etc. However be careful not to push him on people who are afraid of him or who are just not interested. Also, be careful he doesn't get into it with other dogs who are NOT friendly because he'll get the blame. And make sure children and even adults are respectful. No riding him like a horse!

I know a lot of Doberman owners and they go through the same thing, maybe even worse. One other thing you can do is invest in some obedience training. An obedient dog is always a wonder. People seem to automatically like well behaved dogs. "Oh, what a beautiful dog, and so well behaved!"

Originally Posted By Marmike600:


Thank you. We already have scheduled to bring him to classes even though he has already been. We figure it will help him with the "new master" deal. it was easier with our lab because we got her as a little fluff ball. I have always wanted a GSD. The neighborhood is pretty tight-knit so it shouldnt be an issue for long. Our across the street neighbor has 2 GSD's but he keeps them pinned 24/7. That isnt a life for GSD's or any other large dog.

Originally Posted By fla556guy:
It is the association between GSD's being a guard dog and their fear of what they think is a loaded gun that is being carried by a deaf, mute, idiot (dog).

I bet they have never owned a big breed dog, if that is the case.


On a more related note:

Why are you letting your neighbors meddle in your shit?

I'd just tell them to FOAD, he's my dog and that's it. Letting your neighbors push you around is never a good idea....it leads to further belief that they can push you around.

I choose my direction, not my neighbors. Now, if what I am doing is illegal, or my dog barks constantly/bites kids within 70 mile radius......then they might have a complaint. Until such time as a valid complaint is lodged, they really need to learn to mind their own business.

Originally Posted By fla556guy:


Just keep in mind GSD's are active, and VERY smart. You need to give him a job, or he will make chewing your house up his job.

Originally Posted By clownbear69:
As another tidbit i forgot, at night time let them roam, dont confide them to one area the house for sleep. Both Aboo and especially Thor roam and are on "patrol" if we would contain them in one room at night that try to get your attention quick. I dont know if this is true for every GSD but something that should be noted

Originally Posted By aa777888-2:
Oh, and don't forget to teach him a trick or two. Those are always disarming.

Originally Posted By abnk:
That's very nice that you want to maintain harmonious relations with your neighbors, but I don't think you need to justify anything to them unless you have a habit of letting your dogs roam the neighborhood.

Originally Posted By Marmike600:


Thank you. I will do that. I have always been a fan of the trick of having them get you a beer.

Originally Posted By abnk:
You sound like a responsible dog owner and thoughtful neighbor. I like the trick idea mentioned by aa777888-2.

My neighbors know that my dog is not friendly, but they also know that he will never be out roaming. They don't mind when their kids come to play ball with him when I have him out (he's like a baseball glove fitted with a 6HP vacuum) and many have invited me to let him run in their backyards when they're not there. What I'm trying to convey is that your dog doesn't necessarily have to be friendly with your neighbors for them to feel comfortable so long as they trust that you are responsible and have the ability to control your animal.

Originally Posted By AlanD:
When my GSD grew to adult size people would pick up their small dogs and kids when we walked by in fear that my dog would eat them. Over time most, but not all, realized their fears were unfounded.

Be sure the dog is always under your control, and IMHO a pinch collar is a must. Large dogs are very strong, and 1 moment they may be walking peacefully at your side and the next pulling you off your feet when they spot something to chase. Training greatly helps, but if your dog pulls loose from you and chases another neighborhood dog, it can become a problem. Aggressive barking is all it takes. I've got 1 asshole who goes around telling everyone my dog is dangerous, and she has never harmed another person or pet.

Originally Posted By Marmike600:
Good Morning All,
I am currently in the process of adopting a German Shepherd Dog from a GSD rescue. This is not an abused dog, the owner could not afford the special grain free food for the dog anymore due to job loss. I have no qualms about the dog and things are going just fine with the process to date.

The problem is that some of my neighbors are worried that because it is a GSD, they believe it will go all bipolar every fifteen minutes and eat all the children within 70 sq miles. We already have a black lab female that everyone in the neighborhood loves so the issue isnt "Large Dog" the issue is the breed of this one.

Any advice from GSD owners, issues that GSD's actually have as opposed to urban myth, etc would be appreciated. Thank you.

Originally Posted By vengarr:


How do your neighbors know that you are thinking about buying a dog?
Why does your neighbors opinion of you buying said dog matter?

Damn, that is just crazy.

I know a lot of Doberman owners and they go through the same thing, maybe even worse. One other thing you can do is invest in some obedience training. An obedient dog is always a wonder. People seem to automatically like well behaved dogs. "Oh, what a beautiful dog, and so well behaved!"

Originally Posted By hellbound:
i like my neighbors, but what I do in my house on my property is none of their fucking business.

we own two GSDs, our one neighbor is terrified of them because when they see his greyhound outside all three of them sprint along the fence together (you know, what dogs do), he's a fucking doofus.

meanwhile our male has hung out with our neighbors rabbit of unusual size and our female is terrified of the dachshund that lives down the street. they hang out in the yard with our neighbors lab, and don't bother anyone.

just this morning the two of them sat at our front screen door watching a squirrel dig up nuts and didn't make so much as a peep.

our GSDs get bored easily and they prefer mental stimulation to physical. take them on long walks, hikes, or to the dog park and they couldn't be any less interested, but if i'm doing any type of work around the house, they will follow me around and watch me for hours. it's really funny because our male tries to pretend like he's not watching and almost looks like he wants to undo whatever i'm doing, and our female will wrinkle her forehead with intensity.

when we first rescued our male, he would get really antsy. I would take him for hour long walks, come home, still antsy. on our walks I noticed he'd pull towards our cars in the parking lot. one night when he was being particularly antsy (pacing, panting, getting into trouble, being a nudge), i put him in the car and took him for a ride around the neighborhood. got home, he walked himself right into our bedroom and went to sleep.

GSDs will tell you what they want, i'm not kidding about them getting into trouble, they are like bad kids when not occupied. you'll see that mischievous spark and next thing you know they're up to no good. if they want attention, ours will demand it.

Originally Posted By Marmike600:
Thank you for the insight. I have heard they are crazy smart. I will have to make sure they have something to keep him busy.

Originally Posted By 1IV:
We just adopted a Sheppard / Doberman mix. It is fun to see people steer away from him.

He is a big lover. Have not seen his aggressive side yet.

Neutered one year old. Great smart dog.

And apparently irradiated.

http://i1201.photobucket.com/albums/bb358/oneissuevoter/e2f89fdd.jpg

Originally Posted By Thoth8:
Simple, tell the neighbors you have decided to go with their wishes. And you will not be getting
a dog. Instead you are going to get some Africanized honey bees and become a bee keeper.

Originally Posted By aa777888-2:


Obedience training is a great way to do this. Make it part of your normal walks and it won't take that much time, either. Heel, sit, down, stand, stay, place, left and right finish, front, fast heel, slow heel, left turns, right turns, 180 left, 180 right, 360 left, 360 right. Hand signals as well as voice commands. Retrieves. Jumps. Tricks galore. The list is endless.

Place commands are very useful: go truck. Go car. Go house. Go crate. Go bed. Go kitchen. Etc.

Definitely come up with an elimination command. Having a dog that will pee on command is absolutely indispensable and you'll wonder how you lived without it. If you want to really have a command that kicks ass add a "go out" to it. It can be pouring rain and we can send our dog out to it's pee spot from the covered porch, watch her do her thing from shelter, then have her back on the porch in seconds.

Some tricks are quite useful: paws up (on a bed or chair) is good for therapy dog work (our Akita is a therapy dog). We taught left paw, right paw, spin (turn in place 180), left foot, right foot for foot wiping. Kiss (bump your nose with theirs) is always a therapy dog heartwarmer.

Mental exercise is more draining than physical exercise. Your dog will have fun.

Originally Posted By h3smith:
Is this from the VA GSD rescue? They are good people and we donate to them. They should be able to answer all of your questions for you.