[ARCHIVED THREAD] - German Shepherds (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 12/1/2007 7:36:38 PM EDT
| I was wondering if anyone has some good info on German Shepherds. Do they shed much? Can they be inside dogs? What are the general differences between a male/female? Thanks for any info and feel free to post pics. |
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We have a German Shepard. I'm sure personality depends from dog to dog, but ours is awesome, but she's an old ass. Shedding isn't very bad. We have a brush that helps with the undercoat. Ours is an inside dog when we're at home but when we're gone, she's always outside. I wouldn't get one unless you had a decent sized backyard or at least time to exercise them. And they are smart. But, you're going to have to work with them at least a little bit or you're going to end up with a big and bored neurotic dog. Ours has pretty bad hip displasia. And ear problems. The hip problems are very common. And the difference between male and female shepards is that males have a penis. |
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I have had a few and helped with training others. I like them and they do well indoors. All of mine have been house dog's. They do shed but are not the worst at this. Females tend to protect the home better but I myself have only had males. If raised and trained right, all are good with children and very protective of them. On a side note. One of mine kept 3 males out the home my 16 year old Sister was in. Just Her and "Hoss" were there. I'm so glad She was dog sitting for me that night. |
I've had gsd's practically all of my life (ironically, right now is one of the few times that I've been without one----but I plan to change that in february) and I've only had one which developed hip problems late in its life. Hip problems-----at least according to my own personal experience-----are a hit or miss thing. I wouldn't let the fear of that keep me from getting a gsd if I really wanted one. |
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I wish I had the time to get two. I adopted a large male several yrs ago. The couple was leaving the country and couldn't take him. He accepted me right away and we became good buddies. He was pretty layed back but he got lots of exercise. My favorite breed. He was aloof but at the same time he was glad to be a good companion dog. |
 Here's a picture of Loki. He's about 2 years old in this picture. He comes from German breeding stock. He sheds but not bad if you keep up on the brushing. He is an inside/outside dog. GSDs are very smart dogs. You have to have time to commit to them on a daily basis or they will have problems. Not only do you have to exercise them but you have to keep them mentally stimulated as well. The German Sheppard breed has been known for hip problems that is the result of bad breeding. The common GSD that you see in the US differs greatly from the original breed. The original GSD was straight backed and wide between the ears. Many US bred dogs are sloped backed and narrow headed. Select your breeder well. I have had several friends that have had to put down their dogs because of hip problems. |
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I have a 1 1/2 year old long hair male named NEO. He is awesome. He is a true family dog, lets my kids jump all over him, etc. he loves it. He never did chew up the furniture, shoes, etc. as exprected, all he wants is his tennis ball and he's in heaven. Yea, he sheds though, thats for sure. Just brush yours outside a couple of times a week and that helps alot. This is my first one, I always had small dogs growing up and I always wanted one just like him. Now, like said above, I wish I could have two... DEFINITELY get one, best dogs ever. |
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I'll never own another breed. We adopted a male a year and a half ago. He is three now. Wow, what a great dog. I would suggest that you only get one if you can devote alot of time to him though. He requires daily work outs, but he is not so crazy if we go a day with out a good run, because of our newest adopted, 6month old Belgian Malinois. They love to play together, and he has become more laid back. He still insists on being my shadow, everywhere I go. He is absolutely devoted to me. Its kind of wierd sometimes. And don't let anyone fool you, they don't call them German shedders for nothing. Right now, it isn't bad, but holy shit, it's bad in the spring. Ours is an inside dog when we are home, and stays outside when we are gone. We had to get him a kennel, with a roof, because he would climb out and try to find me at work.  He went and found my oldest at school one day, on the play ground. . He does not like to be left alone. That was one of our reasons for the adoption of the Mal. Forgot to add, that I was told by my vet, and a breeder, that the hips are more a problem on over weight dogs, and dogs that had too much running as pups. The weight was the primary reason, according to the vet. My Gus has a fairly straight back, and is smaller, only 25" at the shoulder, and a skinny 75lbs; so he should hopefully be free of the hip problem. He always looks like he is starving, but never seems to be hungry. 
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I have a 12 1/2 year old female. Best dog I have ever had. VERY smart and affectionate. Some years back I was out in the back yard (Minneapolis) when there was some problems going on in the alley. My yellow lab ran to the back gate, flinging herself at it try to get to the troublemakers. The german shepherd quietly stood up, walked over to me and stood in front of me with her ears flattened and teeth bared. She is the most discerning dog. When she barks (which is rarely), I check it out because she is always right. |
How is the Malinois on shedding???? Yours seems furrier than most I've seen? |
| I have 2 GSDs they shed like crazy. I love them though they are great dogs. I have had GSDs my whole life and do not really want any other breed for big dogs. I also have a JRT that is a house dog and could not be happier with the little guy. Unless you want to do daily grooming on your dog I would not recommend a GSD for inside the house. |
My Gus is the same way. I didn't think he could bark when we first got him. I just never heard him, then one night we were in the back yard, and someone came up to the fense, near the neighbors house. Gus took off over towards the gate, and let out the deepest, scariest bark I've ever heard. It damn near freaked me out. I think I jumped it surprised me so much.  When he barks, there's a good reason, and I know to look for an "intruder". |
You've met some screwed up GSDs then. Many people that get a GSD that have no idea on what it takes to raise them properly. They aren't a tie up in the back yard kind of dog, it will drive them bat shit crazy if they are not part of the family. |
I don't know a whole bunch about them. We adopted her before we knew what she was. I've looked at a lot of pictures on line, and there seem to be long haired and short haired versions. Her's is really pretty short; much like the GSD's in the picture. She is only just 6 months old now, and has a lot of puppy hair still. She is just starting to get the coarse hair on her back. It is also pretty cold here right now, and she probably has her winter coat. I'm not sure how the shedding will be with her. I'm guessing just like the GSD's  . She's pretty smart, but danged bullheaded. She is also currently in heat. Let me tell you how much fun it is to put underwear on a dog.[>:// She is scheduled to be spade on the 13th. 3 freaken weeks of this crap.[:// Oh, and she's way more hyper than the GSD. As to the GSD being a one person dog, ya, I'd agree with that. NO ONE, I mean NO one touches me with any kind of force, or he gets between me and them. My friends and even my wife has to be careful not to slap me, or act like they are harming me, or he gets after them. My friends also have to be careful not to mess with my kids, or he will charge them. He usually just chest buts them, but will growl too. We just tell everyone what is expected from him, and that they need to do that when he is around. I tease my wife about it. It is nice though when the Mal is being a little attention whore. He comes over and nips that in the bud real quick.  |
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Mine is the mellowest dog, but she has always been part of the family. The yellow lab was the pyscho but even she calmed down a lot when I brought the shepherd puppy home. People used to ask how I got her to be so calm. All I could say was she came that way. I never really formally trained her...but she knows/senses what I want and does it. I am going to be heart broken when she goes to the big backyard in the sky. Also, she is great with cats and kids but NOT babies and toddlers. She has never snapped or growled at one but she is tense and never takes her eyes off of them. If one is visiting the dog has to stay at my side. |
That is awesome.
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| I have a 7 year old GSD and have had him since he was 15 months. Absolutely a wonderful dog. Still acts like he did at 15 mos. He is a dual purpose Police dog, which means he can find dope and chase down dirt bags. I don't buy the one person dog bit. Devo loves everybody. Granted if you mess with me, he'll chew your arm off, but outside of that he is a big baby. Don't think I've every seen a "long haired GSD". Most likely what you see is a Belgian Tervian(sp). One of the three varieties of Belgian sheepdogs. Include the Malinois, and Belgian Shepherd. |
I've had GSDs for bout 15 years now I think they are the best overall breed. There is a lot of good advice in this thread also. I agree that the females tend to be more protective and that its better for them if you have two. I have a male and a female and I think they just do better as a couple. They do need exercise and the worst thing about them is the shedding.    
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I will own no other dog but GSD’s. Our first recently passed away. The pain for the whole family was unbearable. After a few days I thought the only way to get over his death and move on was to get another GSD pup. I found a breeder selling AKC pups and arranged to have my parents pick up the kids from school while Frau Quib and I drove out to spend the afternoon with the pups. As far as the kids knew, mom and dad were picking up a new car. The look on their face was unforgettable when they walked in the door and saw our new family member. She can’t replace our first GSD, but she’s already found her spot in our hearts. Here she is about a week ago, at 4 months old. 
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They shed like crazy..... Mals are faster yet more hyper. I bought a white one because the wife thought they looked neat....... smaller breeding pool and more problems. He needed hip surgery at 9 mos old. There are some really good vets that travel and do the surgery. He hasn't had a problem since. 
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German Shepherd Dogs (GSD). The GSD has both a inner coat and an exterior outter coat of fur. During the year as the seasons change they will blow out that shorter undercoat. You will have a good amount of shedding. This depends on the coat of the GSD of course. Some GSDs have long coats, although that is consider outside the breed standard. So, it really depends, but the ideal GSD will have both the undercoat and outter coat. If you brush them on a daily or at least once a week basis and learn how to use a shedding blade you'll be able to prevent the dog hair from being all over the place. Also, I recommend for every new dog owner to purchase a vacume made for pet hair. We have a Dyson made to pick-up dog hair, which can become almost embedded in carpet and furniture. There are cheaper vacumes that claim to do the same thing, but I don't have any experience with them. ________________________________________________________________________________ Whether the dog can be an indoor dog depends on the following: German Shepherd Dogs are large breed dogs that were designed to herd and spend all day running down sheep and herding them in large fields. They are a working dog breed and were designed for that down to their muscles, heart, and mind-set. So, if you can have someone at home for them during the afternoon to let them run out for exercise or can make it home to give them some afternoon exercise than yes they can be an indoor dog. The Germans did not use over a hundred years of selective breeding to produce a dog that will watch the boob tube with ya. That is why they are the "go-to" dog for the military and police. They are most happy when doing work or activity that challenges their mind and body. Without proper exercise they can become very difficult to deal with and can be destructive to items in your home. They have to be challenged at least a little in terms of giving their mind some work. ________________________________________________________________________________ Male and females. The biggest difference is the females heat cycle. They can be messy and will attract other male dogs so you have to be ready to deal with that and unless the bitch is some amazing example of the GSD breed she should be spayed. If this will be your first GSD you are probably not going to be a good judge of breedability and should learn to accept this as a limitation. Everyone thinks their GSD is the best in the world, but trust me there are already some fine examples of the breed being bred and too many folks breeding crap. Also males will grow on average larger than females, which means more dog to control. For a junior handler that can make things a little more difficult. The males do shoot-up in size quickly so by 10-12 months you'll have a pretty big dog. The males are also more likely to be a little more aggressive toward other males and at some point they'll look to be the alpha of your pack so you have to be a strong willed person who can remind them of their place through control in Obedience (OB) exercises. Around their teen months they'll be looking to see if they can be alpha so that period of time requires some patients and cool headed consistent OB control. Of course, there are a lot of variable here that can change things, and some other important things you need to learn about. ________________________________________________________________________________ You'll want to do a lot of research about American vs. German bloodlines. You'll want to know the difference between a German Working Bloodline and Show Bloodline. You will want to know the different hip and joint certifications and breed standard (American standard differs from the German). GSDs have the second highest number of hip problems among dogs due to the mass overbreeding here in America that took place in the 30-60s. Visit the following sites and spend some time learning and reading as much as you can. A GSD will be up to a 16 year commitment. Know how to read a pedigree, know the genetic problems that exist, and look for a temperment that will match your family. Good preperation will save you time, money, and make for a more enjoyable family bond. www.pedigreedatabase.com www.leerburg.com |
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Had Shepherds all my life. Yes, they shed. Deal with it. Great animals. They do have their own personalities and its tough to generalize. Go to a reputable breeder, met the parents and take your chances. All our Sheps have been great family dogs, some have been a bit skittish/aggressive with strangers though. They need lots and lots and lots of exercise, especially when they are pups. They are very smart and need attention and mental stimulation. Do not get one if you can't provide this. -Z |
My 4 month old pup does! If you let her, she’ll jump up on the couch and actually sit and watch TV. You can see she’s taking in what she’s watching by the movement of her head. You know that tilt they give ya when your talking to them. Talk about intelligent. Again, my pup is only 4 months old. At about 3 ½ months, after 3-4 days of practice, I had her trained to ring a bell tied to the door knob when she has to go potty. She’ll ring the bell with her nose and if you don’t react immediately she’ll wait patiently by the door until you show up. |
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I love GSDs. I used to have a purebred female, but she was batshit crazy due to inbreeding. They're the most related to the wolf of any breed, seeing how the Germans basically just captured and domesticated the wolf to their needs. You can see it in how they run/trot like the wolf. They're amazing. |
Two dogs are great, but it is difficult to raise both at the same time. In other words, having to deal with TWO puppies is difficult. However, if you get one trained in terms of house breaking and having some good foundation of obedience you can get another one and yes it does help in terms of mental stimulation. Just remember though that you are trying to form a bond with the dog. You have to be the most interesting thing in its life or it will make it much more difficult to train your dog. A trained dog is a happy dog and means a happy owner. If you have about a year apart than that would be good two years would be better. I would never match-up two males...never! Male and female match is always best when they are spayed and neutered. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your dog will be happier and more easy to control if you do some basic obedience. The obedience is worked into play and is always made fun. It comes out of dealing with their drive whether for food or drive to have a ball or tug. About 15 to 30 minutes of directed exercise per day is a must with obedience wrapped in. They need to run outdoors whether that is going after a ball you throw or jogging and/or walking with you. Of course, as they get older they need more exercise and younger pups require less. Be careful not to jog a puppy who is still forming his bones and joints, but you can still play ball with them within reason. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AKC Agility can be fun for both dogs and owners. Schutzhund is probably the best GSD sport IMHO and is fun. You can do various tracking styles of events or training. They love to track...LOVE it. You could get involved with local search and rescue groups and even go after FEMA certification if you're into that. The dogs love to work. Going for a hike with an adult GSD with a doggy pack is something they love. Anything where they feel like they are serving a purpose. They are purpose driven dogs, they want to work, and they want to feel of some use to the pack. |
Big-ass doofus ears! They're so funny and awkward looking when they're "adolescents"! We got our first GSD (Fritz) in '94. He was "coated". We had to have him put down in '05. It was like losing a family member.  We got our second one in '03 (Cody) so there was overlap between the two. Trust me, it helps to have an older one "showing the ropes" to a younger one. Fritz did some dumb shit as a pup but Cody never did. Thanks Fritz! We got our third GSD (Thor) a week after we put Fritz down. Once again, no dumb shit from Thor as Cody was his mentor. We've had/have a mutt or two during our GSD ownership but the Shepherd is tops in my book. Oh yeah---shedding is worse in the late spring as they lose their winter coat. You could build a new dog with all of it! |
 All he wants to do is be around me. It's kind of annoying at times but I would'nt have it any other way. It's a bad pic, but when I bring him to work he hides on our tug as I think he's trying to stop me from leaving on a flight. He sheds everywhere, I find hair in places he's never been. Best dog around... |
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GSDs are an intelligent breed and need as much mental exercise as they do physical. Besides physical exercise we play "Hide and Seek" and other search type games. We also spend time working with Loki on and off the lead. I live in a rural area so during his walks/runs he gets to be on and off the leash. During play time we are also drilling him on commands, he responds to verbal as well as hand signals. We also make sure he gets plenty of socializing. I'm lucky that my wife and I can take him to work from time to time so he learns to be around strangers without freaking out, stores like Pets Mart are great for training him to be around other people and other dogs, he loves trips to the store and we use these trips as training sessions as well. |
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I have had 4 GSD's. 3 were police patrol and one was a house pet. All of them lived inside the house (1 at a time over the course of a number of years). Shed, you bet. Each got a brushing everyday and I had to vacuum the house everyday. They were part of the family. Two of the patrol dogs I raised from pups (got them at 7 weeks old). No one in the family was allowed to pay any attention to them until they were 3 mos old. I ran my hands through their food (so when they ate, they knew who was their source of food) and gave them all their attention. After 3 mos, the kids and wife socialized with them. I can tell you, no one came close to any member of the family without them telling the dog it was alright. Handler protection did not have to be taught to those dogs and they turned out to be award winning k-9's. I was covered by the city for any liability concerning the k-9's when they were on duty or at home with me. You may want to check your homeowners insurance, as some companies require a rider for certain breeds (some include GSD's) or will not insure any acts committed by the breed. As far a male vs female, I have had both and both are family protective. The male will go out further from the handler to search than the female, who seems to have a closer area of protection. This is based on my own observations and may certainly not be true in all cases. Good luck with a GSD. My favorite dog. Just keep in mind, they are a large dog and require a lot of exercise. If you are not willing to commit, look for a smaller dog. Hey Dan, if you read this post, give it a 10-4. |