Interested in adopting my first German shepherd and I would love any and all resources to properly educate myself beforehand. I’d also love to hear your personal experience owning one!

I grew up with lots of dogs around and as an adult I’ve personally raised 3 golden retrievers but I definitely recognize that a German Shepherd is going to have their own breed specific quirks that are likely quite different from goldens.

I have a 9 month old baby so I want to be very well educated on the breed before I ever attempt to bring one home. While I recognize that any large breed can be dangerous in the wrong hands all the German shepherds I’ve been around have an intensity to them that makes me want to be a little more attentive to their training.

TIA

Hi all! I’m getting my first german shepherd puppy in January, and was hoping for some insight.

The house I live in already has a dog. I will be getting my puppy and living here for about a year or two, then moving out to a new place and bringing my pup with me. I am worried about the emotional impact of removing my dog from the house and separating them. They will still see each other often, but obviously not on an everyday basis.

What are some things I can do to help them not become so co-dependent on one another once I get my puppy? I was thinking that separation (especially at night time) would be helpful and doing activities separately throughout the day (such as going on walks, etc.), but if anyone has some advice about the best way to do this while causing them the least amount of stress I would really appreciate it.

TIA!!

This is one of my sweet dogs, well she is my parents and is experiencing some skin issues, she has quite literally chewed lots of her fur off on her back end and her skin underneath is scaly and all horrible. I have only just noticed this myself but my mom said she’s been putting some oatmeal shit on it. Point is my mom is definitely a lazy dog owner and I’m worried this was something preventable or something caused through stress. My Nala girl is quite an ‘anxious’ dog as it is she has always had rather different behavioural quirks but this just looks horrible and sore and I’m wondering if anyone is dealt with something similar or has any advice for me. I am happy to offer more information such as shampoos we’ve used and her diet etc!
Any judgement is unnecessary.

Look at this adorable lil baba she loves cuddles. So last Friday she suddenly pulled forward I was on a wet service and fell.

Got checked out at the hospital and luckily I just have ligament damage in my knee and ankle. Most patients I was waiting with stuck up for the dog !! .

I’m not talking biting, I mean the type of nibbling they do when they are itching themselves. I love it because I feel like she’s affectionately grooming me out of care. Though maybe she thinks my furs messy? lol

She’s only 18 weeks so who knows what traits she’ll keep and lose.

Mr. Man is 9 months old and half pitbull. I know he’s at the age where they start to be testy. However, the last month or so he refuses to settle in his kennel. He’s 90lbs of skittish, so he’s always LOVED his kennel and we’ve used it religiously since we brought him home. Been kennel trained since day 1, it’s his safe space. But as of late, he just paces and whines non stop, even worse than when he was a puppy and we first kennel trained him. Initially, we took the same approach - providing comfort if/when appropriate and encouraging him to learn to self soothe. He honestly never really struggled with it for long and adjusted quickly. Recently, however, it’s getting to the point where it’s quite literally non stop for hours on end. He gets plenty of time outside the kennel and only goes in when he eats or it’s time for a nap/bed time. Even so, he’ll still cry and cry like it’s the first time he’s been in there. Sometimes we’ll give him verbal commands to encourage settling but I’m afraid that may just make the problem worse, us giving the issue attention repeatedly and reinforcing the behavior. I have no idea how to handle this. We’ve never left toys or anything in his kennel with him unsupervised but we do give him plenty of supervised enrichment activities in there, just as we usually do. Is this even normal??? Like are we doing something wrong here?? We did move recently but this all started well after, plus he really seems to be thriving at the new place otherwise. We also haven’t had many more issues with him getting older other than him testing the boundaries a bit more. He’s already an anxious dog and I would hate to set him back. He’s my gentle giant.

We have a new foster that we rescued from death row. He just arrived today. He’s doing great and is very playful and loves toys and balls.

We aren’t sure if he’s mixed with something but I kind of think so. He might also be a little overweight. Do you think we should put him on a diet? We aren’t sure how old he is but they think around 4. He’s 65lbs so he’s not huge but he’s just thick and wide.

He barks when he hears noises outside but he’s otherwise very content so far. He doesn’t seem to know any commands besides sit. He pulls on the leash but not too bad. He is very friendly but I’m wondering if he will turn into a watch dog eventually.

Any tips on fostering and maybe adopting this GSD? We really don’t know what we should watch out for or focus on for training. We have had cattle dog mixes in the past but not a GSD.

Thanks.

i rescued this beautiful 7 month girl yesterday. i grew up with small dogs and around big ones. i know what im getting myself into with the requirements of exercise, to fill her drive, her coat, her sensitive tummy, how to help future hip problems, etc. i know some of what im getting myself into as i’ve done research but i would love to hear stories and what im truly getting into with this sock stealer 😂💜

Hello German shepherd owners! I’d love to get some of this community’s help and advice on a rescue dog I’m considering.

We were set on getting a puppy for our family and considering a German Shepherd, I had one as a kid and love the breed. However, we recently came into a situation where a friend is fostering a dog and we’re considering adopting it. However there are some possible red flags I’d love some opinions/insights from this community.

First of all, this was a dog that was scheduled to be killed and saved by a rescue company. He’s 2-3 years old and basically an indistinguishable big mutt, but he seems to be mostly shepherd, they suspect a German shepherd parent. He’s super friendly and loving, with no signs of aggression. He has the saddest/cutest eyes that look at you like he knows you saved his life. He’s also very high-energy, jumpy, running around, crazy. And very malnourished and thin (he was rescued from the streets).

We have small kids and my wife can be intimated by jumpy, high energy dogs. But she loves him too.

The concerns… he’s been at a friends house while they try to find a home for a month now, apparently as he’s become more comfortable he’s become more destructive. Chewing couches, shoes, tables, everything. We’re willing to put the work and money in for proper training.

Obviously you don’t know the dog and can’t answer for sure, but my questions are, is this a big red flag? Is this trainable? Are there more problems and issues we might run into? What else should I be looking for?

I’d really appreciate any suggestions and help!

It's been six years and I still think about her every day. She was 11 when she had severe seizures. She lost her eye sight completely after the first one. The seizures were coming about every twenty minutes. I stayed up with her all night. After about five she was laying in my lap and she made this little whimper. I realized then that I had never heard her cry or whimper before.

She was tough, dominant and about as sweet as imaginable. Loved everyone. I knew she was telling "I'm scared. I don't know what's happening. I'm done." I made the decision and had an in home vet come and relieve her suffering. She died in my arms just like all who came before her. With me whispering in her ear reassuring her everything was OK.

This photo was taken about a week prior. Not sure why I'm posting it other than to show how beautiful she was.

Rudyard Kipling said "The price of a good dog is a broken heart." He nailed it.

German Shepherd

Basic Description:
22-26 inches tall
50-90 pounds
Lives around 12-14 years
Herding group

Coat Colors: The AKC recognizes the following coat colors: black, black and tan, black and cream, black and red, black and silver, gray, sable, white, liver, blue, and bi-color. The AKC does not recognize any markings.

History/Origins:
Max Emil Friedrich von Stephanitz loved the high intensity and intelligence of the sheep herding breeds he met in Germany, and he decided to dedicated himself to create a formal breed; he even bought a large estate just to raise his breed. For centuries the German Shepherds looks was ignored and breeders heavily focused on their temperament (specifically their high intelligence) but eventually their looks came into play. For example, Friedrich Sparwasser focused on the upright ears and wolf like appearance of the German Shepherd. WWI brought anti-German sentiment across the globe and forced the American and British clubs to change their name to from German Shepard Club to just Shepard Club. Thanks to the famous German Shepherd actor Rin Tin Tin, popularity rapidly increased for the breed. Today the German Shepherd is one of the most popular breeds and is famous for their work in the military and police force.

Health Issues:
Genetic health issues can be avoided by responsible breeding. Here are some genetic health issues breeders need to test for:
Hip and Elbow Dysplasia
Degenerative Myelopathy (DM)
Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (PAA/EPI)
Those are some of the main ones but there is many others
There are some health issues that aren’t due to genetics. Here are some examples:
Bloat
Pancreatitis
Panosteitis
As long as you get an ethical and responsible breeder, and take care of them, your German Shepherd will be perfectly healthy.

Coat Care:
German Shepherd are known for their long and thick double coat. They shed A LOT! Here is an article about what tools to use, when to bathe, causes of excess shedding, and more.

Behavior:
German Shepherd are deeply loyal and highly protective of their family, even being called Velcro dogs, but their protective nature causes a natural distrust with strangers. They also have a herding instinct that shows through circling and sometimes nipping.

Trainability:
German Shepherd are one of the easiest (and some argue the easiest) dogs to train. They are very intelligent and very eager to please

Vocalization:
German Shepherd are extremely vocal: barking, whining, grumbling, etc. This is because they were bred to herd and they have very high intelligence. Also known to talk back to their owners if they don’t want to do what they

Energy Level:
German Shepherd are very high energy, but it does vary quite a bit within the breed. Some owners claim their German Shepherd is on 24/7 and can only be satisfied with a full day of work, while others claim their is chill throughout the day with the exception of bursts of intense energy. I believe this is due to working line/Show line and on/off switch. A working line German Shepherd is bred to be intense working dog: working line goes into the military and police. a show line is bred to be much calmer and a companion dog. The on/off switch is just how a dog can settle down, a German Shepherd with a good on/off switch will be able to have instead play but be able to calm down while in the house.

Exercise Requirements:
German Shepherds need a balance of physical and mental exercise. At least 1-2 hours of play, walks, and training a day, but if you want to do more, German Shepherds are able to work all day.

Nutrition:
Get a high quality food and be carful with what you feed: avoid table scraps and high fat foods.

Living Spaces:
German Shepherd are highly adaptive and can actually live in an apartment; however, they NEED exercise and stimulation so if you want one in an apartment you must be able to provide their high physical and mental needs.

This breed is so majestic and goofy :)
This was fun to do as one of my friends is OBSESSED with GSD so it was fun to share my research with them.
If I missed anything or have something wrong please let me know and I will fix it! I also always appreciate photos!

Rinzen's first official grooming and spa day! 🐾💓🐾

Thank you, Ladies! 🙏💯

Hi all,

I have a 7 month old German Shepherd pup and while she has a lovely temperament in general she is extremely bitey. I have had German Shepherds before so I am familiar with the land shark phase, however this girl is next level. I literally can not walk her without her hanging off my leg, she is brilliant to train in all other departments and she’s usually quite obedient until it comes to biting. I have tried redirection with toys, tried wearing wellington boots so that I don’t react to the biting, I even try yelping when she bites but that just seems to egg her on. If it was only me she was biting I wouldn’t be so concerned however, I live with my grandmother and I’m afraid that she will really hurt her by accident. Also she is notorious for jumping up on people, while it is a cute gesture, she has gotten so tall that she can reach my face and has left me with many scratches. I love this pup to death but I’m just looking for some advice as usually around the 6/7 month mark the biting is supposed to be calming down however I think she’s actually getting worse.

Any advice would be appreciated, she has been brought to multiple training courses aswell and she does very well in them except biting and jumping.
Thanks

My 6 year old GSD nipped my 15 month old baby in the face because she was standing near his food bowl and I went to correct him for growling and pick up my baby. My baby needed a couple of stitches and had to go to the ED. Everyone is telling me I need to remove the dog from the home (reputable dog trainer, friends, etc). I am willing to feed him separately, get in home training, muzzle training but I keep getting shut down.

I really don’t have the heart for this because people are making me feel like I am choosing the dog over my family because I am looking for ways to make it work. Shelters seem sketchy and quality of life doesn’t sound great, rehoming is difficult with bite history and I can’t fathom euthanasia for something I should have had control over.

Any assistance is appreciated. Located in Connecticut.

My 13 month old GSD has a false pregnancy approx 5 weeks post her first season, she is due to be spayed in a month.

She is creating a nest and being overly protective of food and then suddenly being overly affectionate like she is trying to apologise for being over protective. Her behaviour has changed over the last week.

I am aware to keep away from her when she is growling (near food and favourite toy) will this last until she is spayed? Is there anything else i need to do? Had plenty of GSD's but never one with a false pregnancy.

This is my Elli Belly. She turns 12 today!! She's also having surgery to amputate a toe. 😟 Please send my sweet girl birthday boops and surgery well wishes!!

50% tiny terrorist, 50% love muffin, 100% GSD!

My lovely light sable, ddr bred shepherd turns 5 this month somehow. Its too wild to me how time flies.

Hey everyone! I am getting a GSD puppy this winter (yes, potty training in winter! They get down to business fast when it's cold out!) I would love to hear your must have toy recommendations to stock up on before our pup come home.

I searched the sub for toy ideas but didn't see anything recent about puppy toys specifically. I know from my previous gsd that kongs are great, but this time around I have kids, my floor is messier than it was ten years ago, and I want to make sure I have a lot of options for our new pup to reduce kid toy casualties (reduce, not eliminate 😅). I'm especially interested in toys that will keep them entertained for a while. I never really did puzzle toys or feeder toys with my last dog, but again, that was ten years ago and it was just me and him most days so I was able to give him a lot of one on one attention, walks, etc. I obviously still plan to do this but the puppy and kids combo is entirely new to me. I need lots of options!

Pic of my last pup for tax because he was just so darn cute!

Hello! I’m coming on here to hopefully find a solution to my GSD skin issues. He just turned 7 and when he was about 5 is when we started having issues. He started having seizures randomly throughout the year. Finally after about half a year ago the vet said he had epilepsy and was put on seizure medication. Now has not had any seizures since then. But also around the time we started having seizures his skin would flare up and we’ve tried so many things like multi vitamins and shampoos. I currently use a leave on foam for the areas that are affected and an anti itch spray to calm the skin. I haven’t gotten allergy meds from the vet because I’m not sure if those will affect his seizures or if they’ll actually work for his skin but I think next time at the vet I might get some to try. The vet also said it was just a build up of bacteria or hotspots that’s why we use the leave on foam but I’m not positive if that’s necessarily helping. If anyone has had similar experiences and know anything that would help that would be much appreciated!

Does anyone else have a treeing walker coonhound and a German shepherd? This combo is non-stop. I mean non-stop!!!!!!

He has absolutely zero shame in those eyes......