|
Dog Breeds » German Shepherd Reviews
|
|
AVERAGE RATING 
German Shepherds enjoy plenty of exercise and have a fantastic ability to pick up scent so playing hide and seek is a good way to entertain them. By socialising your puppy you will also help to prevent your German Shepherd becoming an aggressive dog in the future. They are naturally protective and will guard their territory, this is not something that needs to be incouraged or trained. Be aware when inviting new people to your home that they may not receive a welcome greeting. German Shepherds can have either long or short coats, and they love mud so do require grooming regularly. There are a number of health problems associated with German Shepherds due to inexperienced breeders and pupopy farms. Make sure you find out about the history of the blood line from your breeder for the Sire and the Dam. Ask lots of questions about the health of the puppies and see whether the breeder impresses you with their knowledge. If you havent owned a dog before then make sure you do plenty of research into the breed so that you know what to expect. It is a good idea to take them to training classes as a well trained GSD can make an excellent family pet, however lack of training can lead to a destructive out of control nightmare. |
|
Belle
Reviewed by Admin on 30-4-2008 (Essex) |
| My German Shepherd cross is great fun and a day hasn't gone by when she hasn't made me laugh. As my first dog I really didn't know what I was doing at first, but I have been taking her to dog training twice a week and agility once a week and she is now a well socialised, somewhat nutty dog. She needs loads of exercise so i take her out 3 times a day. Her main walk is in the morning for about 1 hour, then i take her to the park at lunchtime and chuck a ball for about 20 mins and then after work i take her for a walk or run for 30 mins. She would love to spend the whole day in the forest playing with other dogs if she was given the choice. She is crossed with a Belgian Shepherd so she is smaller than a German Shepherd and she can outrun most other dogs. Her favourite trick is to steel someone elses toy to get them to chase her. Most dogs find her a bit much as she just keeps going long after they have given up. Her litter brother lives round the corner and she loves playing with him as they both numpty about and wrestle each other to the ground. Although she is socialised now there was a horrible time when she was about 1 years old where she went from greeting people with a wagging tail to running at them barking. Unfortunately most people are scared of black GSD's so they react in the worst possible way making prey type noising and flapping their arms around. To overcome this I started walking her on the lead and only let people greet her who knew how to behave around nervous dogs. She got lots of food treats and ball games with strangers for about 6 months before she finally decided that they weren't so bad after all. She occasionally gets scared by tall men if they are wearing a big coat, but as long as they aren't scared of her she soon recovers. The best thing is when I sit down to watch TV as she either lays across my feet or if i invite her she gets on the sofa and tries her best to fit on my lap. Very funny as she doesnt fit but is always determined to squish herself into a ball so only her head falls to the side. I am now looking to get another dog to keep her company as she loves to have someone to play with. |
|
Was this helpful? YES - NO
49% of users found this review helpful. |
Tara 
Reviewed by Tom Ellis on 15-5-2008 (Southport) |
| I acquired Tara at 8 months old because her original owner could not cope with her 'aggression'. After one month of intense socialisation Tara become a happy confident dog and defied the critics who said she would always be aggressive. I used a dog behaviourist after that to help work through some of her other issues and now have a very happy local dog. Definately worth putting the time and effort in to get her on track, but i can understand why a lot of people give up on their dogs as it is not easy. Think next time i get a gsd will choose a puppy from a breeder rather than a rescue dog. However, no regrets!! |
|
Was this helpful? YES - NO
52% of users found this review helpful. |
|
Return to Dog Breeds Reviews |
