24/05/2024
🐾🐕Fridays are now Breed Highlight Days! 🐕🐾
My goal is to teach people about what comes with each breed and encourage more research into what breed would be a good addition to your family.
German Shepherds are my favorite breed, so I’m definitely a little biased on this one. They are amazing dogs, extremely loyal, intelligent, love to learn and honestly just spend time with their owners. Jax’s favorite thing to do is find a new trail to hike so he can take in all the smells!
With that being said, if you’re going to own this breed then you need to have a high energy level. They need both physical and mental stimulation to maintain good boy/girl status. If not, they may get destructive and/ or aggressive. The owner needs to be willing to put a lot of time into training and maintain enrichment throughout their lives, but especially during the beginning. German Shepherds are widely used as Police K-9s and Military Working Dogs where they will give on average 7-8 years of their lives working. Day in and day out these dogs are using their bodies and brains to track people, explosives, drugs, and take down suspects. Your German Shepherd is not tired after one 20 minute session of “fetch”, especially after they rest and catch their breath (they’ll be right back at it if you let them- I promise!)
Since this breed has become more common and widely bred by accidental litters or back yard breeders, the chances of getting a full throttle working line GSD is slim. Possible if you go through the right breeding channels but that’s not ideal for a pet home. Some common issues when it comes to unchecked breeding is Hip Dysplasia. This breed is already very prone to developing this in their later years, but can be prevented if both mom and dad’s hips and elbows are checked prior to breeding. Temperament is also a very common issue I come across, aggression and confidence issues can pass down and without proper training can lead to bigger issues when full grown.
When loved and given the proper environment to fulfill their needs, GSDs are the most loving and playful dogs. Their loyalty runs deep but so does their goofy side, from the funny Chewbacca noises to their prey drive kicking in over a shovel, you will never be bored around a German Shepherd. Often times they are big babies!
The best thing you can do when getting a GSD is tons of research beforehand as well as getting in contact with a trainer early. If you don’t have experience with a high drive breed a trainer should be able to show you the best ways to build your relationship and start training!
