Posted: 4/20/2013 6:40:04 PM EDT
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We are second on the list for a GSD litter from a working dog line with police background. They stud and bitch have their first meeting to conceive next week. We are very excited and would love to have one of these pups. Our background with dogs is in another purebred breed that is know for it's high energy and stubborness (Airedales, which as a breed I absolutely love and I've been around them my whole life). We have met the stud GSD and he is a fantastic dog. Very good with our family and current Airedale. We met in dog park, and the stud was constantly working the field to make sure that everything was kosher. While all the other dogs were fucking around, the GSD was patroling.
We had the opportunity today to meet with another breeder today who is a part of the local GSD club. We met with her at her home to learn about the breed. The Bad-Ass Dad in me says that a GSD would be perfect for my daughter, who we are getting the dog for. But the Family Guy (with kids and people going in and out of our house every day) is starting to have second thoughts. We have had an experience with a recent dog of our who, despite all of our attempts at socializaiton and retraining, just wasn't wired right. We couldn't have anyone in our house. We made a tough decision and moved on with an active life with neighbors able to come and go. Today we met probably 6-7 GSD's ranging from 9 weeks (adorable and very loving), to 9 months (HUGE dog and very social), to 4-6 years old. Every adult GSD that we have met looks at us like this. "You talkin' to me?" "How we gonna handle this?" 
I understand that we are strangers to these dogs, but I want neighbors and kids to be able to come and go in our house without having an introduction ritual with our GSD. The dogs we met today needed a ritual of introduction (snack in hand) befor they were brought in. That just could be the breeder's regimine for introducing very active dogs to a lot of clients who are total unknowns in dog experience and tolerance. They were all very nice once we met them, except for one who wasn't at her home and was very standoff-ish. My kids are older and very good with dogs. From the adult dogs that I have seen, GSD's are trying to figure out if they need to kill you and how. I don't think that's a bad thing! If I live on 80 acres in the country the dog would go perfectly with the concertina wire and claymores. 
I want to know if anyone has any hands on family experience with GSD's. I am comfortable with all of this as a dog person, I just want to make sure that I am not introduing a dog into our house that causes problems for others. I know there are a lot of GSD owners on this board. BTW, they appear to be amazing dogs. When they move, they move quickly and with purpose and authority. Their gate is long and in two trots they can close a large distance. And they are constantly checking out the world around them. Constantly. Truly working dogs. They would be perfect on my 80 acre compound out in the sticks. I just don't want my dog to eat the neighbors toy dog or scare too many neighbors. I have no issues with our ability to handle a GSD, more just whether the breed is right for us and our needs. I suspect that all of this could be deal with very good socialization up front. But also wonder if my attempts at socialization are contrary to the dogs natural hard wiring. How are GSD's with neighbors and kids coming and going from the house? How are they with other strange dogs they see during a walk? Maybe what is making me hesitate is the bad experience with a prior dog. I cannot repeat that. I am trying to be informed and learn about the breed upfront, so we are doing a lot of research. Any thoughts? We really want one. Thanks, Corey |
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How come they are GSD? When someone says I have a Golden Retriever, I never wonder if they have a really good step-and-fetch-it guy, I know they have a dog. If someone said they had a German Shepherd that licks his balls I would never think "I wonder if he has a heavy accent?", I would know he is talking about a dog. So? |
| I was raised with gsd. Both parents met in k9 school. Mom was sp in af and dad was mp in army. We always had them growing up and many dogs retired to our house when my dad worked for the county. If you are looking for a dog that is smart, easy to train and will be like a badass oder brother that nobody wants to fuck with for your daughter then you made the right choice. You still must always monitor them together but they are great family dogs. |
| Didn't read the whole post but GSD are awesome dogs. Make sure you establish that you are the alpha and you won't have any problems. Keep them busy because if they get bored that's when they start to get in to things. Socialize them early with other people and dogs as early as possible. Their protective instinct will start to really show around 1 year old. Miss my "runt'`... |
| I have a long haired GSD 1/2 DDR line and1/2 Czechoslovakian line imported. She loves kids especially babies and knows not to be rough with them. She hardly ever barks except when it's night and something is on our property. She likes to play fight me, that aggression is definitely in the blood. |
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My wife and I lost our dog a few weeks ago and as we begin to consider a new dog, the old nagging desire to have a GSD has crept up in me again. I like everything I hear about them, but with a toddler in the house and a baby due any day, the overprotective dad in me is leery of a GSD.
I wish I could help you more. |
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I wanted a working line GSD and decided to go with a German show line buy whose parents are both Sch3 and IPO 3.
Kobi is getting there as far as being good with my 18 month old daughter and my wife. He listens to me great. Any questions, ask away. 
ETA: From today 
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I wanted a working line GSD and decided to go with a German show line buy whose parents are both Sch3 and IPO 3. Kobi is getting there as far as being good with my 18 month old daughter and my wife. He listens to me great. Any questions, ask away. http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb107/motoracer51/20130328_185809_zpsd2dbc9c1.jpg I remember your previous posts talking about getting a GSD. Awesome looking pup. 
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My wife and I lost our dog a few weeks ago and as we begin to consider a new dog, the old nagging desire to have a GSD has crept up in me again. I like everything I hear about them, but with a toddler in the house and a baby due any day, the overprotective dad in me is leery of a GSD. I wish I could help you more. >overprotective dad >leery of a GSD You get a good GSD and youll never have to worry about your kids, those dogs love kids and will defend them like their own puppies. 
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I wanted a working line GSD and decided to go with a German show line buy whose parents are both Sch3 and IPO 3. Kobi is getting there as far as being good with my 18 month old daughter and my wife. He listens to me great. Any questions, ask away. http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb107/motoracer51/20130328_185809_zpsd2dbc9c1.jpg Why is his right ear green? Marking for progress or show worthiness? My biggest question is whether kids and other neighbors can come and go from the house without getting "the treatment" from an overprotecive GSD. Corey |
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My wife and I lost our dog a few weeks ago and as we begin to consider a new dog, the old nagging desire to have a GSD has crept up in me again. I like everything I hear about them, but with a toddler in the house and a baby due any day, the overprotective dad in me is leery of a GSD. I wish I could help you more. >overprotective dad >leery of a GSD You get a good GSD and youll never have to worry about your kids, those dogs love kids and will defend them like their own puppies. http://i1102.photobucket.com/albums/g442/CWOsiris/IMAG0235.jpg Oh I know that. I'm worried about how they will react to the neighbors and their kids. Corey |
| I have a Mal/Dutchie mix and a Dutchie. Both are very protective. Need to be introduced, then told to back down. I wouldn't feel safe with them around children not introduced. They also get along well with other dogs unless they know the other dog isn't a threat. However mine are protection animals and primarily pets. I don't think GSD's are any different. They are guard dogs by nature. |
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My wife and I lost our dog a few weeks ago and as we begin to consider a new dog, the old nagging desire to have a GSD has crept up in me again. I like everything I hear about them, but with a toddler in the house and a baby due any day, the overprotective dad in me is leery of a GSD. I wish I could help you more. >overprotective dad >leery of a GSD You get a good GSD and youll never have to worry about your kids, those dogs love kids and will defend them like their own puppies. http://i1102.photobucket.com/albums/g442/CWOsiris/IMAG0235.jpg That's a gorgeous dog - and thanks for the info.
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I wanted a working line GSD and decided to go with a German show line buy whose parents are both Sch3 and IPO 3. Kobi is getting there as far as being good with my 18 month old daughter and my wife. He listens to me great. Any questions, ask away. http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb107/motoracer51/20130328_185809_zpsd2dbc9c1.jpg Why is his right ear green? Marking for progress or show worthiness? My biggest question is whether kids and other neighbors can come and go from the house without getting "the treatment" from an overprotecive GSD. Corey It's a tattoo with his information. I choose this breeder in Idaho because I was able to see the parents and their temperament and nerves. I've seen videos of the breeder(who also trained her dogs) working her dogs in Sch that sold me. |
| My GSD has import working lines from the Czech Republic and East Germany/DDR bloodlines. Doesn't look like anything you'd see at Westminster. Incredible prey drive. Wonderful around our toddlers. Sheds like crazy. Has dog aggression issues. Very intimidating dog but that works both ways. Good for when meth addicts show up at the door trying to sell magazines, bad for when plumbers and cable guys arrive. Overall great dog. |
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My wife and I lost our dog a few weeks ago and as we begin to consider a new dog, the old nagging desire to have a GSD has crept up in me again. I like everything I hear about them, but with a toddler in the house and a baby due any day, the overprotective dad in me is leery of a GSD. I wish I could help you more. >overprotective dad >leery of a GSD You get a good GSD and youll never have to worry about your kids, those dogs love kids and will defend them like their own puppies. http://i1102.photobucket.com/albums/g442/CWOsiris/IMAG0235.jpg Oh I know that. I'm worried about how they will react to the neighbors and their kids. Corey Ah, yeah, he has to get to know people before he's alright with them, he'll bark his head off, but he wont bite or hurt anyone. |
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My GSD has import working lines from the Czech Republic and East Germany/DDR bloodlines. Doesn't look like anything you'd see at Westminster. Incredible prey drive. Wonderful around our toddlers. Sheds like crazy. Has dog aggression issues. Very intimidating dog but that works both ways. Good for when meth addicts show up at the door trying to sell magazines, bad for when plumbers and cable guys arrive. Overall great dog. Pretty much sums up my KNPV working line dogs. I think the show dogs have that bread out of them. |
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I have had 2 in the last 20 years. Both are extremely protective of all family members and our home. They have always been very gentle with my daughter. Both dogs are from German parents with all ancestors Schutzund trained.
The first, a female, could be introduced to strangers and would then be fine with them. In public places, she was always very reluctant to let any strange people or dogs close to family members. The second, a male, is very aggresive when anyone comes to our house, and very slow to trust anyone new. He knows who our neighbors are and watches them but doesn't bark when they walk by. When someone he doesn't know goes by our house, he let's them know that they are not welcome. One of his goals in life is to rip the UPS man's legs off. We have to be careful. Away from the house, he is not aggressive at all. He does keep an eye on any strangers that approach but no barking or aggressive behavior. Both are always gentle with all family members. Here is a video of my present dog's grandfather. Mine looks similar and has similar manerisms, but is not as well trained. Video 1 Video 2 |
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If you want neighbors, family, and kids friends( remember kids play rough with each other) to be able to come and go then you shouldn't get one unless you have space for him to be confined. Some dogs are okay with an extremely active house, but I suspect they were raised that way in that house with constant exposure to plenty of people. The other thing to think about is if you get a good strong working dog it's gonna want to work and it might be hard for you to do that with a family, especially when the dog is young and full of energy. You should be very careful about getting a working dog, some of those fuckers are like land sharks . Maybe you can go find someone with one that is around a year to 18 months old and go have play time with it so you can see what you're getting into and get an idea for the amount of exercise it's gonna need to be happy, looking at the older settled and well trained adults isn't gonna give you a true picture of what you're in for. The other thing to think about when you see these dogs that are trained to an exceptionally high level is that lots of hours, devotion, and passion went into that, most people don't have the time.
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If you want neighbors, family, and kids friends( remember kids play rough with each other) to be able to come and go then you shouldn't get one unless you have space for him to be confined. Some dogs are okay with an extremely active house, but I suspect they were raised that way in that house with constant exposure to plenty of people. The other thing to think about is if you get a good strong working dog it's gonna want to work and it might be hard for you to do that with a family, especially when the dog is young and full of energy. You should be very careful about getting a working dog, some of those fuckers are like land sharks . Maybe you can go find someone with one that is around a year to 18 months old and go have play time with it so you can see what you're getting into and get an idea for the amount of exercise it's gonna need to be happy, looking at the older settled and well trained adults isn't gonna give you a true picture of what you're in for. The other thing to think about when you see these dogs that are trained to an exceptionally high level is that lots of hours, devotion, and passion went into that, most people don't have the time.This has never been my experience with a well socialized GSD, and I've had them most of my life. That said, there are always exceptions, and each dog is as individual as people are. It's said GSD's aren't the best dog for any one thing but they are great at everything, like the "Swiss Army Knife" of dogs. They develop strong bonds with their family wether large or small. The two Iwe've currently got are great dogs. My male is a 95 lbs (just had his anual at the vet today) black sable from Kraftwerk K9 (look them up and check out the owner comments) and is an amazing dog. I have no worries when I'm out of town for work, and friends kids play with him when they're over all the time, especially when they're in the pool. Zildjian is amazingly aware of whats going on around him. The wife was walking him one evening with a girl friend of hers, and when some guy walked down his driveway towards them, Zildjian put himself between my wife and the guy, his head and ears up, basically telling the guy he was close enough. The guy didnt pay attention till Zildjian let out a low growl (didn't seem to bare his teeth) and the guy stopped. When the wife told the dog its okay, and that he was a good boy and petted him, Zildjian relaxed and his tail started to wag, and everything was cool. Our female is a 75lbs Black and Tan, she came from line in Europe, and she's just a sweetheart. Definitely more laid back than the male, but still protective when something is out of the ordinary in the yard. GSDs are typically smart and need to be included, they love to be with you doing what ever you are. For us, GSDs will always be part of our family. |
A ton of socialization at a very young age will prevent a lot of problems. You mostly have to train your guests and your family, some people just don't know how to be around dogs and give off the wrong energy. With my current GSD and all the passed ones I've had, If they're uncomfortable with someone.. Then they had a very good reason. They tend to be great judges of character. 
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If you want neighbors, family, and kids friends( remember kids play rough with each other) to be able to come and go then you shouldn't get one unless you have space for him to be confined. Some dogs are okay with an extremely active house, but I suspect they were raised that way in that house with constant exposure to plenty of people. The other thing to think about is if you get a good strong working dog it's gonna want to work and it might be hard for you to do that with a family, especially when the dog is young and full of energy. You should be very careful about getting a working dog, some of those fuckers are like land sharks . Maybe you can go find someone with one that is around a year to 18 months old and go have play time with it so you can see what you're getting into and get an idea for the amount of exercise it's gonna need to be happy, looking at the older settled and well trained adults isn't gonna give you a true picture of what you're in for. The other thing to think about when you see these dogs that are trained to an exceptionally high level is that lots of hours, devotion, and passion went into that, most people don't have the time.This is the main reason I finally decided to not get a working line dog. I was concerned that I would not have the time to truly work the dog, and it would get out of control due to excess energy or boredom. I chose the breeder I went with for many reasons, but just one of them being that she socialize all her dogs, including the litters with all sorts. People, kids, infants, cats, etc. |