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Wife wants a German Shepherd

G

GeneMO

Well-known Member
Location
Pilot Grove, Mo.
For a while, the wife has wanted a German Shepherd. We found a training facility we like. She has insisted on it being trained.

Anyway, we would like one with European bloodlines, and one that comes from parents that have the Orthopedic Foundation ratings so we can minimize hip problems.

Two weeks ago I was away from home for 3 days. During that time she was help hostage in our house by a pair of stray coon dogs. We finally found the owners of the coon dogs, they had been on the lam for two weeks and were getting desperate for food.

This incident made up her mind on getting a dog.

Anybody had experiences with German shepherds, or other trained guard/protection/companion dogs?

Thanks, Gene
 
Hostage? didnt know coon dogs were aggressive? Could she have called a neighbor? Shepherds are good dogs...I dont know much about
them but seem to be protective...and good companions. I would give them a "9"...on a scale of ten. Good luck:)
 
That is one dog I would never own. I have been bitten a good many times by that breed of dog and have the scares to prove it. They will not tell you this but the breed is known to be the bred that bites more people then most any other dog
 
I have one, to good at watching things, hard to train for a novice I suspect , it gets
something in its mind and you can't change it long term.

Professional training from a pup is likely the way to go for a Sheperd, that's just to much
commitment for me personally, wont own another when this one is gone.

In My personal opinion a Rottweiler is a far better breed for a companion and watch dog.
 
(quoted from post at 10:01:39 03/02/18) That is one dog I would never own. I have been bitten a good many times by that breed of dog and have the scares to prove it. They will not tell you this but the breed is known to be the bred that bites more people then most any other dog
Click to expand...

Now Rich, that is just the kinda endorsement I want. You are gonna catch a bunch of grief by admitting this. Those dogs were pretty smart, they sure had your number!!!! :)
 
(quoted from post at 09:50:25 03/02/18) Hostage? didnt know coon dogs were aggressive? Could she have called a neighbor? Shepherds are good dogs...I dont know much about
them but seem to be protective...and good companions. I would give them a "9"...on a scale of ten. Good luck:)
Click to expand...

Well, she wasn't going to give them a chance to prove friendly or not friendly. It was late at night, she wanted to turn the beagle out to go pee, and was afraid they would eat him.

I got home, and two nights later they were here again, I caught them, they were a bit skittish, but not mean at all. Just starved.

Gene
 
You might want to check with your insurance company first. I've had them and they are a one person dog. The last one had a bad case of separation anxiety and chewed through a chain link fence. A friend had one that bit a fuel truck driver which ended in a lawsuit. They are very smart and I like the looks of them. Best advice I've had on dogs came from a retired veterinarian is to get a dog that makes you laugh. My red healer mix does just that and like many other breeds is just a great companion.
 
I had to read a bit to realize she wants a dog.

That breed is usually fairly intelligent, but when I was a kid we had a German Shepherd "Shep" that had to be the dumbest dog on earth. I always said that dog was proof that God has a sense of humor. His only redeeming quality was that with my sister playing the piano and me playing the fiddle we could get him to howling so loud the folks threw all three of us out of the house.
 
With the exception of about three years with no
dogs, we've had German shepherds here since
before I was born. Very loyal and protective. Very
smart, too... which can make them harder to train. If
you've got a training facility you like, go for it.
 
We had 3 German Shepherds growing up. Most were cross breed with other breeds and they were very social animals and good with kids. You should only have then individually though - if you have a pair the first thing they do is start roaming. White German Shepherds as a breed are among the most worthless dogs I've ever seen. Extremely hyper and hard to train and they just do some the most stupid crap you can imagine. My brother shot his after three years of trying to turn him into a decent farm dog. My former boss had one in town - when bored he'd destroy everything. He finally electrocuted himself when he chewed off the wiring to his outside air conditioner.
 
Gene, have one right here by me as I write this. Not quite 2 yrs old. Just now starting to know what he is supposed to do. Minds the wife better than me but wants to be around with people that he trusts. Was a rescue, so that has made it harder to gain his trust. I don,t think shepherds bite any more than any other dogs. You know you should trust the dogs instinct. If your dog doesn't trust somebody, you shouldn't either.
 
Totally agree, that is one breed I'd never own.

Check with your insurance company and find out how much your liability insurance rates will go up.

As long as you have your agent on the phone, DOUBLE your coverage for liability. If your dog ever bites anyone, you will be sued.

Grouse
 
You ain't kidding, a friend has been training them for 25 years, K-9 units, Shutzen SP? training as well. They are a one person dog and while his are not all that bad, I don't like them one bit. Too high strung or on edge. Town I grew up in here, when I was very young, late 60's or early 70's, a girl in town was mauled by a pack of them. She wears the scars and it's no lie, I dated her 20 years ago. I have a few myself, but not from this breed. Mean/vicious dogs in my world, get put down on sight. When in high school, I lived at my grandparents place for almost 2 years and the neighbor had a mean german shepard. It went after me every day when I was training, running on the rural road 2x per day. I carried a good sized knife and had hoped I got a chance to use it. Just hated that dog coming out after me daily and having to ward it off. One day it went after a mother with an infant in a stroller. Dog warden or some official went to their house, shot it on sight, took the other mean mutt dog to put it down somewhere else.I was there and heard the shots. He killed all the shepard puppies and left them one. He told them if it turns out like the shepard he just killed in their barn/garage, he will be back to kill the last puppy. This was back before all the mamby/pamby BS we deal with today. Heck, you would go to prison for doing this now, yet in my book it was 100% justified. They hated me after, thought I was the one who caused this to happen. It was their own doing. Certainly ruined my chances to date the daughter LOL ! Did not care, have taken numerous bites to the leg, chest and face with permanent scars. Mean dogs are dealt with very swiftly around here. Dog bites just hurt like h$ll, bruise up huge too. Far better to have a breed that you can enjoy, they can be a lot of fun, never hated on dogs, just will not tolerate mean ones. Years back there was an abandoned farm about a mile away, 20-30 wild dogs in the one outbuilding. I was exploring the area nearby and took a peak inside this old barn and there was one next to a dead one snarling at me. They started running our farm and it took years for me to dispatch all of them.
 
the rottweiler is a good dog also.
stay away from those dobermans as a lot of kids have been mauled by them.
 
Back when I lived in Winfield KS and I was 6 or so there was a stray German shepherd dog that the kids in the neighborhood play with an one day my mom called me home so I took off running and that German shepherd took off after me for no reason and bit me on the butt and I still have the teeth marks. The dog was put down the check for rabies and was found not the have rabies but that was also the only way they knew how to check. My self I own Pit bulls or a pit mix. Just the other day I had to laugh at a telephone man who came by the check my phone problems and the dogs let them self's out of the house. Boy did his eyes go from normal to super big in an instant. I have 3 dogs and al l3 ran out of the house. The only thing he had to worry about was getting loved to death form those 3 dogs LOL. They all run up to him wanting to be petted
 
Gene I am a dog person but I am not a fan of the German Shepard. They have been raised to be an attack/guard dog in modern times. Especially the European breed ones. The breed got pretty aggressive in focus in the last 75 years. I would not own one for two reasons. One as a house dog they shed terrible unless you groom them DAILY. Two and the most important is they are not a good people dog. Like someone else posted they are single people dogs. Yes one would protect your wife. How do YOU like being bit??? Maybe one of your grand kids???

My first cousin was visiting her neighbor, friends for years, and she is not a short/weak adult. German Shepard knocked her down and bite her severely in the face. Years of surgeries and she still hides her face. My brother was at the local Napa Store. The owner had a German Shepard he kept in the store at nights to deter theft. Brother was in that store hundreds of times and the dog would want petted. One day the dog came up to my brother and grabbed/bit his arm HARD. Over fifty stiches to close everything up.

The only way I would have a German Shepard would be as a guard dog that would NOT be around the public in any manner.
 
May be a good thing you did not have your VERY expensive dog there to get torn up by the 2 coon dogs !
I'd get her a shotgun and make sure she know how to use it and then strays will not be a further threat.
 
Neighbor up the road has two Lab and Shepard mix. One Looks like a lab and the other would be taken for a Shepard. Both dogs are friendly with anyone and are good watch dogs. The one that looks like a Shepard would scare anyone. They are good with other dogs also.
 
A neighbor had a series of very well trained German Shepherds. He would get drop-outs from a police dog trainer. They were very good dogs when he or his wife was there to control the dog, but they would charge people and other dogs unexpectedly. The neighbor always kept the dogs inside the house, in a kennel or on a leash at all times. The neighbor and his wife both walker the dog with a choke collar as the dog weighed about 2/3's as much as they did. The dogs would have health problems (hip problems?) and have to be put down by the time they reached about 7 or 8 years old. Great neighbors that I liked a lot. The dogs were friendly and easy to pet when they were calm, but they could be dangerous when surprised or frightened.

Make sure you get a dog that your wife can control. Sometimes an affable fraidy-cat dog that just barks can be better combination of protection and companion than an aggressive breed that has to be constantly watched.

www.psychologytoday.com/blog/canine-corner/201405/14-dog-breeds-blacklisted-insurance-companies
 
Have had three or four shepherds over the years, same time my kids grew up with them. Mine have all been very good dogs and never bit any one. Had one that could lay down in the chicken house and let the chickens walk all over him and peck his fur. I guess it felt good.
a259652.jpg
 
I have a ten year old female, had another female for 12 years, she grew up with my two kids. Different personalities for sure. First one was a real sweetheart, good with other
dogs and people. The one I have now was not properly socialized with other dogs and she hates them. Very good with people but also very protective, does not want anyone sticking
their hands in my truck. Took her to a trainer when she was 6 months for a consultation, his statement was "you have your hands full with that dog." He was right.

So very smart, though. They require your attention. They are not a breed for everybody.
 
I have Great Pyrenees to protect my livestock and poultry from coyotes and other varmints,Have one that stays around the house.They are mild mannered but will fight to the death
to protect the animals they are protecting.When the goats are kidding they will sit beside the doe the whole time and if the doe cries or gets upset I've seen the dogs lick them
on the face to help calm them down.
 
I deliver feed to a place that has four of them. First time there the owner introduced me to them. After that they knew I was ok to be there. Had a helper one day that started to wander off. They let him know he had better stay with the truck. Great mild mannered dogs but they will defend their property.

When my wife got sick. I bought her a Pekingese. Small but fast to protect the one's they are loyal to. When my wife died at home. I had to pull the dog off of her. So everyone could do their job. Was kinda funny to see one small dog hold off five grown men. Best dog I ever had.
 
(quoted from post at 15:52:11 03/02/18) I have Great Pyrenees to protect my livestock and poultry from coyotes and other varmints,Have one that stays around the house.They are mild mannered but will fight to the death
to protect the animals they are protecting.When the goats are kidding they will sit beside the doe the whole time and if the doe cries or gets upset I've seen the dogs lick them
on the face to help calm them down.
Click to expand...

My wifes Aunt and Uncle had a trio for years until they passed from old age. They are great dogs that in my experience love kids and keep an eye on them. If I had livestock I would have one as an outdoor dog to keep watch.

My wife and I have an English Shepherd that we got as a rescue. She looks a lot like a setter except for having a curly tail, big paws for her size, and a double coat that sheds water. We previously had a setter and she worked as a good dog for us. We were hoping that she would be roughly the same temperament. In the 4 years we had her she has been a great dog. Awesome with the kids, keeps an eye on my wife and the house. Just overall a really great dog. She does have a few hangs ups as a rescue dog but we work with them.
 
I've been around them quite a bit but have never owned one. Unless you are young you may not be able to keep up with one. They are big and hyper so they are a handful to tend to. My neighbor has one and it gets loose at least once a week and won't stop until he gets a quarter mile down the road with my neighbor running and yelling for the dog all the way. On the other hand they might be a good weight loss system.
 

I have never had one lucky me... Both my neighbors did I lived between them they were the only dogs my neighbors had I never had a complaint with... Both were full grown one male and one female Neither was aggressive ( at least not to me) both liked to play go fetch, balls, rocks, bricks, sticks you threw it they would catch are fetch it you could play with them till there mouth bled you were the one that got tired of playing...
 
We used dogs a couple of times in Viet Nam. One time we had 2 with us, a Golden Lab and a Shepard. The
Shepard had to restrained with a chain and his handler. The Lab could run free within our perimeter.
They were both highly trained, but the Lab could tell "good guys" from "bad guys" I will never forget
that experience. The lab was comical in that whenever a resupply slick would come in he'd go nuts and
run to it and jump on, a real "let me outa this place move" The entire company appreciated this move.
Living in very rural farm country, neighbors with Shepard have to restrain them, they're as nasty with
friends, UPS drivers, salesmen as you can get. You will have an issue. There are large, intelligent
dogs out there. Shepard is one of the smartest, but I couldn't, wouldn't trust him unsupervised
 
Your experience with your neighbor's dog is similar to mine. I trust someone else's German Shepherd about the same as I trust a bull.

Your story about the lab reminds me of a black lab a friend used to have. My friend got the young dog from an animal shelter and the dog's previous owner must have driven the dog around in his pickup cab. Anytime a pickup door was open for more than a minute that lab would jump in the truck and sit patiently in the passenger seat. It surprised most visitors the first time it happened to them. That dog could not pass a pond, stream or or water tank without jumping into the water.
 
I have a 5 year old German Shepard. He's a
beastly dog that will do anything for me,
and hopefully won't eat my family. He was
great with people and anything until he was
1 year old, then started chasing cars,
bikers, little kids etc.

Aside from getting at trash cans he's a
good house dog.

Have a good plan on restraints. 6-8 foot
fenced in area or a Zipline.

Last German Shepard we had bit a neighbor
girl for whatever reason, current German
Shepard bit 2 kids.

I do occasional work for a man that breeds
Belgian Shepard's one of his dogs works in
security at the white house, several are in
the army. A German Shepherd 10 times
fiecer. Ive learned to love the dogs and
most of them love me, except one that
treats me like a chewy toy.

Bottom line, unless you live in the country
and have a lot of energy, probably not the
best dog choice.
a259710.jpg
 
would not have a mean nasty dog near my farm. I have a 14 month German shepard. He is crossed AKC and
German line. He does not have a mean bone in his body. I have mauled him swung him by his tail, you name
it. He has never even growled at me. He loves everyone, even jumps into the UPS van and licks the
drivers. I worked Navy Police We used Belgian Malinois very active had to put one down too aggressive.
One Rottweiler tore a guys arm off. Every Dog breed has good and bad dogs period. Sister had a cocker
spaniel that would go for the throat of anyone but her.
 
Gene, I have had three in my 30 years since married and in my own place. First was American bread folks were Midwest grand national
champions..that was lex 110 lb femaile. Second was German bread out of champions also that was Casey 85 lb female dog.. and the one I
have now is 1/2 german 1/2 American Cody is its name and she is 9 years old now.

I have had all dogs in obedience training and would not have any other dog. Have had them with my kids since birth and dogs cared for them
as if their own. The more their around you and family the better they are. I?m the one that does the obedience training train yourself with help so
dog learns from your fans not from another?s hand..

I?ll get a forth when time ever comes
 
No mater what gender, get them fixed. Well trained dog worth every penny you spend. With a female in heat, you have every male within 3 miles hanging around your farm.
Led
 
Dog attacks resulting in death in the US 2017. 74% of attacks pit bull or pit bull mix. Next highest breed at 10% is German Shepard.


Kinda interesting that Pti Bull only makes up about 6.9% of the US dog population but is responsible for 74% of dog attack deaths.

Now to put this in real perspective, out of over 330,000,000 Americans 29 were killed by pit bulls last year. During the 13-year period of 2005 to 2017, canines killed 433 Americans. Two dog breeds, pit bulls (284) and Rottweiler's (45), contributed to 76% (329) of these deaths. 35 different dog breeds contributed to the remaining fatal dog mauling's.

We kill over 30,000 people on the highways every year and no one thinks about it. Have a breed of dog that kills 29 and it's a problem???

I would talk to my insurance company.

Rick
 

I'll bet that pretty much every dog that ever bit someone was just as nice as can be, loving everyone, awesome with kids, without a bad bone in its body, until the day it suddenly mauled a kid. Very few people will keep a dog that is supposedly "bad from birth". I loved my daughter's dog, it was like a family member until it just out of the blue one day bit her son. There is a reason for insurance companies charging extra for them, or flat refusing to cover them. It is not just a dream.
 
We have a female GSD for 6 years or so. Go her as a pup and wife held her in her arms the 4 hour trip home. Guess who's dog she is? I am only first when no body else is around. Wife took ours to all kinds of puppy training schools and I think it paid off. I has been said they are not the best at any one thing but are second
best at a whole bunch of things. I think they are great dogs but DO train it, lots.
 
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