Should you get a German shepherd puppy?

11 things to know
January 15, 2014 / Abby
Ive been thinking lately about what Id tell someone who said they wanted a German shepherd
puppy.

Edie!
Obviously, Ive become a fan of the breed, even though I never intended to become one. German
shepherds just kind of happened to me. But in my time raising Pyrrha, fostering German
shepherds, and now rearing our new GSD puppy, I feel like Im beginning to learn about the
many nuances of the breed.

So, here are 11 things that Id tell someone who wanted a GSD:
1. A GSD is not a golden retriever. Sometimes I feel like many people assume that a
lab/golden retriever is just the default dog personality (e.g., gregarious, every person is
their best friend). Obviously, this is not true for every GSD, but shepherds tend to be one
person (or one family) dogs. Your shepherd doesnt think that every person she meets
is her best friend, and thats part of her heritage. Shepherds are a bit suspicious of
strangers. Also be prepared for your shepherd to pick someone to be her person in your
family. (In my family, Pyrrha unequivocally picked me. Guion almost doesnt exist in her
universe.) This can be saddening, but its also a trait of the breed.
2. Beware the land sharks! GSD puppies have earned the moniker land shark for their
mouthiness. It comes from somewhere deep in their herding heritage, I suppose, but these
are very bitey puppies! For this reason, a GSD can be a trying breed with young children,
who often become unwitting targets for playful biting. Start teaching your puppy right
away that biting humans is inappropriate behavior and channel that mouthiness into
heavy-duty chew toys and games that dont involve tasty human hands.
3. Be watchful for signs of shyness. Many GSDs, especially American-line dogs bred for
show/companionship, tend toward shyness and anxiety. If not addressed, this shyness can
transform into fear-based aggression. For this reason, socialize that puppy from the
minute he comes home with you, and dont stop throughout his lifetime.
4. Expect a dog who wants to know your business all the time. If you dont like having a
dog follow you everywhere, even into the bathroom, perhaps reconsider getting a German
shepherd. These dogs are busybodies, and they want to know where you are and what you
are doing at ALL times in the event that your actions could compromise the security of
the house and the family. Theyre just doing their jobs, you know.

5. Hope you love dog hair everywhere. Theres a reason people call them German
shedders. Enough said! GSDs have a double coat, which equals twice as much fur all of
your floor, your sofa, your clothes, etc. You also cant win with your wardrobe; if you end
up with a classic black-and-tan German shepherd, they have black, brown, tan, and
sometimes white hair on them, so no color of clothing is immune!
6. GSDs like to play rough. Shepherds have a tendency to rough-house with both people
and other dogs. Theyre intense animals! They dont have the soft mouths of retrievers
or the delicate playfulness of smaller breeds. Dog owners with other breeds have told me
that it took them a while to realize that our shepherds were playing with their dogs and
not trying to kill them. In my experience, even in play, shepherds like to go for the throat
and get into some heavy-duty wrestling. Supervise their interactions with other dogs, and
help your shepherd take lots of breaks and time-outs so that the play doesnt get too
overwhelming.

7. Get ready for negative public perceptions. Thanks to the media, history, popular
culture, and surely many mishandled dogs, German shepherds dont exactly have the best
public image. If it hurts your feelings that some people are automatically scared of your
dog, a GSD may not be right for you. If you have a GSD, let this motivate you to make
your dog a great breed ambassador and help change negative stereotypes.
8. Be prepared for a potentially vocal dog. GSDs also have a tendency to be vocal. Weve
had some dogs who were just whiners; they whined for a variety of reasons (excitement,
unbridled joy, stress, to get attention, to get food). Other dogs were more bark-y,
especially at strangers walking past our fence or at other dogs. Pyrrha is an
uncharacteristically quiet GSD; but our little Eden loves barking, barking just for the fun
of it! Barking can be a very difficult behavior to curb, especially if its woven into a dogs
lineage, as it has been with shepherds for a while now. Be aware of this issue, and be
prepared to start training your dog when and how to be quiet.
9. Consider the large number of health issues. German shepherds are famous for their
litany of health issues. On a range from more benign (allergies) to life-threatening
(osteosarcoma, hemangioma), shepherds seem to have them all. The breed even has
predispositions to diseases that seem to occur exclusively within the purebred line (e.g.,
degenerative myelopathy, which was once called German shepherd neuropathy.) Its
heartbreaking, but its a reality if you want a shepherd. Find a good vet (preferably one
with shepherd experience), and start taking measures to keep your shepherd trim and
healthy.
10. Start brainstorming now about how to keep your puppys brain engaged. Otherwise,
you are going to have a little terror on your hands. German shepherds are large, active,
athletic, and highly intelligent dogs. What this means is that if they get bored, you are
going to seriously regret bringing this fuzzy monster into your house. A smart dog with
no job to do = a mischief-making tornado. Try obedience classes, agility, flyball,
schutzhund, herding, nose work, etc. Shepherds can excel at many canine sports and
activities!
11. If you want a purebred puppy, do your research about the difference between
working-line and show-line GSDs. You may be surprised to learn that theres a large
difference within the GSD breed between dogs who are bred to work and dogs who are
bred to win show ribbons. This can be a touchy subject for some, but in general, I feel
that the bottom line is this: Working-line dogs are sounder and healthier, because they are
bred to do a job. Show-line dogs are just bred to look pretty and meet the sacred breed
standard, which has morphed into requiring these horribly exaggerated hocks and back
lines, which puts strain on the hips and wreck the dogs gait. This post is a great
introduction to the topic of working-line vs. show-line German shepherds, and its an
excellent place to start. Theres also working-line breeder Christine of Blackthorn
Kennels, who keeps a great blog about her beautiful dogs, who even compete in herding.
The downside of a working-line dog is that they are INTENSE, and they can be unsuited
for a quiet urban or suburban lifestyle. Start researching now to determine what kind of
GSD suits you and your family.

Our foster puppy Trina.

Breeders aside, Im a huge advocate for RESCUE. Obviously. Both of our (purebred) girls are
from a rescue, and wed encourage anyone who wanted a new dog (or a puppy) to look at a
rescue first. We adopted from Southeast German Shepherd Rescue, which covers North and
South Carolina, Virginia, DC, and parts of Tennessee, Georgia, and Maryland. The only
downside of rescuing a purebred is that you have no health guarantees and no knowledge of their
parents (or often of their backgrounds).
Pyrrha, for example, appears to be an American-line shepherd bred for companionship by a
backyard breeder. The fact that she has surprisingly straight hocks and a level topline makes me
think she wasnt bred to win show ribbons, which I am thankful for. Eden, on the other hand, is a

German-line shepherd whose parents were imports titled in schutzhund. They were also show
dogs, so she has a more sloped topline than Pyrrha and slightly more exaggerated hocks.
Heres a listing of German shepherd rescues by state. German shepherds still rank no. 3 in
popularity in AKC registrations, so there are lots of German shepherds all over the country, and
thus lots of beautiful, great dogs who need forever homes. Consider it!

Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Truthfully, a German shepherd puppy isnt going to be that different from any other puppy. ALL
puppies require hard work, devotion, and lots and lots of patience. But the joy they bring? Thats
hard to reduce to an 11-point list.