Truly Mans best friend (German Shepherd)

Member Name: Bearstorm

Product:	German Shepherd
Date:	20/09/09 (53 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Extremely loyal, easy to train and loves to learn

Disadvantages: can be expensive to feed and needs lots of exercise

GSD's are classed as a large breed. They originated in Germany (if the name didnt give that away) in the late 1800's making them failry 'new' as far as breeding goes. They belong to the working dog group as they were originally bred for herding sheep. They are often favoured as Police dogs due to their strength, agility and high level of intelligence. They are extremely loyal and obediant makign them one of the most popular breeds registered.

My love of this breed started well...before I was even born really as my parents had a great big black and Tan GSD called Prince. Then I came along. Prince was an ex police dog and very very territorial and protetive. Unfortunately he had to be locked away beofre any one entered the property incase of unwanted accidents but behind closed doors this was the dog that the three year old me used as a motorbike! I hung off his ears, pulled his tail, stuck my fingers in his mouth...all sounding like someone should have called the RSPCA for the poor thing but honestly he didnt care and if he did he never grumbled. As a child I was terrified of the dark so when i was sent to bed I would call Prince and he would sit outside my bedroom door and not move a muscle till my parents came to bed! He was trained to obey hand commands and was the most loyal dog ever.

Unfortunately Prince had to be put to sleep when I was 8 but after him we had another GSD that we rescued and he was called Teddybear (not named by us might I add). Teddy was also a fantastic specimen of a GSD. Unlike Prince, Teddybear was a big Teddybear. The most he would do was bark and if he caught you you'd got licked to death probably. He loved and craved attention. He was loyal and loved to learn. He loved to play fetch and learn new tricks. He was perfect. Again another illness lead to yet another needle at the vets and Teddybear didnt come home!

After Teddy was Polo a White GSD. I was 16 when we got him! My Dad brought home this bundle of white fluff and we called him Polo because he looked like a Polar bear and Polo sort of sounded like Polar...go with me here...! This was my first expereince with a white GSD and I must say
they are fabulous. The white GSD's are slightly more timid than the Black and Tans (in my experience anyway). But they are not any less loyal. They as all GSD's are easy and a total delight to train.

The only down side with the White GSD's are their digestive system. They are far more sensitive than other GSD's but this is perhaps more to do with their breeding. (I do not really know much about breeding in any great detail. I am no breed expert so I will not try to give advice on this subject. I can only go by what I was told and my personal experience.) I can't say that the digestive issues casued us any great deal of bother but it did mean really studying up on different dog foods and having to spend slightly more money for a decent brand as the cheaper ones were full of additives and soya.

We breed Polo with a friends White GSD and had 8 beautiful Puppies one of which we were allowed to have instead of a stud fee. So i picked the pup. I picked the loudest whining one because he was cute and I called him Bear! Polo unfortunately was seriously let down by a terrible vet, who should have had his vet license stripped from him, and as a result of this utter neglect was sadly put to sleep at 5 years of age. Bear however is still going strong and will be seven on Christmas Eve.

I know I have digressed slightly here but I am hoping by sharing my experience with the breed you can get an insight in to what life is like with these gentle creatures. They are highly intelligent, extremely loyal and so, so very generously loving. They are superb animals whether they are Black and Tan, white, Black or Blue (the Blue Shepherds are stunning). They do not eat any more than any other larger breed dog but obviously they will eat more than a Dachsund :o) They generally do not have many health issues but can suffer terribly from Hip displaysia which is a disorder that occurs when the hip socket does not form properly. It can cause severe arthritis and lameness. It is quite common in GSD's as with other large breeds. It can bve treated but it depends on the severity of the disorder.

I know that GSD's often get bad press and almost half of all dog bites that are treated in hospital are said to be from GSD's but when you take in to account the popularity of the breed this isn't really suprising considering and these allegations have been disputed time and time again. I think one of the main problem with the GSD is ill education! Families often pick dogs they like without thinking about whether the dog will suit their lives! GSD's are extremely active and need lots and lots of exercise so someone who works eight hours a day should not even consider getting one unless they make arrangements for the dog to be looked after during the day.

Again I know I seem to have rabbited on for ages about this breed but I truly do love this breed with a passion! They are very very close to my heart. When it becomes suitable for me to have a dog again I knwo exactly what breed I shall be looking for at the rescue centre!!!

Summary: If you have room in your life for unconditional love and extreme loyalty get a GSD!