Owning a German Shepherd – Are You Up to the Job?

There are hundreds of social media videos and articles about the German Shepherd Dog (GSD), what great dogs they are, how they’re good with children, how protective they are, their work in the military and police forces. But how many of these videos and articles address the characteristics and traits that are found in successful German Shepherd owners?

German Shepherds are the 4^th most surrendered dog to shelters across the country.  And why do you think that is?  My point of view — people getting in over their heads and not realizing how much work a dog, especially a German Shepherd, really is and underestimating the dog in total.

I adopted my Nabucco at nine months of age, and I was his fourth owner in seven months. Think about that. I adopted him from a family who had to give him up because their landlord said he was too big. If I hadn’t adopted him, the only option left was surrender him to Chicago Animal Care and Control. And that’s a death sentence waiting to happen.

But let’s talk about you and if you’re prepared for this breed.

Owning a Shepherd – Size of the Dog

Do you know that the average German Shepherd weighs more than a Lazyboy recliner? Yup. German Shepherds average about 80-85 lbs., some even heavier. My Czarina and Olympia (R.I.P.) were in the 90-95 lb. range, and that’s after daily exercise of at least two miles. Some Shepherds can be smaller; my Ophelia hovers between 75-80 lbs. Height-wise, if you’re between 5’5″ and 6′, they’ll be thigh-high.

Why is this important? Consider if the dog is injured and immobile. Will you be able to lift a deadweight dog into a vehicle to get it to the vet? Trust me when I tell you that I had to do that with Olympia and it was a constant prayer to God that he gave me the strength to lift 80 lbs. into the car.

Owning a Shepherd – Shedding

Shepherds shed all year, 365 days. What it comes down to is how much hair and shedding can you put up with. The hair and dust will be under the chairs, beds, sofas, on you, on the stairs, on the furniture, all over the house. If you’re not into vacuuming/dusting every day, or at least every other day, think twice about a Shepherd.

Intelligence

German Shepherds are highly regarded for their intelligence, right up there with the Border Collie and the Standard Poodle. But high intelligence can be a double-edged sword. German Shepherds pick up very quickly on your emotions, words, and actions. If I come down the stairs in the morning wearing different clothes than “round the house”, Nabucco picks it up instantly and is by the back door ready to get into the car with me.

Another example, you’re out walking, and you meet up another dog who reacts, pulls on its leash, barks, etc. Shepherds will look to you for your reaction. Do you panic, tense up and pull hard on the leash thinking your dog will do the same. Or do you issue a quick, short, firm “WALK ON!” and keep moving forward. Remember, if the dog senses that you’re not in control, that you don’t know what to do or are hesitant, it will assume that control, and in short, be running you.

German Shepherds are eager to please and respond to praise. However, they need a strong leader, a firm voice. No means no. People who are more passive in their training and handling are going to have a problem.

Strength

Another trait of the German Shepherd is its strength, and not only bite strength. If you’re walking a Shepherd, and you don’t have firm control over it with your voice and the leash, you’re in trouble. Your dog sees another dog, a squirrel, and quickly reacts, jerks the leash and starts to run, and pulls you flat on your face or knees. Shepherds can also knock you over with their exuberance while playing if you don’t train them properly.

The Key

Owning a Shepherd and having a successful relationship with one is 90% you and 10% the dog. Dogs are sensitive, but Shepherds even moreso, because they are so smart. They know if you really love them, or if they’re just another dog to you.

To be a successful GSD owner, it’s not only about loving them for their natural beauty and because they will bond with you and protect you with their lives. You must invest the time in them from the very beginning, if you get a puppy, or if an adult dog, ensure they have the right training.  And I don’t mean Petco or PetSmart general puppy groups.  You need a trainer who has in-depth experience specifically in German Shepherds, or in large working breed dogs.

The bite force of a German Shepherd is 238 psi. They can inflict significant damage on you and someone else if not trained properly. Remember what I said earlier, if a GSD senses you’re not the boss, it will take over. And if it does take over, all hell can break loose and not in a good way. 

There’s a YouTube channel, “Upstate Canine Academy” with Tom Davis, that I urge you to watch. He must have at least 100 German Shepherd videos.  When you watch the videos, don’t necessarily watch him or the dogs, watch the owners. I applaud them for seeking Tom out to help them.  But notice that most are struggling to understand how to handle their dog, some are even afraid of their dog.

Too many people religiously follow the Victoria Stillwell system of training, a.k.a. reward-based, positive training only. But, there’s a time and place for everything, and it depends on how much the dog has been screwed up, so to speak. You’ll notice in the Tom Davis videos that he also treat rewards the dogs, but he also uses other training tools, and explains and shows people how to use them and why because he needs to correct the poor/no training, and get people and the dog on the right path.

I love my pups. I talk to them constantly. I pet them as I walk past them or if they’re sitting next to me. German Shepherds need that interaction, but they also need the structure and knowing that you’re they’re leader.

If you watched the Davis videos, and now having read this post, be honest and ask yourself, “do I have the personality and the time to own a German Shepherd?”