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The German Shepherd Dog
Dogs called German Shepherds were first exhibited at shows in
Germany towards the end of the nineteenth century but they were
hardly Shepherds as we know them today being rough coated, short
tailed and rather resembling mongrels. The
href="http://www.germanshepherdrescue.co.uk/">German Shepherd
Dog as we now know it didn't really appear until after the
Second World War.
The breed has grown enormously in popularity and is now one of
the most popular pedigree breeds in the UK as a pet, it is still
the favourite working breed for many forces especially the
police and they are widely used for security purposes.
It is a fine sight to see a well-trained GSD with his handler,
working well to serve and protect. Unfortunately one of the
saddest sites is the poor GSD used to guard premises often
chained up alone in some dismal filthy yard with a lifetime of
incarceration and little stimulation to look forward to.
The German Shepherd is a highly intelligent beast who will show
undying devotion to his master but he is a dog that needs
company and stimulation to be at his best.
If you are thinking of buying a German Shepherd as a pet and you
have not previously owned one, it is important to research the
breed and talk to experienced owners so that you fully
understand what you are taking on. GSD's do indeed make
wonderful family pets but it is important to remember that this
is a working breed and that they do have certain characteristics
that can make them more difficult than your average Retriever,
Labrador or Collie.
The characteristics of a good working GSD should be firmness of
nerve, attentiveness, unshockability, tractability,
watchfulness, reliability, and incorruptibility together with
courage tenacity and hardness. A German Shepherd is naturally
protective and territorial which is something to bear in mind if
you have lots of visitors to your house when careful
introduction may be required to assure your pet that the visitor
is not a threat to his family.
This is also a breed that requires a lot of time, stimulation,
training and exercise - you will never wear them out, they will
always be ready for more. A bored, lonely GSD can be very
destructive and can cause an awful lot of damage to property in
a short space of time.
Perhaps some of the less endearing traits of this breed are the
tendency to be very vocal which can be a big nuisance and may be
a problem with neighbours. They also shed hair in copious
amounts all year round so your vacuum cleaner will work overtime
and it's unlikely that your clothes and furnishings will ever be
free of dogs hairs again as well as what you are eating
invariably being contaminated with that stray hairs.
The biggest problem with the German Shepherd Dog is the fact
that to a large extent the breed is being spoilt by
irresponsible breeding by inexperienced back street breeders who
care nothing about preserving the breed but only about making
money from the selling of puppies, Health and temperament
problems are all too common, so it is important to take expert
advice and try and find a reputable source if you are
contemplating buying a puppy.
Consider first taking on a rescue German Shepherd Dog from a
reputable rescue that should be able to give you a good
assessment of a particular dog. Remember too that an older GSD
will be a very rewarding addition to the family and will be
housetrained, won't chew, well behaved, probably require less
exercise than a young dog and will be very loyal and grateful.
About the author:
German Shepherd
Dog Written by Jayne Shenstone who runs German Shepherd
Rescue UK which helps rescue and rehome GSD's across the UK
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