Soldato
Dog help German Sheppard
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Soldato
Soldato
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Another German Shepherd rescue site here.
I had a rottwieler up untill a few weeks ago (lost him to cancer) had him since he was 6 weeks old, I would rec obedience training, I did this for years and my dog was a very obedient happy dog. When theyre trained they are generally a happier dog.
There's tons you can read and train him yourself from the net. Google 'being alpha'
There's tons you can read and train him yourself from the net. Google 'being alpha'
Soldato
A very good forum I post on w.r.t. feeding and training, they also do rehoming.
http://germanshepherdforum.createforum.com/forum.html
KaHn
http://germanshepherdforum.createforum.com/forum.html
KaHn
Soldato
we have 2 german shepherd bitches, mother and daughter, one is almost 10 now, the other is 7. They are very loyal dogs and ours are great around children / people but the younger one cannot stand other dogs.
For a KC reg pup you are looking at about £400-£450 these days at a guess, we sold ours for £350 7 years ago with a really good pedigree, bred our bitch with a highly respected and award winning stud.
For a KC reg pup you are looking at about £400-£450 these days at a guess, we sold ours for £350 7 years ago with a really good pedigree, bred our bitch with a highly respected and award winning stud.
Soldato
Not really short minded just I have a limited experience with German Shepherds much like everyone else here. Yes I know you own one but that doesn't make you an expert. 3 of my customers at the moment have German Shepherds and whilst it may be more of a reflection on the owners than the animals the dogs look too much of a handful to me. Loud so they bother the neighbours, lawns ripped to shreds and aggressive with strangers. Obviously a lot of dogs can be noisy and aggresive but the larger the dog the bigger the problem. I just think when taking on a large boystrous dog you need to be a very competent owner.
Thanks for all the information guys. We wont be rushing into it. Doing as much research and planning as possible. And will be trying to organise professional training as well.
Thanks
Thanks
Soldato
I never said I was an expert, but for reference I have owned 2 german shepherds, my white one and a larger black and sable one while I was younger, Max is a very friendly dog and will only bark when he feels threatened or to say hello to other dogs.
My first GSD was a lot more protective to the point the milkman/window cleaners/postmen wouldn't come to the door but again he would only bark when someone passed the house, out of the house he would only bark when threatened.
My point is that you have said your self that you have limited experience with GSDs, we are not talking about things like Huskys or Akitas who are well known for being stubborn destrucive dogs (google Husky House Destruction), we are talking about one of the loyalist and family oriented dogs in the world, not to mention the second smartest behind border collies.
W.r.t. barking while alone (barking at the door when someone knocks will always happen due to the nature of the GSD) and digging, these problems can be solved very easily if caught at puppy stage by any owner.
What a lot of people don't understand is that the dogs diet plays a big part in their temperment, feeding crap food with loads of additives (pedigree/bakers/wagg etc) both dry and wet will make your dog hyper and can lead to serious health problems like bad skin/bad digestion/mal nutrition.
I'm not really having a go at you but I have been told my GSD are dangerous dog breeds by enough morons on the street or had people cross the road when they see Max on his lead, it just gets my back up how anyone can blame a dog for the way its been brought up.
And I would say this to anyone, if you can not spend a lot of time with your dogs they will become destructive because they do not like being left alone.
Also remember to was them
KaHn
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We looked into getting one recently. Made contact with a few breeders in Northern Ireland and down south. The most professional ones, with best pedigree pups, seemed to be Willowdale in Portaferry and Rosebud in Limerick. You should get in contact with them or with a breeder you were considering as they give great advice to first-time owners!!
Edit: Also, most reputable breeders we looked at in the country were charging between £500 and £600.
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Soldato
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Totally agree with what KaHn has put, diet is incredibly important, and yes there are many idiots about...happily some of them can be converted...if you can engage them in conversation (if they don't run away first), it doesn't take long looking into two big brown eyes and then enthusiastically given a big paw to win them over 
A breeder I can recommend is here, they offer lifelong support for the dog, so if at any point in the dogs life you can't manage it any more (for whatever reason) they will take it back and look after it until they can rehome it.
They run an animal sanctuary on site as well which tells you the character of the people
Wormwood - I would say it's definitely the people that you have dealt with that have made the dogs as they are...
Happy dogs who know their place in the pack don't bark and bark, they don't need to.
Well exercised dogs don't dig the garden up, they have used up their excess energy.
Well adjusted and socialised dogs aren't aggressive.
They certainly can be over enthusiastic though, but that's part of the charm
A breeder I can recommend is here, they offer lifelong support for the dog, so if at any point in the dogs life you can't manage it any more (for whatever reason) they will take it back and look after it until they can rehome it.
They run an animal sanctuary on site as well which tells you the character of the people
Wormwood - I would say it's definitely the people that you have dealt with that have made the dogs as they are...
Happy dogs who know their place in the pack don't bark and bark, they don't need to.
Well exercised dogs don't dig the garden up, they have used up their excess energy.
Well adjusted and socialised dogs aren't aggressive.
They certainly can be over enthusiastic though, but that's part of the charm
Associate
German Shepherds are fantastic dogs.
Hip scores mean nothing and I don't understand this 'they don't get along with small dogs', there are 2 small dogs in my sisters house and our mutts get along fine.. No problem taking food from them or anything else for that matter.. Also my dogs have a lot of fruit and veg in their diet, melon, apple, carrots, A dogs temperament (if thats the right word) is only as good as the owners. If your weak and soft, a dog will pick up on it and rule you.. It is a pack animal and needs a pack leader.
None of ours dogs have been to see a trainer, we trained them ourselves and as long as your firm (that doesn't mean hitting) it isn't to hard and can be very satisfying.
All our shepherds have been from animal sanctuarys or rescues..
The top dog in the snow is Jake (9 yr,lazy one) who was my dog, He passed away about 4 months ago totally unexpected and I feel I have not got over him yet, he made such a big impression on my life.. There wasn't an ouce of aggression in his eyes and I took him everywhere with me, even to work sometimes in my truck..
Cass (female 9yr) is my sisters dog and Bodd (male 13 yr) is my brothers dog.
Dizz (16 months, mad one!, bottom pic, lay down on grass) is the dog I have now, Dizz is a rescue dog and has been a lot of hard work but I believe he will turn out to be a fantastic friend.. In the 3 months I have had him he has totally turned around and is showing how clever he really is. I got him through Lancashire German Sherpherd Rescue that was mentioned by TheBigCheese. TheBigCheese mentions a lot of good advice in his thread, re neutral ground. Ted the guy that runs LGSD is passionate about GSDs and I highly recommend him.
Jake, Bodd and Dizz were £100 and Cass was £50!!! They are pets and we didn't require any K.C. papers for them..
GSDs do require a lot of exercise and stimulation but they can be very rewarding, also better than any burglar alarm!! In the street you might look at one and cross the road thinking it is a large aggressive biting machine but in reality in the home they must be the softest dogs going!!
I would advise if you do get one you look into having it insured, my first shepherd was never away from the vets with bad ears, eyes, paws, you name it. He went for a routine annual vaccine and ended up spending 3 days in a animal hospital in Liverpool at £100 a day. Shepherds are well known to have skin problems but this didn't stop me getting another!! My sis and bro have had no problems with theirs.
Sorry if this had some bad points in it but a lot of people buy a pup on it's cuteness without thinking about the future. If it's what you want and feel ready for an experience, GET A GSD...
P.S. Kahn, thats a lovely shepherd you got there, nice to see a white one. Most people don't want them and they used to be destroyed at a young age. Get dirty you see..................
Hip scores mean nothing and I don't understand this 'they don't get along with small dogs', there are 2 small dogs in my sisters house and our mutts get along fine.. No problem taking food from them or anything else for that matter.. Also my dogs have a lot of fruit and veg in their diet, melon, apple, carrots, A dogs temperament (if thats the right word) is only as good as the owners. If your weak and soft, a dog will pick up on it and rule you.. It is a pack animal and needs a pack leader.
None of ours dogs have been to see a trainer, we trained them ourselves and as long as your firm (that doesn't mean hitting) it isn't to hard and can be very satisfying.
All our shepherds have been from animal sanctuarys or rescues..
The top dog in the snow is Jake (9 yr,lazy one) who was my dog, He passed away about 4 months ago totally unexpected and I feel I have not got over him yet, he made such a big impression on my life.. There wasn't an ouce of aggression in his eyes and I took him everywhere with me, even to work sometimes in my truck..
Cass (female 9yr) is my sisters dog and Bodd (male 13 yr) is my brothers dog.
Dizz (16 months, mad one!, bottom pic, lay down on grass) is the dog I have now, Dizz is a rescue dog and has been a lot of hard work but I believe he will turn out to be a fantastic friend.. In the 3 months I have had him he has totally turned around and is showing how clever he really is. I got him through Lancashire German Sherpherd Rescue that was mentioned by TheBigCheese. TheBigCheese mentions a lot of good advice in his thread, re neutral ground. Ted the guy that runs LGSD is passionate about GSDs and I highly recommend him.
Jake, Bodd and Dizz were £100 and Cass was £50!!! They are pets and we didn't require any K.C. papers for them..
GSDs do require a lot of exercise and stimulation but they can be very rewarding, also better than any burglar alarm!! In the street you might look at one and cross the road thinking it is a large aggressive biting machine but in reality in the home they must be the softest dogs going!!
I would advise if you do get one you look into having it insured, my first shepherd was never away from the vets with bad ears, eyes, paws, you name it. He went for a routine annual vaccine and ended up spending 3 days in a animal hospital in Liverpool at £100 a day. Shepherds are well known to have skin problems but this didn't stop me getting another!! My sis and bro have had no problems with theirs.
Sorry if this had some bad points in it but a lot of people buy a pup on it's cuteness without thinking about the future. If it's what you want and feel ready for an experience, GET A GSD...
P.S. Kahn, thats a lovely shepherd you got there, nice to see a white one. Most people don't want them and they used to be destroyed at a young age. Get dirty you see..................
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Getting your German insured is a MUST, they are prone to quite a lot of problems health wise, the main one being Hip Displacia.
Soldato
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Yes I would recommend insurance, as Atom says (cracking dogs btw ) ears and skin are a big issue for GSDs. As the ears stick up all the time they are a complete target for muck, dust, grass pollen, toy soldiers, small children...it all get stuck in there. Get your dog used to you handling and rumaging in it's ears to clean them out if necessary, and try to avoid walking them in long grass if it does look like they will have a problem with their ears.
Having said that, there will be a genetic component to that as well, my previous (and first GSD) used to have really bad ears, he had waxy buildup all the time and we were forever putting ear drops and wash in, which he wasn't best pleased about...but the two I have now (so far) don't seem to have any issues and they are in the same place and get walked in the same area as well.
They can also be gluten intolerant so you may have to be careful what you feed it, avoid wheat products (I stress this isn't all of them, but there is a significant number), if they are intolerant they have upset tums all the time, poor things.
Whilst we are talking of tums, don't let your GSD bolt it's food, they can be prone (as all big dogs can) to what's know as gastric torsion, literally where the stomach twists itself up, if they aren't operated on within minutes of it happening they don't stand a chance. It can be caused by them bolting their food, eating too much, (and open to debate if you read the studies) running around soon after eating. Again depending which study you read, it seems it may be best to feed them so their bowl is on a small step so they aren't reaching down so far to it...it's a contentious issue though.
Finally with their food....GSDs, especially puppies are very keen on recycling...eating their own poop. It's a general thing with dogs but GSDs particularly, not the best to have a friendly dog try and slob you after being outside and getting this horrendous smell from their breath, shouldn't be a problem if you walk them regularly and have a good routine for them though.
As already stated, hip problems are an issue, elbows can also be an issue.
Generally they can't handle a lot of protein (delicate tums again).
I wouldn't say hip scores are meaningless though, obviously if you are getting one from a rescue (as one of ours is now, and our previous one) then it doesn't matter, you fall for the dog not the stats.
However if you are getting a pup, a good hip score is a useful indicator of whether the dog is going to have hip issues in the future, if the parents have good genetics and good hips the pup probably will as well.
German Shepherds will get on with ALL dogs....but unfortunately not all dogs get on with German Shepherds.
My first one was attacked several times by smaller dogs, including damn fiendish Jack Russells. Because of this GSDs can react badly round small dogs out of fear and vice versa...also when you walk a GSD you hear stories from worried dog owners about how their little cherub (never said boo to a goose) was savaged by an out of control GSD and is now scared of them...I'm sure this does happen with irresponsible GSD owners, but we have seen so much aggression from other dogs it's certain to be the other way as well.
Best way is to get it out and socialising as soon as possible.
) ears and skin are a big issue for GSDs. As the ears stick up all the time they are a complete target for muck, dust, grass pollen, toy soldiers, small children...it all get stuck in there. Get your dog used to you handling and rumaging in it's ears to clean them out if necessary, and try to avoid walking them in long grass if it does look like they will have a problem with their ears. Having said that, there will be a genetic component to that as well, my previous (and first GSD) used to have really bad ears, he had waxy buildup all the time and we were forever putting ear drops and wash in, which he wasn't best pleased about...but the two I have now (so far) don't seem to have any issues and they are in the same place and get walked in the same area as well.
They can also be gluten intolerant so you may have to be careful what you feed it, avoid wheat products (I stress this isn't all of them, but there is a significant number), if they are intolerant they have upset tums all the time, poor things.
Whilst we are talking of tums, don't let your GSD bolt it's food, they can be prone (as all big dogs can) to what's know as gastric torsion, literally where the stomach twists itself up, if they aren't operated on within minutes of it happening they don't stand a chance. It can be caused by them bolting their food, eating too much, (and open to debate if you read the studies) running around soon after eating. Again depending which study you read, it seems it may be best to feed them so their bowl is on a small step so they aren't reaching down so far to it...it's a contentious issue though.
Finally with their food....GSDs, especially puppies are very keen on recycling...eating their own poop. It's a general thing with dogs but GSDs particularly, not the best to have a friendly dog try and slob you after being outside and getting this horrendous smell from their breath, shouldn't be a problem if you walk them regularly and have a good routine for them though.
As already stated, hip problems are an issue, elbows can also be an issue.
Generally they can't handle a lot of protein (delicate tums again).
I wouldn't say hip scores are meaningless though, obviously if you are getting one from a rescue (as one of ours is now, and our previous one) then it doesn't matter, you fall for the dog not the stats.
However if you are getting a pup, a good hip score is a useful indicator of whether the dog is going to have hip issues in the future, if the parents have good genetics and good hips the pup probably will as well.
German Shepherds will get on with ALL dogs....but unfortunately not all dogs get on with German Shepherds.
My first one was attacked several times by smaller dogs, including damn fiendish Jack Russells. Because of this GSDs can react badly round small dogs out of fear and vice versa...also when you walk a GSD you hear stories from worried dog owners about how their little cherub (never said boo to a goose) was savaged by an out of control GSD and is now scared of them...I'm sure this does happen with irresponsible GSD owners, but we have seen so much aggression from other dogs it's certain to be the other way as well.
Best way is to get it out and socialising as soon as possible.
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Soldato
We had a Belgian shephard. Daft as a brush, big but very intelligent. Could open doors, and hand bags, great with kids. Old age took it's toll and his hips went in the end. Would get one again. What iv-tecman said seems to be my experience as well.
only got one pic to hand :
only got one pic to hand :
Another lurgan person on here, Im from lurgan as well and so is Scuzi.
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The photos of their dogs on that site look like they breed the show type with stunted back legs and deformed backs.
Soldato
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Looking at the photos they do appear to show that, but they have been posed like that. They are the German variety rather than the Anglicised Alsation variety so do have more of a slope, but their dogs have been used for the police as well as family pets. They are very willowy (at least the females are) and not as bulky as I would expect from GSDs, but they are built for speed, by gum can they run!
The hip scores are excellent on their dogs, and the elbow scores on the majority of their dogs are 0. They also live a long time, 13 years in some cases, which is a good stretch for GSDs. They do have the welfare in mind of all their dogs (offering a lifelong home if needed and vet potential owners), and run a rescue centre on site so animal welfare is uppermost in their mind.
I am very into animal welfare and if I thought for a second that the animals were in any way suffering I would have had no hesitation in reporting them.
As far as breeders go, they are highly responsible (I have heard horror stories about breeders which is why I recommended them if the OP is desperate to have a puppy), however, I would definitely urge the OP (and everyone come to that) to adopt a rescue above a new puppy where possible.
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I just joined the other day, didn't think there'd be anyone local on here! Lurgan must be the place to be...
I just joined the other day, didn't think there'd be anyone local on here! Lurgan must be the place to be...
All i think of when I hear Lurgan is Neil Lennon. Please tell me you've got a more famous export than him?