IS A GSD FOR YOU?
Before buying a German Shepherd you should ask the question is a German Shepherd the right dog for you and your family?
Have you thought about why you want a dog, and in particular, why a German Shepherd? A German Shepherd is not a dog to be bought and left in the backyard to protect your home. It is not a wind-up toy. It is not a burglar alarm to be left in the “on” position. It is a highly intelligent, sensitive animal with social needs - the need to belong to a family or “pack”, and to know who that pack leader is (namely you) and have confidence in you. The German Shepherd is a dog with a complex temperament. While it has a fierce “guard dog” image, it can also be very sensitive, emotional and affectionate. Temperament can vary a lot from dog to dog and the way you build on the foundation depends a great deal on how you raise and interact with your puppy.
For example: how confident and outgoing the dog is, or how sensitive and timid, how human-oriented or how independent, how dominant or accepting of human authority, how friendly, how excitable or how calm. These characteristics can also vary a lot within the individual dog as it matures and develops. But equally importantly, they are affected by how you bring up your puppy, and what kind of environment YOU provide.
Think about your type of family or household - anyone can have a dog, but there are particular problems that can crop up with single people, young adults, families with kids, older people and so on. A German Shepherd is a wonderful dog to train, but it is not the easiest dog to handle, especially if you are lacking in confidence. Consider the dog’s size and temperament, and think honestly about your physical capabilities and your strength of character. A German Shepherd puppy would have to be one of the cutest puppies available however a German Shepherd puppy is a small dog for a very short time and grows to its adult size within 6 -8 months of your purchase.
The commitments you have to make!
BEFORE making a commitment to buy a puppy. Ask yourself the following questions.
• TIME - do you have the time or are you prepared to make the time - to socialise, train, play, exercise, groom your dog for the next 10 plus years?
• MONEY - can you afford to carry out your responsibilities to: house, feed, train, veterinary expenses, boarding (holidays), pay registration fees,
buy necessary equipment etc.? The purchase price is a small outlay in comparision.
• LIFESTYLE & PERSONALITY - think honestly about your lifestyle and personality - and whether they fit the temperament and life span of a German Shepherd.
Are are you patient; prepared to tolerate a certain amount of destructiveness whilst the puppy is growing up and put up with the frustrating and irritating behaviour of a normal puppy,
if not maybe an older German Shepherd or a different breed may be a better match for you?
For example, they:
• throw up on the carpet
• jump up
• nip at your ankles/feet
• chew on things they shouldn't
• vomit in the car precisely one minute before you get home
• mount inappropriately
• sniff other dogs’ rear ends
• sniff and sometimes eat droppings of other animals
• roll in foul-smelling rotten things
• roll in the dirt just after being bathed
• shed hair in the house
• explore with its mouth, biting your hands and destroying your children’s soft toys
• steal food
• raid the garbage
• have toilet accidents inside the house
Some of the above examples, happen whilst a puppy and are expected and your puppy will grow out of the stages, however behaviour still needs to be properly managed and directed, so that the dog is not ruined by inappropriate punishment, nor, at the other extreme, allowed to develop bad habits whilst growing up.
Contact Details
Denise SmithKenthurst, NSW, Australia
Phone : 02 9654 3282
Email : [email protected]