Best dog breeds/mixes? s/o

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry. No contest. German Shepherd Dog. Smart as hell. They are almost creepily intelligent. Great with kids. Very easy to train. Very loyal. Calm indoors but active outside. Protective but not aggressive. We've been raising and training GSDs for years. I am in love with the breed. The only downside is that they are heavy shedders. If I could train them not to leave hair everywhere, they would be the perfect breed.

We have a GSD puppy and she is quite the goof. She's in the wiggly I Love Everyone And Everyone Loves ME stage (and they do!). So cute. Hard to imagine that this dog will ever be intimidating to anyone, lol. But no question she is very intelligent/trainable.

Expose that puppy to as many experiences, other dogs, and people as you can during those first few months. This is really key with a GSD. Your dog will naturally become protective. That's a good thing. You do not want her to become fearful or aggressive. Take her everywhere you can.

Training is really important, but socialization is critical. There is no other breed like a German Shepherd.

She's going to puppy K once a week (she sees people and other dogs in the store and in her class) and she's getting daily walks around our neighborhood. And of course going to the vet. She's 4 months old and I'm wondering if we should try boarding her one night to let her get used to it because I do see us boarding her in the future when we want to make trips. I haven't taken her on hiking trails either and we really hope to take her hiking and camping and to the beach/lakes but she hasn't been to any of those places yet either.

What other experiences do you find helpful to get them acclimated? We can start fitting some of this in but I really don't want to overwhelm her. I hope this is not too many questions - not trying to hijack this thread but I think this stuff is good to know for anyone considering this particular breed.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't worry about boarding her this young. You don't want to stress her unnecessarily. Sounds like you are doing all the right things! Get her used to having her nails trimmed, being brushed, having her ears cleaned, being bathed .... Expose her to lots of different people and animals and situations. Encourage people to pet her when you have her out on walks. Establish really good behavior habits now - make her sit before letting her outside. Make her sit before giving her her food. Don't let her jump up on you. Don't let her mouth or nip at you. Keep her off the furniture. Teach her how to walk on a leash- no pulling, she should walk beside you. Make sure she understands her place in the family (pack).

The great thing is that they are smart and easy to train. They are eager to please. They live to make you happy! They are just great dogs when properly trained and well-socialized.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't worry about boarding her this young. You don't want to stress her unnecessarily. Sounds like you are doing all the right things! Get her used to having her nails trimmed, being brushed, having her ears cleaned, being bathed .... Expose her to lots of different people and animals and situations. Encourage people to pet her when you have her out on walks. Establish really good behavior habits now - make her sit before letting her outside. Make her sit before giving her her food. Don't let her jump up on you. Don't let her mouth or nip at you. Keep her off the furniture. Teach her how to walk on a leash- no pulling, she should walk beside you. Make sure she understands her place in the family (pack).

The great thing is that they are smart and easy to train. They are eager to please. They live to make you happy! They are just great dogs when properly trained and well-socialized.

Thank you for the tips . We'll definitely keep working on the training and grooming and getting her around new people and animals. We're having fun with her.

[Anonymous]

The nicest dogs I have ever met have been Goldens.