Reply to Mom of 3 Children Seeks German Shepherd Breeder Recommendations

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I'll second the Ransomshire Shepherds breeder recommendation.  I own one from them and have 3 kids.  My GSD is a wonderful family dog and we appreciate her intelligence, beauty, silliness and how protective she is.

That said, we are working through a few challenges (which we anticipated, but it's still tough to do while raising 3 small kids):

1. Leash Aggression - she lunges and growls at all other dogs while on walks.  I've pretty much corrected this behavior on my own, but I'm still going to a trainer to make sure I'm doing this the right way.

2. Dominance issues with other dogs (she got kicked out of daycare for this one).  Daycare is often not the best fit for GSDs, which I've recently learned.

And I'm sure you're aware because you've done a lot of research, but people will be afraid of your dog.  People cross the street when I walk her.  We have to board her when the kids have sleepovers or planned guests.  We can't have people just randomly stop by because she's recently become quite protective of the home.

She is a wonderful pet to those in her pack, but if you're not in it, she can be quite scary, which we're working on with training.  I don't need her to be everyone's friend, but I need to train her to be indifferent when appropriate.

I will say that I wouldn’t trade her for the world for the following reasons:
(1)	She’s a loving member of our family.  When she’s with her crew, she’s so happy, silly, clumsy, and loving.
(2)	I never worry when I hear a noise.  I used to be terrified to be home alone and hear something.  She takes all of that stress away from me now.
(3)	I’m a walker/runner who now feels comfortable doing so at night because she’s with me.

Oh, and I'm a first time dog owner.  Everyone's right when they say this might not be the best dog for a first time owner, but I couldn't imagine myself with any other breed.  Just keep in mind that your dog will require a lot of time, patience, exercise, and money.

Good luck in your journey.  And make sure you read the Monks of New Skete's Art of Raising a Puppy. Ransomshire highly recommends it.
[/quote]

These seem to be common GSD complaints. They’re a very time intensive breed to live with, and it can be very stressful! My dog passed at 15. He was chill until age 2, behaviors much as you describe until age 13, and then chill again until 15. I loved that dog with all my heart and he was a great family dog — after he got past trying to police my son when he was old enough to run about the house — but he was extremely intense and extremely smart. So much training and exercise! And patience.

Definitely not a dog for a first timer IMO. Especially one with 3 young kids.[/quote]

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