If you do not have time to dedicate to training
a German Shepherd then do not get a German Shepherd. This breed
becomes very attached to their human families and if they are
properly trained and cared for then they are the most loyal pets
you will ever have. If they are not properly cared for then German
Shepherd problems will start to show themselves and in some cases
the problems that can arise from an improperly trained pet will
not result in good things for either the dog or humans.
A German Shepherd was bred over one hundred
years ago to help shepherd flocks in Europe and that is where they
get their name. Every dog is born with an instinct to drive a
flock and maintain discipline with a flock as well. An improperly
trained German Shepherd can use these instincts in unpredictable
and disastrous ways so make sure you show your dog the attention
it needs to prevent it from resorting to this instinct.
Contrary to popular belief it is not a
natural instinct for a German Shepherd to hate all other animals
and automatically attack any other animal it sees. A German
Shepherd craves social structure and if you get it socializing
with other animals, and with humans, at a young age then it will
be more adaptable later in life and it will not attack other
animals and it will also be well behaved with strangers as well.
A Shepherd is a dog that was bred to work
and it loves to be active and doing something pretty much at all
times. Give it a lot of room to run around and also plan on
spending a lot of time with your dog as well. It will need jobs to
do as well and that can be something as simple as playing with the
family. Whatever you decide your dog will be doing remember that
it always needs to be doing something.
One of the common problems that you cannot
get away from is the fact that the German Shepherd breed sheds a
lot. They shed in the winter and they shed in the summer and they
require constant grooming to deal with the shedding. If you do not
like the thought of having to clean up dog fur all the time, or
you think you may be allergic to standing dog hair, then you
probably should avoid getting this breed of dog.
The German Shepherd is an extremely
intelligent animal that when properly trained can be the best
friend your family ever had. They train very easily and crave
structure in their life. They need a lot of activity and can be
one of the friendliest dogs you ever saw if you take the time to
train them right. It may also help you to know that they want to
be trained as much as you want to train them so don't be afraid to
try and teach your German Shepherd something new as it will
probably love you for it.
