forestwalker
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
My Malamute will howl... And most likely lick the hand of any strange human. Strange dogs might be a different issue...
German Shepherd, anyone got one?
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My Malamute will howl... And most likely lick the hand of any strange human. Strange dogs might be a different issue...
To anyone thinking about getting a German Shepherd (or any dog really) please, please check out the rescue associations before considering buying a puppy.......there are many adult dogs, sound in both mind & body, waiting for a new home & a stable & secure life worth living.......
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To anyone thinking about getting a German Shepherd (or any dog really) please, please check out the rescue associations before considering buying a puppy.......there are many adult dogs, sound in both mind & body, waiting for a new home & a stable & secure life worth living.......
well said that man !
I spent my college years working as a kennel hand at the police headquarters dog section looking after their dogs when the handlers went on holiday (the dogs are owned by the chief constable and are not 'pets' until retirement. I have also fostered Germ Shepherd dogs from a local rescue centre of all ages to give them some basic training to enable them to be homed easier (sit, stay, heel etc) and have had both a failed policedog ( couldn't get him to bite or bark ) and a rescue one (massive and I mean massive 6 year old stray from the streets of Cardiff) and as family pets they have been great dogs. They do NEED at least two walks a day, and thrive on training and agility and being asked to think. If you can get one and spend time training and exercising with it at whatever age, the more you put in the more you will get out. They do suffer from a variety of weakness - bowel cancer and HIP issues which mean they rarely get past 10 years. You could of course look for a German Shepherd cross though and gain a more resilient and probably long living dog. We currently have a German Shepherd Greyhound cross, big, tall, heavy, soft, safe and fast. The kids can hang off him and he can walk wherever I go without a lead. Great for taking into the country but suprising sh*t at catching me dinner -unless i fancy cat that is : )
I totally agree with what was said though, check out the rescue centres or breed specific rehoming charities. If you get one you won't regret it, unless you regret the amount of time these dogs need to and love to have spent on them
Good luck
Rich
I totally agree with what was said though, check out the rescue centres or breed specific rehoming charities. If you get one you won't regret it, unless you regret the amount of time these dogs need to and love to have spent on them
Good luck
Rich
GSD make lovely pets, we've had two over the years, very good pets, and home defence.
First one we had hated sleeping under canvas, but the 2nd one we got as a pup and was camping with him pretty much most weekends, even if it was in the back garden, and he loved it.
Only problem with them was their hips seemed to go at a youngish age, so make sure you get the hip score of the dame and sire.
First one we had hated sleeping under canvas, but the 2nd one we got as a pup and was camping with him pretty much most weekends, even if it was in the back garden, and he loved it.
Only problem with them was their hips seemed to go at a youngish age, so make sure you get the hip score of the dame and sire.
would love to see a photo Rich!
We've a retired greyhound and two other smaller longlegs, a possible whippet/grey cross and another rough-coated lurcher
No probs Hermitical
Here he is with his typical she's hanging off me again daddy pose 
Bless him
tried to get him to pull her on a sledge today, no joy Two of my brothers have German Shepherds, a dog and a bitch. Another brother had another one from the same litter as the dog and donated it to the police when he went abroad for work, unfortunately the police apparently had it put down due to ill health (shoulder joint problems). The other two have excellent temprements and are highly trained even if I do say so myself. (I did most of the training ;-)) Both love camping and are great with other animals, come when called out and about, and will not move or eat without permission, bark on command etc.
I will probably end up getting one for myself when I finally grow some roots.
I will probably end up getting one for myself when I finally grow some roots.
No probs Hermitical
View attachment 8603
Bless him
lovely! We'd never get any of ours to do the sledge, either too dappy or too precious!
my lurcher barks like mad and tries to herd people and other dogs away from the door massively protective. if she hears barking on the telly she tries to keep the others away from it. lovely dog with most people but she really doesn't like my dad
Out of interest, do the rescue associations offer any kind of cheaper health insurance packages, if you get a dog from them?
We had a dog for 12.5 years, and insurance cost £50 per month on petplan.
not in my experience, unless the dog has a known long-term problem which they may cover the costs of, I also know of a greyhound which was kept as a blood donor for years at a local vet college, they provide all its medical care for free
We go through Animal Friends, roughly £30 a month and they also support rescue charities worldwide
We go through Animal Friends, roughly £30 a month and they also support rescue charities worldwide
Nope & here's why.........taken from one of the GSD rescue bottom. but can apply to them all..
"... to rescue and provide care and shelter for German Shepherd dogs which have been abandoned neglected ill-treated or are otherwise in need of such care and shelter and to find suitable new homes for such animals wherever it is appropriate and practicable to do so"
The trustees and volunteers are unpaid.
All costs are paid from donations.
The principal costs are kenneling and veterinary fees. Administration costs are kept to a minimum.
I'm sure these rescue charities would love to have enough money to cover all the future costs of the dogs they successfully rehome, helas, money is short & the needs are many.
The dogs too are not free, as well as being home vetted, you will be asked for a donation usually between £150 - £200.
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To anyone thinking about getting a German Shepherd (or any dog really) please, please check out the rescue associations before considering buying a puppy.......there are many adult dogs, sound in both mind & body, waiting for a new home & a stable & secure life worth living.......
+1 on this.
Currently my 1 of dogs is a Boxer mix and the other is a Corgi mix but I've had 3 GS (or mixes thereof) of my own over the years. All were great dogs. One that I remember most though actually belonged to my cousins when we were just children; she was the finest child-sitter/attendant imagineable. She followed us everwhere, protected us, and kept us out of the traffic. She went to the river and swam with us, even going so far as to pull out any of us she thought in trouble in the water. No training what-so-ever; it all just came naturally to her. Unfortunatelt back then there was no preventative vaccine for heartworms and we lost her aft3er only about 7 years.
I wouldn't hesitate to get another GS in a heartbeat if that's what was at the rescue next time I'm looking for a dog.
I wouldn't hesitate to get another GS in a heartbeat if that's what was at the rescue next time I'm looking for a dog.
There are some fantastic GSD rescue charities in the states, a good one in Florida too
Also many GSD's end up in municipal dog pounds on death row so always a good idea to check them out, but you won't have any idea about their character or health,...... which you will have with the rescue bottom.
There are some fantastic GSD rescue charities in the states, a good one in Florida too
Also many GSD's end up in municipal dog pounds on death row so always a good idea to check them out, but you won't have any idea about their character or health,...... which you will have with the rescue bottom.
Yeah. Petfinder is one good site here; as is North Okaloosa Animal Rescue locally. There are also breed specific rescue sites. My current dogs are about 7 years old though so I probably won't be in the market for a few years.
