Don't Be Afraid Of German Shepherd Dogs

You need to know as much information as you can about any breed of dog before you adopt one. And, since the German Shepherd is a lot of dog, you need to know a lot of German Shepherd information before adopting or purchasing one! Not all dogs are alike. If you've never lived with a large dog or a very active dog before, then you are going to be in for a surprise with a German Shepherd. Hopefully, this will be a welcome surprise.

But a German Shepherd is not the dog for everyone. Their large size, their exuberant nature, their coats and sometimes health problems leave many thousands of German Shepherd Dogs to be abandoned every year. The Humane Society of the United States estimates that a quarter of all strays are purebreds, including purebred German Shepherds. Knowing basic German Shepherd information can help teach you what to expect from them as pets will help you decide if a German Shepherd is right for you and your family.

Daily life with a German Shepherd should include a lot of interaction and fuss with your family and your dog. They love to be in the center of the action and are strong enough to force their way to the center of the action if not supervised. Keeping the dog exercised, including games and playing in the yard will help to keep his or her energy levels down. German Shepherds are not vicious by nature, but they can play rough, just like puppies do.

They need to be active and to find things to do. If they don't get this exercise, they will use their extreme intelligence to find things to do in order to get your attention. These efforts from such a large dog may or may not be destructive.

Getting a German Shepherd is a commitment to giving them regular exercise - and for you to get regular exercise, as well. They make excellent jogging, cycling or horseback riding partners (The dog jogs next to the horse - you don't ride the dog!) A thirty-minute brisk walk even once a day is not much to ask for. They also need room to run free in a yard, so living in an apartment is usually not good for them.

German Shepherd dogs need to feel they have a job in order to be well-adjusted. They love company and to be part of the family. They hate being left out of anything. They use their intelligence to find ways of doing things they think you will like and praise them for. Whether you will like these actions is another matter. German Shepherds need supervision and training.

Because of their popularity, German Shepherd Dogs have been over bred, which has lead to health problems. Although responsible breeders would not breed an animal with health problems, which can be inherited by their puppies, many still do. The most common health problems with German Shepherds are hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia and cancers.

They are strong dogs, which can surprise people not ready for the power of big dogs. By knowing all of this German Shepherd information, you can now decide if this magnificent but demanding dog can fit in your life.

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