Mean German Shepherd Dogs? Don’t Believe The Hype!
What qualities would you look for in a friend? You would hope they would stick by your side through good times and bad. You pray that they will never betray your secrets. You wish that they would help you out when you needed help. You can find all of these qualities in a German Shepherd dog. And, as added benefit, they won’t sue you, either.
German Shepherd dogs do, indeed, live up to the fictional resume of Rin Tin Tin. They are noble, loyal, brave, friendly and eager to please. Yes, you read that right — they are incredibly friendly. However, because they are so eager to please their people that they will quickly learn to attack if that is what their people want. At one point a few decades ago, German Shepherds were as feared as Pit Bulls are today.
German Shepherd dogs are loyal, alert, emotional and probably more intelligent than most people. They are capable of learning very complex behaviors and can solve problems. German Shepherds are even capable of learning commands in two languages. Once they learn something, it sticks. They are known to be very easy to housebreak. Once they have gotten the idea, any accidents are usually due to illness and require a trip to the vet to be easily cured.
Since German Shepherd dogs are so large (they average about 75 pounds), they often do not know their own strength. Ever watch puppies playing? They wrestle quite fiercely and often bite softly. German Shepherd dogs will think you want to play like a puppy - very roughly. This can cause unintentional (but still painful) injury. It is important that your German Shepherd be trained and regularly exercised in order to prevent any accidental injuries.
The German Shepherd dog has been described as embodying all of the noble characteristics of human beings. They are problem solvers, want to get along with others and will sacrifice themselves when protecting their family.
They learn to leash train very well (and can often be voice trained), whether their owners are walking, jogging, riding a bike or riding a horse.
German Shepherds are prone to some health problems, more so than some other breeds, most notably hip dysplasia. These can be costly to cure - but they can be cured. When you take on a German Shepherd, you must be willing to care for vet expenses.
This is not often talked about in German Shepherd information available from the AKC. The price of a German Shepherd’s companionship should never be measured in terms of money. The German Shepherd dog, if the situation was reversed, would spend every last penny to make sure you were out of pain.
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