# Should you only get a GSD with intent to work?



## GSD Fan (Sep 20, 2010)

If someone buys a GSD, American, Working, or West German Showline, should they be intending to work their doggie?

This goes for ANY GSD. 

On the AKC site, the german shepherd falls in the working dog category. They were bred to work.

My question is, when I get my GSD puppy someday, do I absolutely NEED to work the puppy or will working the puppy just make the puppy a happier dog?

Here's an example:

Scenario 1:
Shanocka calls a breeder and says, "I'm looking for a german shepherd puppy who can do obedience work." Shanocka buys a german shepherd puppy. Shanocka trains Dog in obedience and titles him in obedience.

Scenario 2:
Shanocka calls a breeder and says, "I'm looking for a german shepherd puppy, I don't intend to work it." Shanocka buys the german shepherd puppy. The german shepherd grows up with basic training.

Which dog do you think has the most chance of being a happy, good dog? Scenario 1 or Scenario 2?

I'm asking this because I'm wondering, do I get a german shepherd to do obedience or do I do obedience to have a happy german shepherd?

I am interested in working a german shepherd puppy. I want to do something easy because I'd not only be a first time german shepherd owner, but a first time working a dog.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

No. You do not need to "work" your dog. Many ppl have working line dogs as companions and do not participate in a sport or work.


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

I'd be willing to bet something like 90% or more of the GSD's in the world grow up and live like scenario 2 (without ever getting any titles) and there are a lot of very happy and healthy GSD's out there.

Every dog should do or know some form of obedience though. At least the basics. Have you ever been around who didn't even know their basic manners? 

Just make it clear to your potential breeder what you're looking for and looking to do with the dog so they can match you up correctly.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Most of my GSDs (5 in the past 26 years) have not done any "work". They all had many training classes in the basics, (except for Sneaker who was perfect after just one ), and were active companions. We take our dogs lots hiking and swimming, and everywhere else we can think of that dogs are allowed. 

I took a couple of agility classes with Dena for fun, Keefer and Halo have taken nosework classes for fun, and Halo is my first dog that I'm actually competing in a sport with. Is flyball "work"? No, not really! But it's a heck of a lot of fun and we both enjoy it. 

Sneaker and Cassidy were ASL, Dena was WGSL as is Keefer, and Halo is WGWL. I didn't get any of my them with "work" in mind but we do like to have fun activities to enjoy with them. They've all been very happy dogs because we've made them a priority in our lives and often plan our weekends around where we're going to take them for some fun.


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

Some GSDs definitely need a JOB, and will not be happy without one. Others can be perfectly happy being a household pet, as long as they get sufficient exercise. I think all of them benefit from obedience training; trialing is optional.


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## NWHeather (Oct 29, 2010)

I think there are a number of "jobs" that keep them happy, that are not techincally considered working. Mine protect the house, yard & my truck when they're in it. They have had basic training, but nothing beyond that. (I've taught them a couple other little tricks, but no other formal training.)

I don't think they need to have a specific job like tracking or sport training to be happy.

In your case, I would seek out a GS that does not have a high work drive. You can still train the dog basic obedience, & you can both be happy.
A high work drive dog will be a lot more work, & if you want to start off slowly in GS's going with a lower drive dog will be easier for you.


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## martemchik (Nov 23, 2010)

You'll never be able to compare happiness of a dog. Many are just fine sitting on the couch all day. There are however GSDs that wouldn't be able to settle down and wouldn't be controllable without some amount of work in their life. A good breeder wouldn't sell a dog like that to a person just planning on doing basic obedience and not titling, because without the goal of titling obedience training tends to end, you don't have anymore goals to work on after your dog can sit, down, and stay on a consistent basis.

This kind of question really depends on the breeder and the dogs themselves. I know SchH bred dogs that would rather lay on the couch all day (the breeder paired them with people that wanted that kind of dog). I also know SchH bred dogs that are getting trained in SchH and loving every moment of it. The first dog, would never be able to do that, but he's in a family where they never wanted to. Its all about being truthful with your breeder and following through with your plans. Don't tell a breeder, I'm going to train in Schutzhund one day so I want a dog that can do that, and then never get into the sport. But if you're truthful and tell the breeder exactly what your plans are, you'll get a dog that will be happy doing that.


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## GatorDog (Aug 17, 2011)

I got my GSD and have been working IPO with him, but he'd probably be happier just hanging all day long. I plan on retiring him before he turns 4 yrs old.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I think the AKC has the German Shepherd Dog listed in the Herding group. So does that mean that unless we have a flock of sheep or chickens, cows, or ducks we should not own GSDs? I think not. 

All those people in cities where livestock is not allowed would have to give up their companions. 

I think both of your scenarios have a great chance of being equally happy dogs. Obedience titles and basic training are not that different. Really, most of my dogs have titles, and when we are working on it, we work for about 1 hour per week, that means the dog has something like 267 hours a week where he is not an obedience dog -- not much difference, really.

Be clear with your breeder how much time you expect to spend training and working with your dog every day. Think about it, if you tell the breeder that you run five miles a day and that you expect to take the dog to training five times a week on top of that, and you are also into hiking and biking and swimming and expect the dog to be a part of all of that, then they are not going to worry about giving you a good high energy, high drive puppy. 

If the reality is that you rode your bike three times last summer, and three years ago ran five miles, and you really spend most of your day hugging the air conditioner in front of the computer, then your little high energy, high drive bundle of joy is probably going to get into a bit of trouble. 

The rode to the Fiery Pit is paved with good intentions. Good intentions doesn't work with puppies. If you want a pup that can become a police dog or schutzhund champion, then you really need to get out and work with that dog from the get go, and expect that dog to require a LOT of work. If you want a dog who is a bit more laid back and less drivey, explain realistic goals to your breeder about how much energy, training, exercise you expect to spend on the dog. And they can try to match you properly with a good middle of the road puppy. (For most of us, middle of the road is plenty of everything.)

A good dog is really generally able to manage on our leftover food, time, and space. They can usually thrive on whatever we can give them. Some people are over-matched when it comes to puppies though. So, I guess set yourself up to succeed or stack the deck in your favor. Look at the various lines and choose a line that best meets your temperament. Looks are the last thing you want to consider. Understand that there are extremes in all the lines, there are nervy dogs out of the norm energy needs in all the lines. If working lines generally have higher energy and higher drives than show lines it is still possible to find a working line pup that would fit better in a pet home than in a working home. On the other hand, I think show lines are more likely to have dogs with lower energy requirements. Whatever lines you choose, you need to go into it understanding that training, exercise and socialization is a must. And then you and your dog will be happy. 

Training makes us happy. 

No training makes us frustrated. 

Both humans and puppies.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

I can't imagine having dogs myself and not doing anything with them but many of the dogs I know (and the ones I'm fostering/adopting) don't do any real training or work and are happy as clams. Free country, as long as the dogs are properly cared for it makes no difference to me.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

My own opinion is the GSD needs to be bred as a working dog but within those litters may be dogs not as suited for work with lower drives etc. i do think excercise is very important in this breed as is some form of mental stimulation.


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## ayoitzrimz (Apr 14, 2010)

Well what's "work"? Work doesnt have to be earning schutzhund / Obedience titles and doing protection / herding work.

Work can be simply a daily game of fetch, retrieve, playing "find-it", doing basic obedience (which all dogs need regardless of breed), brisk long daily walks, hiking, swimming, etc... 

If work is defined as the former, then no - not all GSDs should be bought for work only. If work is defined as the latter - every GSDs and all dogs for that matter should be bought for work


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## argo daisynina dvora (Oct 22, 2011)

Akeemi and Ando like to do herding with dragonflys. Akeemi also has advanced obebence and is a happy sweet dog.
Ando needs to walk everyday for one mile and run in the yard, if not he goes crazy in the house and starts tearing things up. It all depends on the dog.


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

I do not think that all GSD must work, but they do need some mental and physical exercise especially when young. That can be playing ball, hiking, learning tricks, doing obedience, etc. This keeps them from getting bored and finding their own ways to occupy themselves.


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## I_LOVE_MY_MIKKO (Oct 4, 2006)

lhczth said:


> I do not think that all GSD must work, but they do need some mental and physical exercise especially when young. That can be playing ball, hiking, learning tricks, doing obedience, etc. This keeps them from getting bored and finding their own ways to occupy themselves.


 
I agree with this. Also, although my dog probably doesn't need to work he really enjoys everything we train in-agiliy, herding, nosework, and tracking. He'd probably be happy going swimming at the park every day too, but I suspect he really likes the mental stimulation that the other activities give him, as well as working together with me. I enjoy it too!


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## robk (Jun 16, 2011)

It really depends on the dog. My girls Jasmine and Delilah never had a job nor much formal training. They were very content just to be pets. With Ruger, however, I have to do something with him. If I don't he will get bored and start pushin me (literally) to do something. Our daily morning training session helps. We do about 30 mins in the mornings of ob and tug which satisfies him for a few hours. If we have not done anything else for the rest of the day he starts to push me again to do something. (He will litterally take his nose and push me against the leg or hand until I stop what I am doing and find something for him to do. We will usually get the ball or tug and play-train for about 30 more minuites. I know this is not really work but he is telling me that he is not satisfied to just lay around.

Funny side note; once we had a tree fall in the back yard that we cut up. While we were triming it and stacking the branches, he started picking up branches and draging them to the branch pile. We did not direct him to do this. He just took it upon himself to participate in what we were doing. I knew then that he was going to be a great "working" dog.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

Puppies need activity, but you wouldn't do a lot of heavy work or running a young dog. GSDs shouldn't run long distances until age 1 or jump until age 2 according to our vet. Whether I get a young puppy or rescue an older dog, I start training them immediately, based on what is appropriate for their ages. A trained dog is going to be a better pet. Not just obedience, but to wait at a door rather than barreling through it, if you have stairs, not to knock you down while you are walking down the stairs. I also like to teach them to leave items, to watch me, to walk on a loose leash and to sit, lie down. I do all of this on my own, gently, slowly, before we even start obedience. 

Some of my dogs have had jobs, some don't other than to guard our house or play with my children when they were younger. I have one dog now whose job is to sleep most of the day. Another who needs two walks daily, one early, one late afternoon or evening. She also needs busy work in the house. I'm testing her out on rally, advanced obedience and nosework, and will do whatever she seems to enjoy the most. If I don't find things to keep her busy, she finds her own entertainment which often means tearing things up around the house or teasing another dog, so I have to keep her occupied. She also has a lot of down time where she chews on a chewer, sleeps or patrols the yard for wild animals. To her anything is a "wild animal" from a lizard or bird to a neighbor's cat.


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## ZAYDA (Apr 22, 2010)

LuvShepherds said:


> Puppies need activity, but you wouldn't do a lot of heavy work or running a young dog. GSDs shouldn't run long distances until age 1 or jump until age 2 according to our vet. Whether I get a young puppy or rescue an older dog, I start training them immediately, based on what is appropriate for their ages. A trained dog is going to be a better pet. Not just obedience, but to wait at a door rather than barreling through it, if you have stairs, not to knock you down while you are walking down the stairs. I also like to teach them to leave items, to watch me, to walk on a loose leash and to sit, lie down. I do all of this on my own, gently, slowly, before we even start obedience.
> 
> Some of my dogs have had jobs, some don't other than to guard our house or play with my children when they were younger. I have one dog now whose job is to sleep most of the day. Another who needs two walks daily, one early, one late afternoon or evening. She also needs busy work in the house. I'm testing her out on rally, advanced obedience and nosework, and will do whatever she seems to enjoy the most. If I don't find things to keep her busy, she finds her own entertainment which often means tearing things up around the house or teasing another dog, so I have to keep her occupied. She also has a lot of down time where she chews on a chewer, sleeps or patrols the yard for wild animals. To her anything is a "wild animal" from a lizard or bird to a neighbor's cat.


Is this really true no JUMPING until 2 years old.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

ZAYDA said:


> Is this really true no JUMPING until 2 years old.


You should be careful until the growth plates close at least. I do not stop a dog from jumping, because puppies jump. But I do not encourage any jumping, agility/obedience type jumping until they are 18 -24 months old.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

Titles etc. are more for the owner and not the dog. A dog doesn't care what follows their name on a piece of paper. A dog just wants to be with their owner. If working towards titles brings the relationship between the dog and handler closer, then it's a win/win. 

It reminds me of the old debate about a stay at home mom (or father) not having a job. They work just as hard as somebody who is employed. They just don't get a paycheck. 

You don't have to have cows to own horses. You don't have to have mice to own a cat.


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## deldridge72 (Oct 25, 2011)

If the dog is with you, it is happy-whether it's in the house napping, going for hikes or going to dog sport classes etc. I had about 18 shepherds over the last decade with puppies bought and raised-adoptees and fosters-only my first pup did I do a lot of activities with-the six I have now are sleeping, surrounding me, waiting for time to go outside---*but only if I'm going out also* and I do not own a couch potatoe among the pack.


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## NWHeather (Oct 29, 2010)

robk said:


> Funny side note; once we had a tree fall in the back yard that we cut up. While we were triming it and stacking the branches, he started picking up branches and draging them to the branch pile. We did not direct him to do this. He just took it upon himself to participate in what we were doing. I knew then that he was going to be a great "working" dog.


 This is one of the reasons I love this breed.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

Sorry, I should have said no intentional jumping. Puppies jump when they play. So, no hurdles, that sort of thing. I was going to start competitive agility with a club, but they said they won't take a dog into their group until it's over 2 years old, all breeds.


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## Elaine (Sep 10, 2006)

LuvShepherds said:


> I was going to start competitive agility with a club, but they said they won't take a dog into their group until it's over 2 years old, all breeds.


That's insane! I can't imagine waiting that long. Most dogs are already well into excellent level of agility by the time they are two.


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## Elaine (Sep 10, 2006)

ZAYDA said:


> Is this really true no JUMPING until 2 years old.


Absolutely not true. I don't do full height, 24", until around a year of age. Most of the time before that, there's no need to jump full height anyway as it's spent just teaching your dog handling and how to jump. People don't jump their dogs anywhere near enough to cause any sort of problem even if you did jump your dog higher earlier.


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