# Your GSD????



## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

*Hey guys, I was just wondering how you ended up with your first GSD? Did you plan on getting a GSD? Did you find one and he/she became yours? Were you looking to get any dog and saw him/her in a shelter? I think these kinds of stories are interesting and we can learn a little bit more about each other. *


----------



## ch3ckpo1nt (Nov 30, 2009)

My dad talked about getting a GSD ever since I was a kid. He got me wanting one so bad. 15 years later, I finally have Damian!


----------



## atravis (Sep 24, 2008)

Mine was a rescue from the streets. A shop owner was feeding her behind his building, and my grandfather just picked her up and brought her home one day.

I was actually afraid of her at first... now I can't have imagined my life without her.
Lordy how I miss that dog


----------



## JKlatsky (Apr 21, 2007)

DH went to the Humane Society to get another cat, back when we were dating and not living together. He went home with a HW+ 80lb WGSD named Ellie. Prior to that he had English Mastiffs, we were both impressed with the trainability of the GSD. (Although Ellie ended up having some rpetty severe anxiety)

I liked his dog so much that I got Argos. He was my first dog ever. My family didn't have mammals as pets growing up. We wanted a male puppy and after being turned down from all our local purebred rescues because we didn't have a fenced in yard, we went to a local breeder and got Argos. I love that dog. It was such an ordeal to find him that I think it must have been fate. Hard to think it was only 3 years ago, he's changed my life so dramatically.

And now we have 4...


----------



## Vinnie (Sep 4, 2001)

Here's a good thread with lots of answers to a similar question.

http://www.germanshepherds.com/foru...pics/85927-how-did-you-get-involved-gsds.html


----------



## JazzyGirl (May 25, 2009)

As a kid, my mom went to a breeder and got the one I grew up with. Brutus was a fabulous dog.

Jazz, I got from Frederick County Animal Control.

If I ever get another dog, it will be a GSD.


----------



## Vault_101 (Feb 13, 2010)

I left a note under my pillow and the stork brought me Rex in a wicker basket. lol Actually I had been wanting one for 4-5 years but never really intentionally searched for one then one day a breeder had mentioned his on Craigslist (which isn't allowed) and I saw it 5 minutes before it was taken off the site. 

I was skeptical of it being off CL but when I went and saw his dogs I was so impressed I couldn't say no and Rex suprises me everyday with his manners and inteligence.


----------



## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

My parents are breeders... eventually everybody in the family ended up with one.


----------



## ChristenHolden (Jan 16, 2010)

I lost my big Walker **** Hound. Trouble a week before Thanksgiving (RIP). My mom knew I was looking for another big dog. I had looked at rotties, mastiffs, and other large breeds. Then my mom asked me if I liked GSDs I told her of course. She told me some friends of hers had a pair and was gunna breed them. And that they would give me one. The rest is history I bring Uley home the end of april.


----------



## SunCzarina (Nov 24, 2000)

I came home from the hospital as a newborn to the big slobbering kisses of a black sable GSD. There's only a couple of years of my life where I didn't have one - I had a Siamese cat then!


----------



## Rena55 (Mar 5, 2010)

*First GSD*

 I will never forget the day I got my first GSD. My mother, sister, and I were at home about to have dinner and my Dad was at work as a NYC detective. The next thing I knew into our apartment comes my Dad with a large GSD male on a leash. The dog had been wandering around the precinct neighborhood and the cops brought him into the sation house. My father had to get back to work and walked our leaving us to tend to this strange, very large dog. Not only was this my first GSD it was the first dog we ever owned! He was very hungry as he walked into the kitchen and grabbed the entire roast beef off the table and had himself a grand dinner. We named him Duke and he promptly settled in. He quickly became my best friend and slept between my bed and my sister's bed every night. My mother became ill and there were times while she was walking him that she passed out and Duke would not leave her side for anything. The police brought him home once. Sadly my mother became so ill that she was hospitalized for quite awhile and my sister and I were sent away to travel with relatives. When my sister and I returned we found that our Dad had given him away, because he could not properly care for him while working his job. Part of my heart left with Duke. Many years later while trailer camping in Pa. we found a stray black shepherd with tan markings on the side of the road. We named her Lady rescued her, put meat on her bones and loved her. My kids were 8 and 10 at the time. We brought her home but my LL kept telling us that we had to get rid of her. Tried to change her mind but she wouldn't budge. Wound up turning her over to North Shore Animal League. She was so smart and gorgeous that she wound up being adopted within 4 days. This reopened old wounds so I continued owning cats which I had been around since I was born and we owned a Rottweiler, Pitbull, and miniature poodle while my kids were growing up. The Rottie and poodle were at the same time:laugh:. That was a hilarious seen at times! My grandson who lives his parents and us kept asking for a dog, and finally we caved which is how Samantha came into our lives. Then we rescued Zach so she could have a sibling and to make our family complete. This is my story with GSDs. Sorry it was so long but it brought up a lot of memories. This was a good idea for a thread.
Rena


----------



## lcht2 (Jan 8, 2008)

i went out and bought one.


----------



## abby (Mar 13, 2010)

I grew up with my grandparents GSD then we finally got a gsd x collie when i was ten lol cost 15 pounds i then got my boy i have now from battersea dogs home in the uk actually went for a friend to find a dog and came home with kobe and hes been my faithful friend since.


----------



## pigeon man (Feb 17, 2010)

*how i got my gsd*

my daughter had her in n.c. she is in the ARMY and she got deployed to the phillipines after realizing she will always have a chance of being deployed she gave her to us .. she is a 65 lb. bundle of love... we never had a house dog always outside so this is a change but we love the change


----------



## Jessiewessie99 (Mar 6, 2009)

My family & I got Molly, from my sister's friends neighbor whos dogs they didnt get fixed.SO she is from an "oops litter".Tanner we saw at the shelter.He gave us his paw and that did it.lol I have always wanted a German Sheperd, and have always had a thing fro them.We had recently lost our 2 previous dogs, and my dad wanted a bgi dog, my mom wanted a nice medium dog.My had a GSD growing up.So we decided we would get a GSD or Lab.We got a GSD, Molly, then we got her a playmate, which would either be Lab or another GSD.We got Tanner.The 2 are inseperable!

We love them so much! I am for sure going to own a GSD or GSDs in the future!


----------



## StarryNite (Jun 2, 2009)

I was born wanting a GSD for some reason. When I was 'knee high to a grasshopper' I used to tell my parents "mommy and daddy, one day I am going to own a house wayyyy up in the mountains, a pickup truck and 10 German Shepherds!" That was when I lived in the city wayyyy back when I was about 5. 

So now I have the house 9,000 feet up in the rocky mountains (or condo, house coming next) haven't purchased the pickup truck and really don't want one now, more of an SUV person

I finally got my first GSD recently after my mom passed. Was one of those "It's time, I am getting my GSD now!" moments. I used mom's small amount of life insurance money to buy Lulu as well and now I can see why I prophesied that I would have 10! I can easily see myself owning many more to come but not until I am able to. I am working with a GSD rescue right now and if I had the land and proper home for them I would probably try to take every one in I have met so far! 

So who knows, maybe some day my childhood dream may come true! (besides the pickup truck  )


----------



## mjbgsd (Jun 29, 2004)

My first GSD that is personally mine, is Cody. :wub:
I looked at the standard for the GSD in 02'(I was 13) and new that my parents had a GSD named Brandy when I was a baby. I also looked at other breeds like the doberman, pitbull, and malinois, I seemed to be attracted to guard breeds, lol. I seemed to be more attracted to the shepherd and read about them in books, I realized then I was destined to get a shepherd so I looked in the newspaper and found an ad that said GSD puppies. We called her up and took Cody home June 21st 2003. That summer was the best summer ever, it was nice to spend 3 months with Cody before school started, we went to the beach, camping, you name it. Now that I'm almost 21 and he's almost 7, we're still having a blast. He is a wonderful dog and so loyal to me, he loves to snuggle and just do about anything if it envloves me. 
I will be devistated when his time comes....


----------



## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

*We almost didn't get Sinister. When my boyfriend and I decided it was time to get a dog we both had our "perfect dog" in mind. His was a Bulldog mine of course was a GSD, not any GSD, I was looking for a solid black one. My BF didn't even know there was such a thing. Well we both started calling breeders. My BF was getting frustrated because every breeder he called were selling their puppies anywhere between $1,500 to $3,000! Every breeder I called didn't have solid black puppies until........... the last breeder on my list. They had a litter with 2 black puppies (the others were black/tan) I wanted a male and they had a male and female. That's all I needed to hear! We got in the car and the BF kept saying "We are just going to look, we are not going to settle on the first puppy we see, I still want a Bulldog and we are still going to look at them." The whole time I'm thinking "Yeah right, I'm getting a GSD whether you like it or not." Well we drove 2 and a half hours to get to the breeder and took one look at the little black ball of fur and there was no way that I was leaving without him. He came running up to us, licking and dancing around, never once bit us, he knocked over a beer bottle and drank some beer in front of us and then stole a bone from one of the full grown GSD's and I knew he had to be mine. He was 11 weeks old (the breeders wanted to hold on to them for a while and socialize them with all of the other full grown GSD's and with people before giving them away.) He was a complete angel. He never cried at night had only 2 accidents (my fault) never chewed a thing (until 3 months ago when we left him home alone and he decided he hated the carpet and tore some of it up) he is completely my dog, if ever my BF and I break up Sinister stays with me. He is the best dog ever and I cant imagine how I ever lived without him. I cant wait to add another GSD to my family, I will always have one in my life!*


----------



## diana72805 (Mar 15, 2010)

We used to have a rescue - she was a beagle/coonhound mix. Very sweet and loving dog, but we had to move and she couldn't come with us. She now lives with a friend of mine and her dogs. Since finally moved to a place that allows us to have dogs again, hubby and I decided we wanted a puppy again. I was leaning towards a small or medium breed (first choice was a Pug, actually) But the more I researched them, the more I realized they're not for us. I'm not good with noisy snoring and snorting and such. I guess we were thinking that a small breed would be easier, even though we both love big dogs. When we talked about exactly what it was we're looking for we came up with: intelligence, must be GREAT with kids, guarding / protection, loyal, and beauty was a plus. Hm... sounds like a GSD to me! So after extensive research on the breed, we finally found our puppy! 

Now, I couldn't imagine owning any other breed! The only one that comes close for me is an English Mastiff. Maybe some day, in a much bigger house. But we'll definitely get a second GSD once Jaz is older!


----------



## Trina (Sep 11, 2009)

My husband grew up with a German Shepherd named Thor that he used to always talk about. I always had a dog when growing up, and at the time that we met, I had a Norwegian Elkhound named Thora (thought it was a neat similarity.)

Anyway, when the time came for us to get a dog together, my husband had his heart set on a GSD. Me, I love all dogs, so I just went along with it. That's how we came to get our first GSD as a couple, Axel. He was about 7-8 weeks old, a bi-color.

I was so impressed with Axel's intelligence, athleticism, and over all personality, that GSDs have since become my favorite breed (although I still gush over every dog I see, GSD or not .)


----------



## DensterNY (Feb 1, 2010)

I got my first GSD when I was 10 years old while at a flea market in New Jersey. There was a litter of pups in a cardboard box after playing with the pups I picked one up and refused to let her go and was adamant about keeping her. 

$7 later she came home with us and she proved to be the most loving, devoted and caring dog in my life. I've loved the breed since then and am on my 3rd and will try to have shepherds around until the day I die.

On a slightly creepy note, I have instructions to have my dog's urns buried with me when I pass.


----------



## StryderPup (May 16, 2009)

I have always admired German Shepherds, even when I was younger. Several months after moving in to our new home we had some trouble with some neighborhood kiddos and my husband said " That is it, I am getting a German Shepherd" I said "NO! They are too protective and I don't want that. Well he talked me into it and he sent me to go and "look" at this little GSD puppy. He wanted to make sure it wasn't at a puppy mill and that it was healthy. Well I made an appointment to go and look at him, and well he came home with me and slept next to me the first night  He has been attached to my butt ever since


----------



## Dainerra (Nov 14, 2003)

DH grew up with shepherds; I had never owned one. Rayden was purchased as "his" dog, but he's been a mama's boy since the day he arrived. Then a few months ago came Freya. She's a rescue and also a total mama's girl. Technically, my first GSD lol


----------



## tatiana (Feb 3, 2010)

I was 22 years old, on my own, and had always dreamed of having a GSD. I used to buy books about them and study the photographs and read all about them every chance I got. 

Unfortunately, money was also an issue at that time, but I finally found someone on a farm with puppies. I paid $25 for her (1973). She was full of fleas and worms, but we got past all that. She was my life. I came home every day at lunch to share a peanut butter & jelly sandwich with her. Yeah, I know, but I didn't know any better all those years ago. We were as bonded as twins and together all the time.

She went with me EVERYWHERE except to work. She stayed in the car when I grocery shopped, went to the mall, visited friends, etc. She'd sleep in the drivers seat with her nose resting through the spokes of the steering wheel, guarding the car. When I got a convertible she was in her glory. We'd drive a 100 miles on Sundays, just enjoying the wind. 

I have an entire "baby album" of her photos, and still cry to this day when I look at them. I've never been without a GSD since 1973 except for mourning periods in between dogs. She will always have a very special place in my heart, and was the reason I fell in love with the breed.


----------



## tatiana (Feb 3, 2010)

DensterNY said:


> On a slightly creepy note, I have instructions to have my dog's urns buried with me when I pass.


Actually, I don't find that creepy at all. I have instructions to have all my dogs photographs buried with me.


----------



## mandelyn (Mar 23, 2007)

I'm a 2nd generation Shepherd owner and have started doing rescue work for the breed too. Which FYI gets expensive, Logan needs a hip replacement to get a decent life. Between him and Ricca, I've spent enough at the vet to get one heck of a pup. Bastian, he's the healthiest Shepherd I've ever had.

Ricca came first, when I was living in Germany. She had passed through some 5 homes in a little over a week through no fault of her own. (though she is a little nuts and a lot of dog to handle). She was brought to me to look over, I fell in love instantly. Tracked down her original buyers and the breeder, signed some paperwork, and have had her ever since. She has a giant personality, sweet to her people, though she's not lacking as a guard dog. With her being the way she is, I could never rehome her, ever. I feel like I need to protect her. 

Logan too, who else is going to pay for his hip surgery? He's just an average BYB rescue, but he's so sweet and good natured, even after surviving all he's been through.

Bastian, great dog. Can't say enough good things about him. 

Though I am looking forward to the day when I can select my own pup and start from 8 weeks old with a clean slate.


----------



## heather122 (Nov 6, 2009)

I grew up with a rhodesian ridgeback... She was my dad's and my grandparents also had one. By age 5ish, I wanted a dog of my own. Saw a GSD in a dog book, thought it was pretty. Mom and Dad got me my own GSD mix. He had all the markings of a GSD, but his ears didn't stand up and he was vertically challenged. 

He had to be put down when I was 18... A year passed, along came Dixie (GSD/collie mix). Moved into my own place. "Sister" still lives with mom. Husband moved in with me with not-so-bright, but lovable min-pin. Min pin runs into street at night and had to be buried. Couldnt stand the quiet house, so I made the jump and got my purebred Sadie. Would not trade her for anything! Even bought new car to accomodate to her!


----------



## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

Our first GSD was our "family pet" and my parents did a lot of research before finding our breeder. I was only a kid (maybe 10 years old) so I didn't have any say in the matter, although I did pick out our second dog (another GSD and our current "family pet" Beau).

Beau, who is 13 years old came from the same breeder as our first dog after she passed at a young age by saving my Dad. The breeder had just bred my previous dogs parents one last time before retiring both and we were able to have been the first on the waiting list. My family wanted the smaller puppy when it was time to bring them home but I and the breeder were focused on another who ultimently ended up being my baby girl Beau. 

As for Stark, he's *my* first dog and I researched for almost 4 years before purchasing him from my breeder. 

I was still completing my undergraduate degree and wanted to wait until I was in graduate school before making the committment to a puppy. Worked out great.


----------



## robinhuerta (Apr 21, 2007)

When we moved from California to Illinois...I was 6yrs old. Our neighbor ( a K9 Officer), had his GSD partner living with him. The officer became a very close friend of our family, and my first GSD (solid black) was given to me, from our neighbor.
Since then.....more dogs, numerous breeds and mixes....but a "special" place in my heart for the GSD breed.


----------



## diana72805 (Mar 15, 2010)

We had been talking about getting a dog for some time. A friend of mine just brought home a pit puppy when we were visiting one day. At that point, we decided that we simply could not wait any longer. At first, (even though we're both large breed people) we were thinking of something smaller. Not quite the yappy breeds, but maybe a pug. After alot of consideration of WHAT we were looking for in a dog, nothing quite compared to a GSD. Our search began, and we ran across an ad of someone who just got a puppy from a "breeder" but the kids in the house were allergic. (we came to find out much later that Jaz was not from one of the breeder's litters, but a litter that a friend of the breeder had) Needless to say, with his temperament, we didn't really care whether or not he was from a breeder or not... he's a wonderful dog. 

Tarja came to us about a year later. We talked about getting a second GSD, but thought it wouldn't be until Jaz was about 2 (he's 1 now) I was searching craigslist for nothing in particular and ran across a posting of GSD puppies seeking homes. Called DH hoping that he would talk some sense into me, but instead he yelled "CALL THEM!" And here we are now


----------



## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

When we bought this place with lots of property out in the woods I wanted a large dog again. A guy that worked for my husband raised gsds primarily for fire and police depts. His best female, Cheyenne, was an arson sniffing dog and the guy had saved the best one out for himself because she was so much like her mom and a great prospect. He came to work one day with the pup and gave her to me! Omy was the best dog that ever lived, a totally natural, throw- back kind of dog, lived on pure instinct although she humored me and went all through obedience classes. She was black and silver, queen of the neighborhood and rarely let anyone touch her outside of the family, but when she did accept a friend she covered them with kisses- such a great kisser. She died just before her 12th birthday, her ashes are in an urn just over my shoulder right now. I miss her desperately


----------



## JudynRich (Apr 16, 2010)

My sister-in-law was a breeder and she had been bugging us for years to take one of her pups...free, I was always against it! In 1994 she finally talked us into it and I still had reservations, in fact, my 10 yr old daughter took over puppy duty. In no time though Susie ended up being "my" dog, and she could learning anything in 5 minutes. I fell in love with the breed and we are now on our second set.


----------



## Kris10 (Aug 26, 2010)

I grew up with a GSD-Bruno. From when I was a baby until my early teens. Incredible dog! My husband grew up with a Scottie and my "step dog" Ally is a 13 y.o. Scottie that he had when we met. But...he always wanted a GSD named Max...so...
Now he agrees that we will always have a GSD. I knew my husband was my soulmate We didn't really even talk about it---we just looked at breeders online and chose our pup and brought him home.


----------



## PDXDeutschhund (Sep 22, 2010)

Well, we got our first GSD on Saturday 

I have actually wanted a GSD for many years now. I've always liked the breed because of its intelligence and overall quality, and that was before I did any of the research that has led me here today. About five years ago I started looking around, but I didn't know anything and the only breeders I looked at were BYB. I was 23 or 24 at the time and I came VERY close to picking one up, but I decided the time wasn't right, I wasn't sure what my future was going to hold, and I didn't want to get a dog until I knew I was ready.

Well, I'm 29 now. I'm engaged to the love of my life. We've been together for 2 years this month. We had talked about getting a dog before, but we decided to wait. We finally moved in together (officially) in August, and we felt that now was a good time. Now we have Dutch and we couldn't be happier!


----------



## Kris10 (Aug 26, 2010)

Aww PDX - great story! Very wise that at 23 y.o. you knew that the time wasn't right and that you needed to wait (as hard as it is!).


----------



## Greydusk (Mar 26, 2010)

I previously had Border Collies, and while I would LOVE to have another Border, I know that at this stage of my life I wouldn't be able to keep one (if you thought GSD's were high energy, Border's are on a whole 'nother planet. But I wanted a herding dog, I love their drive and intelligence. So I just typed in Shepherd on the Petfinder website and this silver sable GSD Hagan popped up. I talked with his foster mom and he was the perfect fit, a few days later I adopted him. 

Here's his petfinder page...I like to look at it every now and again so I saved it in my favorites. 

Petfinder Adopted Dog | German Shepherd Dog | Seligman, AZ | Hagan


----------



## Whiteshepherds (Aug 21, 2010)

We had one when I was a kid but as an adult, we left town for a few days to attend a funeral and when we got back home my son surprised us with a puppy. Of course it was supposed to be "his" dog but between him going to work and college she was spending most of her time with me.

When Dakota was about 8 months old my son bought a condo. He moved out and Dakota stayed with us. It was all good, at that point I think I would have put up a fight if he had taken her.


----------



## PDXDeutschhund (Sep 22, 2010)

Kris10 said:


> Aww PDX - great story! Very wise that at 23 y.o. you knew that the time wasn't right and that you needed to wait (as hard as it is!).


Thanks. Sometimes, no matter how badly you want something, you know it's just not the right time.


----------



## bianca (Mar 28, 2010)

Growing up my neighbours had one, then my first dog as an adult was from the pound and she was a GSD x Corgi of all things (looked mostly like a small shep). Then I fostered a police/bomb detector GSD for a while when they had surplus. So after grieving for 6 years I knew when I was ready to have another furry friend it would be my Molly


----------



## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

This is my first GSD. We were going to get a small dog, a rescue. Our last dog was a mutt, the size of a GSD and we said no more puppies, no more big dogs. Then time passed and my wife saw a GSD that impressed her and we had gotten a rescue that didn't work out. So we decided to start over with a puppy and found a GSD breeder and got lucky. We are sooooooooooo happy to have found Abby.


----------



## vat (Jul 23, 2010)

My hubby grew up with a GSD named Rebel, his dad was military and Rebel even went to Vietnam with the family. So when we had our first house he said he wanted a GSD. I always had mixed breeds and only knew a few GSD that were kept in the backyard. So I got my hands on every book I could find to learn all about them. We got Kaycee and I have never looked back. We are now dedicated to the breed.


----------



## DCluver33 (May 27, 2010)

This is my first GSD. When I was little my grandparents had a German Shepherd/Australian Shepherd mix, he was the best dog from what I can remember. My mom and were 'looking' for a third dog so my 12 year old won't freak out as much when my 17 year old goes to doggie heaven. We were going to catch a movie with my aunt and while we here waiting for her we walked by PETCO and there was a rescue there that had some dogs and in the last crate was my Dodger just sitting there ignoring the other barking dogs the lady came over and asked if we wanted to take him out and see him, my mom declined I begged she finally agreed to take him out on a walk and he was great he didn't pull walked well on a leash. My mom wasn't sure if we could handle a third dog so we asked about fostering him for a week to see how it would work out, by the second day we were hooked and we officially adopted him Dec 5, 2009. The day we had to bury my grandpa. I will probably have a GSD in my life next to my Golden that i've wanted ever since I can remember


----------



## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

Shortly after my boyfriend(hubby now) and i moved in together after i graduated high school, i said i wanted a dog. I'd grown up hearing how much my dad always wanted a GSD and i loved going to Spring Spree and watching the police K9 demonstrations. And my parents had never been one to keep a dog more than a few months. I grew up with cats but have always been an animal lover. Well we were going through the humane society and came across Riley a GSD/border collie X. He was 5 months old. We met him and signed all the paperwork and he's been with us for the last 5 years. Then about a year later, we moved into a bigger apartment and Riley had been living with my inlaws for the last year because of a dispute with our previous apartment complex. When we were finally able to bring him back with us, he'd been used to being around another dog. When he was an only dog again, he stopped eating, stopped going potty outside.... when he took him to my inlaws for a visit he was the happiest dog ever. We decided to get another dog. I was determined to get a PB GSD but didnt hold out much hope. So back to the humane society and we came across Zena. Met her. Typical standoffish attitude. Fell in love with her and she went home with us. I'm doing everything i can to get her back. She's my girl. Now we have Riley, Zena (at home with my inlaws for a while), Shelby and Shasta. Riley is the only one who isnt a PB but he sure looks like it! cant wait to someday have my solid black GSD


----------



## XTOL (Jun 9, 2010)

My first GSD was a male named Mikey. He is now
deceased having succumbed to cancer at the age of 13.

How I got him is a rather long complex story so I
will just relate the short version here.

I became unemployed in 1996 and broke up with
my girlfriend shortly afterward. I was rather depressed
and spent a lot of time doing absolutely nothing.
I started thinking about getting a dog for something
to do and for the companionship. I have had other dogs
in the past but hadnt had one for quite a while. I had
always had a thing for GSDs since I was quite small so
I started asking around. The cost factor kept me from
actually getting one at this point due to unemployment.

Fast forward to November 1997. Right after
Thanksgiving. Im sitting in my parents living room and
look out the door and see a German Shepherd standing
in the yard. I go to the door and whistle at him and
he runs right up to me and comes right inside the house.
He has no collar or no tags and is soaking wet and muddy.
I take him downstairs and clean him up and then found him
something to eat. Then he wanted back out so I let him
out and he took off.

Two days later he returns. Again wet and muddy.
Its almost dark and snowing lightly. I clean him
up again and feed him and he ends up spending the
night sleeping in my room. He takes off the next morning.

This went on for a couple of weeks until I made a
few inquiries around the neighborhood and found out
who he belonged to. They lived almost 4 miles away.
I contacted them to let them know where their dog had
been spending the night. I could tell they couldnt care
less.

They did come by and pick him up only to have him
return to me the next day. When I called them the guy
said "If you want the stupid SOB you can have him.
He is an idiot and worthless".

Turns out Mikey had became an escape artist. He learned
to slip out of his collar and climb a chain link fence.
His owner had wanted a GSD for a guard dog. Wanted
a dog to bark and be mean to keep people away. Mikey
was anything but mean. He loved people...anybody.
Except for his owner who was mean to him to try to
get him to bark at people.

Mikey became my best friend and constant companion
for the next 12 years. He came to me just when I needed
someone. He pretty much found and adopted me rather
than the other way around. It always amazed me how
he came to be in our yard that first day. He escaped
from his owners and traveled almost 4 miles to find me.
I always wonder what it was that guided him this way...

I miss that dog...

Here is the last photo I took of him. It was late last
fall. He died the following spring...


----------



## DharmasMom (Jul 4, 2010)

My parents got my first gsd a couple of years before I was born. I grew up with this dog until I was about 8 or so when they had to have her PTS for heartworms. She was the smartest dog I have ever seen and my dad had gotten her from the SPCA. She used to open the back door when she wanted to go outside. She would turn the water spigot on outside if she was thirsty and if she wanted to leave the back yard, well, she would just open the gate and walk out. The amazing thing was when she got out, she never left the yard. She would walk around to the front porch and lay down and just survey the neighborhood. Apparently one day she was laying on the front porch minding her own business when AC caught one of my neighbors dogs and returned him to them. The officer then proceeded to tell my neighbor that he was waiting for "that shepherd" to leave our yard and then he was going to "get her". Well when my mother found this out she went ballistic and called their office and went off. Her words exactly- "You better make d*&% sure my dog is not on my property if you grab her." It never happened. The only time Princess left the yard was when my brother was 2 and he got out the front door when my mom wasn't looking. Princess followed him and stayed right by his side. Even when our neighbor saw him and tried to approach, Princess snarled and growled at her. The neighbor had to call my mom to come get both of them because Princess wasn't going to let her close.

She loved all children. She would watch from the porch while we played in the front yard. Any time a parent wanted to come collect their kid they had to call my parents first. Princess wouldn't allow any adult in the yard when we kids were playing, except my parents. 

She started my love for gsds and I couldn't wait until I could have one of my very own. Within a year of building my house, I put up a 6 foot privacy fence and got my very first dog, Dharma.


----------



## acillaton (Jun 17, 2010)

I grew up in small village in Slovakia and as a kid I always wanted German shepherd. Back there we knew there is only two dog breeds:
first breed was: German Shepherd
second breed was: rest of them :wild:
I bought my first GSD (Nero) when I was 12 years old... and payed for him with my own money I earned during summer helping at nearby farm.


----------



## shannonrae (Sep 9, 2010)

DensterNY said:


> On a slightly creepy note, I have instructions to have my dog's urns buried with me when I pass.


Not creepy, I have similar plans. Once a dog is mine it stays with me FOREVER. There is something about leaving the remains that really bothers me.


----------



## mainegsd (Sep 16, 2010)

My husband grew up with a GSD, and i had promised him a "barking box" under the tree for our first Christmas after we bought our first house (17 yrs. ago). I brought "Riggs" home the day after Thanksgiving and got hooked on the GSD! He was a fabulous dog and a joy to train ( I miss him every day). I am now on my fourth GSD and can't imagine ever having a different breed....


----------



## Washu (Apr 20, 2007)

When I was in highschool (8 years ago) my mom and stepdad wanted a dog. Stepdad wanted a GSD, I wanted a lap dog, and my mom wanted an Australian Shepherd.' But Stepdad got his way, and we got Dooku. 3 years later mom and stepdad divorced, and we kept Dooku. About a year after I moved out, my mom moved to an apartment and couldn't keep Dooku, so I got her (even though I was also living in an apartment that didn't allow GSDs). I'm glad I did, she's a wonderful dog.


----------



## Melina (Feb 20, 2010)

Here's Koda's story:


I got Koda free from Craigslist. I had always had my heart set on getting a Shepherd, so when the time was right, I went looking. The ad I found said the lady picked him up as a stray, had searched for the owner for a couple weeks to no avail, and it was time to find him a new home. I inquired, went over to see him (He was sweet, seemingly well behaved), and brought him home.

At first, I wasn't even sure he was a GSD. I was only familiar with the typical Black and Tan American Shepherds that you see in books and magazines. He didn't look anything like them, but he still looked Shepherd-esque to me. For a couple weeks I was convinced there was something other than Shepherd in him, but I was already in love with him. I wasn't going to give him up just because there was a possibility he wasn't "purebred". He has an amazing personality, he's sweet, he's gorgeous.

I did get curious, however, as to what his "mix" might be, so I came here, to you guys. After posting a bunch of pictures and a video of him in my very first thread, you guys all told me he was nothing but a German Shepherd, haha. I felt like an idiot.  Since then I've learned a lot about the different lines and looks. Honestly, if I were to do it all over again with the knowledge I have now. I would seek out a Shepherd that looks just like Koda...A Sable Long Stock Coat. He's just gorgeous!

Shortly after getting him I went to get him his shots and they asked if I would like to do a Heartworm test on him at that time. I said "Sure, why not". I'm _so_ glad I did that. He came back positive. It scared the heck out of me because I had never dealt with it before. Long story short, he's been treated and no longer has it. He gets his monthly Heartgard and will never have it again, nor will Riley as she gets Interceptor now (She never used to, but I realized the reality of Heartworm). Since eradicating the Heartworm, Koda's energy level has skyrocketed, it's amazing. Before, I'd throw the ball in the yard 3-4 times, then he'd lay down and pant, just done. Now he leaps and bounds down the hallway anytime I get near the garage where the leashes are kept, hoping for a walk. He gets a horribly sad look on his face if it's not walk time, however, haha. When it is, though, he acts like he's never been on a walk in his life! I make him sit, attach the leash, and he runs around like a darn fool heading towards the front door.

_Oh man, Mom..A walk?!! We're going on a walk!! Hooooooooly crap! You've never taken me on one of these before! Let me run around for a second and nearly knock some stuff over on the way to the front door first! Okay, at the front door! I think maybe I'll try to jump on you even though I know better!! Wait, wait, I need to get the goofiest, happiest expression on my face before I sit nicely to be let out on our walk! I'm ssssoooooooo excited right now!!_

I think that's what's going through his head anyway. This happens every morning and every evening when we go on a walk. I love my Koda.


----------



## paulag1955 (Jun 29, 2010)

I was trolling newspaper ads for a lab puppy and saw this.










So, yeah, who could have resisted that?


----------



## mssandslinger (Sep 21, 2010)

i always wanted a GSD and on my birthday my boyfriend found an ad for WGSD and he surprised me by taking me to pick one up!


----------



## Melina (Feb 20, 2010)

paulag1955 said:


> I was trolling newspaper ads for a lab puppy and saw this.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I think that's what Koda would have looked like as a pup.  I would have loved to see him as a pup!


----------



## VChurch (Jun 14, 2010)

I've wanted a GSD since I was about 5 -- they've been my favorite dog forever. I wanted to get one a few years ago but then Sobacca walked into our garage so I held off a few more years to get a GSD.


----------



## Zoeys mom (Jan 23, 2010)

Zoe picked us I would have never chosen her- I'm a male dog person. My neighbor who is also my bf intentionally bred her GSD's last year hoping for one liter. I was there helping the night Zoe was born and there every day after cleaning poo, weighing pups, clipping nails, and socializing them- BUT I WAS NOT INTERESTED IN A PUPPY!!!

Zoe would come right to me when I came in the door and whine and bark if I didn't get back to the whelping box fast enough. I thought she was precious but again I'm not a female dog person and wasn't interested in having another puppy. 6 weeks came and went and potential buyers began to come and meet the puppies one by one. Zoe had an interesting coat as a pup and was a huge hit.....but she would flee the arms of visitors and run to me instead. I started not coming buy as not to prevent her from being sold, but even then she would sit in the corner while all the other pups ran to the new people to say hi. So finally my neighbor handed her to me one day and said this is YOUR dog, she always has been , and apparently your her person. She was 10 weeks old when I snuck her in and even the DH couldn't say know. She is still a mamma's girl and will be one next month....time has really flown with her


----------



## King&Skylar (Jun 3, 2010)

my mom has a dog boarding kennel, and she had a shepherd there, the owner had to move away so we took King 
Then, 6 years later, I wanted one, too! So I decided to get a puppy from a breeder, and after 1 1/2 yrs of research I got Skylar. :wub:


----------



## shadow mum (Apr 8, 2008)

I had always been terrified of GSD's from the time I was 12. I had been attacked by a pack of 3 running wild.

When I got married, I had a peke-a-poo and a westie-poo. My DH had always wanted a hound, and we saw an ad saying there was one at the local shelter. My DH and I went down, just to look. There was no hound, but there was a small black bundle of fur laying in an outdoor run. We were told he was a shep/rott. The dog looked at my DH, my DH looked at the dog, and I swear, I saw a bolt of electricity pass between them. Needless to say, he came home with us.

It took me a long time to become used to Smoke, but he stole his way into my heart. Smoke was with us for 10 yrs, until he suddenly passed 2 yrs ago. He was an amazing dog, who totally changed my view of what a GSD was. There was no question when it came time for another, what breed to get.

RIP Smokie Joe, mum misses you each day.


----------



## kidkhmer (Jul 14, 2010)

I got Karma 4.5 weeks ago. She was the result of two rescued GSDs that came out of Vietnam and was an ooops / BYB pup. I was actually on the look out for a Khmer farm mutt but when I heard there were three GSD pups ( still inside mum ) to choose from something inside me clicked and I thought " yeah....GSDs.....I like em !". I had been recently exposed to a male pup that a friend of mine had here in Cambodia ( Banjo is now back in California ) and I thought he was a **** of a dog. So I went for it and thus far......*.AWESOME*.


----------



## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

I have wanted a GSD since grade school when the local police department visited our school with their police dog "Bullet". I have admired them since then. I grew up with rescue dogs-never a GSD.

This year we were FINALLY in a good position with time, property, etc. to get our first dog-of course it was a GSD.

I know now-I will NEVER be without one-the best breed I have ever been around


----------



## Klamari (Aug 6, 2010)

I grew up with a GSD from age 0-7. Haven't had one in my immediate family since then, but at least two people in my extended family have always had GSDs. 

Now that I'm graduating from college, going to be moving out of my parents house soon, single right now so probably living alone. I knew I wanted a big dog for a companion as also as protection (even if she was just a visual deterrent). 

I researched many different breeds for probably 6 months. I thought I wanted a dobermann, then a boxer, a Mals or Dutch Shepherd. But I just kept coming back the the GSD. The only thing that turned me off from them was the hips and the hair. Well, finding a good breeder would help with getting good hips. And really, hair in my house would be a small price to pay for getting the best dog I can get. 

So now I'm here. I found so much information on so many good breeders on this site and others. I am completely confident I made the right choice. Now, hopefully less than 6 months away from getting my pup.


----------



## DougnLuna (Apr 3, 2021)

LaRen616 said:


> *Hey guys, I was just wondering how you ended up with your first GSD? Did you plan on getting a GSD? Did you find one and he/she became yours? Were you looking to get any dog and saw him/her in a shelter? I think these kinds of stories are interesting and we can learn a little bit more about each other. *


He found Me. I was playing basketball in my yard when he walked up . He barked at me once and sat down. he was either lost or abandoned. we never found his original owners and he adopted me as his human.. he lived with the family, (parents, brother) but stuck to me. and that was 40 something years ago. Unfortunately our time together was too short. he was a fantastic dog.


----------



## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

11 year old thread


----------



## DougnLuna (Apr 3, 2021)

dogma13 said:


> 11 year old thread


lol , so it is! oh well, the question is timeless...


----------



## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

I have no idea why I always wanted a GSD, I just did. We had several dogs as kids, none were German Shepherds (one Samoyed/GSD cross) and I don't remember particularly any one on TV or in the neighborhood although an RCMP guy up the street had a GSD/wolf cross that we were all wary of.

Bought my first GSD when I was 16, on my 6th one now and I can never see another breed for me. Nothing comes close.


----------



## Cigar (Feb 19, 2021)

I'm an animal lover, raised in circumstances where no animals were in my life. As an adult, I always had cats, and when I had my own family, had several dogs but they were small. Spring of 2020, & I'm living alone & COVID hit. My little 10# dog had died the previous year. So, I started browsing online. 
I saw a photo of a smallish pitbull with a huge, winning smile and I called about him, but was spoken for already. The girl on the phone told me about this GSD that was having a very hard time at the shelter. Her name was Luna, and she was on sedatives and an anti-depressant from the stress of shelter life. She had come in with a bite warning, but the girl told me that was not really accurate, (it was redirection during a dog fight in her 2d home), and she was very much wanting to bond with and shadow, a person. 
She had been there awhile due to a strange lesion on one leg which was operated on twice & was slow to heal. 
I couldn't interact with her due to COVID, so I had an online visit which really didn't tell me much, except she looked OK to me. I decided to just take a leap of faith and deal with all the unknowns that came with her.
I was encouraged by the feeling I got, that the shelter staff thought she was a good dog for the right type of home (mine fit her requirements). 
It has, and is, working out great.


----------



## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

I've always loved animals, but couldn't have a pet when I lived at home, due to my brother's allergies. 

Eventually, of course, I moved out on my own. I was living in a high rise apartment building when I went to visit my uncle, who was a dairy farmer. There was this poor, pathetic bag of bones lying underneath his kitchen table. She looked to be a pure bred German shepherd.

"Do you want a dog?" he asked me. 

"I live in an apartment building, Uncle Leonard," I said. "They won't let me have pets. Where did she come from?"

He explained she had belonged to a neighbour of his who had gone into a nursing home, and though he'd promised to look after the dog, he really didn't want her, because she wasn't a good farm dog.

"She's scared of the cows," he said, "and she won't even kill a groundhog."

"We had this old tramp come by the house, looking for a handout," my aunt put in, "so we turned her outside, hoping she'd chase him away. When we looked outside, he was sitting on our garden bench, and she had her head in his lap!"

"How come she's so skinny?" I asked.

"Well after Joe went into the home, a neighbour took her. But he had two dogs already, and they hogged all the food. He decided the dogs were too expensive to keep, so he took them out back and shot them, and asked us if we wanted to take her. But she doesn't seem to want to eat - we don't know why."

The dog was so very thin, I was afraid she was going to die. I talked to a friend of mine, who lived in an apartment, and had a GSD.

"Look," he said,, "they really can't complain unless the dog bites someone, or barks all the time. If I were you, I'd give it a try!"

The next weekend was our annual family reunion. I told my uncle I wanted to come to his farm after they left, as I wanted to talk to him.

:"This is about the dog, right?" he said. 

So, that's how Lassie came home to live with me. I couldn't stand the name, so I changed it to Lili Marlene, after the old WWII song. 

The first thing I did was take her to the vet. He was shocked at how thin she was. "She weighs only 35 pounds," he told me. "I'm not sure she's going to live. I think she may have some sort of chronic disease, like Epi."

"The food they gave me for her was crawling with worms." I told him. "Let me get some good food into her, and see what happens."

He agreed, and I took her home. Once she knew someone loved and cared for her, she began to eat, and eventually, I got her up to a normal weight for her height, about 70 lbs.

After a couple of weeks, I took her back to visit my aunt and uncle. The visit went fine until I decided to go out to the barn to help with the chores. Lili refused to come with me.

When my aunt came out to the barn, she said she thought she'd taken off to her former home, which was the next farm over. 

I ran down the laneway, calling and calling. No dog, nor could I see here in the nearby fields. Finally, I decided the best thing to do was to drive my car over to her former home, and see if I could find her.

As I approached my car, I saw I'd left the driver's side window down, and was angry at myself, for now the car was sure to be full of flies. 

Then I looked in the back seat. There was Lili, curled up, and waiting for me! I knew then she'd decided who she belonged to, and where her home was going to be!


----------



## Rabidwolfie (Apr 9, 2021)

I had my first encounter with a GSD as a kid. Dad brought her home one day. I don't remember for sure how old she was but probably 2-3 years old at most. Where she came from I don't know. If anyone told me I was too young to remember.
She was, I hate to say, a HORRIBLE dog. She jumped on us, clawed, bit, refused to stay in the yard, tore up anything and everything she could get ahold of, and was very neurotic and hard to train. He got rid of her after a few years.

Thankfully, that experience did not sour my opinion on them into adulthood, because I rescued a few and loved them, although they had their issues to be dealt with.

My current boy I got because my father bred white Shepherds and I had recently lost my last pup (he lived up to 21 years old, 15 of which were spent with me) and Bella was set to have her final litter. I helped take care of the pregnant mamma and assisted with the birthing. I helped raise them, cleaning, weening, etc. As he got older, I'd bring him home for the night and return him to his litter in the morning until he was about 10 weeks, then he came home with me permanently.
He's been mine literally since he was born. If I'm lucky, he'll live as long as my last pupper too.


----------



## EllZuni (May 31, 2019)

I had loved gsds for the longest time and begged my parents to have one. After so many years, we researched breeders (which took like two years) before finally contacting one. A few days before my fifteenth birthday we got my girl!


----------



## Rob_Drifter (Apr 11, 2021)

When I was a little boy I was afraid of German Shepherds but as I grew older I knew I had to have one. Once me and my wife and kids moved into a big single family home with a backyard last year I knew it was time. I contacted several breeders in the area and scheduled a visit with one. Then, the next day my son was diagnosed with cancer and we never made it to the breeder.

After about 6-7 months of chemo my son was doing great and my wife was working from home due to my son's cancer. I contacted a breeder an hour away and put a deposit on a puppy. Then a week and a half ago we brought Annie home and it she is better than we ever could have expected! I'm staying with this breed for life!


----------



## Cat Mom Adopts German Boy (Jan 4, 2021)

After moving to a secluded location with a little acreage my husband and I decided a dog would be a great addition to our family. A friend of my husband's dad had an unexpected litter of GSDs and December 31st 2020 we picked up our Bear. He is almost 6 months now and I can't imagine life without him.


----------



## faith5 (Dec 2, 2015)

I was always afraid of dogs. I never had one growing up, and the ones I'd met were full of teeth and always jumping. In my late 20s I decided I wanted to get over that fear. I thought that puppies were less terrifying, and maybe if I got one I would get used to it and not be afraid of it when it was grown. 

Before I'd quite decided, my cousin's wife's sister's neighbor's GSD had an unintended litter with a nearby GSD. My cousin was going to get a free puppy and asked if I wanted to come get one, too. I had to decide right away. I almost turned him down because it seemed like such a big step and I wasn't certain yet. My brother said, "You're overthinking this. It's just a puppy--it's not a human child. If you don't like it, you can rehome it."

So I went and picked out a smaller puppy who was sitting near the fence & focused intently on the people while the other pups tumbled around in a playful heap. That night, I had no crate for her so I put her in the bathroom and shut the door. Needless to say, she cried the house down and I wound up on the floor of the bathroom beside her all night.

It sounds like a recipe for disaster: first-time dog owner with absolutely no experience, knowing nothing about dogs in general or German Shepherds as a breed, uncertain even whether to get a puppy, without even the basic puppy necessities at home.

The next day I spent online, learning all I could about German Shepherds. I bought a crate for her. All they had was the XXL size, big enough for me to sit in and still plenty of room for her--so I sat with her in her crate to teach her it was a good place to be. I bought a puppy book and followed it as closely as I could. My office was in a basement, away from other employees, and my boss was the cousin who also got a puppy; he let me bring her to work as long as she didn't bother other people.

She became my constant companion. We learned together. She took care of me and I took care of her. When she was a couple years old, I had someone ask whether I would train their dogs for them because mine was so well behaved and theirs were terrors. I had to laugh -- I didn't know anything about training except just keep the dog with you all the time and don't let it get away with misbehavior.

She was excellent at sizing up a situation and knowing what her role would be. Once she happened upon another cousin of mine while he was stalking a deer. He was afraid she would spoil everything by barking and chasing the deer, but somehow she knew just what to do--even though she'd never been hunting. She followed his lead and stayed quiet and circled around in the right direction, then crouched silently behind a blind until he gave the signal for her to move forward. When I moved into my little cabin in the woods, she became a snake-hunter. She would find them and "tree" them and keep them in one place while barking for me to come. I only shot the rattlers or copperheads; at first I was afraid she would get between the rifle and the snake, but when took aim she always positioned herself right by my side and never moved until I'd taken the shot. Oh, the adventures we had and the stories we made!


----------



## Rob_Drifter (Apr 11, 2021)

Tha


faith5 said:


> I was always afraid of dogs. I never had one growing up, and the ones I'd met were full of teeth and always jumping. In my late 20s I decided I wanted to get over that fear. I thought that puppies were less terrifying, and maybe if I got one I would get used to it and not be afraid of it when it was grown.
> 
> Before I'd quite decided, my cousin's wife's sister's neighbor's GSD had an unintended litter with a nearby GSD. My cousin was going to get a free puppy and asked if I wanted to come get one, too. I had to decide right away. I almost turned him down because it seemed like such a big step and I wasn't certain yet. My brother said, "You're overthinking this. It's just a puppy--it's not a human child. If you don't like it, you can rehome it."
> 
> ...


That's a great story


----------



## Cigar (Feb 19, 2021)

I'm sharing this vid from YT, because it is so similar to my experiences with my Maggie May. 
living with/training an adult GSD rescue


----------

