# German Shepherd Recommendations



## grmnshprd (Mar 29, 2021)

Hello German Shepherd Lovers!

I am considering getting a German Shepherd puppy and have been doing some breed research recently. I am looking into getting a German Shepherd mainly for protection purposes but also as a companion dog. I would love it if the German Shepherd is friendly to family/friends but more wary of strangers and would warn me if there are any intruders in the house.

I understand that there are five different types of German Shepherds (West German show lines, West German working line, East German working line, Czech line, and American/Canadian show line). From what I’ve read, some of the lines require more exercise and mental stimulation than others. I personally find the West German show lines to be the most attractive but I am trying to see if it would be a good fit for me or if there is a “better fit” (if any) out of the five different types for me. I currently walk my dog 30 minutes each day and hike for 2-3 hours about twice a month… but if the German Shepherd requires more exercise, I can probably walk an hour each day and hike once a week for 2-3 hours at a time. Although this is a last resort, I may even consider getting a treadmill for the German Shepherd to work out if one hour a day and 2-3 hours each weekend is not enough.

I have experience training my mixed Miniature Schnauzer dog, but I plan on bringing the German Shepherd puppy to at least obedience training (I may continue to bring it to advanced training classes if I see the need). I will also be investing in dog puzzles so that they get a brain workout.

I want to be responsible and be certain that I could handle this breed before getting one to prevent from any sort of heartbreak for the dog and I. Thank you for reading this long text! Really- any help or recommendation would be greatly appreciated. 😊 To sum it up, here are three questions:

1) How much do you exercise your dog? Which type of GSD do you have?
2) Do you think the West German show line GSD could be a good fit for me? (looking for something with a lower/mid energy level yet high protective instincts). If not, do you have a recommendation of which type of German Shepherd I should get based on what I am looking for?
3) Would any of the five German Shepherds be happy with my current exercise regimen? (just 30 minutes of exercise each day and 2-3 hours of hiking twice a month)


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## gsdsteve (Apr 24, 2010)

Sent PM.


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

"Would any of the five German Shepherds be happy with my current exercise regimen? (just 30 minutes of exercise each day and 2-3 hours of hiking twice a month"

Short answer, no.
Walking is not exercise for a German Shepherd at all. It's like stretching for an Olympic athlete; just warming up. Or time to go to the bathroom.

You're talking survive, not thrive.

Ideally they thrive under 2 X 1/2 hour of moderate off leash exercise and training plus 2 X 1/2 hour of adventuring/hiking/2 ball fetch/flirt ball every day. If you only have 1/2 to an hour of available time per day, it should be moderate exercise....or skip the GSD and get something more in tune with your own exercise availability.


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## Bearshandler (Aug 29, 2019)

.


Just curious.




www.germanshepherds.com












Daily & weekly routines - please share


Good morning, what does life with your dog(s) look like? Do you have one or more dogs? Do you train/ walk/ play together? Separately? What does your day look like? And your week? Anything that you do that is a lifesaver or makes a huge difference in your relationship with your companions? :)




www.germanshepherds.com


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## Bearshandler (Aug 29, 2019)

I don’t think anyone here has dogs that do well with 30 minutes of exercise unless they are in their senior years. I would say you should be ready to dedicate 2 hours a day to exercise for your dog minimum. I wouldn’t recommend a shepherd if you can’t manage that. Treadmills are good for conditioning, but there’s more to exercise than the physical part. Walking on a leash doesn’t really function as exercise. As for lines, I think it’s easier for you to look at it as American show lines, German show lines, and working lines. They each have a range of temperaments and energy levels. You can find a medium to low energy WGSL. As for protection that depends on what you want from the dog. As a deterrent, as a dog that will bark at a threat, I think you’re fine looking at WGSL. If you want more than that I would recommend looking at working lines. Most dogs will alert to strangers entering their territory with little training or encouragement.


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## Biscuit (Mar 24, 2020)

My dog would go bananas on one half hour session a day. At one year old she does 1/2 hour morning offleash, works for breakfast, brain games at lunch time, then an hour of more off leash exercise in the evening including some swimming. Sometimes more, never less. Meeting exercise needs is easy, keeping the brain and mind exercised is tough. Be brutally honest with yourself on how much time you can devote to your dogs training.

There are very few dogs out there that won't alert you to someone being in your house. 

Shepherd's are amazing creatures. Make sure you are ready to make many sacrifices for your dog as they are NOT an easy breed. The rewards are there.


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## Sitz&Platz (Oct 20, 2012)

MY GSD will be turning 9 this year and doesn't really care for walks that much at this point, but playing fetch daily is not negotiable. 

We have acreage and he gets some walking/running in that way, but I still spend about 1-2 hours actively playing with and training my GSD every day.

When Dexter was younger, I used to spend a lot more time walking/playing/training than we do now. German Shepherds are very smart and putting them on a treadmill will not make their brains tired. It's important to balance their physical and mental needs to have a well behaved and happy dog. Given the limited amount of time that you have on a daily basis, I would suggest either getting another breed or maybe rescuing a senior German Shepherd with very low exercise needs.


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

German Shepherds are not for everyone and not for many who already have them.
I'm actually said when I read "I always wanted one" because it's generally just looks they have always admired.


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

Justin is a new poster or comouter BOT. Don't touch those links imo


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