# Things you didn't know about GSDs



## ayoitzrimz

Until you owned one... I'd love to know odd and some mainstream facts that people just did not know about GSDs until they own one.

I'll start - the whining! I was told when researching the breed that they are not big barkers and usually only bark when they feel its necessary. I can attest to that as my dog really only barks when there's someone at the door or when those **** delivery guys slip menus under the door  whereas my neighbor's sheltie seems to just bark its head off out the window and seemingly nothing...

What I wasn't told is the whining . not whining dogs who learned whining will get them what they want but whining as most GSDs do - being vocal, whining when excited, whining when I make funny noises, sometimes just whining out of nowhere (not including health issues that we do not know about that's causing them pain or something) - German shepherds are just big vocal dogs that love to "talk" ... I did not know that until owning one but once I did and asked other shepherds' owners they all pretty much said "oh yea that's a GSD for you" lol 

so, what did you not know about until getting a shepherd?


----------



## Miss Molly May

the bitting when a puppy!! I thought Molly was aggressive but I learned that GSD's are very mouthy as puppies!


----------



## x0emiroxy0x

I didn't realize how intelligent they were. Not only to learn tricks, but how fast they learn who is easiest to take advantage of, when to take advantage, etc.

My dad's dog never tested him. Its only thought was "food food food".

I swear when I teach Rocky something he thinks it over in his head...

"Hmmm...Should I do this? What will my reward be? Chicken...sounds good. But I'm going to sit as slow as possible and leave my butt one inch off the floor so that I'm not really sitting but I still get the treat. HAHAHA stupid human. I know mommy doesn't like to correct the petsmart people so I always get to cheat on my tricks."

OR

"I want to pull so bad to sniff that pile of poop. But mommy will get mad and I've been so good lately. OH WAIT! OH MY GOD! There is another human walking our way!! Mommy won't correct me loudly when another human comes because it embarrasses her. TIME TO RUN FOR THE POOP!"


----------



## x0emiroxy0x

Also, he bit and scratched me for the first two months I had him. I literally couldn't pet my dog. I would hide on the bed so he couldn't get me.


----------



## Courtney

How nosey & curious they are!

I was getting a tote from under my bed last night, all of a sudden my boy is laying flat with his head under the bed sniffing...wanting to know what I'm doing! lol


----------



## KZoppa

Just how Velcro-like they can be. I knew they were watchful and followed their owners around but not being able to go to the bathroom alone ever again or sneeze without them jumping up out of a dead sleep looking for the threat to mom or dad... wow. lol. 

Also the back-talking. I've never had a dog around that would back talk when told to sit or down or something.


----------



## ayoitzrimz

Courtney said:


> How nosey & curious they are!
> 
> I was getting a tote from under my bed last night, all of a sudden my boy is laying flat with his head under the bed sniffing...wanting to know what I'm doing! lol


Haha yea somehow no matter what I'm doing I can turn around and see his little whiskers and nostrils moving around  Always trying to "help"


----------



## PaddyD

Miss Molly May said:


> the bitting when a puppy!! I thought Molly was aggressive but I learned that GSD's are very mouthy as puppies!


What SHE ^^^ said. We thought we had a problem dog on our hands but she was just a normal GSD pup. Also didn't know how smart they are. Abby's a rocket scientist compared to previous dogs. And talkative ... my wife calls her our interactive dog. One thing the breeder said after listening to our complaining was, "I don't really like my GSDs until they are around a year old. Then they always prove that they were worth the trials they put me through."


----------



## CeCe

I didn't know how goofy and playful they can be. They look like such serious dogs but they can be total clowns when they want to be.


----------



## Courtney

CeCe said:


> I didn't know how goofy and playful they can be. They look like such serious dogs but they can be total clowns when they want to be.


Yes, this is a good one!


----------



## Miss Molly May

PaddyD said:


> What SHE ^^^ said. We thought we had a problem dog on our hands but she was just a normal GSD pup. Also didn't know how smart they are. Abby's a rocket scientist compared to previous dogs. And talkative ... my wife calls her our interactive dog. One thing the breeder said after listening to our complaining was, "I don't really like my GSDs until they are around a year old. Then they always prove that they were worth the trials they put me through."


 
What he said!!!lol..


----------



## Barb E

Just exactly what "Blowing coat" meant or why the German Shedder nickname!!!


----------



## selzer

1. That some have what I call the Houdini Gene, and that the Houdini Gene is hereditary. Jenna has it, so does Bear. Jenna has gotten out of her seatbelt several times this week, and Bear practices on the wire crate in her kennel, every day I shut it, and she opens it. Last night, she was INSIDE her crate in the house, and she managed to open that. Where or where are my snap-clips when I need them? Oh, they are all holding buckets on fencing, see below. 

2. Some GSDs have what I call the Bucket Gene. A dog with the bucket gene, loves to take stainless steel buckets of any size and play with them, emptying out the contents, and whirling the bucket all over the place, sometimes hiding it in snow. Odie has the Bucket Gene. Bear has a variation of it, see below.

3. A variation of the bucket gene is the Bucket-W Gene. The symptoms of this gene are blowing bubbles in the water bowl or bucket, paddling the water out of the bucket, putting toys in water bucket, putting feet in water bucket, dunking the head in the water bucket for the sheer joy of spraying it all over. This is not to be confused with the Water Gene, see below.

4. I have yet to meet a GSD without the Water Gene. I am not sure if it is only shepherds that have it. Whether you give them a bowl, or a pail, or a pot, GSDs are the messiest of drinkers. Some like to suck up a trunk full of water and carry it with them, leaving it on the bed or on the floor. Some will do this with food too, if you feed them in the kitchen and then go to the living room, they will take a mouthful and go to where they can see you lay it down and eat it at their leisure. Others just suck up a mouthful of water, turn to look at you and dribble half of it on the floor. 

Bear and Cujo both lie down to eat. I mean, that's cool for Cujo who eats in the toasty warm kitchen, but Bear Cub will lay herself down on a pile of snow to eat her food. GSDs have amazingly varied personalities.


----------



## Pattycakes

I agree about the "talking" or "whining". I remember my first GSD starting "talking" when she was a puppy and I was like WTH? LOL And when I got Uschi...she didn't really start talking until she was about 2'ish...but I love it! And its one of the qualities I like about the breed.


----------



## LoveEcho

Miss Molly May said:


> the bitting when a puppy!! I thought Molly was aggressive but I learned that GSD's are very mouthy as puppies!


:rofl: I distinctly remember calling my friend saying "this thing is a MONSTER!!! I've made a huge mistake!"


----------



## msvette2u

How our home would never be complete without one...


----------



## Courtney

msvette2u said:


> How our home would never be complete without one...


well said


----------



## NewbieShepherdGirl

I didn't know about how expressive their ears are. You can tell exactly what Sasha is thinking/feeling by watching her ears (especially in combination with other body language). 

I didn't know how vocal they are. The constant talking has all been new to me. Also the being so vocal while playing really threw me.

I knew they were smart, but the degree in which they are smart just floored me. I taught Sasha to shake after like two or three times of grabbing her paw, saying "Shake" and giving her a treat. She did it fairly reliably after that and it only took a day or two before it was bomb proof. 

They are also very in tune to their owners. I knew they were loyal and what not but I was like, "Well...all dogs are loyal." I mean our golden was loyal but he was necessarily in touch with my feelings. There again maybe he would be if he would have lived in doors. I don't know. Sasha seems to know exactly how I'm feeling at all times. 

I also, rather naively, thought they were mean/aggressive. I actually didn't want one for that reason. I've since come to learn that that's not the case. Sasha has enough aggression in her, I believe, to protect me from a genuine threat. However, I don't feel like she's a loose cannon who's just a man-eating biting machine (granted I didn't think in those extreme of terms before, but my mom had had a GSD before I was born that I've grown up hearing stories about and he was VERY aggressive and it spooked me a bit) . She has this incredibly goofy, lovey, side to her that way over shadows her "I'm a big, scary GSD" side. What I discovered about myself was that I actually like her "scary" side. I thought I really wanted a dog that just loved everyone and I never had to worry about being aggressive, and now that I have her I like the security that her aloofness provides. 

I also didn't realize how one person dog they really are. Sasha loves many people that I am close with, but she loves me most. I mean the girl chose me over what she always acts like is the love of her life (cheese). lol. My mom says when I leave she waits by the window for me to come back. She may sleep for a bit, but she's mostly interested when I come back. She wants to be with me. My golden was pretty cool with being with any of us. Sasha loves her grammy and her uncle but she loves her momma best.


----------



## LukasGSD

What big BABIES they are. Step on a toe, omg it's the end of their worrrrld. You'd think you would have broken their leg in half.


----------



## jetscarbie

I didn't know about the Velcro thing.

the sensitive stomachs

bloating

Shedding


----------



## Good_Karma

How fast they grow! Niko was a big boy so fast, it was hard to remember that inside that grown up body was still a puppy!


----------



## LoveEcho

selzer said:


> 1. That some have what I call the Houdini Gene, and that the Houdini Gene is hereditary. Jenna has it, so does Bear. Jenna has gotten out of her seatbelt several times this week, and Bear practices on the wire crate in her kennel, every day I shut it, and she opens it. Last night, she was INSIDE her crate in the house, and she managed to open that. Where or where are my snap-clips when I need them? Oh, they are all holding buckets on fencing, see below.
> 
> 2. Some GSDs have what I call the Bucket Gene. A dog with the bucket gene, loves to take stainless steel buckets of any size and play with them, emptying out the contents, and whirling the bucket all over the place, sometimes hiding it in snow. Odie has the Bucket Gene. Bear has a variation of it, see below.
> 
> 3. A variation of the bucket gene is the Bucket-W Gene. The symptoms of this gene are blowing bubbles in the water bowl or bucket, paddling the water out of the bucket, putting toys in water bucket, putting feet in water bucket, dunking the head in the water bucket for the sheer joy of spraying it all over. This is not to be confused with the Water Gene, see below.
> 
> 4. I have yet to meet a GSD without the Water Gene. I am not sure if it is only shepherds that have it. Whether you give them a bowl, or a pail, or a pot, GSDs are the messiest of drinkers. Some like to suck up a trunk full of water and carry it with them, leaving it on the bed or on the floor. Some will do this with food too, if you feed them in the kitchen and then go to the living room, they will take a mouthful and go to where they can see you lay it down and eat it at their leisure. Others just suck up a mouthful of water, turn to look at you and dribble half of it on the floor.
> 
> Bear and Cujo both lie down to eat. I mean, that's cool for Cujo who eats in the toasty warm kitchen, but Bear Cub will lay herself down on a pile of snow to eat her food. GSDs have amazingly varied personalities.



Are you sure you're not describing my dog??  He DEFINITELY has the bucket-w and the houdini genes... he actually gets out of his wire crate by pinching the bars together enough to hook a tooth through... if it wasn't so frustrating, it'd be amazing.


----------



## Jen&Bear

Lol that's true

Picking up the FULL waterbowl, ears pointed backwards and walking around and dumping it all over would be what no.4?!?


----------



## selzer

Jen&Bear said:


> Lol that's true
> 
> Picking up the FULL waterbowl, ears pointed backwards and walking around and dumping it all over would be what no.4?!?


Yupp, it's not just my dogs, yours may have 3 and 4, LOL!

Here I was thinking I had serious brain damage going on.


----------



## Jen&Bear

Haha they're all so cute and sweet and the smart trait oh yes
I brought him home and read about a bell on the door for potty training.
I found a bell and tied it on but he was so small and i thought he cant even reach it (this is my first pup) 
So i said ok forget it dont even bother.
He is growing like a weeeed and I noticed a couple months ago that he taught HIMSELF to use it to go out! I was amazed. I had never showed him or anything.


----------



## JakodaCD OA

haven't read thru all of these, but 
"you will never have a private moment in the bathroom again"


----------



## Jen&Bear

Yes bathroom AND showering...the other day i went for my tooth brush and it was gone! And so was bear...


----------



## chuckh

How quickly he taught our other dogs (older than him and non gsd's) that he was in charge. Almost funny to see them hold back from toys bones and sleeping mats when he's around. I watch them look at the toys and then see him coming and are like nevermind, im not going through the wrestling match for that rawhide.


----------



## Jen&Bear

chuckh said:


> How quickly he taught our other dogs (older than him and non gsd's) that he was in charge. Almost funny to see them hold back from toys bones and sleeping mats when he's around. I watch them look at the toys and then see him coming and are like nevermind, im not going through the wrestling match for that rawhide.


You know that is true!
My gparents had a black lab cross gshep and everytime my late gshep would come over he would prevent their dog from coming up onto the deck and drink from his own water bowl or even come near the steps. The poor dog couldnt do anything on his own turf when my shane was around. It was crazy to see


----------



## msvette2u

Although off topic...why would you let your dog guard everything like that?
Here at our home, they guard it, they lose it.
Allowing unlimited resource guarding is a set up for a big fight.


----------



## Jen&Bear

Not sure if that was meant for me but
I was alot younger then and just noticed everytime
It's not a good thing certainly
I am just surprised that he would come on to another property and behave as though it was his
My dad didn't correct him obviously or not that I recall


----------



## msvette2u

A few folks mentioned it


----------



## chuckh

> Although off topic...why would you let your dog guard everything like that?
> Here at our home, they guard it, they lose it.
> Allowing unlimited resource guarding is a set up for a big fight.


We don't allow him but he is persistent. He's almost 7months and were working on correcting this. BTW this thread is 'things you didn't know about gsd's' and that's something that surprised me with him that i haven't experienced with other breeds Ive owned.


----------



## Chicagocanine

I don't know if it's something about GSDs or just my dog, but I never expected her to be so sensitive! All I have to do is tell the cats "Hey stop that!" and Bianca thinks she's in trouble and gets upset.


----------



## Syaoransbear

How powerful and determined they are:










Chrono has the houdini gene, but he's more likely to use brute force to get where he wants to go than use fancy things like doorknobs :crazy:.


----------



## boiseno

^^OMG!!! My wife would have killed him right there!!! 

One of the GSDs i grew up with was the most destructive dog we ever owned....he stole and ate entire bars of soap from the bathrooms, tubes of neosporin, ate the carpet, ate the walls, hotwheel cars, stole a roast off the counter, stole a large pizza......on and on. He grew up to be a great dog but my mom and i had to literally block the front door on several occasions to stop my dad from taking him to the pound.

My dad ended up loving him as much as the rest of us.


----------



## Jen&Bear

I know exactly what u mean with the roast...except ours pulled the entire turkey off the counter that was cooling off for the thanksgiving fam dinner (like 15 ppl!) and chewed off the leg b4 anyone noticed


----------



## chelle

My dog isn't pb, but apparently received enough genes from mama to behave in many of the same ways!

Surprised me:

--This velcro thing! I thought he'd grow out of it, that it was a young pup thing. At just shy of 9 months, nope. Still waits outside the bathroom door when I shower, still wants to accompany me to the potty. Still wants to be wherever I am. Curious about every single thing I'm doing.

--The intelligence and intensity! For a mutt, this guy is pretty smart! When we're "training," he is really focused on what we're doing. I'm honestly extremely surprised by this. VERY pleasantly so. I mean, he LIKES it. He LIKES to focus and earn his treat or praise. My other two, (non-GSD) just didn't hold focus like this guy can. 

--The sensitive tummy stuff is the bad "surprise." His mom was fed cheap crap (not my choice, not my dog) and she never had any issues, not a single one. (Other than a whole lot more poop) Sigh.

--*The bond*. I knew, but didn't know, how strong a GSD/ (mix) can bond to the owner. Sure, I saw it with my son and his WGSD... and I bonded to that dog, too, but... I didn't really understand it until Bailey. I have two other dogs and I love them with *all my heart*. I'm bonded to them, of course, but it isn't the same. My oldest dog is my sweetheart, but she never followed me around like this, never wanted my attention like this, never was so "driven" like this guy is. Hate to say it, but she isn't anywhere near as smart as he is. I feel like a traitor, but it's true. My middle dog is more bonded to my bf, for some stupid reason. (I exercise, feed, do almost _everything_ - yet truth be told, she is "his" dog.)


----------



## Chicagocanine

The most destructive dog I had was a Chinese Shar-Pei I fostered for 8 months. He chewed the door to my bedroom, chewed the molding off next to the door of the other bedroom and also chewed several shoes and the handle of an umbrella. I still have a pair of shoes somewhere with his teeth marks in the heel.



Jen&Bear said:


> I know exactly what u mean with the roast...except ours pulled the entire turkey off the counter that was cooling off for the thanksgiving fam dinner (like 15 ppl!) and chewed off the leg b4 anyone noticed


That's pretty bad! My Golden was a counter surfer and she stole packages of thawing chicken several times, but never a roast. Eventually my family learned not to leave anything on the counter to thaw... She also loved bread and would steal and eat whole loaves of bread.  
Oh yeah she also once stole a gingerbread house off the kitchen counter, dragged it all the way into the living room to her dog bed and ate it down to the bottoms of the walls. Surprisingly she didn't get sick at all. I thought someone had thrown it out until I found the cardboard base with the bottoms of the walls attached in her bed. She never destroyed anything, just stole food. Well, except for the time she found my bait bag with treats in it.

When I was a kid my family's 15 pound Cockapoo mix once climbed on the kitchen table and started eating the cheese off the pizza that was sitting there waiting for us to eat. 

My GSD hasn't been destructive at all though and doesn't counter surf.


----------



## brembo

I had no idea how human focused GSDs can be. Not clingy but so in touch with what their owner(s) are up to and feeling. I can twitch a finger and Banjo will come over. I can smile at him and his tail will flip around some. They watch us so very closely and carefully and use that vaunted GSD mind effectively. 

I also had no idea that they can be utter goofballs. Silly even. Humor in animals is debated, but I'm going to go with it exists. Mischievous maybe, he does things he knows are naughty when in the heat of play, knowing I will laugh and I SWEAR it looks like he's laughing too.


----------



## Chicagocanine

chelle said:


> --*The bond*. I knew, but didn't know, how strong a GSD/ (mix) can bond to the owner.


Yeah I was surprised about that too. Mostly about how quickly Bianca bonded with me even though I got her when she was 4 years old and she'd lived in her previous home since she was a puppy! I had some trouble bonding with her, I think it was because it was probably too soon after I lost my Golden Retriever Ginger who was my heart dog. But she bonded with me almost instantly even though I was having trouble connecting with her.

My Golden and I had a really strong special bond. I could just move my head or hand a little and she'd know what I wanted her to do, or I could say something to her that wasn't actually a command she knew and she'd know what I meant anyway. 
When I got Bianca I had trouble getting used to a dog who didn't know what I meant all the time and didn't know the hand gestures I used and things like that. She's learned some of that now but she's still now as in tune as Ginger was.


----------



## Holmeshx2

their intensity! Alot of stuff actually I've had other dogs before and did lots of researching however they never tell you that everything you read about owning a GSD and actually OWNING the darn GSD are 2 very different things! Yeah you hear everyone say they shed like crazy and you THINK you prepared for it, then you bring one home. You read about the crazy mouthiness of the "land shark" then you bring one home and start another thread about it because you are positive something is wrong with yours because it's impossible an entire breed can be so flesh hungry!

Just how smart they truly are. Everyone knows they are smart but then you own one and you actually can see their little wheels turning and them figure out how to solve a problem the fact they truly think not just obey.

How loving and loyal they truly are. All the sites say that they are loyal however seeing it in person is something VERY different.

Oh and of course the fact you will never pee in peace ever again (or the nose peaking around the shower curtain just to make sure I didn't get sucked down the drain)


----------



## PaddyD

Holmeshx2 said:


> their intensity! Alot of stuff actually I've had other dogs before and did lots of researching however they never tell you that everything you read about owning a GSD and actually OWNING the darn GSD are 2 very different things! Yeah you hear everyone say they shed like crazy and you THINK you prepared for it, then you bring one home. You read about the crazy mouthiness of the "land shark" then you bring one home and start another thread about it because you are positive something is wrong with yours because it's impossible an entire breed can be so flesh hungry!
> 
> Just how smart they truly are. Everyone knows they are smart but then you own one and you actually can see their little wheels turning and them figure out how to solve a problem the fact they truly think not just obey.
> 
> How loving and loyal they truly are. All the sites say that they are loyal however seeing it in person is something VERY different.
> 
> Oh and of course the fact you will never pee in peace ever again (or the nose peaking around the shower curtain just to make sure I didn't get sucked down the drain)


I agree with all of the above except that I have a door to my bathroom and I use it.


----------



## Chicagocanine

Bianca has "discovered" the bathroom recently and she now lays in there any chance she can get. Sometimes she doesn't want to move if someone wants to use it. 



PaddyD said:


> I agree with all of the above except that I have a door to my bathroom and I use it.


I used to do that, but I got tired of the cats constantly jiggling the doorknob if I locked them out when I went in, so now I don't latch it all the way.


----------



## juliejujubean

I did not know that German Shepherds were actually Fish...


----------



## LissG

i didn't realize how much i could love a dog. i had noooo idea a dog could mean so much to me and be the love of my life lol. 

but i have to say, before i got my german shepherd i read sooo many books. not once did anyone anywhere in the books mention the landshark phase!! i almost gave up my pup cause i thought it was him being too aggressive and mean, but thank god i found this forum and you all told me it was normal! i'm sooo glad i stuck it out. i think if people knew about that* before* getting a german shepherd less dogs would end up in rescue/shelters.


----------



## Dooney's Mom

Got my first GSD so many years ago that I can't remember what surprised me then. But every dog is different and the things I didn't know that I do now are (most have been mentioned)

1- sensitivity. She hates getting in trouble, doesn't stop her from getting into it- but she still hates getting yelled at

2- "working line" vs "regular line/BYB"- which also equals the intensity!!

3-the "helpfullness"

4- that "houdini" gene- I have to put clips on the crate to keep her in it now and have had to since about 4 months old

5-the "water" obsession- my poor hose, or should I say hoses...she LOVES to attack them

6- the "separation anxiety" factor- this one seems to have it more than my previous and I spent lots more time with my first one ( i was in high school)


----------



## Jen&Bear

Chicagocanine said:


> My GSD hasn't been destructive at all though and doesn't counter surf.


Haha "counter surf" that's a good one. 

I wish my pup now was less destructive but he is ok as long as he can't reach or have access to anything.

But the shoessss and slippers must be put away. Geez even when i am wearing them...
And surprisingly he has only stolen a few ball ornaments off the xmas tree. I have always seen the tree/pet nightmare stereotype lol
The ironic thing was...the first ornament he took was one with a pic of my prev gsd that says "pet of the year 2005"


----------



## Jen&Bear

The no. 1 thing that I did not know about gsds......they are all truely beautiful and majestic. I have not seen any that look otherwise.


----------



## Chicagocanine

Jen&Bear said:


> But the shoessss and slippers must be put away. Geez even when i am wearing them...
> And surprisingly he has only stolen a few ball ornaments off the xmas tree. I have always seen the tree/pet nightmare stereotype lol


LOL Bianca never bothered my slippers, until I got these fuzzy ones for Xmas, with a stuffed-animal head on the ends. As soon as I put that on my feet she started trying to grab it (thinking it was a stuffed toy). I was laughing too hard to tell her to stop. She couldn't understand why I was wearing a dog toy on my foot! 
Bianca never bothers the ornaments but when I had my terrier I had to make sure there was nothing that looked remotely like a ball anywhere near the bottom. He was totally obsessed with tennis balls and squeaky balls, talk about intensity!
I've always made sure that no ornaments within dog-tail-height were breakable though just in case...


----------



## cta

i too, definitely thought something was wrong with chobahn when he was a baby. i didn't know they were called "landsharks" until i found this forum. yes, i was the ignorant first time owner, but after a little reading, it all made sense! i remember telling my mom "all he does is follow me around in the morning and try to eat my robe! he's the devil in a dog's body...a menace" i was soooo sure he was going to be a bitey monster his whole life. i couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel because it took him a while to get out of the landshark phase. i also didn't know how vocal they are. i first learned this when we had him in puppy class and our trainer wanted us to hold our dogs on our laps. well...one by one everyone else did it and their dogs were LOVING it! they were laying all sprawled out on their laps quietly taking in all the attention and petting. yeah, well not mine. chobahn was sitting in my lap screaming and whining "arrrrrarrrrrrarararararar" in this shrill tone and it was so flipping embarrassing i wanted to die lol. the trainer told us that shepherds are notoriously vocal creatures, so i felt a little better, but seriously...he drew a crowd.

i also learned that like a child, if they're quiet, they're getting into trouble. well, at least mine is haha


----------



## x0emiroxy0x

Quiet= 
A) Something is chewed up

B) It is about to get very loud when something is knocked over or off the counter.


----------



## cta

i can tell what he is doing by listening to his footsteps. for example, if i'm in the basement doing laundry or something and leave him unattended upstairs, the second i hear trotting or prancing, i KNOW he has something he shouldn't. i'm waiting for the day he figures out that i figured him out and he just starts walking instead of prancing after he thieves something.


----------



## Daisy&Lucky's Mom

That there is no door that can be truly shut from a GSD inside the house. Bedroom doors and bathroom doors if given enough time will open . Daisy is the master and has created some embrassing moments. Lucky has picked up on it however his is more gentle bump,Daisy just tackles it and the door is open.


----------



## brembo

cta said:


> i'm waiting for the day he figures out that i figured him out and he just starts walking instead of prancing after he thieves something.


Ahhhh yes the prance. That trot will make me whip my head around fast enough to hurt sometimes. GSDs telegraph their naughty. I have learned that Mals(mine at least) are a tad sneakier, Peppy just takes stuff and walks off.


----------



## katdog5911

I had GSDs growing up but all were older rescues....Now with Stella I have learned what a landshark is....counter surfing.... and always finding my shoes or slippers somewhere other than where I left them.... And then there is always the I will make you play with me by stealing forbidden objects and showing them to you


----------



## Chicagocanine

I haven't even had a Shepherd puppy (yet)-- I got Bianca as an adult, but if anyone tells me they're interested in getting one I tell them how they are called landsharks and German Shredders.


----------



## Jen&Bear

cta said:


> i remember telling my mom "all he does is follow me around in the morning and try to eat my robe!


i am a first time pup owner and i bought this pdf book about training. And they called that "the bathrobe assault" lol
I could not stop laughing it was hilarious because it's soo true haha

And another training tip somewhere else said when tethering or giving a time out, use a hand signal the same hand signal everytime time that lets them know that ur taking away their play or whatever and it says use a hand signal that says "you're a jerk. Fun's over" i thought that was so funny

Those are funniest things i have come accross


----------



## BlackCat

:laugh: Ah, yes, the vocal antics. I bought Lobo at 8 weeks and took him to my vet the next day. After his check up, the vet trimmed his nails. He barely even tipped them, only trimmed a half a millimeter, I swear. Lobo whined, howled, and cried so loudly, even the staff from the front came in to see what horrible thing was happening to him. Dr. Johnson said, "The world's biggest babies are male German Shepherds."


----------



## msvette2u

BlackCat said:


> :laugh: Ah, yes, the vocal antics. I bought Lobo at 8 weeks and took him to my vet the next day. After his check up, the vet trimmed his nails. He barely even tipped them, only trimmed a half a millimeter, I swear. Lobo whined, howled, and cried so loudly, even the staff from the front came in to see what horrible thing was happening to him. Dr. Johnson said, "The world's biggest babies are male German Shepherds."


LOL our first GSD came from the shelter intact, we had to get him in ASAP though because he'd been injured in that "area" so they had to be removed anyway. No clue what was up with that.
Anyway, after the neuter, we brought him home and he was dopey the 1st night. The next AM, he was all hunched up and could barely walk! He was literally walking straddled like he'd been on a horse all day. I was so freaked out, I literally thought he was dying! 
He was okay. Whew. That was my intro to GSDs and their drama


----------



## wyoung2153

Their intelligence for sure shocked me. I read a ton of stuff and knew they would be easier to train and they would be more in tune to what I want.. but until I got Titan as a pup I didn't realize it at all. 

He is so good and half of the things he does I never taught him. He is the only dog I have ever known that will not try to get out of the room/crate/whatever I put him in. If I leave the door ajar and leave him in there, even if I don't say stay.. he will just sit there waiting for me to open it. If I go outside without him for whatever reason, he will just sit at the door waiting even if I know he could get out. I NEVER had to lock his crate, I could just shut it til it touches and leave him there.. I swear I would come back later that day and he would still be in it.. never really tested that for more than an hour or so. 

He knows when bedtime is too.. if it's getting to that time he will pace form the stairs to where I'm at.. look at me and then go back to the stairs until I decide it's time. 

WATER. Oh man does he love water. I did not know GSDs would like water that much.. he loves EVERYTHING about it.. drinking it, playing with it, swimming it, fetching in it, splashing in it, EVERYTHING. It's my favorite part of living near the beach and rivers.. I get to take him swimming!! Growing up, my lab/BC mix HATED water. So this is so new to me!

Never knew how Routine they were.. if Titan's routine gets messed up.. he is the most pathetic looking dog.. no spunk or anything until he figures it out. That being said they are the most adaptable dogs I've ever seen. If my routine/location/whatever does change.. he's in that pathetic state for all of a day or two until he gets the new routine down. Being in the Military that helps a lot!

The bond is another thing. I knew that you would bond with your dog but I never understood it until Titan. His is infact the love of my life, and I his. He loves other people who will play with him.. but I am the only one he wants love from.. which I like it that way.. I'm a jealous mommy  And now that I have a new puppy.. he is getting much more needy which is a change for him. 

"My house will never be complete without one." Is a great one. I 100% agree!


----------



## Lenny

I read and studied then I read and studies some more but I never came across anything about them "talking." I found out they "talk" the first night we had her.


----------



## selzer

Yupp, mine have been talking to me for years. The range of their vocalizations is pretty awesome, and add that to the expressiveness of their eyes and ears, and they are excellent communicators. I would say they were near human, but that would be an insult.


----------



## LoveEcho

That they're so smart it makes them a PITA... everyone always says, "they're so trainable, because they're so smart!". In reality, it almost makes them harder to train, because they pick up on and take advantage of every. Little. Inconsistency. "Well hey, that's not how you asked me last time, so....no." This also contributes to the houdini gene :laugh:


----------



## GSDBESTK9

That she would empty my Freezer of ice cubes.


----------



## Courtney

Last night mine somehow opened the cupboard that has the plastic containers for left overs, etc. & brought me one while I was reading....GREAT...now he opens flipping cupboards...he alreadys knows how to open the storm door & last summer turned on the outdoor faucet


----------



## wyoung2153

selzer said:


> Yupp, mine have been talking to me for years. The range of their vocalizations is pretty awesome, and add that to the expressiveness of their eyes and ears, and they are excellent communicators.


Kind of sad that Titan isn't vocal like that. He really only lets me know when someone is on the property and does the mouth snappy thing (any one know what I'm talking about?) without vocals when he gets VERY excited. 

His expressions are PRICELESS. I know exactly what he wants just by looking at his facial expressions. Did not know dogs had that in them


----------



## Lilie

I didn't realize that I actually look pretty good in Hondo pants.

" Hon, do these pants make my butt look big?"
" I can't tell, Hondo is in the way."
" Perfect!"


----------



## Courtney

Lilie said:


> I didn't realize that I actually look pretty good in Hondo pants.
> 
> " Hon, do these pants make my butt look big?"
> " I can't tell, Hondo is in the way."
> " Perfect!"


Oh sheesh...that's funny!


----------



## Skribbles

GSDBESTK9 said:


> That she would empty my Freezer of ice cubes.



:laugh:

She might not listen to me call when she is 10 feet away but she can hear the darn freezer open a mile away everytime.


----------



## GSDBESTK9

Skribbles said:


> :laugh:
> 
> She might not listen to me call when she is 10 feet away but she can hear the darn freezer open a mile away everytime.


I don't have to open the freezer, she gets it out all on her own.


----------



## jang

I never knew I could love a dog so much and still get so mad at her for stupid stuff--like stay out of the kitchen when I am cooking or eating--EVERY SINGLE DAY I TELL HER THIS AND EVERY SINGLE DAY SHE TESTS ME....but omg the love I have for this dog--she is my heart and I am her heart..Just wish she would listen better--but she knows that when she brings me my pillow every night there is a treat in it for her--so now she just brings it without me asking-Precious, loving dog..
Jan Oh, and the shedding--there are no adequate words for that -


----------



## Oona's_Mom

Vocal - I went to a local pet shop to use their bathing facility. She whined and hollard so much and so loud the owner came back to see if she was ok because the customers were getting worried. When the bath was done, she was happy and ready to go like the bath never happened. (8 months old)


----------



## StryderPup

Routine!!!


----------



## Daisy&Lucky's Mom

msvette2u said:


> LOL our first GSD came from the shelter intact, we had to get him in ASAP though because he'd been injured in that "area" so they had to be removed anyway. No clue what was up with that.
> Anyway, after the neuter, we brought him home and he was dopey the 1st night. The next AM, he was all hunched up and could barely walk! He was literally walking straddled like he'd been on a horse all day. I was so freaked out, I literally thought he was dying!
> He was okay. Whew. That was my intro to GSDs and their drama


Yes and it is the males who are the biggest Drama Queens. Lucky when we adopted him had heartworm and as a result got the injections. So after the first treatment I brought him home and my husband came out to meet us and he reached down to pat the middle of his back and he screamed I mean like he was dying. I freaked out brought him inside called the vet and asked what the heck is happening. The vet got on the phone and said he's a German Shepherd he's dramatic,cuddle him a little and he will be fine give him a baby aspirin he might be a little sore from the injections. So he was given his own dog chair, blankie ,orange baby aspirin and lots of baby talk and with in 15 min he was like nothing happened. Daisy and he both God forbid in the dark you step on them shriek as if you have maimed them even though they see better then me and didnt move. Lucky will stand checking his tail and woefully stare at you the cruel oaf who has hurt him.Daisy believes that if you clean her ears you hate her and she retreats to her bed in the corner of the basement and stares at the wall .Not evenj erky or steak would make her move.I keep waiting to hear their names as nominees at the dog oscars.


----------



## chelle

Daisy&Lucky's Mom said:


> That there is no door that can be truly shut from a GSD inside the house....


:rofl: Oh sure, this is funny NOW, but it sure wasn't funny when I learned this one the hard way! My middle naughty dog had pulled an escape act and I was trying to get her back home from the neighbor's yard.. and look who is bounding up towards us? Yep, Mr Bailey. He'd figured out how to open the dang back door. He knows how to open it to get out AND in now. Who needs a doggy door?? :laugh: 

And I want to add another thing that has surprised me. I don't think this is very GSD-like at all, though? (I don't know!) I don't need to hardly scold this boy at all. A simple NO, OFF, etc is all it takes. He seems to really want to please and if it doesn't please, he doesn't really want to do it. I so love that quality. :wub:


----------



## Daisy&Lucky's Mom

chelle I can almost picture your face at the moment you saw bailey.He just wanted to see if you needed a hand w/ his older fur sibling.


----------



## chelle

Daisy&Lucky's Mom said:


> chelle I can almost picture your face at the moment you saw bailey.He just wanted to see if you needed a hand w/ his older fur sibling.


Oh yes it was pure shock and amazement, allright.  I literally almost poo'd myself. He had to run across a somewhat busy road to get to us. I chased both of them way back into the woods, away from the road and went to get my car. I drove the car back there, opened the door, called out and both the buggersnotts got in. Qualifies as my scariest experience with dogs.

Needless to say, if I'm not ready for him to be offleash when I'm outside or whatever the case is, I close the main storm door. Lesson learned!!!! :shocked:


----------



## NewbieShepherdGirl

chelle said:


> Oh yes it was pure shock and amazement, allright.  I literally almost poo'd myself. He had to run across a somewhat busy road to get to us. I chased both of them way back into the woods, away from the road and went to get my car. I drove the car back there, opened the door, called out and both the buggersnotts got in. Qualifies as my scariest experience with dogs.
> 
> Needless to say, if I'm not ready for him to be offleash when I'm outside or whatever the case is, I close the main storm door. Lesson learned!!!! :shocked:


Don't you hate that feeling when you're so scared because you know they're in danger. You're just praying, promising God if they just stay safe you'll be a better owner. Then when you finally get them back you have this moment of relief and then you're just POed! Sasha got away from me one day and took off across my mom's neighborhood. The road behind the houses behind my mom's house isn't terribly busy but it isn't deserted either. Also there is a pitbull back there that is known to be dog aggressive that is allowed to roam. I sprinted (something I'm not really able to do without quite a bit of pain in my ankles) calling, begging, praying, finally I caught her. I loved on her so much; I was so relieved. Then as soon as the adrenalin left my system I was like, "Don't you ever do that to me again! I was scared so bad!" etc. etc. I'm sure my mom's neighbors thought I'd finally lost it lol


----------



## elisabeth_00117

That once you get one.... you want another... and another.. and another... and well, you get the idea.


----------



## chelle

NewbieShepherdGirl said:


> Don't you hate that feeling when you're so scared because you know they're in danger. You're just praying, promising God if they just stay safe you'll be a better owner. Then when you finally get them back you have this moment of relief and then you're just POed! Sasha got away from me one day and took off across my mom's neighborhood. The road behind the houses behind my mom's house isn't terribly busy but it isn't deserted either. Also there is a pitbull back there that is known to be dog aggressive that is allowed to roam. I sprinted (something I'm not really able to do without quite a bit of pain in my ankles) calling, begging, praying, finally I caught her. I loved on her so much; I was so relieved. Then as soon as the adrenalin left my system I was like, "Don't you ever do that to me again! I was scared so bad!" etc. etc. I'm sure my mom's neighbors thought I'd finally lost it lol


Yes, yes, HATED that feeling, of no control. I totally panicked at first and did everything wrong. I "lunged" towards Bailey, trying to grab his collar. Why did I do that? All I had to do was be calm and call him. But I was so scared, we were too close to the road. My second instinct was better -- to purposefully chase them away from the danger (the road), and get them *as far away from me as possible* so they wouldn't follow me *back* across the street, when I went to get the car. 

When I pulled the car up and opened the door and called their names -- and they both came right up, like, hey, cool, HI MOM! and jumped in? I almost cried. I was incapable of being angry. The relief that went thru me then was like a drug. I just sat there for a minute and practiced deep breathing. 

That dang Shiba Inu, I swear.


----------



## GSD246

I was also shocked about that deep pitched whine. I heard a loud one at the vets. It didn't sound upset but it was a whine. The vet said, "Now that is a true 100% German Shepard sound if I ever heard one". Then the vet stuck her fingers up my dogs butt. Yea, I'd whine too. 

I didn't know there was a working line until I got one.


----------



## wyoung2153

chelle said:


> And I want to add another thing that has surprised me. I don't think this is very GSD-like at all, though? (I don't know!) I don't need to hardly scold this boy at all. A simple NO, OFF, etc is all it takes. He seems to really want to please and if it doesn't please, he doesn't really want to do it. I so love that quality. :wub:


Titan is the same way! I was wondering about it being a GSD quality. But either way it's appreciated I NEVER have to scold him. He always does what he's told and doesn't try any funny business. I can even leave a bagel on the table unattended and he will leave it alone. How do I know this.. I made one.. left for work totally forgetting then in sheer panic drove back to the house thinking he would have gotten my raisin bagel and coffee.. nope.. he was laying under the table.. and I know he watched me put it there. He's just such a good boy  



chelle said:


> That dang Shiba Inu, I swear.


A good friend of mine has 2 shibies  I LOVE them, actually wanted one of those when I first moved on my own. But I hear they are stubborn, hard headed and if they escape, they roam. LOL My friend had many experiences like yours. When we lived in Germany, Jack, her youngest shiby would always escape the yard no matter what she did and end up running down the road to play with the cattle or deer then running from her when she came to get her.. it took Koda, her older boy to round him up and bring him home.. everytime... I couldn't imagine going through that!


----------



## _Crystal_

selzer said:


> 1. That some have what I call the Houdini Gene, and that the Houdini Gene is hereditary. Jenna has it, so does Bear. Jenna has gotten out of her seatbelt several times this week, and Bear practices on the wire crate in her kennel, every day I shut it, and she opens it. Last night, she was INSIDE her crate in the house, and she managed to open that. Where or where are my snap-clips when I need them? Oh, they are all holding buckets on fencing, see below.
> 
> 2. Some GSDs have what I call the Bucket Gene. A dog with the bucket gene, loves to take stainless steel buckets of any size and play with them, emptying out the contents, and whirling the bucket all over the place, sometimes hiding it in snow. Odie has the Bucket Gene. Bear has a variation of it, see below.
> 
> 3. A variation of the bucket gene is the Bucket-W Gene. The symptoms of this gene are blowing bubbles in the water bowl or bucket, paddling the water out of the bucket, putting toys in water bucket, putting feet in water bucket, dunking the head in the water bucket for the sheer joy of spraying it all over. This is not to be confused with the Water Gene, see below.
> 
> 4. I have yet to meet a GSD without the Water Gene. I am not sure if it is only shepherds that have it. Whether you give them a bowl, or a pail, or a pot, GSDs are the messiest of drinkers. Some like to suck up a trunk full of water and carry it with them, leaving it on the bed or on the floor. Some will do this with food too, if you feed them in the kitchen and then go to the living room, they will take a mouthful and go to where they can see you lay it down and eat it at their leisure. Others just suck up a mouthful of water, turn to look at you and dribble half of it on the floor.


Are you sure you aren't explaining my dogs?

Nour knows where his treats are. Therefore, he decided it was an AWESOME idea to open the door and get the treats. I don't even know how... Nour also likes to pick up his water and food bowls, spilling everything in there, and making a huge mess for us to pick up, ahah. He also sticks his paws in the water bowl as well. Once he sat in the water bowl and never even noticed...  So Nour has all four 'genes'

Crystal likes to take her food and eat it in the living room. It's like... seriously? ahah. She just takes a mouthful and drops half of it in the living room and eats the rest. Crystal also has a Houdini gene. She can slip through the tiniest cracks, ahaha.


----------



## llombardo

This thread is so enlightening...My dog does lots of weird stuff that I've never seen a puppy do, but obviously its a german shepherd trait. When we first got her and if you pulled her by the collar she cried, but now thinking about it, it was right after she got her shot. She also starts "talking" when she is in the crying mode...she sounds more like husky--very high pitched. She also carries her food,but I do give her credit because when she knocks it over she does clean up her mess. Now the water can get quite messy...I was quite embarassed when I went to a friends house and my dog put both her paws in the water bowl and continued to drink it making a mess everywhere...its funny when I think about it now.


----------



## EchoGSD

Never understood the "look of eagles" until my first shepherd. They seem to have this intense, intelligent gaze from puppyhood on. Love it.
Also, both of my GSDs drop from standing to sprawled on the floor when they want to lay down; sounds like someone dropped bowling balls! Then there's the deep sigh and they fall asleep. Funny. 
And -- the "talking". Never knew GSD's had such a large vocabulary!!


----------



## _Crystal_

Nour also "cries" and "yelps" when you try to pull him by his collar, ahaha. Not sure if my pup is just weird.


----------



## KentuckyGSDLover

KZoppa said:


> Just how Velcro-like they can be.


Laughing as I read this. Rey actually steps on my heels as I walk.


----------



## llombardo

_Crystal_ said:


> Nour also "cries" and "yelps" when you try to pull him by his collar, ahaha. Not sure if my pup is just weird.



Mine just did this two minutes ago, she was trying to eat the rabbits poop and I grabbed her by the collar and she cries like I'm killing her....big wimp


----------



## amaris

EchoGSD said:


> Also, both of my GSDs drop from standing to sprawled on the floor when they want to lay down; sounds like someone dropped bowling balls! Then there's the deep sigh and they fall asleep. Funny.


This...he just did this downstairs under the kitchen island...AND he stretches like a cat....first his front legs, thn his back legs, thn his body...thn back to sleep...

Oh yes...the velcro bit, sometimes i stop, turn around to change direction and he walks straight into me, nose to crotch =.= i've also tripped over him, walked sideways into him etc....and he usually just gives me this...what???? look...hehe

Still haven't heard him make any sounds outside of the occasional whine and one soft arrrrrwrr


----------



## gewaltiger Sturm

Ok, I love this thread! How about...

1) The *foot fetish* when they are in the land shark stage? Mine will gladly chomp at the feet with or without shoes on. 

2) This may have just been my last GSD but the love of squeek toys. If my last shepherd would break his squeek toy he would look at me like he lost his best friend and sulk until I got him another one. He would have it with him at all times so long as he was in the house!


----------



## Miss Molly May

Another thing that I recently learnt was how they help you train your other animals!!! We rescued a kitten recently and are training him to stay of counters and the kitchen table. After a few times picking up the kitty of the counter and table and putting him back on the floor "saying no" Molly caught on right away! Now if the kitten jump up where he is not suppose to Molly will run up and start jumping and barking kinda like a "shutzund dog" until the kitten jumps off. I call Molly a tattle tell we could be anywhere in the house and we know when the cat is up to no good! Molly does a great job of making sure the kitten follows the rules of the house!!

Amazing intelligence!!!!


----------



## PatternDayTrader

One thing I didnt know about GSDs is that they follow you around all day ripping silent but deadly farts....


----------



## _Crystal_

PatternDayTrader said:


> One thing I didnt know about GSDs is that they follow you around all day ripping silent but deadly farts....


So I'm not alone in experiencing this? :rofl:



EchoGSD said:


> Also, both of my GSDs drop from standing to sprawled on the floor when they want to lay down; sounds like someone dropped bowling balls! Then there's the deep sigh and they fall asleep. Funny.


Both my dogs do this, but Nour more so than my female. Sometimes I have to check on him to make sure he's okay, because the "THUMP" was so loud! :rofl:


----------



## Shepherdgirl41

_Crystal_ said:


> So I'm not alone in experiencing this? :rofl:
> 
> 
> 
> Both my dogs do this, but Nour more so than my female. Sometimes I have to check on him to make sure he's okay, because the "THUMP" was so loud! :rofl:




Oh ya something to look forward too when jasmine is bigger lol.:laugh:


----------



## Tiffseagles

selzer said:


> 4. I have yet to meet a GSD without the Water Gene. I am not sure if it is only shepherds that have it. Whether you give them a bowl, or a pail, or a pot, GSDs are the messiest of drinkers. Some like to suck up a trunk full of water and carry it with them, leaving it on the bed or on the floor. Some will do this with food too, if you feed them in the kitchen and then go to the living room, they will take a mouthful and go to where they can see you lay it down and eat it at their leisure. Others just suck up a mouthful of water, turn to look at you and dribble half of it on the floor.


^ This is Otis!

He also follows the whiney, clingy, mouthy versions that everyone has described! And is still in foot fetish stage @ 5 years old.


----------



## df1960

Did not know about the whinning! My first GSD never whinned but Hawkeye whines allllllll the time and it drives me nuts......

And when he lays down sounds like a bowling ball hit the floor especially at 2:00 am when he decides to move from the living room (carpet) to the bedroom or to his crate, wakes me up everytime.


----------



## SiegersMom

My kids just put our GSD in the bathroom with them now when it is shower time because he will push the door open to get in with them and then the room gets cold fast. He just has to be in the room...when it is his bathtime he is not nearly as eager to get in the bathroom Ans if you go to use the bath room he thinks we have to throw the ball to him until we are done!!!!


----------



## Shepherdgirl41

Our dog does the same thing with our cats and its too funny. She tries to jump up there with them thinking thats what she is supposed to do lol.


----------



## Shepherdgirl41

*feet and kong*



gewaltiger Sturm said:


> Ok, I love this thread! How about...
> 
> 1) The *foot fetish* when they are in the land shark stage? Mine will gladly chomp at the feet with or without shoes on.
> 
> 2) This may have just been my last GSD but the love of squeek toys. If my last shepherd would break his squeek toy he would look at me like he lost his best friend and sulk until I got him another one. He would have it with him at all times so long as he was in the house!


We get the feet thing too and it hurts when she tries to bite at them.
She loves her squeeky toys too. We got her the squeaky Kong and she can squeak all day .


----------



## kennajo

How incredably stubborn they can be when they don't want to do what your asking them to do!!


----------



## Kaity

One thing I didn't know.. I didn't know how dumb people can be with dogs. "SIT! SIT!" Um... she's not trained in english, just for this reason of you being a moron buddy. What kind of dog is she? A shepherd. And? What do you mean AND? Some people can't figure out genetics. I also didn't know people were soo afraid of my goofy looking dog..

About the dog? Didn't know I'd absolutely fall in love with her! Didn't expect her to be vocal, whiny, very smart, loyal, curious, and she came with such a great off switch.. Love her to bits . Those who aren't educated enough to own one, or don't like/want one are truly missing out.. I honestly don't think I'll ever own another breed unless I rescue it.


----------



## Midnight12

Holmeshx2 said:


> their intensity! Alot of stuff actually I've had other dogs before and did lots of researching however they never tell you that everything you read about owning a GSD and actually OWNING the darn GSD are 2 very different things! Yeah you hear everyone say they shed like crazy and you THINK you prepared for it, then you bring one home. You read about the crazy mouthiness of the "land shark" then you bring one home and start another thread about it because you are positive something is wrong with yours because it's impossible an entire breed can be so flesh hungry!
> 
> Just how smart they truly are. Everyone knows they are smart but then you own one and you actually can see their little wheels turning and them figure out how to solve a problem the fact they truly think not just obey.
> 
> How loving and loyal they truly are. All the sites say that they are loyal however seeing it in person is something VERY different.
> 
> Oh and of course the fact you will never pee in peace ever again (or the nose peaking around the shower curtain just to make sure I didn't get sucked down the drain)


All of this si so true


----------



## LijhaPup

Jen&Bear said:


> ...the first ornament he took was one with a pic of my prev gsd that says "pet of the year 2005"


Ha! Lijha destroyed a "Good Dog" ornament i just got from the store... I actually think the chewed up remains are funnier and still went on the tree.

To the OP, I didn't really know anything about them, just that my Mom had one growing up and she said they were great dogs... This forum helped a great deal.


----------



## Lakl

I just had my "aha" or "DUH!" moment a week ago. I'd always read that these were a herding breed and people talk about how their dogs were always herding the family around, but never really got it until recently. My female is always trying to stay 2 steps in front of me and guess my every move or direction before I make it. I'd always complain to the DH about her constantly being in my way. Then about a week ago it suddenly hit me that she was herding me!! Lol.


----------



## KZoppa

KentuckyGSDLover said:


> Laughing as I read this. Rey actually steps on my heels as I walk.


 
LOL so does Shasta. Zena never stepped on my heels but she was ALWAYS right there. Shasta literally tries to wear my shoes for me she gets that close!!


----------



## shepherdmom

cta said:


> i can tell what he is doing by listening to his footsteps. for example, if i'm in the basement doing laundry or something and leave him unattended upstairs, the second i hear trotting or prancing, i KNOW he has something he shouldn't. i'm waiting for the day he figures out that i figured him out and he just starts walking instead of prancing after he thieves something.


Oooh I just found this thread. What fun. How about how sneaky they are. I had two males, one with a crooked ear and one with straight ears. The crooked ear one would put his ears straight up when in his brothers bowl, the straight eared one would put one ear down when he was doing something he wanted his brother to get blamed for. I also was just reading about the water gene. I didn't see anyone mention the chin wipe. Human legs make perfect towels for a GSD to wipe their face when done getting a drink.


----------



## ollie_leyna

BlackCat said:


> :laugh: Ah, yes, the vocal antics. I bought Lobo at 8 weeks and took him to my vet the next day. After his check up, the vet trimmed his nails. He barely even tipped them, only trimmed a half a millimeter, I swear. Lobo whined, howled, and cried so loudly, even the staff from the front came in to see what horrible thing was happening to him. Dr. Johnson said, "The world's biggest babies are male German Shepherds."


Ollie will jump up onto the seats and sit in my lap every time we get into the exam room at the vet's office. Then he just gives them this look, like "what's your problem?" The vet techs crack up every time. He's my 72 pound lapdog.

He also insists on sitting in my lap when I'm in the passenger seat in the car. We're currently trying to break him of that one though lol.


----------



## ollie_leyna

Also related to the velcro thing is the jealousy thing! Ollie gets really mad when I hug someone else, and starts barking and crying. My family shepherd does the same thing--when we were younger you could always tell when my sisters and I were up to no good with our dates because she'd start barking and whining. Best/worst chaperone ever lol

My family shepherd is also so vocal, and I always know just what she wants. If I stop petting her to talk to someone or do something, she'll paw at my hand and whine. It's like we're having a real conversation. She'll also nudge under my hands and put her head on my keyboard when she thinks I've had enough computer time. Love my dogs! :wub:


----------



## iBaman

How darn vocal they are!! When Sheldon needs a time out, and I tell him down, he'll grumble the whole way down! He also yelps when we grab his collar, and lately has been growling when we go to take any of his collars off...

The velcro. Oh my lord, I can't even stand up without him at my side, wondering where I'm going! And when I invite him on the couch, he's curled up right next to me, trying to invade my space, even though we're on the big couch and he has the whole rest of the couch to lay on!!

And the shedding...*shudder*. I thought because they were a short hair dog, they wouldn't shed as much...and boy was I WRONG. 

The stealing of things. He doesn't always chew on everything, but he likes to steal things off the coffee table and put it next to the back door. This is also where he puts all of his toys.


----------



## aj101710

LOL let me just start out by saying this is one of the FUNNIEST things I have ever read! I literally read most of these posts out loud to my boyfriend and we just sat here laughing because we kept thinking of how it sounds like our GSD Ares. Some of these things we haven't experienced since he's only 7 months old exactly today  but some of the things he does that I didn't think a GSD would do is:
1) hes a talker, and he loves to back talk especially to me, not so much to my boyfriend but he and I are constantly in a battle for who is dominate. 
2) I swear he watches Cops (the t.v. show) too much while we are away because he likes to grab us (mainly me) and try to take us down by our arm like they do the "bad" guy on t.v.
3) his yawns are so silly and so loud. 
4) the way he thinks our bed is his bed and how he takes up more than half the bed!....bed hog lol
5) how he walks through your legs while you are trying to walk, or you will walk into him because he cuts you off. 
6) how he will eat anything and everything. he loves his veggies! he even eats garlic without anything masking the taste. 
7) how much separation anxiety he gets if we leave him
8) sticking his head in the shower and after we are done showering he likes to go in and lick the water off the tub even though he has water in his bowl. 
9. Our girl GSD she used to walk on the back of the couch lol we called her our couch walker. ive never seen a dog do that only cats. and this was when she was a good 60 lbs! 
10) when we give him a sample of our food and he cries and cries and whines because he loves it and wants more and does this until we give him what he wants. 

I love him though! hes a silly boy! I swear he smiles, and you guys are right I think they can tell how you feel, because when I'm in a not so happy mood hes more cuddly like get better momma its okay is still love you and then get a fat tongue across the face lol I love him :wub:


----------



## iBaman

Hey aj...garlic isn't good for dogs. just a tip, don't want your baby getting sick!!


----------



## glinny

The vocal jealousy thing. We do puppy classes at our Humane Society. We have been taking turns walking around and petting the other dogs. The other dogs all just watch and wait for their turn to get petted. Effie cries like I just told her that I was going to leave her there after I was done petting all the other dogs.


----------



## aj101710

Thanks for letting me know. we only give him 1 clove every once in awhile (heard it was a natural dewormer{not that he has them but to make sure he doesnt get them}). but thanks for the advice we know better now not to give him any!



iBaman said:


> Hey aj...garlic isn't good for dogs. just a tip, don't want your baby getting sick!!


----------



## Shepherdgirl41

KZoppa said:


> Just how Velcro-like they can be. I knew they were watchful and followed their owners around but not being able to go to the bathroom alone ever again or sneeze without them jumping up out of a dead sleep looking for the threat to mom or dad... wow. lol.
> 
> Also the back-talking. I've never had a dog around that would back talk when told to sit or down or something.



Same here every i go jasmine goes. When I go to do laundry downstairs in the basement she whines and cries like im not coming back. The sneezing or coughing she jumps too. I love the back talking too its so cute.


----------



## Laney

LukasGSD said:


> What big BABIES they are. Step on a toe, omg it's the end of their worrrrld. You'd think you would have broken their leg in half.


So true! The vet always comments on how big of a baby Rivers is. He looks so tough on the outside, but the tiniest thing happens and he makes you feel like its the end of the world. Talk about a guilt trip.


----------



## Verivus

aj101710 said:


> Thanks for letting me know. we only give him 1 clove every once in awhile (heard it was a natural dewormer{not that he has them but to make sure he doesnt get them}). but thanks for the advice we know better now not to give him any!


Garlic in small amounts is perfectly fine. Once a month is nowhere near enough to make your dog sick. Some people say it is a natural insect repellent and give it to their dogs; whether that is true I don't know.


----------



## PaddyD

With regard to garlic: I think that the type/form that you use is important. I have also heard that garlic periodically in its natural form is good for insect (tick/flee) control. Just what I heard, don't know if it is true.
Garlic: A Long List of Benefits


----------



## VDAL

Besides all those things that you guys said like, whinning, water all over the place, goofiness I didn't know that they can switch modes from being "Big Dog" to "Gentle Dog".Nuka is 82 pounds , when she's running around the house she thinks she is chiwawa, almost tackle you down when she hits you, but when its coming to play with the kids she actually is changing her mode to be gentle and carrying.We don't have a kids but almost every week are small kids in our house.She will run with them around the house and slowing down when getting to close to them.What i notice too she is picking the smallest one(Chloe-2 year old) and guarding her.She will sit next to her and observe her how she plays and shaking her head like almost "yeah, yhm I've got you" 
We spend few days with the kids on New Years, when Nuka had a blast with the kids, but it seems when She couldn't see Chloe , she would look for her even when other kids where calling: Nuka.Chloe will call her "Nana" and give her a cracker, she would grab it gently and give a "kiss" in the chick for that.With me is she getting treat sometimes She forgeting to be gently, so I need to correct her.I've observed that and i was amazed.
And another thing.Nuka is a perfect alarm clock.7 am I don't even have to check the clock, I know it's 7 when I hear that whinning next to my bed.She doesn't even wants to go outside, she just want to wake you up cause she is up...


----------



## Loneforce

My young one likes to pull night crawlers "worms" from the ground and carry them around. something tells me I should start fishing again :laugh: and if your wondering....no he dont hurt them hes real gentle with them :shocked:


----------



## WannaBeK9

So many of these posts have me laughing out loud, as I can relate to most. I'll list a few, sorry if I repeat:

1-talking. Never, ever heard a dog as talkative as Jax. He talks when he wants to play, has to go out, is happy, is mad, wants petted, everything! 

2-Learning curve. Once he learns something, he KNOWS it. Forever. We had to teach him how to play...it took him about six months to learn to fetch. Now at 19 months old, Dad says that's all he ever wants to do! 

3-separation anxiety. If Mom and I take him to the self service dog wash, and I leave Mom with him while he's in the tub and walk away, he SCREAMS. 

4- He thinks he's a person and gets to go anywhere in a car with us.

5- Houdini gene! My boyfriend and I had him blocked in the living room with baby gates when he was a puppy, about 4 months old. We fell asleep watching a movie and woke up to him whining. Got up and he was outside in the hallway...neither gate moved, too high for him to jump, no clue how he did it.

6- the bond. I loved my Lab that I grew up with. But with Jax, there's something special. I can't really explain it, we just 'get' each other. He's my boyfriend's and my dog...as he'll be living with us when I move in with my OH next year, but ask anyone who knows Jax and they'll tell you, I'm his person.


----------



## Brisco_dog

How they chase wierd things, like butterflies. Staring at the ceiling (I swear he does this to creep me out, because there is NOTHING there!) The biggest thing I learned is how much he stole my heart! <3


----------



## LukesMommy

I have two dogs Luke is my German... I adore how he tells me about his day when I get home from work... This must be a German thing because my other dog does not. He also parades around the house with whatever he finds first when we get home... It usually is a baby but it can be a sock or remote whatever is closest. Luke however is usually the last to figure out that someone is walking a dog outside because he is always following me around not my husband. 

One thing that I didn't realize is how nasty their ears get.. He has a fit however when I try to clean them does anyone have any tricks? He also if very good with picking up all the tricks the only thing he will not learn is how to speak (Ironic since he loves to talk to me all the time)

Another funny thing about Germans is they hate when you work out.. I started the work out program Insanity and he really gets upset when I start jumping around or moving quickly. He prances around and jumps up (not on me but will run in circles around me and does the German leap and barks) He also gets right up in my face when I am doing sit ups. 

Lastly I love my "good morning mom are you still alive toe lick" He loves to lick feet I know it sounds gross but he will find my feet under the covers and lick them or sit on the couch and lick my feet its gross I know. He LOVES to give kisses excessively, I am not sure what that means I always forget to mention it to the vet but once he decided to start its hard to get him to stop...


----------



## Sevastra

I don't know a whole bunch about the breed, but what i have noticed from my pup and the breeders dogs i got him from...
I didn't know how vocal they are. Not with the barking, but mumbling..especially when my dog is told "no"..he walks away mumbling to himself. His father and mother, and is littermates do the same thing. How much they use their front paws...when my pup sits in front of me, he puts his paw over my knee, or both paws on my lap while he is sitting, leans back and stretchs his neck out.And how naturally protective they are of their people, other animals in the house etc.


----------



## Cinnamonvk

I didn't know about the the teleporting. Cinnamon or Cinnamonster as we like to call her, will be on the bed sound asleep. I walk to the kitchen, turn around and she's right behind me and not a footstep did I hear. I always ask her, "how do you do that?" Because before she was on the bed she thundered down the hall like a herd of buffalo!. Oh and on the vocal thing, it's not just that she's vocal it's that she always has to have the last word. She just makes me laugh. I recently read that once in your life a dog comes along that changes everything. Cinnamon is definitely that dog. Totally GSD. This is one of the best threads I've read in a long time. Thanks for the laughs and shares.


----------



## Caves216

Hahaha. Oh Man, I haven't even gotten my puppy yet and I'm in love the breed. These stories have me laughing to death. Wow, I can't wait to get Zephyr in a few days. !!!


----------



## Laney

Holmeshx2 said:


> (or the nose peaking around the shower curtain just to make sure I didn't get sucked down the drain)


Cannot shower without Rivers. Always have to keep an extra towel nearby so I can dry him off after _I_ shower. 



selzer said:


> 3. A variation of the bucket gene is the Bucket-W Gene. The symptoms of this gene are blowing bubbles in the water bowl or bucket, paddling the water out of the bucket, putting toys in water bucket, putting feet in water bucket, dunking the head in the water bucket for the sheer joy of spraying it all over. This is not to be confused with the Water Gene, see below.
> 
> 4. I have yet to meet a GSD without the Water Gene. I am not sure if it is only shepherds that have it. Whether you give them a bowl, or a pail, or a pot, GSDs are the messiest of drinkers. Some like to suck up a trunk full of water and carry it with them, leaving it on the bed or on the floor. Some will do this with food too, if you feed them in the kitchen and then go to the living room, they will take a mouthful and go to where they can see you lay it down and eat it at their leisure. Others just suck up a mouthful of water, turn to look at you and dribble half of it on the floor.
> .


These two are a perfect description of Rivers. His favorite thing to do is take his toy and soak it in water before he brings it back to me. I also had to buy those "spill-proof" bowls so he would stop digging the water out of his bowl (of course my smart little GSD puppy still figured out how to get the water onto the floor). And I swear I fill up the water dish every time I step into the kitchen because more than half of what he drinks ends up all around the house (this is just from drool/spitting it out...not including the digging). AH! Haha. 
I know that I could never be without a GSD.


----------



## KennyFrench

msvette2u said:


> how our home would never be complete without one...



love!!


----------



## WendyDsMom

Okay, I love all these stories... and I have had GSD's in my life since I was about 3. So I thought I knew all of the features.....

Nope.

Wendy is the class clown. When another dog is being disciplined in class - she yelps and it sounds like 'yeah', then snuffs and looks at me like - " can you believe he/she thinks that is okay?????"

Then there are the lap dances - when we mold our puppies into a sit next to us and the notebooks come out for lecture - Wendy oozes into my lap in a headstand and almost summersaults over me in order to get as much of her lanky butt into my lap. Even the trainer has to stop and smile at her as I try to correct her back into her sit or lay mold.... She does make a good lap desk once she settles.....

But when it comes time to perform the latest lessons - she always gets stellar ratings from our trainer - that is why she is allowed a little goof time during class.


----------



## ayoitzrimz

woah! I never believed starting this thread will generate so many great responses!  And I'm glad to see a 13 page thread that doesn't include 11 pages of bickering 

Love it!


----------



## jimj

I enjoyed reading all these posts, our little girl exhibits most of what's been posted so far except the Houdini thing but that's most likely because we've got a new style crate that the door has to be lifted/slid upwards instead of swung open.
If there comes a time where she can do that alone I'll REALLY be impressed!


----------



## KennyFrench

Brisco_dog said:


> How they chase wierd things, like butterflies. Staring at the ceiling (I swear he does this to creep me out, because there is NOTHING there!)



If he could talk, he’d say “Made you look!!”


----------



## KennyFrench

My Dog Thinks She’s a Cat:
When she stands up right after waking up. She lowers the front of her body and stretches her front legs, then stretches her back legs. One time, she was doing her little “Gotta cover up my pee” thing in the backyard and her back leg kick turned into a back leg stretch. 


The Water Gene:
We picked up an adjustable-height stand for Bella's water and food bowls, because we didn't want her stooping her head to eat. What does she do, takes a mouth full of food, drops it on the floor, and eats it from there. She's pretty good about drinking from the elevated water bowl though and only occasionally takes a mouth full of water into the living room before drinking it – dribbling water all the way. Granted, we only adopted her about 7 weeks ago (the vet thinks she’s about 4 or 5 years old) and she’s only recently started opening up. 

Velcro Dog: 
The other day, we took her to a groomer – we tried bathing her in the backyard and in the bathroom tub but she was too much for my wife and I to handle. When we got her home, she was on the living room couch and I could tell she was not happy – the groomer said she had a little trouble with Bella when trying to blow-dry around her head – so I sat down next to her and tried to pull her into my lap. She just flopped down next to me, facing away from me, and pushed herself as close to me as she could. At the time, I had my arm sorta around her neck and she put her head down, pinning my arm to the couch. We were like that for at least an hour. I would try to lift her head or pull my arm out and she would just push her head down harder. 



She’s normally not very clingy, but she has her moments when she won’t let me out of her sight. Sometimes, we'll be on the couch in my game room and she acts like I'm invading her space when she's trying to sleep, so I'll turn off the Xbox and go into the living room to watch TV. 5 minutes later, here she comes to see where I went.


Being Vocal: 
Bella has only made a deep whining, almost howling noise twice. Once at me when my wife and I came home from work and once at my wife when she got back from the store. Other than that, the only other times she’s been vocal is when she and I were playing around and she got really excited and when the vet took her temp and then tried to look in her ears. Although, when she’s laying on her side and stretching, she’s makes this low growly/moany sorta sound. 

Oh and she yelped pretty loud once when a big spark of static electricity jumped from my finger to the tip of her ear, but I don’t blame her because my finger was actually tingly for a few minutes after that. NEVER brush a dog when she/he is laying on a wool blanket. NEVER.


----------



## Wolfgeist

How in tune with Nature and the world they are compared to other breeds.


----------



## ladyfreckles

I agree with the whining thing. Nothing/nobody ever told me about the whining, just that "barking isn't really a problem". 

Other things:
- They are lazy in the house. 
- They can be drama queens in public. 
- They are extremely clumsy and need focused exercise to counter that. 

I was pretty well informed about the breed beyond that.


----------



## KennyFrench

ladyfreckles said:


> They are extremely clumsy and need focused exercise to counter that.


When Bella first wakes up - after sleeping for at least a couple hours - and she tries to walk, she's like a puppy trying out her legs for the first time. Once she almost knocked herself down. She was in our bedroom, did her "just woke up" full body shake *as she was walking*, started to fall over but caught herself by leaning on the wall by the door, but then didn't handle the transition from the carpet in our bedroom to the wood floor in the hall, her left foot slid to the right as she was making a left turn, caught herself again by leaning on another wall and then went prancing to the backdoor like nothing happened. When we got to the door she looked at me as if to say "I meant to do that."


----------



## Jaders

I am not sure if anyone has said this, but how talkative they are. Hero would always 'sing' to our ring tones on our cell phones. It was nice to know when someone was calling. 

Like Brisco said, how they look at everything. Yesterday Gunner and Lil Bit were playing in the back yard and an airplane flew over. Gunner stopped playing and watched the plane. It was pretty funny.


----------



## KatsMuse

I read this whole thread...have experienced most all of it and laughed a lot! 
There's no better dog for me than a GSD!!! 
Can't imagine my life without one! :wub:


----------



## df1960

My first GSD was an Angel...... Keisha - never whinned - never counter surfed - never stole.... she was perfect from the day I brought her home.
I had her for 12 years.

After Keisha died I said no more GSD, well hubby decided he wanted another one.....

Well we got Hawkeye...... he WHINES all the time, he counter surfed, he stole things, he emptied his water bowls and took them outside, the ones outside he'd bring them in.
He's done it all a real GERMAN SHEPHERD which I did not know they were like that.

BUT we love him..... he's getting much better........ but I could do without the whinning.


----------



## vickip9

wyoung2153 said:


> Kind of sad that Titan isn't vocal like that. He really only lets me know when someone is on the property and does the mouth snappy thing (any one know what I'm talking about?) without vocals when he gets VERY excited.


 

I know EXACTLY what you're talking about with the "mouth snappy" thing.. My boy does that too when he's really excited. He will do the mouth snappy thing right in my face!! Not aggressive at all, he just can't contain the excitement! It's like a drive by mouth snappy! 


I also didn't realize some of the quirks they have. For example, when I'm sitting down to put my shoes on, my boy thinks it's time to walk all over me. Literally, he will walk over me, plop down on top of me, do the mouth snappy at my face, etc. He's so darn funny! 

I also knew they had prey drive, but I didn't realize how intense it can be. When my boy sees a bunny, squirrel, outdoor cat, DEER, etc. it is nearly IMPOSSIBLE to break his focus on it. If he wasn't on a leash on our walks, I'm afraid he'd go after every moving thing he saw. But this is something we're working on.


----------



## wyoung2153

vickip9 said:


> I know EXACTLY what you're talking about with the "mouth snappy" thing.. My boy does that too when he's really excited. He will do the mouth snappy thing right in my face!! Not aggressive at all, he just can't contain the excitement! It's like a drive by mouth snappy!
> 
> 
> I also didn't realize some of the quirks they have. For example, when I'm sitting down to put my shoes on, my boy thinks it's time to walk all over me. Literally, he will walk over me, plop down on top of me, do the mouth snappy at my face, etc. He's so darn funny!
> 
> I also knew they had prey drive, but I didn't realize how intense it can be. When my boy sees a bunny, squirrel, outdoor cat, DEER, etc. it is nearly IMPOSSIBLE to break his focus on it. If he wasn't on a leash on our walks, I'm afraid he'd go after every moving thing he saw. But this is something we're working on.


 
I'm so glad this isn't just a Titan thing.. I had never seen a dog do that snappy thing, it was hysterical to me! Haha. 

And yeah Titan's prey drive is insane! I got him to break from chasing a squirrel the other day and I felt like I had just won the gold medal and gave him so many praises he probably thought I was going crazy haha!


----------



## ErinMiller

LukasGSD said:


> What big BABIES they are. Step on a toe, omg it's the end of their worrrrld. You'd think you would have broken their leg in half.


SO TRUE!! I swear the first time that happened I felt terrible and now I am just telling them to walk it off. Hahaha


----------



## tomachuck

jimj said:


> I enjoyed reading all these posts, our little girl exhibits most of what's been posted so far except the Houdini thing but that's most likely because we've got a new style crate that the door has to be lifted/slid upwards instead of swung open.
> If there comes a time where she can do that alone I'll REALLY be impressed!


My pup Maia got out of this style today, yesterday was her first day in it. AND she did it in the time it took me to close the door and sit on the couch. She's going to be a mess! But she stole my heart faster than any women! 

I didn't know how quickly they start to form a bond with you, or when asked to do work will cut the non sense and work. I also didn't know how fast they catch on, we were learning how to go on walks one correction is all she needs to know to stop paying attention to a person doing that activity (walking, running, cycling), although she decides to push it some times. I am overall just amazed by this breed.

I have only heard her bark once so far and that was to her refection, which is a bit odd because she never barks at other dogs. I guess she didn't like the ghostly image, or maybe it was all of her actions being mimicked. I found out real quick what kind of bark they have on them! And she is only 13 weeks! 

I just got my Maia yesterday and I would seriously hurt anyone that tried to take her away! I had always been drawn to GSDs, when I think of a dog that was always the first breed I thought of, and boy did my gut steer me correctly!


----------



## blackshep

PatternDayTrader said:


> One thing I didnt know about GSDs is that they follow you around all day ripping silent but deadly farts....


OMG, my puppy (and it's not her fault, Orijen was too rich for her) can clear a room. She woke me up the other night! 

And whoever said about how loud they cry if you step on their toe, so true!!! Too funny!

I love how my puppy knows not to take things off the coffee table (at least while I'm watching) but I never told her she couldn't put anything ON the table. So she'll put her gross chew toy on the table and then put her chin on it and stare at me, making that annoying whining sound through her nose until I throw it for her.

Who's training who again???


----------



## Glamisfoxgurl182

I am truely amazed at how smart they are! I knew they were smart and could learn quickly but I never knew how much until Gunnar came along. I remember trying to teach him to shake one day and he wouldnt get it so I gave up. A couple days later I told him to shake and he did it perfectly! what a little stinker. now i can tell him shake now give me the other paw and he will keep his paw there until you grab it and actually shake! 
He is a big cry baby too. When we wrestle and play he will let out huge whines. I swear the bf just chopped off his leg! it cracks me up!
and he is a huge slobbery drinker! omg theres more water on my kitchen floor then there is in the pool! its like he drinks then saves some in his mouth and slowly lets it out away from the water bowl! and when he drinks he MUST be able to put his whole face in the water so he can blow bubbles as he drinks!
He thinks hes a lap dog. and that the couch and my lap are a safe zone! I never knew a dog could give you such a guilty look as in saying mom save me from dad! hes trying to get me! lol
I would never change a thing though. He is the other love of my life!! and I will never have another dog again!


----------



## jmwellbaum

Glamisfoxgurl182 said:


> I am truely amazed at how smart they are! I knew they were smart and could learn quickly but I never knew how much until Gunnar came along. I remember trying to teach him to shake one day and he wouldnt get it so I gave up. A couple days later I told him to shake and he did it perfectly! what a little stinker. now i can tell him shake now give me the other paw and he will keep his paw there until you grab it and actually shake!
> He is a big cry baby too. When we wrestle and play he will let out huge whines. I swear the bf just chopped off his leg! it cracks me up!
> and he is a huge slobbery drinker! omg theres more water on my kitchen floor then there is in the pool! its like he drinks then saves some in his mouth and slowly lets it out away from the water bowl! and when he drinks he MUST be able to put his whole face in the water so he can blow bubbles as he drinks!
> He thinks hes a lap dog. and that the couch and my lap are a safe zone! I never knew a dog could give you such a guilty look as in saying mom save me from dad! hes trying to get me! lol
> I would never change a thing though. He is the other love of my life!! and I will never have another dog again!


lol sounds just like mine. i wear hearing aids so we got jake to be a alarm clock and also a guard dog for when i got moved out. i was amazed that it only took a few mornings before he caught on maybe like a week and he knew my phone alarm ment playtime for him haha he would have been 8-10 weeks when we started training him to wake me up. he also forgets to swallow the last drink of water and dripps it in the floor. i have slipped and fallen quite a few times while rushing thru the kitchen on my way to work or classes. I always thought the water thing was just with my dog lol


----------



## SiegersMom

Messy with water!!! I avoided mastiffs and st. bernards because they drooled too much. Never imagined a GSD would be so drippy:0 I love him though, drips and all. 
Droping toys in the water....toilet!!! His ball sinks and gets stuck and he runs to me with this look on his face like Mommy come help me. They sits patiently while I dig the ball out with a fork or some other pointy object. I try to keep the lids down...a husband and 11-year-old son...good luck with that


----------



## SiegersMom

I also love going to the trainer. She will be working next to me showing me something and tell her dog to sit or go down and Sieger will do it then look at her like give me my treat now. He thinks he needs to please us both!!!


----------



## Cstout

Not sure if this is just with Stark but, THE PAW. Its always on us, not like hes trying to shake. Just like hes telling us here I am. Ive read it can mean dominance, but he shows no signs of dominance toward us. He knows where he fits in the pack. But, no matter what we are doing he comes over to us and puts a paw on us. If im in bed reading/ watching tv he will come next to the bed and put his paw on my arm. If im sitting somewhere he can lay near me he has to have a front paw on me. Same thing with the boyfriend. Sometimes it seems like he doesnt even want anything but to just put his paw on us.I think its cute.


----------



## Sunflowers

It is the GSD Paw of friendship! :wub:


----------



## Sunflowers

I didn't know the varied noises they make. One of Hans's nicknames is Uh-ribruh because he says that when something is not to his liking. Also the mumbling and grumbling, as if muttering to himself about the tyranny of humans. It is hysterical!


----------



## tav

well for starters jasmine has two types of barks, one is a play bark when she is on her back and playing and the other is your knock on the door bark , that bark i let her go with it to let her be known.....love that bark.

this summer we just started playing freezbie and boy does she love it and chews them up, but well be in the yard and then she picks up the freezie and looks at me to say ...come on lets play, just all around smat dogs.


----------



## ImaginaryBee

For me it was their intelligence, protection and goofball-ness.

I mean, I knew they were a very smart and protective breed of dog. But I underestimated that for sure!

Someone else mentioned "sitting with their butt an inch off the ground" and such knowing half the time I would not catch it and it was easier on her part! lol. In training Bella I came to find out she is extremely intelligent. It was a breeze to teach her all she knows. She senses so much. She knows what to do by a hand movement or a look I give, she almost senses what I want her to do and does it. I am truly lucky.

I love how protective she is. Again, I knew they would be, but she is exceptional. She is protective but even in the midst of letting the neighbors dog know to get off the property she listens to my commands. No matter how riled up she is, she listens. She takes our family seriously and shows us everyday in her constant watch, searching rooms, and listening. If the UPS man pulls up, she is on alert. The second he leaves, she is off searching each room (paying close attention to the kids room) for intruders before she settles back down. She has a play, protection, alert, sleep, and I am going to bite your face off sort of bark sets. I've grown to know which is which and how to adjust what I am doing.

Last of all she is a major goofball!! The prances outside, she shoves her nose under snow and runs like a bull dozer, she rolls on her back in the grass forever! She is a true comedian at times haha She loves sticks! We have a burn pile and I swear she picks the largest stick from it, drags it out and brings it to me or my husband to throw. If a stick is TOO big, she will drag it out and break apart off!


----------



## ImaginaryBee

Cstout said:


> Not sure if this is just with Stark but, THE PAW. Its always on us, not like hes trying to shake. Just like hes telling us here I am. Ive read it can mean dominance, but he shows no signs of dominance toward us. He knows where he fits in the pack. But, no matter what we are doing he comes over to us and puts a paw on us. If im in bed reading/ watching tv he will come next to the bed and put his paw on my arm. If im sitting somewhere he can lay near me he has to have a front paw on me. Same thing with the boyfriend. Sometimes it seems like he doesnt even want anything but to just put his paw on us.I think its cute.


Bella too! Especially if we are petting her and she is on the floor in front of the couch, that right paw comes right up into our laps


----------



## blackshep

My pup does the paw thing too, but it's only when she is begging for snuggles.


----------



## Kaasuti

This thread has had me laughing today. My puppy nips at me all the time, complains if i tell him off or if i'm not walking fast enough, is over dramatic when i accidentally step on him, whines constantly about everything, and has no concept of how sharp his claws are (i get scratched everyday).
Like some people on here i thought that my pup had some behavioral problems, but obviously he doesn't at all, :crazy:. He is also very, very smart and pick up things really quickly.
​


----------



## briantw

ayoitzrimz said:


> Until you owned one... I'd love to know odd and some mainstream facts that people just did not know about GSDs until they own one.
> 
> I'll start - the whining! I was told when researching the breed that they are not big barkers and usually only bark when they feel its necessary. I can attest to that as my dog really only barks when there's someone at the door or when those **** delivery guys slip menus under the door  whereas my neighbor's sheltie seems to just bark its head off out the window and seemingly nothing...
> 
> What I wasn't told is the whining . not whining dogs who learned whining will get them what they want but whining as most GSDs do - being vocal, whining when excited, whining when I make funny noises, sometimes just whining out of nowhere (not including health issues that we do not know about that's causing them pain or something) - German shepherds are just big vocal dogs that love to "talk" ... I did not know that until owning one but once I did and asked other shepherds' owners they all pretty much said "oh yea that's a GSD for you" lol
> 
> so, what did you not know about until getting a shepherd?


Yeah I had no idea German Shepherds were such pansies. I mean, my Boxer whined a lot too when he was a puppy, but he has always been an absolute tank. I could probably hit him in the face with a bat and he'd think it was a game. He literally feels almost no pain. When he goes to the vet for shots he doesn't even notice he's being punctured. 

He got bit by another dog once and it was a really deep, painful-looking bite. He didn't even squeal. The vet said he'd probably be in pain for several days and may have trouble turning his head (the bite was in the throat area). Nope. He acted completely normal.

Then I got my GSD and found out that not all big dogs are created equal. He's the biggest pansy in the world. The slightest mild twist of his skin elicits a squeal of pain like he's been shot. It's ridiculous. And he whines constantly about anything and everything. It's almost comical that a ninety-pound dog could be such a wuss.


----------



## rumhelka

How much they bite, scratch and jump as puppies!!! How slowly they mature...


----------



## JakodaCD OA

I have lived my entire life with german shepherds, as the years go by and I have always had them, I guess what I figured, but didn't know, was just how very very special and what an impact on my life they have been and continue to be


----------



## harmony

20 yrs ago i thought my shepherds mouth was that of a chow with the black spots on his tongue, lol....


----------



## Jenna&Me

I grew up in a cat household so it came as a shock to find that they can steal your heart completely. And when they leave you how empty a house can feel. 

The talking to them and they listen. You can tell them anything and they never repeat it. Even out of bed first thing in the morning you are the most beautiful thing they have ever seen. (How many of us really look that way rofl) And they talk back to you in so many ways. How very very different they can all be. That was a huge lesson, don't let the first dream dog let you think they are all that way.

When they look in your eyes with all the love they feel. My almost 10 week old has the most amazing eyes and does this. Makes me teary just typing this lol.

That they are so very intelligent and get to know us even better than we know ourselves. They learn our habits so fast.

I love GSD's, they are such an amazing breed. And of course I love mine the most.


----------



## myshepharley

df1960 said:


> My first GSD was an Angel...... Keisha - never whinned - never counter surfed - never stole.... she was perfect from the day I brought her home.
> I had her for 12 years.
> 
> After Keisha died I said no more GSD, well hubby decided he wanted another one.....
> 
> Well we got Hawkeye...... he WHINES all the time, he counter surfed, he stole things, he emptied his water bowls and took them outside, the ones outside he'd bring them in.
> He's done it all a real GERMAN SHEPHERD which I did not know they were like that.
> 
> BUT we love him..... he's getting much better........ but I could do without the whinning.


Harley is an angel as well. Doesn't whine unless its walk time. Never counter surfed, chewed anything and he has got to be the most gentle water drinker I have ever seen. Not even a tiny drip on the floor. I'm afraid I am being spoiled to no end and if there is a next one, it will be a little holy terror devil child!!!!!!!!


----------



## Kyleigh

I researched for two years before I got my GSD, and my last dog was shep / lab / hound mix so I THOUGHT I had a pretty good idea what I was getting into. 

The talking and talking back ... HA! That's not mentioned ANYWHERE except for this forum, and this thread (which btw had me in stitches all the way through it, and yes, I read the whole thread!)

Water - My last dog loved water ... Kyleigh redefined LOVES water ... she sat in her water bowl, climbed into the toilet bowl, hopped in the tub, the shower. It was insanity! Thankfully, training and maturity helped curb some of those oh so delightful moments. 

Toilet paper. Am I the ONLY dog owner that's had this? Ky was obsessed with toilet paper until about 3 months ago (She's 16 months now). I had to hide it - out of sight hide it, not out of "reach". Because if it was just on the counter, she'd jump ON the counter to get to the toilet paper. And this was ONLY for toilet paper. She didn't jump anywhere else to get to anything else. 

Imagine, you're sitting on the toilet (and yes, I've finally managed to be able to use the toilet in private ... but not at that moment) ... and she's watching you like a hawk. The toilet paper is on the counter in the bathroom, about a foot away from you. Just as you reach for the toilet paper, the dog jumps up ONTO the counter, grabs the roll, jumps back off, slides into the door and takes off down the hall with her prize! This happened ONCE and then I would only take what I needed for TP and put the rest of the roll in the medicine cabinet. 

The other posts have been wonderfully hilarious to read, thanks to all the people that posted, brightened by day for sure!


----------



## apenn0006

I never realized how clumsy and sillly they are. We will be in an open field and Yager will plow right into us as he's trying to run by. My poor daughter gets ran over almost every time we go outside and she gets SO mad at him! lol 

He also will jump up on the bed in the morning uninvited and when I tell him "off" he snaps at me and jumps off...all of this happens in maybe a seconds time and has become one fluid motion. I don't know why he likes to test me...

I also have never seen a dog use their front paws like he uses his. He reminds me of cat sometimes. I wish I could pet him without getting the paw of friendship. 

I also have never seen a dog get so out of sorts when the family is not all in the same room together and a door separates us. He feels the need to make his rounds to check on us. 

As for the water bowl in the kitchen...I have perfected the art of sliding in heels and catching myself before crashing to the ground.


----------



## Pandora

apenn0006 said:


> I never realized how clumsy and sillly they are. We will be in an open field and Yager will plow right into us as he's trying to run by. My poor daughter gets ran over almost every time we go outside and she gets SO mad at him! lol
> 
> He also will jump up on the bed in the morning uninvited and when I tell him "off" he snaps at me and jumps off...all of this happens in maybe a seconds time and has become one fluid motion. I don't know why he likes to test me...
> 
> I also have never seen a dog use their front paws like he uses his. He reminds me of cat sometimes. I wish I could pet him without getting the paw of friendship.
> 
> I also have never seen a dog get so out of sorts when the family is not all in the same room together and a door separates us. He feels the need to make his rounds to check on us.
> 
> As for the water bowl in the kitchen...I have perfected the art of sliding in heels and catching myself before crashing to the ground.


Hmmm, our GSD will be 4 April 5. She has NEVER EVER gotten on the bed, couch, chairs. She has NEVER EVER growled at me or been anything but sweet and tolerant of anything I to do her (brushing her teeth, cleaning her ears, grooming her, etc.). If your dog is displaying the behaviors you describe, your dog needs work. This is definitely not behavior common to GSD in general. 
When our dog was less than a year old, I had some fresh bison meat on the counter. She jumped up to investigate, the first AND LAST time she ever did that. I caught her by the scruff, held her there, looked into her eyes, and said firmly, "AH-AH! Good dogs stay OFF!"
Now I can leave her alone in the kitchen with the most tempting stuff on table or counter and she never even thinks about going there. It was fortunate that I caught her in the act and made such an impression on her. I never yell at her or say NO. She has just about become telepathic and is responsive to hand signals or just a look. 
Yes, she does like to put her paws on people, but that is not allowed, so I have taught her all sorts of foot things - how do you do, give me 5, high 5, and a standing high 5 (very cool). She uses her paws in amazingly dexterous ways. When she was less than 1 yr. old, I got the news that my father had broken his hip (again). I fell on the bed sobbing. Puppy came up, put her left paw on my left arm, her right paw on my right shoulder and patted me while she licked my ear. It was so comforting. There are times when those paws are doing the right thing! When I am getting paws I haven't asked for, I turn my face and body away from her, giving her NONE until she removes her paws from my person. 
I'd say keep working with your dog so he understands what you expect and what behaviors are unacceptable.


----------



## Olivers mama

After my first 6-month round of chemo, I decided I "reward" myself & adopt a dog. Not a puppy - we wanted a Rescue. We both had never had, but wanted a GSD.

1. "Play Bow" - I'd only seen that in some puppies, never in a grown dog.
2. Shedding - Rescue people said GSDs shed twice a year. They were right - they shed the first 1/2 of the year & the 2nd half of the year.
3. Clumsy - she really needs a ballet class.
4. Goofy - when she's playful, she's as dingy as they come. Always makes us laugh.
5. Loyal - she's a Daddy's Girl, but she tolerates me. And totally respects the 4 housecats.
6. Light Bulb Syndrome - you can almost "see" the lights come on when she finally "gets" something, when she finally understands.

We made mistakes too numerous to count with her: inconsistency training, lousy high-paid trainers, worthless "behaviorist"...when we finally started over (with NILIF) - we are finally getting the dog we wanted, in terms of training. She's been with us 2 years & she FINALLY understands that she's in a safe place. No more beatings, cuts, scrapes, scars. No more going hungry. 2 people that love her. The light bulb FINALLY came on - seems like overnight, altho it wasn't. This dog has gone from a PIA to the sweetest dog you could ask for.

Only a GSD can endure what she did & still come back to like humans again. There will always be at least one GSD in our house.


----------



## apenn0006

Pandora said:


> Hmmm, our GSD will be 4 April 5. She has NEVER EVER gotten on the bed, couch, chairs. She has NEVER EVER growled at me or been anything but sweet and tolerant of anything I to do her (brushing her teeth, cleaning her ears, grooming her, etc.). If your dog is displaying the behaviors you describe, your dog needs work. This is definitely not behavior common to GSD in general.




Haha! WOW! gotta love a know-it-all. First of all, my dog has NEVER ever shown any type of aggression towards anyone. All of these behaviors are him playing and being silly. He gets up on the bed and couch because I allow him to get up there, plain and simple. He is only allowed if I invite him though. 

Secondly, I believe there have even been several discussions on this board about the difference in personality between males and females so you can't really compare your female to my male. I truly believe that no two dogs are the exact same but I wholeheartedly believe he acts just like a lot of people's dogs on here. You are correct in saying he needs more training. I will be the first to agree with you there. Heck, I should send him to you since your dog is so much better behaved than mine...in fact, maybe other people would like to send their dogs to you too since some of their behaviors may not be common GSD behavior...

BTW, my dog is still a puppy


----------



## lzver

Pattycakes said:


> I agree about the "talking" or "whining". I remember my first GSD starting "talking" when she was a puppy and I was like WTH? LOL And when I got Uschi...she didn't really start talking until she was about 2'ish...but I love it! And its one of the qualities I like about the breed.


It took Jake a few days to find his ‘voice’. For the first few days home, he didn’t bark and would only whine occasionally.

After a few days of settling in, we started to learn that our cute little 8 week old puppy had quite the attitude J Even to this date at 9 months old, he talks back and gives attitude. After asking a 2nd or 3rd time he usually listens, so it doesn’t cause that much of an issue. We usually struggle to keep a straight face when he’s like this because all you want to do is laugh J

I think the thing that surprised me the most was how much they are a Velcro dog … When I’m home by myself with Jake he’s my shadow. As soon as my husband gets home, he has a shadow everywhere he goes. You cannot go anywhere in the house without Jake … if you do, man do you ever hear about it J

The other thing that surprised me is just how vocal they are. I’m not just talking about barking … I’m talking about whining! Anytime he can’t be where you are or can’t get what he wants he whines! We do our best to not encourage the behavior and he needs to be settled and quiet to get what he wants, but it doesn’t stop him from trying. He whines so much that one of our parrots has picked it up … so I’m sure he gets blamed for some whining that he’s not even doing.


----------



## Atticus5

Toilet paper. Am I the ONLY dog owner that's had this? Ky was obsessed with toilet paper until about 3 months ago (She's 16 months now). I had to hide it - out of sight hide it, not out of "reach". Because if it was just on the counter, she'd jump ON the counter to get to the toilet paper. And this was ONLY for toilet paper. She didn't jump anywhere else to get to anything else. 

You are most definitely not the only one with "toilet paper" issues
We have a free standing toilet paper roll dispenser. Atticus will oh so delicately take the end of the toilet paper sheet in his teeth and then run as fast as he can throughout our bedroom! I walked into our bedroom the other day and I swear it brought back memories of my childhood neighborhood being TP'd on Halloween. The proud look on Atticus's face was priceless:smirk:


----------



## Kyleigh

LMAO ... I had a kitten that did that ... what a mess eh? Thanks for the reassurance!!!


----------



## Olivers mama

For SIX YEARS, our TP has been out of site. Paper towels, too. We adopted a Tortie kitty 6 years ago & she LOVED to TP the inside of the house. Brought the TP out again in June....came home from work & there was TP strewn all over. So it's back behind closed doors again.

So Ziva never sees it. And, from what I'm seeing here - she never will, either!


----------



## Josie/Zeus

I didn't know they would break my heart as much as they do when they cross the rainbow bridge, even more so years later.


----------



## lzver

katdog5911 said:


> I had GSDs growing up but all were older rescues....Now with Stella I have learned what a landshark is....counter surfing.... and always finding my shoes or slippers somewhere other than where I left them.... And then there is always the I will make you play with me by stealing forbidden objects and showing them to you


You sure you're not describing my Jake  Right now he's in a phase where he's stealing everything that he's not supposed to have. And the counter surfing is driving me nuts!


----------



## apenn0006

lzver said:


> You sure you're not describing my Jake  Right now he's in a phase where he's stealing everything that he's not supposed to have. And the counter surfing is driving me nuts!


socks and stuffed animals here...lol


----------



## Piper'sgrl

Growing up with labs my whole life then getting my girl Piper..just how smart and loyal they are. Don't think I'll ever own a different breed now that ive had a GSD


----------



## FrankieC

myshepharley said:


> Harley is an angel as well. Doesn't whine unless its walk time. Never counter surfed, chewed anything and he has got to be the most gentle water drinker I have ever seen. Not even a tiny drip on the floor. *I'm afraid I am being spoiled to no end and if there is a next one, it will be a little holy terror devil child!!!!!!!!*


LOL, this is exactly what I was thinking. My last GSD Riley made it almost too easy. He was the perfect companion. And now, in one week, my second GSD arrives .. :lurking:


----------



## GusGus

KZoppa said:


> Just how Velcro-like they can be. I knew they were watchful and followed their owners around but not being able to go to the bathroom alone ever again or sneeze without them jumping up out of a dead sleep looking for the threat to mom or dad... wow. lol.
> 
> Also the back-talking. I've never had a dog around that would back talk when told to sit or down or something.


Exactly what I was going to say. Especially the back-talking. I get back talk a lot when I talk to Gus.


----------



## dwighty

Pharoah is my 3rd gsd, and although they were all different in their own ways Pharoah is the wierdest of them all. As a puppy he tolerated being petted, hated getting on the bed or couches, never has he went after food on the table or counter he just doesn't touch it, has never gone through the trash ( unless the cat got to it,then it was fair game). As for shoes, never a problem unless they are on your feet. As for temperment, when dealing with little children and senior citizens he is a perfect gentlemen, anyone in between is on a case by case basis. My perfect shadow.


----------



## wolfy dog

I didn't know that, even as a trainer, I would ever pull out my hair when having a puppy!!
I didn't know that he would be able to know what I am talking about without having taught him before. 
I didn't know how intense a bond with a dog could be until I met him.
I didn't know how sweet they are; they always looked so serious and gorgeous to me.
I didn't know I would ever think of a dog as "magical".
I am sure there is still a lot I don't know yet.....


----------



## shandy

the constant back answering....... never heard a dog do that before we sabre our 2yr old gsd......:shocked: and there is the foot licking when you are asleep or a cold nose stuck in your face in the middle of the night.......


----------



## Lucky Paw

i never knew they hated cats so much


----------



## myshepharley

FrankieC said:


> LOL, this is exactly what I was thinking. My last GSD Riley made it almost too easy. He was the perfect companion. And now, in one week, my second GSD arrives .. :lurking:


Please share the new little devil child experience!!!!!!!!


----------



## shandy

i never knew a dog that had to have his nose in everything that goes on....... for example...

my kids got a trampoline a pretty big one given to them and on the first day they play with it sabre circles it looking for a way on....finally deciding the only way is to go for it he proceeds to jump on to it knocking over both kids in the process.... then much to my dismay i have to go out get him down coz although he jumped up its much easier to whine for mum to come get you down!! :shocked:


----------



## Superscout

Having been blessed in years past with shelties and huskies, Scout is my first GSD. He suprises me with the following:

-his pouting when he thinks I should be playing with him [always]
-his following me around everywhere the minute I get home from work usuall started with a hug from him
-that a 85lb GSD can be so gentle
-that if the wife and i dont go to bed by 10:30, he looks at us in disgust and heads of to his kennel by himself
-that my 9 yr old son and scout could be such buddies
-that he is the nosiest creature ever
-that he lets me do anything and everything even if he doesnt like it cause he understands that I am the alpha
-that he sheds a full dogs worth of fur in a month 
-that he has started to eat poo..:help:
-that i really didn't want an inside dog this time, but could not imagine him not being in the house now


----------



## kiya

Lucky Paw said:


> i never knew they hated cats so much


Thats not true.


----------



## Christiansen

ya they hat cats and to a huge extent...next i also noticed foot licking...they dont do it only on me..they even do it to my children & when they were young mostly they got frightened..


----------



## llombardo

Christiansen said:


> ya they hat cats and to a huge extent...next i also noticed foot licking...they dont do it only on me..they even do it to my children & when they were young mostly they got frightened..


I don't think that they all hate cats. They have a strong prey drive and might like to chase cats. I have five cats and my GSD loves them and they love her. I've been looking at GSD's in rescues and most of them are fine with cats too. I want another one down the road, but it has to be good with cats...there is no other option.


----------



## Nikitta

I agree with the prey drive. I had a cat, a special cat. Every once in a while you get a special animal whatever species. Barnabas was that. My older cat wouldn't accept him as a kitten so he played with my full grown GSD. He decided he loved dogs. I had 3 GSDS at one point and you have never seen pack action until you have 3. They wanted to chase but Barnabas would just sit down and stare at them and they would walk away. He was no fun. hehe


----------



## huntergreen

i didn't know how i would miss each one of them when they crossed the bridge.


----------



## Jo Ellen

How hard their bones are. My bruises defy any other explanation.


----------



## RowdyDogs

I was also surprised by all the vocalizing...Hector is constantly grumbling and groaning and whining.

I never realized how smart and energetic they are. Hector constantly amazes me with how much he thinks and what he can figure out. My other breed, ACDs, are known for their intelligence but often I think Hector is the smartest dog I have.



llombardo said:


> I don't think that they all hate cats. They have a strong prey drive and might like to chase cats. I have five cats and my GSD loves them and they love her. I've been looking at GSD's in rescues and most of them are fine with cats too. I want another one down the road, but it has to be good with cats...there is no other option.


Yeah, Hector will chase cats if they run but he knows not to hurt them and he's just fine. It's the prey drive, but I've found it pretty easy to teach Hector that they're off limits when it comes to rough play or biting. I've known plenty of other Shepherds who lived with cats so I think it's hardly a universal trait.


----------



## GrammaD

How quirky they can be  

Huxley has so many funny little habits. From his morning stockpile of filched items, to his very serious "discussions" with me in which he places a paw on my chest and looks deeply into my eyes as he "tells" me what he thinks I need to know, to his obsession with water play ( example- if we forget to put the toilet seat down he dunks his stuffies). He is just funny to live with.

Oh, and he has discriminating taste in foods. The other night I had leftover brussel sprouts so when I released the dogs from their bed to come hang by the dinner table I tossed one to my lab who snarfed it down and one to Huxley who caught it and his facial expressions were priceless (note- how expressive a face GSD's have is another surprise) he went from "Oh for me?" to "What the heck?" to "She eats this? I am seriously worried about my human" before he laid down and spit it out. Mind you, he ATE it because he saw Abby the Labby had designs on it. But he did not enjoy it.


----------



## Mr. Aero

I did not know my 100lb GSD would frantically chase a laser pointer like a cat! He is so powerful when he pounces on it.


Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Kyleigh

OMG GrammaD - he dunks his stuffies in the toilet ... I LOVE IT!!!! To funny ... 

Mr. Aero - laser pointers are NOT good for dogs - creates obsession - here's a link for you ... http://www.germanshepherds.com/foru...rding-shadows-flashlights-laser-pointers.html


----------



## GrammaD

Kyleigh said:


> OMG GrammaD - he dunks his stuffies in the toilet ... I LOVE IT!!!! To funny ...
> [/URL]


Oh yes, very funny, until he walks through a room shaking a toy and slinging toilet water all over


----------



## RidgeWalker

I've been amazed at how much variation there is between dogs of the same family. My last dog was calm, laid back, never barked whined or talked. As long as there was an AC vent around blowing cold air, she'd lay on it and soak up all the cold and never say a word. Her younger sister that I have now, this girl here thinks everybody needs to be up at oh six hundred right along with her, and will yell and whine until somebody gets up and plays with her.


----------



## GSD mum

I didn't realize just how much of a Diva females can be.


----------



## Shaolin

I didn't know they came in colors other than black and tan until I started looking. 

I also didn't know how vocal they are!


----------



## i loved my dog too hard

I didn't know that mother dogs would actually eat their puppies! grossest thing ever.


----------



## PXDesign

How smart they are... 

Several years ago, I had bought a tray of 12 blueberry muffins and had it sitting on a counter, way back where (theoretically) she couldn't reach it. I came back into the room a hour later, and the pack was carefully opened and one — not all, not 5 — one muffin was gone and the tray was slightly off angle, maybe 5 degrees. I didn't even realize it was my GSD until I noticed the couple of crumbs next to the tray and on the floor.


----------



## bga

How in touch with our emotions they are... 

My wife and I went through some trying times over the past decade. Our GSD always knew when something was up and would try to comfort us accordingly. One instance was when my wife lost her grandmonther a few years ago, she was understandably upset. Our GSD walked to her, pressed her head against my wife's belly, and just stayed there until she stopped crying. A couple months later, when we were in a more light-hearted mood, my wife decided to try fake crying to see if she could get the same reaction. Our GSD just laid on the floor and stared, as if to say, "Silly human, I know real crying when I see it. I'm not falling for that!"


----------



## Jag

I didn't know when I got my first-20 years ago- that they could 'tattle' on children, or find ways to get the kids to play with him. The intelligence is almost scary! Talking, talking, and more talking! Without even a single bark! I'm figuring out what all Grim's vocalizations mean. He has many... and they all mean something different. Sometimes it's impossible not to LOL at them! They do NOT forget. I was careful to block the door ice maker when I got the new fridge so that my shepherd at the time couldn't see how to get the ice. I also make sure I bought one with a lockout button! I didn't realize how much they shed, either. I didn't realize the amount of socialization they needed with the first one. I also didn't realize that he was walking all over me... or how bad that was. I treated him like every other dog I'd had... you can imagine the problems I encountered!!  
Different lines are... different! After 20 years of having shepherds, Grim has made me feel like he's my first many, many times!! :blush: They can be real smart alecs. Talking back, taking things just to take them, blowing you off then giving you the finger with their eyes and body language, and I had a male who figured out how to turn on our touch lamps in the bedroom. Took me days to figure out how the lights got on at 2 am! 
After we got Grim, we remembered that we have to wear slippers in the house because of the water they take with them. Grim also takes mouthfuls of food away from his bowl to eat it (first one did this, too). My poor MIL was trying to wipe up the water with paper towels every time he took a drink at her house. We had to explain to her it was pointless... 

How many people are afraid of them. Including my parents. Everyone knows someone (apparently) who was attacked or their kid was attacked because the dog "turned" on them. The darker the dog, the more they fear it. Especially the face. The dogs can be amused by this, and try to get that response. DEVOTION. With this being my 4th, I thought I knew that one. NOPE. Grim takes it to a whole other level. He's a one person dog, and his world revolves around me. Thankfully no separation anxiety. He goes ape if I leave the house without him, but settles down and waits for me after I've left. He has griped at me when I returned, too.  They seem to think there's an escape door in the bathroom. When it gets dark, they get more 'aware'. Watching a GSD protect you (from a real threat) is something that is amazing to watch. You can be very 'in tune' with your dog, where everything you do together runs like clockwork. 

If it's quiet, you need to go check on them. They study, think, decide, etc. and you can see it in their eyes. I didn't know before I got my first one that there was any other color or 'type' than the saddle back black and tan. I also didn't know there were different 'lines'. I didn't know a dog could be THAT in love with a tennis ball!  All of my boys didn't mind getting wet in the rain, but all needed to come in and dry their faces on me. They can tell a child from an adult, and adjust their behavior accordingly. Yes, I've tried to 'fake' upset, too... and it doesn't work. They know when you're actually upset and will be right there for you. Fake it, though... and they act like you're nuts. The sense of humor is amazing. So is watching them when they're full of pride. You can see the love and adoration in their eyes and body posture. You'll never see any other breed the same way again. There is nothing in life that I've experienced so far (and I've had a lot of losses) that equals the pain and agony of their loss.
Almost forgot... the landsharking! My first wasn't bad at all, the second and third were a little worse. Grim was the worst I've had! Apparently, pretty bad compared to most. I wear the scars with pride, though!! He's my boy, and I never stopped playing with him or trying to interact with him no matter how bad of a shark he was! Oh, and you'll do just about anything for them. Anything.


----------



## Faelan

I didn't know what a "heart dog" was, and that mine would be one.

Also, that they are willing to take the consequences of some of their actions. When Faelan gets ahold of a piece of "people food" (usually that the kids leave laying around) and I catch him, he immediately drops it. But once he realizes I'm on my way over to take it, he makes the decision that eating it is worth the trouble he's going to get into and attempts to swallow it whole. I can't count how many times I have reached all the way into his mouth to pull something out.


----------



## jessac

How sensitive they are - we went to a party a few weeks ago and someone sneezed - he just had to go and check on them to make sure they were ok. Every. Time. Everyone thought it was funny, but sometimes, if he's sleeping, I try and hold them in since I know he'll jump up all concerned.

And hilariously, you can't blame gas on the dog. My husband tried but the dog just looked at him, like "Don't blame me, that was you" - nothing gets past him. 

And as others have said - the water loving, door opening, vocalizing, sassing, being big babies, big goofballs. During his landshark phase (around 3 months) I left him and shut the door on him just to get away since I was frustrated - well, he opened it right up and kept biting me. He loves the sprinklers so much we have to be sneaky in turning them on. He will go right up to them and put his entire mouth over them to stop the water - then just sticks his face in it for fun. 

And yes, he will follow me to the bathroom. If he was laying down and has to get up though, he gets so annoyed. He does the heavy sigh/ lay down outside the door and when I come back out, he looks at me like "Really? We're moving again?" I tell him I didn't ask him to follow me, but he just gives me "the look." 

And yes, their expressions are priceless.


----------



## arby665

I didn't know that no amount of reading was going to prepare me for this girl of mine. :laugh: She's still just a pup but she is amazing and a huge PITA at the same time! Love, love, love her!


----------



## RogansMom

We just got our first GSD puppy 2 weeks ago and he is so smart! He's very vocal with his growns and his silly yawns. He attacks our feet when we are walking and we're definitely getting to know the 'landshark' puppy. I can't wait for him to get bigger and experience all the other things everyone has listed on this thread. It's made me even more excited to have him in our lives.


----------



## Anubis_Star

I've always figured males were the better "working" dogs and females were primarily used for breeding purposes, however recently I read an article stating the majority of DDR dogs were stationed along the wall as intimidation factor, but that most of the actual "working" patrol dogs were female! Can't speak to the accuracy of this statement but it shocked me. I can see it though, sometimes I thing I would rather go up against a big stubborn male over a smart little female with an attitude


----------



## Daisy&Lucky's Mom

Anubis_Star said:


> I can see it though, sometimes I thing I would rather go up against a big stubborn male over a smart little female with an attitude


This applies to many species including humans.Im 5ft.:laugh:


----------



## Serenedoglover

Hi everyone, 

I am new to this forum and this is my first german Shepard. I'm learning rapidly that she is much different than my other dog. 


The current challenges I am facing are many but the one I'm concerned about is that she gets scared easily. When we go the dog park she hides under the beach for 30 min and only comes out a little bit. She gets chased by little dogs and she runs away. :/ any suggestions on how I can guide her to be braver. 

Thank you 



Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Anubis_Star

Daisy&Lucky's Mom said:


> This applies to many species including humans.Im 5ft.:laugh:


I knew there was a reason I prefer owning male animals! I'm enough estrogen for one household


----------



## Anubis_Star

Serenedoglover said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> I am new to this forum and this is my first german Shepard. I'm learning rapidly that she is much different than my other dog.
> 
> 
> The current challenges I am facing are many but the one I'm concerned about is that she gets scared easily. When we go the dog park she hides under the beach for 30 min and only comes out a little bit. She gets chased by little dogs and she runs away. :/ any suggestions on how I can guide her to be braver.
> 
> Thank you
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App



Good topic for a new post, but I don't know if I would necessarily want to visit dog parks anymore. You aren't able to control the situation full on, she is thrown in with a bunch of other dogs and then everything is left to it's own device.

I think finding a good trainer is your first step, and then from there working on both obedience commands and proofing around familiar dogs that are safe.

IMHO - people get too hung up on dog parks and dog daycare, and doggy friends. It is just my feeling that dogs don't NEED to like other dogs, they don't HAVE to be around other dogs. They just need to be obedient to you and behave. I don't think these situations are necessarily bad. Many dogs LOVE playing with other dogs. But I think these are bad places for fearful dogs.

You don't want to put her in a situation that is going to scare her to her breaking point, because then she will easily become reactive. Once a fearful dog learns that a certain behavior (like barking, aggression, etc) earns them their desired response (being left alone), it can be very hard to break them of that.


----------



## LoveOscar

This is my second GSD, and the first one was smart, but this one is super smart . Its surprising even though I expected it.

I didnt know they were such big BABIES though!!!!!!!! OMG youd think Oscar was dying! He stubbed a toe running into my husband the other day and it was like the end of the world!!!! It amazes me some of my neighbors are so afraid of him he is such a whiney little bi- brat. :crazy:

LO


----------



## readaboutdogs

The vocals! The moans,groans,talking! I love it! Following you room to room, bringing their bone/toy along too if they were"busy"! And the puppy teeth! Never had other puppies that were so toothy!


----------



## PupperLove

I have to also agree about the vocal sounds, LOL! And how they blow everything waaaay out of proportion.


Also, they pick up on routine. When the kids go to bed, mine grabs his toy, cause it's "his" time! Or when I pour a glass of wine, he knows I'm going to be a little more lenient, and he jumps on the couch (which he is normally not allowed!!) Heck, he starts whining in excitment when I POUR the glass, LOL!


Does anyone else have one that insists on touching you with thier cold wet nose whenever they get the chance? Can't just sniff, gotta touch with the nose too!


He makes himself well known- is very loud and clunky and clumsy all day, but when it's night time, and everyone is in bed, he tiptoes his 98 lb. butt up the wooden stairs and I don't hear a thing!! Go figure!


But what really blew me away was the loyalty, strength-both physical and mental focus, and the way they _actively_ pay attention to our emotions- every waking moment. I have never experienced a dog that is so in-tune to it's family and master.


----------



## Sojourner74

this is my third Shepherd, and I continue to be amazed at what big babies they are! Man, do they have people fooled!!!!


----------



## LoveOscar

PupperLove said:


> Does anyone else have one that insists on touching you with thier cold wet nose whenever they get the chance? Can't just sniff, gotta touch with the nose too!


Oscar is this way, and his nose is icey cold. He likes to bury his nose in DHs arm pits too. When I come home, if I have been sitting anywhere new, like after eating at a resturaunt or sitting in the saddle on a new horse, he HAS to sniff and investigate where I have been LOL and he is really pushy about it. I humor him on this, especially when he pushes his 75 lbs behind his nose and presses into me and takes deep inhales. But it endears me to him ever more. It hits my heart when he wants to touch me because he was so fearful when we initially brought him home.

LO


----------



## Sasha86

There eyes say it all and they are so **** sensitive but yet quite inquisitive. They get into everything and without proper exercise could destroy your house. Everytime Sasha eats something she shouldn't she won't eat the next day and is extra cuddly with me 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## julie87

Things I didn't know about GSD until I owned one:

1.Intelligent
2.They follow you EVERYWHERE
3.Protectivness/bravery for their pack yet they will be scared of a leaf if they see it for the first time 
4.They love to nip when they are small
5.They can read our emotions better than people
6. Forgiving
7.Cheerful
9.Jealous
10.LOVE you no matter what


----------



## Dextersmom

The talking is my end. When we have guests over, they are constantly asking Dexter if he's ok and if he needs something (or if he's hungry...!) when in fact he's just joining the conversation and whining away. They usually look at me as if I'm mad when I explain that he's just talking. 
The one thing I remember clearly that freaked me out even from a pup stage, was that incredible snapping noise their jaws make when they grab at something and miss. I kept thinking he can take off and arm with those jaws - talk about a shark!
And then there is what I think can only be his herding instinct. If he manages to get into a room before us, he will stop dead in the doorway, blocking the entrance with his butt, and look back at you over his shoulder, waiting for a reaction! Still not quite sure what to do with this little habit of his....


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Big Sid

Moo is very old. When he wants attention, he slimes his ever wet nose across your ENTIRE arm. Sometimes he will just lay there and whine and whine while looking at the water bowl like its 10 miles away...but really only 10 feet. He'll look and whine and then look at me and whine. Being the assertive gsd owner that I am and the Alpha, I look at him and say 'go get a drink you dork'. Yea...five minutes later I get up and bring him his water.

PS. Really not a new member just wasnt on for a while and forgot all my old passwords. I used to be Angel350. It's nice to be back with ya'll.


----------



## Cdizme

This being our first GSD, I am amazed at how fast he picks up on things. It only takes him a few times to pick up the commands we train him. One command he seems to refuse to learn though, is the 'handshake' command. He always gives the "And you want me to do this command, why?" look.

Unfortunately for us, he also figured out how to unlatch our gate recently, so now we have to keep it locked instead of just latched when we're home. Especially if someone is in the front yard without him. :headbang:

He also likes to use his paws to try to grab things or various other things. 

The one thing that gets me though, is that he is a complete snuggle bug. He will rub you and cuddle like he were a cat! It can be hard having a 90 pound dog trying to cuddle you.


----------



## AngelaA6

Thing's I didn't know about German Shepherd Dogs when I got one:

They came in black and that didn't mean he was mixed with a lab. (Guilty of that thinking)

Their bite HURTS.

Their whine/talking sounds like a husky.

They take a very long time to grow all the way up.

I learned that Schutzhund is a sport and not just for the police as well as that Schutzhund is not just for German Shepherds but other breeds as well.

And last of all, that I would fall in love with the breed and never want anything else. :wub:


----------



## Msmaria

I knew absolutely nothing about GS. Those of you who read my story know that Dexter and his two siblings came to me unexpected. What I've learned the past month thanks to Dex is: 
They take alot of your time.
They are messy drinkers. Dex always has two paws in his water bowl.
They are vocal. Dex is already answering me back and whiny all day long, low growls when you rub his tummy and OMG don't wake him from a sleep.

They are very mouthy. Last week I came home to almost half a sofa. Dex pulled the insides of my sofa pillows out. 
They are little vacuum's and have to be watched. 
Dex knocked over my kitchen trash and ate a cooked rib bone, whole, when I tried to get it from him. 2 X-rays later and days of worrying he's doing fine, but trash is no longer kept in the house. 

I'm still learning. For Dexs as sake I hope I learn fast


----------



## kjdreyer

Jedda is my first GSD, and I've only had her for 10 weeks, but I cannot believe how smart she is, how much she loves to train, and how I think she actually has a sense of humor. She was absolutely the easiest dog EVER to housetrain, she gets that total focused look when we're practicing obedience, and on one of our walks, there's an arroyo she thinks it's hysterical to run back and forth through - she doesn't do that anywhere else. 

Also, I didn't know about the demented puppy freak out when she gets overtired - I thought there was something really wrong with her! Thank goodness I found this forum!


----------



## Dextersmom

Dexter mimics the actions of our hands with his front paws... He sometimes tries to use his paws like actual hands... Has anyone else experienced this?


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Skillman113

I am a first time GSD owner and my boy Diesel is 4 months old. He is already my best friend and don't know what I'd do with out him. 

I didnt know just how much they like to chew on hard things. For some reason, he LOVES to chew on canned food!! it doesnt bother me much cause he cant open them and its not like he gets metal off of it and eats it. He just likes to chew on it cause its hard. Is it all GSDs or just my boy? 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## LeeThompsonsr

*GSD Hands*



Dextersmom said:


> Dexter mimics the actions of our hands with his front paws... He sometimes tries to use his paws like actual hands... Has anyone else experienced this?
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


My Boy Pheonix is no longer with us... but he could open doors.


----------



## Dextersmom

LeeThompsonsr said:


> My Boy Pheonix is no longer with us... but he could open doors.


My husband is fascinated.... that is a round door handle! How did he do that??


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Metro_Mike

*Whining or is it Singing*

I first learned of the whining when I took our puppy to the vet. I purposely sought out this vet because of their experience with GSDs. Three vet techs have a GSD including one of the two doctors.

Anyways while sitting in the waiting room, Sylar just kept on whining. To be honest I felt embarrassed. But when they called me in they said you can always tell when there is a German Shepherd in the waiting room because they "sing". That made me feel better.


----------



## Crewchef

Evidently they have drinking straws in their Paws. I can't see them but it must be there. My girl can't drink without at least one paw in the water.


----------



## rapala

Miss Molly May said:


> the bitting when a puppy!! I thought Molly was aggressive but I learned that GSD's are very mouthy as puppies!


 
How long did it take Molly to stop the biting?


----------



## 3GSD92_00_12

I did not know how much a GSD could love water. Gypsy loves to stick her face into the water spray from the hose. Also, how much water they can dribble all over floor. Gypsy loves to give kissies on the face, ears...and feet (she always seems to enjoy going after a person's feet). She has also learned how to "demand" for more water in her waterbowl by hitting the edge of it and it hitting the mat it is on with a smack...yes, the waterbowl does turn over even when there is still water in it.


----------



## Dextersmom

3GSD92_00_12 said:


> I did not know how much a GSD could love water. Gypsy loves to stick her face into the water spray from the hose. Also, how much water they can dribble all over floor. Gypsy loves to give kissies on the face, ears...and feet (she always seems to enjoy going after a person's feet). She has also learned how to "demand" for more water in her waterbowl by hitting the edge of it and it hitting the mat it is on with a smack...yes, the waterbowl does turn over even when there is still water in it.


Dexter and water....


----------



## 3GSD92_00_12

You have a very handsome boy, Dextersmom.
I don't think Gypsy would swim very far in a pool though. She accidentally slipped into one of neighbor's pool, but luckily Gypsy immediately started to swim. We tried to get her back in so she wouldn't be scared if it happened again...she would go past the steps, realize her paws were no longer youching anything and would come right back.


----------



## Dextersmom

3GSD92_00_12 said:


> You have a very handsome boy, Dextersmom.
> I don't think Gypsy would swim very far in a pool though. She accidentally slipped into one of neighbor's pool, but luckily Gypsy immediately started to swim. We tried to get her back in so she wouldn't be scared if it happened again...she would go past the steps, realize her paws were no longer youching anything and would come right back.


Thank you so much. Dex actually did the exact same thing in the pool initially, but we just left him on the step and made no big fuss over it. A few weeks of this later, the splashing water was just too much of a temptation and he braved it further in. Now he jumps in like a pro, only from the steps though, he won't go in from the side of the pool. Splashing water is Dexter's kryptonite, though. He loves chasing and "grabbing" the water drops!


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## RiverDan

Great thread. I may repeat.
The intelligence/ trainability. It's crazy.
Barons need to transplant the forest to my backyard. One stick at a time.


----------



## Crewchef

Everything is a toy and free toys (boxes, plastic bottles and strips of fabric) are just as good as those pricey ones. I always supervise play time with the things she can destroy and/or eat.

I've been watching my pup chase a plastic bottle around the tile floor this afternoon. I was almost as entertained as she was.


----------



## KayForbes

Dextersmom said:


> Dexter mimics the actions of our hands with his front paws... He sometimes tries to use his paws like actual hands... Has anyone else experienced this?
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Stella does that all the time!! Makes me laugh daily!

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## KodyK

I've only had Corey for a week and a half, and since she's a guide dog, she's already two, so that bond is still forming gradually, but -

I was surprised by how needy she can be. The other night a friend came over with her dog, and Corey loved him. They made great friends. But afterwards, she wouldn't leave my side, laid right up ON TOP of me on the couch instead of next to me. Like she needed reassurance that she was still my favorite.

Also how demanding she can be. She doesn't hesitate to let me know when she's bored or when she thinks it's time to get up in the morning or that she doesn't want to lay on her bed (a folded up old comforter) because she's got it wrinkled up and "Please come fix it!" (This is why I started calling her Lady Cordelia. She demands attention.)

I also wasn't expecting how fast they learn. In guide dog training, I learned to mark things for her by tapping them and praising. Like in the post office, I tapped the post that holds up the rope at the back of the line as a signal to her to take me to that. I thought we'd have to do these things several times before she got the point. But no. We were back in the post office the next day and she went straight to the spot I'd marked for her. Within 2 days she also learned that when I say "Couch!" she is supposed to go lay on the futon in my bedroom that she uses to sleep on at night. She picks it up so fast!


----------



## pkd

Dextersmom said:


> And then there is what I think can only be his herding instinct. If he manages to get into a room before us, he will stop dead in the doorway, blocking the entrance with his butt, and look back at you over his shoulder, waiting for a reaction! Still not quite sure what to do with this little habit of his....


My Samson does this! One of his knicknames is "Roadblock." Except he doesn't look back at me. Samson sort of checks out what's in front of him. It's really annoying at the front door. I used to try to shove him forward, and he would give me this offended look. He doesn't do it as much anymore, and when he does he lets me walk past and lead him forward. He also sometimes just forgets how big his butt is.


----------



## ShepherdFriend

Though I have had dogs my whole life - With my Germans - Speaking mainly now of my last girl - of course all my dogs have been special in their own way - but with her - I didn't know the special joy of showing things to her just to see the look of wonder on her dear face - the turning of her head with ears standing as she struggled to understand the new noise , with such trust and faith in me, the joy of every return from being out - to be welcomed - not with a rush or bowled over - just the clear happiness to see us and coming out to help bring in the groceries and of to course sniff everything to make sure it was all as it should be.

I didn't know how secure having a German makes you feel - in my experience - many other breeds "guard" the house.. Germans are happy companions but when it counts - they become personal bodyguards - most especially with children..

But sadly what I found out most of all was the big hole left in our home and hearts when our last girl's time came.. We are not ready for another German yet - We are still mourning our ever gentle, sweet natured, bright eyed girl..


----------



## curedba

That they are all born pretty much all black lol and then get their "saddle's" as they grow out their puppy coats


----------



## Dextersmom

Check Dexter's right front paw in the photo... Does anyone else's dog fold their paw in like this? It bothers me, even though he seems perfectly comfortable. 











Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## MichaelE

I didn't know sables got darker as they grew up.


----------



## Sunflowers

Dextersmom said:


> Check Dexter's right front paw in the photo... Does anyone else's dog fold their paw in like this? It bothers me, even though he seems perfectly comfortable.
> View attachment 55737
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/show-me-pictures/175492-show-me-curved-paw.html
:wild:


----------



## Dextersmom

Sunflowers said:


> http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/show-me-pictures/175492-show-me-curved-paw.html
> :wild:


Phew, thanks!


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Diego's mum

My baby does it all the time.


----------



## 3GSD92_00_12

I have realized how clever a GSD can be when it comes to wanting attention.
If my mom or I are wearing slippers and we are watching something on tv, Gypsy will just run by us and grab a slipper off of her foot or mine(provided when we are sitting with our legs crossed). Gypsy also likes to take and run off with whatever yarn that I am using to knit or crochet with at the time. She does it especially when I set it down, whether it be on the edge of the kitchen table (her head is above it), the living room couch, my bed (it only takes one good leap and she is on it) or my bedside table.


----------



## KYH

Msmaria said:


> They are messy drinkers. Dex always has two paws in his water bowl.


Glad to hear mine isn't the only one that does this! None of my other dogs ever played in their water dish, but sometimes I find ours asleep in his!


----------



## MiaMoo

I had heard the term "velco dog" before but never understood completely until I got my Mia. She won't accept sitting near me, she has to sit on or right up against me. When I walk, there she is, right up against my leg.

Also, If I'm standing or crouching she will do what she can to get as far under me as possible. 

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## katro

ayoitzrimz said:


> Until you owned one... I'd love to know odd and some mainstream facts that people just did not know about GSDs until they own one.
> 
> I'll start - the whining! I was told when researching the breed that they are not big barkers and usually only bark when they feel its necessary. I can attest to that as my dog really only barks when there's someone at the door or when those **** delivery guys slip menus under the door  whereas my neighbor's sheltie seems to just bark its head off out the window and seemingly nothing...
> 
> What I wasn't told is the whining . not whining dogs who learned whining will get them what they want but whining as most GSDs do - being vocal, whining when excited, whining when I make funny noises, sometimes just whining out of nowhere (not including health issues that we do not know about that's causing them pain or something) - German shepherds are just big vocal dogs that love to "talk" ... I did not know that until owning one but once I did and asked other shepherds' owners they all pretty much said "oh yea that's a GSD for you" lol
> 
> so, what did you not know about until getting a shepherd?


I completely second the whining! My childhood GSD was also not much of a barker (he grunted a lot, but didn't whine much either) so I'm not surprised that Ralphie doesn't do a lot of barking but, oh my, the whining! Most of the time for no reason! :crazy: He also makes these exasperated, long, sighs that sound like a cow mooing. Every time he lays down, it's like someone let all the air out of him and he moos. It cracks me up!


----------



## Alley

This is my first GSD -- we adopted him at 2 -- and I've been surprised that:

-- while he'll pick up and adopt many of my sons' stuffed animals -- he won't chew on them at all. He just wants to have them near.

-- he's so gentle w/ my cat.

-- yes, he does go to the bathroom w/ us each and every time (I thought that was just us until I read this thread).

-- he doesn't bark (again, I thought it was just him until I read this thread).

Alley


----------



## Msmaria

Everyone said they shed alot..but I had no idea they shed THAT MUCH


----------



## Kaimeju

katro said:


> I completely second the whining! My childhood GSD was also not much of a barker (he grunted a lot, but didn't whine much either) so I'm not surprised that Ralphie doesn't do a lot of barking but, oh my, the whining! Most of the time for no reason! :crazy: He also makes these exasperated, long, sighs that sound like a cow mooing. Every time he lays down, it's like someone let all the air out of him and he moos. It cracks me up!


Oh my gosh, I'm glad I'm not the only one who has noticed this! Also the groaning while lying on her back all four paws in the air... 

I had no idea what "SAR" was when I got my GSD. I think maybe I thought it was scent discrimination of sick people at the airport or something. :blush:


----------



## OUbrat79

Makes me feel a lot better to know that everyone's GSD whines. I had no idea until I got him just how whiny they can be. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Anergyne

I didn't read through all of these so I'm not sure if it was mentioned yet. 

I'm surprised (even at 5 months old) how easily Chief has trained ME! Right now I'm trying to find a solution to something he trained me on. He knows to jump at the door to get my attention. This could mean several things. Either he's hungry, out of water, or needs to go outside. I have to make my rounds every time he does it.


----------



## GoldenGloves

I knew they were intelligent but never understood how intelligent they can be. I learned that not only do they have the ability to learn commands quickly, but what is expected from them and how to clearly communicate with us. Ruger my 5 month old is incredible, he knows exactly what I expect from him and how to very effectively communicate his needs. At his young age, he knows roughly 25 commands as well as how I expect him to behave in different situations.
As for communicating, he cracks me up with bringing me the water bowl and placing it at my feet when empty. He will sit in front of kitchen cabinet where the dog food is and give one bark when hungry (we never have to worry about forgetting to feed him). He also does this at the back door to go out and at the wall where the leashes hang to go for a walk. My favorite is the not so subtle placing a ball or toy at your feet then gazing up at you with a tilted head as if to say "wanna play?". 
Basically, you always hear gsds are super dogs but seeing is believing


----------



## Friday1

Our giant white GSD PITA had one ear that never made it up all the way. The ear that was up was an indicator of how she felt about what was going on. If it was curled like a potato chip, she was really happy-tail wagging, whining happy. If it was straight up a squirrel was near. If both ears were up there was something in her yard that didn't belong.

Our first solid black GSD Pooh Bear went blind from Pannis at about ten YO. She could hear real good though. I have a turbocharged motorcycle and she would hear the whine of the turbo when I was a mile away. She would perch her front paws on the baseboard heater in the living room and wait for me to arrive in two or three minutes. She was so bonded to me like a second skin. These dogs never cease to amaze us. Their loyalty is legend.

Rick in Ohio


----------



## AKIRA3

The blended paw thing when they are in down position.
THE HAIR!!!!!!
When they lean on you, they REALLY LEAN on you!!!
When they are not on alert, they really are goofy!!!!
At least our GSD on this one: they are so grateful, and easily embarrassed and sensitive when they've done something they shouldn't have.


----------



## julie87

ShepherdFriend said:


> Though I have had dogs my whole life - With my Germans - Speaking mainly now of my last girl - of course all my dogs have been special in their own way - but with her - I didn't know the special joy of showing things to her just to see the look of wonder on her dear face - the turning of her head with ears standing as she struggled to understand the new noise , with such trust and faith in me, the joy of every return from being out - to be welcomed - not with a rush or bowled over - just the clear happiness to see us and coming out to help bring in the groceries and of to course sniff everything to make sure it was all as it should be.
> 
> I didn't know how secure having a German makes you feel - in my experience - many other breeds "guard" the house.. Germans are happy companions but when it counts - they become personal bodyguards - most especially with children..
> 
> But sadly what I found out most of all was the big hole left in our home and hearts when our last girl's time came.. We are not ready for another German yet - We are still mourning our ever gentle, sweet natured, bright eyed girl..


This is so sweet. I agree 100% 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## aphrodite

The nipping as a puppy is ridiculous! It took me forever and a day to teach my GSDs not to bite.

Another thing is the obsession with ice cubes. One of my gsds figured out how to use the ice dispencer and won't quit!!  Talk about a wet mess.


----------



## car2ner

Since we wanted to do IPO with our dog, we started him on "rag work" when he was small. This has him chasing a burlap rag or shammi cloth to get him use to playing tug with the Helper. 

But now he thinks when I want to dust, mop up a spill or clean windows with a paper towel, he has to jump up and grab the rag. I wait to do my cleaning when he is taking a nap in his crate.


----------



## Ace GSD

I didnt know they were the best dog breed in the world.


----------



## Ace GSD

OUbrat79 said:


> Makes me feel a lot better to know that everyone's GSD whines. I had no idea until I got him just how whiny they can be.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Whoever said dogs dont talk back , well.. they obviously dont have a GSD


----------



## BARBIElovesSAILOR

Of course they are !


----------



## WateryTart

aphrodite said:


> Another thing is the obsession with ice cubes. One of my gsds figured out how to use the ice dispencer and won't quit!!  Talk about a wet mess.


I know this is an old post, but this cracks me up. My girl LOVES ice cubes (which I don't allow her for fear of her breaking a tooth), and I'm now very thankful we do not have an ice dispenser - she is tall enough that she'd be able to stand on her hind legs and use her nose to activate one!


----------



## kburrow11

That they'll keep going past when they should stop. Like with Vida, I take her to the park to play ball or frisbee. Even when she's so tired she lays down after bringing the item back, she'll continue to want to play.

And the fact that even though she was spayed on Friday, the way she acts, you couldn't tell. Just as active and hyper as ever. Had to get sedatives from the vet today because she was starting to tear open the incision.

And how much I would miss the activity when she's sedated/not feeling well.


----------



## bob_barker

(This may have already been said) I didn't realize the amount of people afraid of them!!! 

Being use to walking beagles down the street where people cross the road to come over and say "hi".... It was a shocker that now that Bob looks like a dog as opposed to a cute little fluff ball puppy... The amount of people that cross the street to AVOID walking past him! It blows my mind! 

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## bob_barker

Also to.add to my previous post...

I.didn't realize he would herd EVERYTHING in my house! 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## GSDhistorian

*cat lover*

my GSD looooooooooooves cats, she is extra gentle with them and treats them like her kids lol


----------



## wyowolf

1. Biting still at 5 months... especially the kids..  loves to bite feet.
2. Puting paws in water bowl to dump it all out on a hot day!! really?
3. Will NOT go down the stairs... but will go up??
4. zero interest in any kind of fetch, but loves the flirt pole... thank god for that!!
5. Loves to run her nose over the ground all over the back yard... even though she is the only one there?? she does this a LOT...
6. Love her!!


----------



## Maxbleib

Hi, I have a 9month old Silver Sable GSD and mostly everyone thinks he's great. Some think he's a wolf, wolf hybrid, or husky/shepherd mix. Some are truly afraid of him and will walk on the street instead of staying on the sidewalk. When my pup walks, you can definitely still see the floppy ears moving and the puppy strut. : ) 
Click here for a pic of my pup


----------



## Vega-gurl

I didn't really know about how they could entertain themsleves! Vega looooooves to find some random toy and will play some type of fetch/toss+catch/pounce for ages! Doesn't mater if we just did some type of training or if we just got back from the park. Any toy is fair game. 

Morning snuggle time!:wub: Vega loves attention (duh) but as soon as she hears my alarm go off, she crawls next to me in bed for extra pets/snuggles/hugs and to make sure I actually get up. A 75 lbs dog is a very affective alarm clock I've discovered. 

Lastly, what a DIVA is she at the vet. Hiding behind me when the vet walks in, and the RIDICULOUS sounds she makes. Nails, shots whatever, you would think her tail was being cut off. The vet and vet techs think her drama is hilarous. When we leave, she prances out like she just won an oscar for best actress.


----------



## oldskidog

The thud he makes when he lies down.
The play with me or I will bite you.
The high pitched yip-yip-yip he cries when he gets into a chase at the dog park.
The "get up or I will steal your pillow" slobbery alarm clock.
OSD - obsessive squirrel disorder.
Turning up his nose at the best dog food I can buy.
The joy and love he's brought to my life...


----------



## Rider

How loud at only 11 weeks his feet on the wood floor would be.

How hard it would be to resist playing with those teepee ears!

How annoyed I would get when strangers want to touch my guy. 

How much I would fret over the right dog food. 

How much he would follow me all over the house. No longer am I allowed to use the bathroom alone! :/

How darn awesome he would be!


----------



## leviboy04

My 4 month old GSD is very mouthy.
It's hard to pet him because he just wants to bite your hands or if hes playing with our other pup and comes by us, he'll bite my clothes or feet. Also barks alot. More than our other puppy. Doesnt really like to play fetch and loves but will dump his water bowl and carry it off in his mouth??


----------



## SunCzarina

GSD#8 will come up with new innovative ideas just when you think you've seen it all.


----------



## Beverly

*He's such a copycat!*

After Dutch has completed all his "work" for the day (herding balls, send out's, finding Daddy, etc.), he insists on returning the favor by helping me around the house. As I load the dishwasher, he loads his toys in, too. I toss things in the garbage, he throws in his toys. I do the laundry, he picks up things nearby and drops them into the basket. Lucky me!


----------



## CountryGirl01

The list of things that I didn't know about GSD's till I got one. (And I'm sure the list will keep growing).

The mouthing, waay more attempts at play biting then I've seen in other pups. But even with that he still learns quicker than any other breed of dog I've seen that it is a no no to bite hands. So now he just play bites the air -_-

The shadowing, I mean jeez I'm never alone at home since I got him. He's like my second shadow, never letting me out of his sight. Kinda cute, kinda scary lol

And the thirst, he drinks so much water and is so messy with it. And I thought Bloodhounds were messy eaters and drinkers, the GSD takes the cake on that for me. He's a little piggy 

One thing that I thought was a common GSD thing that I HAVE NOT seen is a high prey drive/ball drive. He's more of a rough & tumble player than a ball chaser. I can't get him to chase a ball no matter how hard I try :/


----------



## Augustine

CountryGirl01 said:


> The list of things that I didn't know about GSD's till I got one. (And I'm sure the list will keep growing).
> 
> The mouthing, waay more attempts at play biting then I've seen in other pups. But even with that he still learns quicker than any other breed of dog I've seen that it is a no no to bite hands. So now he just play bites the air -_-
> 
> The shadowing, I mean jeez I'm never alone at home since I got him. He's like my second shadow, never letting me out of his sight. Kinda cute, kinda scary lol
> 
> And the thirst, he drinks so much water and is so messy with it. And I thought Bloodhounds were messy eaters and drinkers, the GSD takes the cake on that for me. He's a little piggy
> 
> One thing that I thought was a common GSD thing that I HAVE NOT seen is a high prey drive/ball drive. He's more of a rough & tumble player than a ball chaser. I can't get him to chase a ball no matter how hard I try :/


That's EXACTLY how Butters is, sans the messy water drinking. 

Only, the strange thing about her is, she appears to have a fairly high prey drive, yet she has zero interest in balls? I even tried rolling them (which she likes) but she rarely - if ever - shows much of an interest. 

I don't mind not being able to play fetch with her and I don't 'need' her to be a high drive dog, I just thought it was a bit strange given her seemingly high prey drive.

ANYWAYS.. back on topic. 

*- The landsharkey-ness: *Despite all of my research I actually had no idea they were such literal sharks. It's not that big of a deal (especially since she has been a lot less hyper after going on raw), but boy oh boy.. does it get annoying when she does it at all of the wrong times.

*- The foot fetish:* Along with her sharking, she also seems to have a thing for feet. Anything from bare feet, to feet with socks, to feet with socks and slippers (to help ease the pain of the nips..), she loves 'em all. 

*- How vocal/expressive they are:* I'm soo happy that GSDs aren't major barkers, but Butters definitely makes up for it with all of her expressions and her vocalizations. She gets especially chatty when she's playing with our cats - she bows and barks, then once they get settled down she lays with her big bro and grumbles a bit.

*- Velro, glue, whatever you want to call it:* She's like a baby duckling, following us around everywhere. I have a very weak/small bladder so I often have to make a lot of trips to the bathroom. Each and every. single. time. she follows me, then lays down, then follows me when I get up a few seconds later. Repeat this process at least 3x per hour. I admire her dedication, but sometimes it feels more like having a stalker than a protector. lol

*- Their intelligence:* Okay, I knew just how smart they were when we got Butters. But, despite this, it was just.. amazing to actually see it in action. She learns commands SO quickly (and she's EXTREMELY food-driven so clicker training is a breeze) and often times, she learns the jist of certain things without us even having to use the clicker. For example, we started to instinctively say "sit" when we first got her. We didn't show her what it meant, nor did we ever use the clicker to teach or reinforce it. Yet, somehow, she still managed to understand exactly what we wanted, and learned sit all by herself in a matter maybe 2-3 weeks.

*- How good they can be with other animals:* We have 3 cats; an almost elderly female and two nearly 6-month old kittens. Our older cat isn't very fond of dogs and wants nothing to do with her, but our kittens are very friendly and in the end, our boy, Robin, ended up becoming best friends with Butters. They love to play together, which is great but naturally, worried me a bit at first. I was worried she might be too rough or even end up acting predatory. Thankfully, that was not the case, and she's actually far more gentle with our cats than she is with us! The only "problem" she had was that she likes biting the necks of other animals (nothing hard/dangerous), but we've been working on "leave it!" and in only a matter of days, she already knows not to nip on their necks without us even having to constantly reinforce it. She's the same way with dogs, too - sweet and gentle. (although she does love a good play wrestle. lol)

*- They can be attention hogs:* Aside from the stalking thing, she's not THAT clingy, but sometimes she gets a bit fussy when she wants attention and I cannot give it to her. The funny thing is, she's not even outright destructive. She's just.. sneaky. For example, I keep a notebook next to me where I jot down random ideas, so when she sees I can't give her attention, she'll take it and run off with it. She won't chew it - she literally just steals it. Butters does the same thing with a lot of my other stuff, too.. my headphones, my phone, pens and pencils, you name it. She won't break, chew on, or otherwise harm anything. She just holds them for ransom until I come to give her love.


----------



## BARBIElovesSAILOR

Sailor was very type A personality just like me. That is something I never expected though. If he would see me.cleaning the house, he would organize all his toys in a line. Sometimes biggest to smallest, sometimes diagonally. I think it was his way of helping me clean.


----------



## kelliewilson

*siver sable also*

People have asked me if bandit was mixed with an akita, because of the coloring and think he looks mean. I dont think he looks mean lol ( silver I meant to type)


----------



## middleofnowhere

the tremendous variation in coat color and texture and length.

I'm not sure what I didn't know other than that that pertains strictly to GSDs. I know every dog has taught me a bunch of stuff - I have no. 9 & 10 now and they are still teaching me.


----------



## mmgermany

I find it amazing that Ivy can be so light/stealthy on her feet, teleporting silently to be near you when you least expect it, but sound like she is doing cartwheels in her kennel at night while sleeping!


----------



## GypsyGhost

kjdreyer said:


> Also, I didn't know about the demented puppy freak out when she gets overtired - I thought there was something really wrong with her! Thank goodness I found this forum!


Haha, this. We call it a psycho puppy frenzy at our house. At least we always know when Bash needs a nap! I had no idea when we got him that we were going to be his favorite chew toys.

We've only had Bash for a few weeks now (he's only 12.5 weeks old), but he already knows as many obedience commands as our 8 year old pitbull. I knew they were smart, but I really under-estimated how easily he would learn things. 

I had no idea how much talking and whining I would be hearing. We thought it was just a puppy thing, but reading through this thread, it looks like it's a GSD thing!


----------



## tcass

these were all great postings....made me smile the whole read through. while relating to a majority of the posts, i never knew the joy and love these dogs can give you and make you feel. i've always loved dogs and prefer them over most people but my little GSD pup melted my heart the first day i had him and its continued every day. now that he's seven months, i really look forward to growing older together.


----------



## Jayfeather

Oh, I've learned tons about GSDs from Koda!
First, the puppy frenzies! Suddenly jump up and zoom around the house, garden, on a walk, you name it! Finally getting better.
Second, whining. I hate it when dogs bark and whine constantly, so we taught him early on that too much is unacceptable. The result: a mostly quiet dog, (yay!) although he always whines when he's excited, like when we go to the dog park.
Third, their tendency to take advantage of a situation. He's great when I'm around to correct him for nipping, nosing the table, about to steal things, etc. but when I'm in school I always get stories on how he got into trouble today, how many dish towels he stole, or how many times he jumped at my mom. He knows he can get away with anything when he's with my dad. Lol, he's learning better though.
Lastly, their mouthiness. I read so many articles on puppy biting before we got a dog , but I was totally unprepared for the complete land shark we ended up with! His favorite toy as a puppy was a stuffed shark, maybe that was a bad influence, lol!


----------



## WolfsOwner

Augustine said:


> That's EXACTLY how Butters is, sans the messy water drinking.
> 
> Only, the strange thing about her is, she appears to have a fairly high prey drive, yet she has zero interest in balls? I even tried rolling them (which she likes) but she rarely - if ever - shows much of an interest.
> 
> I don't mind not being able to play fetch with her and I don't 'need' her to be a high drive dog, I just thought it was a bit strange given her seemingly high prey drive.
> 
> ANYWAYS.. back on topic.
> 
> *- The landsharkey-ness: *Despite all of my research I actually had no idea they were such literal sharks. It's not that big of a deal (especially since she has been a lot less hyper after going on raw), but boy oh boy.. does it get annoying when she does it at all of the wrong times.
> 
> *- The foot fetish:* Along with her sharking, she also seems to have a thing for feet. Anything from bare feet, to feet with socks, to feet with socks and slippers (to help ease the pain of the nips..), she loves 'em all.
> 
> *- How vocal/expressive they are:* I'm soo happy that GSDs aren't major barkers, but Butters definitely makes up for it with all of her expressions and her vocalizations. She gets especially chatty when she's playing with our cats - she bows and barks, then once they get settled down she lays with her big bro and grumbles a bit.
> 
> *- Velro, glue, whatever you want to call it:* She's like a baby duckling, following us around everywhere. I have a very weak/small bladder so I often have to make a lot of trips to the bathroom. Each and every. single. time. she follows me, then lays down, then follows me when I get up a few seconds later. Repeat this process at least 3x per hour. I admire her dedication, but sometimes it feels more like having a stalker than a protector. lol
> 
> *- Their intelligence:* Okay, I knew just how smart they were when we got Butters. But, despite this, it was just.. amazing to actually see it in action. She learns commands SO quickly (and she's EXTREMELY food-driven so clicker training is a breeze) and often times, she learns the jist of certain things without us even having to use the clicker. For example, we started to instinctively say "sit" when we first got her. We didn't show her what it meant, nor did we ever use the clicker to teach or reinforce it. Yet, somehow, she still managed to understand exactly what we wanted, and learned sit all by herself in a matter maybe 2-3 weeks.
> 
> *- How good they can be with other animals:* We have 3 cats; an almost elderly female and two nearly 6-month old kittens. Our older cat isn't very fond of dogs and wants nothing to do with her, but our kittens are very friendly and in the end, our boy, Robin, ended up becoming best friends with Butters. They love to play together, which is great but naturally, worried me a bit at first. I was worried she might be too rough or even end up acting predatory. Thankfully, that was not the case, and she's actually far more gentle with our cats than she is with us! The only "problem" she had was that she likes biting the necks of other animals (nothing hard/dangerous), but we've been working on "leave it!" and in only a matter of days, she already knows not to nip on their necks without us even having to constantly reinforce it. She's the same way with dogs, too - sweet and gentle. (although she does love a good play wrestle. lol)
> 
> *- They can be attention hogs:* Aside from the stalking thing, she's not THAT clingy, but sometimes she gets a bit fussy when she wants attention and I cannot give it to her. The funny thing is, she's not even outright destructive. She's just.. sneaky. For example, I keep a notebook next to me where I jot down random ideas, so when she sees I can't give her attention, she'll take it and run off with it. She won't chew it - she literally just steals it. Butters does the same thing with a lot of my other stuff, too.. my headphones, my phone, pens and pencils, you name it. She won't break, chew on, or otherwise harm anything. She just holds them for ransom until I come to give her love.


ALL OF THIS! :wild:

My Wolf (7 months old) is such a joy. She is also a drama queen and an attention hog- oh my. She especially hates movie time in our family. Movie = people sitting quietly and staring at the TV. That's when we get the extreme vocalizations and the ever so scary and all of the sudden high pitched yelps!


----------



## huntergreen

things i didn't know? i am still finding out things i don't know.


----------



## Ace GSD

They are goofballs.


----------



## Kaiser's Girl

I had no idea that they were so vocal! If I tell Kaiser to do something he doesn't want to he does it but he has to tell me just what he thinks about it!!


----------



## CapeCoralCraig

I did not know how loving they are and at.the same time not needy. Oh yes Duchess is with me all the time. But i can express affection and she gives it back but when it's over she does not constantly be for more.

Also I did not know how seriously bad things can go regarding their stomachs or spleens. This past year we lost 2 KS to torcid stomachs. Our girl had a torcid 
spleen. Close call. So no chasing the tail or rolling in the grass after dinner. Period.

I have had great breeds over my 6 decades of life but none tops my GSD girl Duchess.


----------



## Stonevintage

Every week something new. This week, I'm amazed by her "gait" a floating prance? Sounds like an oxymoron but I don't know how else to describe it. Effortless, strong gait, full attention focused on whatever. She's 8 mos and coming out of the awkward puppy phase. Lookin' good!


----------



## dogma13

CeCe,that's my favorite discovery too,how they act like giant puppies at home


----------



## Loneforce

How much of a change you are in for when they enter your life, and how much of a crushing blow when you lose them. They tend to leave very big paw prints on your soul. They are very watchful of their humans. I would be lost without a German Shepherd, and glad I have shared my life with several of them. Best breed ever!!


----------



## master_blaster

I didn't know Jack about GSDs when my husband convinced me to get one (or rather took me to "visit" the breeder and I couldn't help but fall in love) :blush:

I had no idea how intelligent and expressive they are, like he's looking into my soul. Or that he'd whine so much (good or bad), making it difficult for me to decipher what he's trying to tell me. Also I am amazed at how eager they are to please you..Blaster only takes a few practices before he can learn a new trick. He is also incredibly clingy!! Follows me to every room..I go into the kitchen and he's following a few steps behind and lays down in front of what I'm doing..I go into the bathroom and he just stands there looking at me (awkward :laugh...but basically neither my husband or I can get up and change rooms without him following. He's so _curious_!! Lastly, I didn't know about the sensitive stomach of a GSD, but we're figuring out ways to deal with it


----------



## llombardo

I've learned mine can be a furniture mover and I can probably get him a job somewhere. As long as there is a ball, he will move whatever needed to get to it

How it was before I went to work



When I got home...


----------



## DevinM

How spoiled they are...they just want to be pampered all the live long day hahaha.


----------



## WolfsOwner

master_blaster said:


> I didn't know Jack about GSDs when my husband convinced me to get one (or rather took me to "visit" the breeder and I couldn't help but fall in love) :blush:
> 
> I had no idea how intelligent and expressive they are, like he's looking into my soul. Or that he'd whine so much (good or bad), making it difficult for me to decipher what he's trying to tell me. Also I am amazed at how eager they are to please you..Blaster only takes a few practices before he can learn a new trick. He is also incredibly clingy!! Follows me to every room..I go into the kitchen and he's following a few steps behind and lays down in front of what I'm doing..I go into the bathroom and he just stands there looking at me (awkward :laugh...but basically neither my husband or I can get up and change rooms without him following. He's so _curious_!! Lastly, I didn't know about the sensitive stomach of a GSD, but we're figuring out ways to deal with it


I agree with EVERYTHING you wrote  Curious, clingy, and NOSEY. Soooo smart, like scary smart. Incredibly loyal too.


----------



## WolfsOwner

Stonevintage said:


> Every week something new. This week, I'm amazed by her "gait" a floating prance? Sounds like an oxymoron but I don't know how else to describe it. Effortless, strong gait, full attention focused on whatever. She's 8 mos and coming out of the awkward puppy phase. Lookin' good!


Yes! Wolf does the "floating prance" when she gets a new toy and has it in her mouth. :wub:


----------



## Stonevintage

Summer turned 11 mos old yesterday. She's been in her first heat for 3 days now - I didn't know how much messier this would be with a 75lb female than a 38lb female (my lil GSDx from years ago).

Lots of laundry!


----------



## Rigel

I've owned two before. I knew they were smart and my other male could climb fences but he was an adult. 

Karina surprised me when, the day she came home, she climbed the baby fences we had around the house (for the kids). I thought they would help contain her...I was wrong. 

She's very smart and if she's out in the yard alone I feel like she's usually up to no good. She has that look like a kid that just got caught doing something but you don't know what they were doing. You know they may have been doing something - you just don't know what. 

She eats poo sometimes. Her own. *barf* 

They're amazingly good with kids. 

There are a million things I already knew about GSDs I guess but each one is different and Karina is her own special little gal. <3


----------



## newlie

The intelligence...Like someone else said, sometimes I can just see the wheels turning in Newlie's head: "Do I really feel like sitting? Is their a cookie involved?"

The non-nonsense voice I have to use for obedience.

How vocal he is.

How affectionate and sweet he is. He follows me everywhere, likes to keep me in sight if he can't follow, parks on top of me at night, loves cuddling and belly-rubs and giving kisses.

How much I love him.


----------



## danica

How smart he is, how almost almost telepathic he is knowing when I need him, how much joy I get just seeing him


----------



## gypsysJoezy

Great Name for your dog!  If my name wasn't Gypsy I would have used it for Joezey LOL


Gypsy


----------



## Muneraven

I expected smart. I DIDN'T expect: How in tune with human emotions they are. How they can be big crybabies. How much they vocalize to express their emotions. How much cuddling they want.

I really love them more than I expected. I got my two boys after losing my dear Peanut, who had some GSD and some Kelpie in her background. She was remarkable, and I worried any new dog would somehow not be as loved. But I adore my funny boys . . .I often wish Peanut was here to happily boss them around though, lol.


----------



## genagena1

I am now a proud owner of a year and 8 month old female GSD. We just adopted her from a friends friend. She is totally awesome so far, she immediately imprinted on my 10 year old daughter and follows her around, sleeps by her, follows her to the bathroom. I am learning she might have a problem with separation anxiety. She is very smart, very active, loves to fetch, reads emotions on the face quickly, wants to eat my ferret and cats, gets along with the other dogs just fine. I am happy to be the proud owner of this new dog, however, her ears do not always stand erect unless she is interested in something or is on guard.


----------



## GSDourBestFriend

I adopted a 5 year old female and the first week she followed me EVERYWHERE. Now she is a little more independent as she sees my routine. As long as I'm within earshot she will stay where she's at. I'm not really sure it's any kind of separation anxiety as it's more of that's just how they are; they want to know where you're at because you're the pack leader.

Watch out for counter surfing. The counters are high enough where she can't actually get up on them but she puts her paws up there and sniffs for food. If you leave ANYTHING out that is remotely tasty, she will get it. I learned the hard way with a 3/4 stick of butter and a sack of bread. 

 





genagena1 said:


> I am now a proud owner of a year and 8 month old female GSD. We just adopted her from a friends friend. She is totally awesome so far, she immediately imprinted on my 10 year old daughter and follows her around, sleeps by her, follows her to the bathroom. I am learning she might have a problem with separation anxiety. She is very smart, very active, loves to fetch, reads emotions on the face quickly, wants to eat my ferret and cats, gets along with the other dogs just fine. I am happy to be the proud owner of this new dog, however, her ears do not always stand erect unless she is interested in something or is on guard.


----------



## Majorcl

Wow, so many things listed here I knew were GSD traits in general, like land sharking (still trying to get the human and feline family used to that) and Velcro puppy but some things I thought were just peculiar to my Adelaide, like her love of feet and ice cubes! This is an interesting read.


----------



## RubySlippers

LOL!! I just gave Ruby two ice cubes before I jumped on line here. She loves them. NO ONE can get a drink from the fridge without having to tithe to Ruby her share of ice cubes. Ha! We started her on this as a puppy when she was teething and it just stuck. LOW CAL to say the least and she loves the crunching. Plus, no mess! Perfect. 

I had no idea German Shepherds has this weird telepathic super power that could wake you from a dead sleep. I will be sleeping and wake from nowhere while she sits patiently in the dark boring a hole in my skull with her stare. She can be across the room too! HA! It works every time... and then I shuffle to let her out to potty ... at 3am. :/


----------



## lexiz

With Vessie being my first GSD, I had very few expectations. I thought that she would be way less cuddly, and that she wouldn't bond with me so completely. She is my little best friend. She always wants love and to be with me. It makes me feel so special! I was prepared for a puppy that would be independent and aloof. While she is both of those things, she is so much more. She has so many different facets to her personality. I just love her.


----------



## katievo

I didnt know how much they understood what we wanted from them! 

Our old boy r.i.p was a child herder  
At the park our daughter who was 2 at the time would run across the field wed say go bring her back Bo and hed run around her to turn her back into our direction to bring her back :wub:

Oh and how much HAIR COMES OFF THEM OMG! My poor vacuum haha


----------



## Ceez201

The puppy biting is real bad, people aren't joking when they say it's bad. 

Intelligence, I knew they were smart, but they're almost too smart.


----------



## Shawn D MacNeil

These dogs are soooo smart! have had several breeds over the years and always wanted a shepherd but my ex was set against it....When I took my 3 year old Sheherd home and on the 3rd day he nudged the sliding closet door open,pulled out a folded blanket,took it back to the spot he was laying, shook it to unfold it and proceeded to lay down on it....I KNEW I WAS DEALING WITH INTELLIGENCE on a different level than I had ever dealt with before!!! Looking forward to bonding with this awesome pup


----------



## Slate's Mom

cta said:


> i can tell what he is doing by listening to his footsteps. for example, if i'm in the basement doing laundry or something and leave him unattended upstairs, the second i hear trotting or prancing, i KNOW he has something he shouldn't. i'm waiting for the day he figures out that i figured him out and he just starts walking instead of prancing after he thieves something.


The thieving prance! hahaha!!! Can't stay upset with that.


----------



## Steve Wright

The wife did not believe me that he would grow out of that puppy stage where they bite everything and everyone. Now he sleeps in a leather recliner right next to 20 or 30 pairs of shoes.
Things I did not know.......or things I had forgot from my boyhood GSD, is how he can go from being crazy and playful to completely stopped and calm with 1 word. STOP!. Then he's back to his normal calm state. I love that.


----------



## Jenny720

How in tune they are with you. How they pick up your energy and body language. How they follow your lead. What a love bug they can be. They are so smart and pick up on so much. A big mush to anyone we invite in the door but at same time a great watch dog. How happy they are when their family/flock are together.


----------



## Stonevintage

There are so many but here's one I don't think has been mentioned.

Their sense and want of normal routine activities. My goodness, they are lovers of predictable daily routine. If you do different - they want to know why. Like if you are sick - Why is the food 15 minutes later than normal? Why are you sleeping later than usual? Why are you using the bathroom more than usual? They give you "that look" like I'm sorry but I need an explanation for this. YOU are not behaving normally and it concerns me.

I'm not saying that they don't handle surprises with ease, they just seem to really want and expect predictability in normal daily routines and get kinda bent if their owner deviates in any way.... Other breeds don't seem to scrutinize you as much as the GSD in the smallest of details of daily living.


----------



## Jenny720

This is true but they can adapt you will be amazed. I know I feel guilty anytime I have to leave my pets. It's a hard thing to do even for a little while but once on a schedule things go smoother.


----------



## Malachi'sMama

This is such a great thread!! I've been thoroughly enjoying it!!!


----------



## Cee22

Jenny720 said:


> How in tune they are with you. How they pick up your energy and body language. How they follow your lead. What a love bug they can be. They are so smart and pick up on so much. A big mush to anyone we invite in the door but at same time a great watch dog. How happy they are when their family/flock are together.


Exactly this. They are so in tune with you. When you cry, they're there to comfort you. 

They are so smart and act like humans. Our dog would get embarrassed if we asked him certain questions. They are the most amazing dogs.


----------



## Jenny720

They are incredibly intuitive!!!!! I understand that dogs and I believe German shepherds are extra sensitive to cortisol, testerone hormone levels in people and other animals. They need guidance especially young pups because of their spidey senses!!!!!!


----------



## rinkleroot

they shed way more than I ever thought


----------



## Jackal

I did not know they can talk. Till i owned my first. My current GSD is the worst gob ****e ive ever owned, he has something to say about everything! 
and because the kids were younger, he can say hello, ****, and a goodbye phrase that starts with F and ends in OFF.

My dog can mimic any dog's call. So he can sound exactly like my neighbours Jack russel, and the donkey up the road. Echolalia its called. I love it.

That they dob themselves in, with that prancing gait, every time they are up to mischief. When i see that prance, i know he's done something wrong.


----------



## Familyman

Hearing Bella, say good morning to me, when I come to open the crate up in the morning. That soft bark that doesn't wake the whole house up. I love that sound.


----------



## Shastabelle

The dirty looks, not just the one when the cat is trying to get some head butts, the one when the puppy flops down on the dogbed and wants to snuggle with the big dog. I swear she is saying `` get this thing off my bed!``


----------



## MythicMut

Their ESP/intuition. It's absolutely off the charts.


----------



## faith5

I didn't know ANYTHING about GSDs until I got my first one. She was the first dog or puppy I'd ever had. She was free, an "accident" from a couple of other GSDs whose owners weren't watching them closely enough. I'd always been a bit fearful of dogs, and I thought that getting a puppy would help me learn about the dog & bond with it before it got big enough to intimidate me.

I was so eager to learn, and to do everything right. I read extensively and talked to everyone, and was fortunate enough to work at a place where they let me keep her with me all day. I think I expected a lot from her, based on what I'd read about GSDs. 

But what I didn't know was that I would be educating and teaching her, rather than training. I didn't expect her ability to understand new people & new situations, to figure out what she could do to help, without being told. And I never expected the way she would be able to read me, my emotions, & become an actual friend.


----------



## Rolisaac

How quickly they learn as young puppies. . . .Especially when treats are involved.


----------



## 45acpguy

there's a reason they are the choice of PD's and LEO's...


----------



## maxtmill

I had a whiner - whine whine whine while on a car ride! The most striking thing I noticed with both of my past shepherds was that intelligent look. They look into your yes with such intelligence, it is amazing!


----------



## joulsey

This post is brilliant, I can relate to every one of them! Especially being so vocal and the back chat!


----------



## rafi_ktt

loving this forum already


----------



## zetti

That they demand a relationship with you like no other. They insist on a deep emotional connection and will not settle for less.

When I first met my husband, I had five GSDs. Every guy I dated claimed to be a dog lover then proceeded to gripe about the dog hair and the jumping up (I love dogs jumping up on me, so I don't correct it. You don't like it--don't come over).

Dh fell hard for them. Early on I told him they had such individual personalities that once he got to know them, I would be able to describe a behavior and he'd be able to tell me which dog did it. It happened.

He ended up fully engaged with the dogs and became a wonderful dog daddy. So I married him.


----------



## Vala

LukasGSD said:


> What big BABIES they are. Step on a toe, omg it's the end of their worrrrld. You'd think you would have broken their leg in half.


Yeeesssss!!! When I took mine to her first few puppy classes there was a shepherd-pitt mix that liked to play rough by grabbing her scruff.. You'd think he was trying to kill her the way she hollered. It made the other dog's owner nervous until the trainer said she was just a drama queen... so true.


----------



## Vala

wyoung2153 said:


> Kind of sad that Titan isn't vocal like that. He really only lets me know when someone is on the property and does the *mouth snappy thing (any one know what I'm talking about?)* without vocals when he gets VERY excited.
> 
> His expressions are PRICELESS. I know exactly what he wants just by looking at his facial expressions. Did not know dogs had that in them


Mine does the *same thing *when we come home and let her out of the kennel. I thought it meant she was going to be aggressive. She didn't start doing this until we got the mouthiness under control. It's like she reallly wants to bite but knows she can't. She'll just snap the air a few times and run to get a toy so she has something to chomp on instead of our hands. 

I spent months researching the breed because i'd wanted one ever since i was a little girl. I've never had a GSD so i wanted to know exactly what i was getting before i pulled the trigger. Everything I read made them sound like more work than they were worth. (Honestly i was expecting a dog as bad as Marley)! But she's been a delightful surprise. We haven't gotten to swim yet, but she loves the kiddie pool! She likes to dump her water bowl, so i got a dish that latches onto the kennel. I do almost all of my dog shopping on Chewy.com so anytime we get a box delivered, whatever the contents may be, she thinks it's for her!
She sleeps with us and knows when it's bedtime. She isn't very affectionate (somewhat disappointing but her personality makes up for it) except in the morning. Every single day at 540 she'll move from the foot of the bed and lay between me and my boyfriend. It's not time to get up yet so she just lays there and snuggles for about an hour. Once 615-630 rolls around it's time to get up and get ready for work. She'll stick her big ol' nose in my face and give me a few sweet soft licks. If that doesn't get me up, she will actually wedge herself underneath me. Like she's trying to lift me off of my pillow! 
I knew they're known for their protective instincts and how in tune they are to us. We went to a cabin party in Gatlinburg with a whole bunch of our friends (most I like, some I don't). I love that she knows exactly who I like and who I don't. It totally gives me away though because she'll go love up on the people that i like. If i don't like the person she's not defensive towards them but she won't have anything to do with them. (which i love because i'm a jealous mom and if i don't like you then i don't want you touching my dog. so she prevents that awkward social encounter). If it's someone i don't know though she'll get a little defensive.
I also love the talking, as many others have mentioned. Vala has different inflections for different reasons. 
1). when we come home she runs back and forth between us doing this yip that sounds like an air-filled "ah!" Like "ahhhh you're home!!"

2). if we're playing and i get distracted, she'll drop the toy in front of me, stare me in the eyes and bark a really high pitched, short yip like "HEY! Pay attention."

3). if she's using something naughty to try and play with me, she'll backtalk. "no, drop that! leave it. i said, leave it!" she comes back at me with this drawn out whiny growl, like "moooommmmmm playyyy witttthhh mmeeeeeeeeeeeee." all the while with that coy side-ways glance that says come get me. 

Like I said earlier, I did soooo much research on what to expect so there were traits I expected her to have that she didn't (for example, the Houdini gene. She almost has the storm door figured out but that's easy. The one thing i didn't find so much of was how profound/expressive their personality is! I LOVE dogs but i still can't believe how much i love this dog and how happy she makes me. I grew up with a Golden Retriever who didn't do anything fancy or cool, but she was the best dog in the world! So when it was finally time to move on I decided to go for it and get my next dream dog, even though i didn't think i would ever love another dog the same as my first. Not a day goes by that I don't look at her and think "omg, _*I*_ actually have a german shepherd!" I love her more than anything. I knew I needed a dog, but I didn't realize just how much I needed her. Just the coolest animal i've ever met.


----------



## Swamp Yankee

*Sheding a lot.*



rinkleroot said:


> they shed way more than I ever thought


 I found that out my self on the first one and the second one is no different. We have a romba robat vac we let run around the house to clean it up and after 1 hour, it is full and we run it daily. It also gets sucked din under the refrigerator and will block those cooling fins if you don't vacuum:smile2: them or blow them out once a month. Even so, its all worth it, great dogs.


----------



## astrovan2487

I didnt know anything about GSDs or dogs at all untill I got my first GSD, always had cats growing up. From a young age I liked how GSDs looked and that they were smart and very capable, and a little bit reserved. I thought it would be cool to have one. I really had no idea how much joy and happiness they can bring to your life and how much they can teach you about life. After having my first GSD I don't think I'll ever be without one, they just make things so much fun and fulfilling.


----------



## [email protected]

Yes. Total goof balls!


----------



## MiesterBuster45

astrovan2487 said:


> I really had no idea how much joy and happiness they can bring to your life and how much they can teach you about life. After having my first GSD I don't think I'll ever be without one, they just make things so much fun and fulfilling.


Can I get an Amen for Astro's post? Me too Astrovan. Life is much better with a German Shepherd.


----------



## Jenny720

MiesterBuster45 said:


> astrovan2487 said:
> 
> 
> 
> I really had no idea how much joy and happiness they can bring to your life and how much they can teach you about life. After having my first GSD I don't think I'll ever be without one, they just make things so much fun and fulfilling.
> 
> 
> 
> Can I get an Amen for Astro's post? Me too Astrovan. Life is much better with a German Shepherd.
Click to expand...

Amen!!!


----------



## Arathorn II

Really an enjoyable read 

All dogs seem to be able to read our emotions but having multiple dogs in the past it seems to me that GSD are just a little bit better than other breeds in being in-tuned with their owners.

I love how Maverick (RIP) and now the 11.5 month old kid - Ranger learned how they could be a bit rougher with me while being more gentle with my wife.

I love how they seem to learn things you weren't even trying to teach. 

Ranger is definitely a Landshark and Counter-surfer. 

He's starting to mature some, but occasionally will still grab one of my feet and hold for a few seconds then do teeny tiny biting - kinda tickling me. Almost like he's thinking "I know I'm not supposed to bite your feet, but I really want to bite your feet."


----------



## Kyfitchic

How they manage to destroy property, nibble on every visible and non visible body part, and eat your food; yet one look into his eyes and it is difficult to remember how I managed without him. They are magical.


----------



## [email protected]

HTML:


e




Kyfitchic said:


> How they manage to destroy property, nibble on every visible and non visible body part, and eat your food; yet one look into his eyes and it is difficult to remember how I managed without him. They are magical.



Yes. Their eyes. They reach into your soul an each and every GSD you have owned leave an imprint in your heart forever. They are to the dog, what the lion is to a cat.


----------



## Sunsilver

_Just how Velcro-like they can be. I knew they were watchful and followed their owners around but not being able to go to the bathroom alone ever again or sneeze without them jumping up out of a dead sleep looking for the threat to mom or dad... wow. lol. _

THIS!! My first GSD wasn't this way, though she was very bonded to me, and got diarrhea from anxiety when I went away, but the next one, Ranger, monitored every sneeze and cough! He was a rescue, but he turned out to be the perfect dog for my Hearing Ear dog. Whereas my previous girl was all about the nose, and would spend 20 minutes sniffing everything in a new location, Ranger would give a few cursory sniffs, then lie down and relax. But the ears were constantly moving, listening to everything going on outside the room.

Oh, and the DIGGING! Some of my dogs have been worse than others, but having a nicely landscaped backyard is pretty much a thing of the past since my GSDs came into my life!


----------



## wolfy dog

I never knew how hard it would be to lose a GSD. I have deeply grieved other dogs that passed but WD took a piece of me with him. Loving them is almost scary. Deja's avatar picture tells me just that.


----------



## CometDog

Not sure if that has been covered but...and let me preface this by saying they are the best breed ever in my opinion 

I came to realize late in the game that there is heightened responsibility in owning, training them. That even though they have a reputation for being loyal, trainable, steady...that does not mean "easy" the way society has been led to believe by the folklore. There are a lot of glitches in what is out there, especially in the pet/hobby/byb end of it. The critical nature of having issues in a breed with this kind of focus, intelligence, and power means you have to be on your toes IF you wind up with one that has nerves issues etc. In my martial arts classes when people would get annoyed due to an accidental hit or cranked submission, I would say well, it isn't knitting class. Same when you get a GSD. Well, it isn't a Benji dog.

It has made me realize the difference between rescuing one with unknown breeding and getting one from known lines. Each with it's own set of responsibilities and things to watch out for and stay on top of. 

Some breeds need more work (I don't mean because they are problematic, I mean because a lot of lines, they NEED to be worked even if it is just training and mental stimulation in a pet home). That is one of things that makes me love them. Given a choice between a new 4 door sedan with a 200,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty, or a kick butt sports car or rugged truck that needs more care, attention, or maintenance? Keep your sedan lol It's a personality thing.


----------



## btfloyd

I didn't know how many strangers would stop me to gush over my GSD. Don't get me wrong, people love stopping me to talk about my mini schnauzer, but people REALLY go out of their way to stop me and talk about my GSD.


----------



## btfloyd

Sunsilver said:


> Oh, and the DIGGING! Some of my dogs have been worse than others, but having a nicely landscaped backyard is pretty much a thing of the past since my GSDs came into my life!


Truth.


----------



## Jenny720

They are so intune to you that they know when something physically is off they have incredible sense of smell.


----------



## GSDFreya

The whining and the shark attacks! But you have to love them all the same! The look she gives me is like What did you expect?!


----------



## slippednfell

I didn't read the entire threat but of what I read, I didn't see the mommy rocks.

We got Goliath about 3 weeks ago, when he was 10 weeks old. Nearly every time my husband takes him out to pee and poop, he picks up one stone and brings it in the house and drops it. Sometimes he will drop a stone outside in favor of another one. He keeps trying to pick up a quarter of a brick that is outside to bring in to me. I have a feeling that before long, he will be bringing it to me. I have pulled out a glass vase that each stone is deposited in. We call them "mommy rocks". 

How special is that?


----------



## Miika's Mom

Great topic and wonderful responses :^). I tend to agree with most everyone's observations. 

I never realized how much help Miika would be in the care of my mom who now has dementia, or how much she and Kiisa would help me to feel better after a long day. Miika was a great help getting Kiisa in line when she decided to move in (a neighbor's 6 month old shepherd that decided she preferred living with us). 

Both are extremely people friendly and are great ambassadors for the breed (particularly Miika).

Mine generally don't bark much, but that changes after dark when (especially Kiisa) will stay outside and bark at things roaming around at night. They like to howl with the coyotes, even though they are enemies. 

Each has her spot on the bed and Miika is my official foot warmer in the winter. I can either stick my feet under her or she will make a point to lie on top of them. Kiisa just likes to snuggle and gets huffy if I try to get her to warm my feet, but she will lie against my back which makes it feel better. 

Miika loves to play with and in water. Figured it is the best way to cool down quickly so that she can resume her activity of running with Kiisa. 

There is never a dull moment with those two!


----------



## Miika's Mom

No sooner had I posted than I thought about Miika picking and eating from the fruit and nut trees and vines. I went to finish laundry for work, and then noticed it was way too quiet. Sure enough I forgot to dead bolt the front door and Miika decided there was something more exciting outside of the yard, and that crafty girl quietly opened the door and left and Kiisa went with her.

They are back again. They were no more than 50 yards away (we live in the country), just in opposite directions. Such is life at 1 o'clock in the morning with German Shepherds!


----------



## Mame

I bumped into a guy in my early twenties at someone's house, and he had a young GSD with him. I was like, "squee puppy!" He said, "No, don't touch my dog," all chill and dismissive (side note: to everyone all afternoon). I thought he was an absolute &%$#*!g JERK! But I totally get it now. He had that dog wrapped around his pinkie and it was a matter of guy + dog = forming a unit. I'm equally careful about handling my dogs around people now, and their permissible interaction level is directly related to their behaviors that day because they're training and I am master and commander. They need me to be. They're definitely not labs...lol.


----------



## Aleia

Ours was only half GSD (the other half Golden, he was a rescue) but I never expected his attention to every little thing around him, even if he was watching something over a block away! Even though he wasn't the slightest bit territorial regarding people, he was constantly surveying his domain and keeping it rabbit and squirrel free.


----------



## phoenix0792

I'm so glad someone else didn't know about the whining! Our older lab was such a quiet puppy, but our shepherd was noisy from the day we brought her home! I remember after we had her about 2 weeks she was happily eating her breakfast and just whining away haha.

So I've been trying to see the difference between her upset/scared/potty whines and just the gsd vocal whines.


----------



## Hazel GSD

I didn't know they were
#1: lovable
#2: goofy
#3: water lovers!!

Especially #3! Hazel had no earthly idea what that clear stuff was that she made her tongue feel wet, and she definitely didn't want to swim in it. But slowly I noticed she began to paw at her water dish, so I got her a doggie pool to see if she played. I tried everything to lure her into it but she just would do it! But, a few days ago she decided to hop right in and it was a hit! Nowadays, she submerges her face and let's herself get wet, while pawing and splashing in the water. It's definitely a favorite!


----------



## Rubyjane77

1) The non-stop shedding. Omg they are worse than Labs
2) Picky eater. He refuses to eat any other kibble that’s not Orijen. (I used to think active hungry dogs will eat anything you put in their bowl)
3) Agree with the multiple whining tones. He has different whines for about everything... potty whine, want a walk whine, hungry whine, etc. It was never mentioned on any of the profiles I read about this breed.


----------



## Dionne2u

How well mannered they can be with proper training and how unruly crazy some can be when not. I've always been impressed with their learning ability, their desire to be with their owner, and how they just want to know what's expected of them. They have emotions like humans, joy, happiness, sadness, frustration, boredom, love, but not hate. What's so wonderful is that each is very much their own personality. 

I absolutely love em !


----------



## Lynn13

Their nose! Anything you bring in the house has to be sniffed, top to bottom. Sat in a chair for a haircut? Sniff, sniff, sniff. A workman in the house while the dog was out? Nose to the ground, follows his path through the house. Same in the backyard. Book from the library...does not matter. That nose is something else.


----------



## Sebastian Murarescu

They are considerate , for example i chill on the couch,my phone near me,Odin wants to sit near me but he stares at me till i move my phone,so he doesn't sit on it,and in case i don't move it,he climbs so careful not to sit on it


----------

