# WLGSD Owner opinions please!



## Eagerly Waiting (May 16, 2016)

Hey! I've been considering a few breeds because my fiance will be going on deployments and I don't feel safe without him, (such as the WLGSD, Belgian Malinios,etc.) And one breed I was leaning towards was the WLGSD. So I'm asking WL owners I'd they think my lifestyle would be fitted. 

First of all, I plan to get into PP, and competitive agility with Fido. As for living situation, I live with my fiance, whom once we're married will apply to live on base as he's in the Navy. We do have a 5 year old corgi mix who is very standoffish, meaning I can handle a dominant dog. Fido will be exercised with three 1.5 hour jogs, and, if time permits, games like fetch and hide and go seek (Ya know, less strenuous on me, more strenuous on Fido.) Since I'll be a housewife (This has a very lazy, constantly cleaning connotation which is very much not true at all. I'll just be home most hours out of the day.) I'll be able to devote my time to Fido, yet I also need him to be well mannered in the public so I can take him out to town without him being a liability. So, WLGSD owners, what are your opinions? Do you recommend any other breeds for me? 

Also, as another question, how would you say the GSD works compared to other breeds such as the Mali, Dutch Shepherd, etc. I understand that the GSD was originally bred to herd livestock and be a family guardian, so they bond more closely to one person, and I'm sure that purpose affects they're work ethic just as it does Border Collies vs. Australian Shepherds.


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## Laura66 (May 1, 2016)

I don't know if this will apply to you but when my daughters husband was in the Army they lived on base and certain breeds were not allowed. I don't know if that would apply to you so check before you commit unless you are able to live off base. I don't know anything about WL but I do hope you find the right dog for you.


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## Eagerly Waiting (May 16, 2016)

I've already gone through the Navy's base breed bans and it was primarily Pitbulls, Rottweilers, and Dobermans. (Dobermans made me sad because boy oh boy those European PP Dobies were PHENOMENAL.) If GSD's were on the list I'd convince my SO to live off base because that's a lot to ask of a Shepherd lover.


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## Julian G (Apr 4, 2016)

Well, I don't have a WL gsd right now but I have been researching them, mals, and dutchies since I will be getting a new dog pretty soon. I had GSDs in the past, I'm almost positive my male was a working line breed or at least had some WL genetics in him, he was extremely high drive and very aggressive to strangers. He also needed to be worked multiple times a day or else he would go nuts. First, are you getting a puppy or an adult dog? If you're getting a puppy then you can forget about those three 1.5 hour jogs for at least a year and a half. They simply are not ready for that kind of strenuous activity. Their bones need to fully develop or they will have problems down the road. Some dont even let their dogs do any jumping until a year old. As far as the family guarding goes, I think any working breed will guard the family. The GSD will be bigger and scarier and a better deterrent in my opinion. I've had different dogs and strangers were definitely more afraid of my GSD than any other breed (they are on all of the beware of dog signs!)

Now about those three 1.5 hour jogs, are you saying you will actually be jogging for 4.5 hours every day? That is A LOT for ANY breed no matter how high their energy levels are. I have been asking members here questions on the mals and dutchies and they say those breeds are harder to handle, they go 110 mph for any task they do, and if you've never even had a GSD in the past you should not get a mal or dutch. Thousands of these dogs end up at shelters or back at their breeders because the owners thought they could handle them and simply couldn't. My suggestion is to contact a reputable WL GSD breeder, (I will pm you a great one) and talk to them. They will pick out the perfect dog or pup for you. I think GSDs are also less of a liability, they tend to calm down when needed. Of coarse this is just a generalization.


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