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German Shepherd owners please come in a share your experience with me...

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Sep 5, 2006
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German Shepherd owners please come in a share your experience with me...

I am thinking of getting a german shepherd puppy this summer. I am wondering how hard it is to train the dog so that it will not poo and pee everywhere in the house.

Of course, i will be getting the neccessary training and courses on how to be a good dog owner.

So for those of you that have german shepherd, please come in a share your experience. Also, there is a very reputable breeder in my area that sells male puppies for $3000 and female puppies for $2000. Why is there a $1000 difference between the sexes?

This is the place where I am considering to buy my GSD:
www.germanshepherdkennel.com
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Jun 17, 2006
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Halton
Thats a hell of a lot of money for a GS man. Even pure breeders that are registered only go for 600-1000 tops. never even heard of one for that much.. :confused:
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Sep 5, 2006
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Mattones wrote: Thats a hell of a lot of money for a GS man. Even pure breeders that are registered only go for 600-1000 tops. never even heard of one for that much.. :confused:
This is the place where they sell the dog at that price:

www.germanshepherdkennel.com
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Jul 19, 2003
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"why??!" is a good question

why not a regular big dog?

Most German Shepherds I've encountered go senile early, and are very aggressive.

Adopt a lab of some sort, doesn't matter what breed.
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Jul 18, 2006
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If you get a German Shepherd, is it possible to have him go to those police K9 dog training centers? He would be so obedient afterwards.
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billdozer wrote: If you get a German Shepherd, is it possible to have him go to those police K9 dog training centers? He would be so obedient afterwards.
No. You can't just lend him to the police for obedience training.
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May 8, 2005
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Had a Shephard once.

They are great companions - super loyal to their owners - and very very smart. They're strong and athletic dogs too, so be forewarned....they need a lot of exercise.

The only down side is they shed like crazy and are prone to something called " Hip Dyspepsia " ( be sure and ask about it ) - the reason we had to eventually have ours put down.

A great dog overall though.
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poedua wrote: The only down side is they shed like crazy and are prone to something called " Hip Dyspepsia " ( be sure and ask about it ) - the reason we had to eventually have ours put down.

A great dog overall though.
Yeah, we had a german shepard/Collie mix. He had hip dysplesia(sp?). We were going to put him down, but he died on his own shortly after we'd made the decision, he was eight. Mind you, I'm sure getting hit by a car took a few years off his life, too. His son, too, died at the age of eight, but was also hit by a car.

We currently have Taffy, who's a Shepard (So I've been told, but I don't see it in her)/Chow Chow mix. She's nearly 14 and still bounces around like a pup.
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Jan 5, 2004
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Laval
Are you sure you want a gsd? They get big, need roomy yard and you have to spend time training. They shed a lot. The place you want to buy from is for show dogs. Are you going to show your dog?
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wasserkool wrote: I am thinking of getting a german shepherd puppy this summer. I am wondering how hard it is to train the dog so that it will not poo and pee everywhere in the house.

Of course, i will be getting the neccessary training and courses on how to be a good dog owner.

So for those of you that have german shepherd, please come in a share your experience. Also, there is a very reputable breeder in my area that sells male puppies for $3000 and female puppies for $2000. Why is there a $1000 difference between the sexes?

This is the place where I am considering to buy my GSD:
www.germanshepherdkennel.com
I am assuming you don't have much experience with dogs judging from your first question. Training your dog not to crap in your house will be the easiest part of his training. Should take a couple days to a week. Teaching him not to chew on your furniture may take somewhat longer. Regardless of what breed you get, training will consume a fair amount of time to properly socialize your dog. This is something you need to prepare yourself for. Dogs need and readily accept your authority and guidance provided you constantly assert strong leadership. When it comes to a battle of wills, a lot of inexperienced owners can get weak-kneed when facing a growling shepherd. This can be a dangerous dog if not well trained. They also tend to be a one person dog and obedient only with the "master" and may not accept the authority of other family members and guests.

I have no idea why males would be more expensive than females as usually the reverse is the case in other breeds.

You might want to do one of those breed compatibility surveys found on several sites before making your decision on a breed. Unless you are going into the show ring or starting a breeding operation, paying for a pure breed doesn't really make a lot of sense. Shepherd mixes are common at most shelters at about 1/10 of the cost you are talking about. Pups are infinitely more work than older dogs. Many adult dogs have already had some training, are past the stage where they chew on everything and adapt well to new owners.
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German Shepherds are not your average dog that just sits around and licks itself all day. Shepherds need tons of exercise and they need to be put to work. Whether that means you play with them, you teach them tricks, you train them in various ways, etc. Shepherds are one of the most loyal dogs there are, but they require a certain type of home or they can become vicious.

Make sure you do a lot of reading before you get one or you may end up regretting it.

ps. I have a Siberian Husky, had two of them at one point. They are just like Shepherds, except worse. They need tons of exercise room. They need to be able to run freely on a regular basis. They also need constant attention and lots of training. They are not a good dog to just leave sitting in the house all day long. They will become vicious. They are worse than children.
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wasserkool wrote: I am thinking of getting a german shepherd puppy this summer. I am wondering how hard it is to train the dog so that it will not poo and pee everywhere in the house.

Of course, i will be getting the neccessary training and courses on how to be a good dog owner.

So for those of you that have german shepherd, please come in a share your experience. Also, there is a very reputable breeder in my area that sells male puppies for $3000 and female puppies for $2000. Why is there a $1000 difference between the sexes?

This is the place where I am considering to buy my GSD:
www.germanshepherdkennel.com
Price diff between male and femal mostly be'c for a "high end" dog like this, they suspect you may use it to stud, and then potentially cut in on their profits from their litters. Why dont you ask the breeder?

GS's are very beautiful, trainable and intelligent, I wouldnt worry more about accidents than with any other dog. But I wouldnt recommend it for a 1st time dog owner because they need unrelenting discipline to keep their protective behaviour from becoming overly aggressive. A GS is like a gun. In the wrong/untrained hands, it can be deadly.
They also commonly have health issues like hip dysplasia.

IMO a first time owner would be better with something like aGolden Retriever which is still a big dog, may bark if allowed ( and sound just as threatening as a GS if that would make you feel more secure), but is less likely to be overly dominant or aggressive.
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Shaner wrote: ps. I have a Siberian Husky, had two of them at one point. They are just like Shepherds, except worse. They need tons of exercise room. They need to be able to run freely on a regular basis. They also need constant attention and lots of training. They are not a good dog to just leave sitting in the house all day long. They will become vicious. They are worse than children.
Interesting, we have a husky/malamute cross (maybe some GS as well), and I'm ashamed to say, she doesnt get much exercise this time of year due to the weather. But I would never call her vicious even in the slightest. They have an imposing appearance which some dogs dont react well to, and can exert dominant behaviour, but not ONCE in the 5 yrs I've had her as she been aggressive with any human, even small children. I have known several Jack Russells (ya, Eddie on Frazier) that have been far more aggressive/vicious with other dogs/humans. Here's my girl Mila with our cat. [IMG]http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b88/b ... 006004.jpg[/IMG]
What I will say my H/M does if she doesnt get enough exercise is, out of boredom she can get destructive, usually with people shoes that havent been put away...She'll gnaw on them to the sole....even though we have lots of toys lying around for her and her companion Gold. Ret.
I have seen her hunting instincts kick in as well (squirrels esp). Germ Sheps. will do this as well, which is why its important to keep them on leash when in public (wouldnt want them to chase a squirrel across a road and get hit by a car).

All dogs IMO are worse than children, because children at some point are able to communicate with you effectively and out grow their total dependence on you. Dogs never do.
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Shaner wrote: No. You can't just lend him to the police for obedience training.
LOL..."lend it" to the police to get trained....as if theres no costs associated with that!
Maybe I could lend my car to a body shop to get it repainted as well :)

You could get it into a security guard type training program, but I bet it would cost $5000 or so...Not worth it unless you use the dog professionally.
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stealth wrote: I have known several Jack Russells (ya, Eddie on Frazier) that have been far more aggressive/vicious with other dogs/humans.


Ya, most Jacks would take on a bear without much hesitation. Another dog I wouldn't recommend for an inexperienced owner.
stealth wrote: All dogs IMO are worse than children, because children at some point are able to communicate with you effectively and out grow their total dependence on you. Dogs never do.
+1
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stealth wrote: Interesting, we have a husky/malamute cross (maybe some GS as well), and I'm ashamed to say, she doesnt get much exercise this time of year due to the weather. But I would never call her vicious even in the slightest. They have an imposing appearance which some dogs dont react well to, and can exert dominant behaviour, but not ONCE in the 5 yrs I've had her as she been aggressive with any human, even small children. I have known several Jack Russells (ya, Eddie on Frazier) that have been far more aggressive/vicious with other dogs/humans. Here's my girl Mila with our cat. [IMG]http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b88/b ... 006004.jpg[/IMG]
What I will say my H/M does if she doesnt get enough exercise is, out of boredom she can get destructive, usually with people shoes that havent been put away...She'll gnaw on them to the sole....even though we have lots of toys lying around for her and her companion Gold. Ret.
I have seen her hunting instincts kick in as well (squirrels esp). Germ Sheps. will do this as well, which is why its important to keep them on leash when in public (wouldnt want them to chase a squirrel across a road and get hit by a car).

All dogs IMO are worse than children, because children at some point are able to communicate with you effectively and out grow their total dependence on you. Dogs never do.
Curious...is there someone home with your dog during the day - i.e is the dog OK alone for the day while you're at work ?

( I mean apart from the " wonderful company " a cat can provide ;) )

Great looking dog btw ! ( Beginning to wonder if we might eventually need a PET FORUM - with pics - here on RFD !! )

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