Discussion
My young son wants a German Shepherd puppy in Spring 2014.
I've never had a dog but have read up extensively on the breed and what it takes to look after them - my assumption is that it will end up being my responsibility to look after it (worse case scenario).
However I still have a tiny nagging feeling that what if I end up not liking the dog, i'll be stuck with it for 10 years or so...having never had a dog i haven't got a clue what kind of bond i'd end up having.
So, not sure whether i will love it or just tolerate it? Only way i could find out is to own one.
Is there a steer anybody can give me on this - i know no one who i visit who has a dog, so just don't know what the experience of having a dog is???
The nail in the coffin would be if they smell, however from what I've read if they are well kept (food, grooming) and trained, they don't smell and are quiet manageable???
I also worry when i see 2 year old dogs for sale, which makes me think if the bond between man and dog is so strong how come so many are up for sale???
I've never had a dog but have read up extensively on the breed and what it takes to look after them - my assumption is that it will end up being my responsibility to look after it (worse case scenario).
However I still have a tiny nagging feeling that what if I end up not liking the dog, i'll be stuck with it for 10 years or so...having never had a dog i haven't got a clue what kind of bond i'd end up having.
So, not sure whether i will love it or just tolerate it? Only way i could find out is to own one.
Is there a steer anybody can give me on this - i know no one who i visit who has a dog, so just don't know what the experience of having a dog is???
The nail in the coffin would be if they smell, however from what I've read if they are well kept (food, grooming) and trained, they don't smell and are quiet manageable???
I also worry when i see 2 year old dogs for sale, which makes me think if the bond between man and dog is so strong how come so many are up for sale???
Have you checked if there is a GSD rescue / re homer in your area ?
Get in contact with them and tell will no doubt let you come meet a few as I am sure they would rather you be certain it's the right dog and thing for you before you take the plunge and get a pup
If you bond with a pup then it's all good
Dogs do smell , esp. big hairy wet dogs but that is part of being a dog owner
Get in contact with them and tell will no doubt let you come meet a few as I am sure they would rather you be certain it's the right dog and thing for you before you take the plunge and get a pup
If you bond with a pup then it's all good
Dogs do smell , esp. big hairy wet dogs but that is part of being a dog owner
German Shepherds are great dogs, my folks have had two.
Their recommendation would be get a b
h as they're a bit more chilled and easier to manage.
They are extremely intelligent and very loyal but require a lot of exercise, it's important they get use to lots of people because they can become very protective of you/your family which makes them great guard dogs.
If you've not got someone at home most of the day or you're not prepared to walk the dog everyday then don't get any dog as it's not fair on them.
I can't wait to get a Shepherd of my own!
Their recommendation would be get a b
h as they're a bit more chilled and easier to manage.They are extremely intelligent and very loyal but require a lot of exercise, it's important they get use to lots of people because they can become very protective of you/your family which makes them great guard dogs.
If you've not got someone at home most of the day or you're not prepared to walk the dog everyday then don't get any dog as it's not fair on them.
I can't wait to get a Shepherd of my own!
Watch the line you go for. Some poorly bred shepherds out there due to inbred lines. But there are some good ones bringing in lines from outside this country, breeding the more old fashioned look and a calmer nature.
I have a good client who has just taken on a lovely gsd pup knew what she was after (had owner for a few yrs) I could get details if you want.
We do really good handouts for new puppy owners, we give them to people just enquiring as well as a great handout for how to buy a pup. I'd be happy to send you copies just PM me if you're interested abd don't mind a stranger having your address!!
I have a good client who has just taken on a lovely gsd pup knew what she was after (had owner for a few yrs) I could get details if you want.
We do really good handouts for new puppy owners, we give them to people just enquiring as well as a great handout for how to buy a pup. I'd be happy to send you copies just PM me if you're interested abd don't mind a stranger having your address!!
Speaking personally, the GSD is the only breed I would ever actively choose for myself. (Mine is asleep on the floor next to me as I write). For me, they are the most intelligent, loyal, best-looking, easy to train, etc etc etc breed out there. However, I realise that I am hugely biased and I fully accept that the next poster could strongly argue why their own chosen breed is good and/or better.
How old is your "young" son? Do you have any feel at all for whether he will grow up taking the dog with him wherever he goes, or will he get bored after 6/12 months? Some kids are very attached to their childhood pet, others just see it as a fad at the time.
Make no mistake that it's a massive commitment (any dog) - it will affect your daily life, and can affect your holidays, your spontaneity, your potential destinations, even your choice of car - all sorts. On the other hand, if you are (or turn out to be) a "dog person" then the rewards are huge. I had a lovely walk up on the Downs with Duffy today for an hour or so, and she'll come with me to the pub after if I need lunch or refreshment!
You perhaps need to think about it some time longer if you're the unsure. Spending time with someone else's dog will be fun but I would caution against using that as a yardstick - the novelty factor is not the same as the day-to-day care!
(PS - yes, she smells when she's wet, and GSDs are water babies par excellence, but then again, you & I would smell if we weren't clean! You can easy manage it).
How old is your "young" son? Do you have any feel at all for whether he will grow up taking the dog with him wherever he goes, or will he get bored after 6/12 months? Some kids are very attached to their childhood pet, others just see it as a fad at the time.
Make no mistake that it's a massive commitment (any dog) - it will affect your daily life, and can affect your holidays, your spontaneity, your potential destinations, even your choice of car - all sorts. On the other hand, if you are (or turn out to be) a "dog person" then the rewards are huge. I had a lovely walk up on the Downs with Duffy today for an hour or so, and she'll come with me to the pub after if I need lunch or refreshment!
You perhaps need to think about it some time longer if you're the unsure. Spending time with someone else's dog will be fun but I would caution against using that as a yardstick - the novelty factor is not the same as the day-to-day care!
(PS - yes, she smells when she's wet, and GSDs are water babies par excellence, but then again, you & I would smell if we weren't clean! You can easy manage it).
You appear to understand that if - or I suspect when - your son loses interest in the considerable daily effort required in looking after a large active breed then the workload will fall on you. Fluffy puppies don't stay like that for long.
If you are neither prepared nor willing to take this on then better to disappoint your son than add another dog to the 'no longer wanted' list.
If you are neither prepared nor willing to take this on then better to disappoint your son than add another dog to the 'no longer wanted' list.
Edited by paintman on Sunday 8th December 19:55
rehab71 said:
If you've not got someone at home most of the day or you're not prepared to walk the dog everyday then don't get any dog as it's not fair on them.
I'm not a dog owner, but I've doing a lot of research about becoming one and I think the point above is very very important. Thanks guys for the points made and time taken for the responses.
I'm in a pressurised job, so whilst my garden is very big and the dog would have a big play area, I don't think I'd be able to take on the headache if the dog is like a newborn baby which I will need to spend large chunks of dedicated time with it during the working day - though obviously i'd carve the time out whilst it was a puppy, i'm thinking more so over the next decade!!!
I'm fine taking it out twice a day but i'm not at home at all during working hours, so I couldn't dedicate every waking hour to it so to speak.
I was hoping it would be a case of feed/walk/play in the morning before work, leave it outside during the day and bring it back in for feed/walk/play after say 5pm when someone else is then back at home...
Think it won't be right for me or the dog to take this on if it needs working hours attention - i'd rather a disappointed son as opposed to an unwanted dog.
I'm in a pressurised job, so whilst my garden is very big and the dog would have a big play area, I don't think I'd be able to take on the headache if the dog is like a newborn baby which I will need to spend large chunks of dedicated time with it during the working day - though obviously i'd carve the time out whilst it was a puppy, i'm thinking more so over the next decade!!!
I'm fine taking it out twice a day but i'm not at home at all during working hours, so I couldn't dedicate every waking hour to it so to speak.
I was hoping it would be a case of feed/walk/play in the morning before work, leave it outside during the day and bring it back in for feed/walk/play after say 5pm when someone else is then back at home...
Think it won't be right for me or the dog to take this on if it needs working hours attention - i'd rather a disappointed son as opposed to an unwanted dog.
steve singh said:
Think it won't be right for me or the dog to take this on if it needs working hours attention - i'd rather a disappointed son as opposed to an unwanted dog.
Any dog will need working hours attention.I personally think you've made the right decision in not having one. A bored and frustrated dog is a horrible thing to be around.
Mobile Chicane said:
steve singh said:
Think it won't be right for me or the dog to take this on if it needs working hours attention - i'd rather a disappointed son as opposed to an unwanted dog.
Any dog will need working hours attention.I personally think you've made the right decision in not having one. A bored and frustrated dog is a horrible thing to be around.
Out of interest what duration of time is it ok to leave a dog unattended for?
steve singh said:
Out of interest what duration of time is it ok to leave a dog unattended for?
That's a bit of a "piece of string" question really. General advice is <4 hours; however, as a VERY general example, you may be able to leave something like, say, a retired greyhound for longer (as long as they get a couple of sprints a day, all they want to do is sleep!) whereas if you left a 2 year old Border Collie for a couple of hours he/she may well complete a Grand Designs re-modelling of your house by the time you get home! (I'm not picking on those 2 breeds especially, just for examples).The GSD does need a fair amount of mental as well as physical stimulation; I work from home full time, although my office is upstairs and the dog isn't allowed upstairs, but I still make sure I'm downstairs spending time with her fairly regularly.
The only reason we initially got a dog (apart from wanting one of course) is that I work a lot from home. I got my Collie when he was 8 weeks old. That meant that I had to toilet train him, which meant keeping a close eye on him and making him go outside if he looked like he may need to go. That meant that I was working downstairs in the kitchen a lot. I was also walking him regularly and also taking him to places where the local dog people congregate so he could lean to play with other dogs and be told how to behave by other dogs.
I am not home all the time. I had to go to the office every now and again and I also had to go to customer site. I was probably out between 2 and 3 days a week. We were aware that this was going to happen so we made sure we found a dog sitter (day care) BEFORE we got the dog. That meant that he would always have human company (and also doggie company).
A German Shepherd (just like a collie) requires exercise and a lot of mental stimulation. They are intelligent dogs. If they do not get this, then your house will suffer.
If I was in the office every day, we would never have got a dog as it would not have been fair on them.
Before we got our second dog (springer), we made sure that our dog sitter had space for her when I was out. My other half now works from home (dog sitter/walker/boarding), so we do not have the cost of putting the dogs at a dog sitter or having to find another when ours goes on holiday.
With the other half's job, she has seen what happens when you leave dogs at home all day whilst out at work. One of her customers, their kitchen where the dog is left can often be found in a state where the dog has pulled everything off the worktops and table and gone and destroyed it all. Another customer had their nice new sofa chewed to bits. They now use her for day care instead of just 1 walk as it is cheaper than replacing a £1000 sofa on a regular basis.
Our next dog will most likely be a Shepherd, although not until one of ours passes on. They are only 3 and 4, so I guess that will probably not be for another 12 years, although if getting a pup we would probably get it before the others passed on so that they can teach it how to behave.
I am not home all the time. I had to go to the office every now and again and I also had to go to customer site. I was probably out between 2 and 3 days a week. We were aware that this was going to happen so we made sure we found a dog sitter (day care) BEFORE we got the dog. That meant that he would always have human company (and also doggie company).
A German Shepherd (just like a collie) requires exercise and a lot of mental stimulation. They are intelligent dogs. If they do not get this, then your house will suffer.
If I was in the office every day, we would never have got a dog as it would not have been fair on them.
Before we got our second dog (springer), we made sure that our dog sitter had space for her when I was out. My other half now works from home (dog sitter/walker/boarding), so we do not have the cost of putting the dogs at a dog sitter or having to find another when ours goes on holiday.
With the other half's job, she has seen what happens when you leave dogs at home all day whilst out at work. One of her customers, their kitchen where the dog is left can often be found in a state where the dog has pulled everything off the worktops and table and gone and destroyed it all. Another customer had their nice new sofa chewed to bits. They now use her for day care instead of just 1 walk as it is cheaper than replacing a £1000 sofa on a regular basis.
Our next dog will most likely be a Shepherd, although not until one of ours passes on. They are only 3 and 4, so I guess that will probably not be for another 12 years, although if getting a pup we would probably get it before the others passed on so that they can teach it how to behave.
I have several family members who leave their dogs at home whilst they work and they get a walk first thing in the morning and when they get home. The dogs seem quite normal. However, I appreciate that its far from ideal. If memory serves, my cousin had a bulldog that simply slept all day and another cousin had a greyhound.
A Puppy or an energetic breed would be a no no though.
I appreciate that this subject has probably been covered several times in this forum.
A Puppy or an energetic breed would be a no no though.
I appreciate that this subject has probably been covered several times in this forum.
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