German Shepherds make awesome family/farm dogs ;-)

[kasjordan]

I will freely admit I’m prejudiced. I’ve never had a GSD before this dog, he’s the best dog I’ve ever had in my life. Can’t imagine a day without him now. He just turned 2 so I tried taking a bunch of pics one day to encompass a day in his life lol. Not the best, from my phone. (Just in case anyone was borderline to take the jump to a Shepherd, this is my shove over the cliff

This is my view first thing in the morning while I’m sipping coffee on my stool at the island.
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b277/kasjordan/IMG01804-20130208-0833_zpsad6d83dc.jpg

This is the view when I get out of the shower- (are you seeing a them here?)
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b277/kasjordan/IMG01805-20130208-0902_zps2d698d15.jpg

He guards doors for me when I feed the ponies-
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b277/kasjordan/IMG01807-20130208-1023_zps6b7d49ee.jpg

And also when I feed the chickens-
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b277/kasjordan/IMG01813-20130208-1029_zps397590b1.jpg

He checks out the creek to make sure there’s nothing going on in there…
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b277/kasjordan/IMG01810-20130208-1027_zpsd01aff99.jpg

Always willing to go to the store-
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b277/kasjordan/IMG01809-20130208-1025_zpse09a98cd.jpg

Checks on the barn cats-
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b277/kasjordan/IMG01814-20130208-1030_zpsbd460b9e.jpg

Teases the one cat that comes inside-
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b277/kasjordan/IMG01817-20130208-1038_zpse0c1cacc.jpg

Waits on the step 5 minutes before my daughter’s bus gets there-
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b277/kasjordan/IMG01819-20130208-1534_zpsb7f94317.jpg

Makes sure the right kid came off the bus-
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b277/kasjordan/IMG01824-20130208-1539_zps83826aaf.jpg

And steals naps whenever possible-
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b277/kasjordan/grizzsleep_zpsfb96cf61.jpg

Just thought I’d share my farm/family/guard dog

[cowgirljenn]

I have one who I adore - but he’s not the best farm dog. If I let him near the horses, he would run all day because he believes it is his job to herd them all together and not let them go anywhere. At all.

But he is a fabulous dog. He’s sweet and friendly and goofy with DH and I, but he’s protective of us as well. I feel safer with him around when DH is gone and I’ve seen him in action. I wish I could make him live forever…

[kasjordan]

Mine was at the barn with me at 7 weeks old, twice a day. He learned quickly not to herd!
I think that’s what I love the best, he’s such a big,huge baby with us but the second he detects a threat, he’s pretty dang formidable!
Mine’s only two and I dread thinking of him getting older.

[beowulf]

Don’t have much to say but your GSD looks adorable… I had one for several years before I went away to college: he is such a good dog that even now that I’m done my parents don’t want to give him back! No amount of convincing will change their mind… Had to replace the hole he left with 4 dogs that don’t even rack up in intelligence!

[jetsmom]

I have a half GSD that my DH says is the best dog ever. Soooo very loyal. And very sensitive to even the slightest tone of voice. I really like German Sheps.

[microbovine]

We raised one on our farm with our young child and he is essential. He even goes running with me. I took him to a few sheep dog training sessions. He loved it. It was amazing to watch them work sheep and bring them right to you. We had a few sheep for awhile and I could stand just inside the pen I wanted them in and Luther, our GSD, would bring them in for me. Incredible farm dogs.

[TKR]

Another GSD Fan, here! LOVE GSD’s! Can’t live without them! They are wonderful anywhere as far as I’m concerned. Mine is sired by a Kirschental male, which is a kennel in Germany that has pursued herding with their GSD’s for many years as well as Schutzhund, etc. My female is glued to me where ever I go as the OP’s! and wonderful with everyone as well as being a clown. She is fine with my cats – Barrett eats with her sometimes, LOL, fine with the horses and my other dogs. Intelligent, fun, loyal and beautiful to the core.
PennyG

[rosijet]

@kasjordan;6833087

the second he detects a threat, he’s pretty dang formidable!

I have had two in my life and I miss that sense of protection they give. My Golden Retriever and my Border Collie would not be the same defense against an intruder as my German Shepherds!

[GotGait]

He’s beautiful. I had one after college, but he was all black. Great dog.

[Mozart]

We have a new dog (found as a stray) who is mostly GSD with a tiny dash of something else (vet thinks…wait for it…corgi!!). I have never had a GSD before and was a bit leery, I have been bitten/injured by a dog 3x in my life and each one was a GSD.

However this dog…despite having a couple of young dog issues to deal with…is amazing. She is sweet, smart, attentive, eager to please and absolutely solid with my kids and my horses.

[microbovine]

Your boy is gorgeous, BTW!

[Heinz_57]

[QUOTE=rosijet;6833857]
I have had two in my life and I miss that sense of protection they give. My Golden Retriever and my Border Collie would not be the same defense against an intruder as my German Shepherds![/QUOTE]

We have a 10 month old GSD (old photo, obviously!) that is still growing into his big body… I’ve never heard so much as a peep out of him until last weekend when he started growling at my shadow on the TV. He’s a bit of a wallflower, although a most adoring and devoted one. :lol: For now, my 3yo Border Collie is pretty dang formidable, if for no other reason than that he’s a little crazy and pretty intense when he thinks he hears the boogie man.

[Over_the_Hill]

We adopted a GSD to help keep the varmits at bay on our property. I had never had one before, my taste running to sight hounds… Sheba was simply amazing. She was not a “cuddler”, but she never let me out of her sight. If I was mowing the lower pasture, she would lay on the knoll for however long it took. If I rode, she never interfered, but was always watching close by. She sensed danger and “took care” of it. She stayed on the farm at night as our night guard, as no one lived on property, but every morning, there she would be waiting by the gate like the sentry that she was. I really miss my girl.

[Crackerdog]

When I was little my grandpa had one, Duchess, that was the best dog. He made her stay outside and she would let me get in her dog house with her. I was so sad when she finally died.

[cowgirljenn]

[QUOTE=kasjordan;6833087]
Mine was at the barn with me at 7 weeks old, twice a day. He learned quickly not to herd!
I think that’s what I love the best, he’s such a big,huge baby with us but the second he detects a threat, he’s pretty dang formidable!
Mine’s only two and I dread thinking of him getting older.[/QUOTE]

We got ours out of a shelter at about a year of age, so I didn’t have age on my side in teaching him to leave the horses alone! He has learned to leave the house cats alone (he wants to herd them as well :)).

I’ve wanted one since I was little, but I didn’t set out to get one. I went to give a talk to animal control officers on equine rescue/neglect cases, and they had an emergency and had to cancel the talk. So they gave me a shelter tour and took me down ‘doggie death row’ (or the row of dogs awaiting euthanasia). They hadn’t even put my guy up for adoption because ‘he wasn’t friendly enough’. To me, he just looked depressed. I imagine he was waiting for his family to come back. They had been traveling with him and he barked too much, so he went to the shelter.

He DOES bark too much, but other than that he’s a great dog. (He barks at anything/nothing. it is hard to tell if it is something serious when he barks all the time!).

[millerra]

I’ve always wanted one but I don’t want to get one until I retire so it can be with me all the time.

BUT, as a horse person, I can not stand the bad back end of so many. Where do you get normal looking (i.e. not crippled looking) ones, like the ones in the OP’s pictures?

[Marla_100]

[QUOTE=millerra;6835013]
I’ve always wanted one but I don’t want to get one until I retire so it can be with me all the time.

BUT, as a horse person, I can not stand the bad back end of so many. Where do you get normal looking (i.e. not crippled looking) ones, like the ones in the OP’s pictures?[/QUOTE]

You go shop at Animal Control/Pound/Rescues. the day I went to “look”, there were 5 GSD’s there. Within an hour 4 were spoken for, including my wonderful girl who had been due to be PTS the previous day. Talk about a smart dog. She tried to lead me through 5 or 6 doors to get out to the parking lot. And offered to sit in my lap like a lap puppy (she was a big, skinny 40 lbs.)
I’ve had many smart breeds in my life, but this dog was a breeze to train.
And true owner loyalty like I’ve never seen. Gets along with ALL other animals, cats, horses, dogs, rabbits, chickens, etc. No aggression except acts mean and barks as a watchdog.
I just wish I could clone her as she’s getting up in years. I’ve actually had strangers in the pet store offer their contact info in case I ever want to get rid of her. Not all GSD have the bad hind ends. Hers is straight and like a normal dog not like the highly modern bred ones.
I really lucked out with her.

[TKR]

ONLY buy from a breeder who is knowledgable, can provide proof of OFA testing and good results for hips and elbows. Do some research and find out about any issues the breed has and be knowledgable yourself to ask questions. As a rule, the American breds for the showring have more hip issues because they are bred to have that slopey-hip angle which is a distortion of what they should be, thus causing dysplasia, etc. The x-rays at least insure the breeding pair have decent hips and even moreso if their ancestors were also carefully bred. The titled, European bred Shepherd breeders who are serious about their produce will jump through the hoops before they breed. They will also match you up with a puppy. If you go the rescue route, I fully endorse that! – you could have a potential pet x-rayed also for reference and to know. Many vets that know the breed can look at the dog and tell by how sloped they are if that could be an issue – but they can better tell by x-rays. Some great Shepherds wind up needing a home and even in a high kill shelter – I try to help them all the time by networking as well as other breeds and cats. Good luck – they are THE BEST! One of mine was a rescue – alot like Sheba, described in a post above. Uncannily loyal, intelligent and protective — they appreciate who cares for them!
PennyG

[Sunsets]

Add me to the list of GSD lovers!

Here’s my guy.http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151529586159498&set=a.10150925176194498.514698.790594497&type=3&theater

Also a rescue (if you flip through the pics in the album you can see his dramatic transformation), estimated age around 5 or 6.

He is such a loyal and kind dog - and smart! Great with my cats, nice to kids and friends, and reasonably barky and intimidating when needed. As I live in the big city, with all the usual crime that goes along with that, I like having a big guard dog around. I was in love with him within hours of bringing him home - horrible stench and all.

[Chall]

Lol, “very large dog, medium sized cat, very large bed”. Cat in bed, dog ousted