miguel Posted December 16, 2011 Report Share Posted December 16, 2011 Hello everyone well I'm planning to get a GSD for some reasons I liked it I do not know why.... Well I just want to know the attitude of a GSD? since gsds have this impression of killer/wild dogs. ( which I know they aren't) I want to hear peoples opinion on them are they agressive? are they bla bla bla? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadow01 Posted December 16, 2011 Report Share Posted December 16, 2011 They are very trainable but need a strong leader. Your best person to talk to is mike_p as he runs a GSD rescue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles Posted December 16, 2011 Report Share Posted December 16, 2011 mike_p on this forum is really knowledgeable about GSD's and I am sure he will be able to answer any questions you might have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LJB Posted December 16, 2011 Report Share Posted December 16, 2011 I have grown up with GSD's (years ago my mum was a licensed breeder) and all my dogs until this one have been GSD's, some puppy's and some rescued adults. As to aggression they are what you make them, my last one was as soft as butter, we got him as a pup when my son was 4 so they were bought up together so to speak, totally adored each other.........he was an absolute sweetie (RIP), yet I had another dog that we had bred ourselves and he was naturally very protective and could of been very aggressive in the wrong hands! I could walk the town at pub/club kickout time with him on my own and just know 100% I would be totally safe! They are very smart and loyal dogs, and to be honest we were going to rescue a GSD this time, but we came across Shadow and fell in love Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robke Posted December 16, 2011 Report Share Posted December 16, 2011 We have had a rescue GSD's before and they are what you make them, Jake was very protective to me and OH and the house but at the same time soppy as anything. Would let you in but you could not get out of the house without us saying it was ok. If however we would have trained him to be aggressive then no doubt he would have been so. Loyal as anything that is what a good trained GSD is IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted December 16, 2011 Report Share Posted December 16, 2011 GSDs are extrememly trainable dogs. However they are a guarding breed so do have some guarding instincts. They can be nervous dogs and do go through Fear Stages, so you have to work through these. You won't find a more loyal dog than a GSD though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tripled Posted December 16, 2011 Report Share Posted December 16, 2011 GSDs are extrememly trainable dogs. However they are a guarding breed so do have some guarding instincts. They can be nervous dogs and do go through Fear Stages, so you have to work through these. You won't find a more loyal dog than a GSD though Makes me wonder what bit of the GSD Dexter has in him He's not a guard dog he runs away, he's only loyal to whoever is rubbing his belly at the time, and he's deffinatly Husky in his selective hearing ability! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Posted December 16, 2011 Report Share Posted December 16, 2011 Echo is our White GSD. Very trainable. Extremely protective. Can be aggressive if they feel threatened or feel that YOU are threatened or nervous around someone. Loyal Loving Playful Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Angel n Auroras Mum Posted December 16, 2011 Report Share Posted December 16, 2011 Storm is a husky x GSD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowpups Posted December 16, 2011 Report Share Posted December 16, 2011 I've had gsd all my life. I must say I love gsd as much as I do the huskies/ malamute. Gsd are loyal, love there owner, they can be protective and will look after the owner. My gsd hollie is a seizure alert dog so as you can tell they are easy to train and mine plays just as rough as my huskies and mals. She even out runs them lol and her recall is amazing and she loves to please Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex T Posted December 16, 2011 Report Share Posted December 16, 2011 Our GSD is great! She's extremely loyal and really laid back! She's been brought up around kids and lets them climb all over her. She is also protective whilst out on walks and will often try to round the kids up if they get a little too far ahead! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miguel Posted December 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2011 Amazing! I didn't know this much people have GSD here! I was planning to make the gsd a family dog. Only problem is, we live in a compound there are 3 houses there. would it be safe for the others? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowpups Posted December 17, 2011 Report Share Posted December 17, 2011 Yer it will be fine. Gsd are easy trainable and will only act how you bring them up. They are fab with kids all my gsds have had kids climb on then and never reacted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kara Posted December 17, 2011 Report Share Posted December 17, 2011 We have always had a GSD and a Husky. he was our first dog as a couple, and he made a great role model for our first husky a year later. He was harder to potty train than the husky, and has his sneaky habits, but he is the most loyal, obedient, and kind dog I have ever owned. He makes friends with people easily, just throw a ball or stick, but at the same time can sniff out a bad/un-trustworthy person in just a few moments. These people reactions have proven right time and time again about people's character.....it is amazing. He is 13 now, and has a new little sister husky, but a little to old now to teach her much. He was good with cats and some other dogs, at times he was is so toy oriented that he doesn't care about other dogs, but with having huskies as sisters his whole life, he takes all the alone time and snuggle time he can get. German Shepherds are great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miguel Posted December 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2011 alright, so this means we can trust them off lead right? lol having troubles with my husky outside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex T Posted December 17, 2011 Report Share Posted December 17, 2011 GSD's are very reliable off-lead - husky's are not! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyshqa Posted December 19, 2011 Report Share Posted December 19, 2011 My Kiska is a husky cross GSD and her GSD half really shows through - she's very easy to train (though she has the husky stubbornness - a fun combination! ), very loyal and protective of me, even towards my cats and other pets, and is quite nervous - especially of men or anyone new coming into the house. But she is most definately not aggressive, not even slightly. I absolutely love GSDs, but I don't think I would ever have a purebred one unless I got it from the right breeder - I'm SO worried about their hip problems, even with Kiska, so if I were looking for a GSD I would get a puppy instead of a rescue so that I could be absolutely sure of its background, and I would only buy from a breeder that doesn't have dogs with rediculously sloping back ends, hip scores their dogs etc, just so I know I would be getting the healthiest dog possible and one that won't walk like it's back legs are on ice or like someone is sat on it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elyse Posted December 19, 2011 Report Share Posted December 19, 2011 I've been wanting a GSD too... How are they around strangers? Would they only attack or show aggression if they feel you are in danger, or whenever a stranger happens to walk down the street? Would you have to train them and let them know who is a 'friend' and who isn't? Would they only be loyal to one person or the whole family? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miguel Posted December 19, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 19, 2011 Actually yeah I also had that question, how do they react against strangers. We usually have visitors around, so is it okay for him to be like a husky and just roam around the house while here are visitors? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowpups Posted December 19, 2011 Report Share Posted December 19, 2011 Yer there ok with new people its how you bring them up. Hollie barks to warn me someone new is in the house and follows them like kara said gsd are a good source of working out the un trusty people hollie will not leave them to walk around and will stand near me. Hollie dad was a police dog so she must of got it off him as she is always wary mostly of men. Tia by gsd who passed away 2 yrs ago was the same she was so friendly till she know someone was up to no good which comes in handy once we had are front door open and tia was in the garden my mum was sat at my auntie house 2 doors up some guys walked past didn't see tia was there saw the door was open came bk went to come through the gate tia was straight at the gate guarding her property and family the guy nearly had a heart attack we won't try it again will he hehe. Hollie and jasper were out on a walk with me some guy was stood on the hill while I was walking round he kept looking at me I kept goin then he came running down the hill when it got darkish hollie warned him off and he legged it she growled at him then lunged as he came closer she was on lead or he would of got bite as she is trained to protect and will go for the arm like police dogs. Tia was a ex police dog. Hollie is a seizure alert dog for me so does herself proud and will get someone to help me if she needs too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravenwolf Posted December 19, 2011 Report Share Posted December 19, 2011 Scout is half GSD and I am so, so, so glad that the GSD half is dominant in his personality and trainability!!! They've always been my favourite kind of dog and I have such a soft spot for them! As snowpups said, it's all in how they're raised. They are popular barn dogs back home, and most of the ones I've met have been great with strangers. They can show preference for one person, but I don't think I've ever met one that was as fiercely loyal to one person as say an australian shepherd can be. They know their family. One of my mom's friends has a - in my opinion - poorly trained GSD. He is VERY aggressive toward strangers in the house and is overprotective of his mum. However, when my mom stayed at their place to visit, the dog never barked at her, even when she came into the house when no one else was home, and actually took to sleeping outside her room for the duration of her stay! The owner had never seen anything like it - he positively fell in love with my mom (who is not particularly dog-saavy). German shepherds are highly trainable, which is awesome, but like any working breed they really need to be challenged and given a job to do. They need a confident, consistent leader or, like in the case of mom's friend, the dog will take over and that's when they become a hazard. Because GSDs are protective by nature, it's super important that instinct is channeled productively and appropriately, and they should not be aggressive or overly shy toward strangers. ETA - mydiamond brought up a good point - you really do have to watch for genetic issues with GSDs. Hip dysplasia is one of the most common issues they suffer from, and as a result of poor breeding is can be quite severe. one of my favourite GSDs had hip dysplasia so severely that when trotting his left hind stepped to the outside of his right fore's track, and vice versa - it looked like he was braiding with his hind end. The older he gets the more issues with arthritis and pain he will have - a tragedy that is the direct result of careless breeding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mydiamond Posted December 19, 2011 Report Share Posted December 19, 2011 Hi there! My neighbor owns a male GSD and I must say that they're one big dog O_O and strong too! >_< and from what I heard, GSDs are also heavy-shedders. The only difference between GSD and husky is that GSDs shed constantly while huskies shed twice a year. Even if they're highly trainable and great with kids and all, this breed is very overpopulated resulting in poor health and lots of health issues am not saying that there are no healthy GSD in the world, but please make sure you do a careful, thorough research before you bring your GSD home. Now I know I've been pointing-out the down sides of the GSD for quite a while right now, so let's check their up sides GSD is a very intelligent, loyal, one-man dog. Unlike the huskies who loves everyone and anyone, GSDs will never leave your side--hence they can be trusted off-lead. Want to hear a short story about GSD's loyalty? A few months ago (okay, a lot of months ago ) there is a news in my national newspaper that shocked every reader. An old man died while walking his GSD (heart attack--u know how surprising they are) and his dog never left his body until the polices found him. When the police came to take the old man's body, the GSD growls and snarls--protecting his master's body from the "strangers". They called the K9 unit already, but... Blah, Indonesian K9 officers are useless -.- At first they managed to lure the GSD away from his master's body but then when the dog realized his master is not beside him anymore he became aggressive and.. (I know, I know) the police shot the dog down the next day the news made it to national news paper--where the dog was named as "the Indonesian Hachiko" (or something like that). Idk about other people, but everyone I know was outraged. Nothing can be done though, since the dog is already dead and the police who shot him claimed self-defense Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Tao&Sky Posted December 19, 2011 Report Share Posted December 19, 2011 Tao is 50% German Shepherd and 50% Husky and he shows all the Husky traits rather than the German Shepherd ones. He can empty a large bowl of water in seconds by digging it out. He stands now at 28ins at the withers. .........Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Angel n Auroras Mum Posted December 19, 2011 Report Share Posted December 19, 2011 Storm is very friendly to visitors Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravenwolf Posted December 19, 2011 Report Share Posted December 19, 2011 Tao is 50% German Shepherd and 50% Husky and he shows all the Husky traits rather than the German Shepherd ones. He can empty a large bowl of water in seconds by digging it out. He stands now at 28ins at the withers. .........Ron Tao is so beautiful - I just want to hug him! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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