What qualities would you look for in a friend? You would hope they would stick by your side through good times and bad. You pray that they will never betray your secrets. You wish that they would help you out when you needed help. You can find all of these qualities in a German Shepherd dog. And, as an added benefit, they won’t sue you either.
You need to do your part in this friendship, as well, in order for it to work out. You have to be patient, have a sense of humor and learn all you can about the German Shepherd breed. You have to be committed to exercising your German Shepherd dog every day, with a walk and play. They need to be active, or else they get a bit hyperactive. They also need regular trips to the vet for inoculations and check ups. Purebred German Shepherds are more inclined to have genetically caused problems than many other breeds of dog. You must be willing to pay any and all medical costs for your friend.
German Shepherds are indeed powerful dogs that can take quite a large chunk out of you – when they are given the command to. They will also attack if they think anyone in their family is being threatened. There are some German Shepherds that, in the presence of an intruder, will run and hide rather than attack, but they don’t get much press. They have to be trained to attack before they would ever attack another human being.
German Shepherds excel when given specific jobs to do. This is why they are often one of the first breeds of choice for police dogs, search and rescue dogs, assistance dogs and for working in entertainment. Throughout the centuries, they have also played the roles of sheepherders and draft animals as well as their more familiar roles as guard dogs and military dogs.
When reminded that she shouldn’t have let the son teach this trick to the dog, she wailed, “He’s 37!” Patient and persistent retraining are the only ways to get a German Shepherd to give up a bad habit.
German Shepherds will still want to be your friend even if you are having a bad day. German Shepherds will still want to be by your side even if you are homeless and spat upon by other people.
German Shepherds are prone to some health problems, more so than some other breeds, most notably hip dysplasia. These can be costly to cure – but they can be cured. When you take on a German Shepherd, you must be willing to care for vet expenses.
If they are taught to do something bad, they think they are doing well by obeying and will have a hard time understanding why they are being punished. They are capable of being retrained, if you have the guts to stick with your best friend.
