The German Shepherd is a great service dog used by the police for drug and explosive detection and as an air scent dog for search and rescue.

Wonderful dogs!!! I was raised with this breed so, I've been around them for a long time. Loyal, smart, loving and discerning are only a few of this breeds many good qualities. Very, very nice dogs.

One of my favorite breeds! I love them ! Very good dogs in any perspective.

I have two German Shepards and would have 10 more if I could. They are woderful animals...Brave, loyal, super-intelligent - pretty much anything good you would want in a pet. They both have a very keen sense of what is right and wrong and who to trust and who not to. Those who put GSDs down or detract from them simply don't understand the breed. While they may appear vicious or aggressive, they are simply doing what they believe is their job - what they were bred and raised to do. It is the owners' responsibility to raise their dogs correctly and teach them right from wrong.

I had a German Shepherd when I was about thirteen. He was a good animal.

They must be intellegent animals because they are used in the line of police work all the time.

I had one when I was a little girl. They are extremely intellegent and loyal animals.

Best dog you will ever have. Just make sure you buy it from reputable breeder who knows how to place their pupppies with your energy level. These dogs can be use as a Sear and Rescue, guide dogs, police dogs and excels in obedience competition. No other breed can be of such versatility.

It's hard to categorize a whole breed as there is a wide variety of temperaments and intelligence levels in every breed. Typical examples of the German shepherd are intelligent and are easy to train as property guardians or disciplined attack-on-command dogs (for example, for police work).

They have a high prey drive. This is necessary for a good working dog. Unfortunately this means that better specimens of the breed may systematically chase down and kill cats and other small animals. They may also redirect this aggression to family members if they are not properly trained. Some GSDs may do best if enrolled in Schutzhund (bitesports) so they learn proper outlets for aggression and to release bite on command in case an incident does happen. Even though animal-directed aggression doesn't always predict human-directed aggression, the ability to redirect prey aggression to humans is what makes the GSD such a superb guard dog.

This is not to say GSDs are all vicious biters, but it is hard to say anything for certain about the GSD temperament in a world with more backyard breeders than responsible dog breeders. If you get a dog it may have superb temperament and intuition, or it may have poor temperament and be incredibly dangerous even to its owners. As with ANY dog, you should be cautious and never leave children unsupervised with a GSD. Spaying or neutering the dog can also reduce a dog's likelihood to bite, so I recommend it for all GSD owners who aren't either canine professionals (with proper management skills for intact dogs) or showing their dogs.

There are some problems with American GSDs in particular. American stock is highly prone to hip dysplasia and other serious, costly health problems, so buy with caution. Also, a few years ago there were a lot of German shepherds with nervous, high-strung temperaments as a result of breeding for the wrong traits (show conformation primarily, with temperament and working ability largely ignored).

If you want a GSD, your best bet is the local humane society, which can tell you about the personality of the dog you're getting. If it has health problems, they will know about it. If it's snappish around kids, they'll know that, too. My family's BEST GSD (as protection AND as an indoor pet) was a dog from the humane society. To be honest I think she was the best dog my family ever had, and we had quite a few.

I have limited expieriance with German Shepards until recently when One showed up on my doorstep maybe a month ago..and I fed it and then noticed it had an ear infection,to make the long story short..I took it the the vet,and it's on a 2 week intensive antibiotic treatment plan,and so Im taking home for the holidays (over a thousand miles away)to give to my brother for Christmas..one thing I can say is it is very gentle and quiet,even when I took it to the vet,and they messed with her ears she did not whimper or anything. I think like with humans it all depands on how dogs are raised as how they behave.

I have owned or own several breeds of so-called "tough" or "dangerous" dogs, both purebred and crossbred animals. None except one purebred male of a certain mastiff breed ever bit someone, and I did have it put down shortly after that, the dogs had "bad nerves", it reacted to percieved threats "wrongly". One simply cannot call oneself a responsible person and still keep a nasty, unpredictable, weak nerved 60kilos dog in a civilized society.

I confess that I love a good mixed breed animal the most for reasons that have nothing to do with this topic, so I will get to the point. It is absolutely pointless to say for example, as some say here,that the GS is ugly or beautiful, it makes me laugh! The taste in dogs are so different and no one has the RIGHT taste. As for the GS I have one female, it loves my kids more then most dogs, and is very careful with them, but not nervous at all. My GSD is from(European) schutzhund 3 titled males in the pedigree for several generations and she has a very robust psyche. My point is: "It is the breeding and the social setting that produces the individual" the breed as a whole cannot be categorized in a few simple terms. I own or have owned: St Bernhard, Rottweiler, Dobermann(Euro-type) 3 Bullmastiffs, "Bandog"-type mixed breeds, Staffiemix, 2 american bulldogs and one GSD female. I think I do have more experience then most with dogs, there are differences between breeds, but there are so many individuals that are so different within the breeds. I had a Rottweiler that was in total lack of any guarding instinct for instance.

The Ideal GS is a wonderful dog for an active person or the right family, they should not, however be a couch-potatos family pet.

they deserve an active life.

L

POWERFUL, COURAGEOUS, FAITHFUL & INTELLIGENT

The GS is a superb dog for guarding your home. It only barks and protects at real objects (not noises). I own a GS/Great Pyrenees mix, a Jack Russel/Keish hound mix, an AKC Great Pyrenees, & another Shepherd mix dog. They all get along wonderful. Nikeeta (our GS) is the best natured and always has been. She is a confident, friendly, intelligent, loyal, and playful dog. She can kill critters quickly & easily but she loves cats to only play around the yard with. I have had a few terrifying experiences with dogs. When I was young it was a tied up GS, that was never allowed to run, later in life, it was 2 labs, that again, were not allowed to run, a couple of chows and an abused Rat Terrier mix. The worst dog for aggression I have came across is ANY DOG THAT IS ALWAYS TIED UP or the CHOW. If people want a trustworthy, loyal dog, they need to be trustworthy themselves. There is absolutely no sense in having a dog as a pet if it cannot run free around the yard or preferibly in the country. Small dogs do well in fenced back yards but large dogs thrive wholly in the country. It makes absolutely no sense to raise a Shepherding type dog in any environment that is contrary to their very being. I feel that in all lines of dogs there are exceptions to their personality, and it could be some form of retardation that causes unprovoked attacks. I believe people should be able to recognize this in the first year of a dog's life and do what they must to protect their family. I have 4 children and I will lay down a dog if I must and I have had to. Remember the Labs I mentioned? They were both given to us at an age of between 2-4 years old. They had spent all that time tied up and were beyond training. I owned them for 2 years each. One of them attacked my 21/2 yr. old boy, Not violently, just enough to let me know something wasn't quite right about that dog. Turned out it was a rott mixed with a black lab, not good, believe me. He looked exactly like a black lab but his personality was psycho. The previous owner told me that noone would of took it if they had "known all the facts." The other had simply been neglected beyond training by the previous owner. GS is one of a finer breed of dog that require you to be the lead, but with love & acceptence. The Doberman is the same way. Yes, I rate them on the same level. They are both beautiful breeds of dogs. My best advice is do not adopt any pet unless you have done your research. Do not take a dog that has been tied up for a long time with out knowing how to treat them or train them. If you don't have enough extra time for them, DO NOT HAVE ONE!!!

WONDERFUL, LOYAL, COMPANIONS, IF TRAINED PROPERLY AND THE OWNERS ARE NOT IDIOTS AS MANY OF YOU ARE...
SOCIALIZATION OF YOUR ANIMAL IS NECESSARY TO HAVE A GOOD PET. SIMILAR TO THOSE CHILDREN THAT BEHAVE LIKE ANIMALS AS THEY WERE RAISED BY ANIMALS, IF YOU ARE NOT SOCIALIZED YOU DON'T LIKE ANYONE ELSE EITHER...!

German sheperds are such a beautiful breed. They are so smart and love to learn. They make great search and rescue dogs. Generally they are very gentle and conscience of people.

These wolf like dogs are not to be trusted--please take extreme caution if you have children. I bought a akc gs from a breeder who raised them with kids. I owned the shepherd for about a year. My wife also had a 10 lb sheltie purebred. They always played together and seemed to get along. One day we left them together in the backyard for about 30 min and came home to see the shelties guts ripped out and half of it consumed. This GS was observed by my elderly neighbor. She grabbed the little dog with her teeth and ripped her neck open and then started eating her. She was not malnourished and had food right beside her. Now my inlaws have a GS too and I have a 3 and a 5 yr old and they have to stay away from it because it growls and has to be tied up because of fear of it attacking them. These are not nice dogs to own and remember--at any time these dogs will turn on you. To me they are as bad if not worse than a pitbull. Please consider and preserve your kids and your other smaller pets before getting one of these. My wife has never gotten over her little sweet shetland sheep dog getting massacred by my German Shepherd.

German Shepherds are my all time favorite breed of dog. I currently have two but I have had many throughout my life. They are so smart, they are easy to train, eager to please, and they are just all around beautiful. This really is a great dog!

as one GS owner said about another dog, GSs are pathetic dogs perdiod. Is that a low rider wanna be or do you just have a couple of flats in the back. lol

German Shepherds, GREAT dogs, loyal, smart, protective, and mine is my best mate, great with kids, the cats, in the car etc. Why? Because it was brought up correctly, a dog is an animal like you & me, & it will reflect its surroundings. If there is a bad dog out there its the owners fault, not the dogs. How can people criticise a whole breed of dog over a few attacks, people like you are the people who incite racism & discrimination, and reflect your childhood raising, narrow minded & have nothing positive to say, so before you criticise something, criticise yourself. You can blame one dog/owner for an attack, not the breed! Next time you see a person of your nationality kill someone or rob a bank I want you to slap yourself in the face, because thats what you are doing to this great breed.

I was bit in the face when I was about 6 years old by a German Shepherd owned by a friend. I gave it a hug, it growled and when I released it bit my face narrowly missing my eye and leaving two small scars on my face. Perhaps he thought I was choking him or something. I remember his name was Sarge. I've had plenty of other dogs since but always shied away from GSDs because of that experience. I'm 30 now. I recently returned from a solo trip to Turkey. Something happened on that trip that made me do a 180 with my attitude towards them. Read the story here (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rolandrodriguez/48713177/) and see the pic of the dog who made me look for a GSD for my home after I returned. I did tons of research before I made my purchase but I now own a beautiful sable female from German lineage and from a highly respected breeder. We'll be using a well respected trainer in our area to help her become a responsible member of our family. I have a 5 year old boy and I'll never worry about his safety or the safety of the people we invite over and accept into our home. Nor will I worry about the safety of my family when I leave home on a trip.

These are great dogs! Smarter than most other breeds and very loyal. Bad thing about GSs is that they often get weak in the rear legs and then have to be put down.

Great with kids, and diligent protectors. Needs space and ALOT of exercise to be truely happy. If you spend alot of time away from home or live in a cramped space this dog is not for you. The "horror" stories associated with this breed is usually conducive with this type of stressed living.

Maybe my rating is due to bad experiences by GS's raised by jerks.

Okay for all of you that hate GS.I have a lab,a basset hound,a terrier mix,and GS.I just got her a year ago purebreed as a puppy.She is the most intellgent of them all.She is great with all five ofmy children that range from 12 to 4 years old.She was the easist to potty train(of course I crate trained her which is the best) out of all my dogs.She learned to open the gate door by using her nose,and also open interior door by pulling bags that were hung on the door.But the most amazing thins of all was about 2 weeks ago 3:oo in the morning.Sasha that's her name was chasing somthing.I stopped to look and in my childrens room was a rat.It had got inside though a hole in the door frame.When I noticed How she was going after it I yelled get it Sasha and she did my other dog ran outside.Then I noticed blood so I told her to go to her bed while I tryed to kill it.Sasha nose was bleeding she had been bit.I killed the rat got rid of it.What amazed me most once I let her out was her willingness to obey me and go after it even though she was bit.Also after the rat was killed and I threw it out went and looked for it in exact order of where the rat had been she is awesome!!She is a great watch dog,and know I'm boss!!So before you knock all GS remenber Sasha!There not all bad!

One very important rule about a GSD;you may trust it completely,but it never trusts anything or anyone like its encestors the volves..Therefore sometimes its true it may attack with no reason or with any reason that we can think of. I have 8 of them imported directly from Germany,and few days ago 2 of them (Elvis and Deutch)escaped and put down a young man carrying a box.I hardly stoped them and save the man from a serious injury or maybe death.While I apologize him the cops arrived and it comes out that this man is a wanted criminal carrying very dangerous explosives in that innocent box. And my GSDs have no training for police work at all.. Conclusion is that they attack when they suspect(mostly they are right) or they may attack children assuming them as preys.The most important part is ofcourse children,as owners we must be very carefull,it may play with your 6 yo at home but other children outside still seems to be a prey.Also parents must carry their own responsibility and always keep their eyes on their children;neighbor's cute doggy might be your nightmare.

German Shepherds (Alsations) are one of my favorite dogs! They're very intelligent and highly trainable, they're used for so many things like; guard dogs, police dogs, sniffer dogs and guide dogs. If they were aggresive, unsocible dogs then why are they used for guide and hearing dogs? Who would have a vicous guide dog? think about that! GSDs are probally the loyalist dog there is! People call them ugly? Have they ever seen a GSD puppy? GSDs are great family pets, very energetic, playful and intelligent. The only bad thing about them is that they molt, and some can be afraid of load sounds.

alsations are great and livly an fun they make me laugh and my friend has 1 its just a pup its sooooo adorable some of them are aggressive but thats what you do (its how you train the dog) alsations are soooooooooooooooo cute

I Love German shepards!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Quite obviously anyone that has not suffered at the mouth of a GS has no reason to take a subjective view. My father was recently attacked simply by walking along his garden, through which a neighbours GS had found a route through a hedgerow, without prior warning the GS grabbed his hand and punctured the skin twice. Loveable, friendly, loyal, gentle....yeah right....Now my father will prosecute the owner...right on.

7th dog i have ever owned, i got her at six months, and she had been an outside dog, but she only peed in the house one time, and i yelled no and took her outside, and she has not done it since. very intelligent. she comes to me with only a light snap of my fingers, whithout any trainging, and learned sit and shake in a matter of minutes. i have found my type of dog. advice to novice dog owners who like this breed. go to a breeder, pick a female( they will be more willing to let you run the show) pick one that is in the bottom of the heirarchy. one last thing, she is fantastic with my six week old son.

SUPER DOGS. I WILL NOT HAVE ANY OTHER BREED. STOP SLAGGING THEM OFF. PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD A BAD TIME WITH THE GSD HAVE BEEN AFRAID OF THEM AND THE DOG KNEW IT, YOU CANT FOOL A GSD. ALL DOGS DESCENDED FROM WOLVES, SO QUIT SLAGGING THE WOLF, A WONDERFULL SOCIAL ANIMAL. GET SOME EDUCATION BEFORE OWNING THE GSD. A THICK OWNER IS A WASTE OF TIME TO THE GSD. SHEPHERDS RULE. I TRUST MY GSD WITH MY LIFE. BY THE WAY HUSKIES ARE CLOSE TO WOLVES AND LOOK HOW FRIENDLY THEY ARE. NEVER JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER.

Awesome dogs, I since the first month i've owned one they have been my faveorite breed by far. They are very strong, dominant, loyal, intelligent, protective, and playful dogs. Anyone that has had a bad experience with a German Shepherd has probably either met the dog in the wrong setting (such as jumping someone's fence like an idiot, or being dumb enough to tease a shepherd), or met a poorly raised dog. Dogs of any breed can be overly aggressive if they aren't socialized and disciplined properly. Destructive behavior from a German Shepherd is probably due to lack of activity - they NEED exercise DAILY. They are also very interactive dogs, and do need alot of attention. While Shepherds are without a doubt, a dominant breed, they should not be overly hostile without good reason; However, the dog should be obedient towards its master and not aggressive towards known people in the proper setting. Anyone who gets any breed of dog without first learning about it is asking for trouble. The only times i've ever heard of well-raised German Shepherds biting/attacking people, were 1) while they were guarding or protecting either territory or their master, or 2) when they were told to do so.

I have a GS and he is the greatest, smartest, and most loyol dog ever. He was not trained to do anything when he was a puppy, but now at 5 and a half years old, we are training him. He even knows how to do hi-five. He's so sweet, I can't imagine my life without him. GS's are the best dogs in the world.

Everyone on her who has had a bad experience with a shepard probably did something to provoke it. My parents owned one and it was the friendliest dog in the world to friends in family, it was catious towards strangers but was never mean. It did bite 2 people but only out of provocation. Maybe its you people who are the Devil's lap dogs.

We own a German shepherd and had a very open mind when we got him. I agree they are very smart dogs, but I also agree they are VERY unpredictable, not too friendly, kind of aloof and very aggressive. They want to be dominant and just the look in their eye makes me leery of them, like at any given moment they might attack you or your children. I always envision the stories of wolves grabbing infants by their head, crushing their skull and carrying them off to kill them and we're trying to get pregnant. My husband is extremely loyal to GS's and will only own and love a GS. Our dog is into everything, has destroyed too many things in our house to even mention and if I could do it over again I would not get a GS. They need an owner who is totally devoted to helping them reach their potential, keeping them totally occupied and happy so they don't "turn bad". In my opinion if you want a calm, relaxed dog that will just be a part of the family and blend in, don't get a GS. They are too preoccupied and give me the impression they think they are much more important than just being your companion.

This is a challanging breed, it should not be owned by the novice dog owner or those that just want something to hang around the house. A very intelligent, thinking animal that adores it's family and visitors if raised properly. Due to popularity unfortunatly this breed is subject to much inexperienced breeding by people who want to turn their pet into a cash cow, sad but true. Be selective about where you get a puppy and then PLEASE take the time to train and socialize it properly. This is not a lap dog but a better companion you will never find. Never forget who leads the blind, searches for lost children, protects the streets and visits nursing homes and hospitals...all in one breed it is the German Shepherd Dog...but like anything else in the world it can be damaged, mistreated and neglected....all of these things coupled with an inexperienced owner can cause a very bad outcome, this is not the dogs' fault, this is a human issue. I am a GSD breeder and fancier. None of my dogs have ever bitten anyone. None of the GSDs I have known (well over 100) have ever bitten anyone, but they were owned by people who understood the breed's needs and handled their pets responsibly. A great family companion that is excellent with children and other pets when trained and handled responsibly.

I own an am -staff, pit-bull for you lamen. Every single person in my family has been attacked by a german sheppard at least once, Ive been bitten seven times, and I have a eight inch scar down my leg from one attack. I have never been attacked or even bitten by a pit bull or bull terrier or american buldog or staffordshire ever. Its true that law enforcement use the sheppard bacause they LOVE to attack. In the AKC book of dogs only 4 breeds get a rating of great with children, one of those 4 is American Staffordshire.

Ugly, mean, and unpredictable. Good for a one-person household, bad with kids. I hate how their backs slope down. Big ugly, fat looking dogs, smell horrible, back to much. All that stuff about 'loyal and true' is NOT true. Satan probably owns this dog! Pit Bulls are even friendlier to people than these oversized rabid rats. Attack without warning. My kid has been attacked by 8 german shepherds, most of them all trained. They hate kids.

Ok all of you. I have both a German Shepard and a Border Collie and they both are equally intelligent and equally sweethearts. The people out there who think that German Shepards are evil, are totally wrong and must have no dog training skills. Both of these breeds are wonderful and both of my dogs get along great. And let me ask you German Shepard haters out there a question, how many of you have actually owned a German Shepard and have trained it correctly? I'll answer that myself. NONE!!!

I dont know what kind of washing or brushing favoriteanimal and all the other losers that hate the german shepherd did but my german shepherd doesnt smell at all bad or isnt mean at all. The fact of it is, is that you guys are irresponsible dog owners that couldnt take a few min. out of your life to brush your dog or give it some obidience training.

A bad German Shepherd is a tragedy, but a good GS is far superior to any other dog; a GREAT dog, not just good. For those who don't understand what SMART is - it is not the same as trainable. GS are properly stubborn, and if you cannot teach them, that's why - you're acting too weak for her personality. They are NOT stupid. My best dog outsmarted a whole slew of the allegedly brilliant Border Collies - IN THEIR OWN HOME WHICH WAS NEW TO *HER*! GS think for themselves, and you have to be stubborn enough to command their respect sometimes. I have heard of bad 1s, but I've only known sweet and happy, cheerful GS myself. I have a wimp now, but the dominant GS I had prior was the greatest dog I ever even *heard* of. But each outside her character has/had the same basic joyous, spunky personality. As for them being used by police for being mean - BS. You cannot control a mean dog to do that precise work. Police and Mil will kick out dogs that have bad temperaments. And let us remember: these are *sheep-herders* by nature, NOT fighters like Pit Bulls (not a breed) or true guards like Dobes or Rotties. Hence the name shepherd; part of the typical shepherd's job *is* protecting the flock, yet he cannot attack the sheep! The founder realized shepherding was falling by the wayside and tried to get his dogs into other work, for he believed only true working dogs were worthwhile. Not mere pets. What other dog does all that the GS has ever done, and so well, for a CENTURY? NONE. NOT 1, not childish goofy retrievers. Herders, police work, rescue-retrieve work (soldiers in WWI), drug work, blind work, rescue work (the VAST majority of those 9/11 WTC dogs were mean GS); these dogs cover it all, and they *started* the majority of it all. How can a dog meant to be mean do all this? There ARE overagressive or otherwise unstable lines which we need to get rid of, but GS purpose is not that, except to be rugged guardians (the LEAST job any dog can do). There are excellent GS out there - again, those're better than any other dog can possibly hope to be! I know; I had 1 who made me PROUD. (Can you say proud - really, deep-down *proud* - of any of your dogs? I'm not talking titles here, either.) Versatility is its real name. Check this out... http://www.viclink.com/~kadamigs/kadamiaction.htm

Unpredictable answer to the wolf, nasty piece of work............

a german sheperd is like any other dog they are loveable and kind natued and you can only get love from a german sheperd if you give it your love and we all have our own opinion so this is mine

favoriteanimal, you obviously have no real expirience with dogs. German Shepherds are beautiful, intellegant and HIGHLY TRAINABLE. So shut up.

Favorite animal needs to shut the heck up. He is an idiot who did not train the dog correctly. Any animal including humans will do something you do not desire if they are not trained and told not to. If you do not spend time with the dog and train it will be that way. I agree with Shepardowner in that I feel great pain for your poor sheperd. He is dealing with an incompetent loser and I hope no one listens to your sad views as they are not worth the viewing. And I am happy to see that we do have smart people here like Shepardowner and rainingcatsanddogs who like me all agree on the same thing: Attitude reflects leadership captain.

These so called dogs are nothing more than wolves in disguise. They are ugly and that is true. They do smell also. Meanest breed for sure.

The Geman shepard Dogs are just excellent!! They are very friendly especially with kids when they come to know them! female dogs are more good but males are also good.

i have just lost my german shepherd ellie and will never ever get over losing her, i miss her love and presence so much, her devotion to me was second to none.

In response to favoriteanimal: Have you ever heard that usually a dog is the mirror of the master?...

I've looked up several large dogs for protection, family and easy-to-learn and not one dog came at a higher rating than this one.

the only reason I am even bothering to give this comment made by favoriteanimal any attention what-so-ever is in the event that anyone will actually read this and perhaps form an opinion as to the dog breed itself. Yes Shepherds are demanding. I have a shepherd myself. They are one of the smartest breeds. They are chosen for police dogs because of their incredible loyalty and intelligence. In regard to your particular shepherd, the only thing it seems to be needing is obedience training. The problems being displayed are out of a lack of time put into proper training and boredom. The problems is rarely the dog and almost always the owner. I actually feel sorry for your shepherd, you do not sound worthy of such a loyal & loving companion.

Bad-tempered, stupid, dirty, noisy dogs. Refuses to learn even simple commands(such as no). Used in law enforcement because of their aggressiveness and the fact that they love to bite and attack. Ours is nine years old and he still barks and tries to go after people and other dogs when out walking him. Satan's ultimate lap dog!

Ever since I was very young, GSDs have always been one of my favorite breeds. I am amazed with their versatility and smarts. They're sadly another misunderstood breed who's myths can be blamed on the actions on irresponsible owners, breeders and trainers.

I've got this dog and its really very intelligent and loyal. they protect you, your house and every member of the familiy, and any thief that comes near...he is pretty in trouble... with a dog like this, you are in good hands....everything is safe !! That's why its used for any work, from police, military, blind people.. great dog Hey border collies, if you dont like german sheperds its because they dont like you...hahahahahah