General publics perception of german shepherds

euser1984

I find interestingly that alot of people love my dog and I could count on one hand the amount of people that have had concern.

I find a lot of people know what the breed is actually like.

Is this hard man image associated with owning this breed a thing of the past? What do people think of a person that owns a german shepherd?

Thanks.

VonVix

I never had much opinion of German Shepherds until I worked with a few. My mother had two of them growing up and absolutely dotes on them, I never knew why exactly, but I did think they were lovely to look at.

Then when I met a few, worked with a few, enjoyed the company of a few?
I now want one. They are simply divine and have the loveliest nature. The loveliest ones I've met seem to have the best owners who really dedicate themselves to their dog. After my shelties I feel like they would be another breed I think I would be compatible with.

I met one person who told me "I wouldn't trust a German Shepherd" but he also told me he was the kind of guy who grew up in a farm environment where their dogs never came in the house.

DBB

I own two GSDs. That must make me a VERY hard man indeed

euser1984

DBB wrote: »

I own two GSDs. That must make me a VERY hard man indeed

Send me a PM, I'm looking to get a job done. You seem like the kind of guy I'm looking for.

pawrick

I've been considering getting a german shepherd for well over a year now (just waiting on the right time before committing to any particular dog). It was only yesterday when someone said they would never have one near children to me and I still find that view point common when asking people for opinions on what dog breed I should get. I do think the hard man image is gone however but more because the types who go in for that have moved on to other breeds over the years and generally anyone you see walking a gsd now looks after their dog well or at least any I have seen around that appears to be the case.

DBB

euser1984 wrote: »

Send me a PM, I'm looking to get a job done. You seem like the kind of guy I'm looking for.

I doubt it. I think you'd be terribly disappointed by the reality

I find people either cross the road, or come over for a chat. The former are probably becoming less common.
Having said that, there are a few "hard men" around here that breed them for show. They love intimidating people with their frog-dogs.... You can see these fellas coming a mile off with their swagger. Eejits

As for GSDs with kids, there are some lines of GSDs that you just have to be careful with. But a good GSD is a very special animal in many different ways. My two here are brilliant with kids, as completely reliable as a dog can be

braddun

I walked past a police dog once that was in the owners house it kept trying to jump through the glass to bite my head,


it was not too bright but it was trained as an attack dog,

DBB

braddun wrote: »

I walked past a police dog once that was in the owners house it kept trying to jump through the glass to bite my head,


it was not too bright but it was trained as an attack dog,

How do you know it was trying to bite your head?!

boomerang

Best Dogs In The World, Ever.

As someone already said, once you spend time with them and "get" them, that's it, you're smitten.

Love collies too, but man, I always say, if you find a good German Shepherd, that's your heart dog. They'll never be surpassed.

boomerang

This:

DBB wrote: »

a good GSD is a very special animal in many different ways.

fits

I haven't been comfortable around any I have met. and i am a long time big dog owner. Don't shoot me!

The other fella

Love them.Beautiful dogs and the best non human companion you could have

DoctorEdgeWild

I have two. They are absolutely fantastic. That's all I really have to say on the matter. Couldn't care less how people 'perceive' them or any image they associate with them. They're my dogs and I love spending time with them.

DBB

boomerang wrote: »

Love collies too, but man, I always say, if you find a good German Shepherd, that's your heart dog. They'll never be surpassed.

You've met one of my GSDs boomerang... I will never have another dog like her. She is simply exceptional, hilarious (every day she does something that makes me LOL), and gentleness in a big, hairy pack. Beautiful to look at too. When I look at her my heart melts
I'm so damn lucky to have found her.... A rescue dog I might add

peasant

I've got nothing against them, but they're not for me.

I like my dogs to have a bit of an independent streak, while at the same time being relaxed and a bit lazy and dumb ...neither of those are typical GSD qualities.

I'm also a somewhat imprecise leader of dogs; work with custom and loose ground rules rather than strict commands ...again an environment not best suited to GSDs

DBB

peasant wrote: »

I've got nothing against them, but they're not for me.

I like my dogs to have a bit of an independent streak, while at the same time being relaxed and a bit lazy and dumb ...neither of those are typical GSD qualities.

I'm also a somewhat imprecise leader of dogs; work with custom and loose ground rules rather than strict commands ...again an environment not best suited to GSDs

Ah, I dunno... I think you're thinking of some GSDs that you might have met or seen on d'telly. Whilst nowhere near dumb, both of mine are very relaxed and chilled-out dogs.. one of them is almost comatose she's that laid-back. Very easy company indeed. I've had another before now, and again, she was one of the most laid-back dogs I've ever met.
And I'm far from being a disciplinarian, I'm really quite take-it-as-it-comes with them. I think they like this approach! They're both working dogs too, and pretty highly trained, but all done with my rather informal and fun approach to it all. They both amaze me and make me laugh in the process

ShaShaBear

I adore them, and recently met a female long-haired one in the pet shop when getting Opie's food. Lady with her called her out of my way but I asked could I give her a scratch. I ended up sitting on the floor roughing her head and chatting to her like I do to my baby daughter :P
Lady said she assumed I'd feel intimidated by such a large, imposing breed. I told her the only reason I hadn't adopted one is because we'd never fit all three of us in the bed :pac:
Very good friends of mine have a rescued male and he is to die for!

Believe it or not, the only breeds I am in any way uncomfortable with are the really small ones barring a few. Most terriers, any toy yappies and Poms would make me wary. But that's more to do with their owners and me knowing their lack of patience when peed off

borderlinemeath

DBB wrote: »

I doubt it. I think you'd be terribly disappointed by the reality

I find people either cross the road, or come over for a chat. The former are probably becoming less common.
Having said that, there are a few "hard men" around here that breed them for show. They love intimidating people with their frog-dogs.... You can see these fellas coming a mile off with their swagger. Eejits

As for GSDs with kids, there are some lines of GSDs that you just have to be careful with. But a good GSD is a very special animal in many different ways. My two here are brilliant with kids, as completely reliable as a dog can be

I was in the vets one day when I'm fairly certain the same "hard man" came in with one of his dogs. I was with an absolute dote of a foster akita who was rolling on the floor enjoying a belly rub when he came in jerking the chain of the poor GSD. He did nothing but give out and pull the poor dogs chain while he waited to see the vet, not that the dog even did anything, he just wanted to be vocal with him it seemed. I felt so sorry for the poor dog

Most GSDs I've met have been complete pets, and my OH is very taken with them. There was a litter of GSDs born here 18 months ago and one of the pups was kept by the family so I still see him (and his Mammy!)from time to time. They're definitely a breed I would consider owning in the future.

DBB

borderlinemeath wrote: »

I was in the vets one day when I'm fairly certain the same "hard man" came in with one of his dogs. I was with an absolute dote of a foster akita who was rolling on the floor enjoying a belly rub when he came in jerking the chain of the poor GSD. He did nothing but give out and pull the poor dogs chain while he waited to see the vet, not that the dog even did anything, he just wanted to be vocal with him it seemed. I felt so sorry for the poor dog

Yep, sounds just like him, the great gobsh1te.
He would live within walking distance of that vets.
I can't believe it's 18 months since that litter were born :eek: Jeez!

roadsmart

On an aside, why do some German Shepard owners take umbrage at their dog being called an Alsatian?

DBB

roadsmart wrote: »

On an aside, why do some German Shepard owners take umbrage at their dog being called an Alsatian?

Lol. Their correct name in the purist sense is German Shepherd.
Alsatian was an affectation insisted upon by our British neighbours during the 1st world war, not wanting their dogs to be referred to anything connected with the Hun
I have had poeple insist that my long-coated one is a German Shepherd, whilst my short-coated one is an Alsatian

mountsky

Moved house a number of years ago&a German Shepard was first choice,a wonderful temperament and great around people generally speaking

Genghis Cant

My general perception of the breed is nervy, narrow, hump backed yokes hardly fit for purpose.

roadsmart

DBB wrote: »

Lol. Their correct name in the purist sense is German Shepherd.
Alsatian was an affectation insisted upon by our British neighbours during the 1st world war, not wanting their dogs to be referred to anything connected with the Hun
I have had poeple insist that my long-coated one is a German Shepherd, whilst my short-coated one is an Alsatian

Yup, tried to explain that to a work colleague recently and he actually got quite annoyed.

SillyMangoX

German shepherds have always been the breed I wanted growing up, even as a small kid. When we were getting our first dog my mam went to the pound while I was at school because she knew if I was there I would have somehow found one and not left without it and she only wanted a small dog
I've met a few around the place and while on my placements and I have to say it makes me want them all the more. They just seem like such loving gentle bears in saying that though I have met some show type frog dogs and generally found them to be a bit more nervy and skittish than their straight backed counterparts, would that be the norm or was it just coincidence that all the nervy ones were show type?

Heckler

Never owned a dog but think GS are a beautiful breed. I don't think i'd ever trust a large dog fully though. Small breeds either but the potential for major harm is so much bigger with a big dog.

Probably irrational but i've seen (very well trained) king charles bite at their long time owners. Always down to possession of food or an object not just random but still. An animal is wild by nature and should always be treated as such.

People who leave babies and young children alone with even the smallest dogs or even cats are irresponsible IMO.

Sure I'm gonna get the babies rolling around on the floor with the Great Dane etc stories and its all fine. If that works for you no worries.

Millem

I don't have any experience with gsd but my neighbours have a white one (who is stunning). They have two young children and they never get any hassle about her but they told me they think it's because the majority of people think she is a big retriever.
I do think that some people don't like gsds and refer to them as Alsatians, I think they have an irrational fear with them (the same goes for other restricted breeds). The same people don't realise that gsd x lab/retriever are used an awful lot as guide dogs etc.

I am a big dog person and am always a bit wary of certain smaller dogs. I have met so many so small dogs that go crazy at you for no reason! No one ever really says anything to them and a lot of the owners just pick the dog up and pet it !

borderlinemeath

Heckler wrote: »

Never owned a dog but think GS are a beautiful breed. I don't think i'd ever trust a large dog fully though. Small breeds either but the potential for major harm is so much bigger with a big dog.

Probably irrational but i've seen (very well trained) king charles bite at their long time owners. Always down to possession of food or an object not just random but still. An animal is wild by nature and should always be treated as such.

People who leave babies and young children alone with even the smallest dogs or even cats are irresponsible IMO.

Sure I'm gonna get the babies rolling around on the floor with the Great Dane etc stories and its all fine. If that works for you no worries.

I'm a bit confused by your post, dogs have been domesticated over thousands of years, so how do you suggest treating them like a wild animal? Dogs aren't wolves, they evolved from them, but are not the same thing. If you treat a dog like a wolf, to fend for itself and to hunt for it's own food it will most likely die as it will have lost pretty much all it's hunting skills, and unless it has been abused by humans or it's owner then a dog will probably look for the nearest human to scavenge for food, which is certainly not the trait of a wild animal.

A dogs personality is part nature and part nurture, and the nurture part is where you train, encourage, socialise, befriend and teach your dog, and you will have the companion you want it to be. The King Charles you describe was showing obvious resource guarding so while they may have been trained in certain aspects of behaviour, others were ignored (the guarding) and left to fester, so your observation of "very well trained" is incorrect. Guarding is easily sorted with the correct methods, once the owner is prepared to be consistent and take advice from a properly qualified trainer or behaviourist rather than a tv quack or usually from somebody "who had dogs for 30 years" and deem themselves an expert. All to often if the dog is punished for guarding (such as removal of food/object) then it tends to exacerbate the problem.

PauloMN

euser1984 wrote: »

I find interestingly that alot of people love my dog and I could count on one hand the amount of people that have had concern.

I find a lot of people know what the breed is actually like.

Is this hard man image associated with owning this breed a thing of the past? What do people think of a person that owns a german shepherd?

Thanks.

My own opinion would be that the hard-man image owning one is really a thing of the past. They used to be the dog of choice for the local hard men, but I think most people who own one these days would be very much dog enthusiasts - that's the way I'd see it anyway.

As for the dogs themselves, my perception would not have changed - they do very much have a guard dog image about them. Lots of yards use them as guard dogs, so clearly they are meant to be more of a deterrent to intruders than a labrador or whatever! I know lots of people have them as family pets, but like I said above I'd personally think that they'd only be suitable for real dog enthusiasts rather than as a dog for general family ownership. What I mean is that I think you'd need to commit more time to one than other breeds to ensure it was well trained and exercised etc..

Mark Tapley

My neighbours have a German Shepard rescue. One of the nicest dogs I've ever met .
When I was a kid my sister came home and said she had a new friend called Alan Station , it took us a while to figure it out.

ElKavo

I Love GSD's but I do think its a shame the way that they have developed as a breed.... Not that I'm an expert on the breed but it is rare enough that you will actually see a GSD with a straight back. All for the aesthetic of a black back? I am an RB owner (Rottie and Rottie X) and If you think peoples perception of a GSD is bad you should try walk my two around a busy street... Not that they would do anything other than lick you to death!!


Although yesterday while out in the park with the family and dogs, another family with kids came over to tell us how beautiful our dogs were. Needless to say their kids got a load of slobbers and doggies got rubbed to death. I may have converted another family over to the dark side LOL.