Dog's Name & Age:
Willie is a 5 year old male, black and tan.
In a Word, My German Shepherd Is…
Perfect
Best Characteristics of the Breed
Intelligent, determined to please, happiest when he is close to his family
Most Challenging Characteristics of the Breed
As pups they can be a handful, but patience and consistency pay off.
When, Where and How I Got My German Shepherd
My family has shared our lives with German Shepherds for 30 years. We found Willie when he was 8 weeks old at the home of a breeder/shower of champion shepherds in San Diego, California. Will was the smallest of the litter, not that he was unusually small, but his parents and litter mates were unusually huge! Because of his alert personality and bright disposition, we decided to add him to our family.
Willie made himself at home immediately.
I'd Describe My Dog As…
Willie is a true member of the family. He is loyal, trusting, and trustworthy. He knows how to be tough if the situation calls for it, and gentle when he is surrounded by his family. We have many grandchildren whom he adores, and who adore him as well. I love to watch him outside with the kids, running and playing with them while trying to keep them herded into one clump so he can keep an eye on them... he is a shepherd after all! When they go home he will sneak into the toybox and pull out one of their stuffed toys to gently cuddle and sleep with until they return.
At times he is so attuned to my feelings that it is almost spooky. If I am talking with a person I don't know well, or am slightly uncomfortable, Willie will quietly sit at my feet, between the other person and myself, not to threaten, but to let everyone know that his job is to make sure I am protected. If I'm relaxed, HE'S relaxed. If I am startled by a noise at night, with no command, he will get up quietly, never barking, and go from room to room, making sure everything is okay before he returns and resettles, his signal that everything is okay. He very seldom needs spoken commands anymore, but can tell by my actions, what I expect from him. For example, if I open the door and stand aside, he goes out. If I step out first, he sits and waits until I return. The simpatico we share didn't happen overnight though.
As a pup, Willie was a handful and it took consistency and a lot of patience while training him. I still laugh when I recall how at 4 months, one evening Willie had an accident on the floor by the back door. When I saw it and called his name, he came running... from the bathroom, with a hand towel to blot up the "spill". Fortunately there haven't been "accidents" since then! In short, Willie is a great dog, a playmate, a partner, a protector, and a good friend.
Advice
- My advice would be to be sure you really want a German Shepherd before you buy one. The dogs are amazingly intelligent and devoted to their families and shouldn't be separated once the bonds have been made.
- Shepherds need human interaction. Though they are quite comfortable living outside (mine do when the weather permits), they still need contact with their humans.
- Don't assume that because the dogs are smart that they will be easy to train, they need firmness and consistency tempered with patience and affection. Then, all the work pays off and you will have a real treasure for a companion.
