Common German Shepherd problems

A German Shepherd is an intelligent and loyal dog that becomes very attached to its human family and very protective. A well-trained and well-loved German Shepherd can be the best pet you will ever see and it can bring you a lifetime of love and joy. An improperly trained German Shepherd will have problems that can be both unpredictable and dangerous if not dealt with. If you do not have time to dedicate to a dog then do not get a German Shepherd.

German Shepherds first started appearing as domesticated animals over one hundred years ago in Europe and they were initially breed to help herd animals, which is where they get their name. Every German Shepherd has a herding instinct and if the dog is not properly trained then it will use that herding instinct sometimes in unpredictable and violent ways. A properly trained German Shepherd should not display this instinct as much.

A German Shepherd can learn to socialize very easily as long as it is taught at a very early age to socialize with other animals and people. A German Shepherd dog craves a social atmosphere and they love to be around people so if you take the time to socialize your dog with other animals and other people you can easily eliminate this problem that seems to have grown into a huge myth that Shepherds hate other animals. A properly trained German Shepherd can interact very nicely with other animals and strangers as well.

A German Shepherd is a dog that was bred to work and it loves to be active and doing something pretty much at all times. Give it a lot of room to run around and also plan on spending a lot of time with your dog as well. It will need jobs to do as well and that can be something as simple as playing with the family. Whatever you decide your German Shepherd will be doing remember that it always needs to be doing something.

There is one of the few very common German Shepherd problems that is not usually well publicized but it is absolutely something you should be aware of. A German Shepherd sheds a lot and it is all year long.

It is not just a winter or summer coat they are shedding, they need year round grooming to help them deal with their shedding coat. If you hate vacuuming up pet fur then you may want to avoid getting a German Shepherd.

A properly trained German Shepherd makes a great pet but you will need to spend a lot of time with it. Their superior intelligence makes them very easy to train and it also makes them a great watchdog.

It may also help you to know that they want to be trained as much as you want to train them so don't be afraid to try and teach your German Shepherd something new as it will probably love you for it.