The Noble German Shepherd Dog
When Al Gore testified before Congress after his movie An Inconvenient Truth was released, the Congress jokingly accused him of being a movie star. “Rin Tin Tin was a movie star!” Al Gore retorted. “I just have a little slide show.” Rin Tin Tin was a fictional German Shepherd dog that embodied all the best in a celebrity. Was Rin Tin Tin a myth, or based on the real personalities of German Shepherd dogs?
People who get German Shepherd dogs for the right reasons also keep the German Shepherd’s personality in mind. They are serious, active, highly intelligent dogs that need a job to do in order to stay calm and healthy. If they are trained to do anything (good or bad) and are rewarded for learning this, they will keep on doing the behavior. However, if you are patient and persistent, German Shepherds are intelligent enough to unlearn a behavior.
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.
A German Shepherd dog needs regular exercise, attention and grooming. Getting them spayed or neutered will also not only lengthen their life span, but also make them more willing to pay attention to you. German Shepherds really are not suitable for apartment life, unless they get a lot of outdoor exercise.
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.
Some are more timid than others. Some are more serious than others. Some seem more psychic than others. But they need a lot of activity and attention in order to really become a member of your family.
