Would a GSD be suitable for my lifestyle?

[mccree79]

Hi!

I really love German Shepherds as a breed and would love to own one but here's the thing. I live in an apartment with a balcony and a small terrace, but we have a really big grove 5 minutes from home where dogs are welcome. We also have a basketball court only a minute away, where it's empty at certain hours and I've seen many owners play and train with their dogs there.

I'm capable of taking my potential dog out for long walks, like over an hour if it's needed and since that grove is nearby, we can spend hours playing fetch!

Since women nowadays are rarely safe, I would like a GSD as a guard dog, like when I'm alone outside at night or home alone, and from what I heard GSD's can be trained as guard dogs and are very effective.

I also may be gone from home for several hours due to a 9-5 job and (more rarely) for business meetings and potentially night outs, but will hire a dog walker and sitter if needed, there are several in the area.

It may sound dumb, but I want my potential dog to be a guard dog, but not lose its carefree side and only react when it's needed (haven't owned a dog like that before so I don't know much, only had a Japanese chin as a child).

I'm also willing to go to a trainer and myself learn a thing or two to have the best possible result and for the dog's wellbeing.

With those things in mind, referring to the experienced, would it be bad if I got a GSD or should I consider a different breed if yes, can u recommend one?

Thanks for taking the time to read my post

 

[sovereignone]

@mccree79 Just going to say that if you want a guard dog - don't go pick up an 8 week old puppy. Mine turned out to be the biggest softest 110 lb chicken in the whole world. He would leave me to die if a plastic bag rustled too loudly. I love him but I bought an actual guard dog as a second dog after he grew up. You never know what you get as a puppy.

 

[learn2live]

@sovereignone This is very accurate. I bought mine from a reputable breeder and he turned out to be a scaredy cat. He was horrible until we gave him extensive training. He is more confident now at 3 year’s old but still not as he should be. I don’t think he will ever grow out of it completely but that’s fine.

 

[bunnysneezes928]

@sovereignone This. When our breeder was telling us about the temperaments of the puppies in our first GSD’s litter, she said things like, “this one has medium drive, this one has high drive,” etc. and she got to him (he was the runt) and said, “This one… likes people…” We picked him because he liked people. Turned out he had high prey and search drive, but he’s also terrified of pretty much everything (literally starts trembling and needs Trazadone if it starts lightly raining). We adore him.

 

[erniedavid]

@mccree79 Most reputable breeders would not sell a dog to an apt dweller or a first time owner who wants a "guard dog".

 

[catlover1979]

@mccree79 You live in an apartment, will be out from 9-5 and some nights, and have never owned a dog before.

Hard no. It would not be fair to the dog and you do not have the lifestyle or experience needed for a GSD. You may not have the lifestyle for any dog, tbh.

That's not even going into the "guard dog" nonsense. Any dog that is capable of being guard dog will absolutely be uncontrollable by someone in your situation.

Please, do not get a GSD, and have an honest look at whether or not you can care for a dog at all. Spend a small fraction of the cost on self defense classes, pepper spray, etc. and go volunteer at a shelter.

 

[majj27]

@mccree79 Personally, I would not own a GSD in an apartment or get professional training for guard. I say that because a) they are a very high energy breed who needs space or they can be destructive b) most have a lot of anxiety that will need to be trained out of them and a lot of exposure training. c) as much as you would like to play ball for hours a day, it is not realistic with a 9-5 job, you will not have the time required to dedicate to a high energy dog who does not have access to a yard unless you’re willing to pay for a dog walker every day and/or a doggy daycare AS WELL as exercising them yourself EVERYDAY. d) GSD tend to be loud, some are very good and can be quite and trained to stop barking when told but some just simply will be reactive towards defending their homes and apartment buildings have random noises that may set them off. e) GSD are naturally protective, you will not need to train that into them. it can actually cause a lot of behavioural issues of over guarding or reactive behaviour to “friends”. a dog who does not have a constant need to guard should not be trained to do so. I would suggest training to bark on the word “attack” to scare people off and/or “front” to recall and sit in front of you. these methods will scare people off rather fast. however, my GSD naturally stands in front of me/between me and whatever I am uncomfortable about. They are very in tune with their owners emotions. f) GSD are not first time dogs for people in my opinion. they require a lot of effort, they are extremely smart, high energy, high anxiety, and reactive if not handled properly, while also having the potential to be down right aggressive and dangerous if not trained/exercised enough. HOWEVER, if you are dead set on getting a GSD I would suggest 1) finding a dog sitter/walker prior to getting the puppy. 2) looking into doggy daycare, their also great for socializing along with exercise. 3) find a trainer for has worked with GSD for obedience NOT guard training. 4) find a vet that would be willing to take you on (there is a shortage). and also making sure they are willing to do “happy visits”. Clinic can become a very scary place for GSD very fast and they can become reactive if it is not made a good experience (speaking as an employee of a vet clinic) 5) do not just buy a backyard breeder puppy, check out a few breeders who want to better the breed. 6) research about the breed. There is so much information out there, it’s worth looking into. 7) make sure you have appropriate space for a large kennel (safe place, plus might save you on damages if their teething and like the look of your couch). 8) look into pet insurance, if you can afford it, what they cover, what breed specific things they are willing to cover and what they aren’t, it will come in handy to have I promise.

 

[sunshinehally]

@mccree79 I would avoid a GSD while living in an Appartment.

These dogs are big, dopey and very vocal. If I had neighbours under and on top of me, me and my dog would probably be homeless by now. They bark a lot and they do it well.

Second negative is that you work 9-5. Leaving your dog unsupervised for a full work day is outright cruel.

I’m fortunate enough to work from home everyday and my partner also has intermittent work from home days, our boy gets 5 walks a day 20 mins each minimum and sometimes that isn’t enough without one of them being 1 hour+ of an adventure/run around session.

 

[dcyshy]

@mccree79 While Sam would secretly be willing to run away with anyone who offered him food, he’s very protective of his home (barking fiercely at the FedEx lady and those pesky deer) and I don’t worry one iota hiking isolated trails with him at my side (or pulling ahead).

 

[matheww1]

@mccree79 Your lucky your able to have a full sized dog in your complex that being said the limited space will make things a bit more difficult but not impossible. It sounds like you have areas to work your pup and that’s super important. Stay clear of dog parks the dogs and owners can’t be trusted. It will come down to the amount of time you have to spend working your pup. They have to work at something. A training club can help and the dogs and owners there are responsible there so very slim chances of dog fights. GSD are naturally protective of their families so your job is to socialize him so he can be effective identifying friend from foe. Encouraging aggressive guarding behavior in a GSD can cause over protective behaviors that aren’t desirable so let nature take its course. A good reputable breeder will probably interview you before making any decision on whether a GSD is a good fit for you at this time.

 

[tirzah85]

@mccree79 No, for the main reason due to you living in an apartment. These dogs take a lot of physical space in your home.

Can't recommend another breed sorry, if your main reason is personal protection.

I could recommend a family dog breed.

 

[mutie]

@mccree79 If you are thinking you will get a happy-go-lucky companion that switches to hell-hound in your defense, movies/tv has fed you a bucket of lies.

Personal protection dogs are leashed weapons. It takes a firm hand and even an even stouter mentality to control and direct their behavior. One slip and your beloved companion will be facing euthanasia because he/she shredded someone's leg. PPDs are wonderful with family and in controlled environments, add a dash of chaos and the handler(you) is the one that determines the outcome. A walk at dusk in an urban environment is the definition of chaos, who knows what the city is going to cough up and put in your path.

Also, look into how much it costs to get a dog trained for guarding, it's a new car kind of price tag. Home defense, or home watchdog rather, GSDs do really well. They are observant and alert, have incredible noses and hearing and are smart. Mine are Early Warning Systems, I get a nice alert and that gives me, the bearer of opposable thumbs and shotgun/AR time to see what's up. Don't mind the dog, I'm the one with a ranged weapon and very little patience for someone poking around my house in the middle of acreage.

 

[momenezes]

@mccree79 I agree with others here that you shouldn’t adopt a puppy GSD.
Last year we adopted an adult German shepherd (5/6) and I highly recommend it. She had puppies previously and has since been spayed, she had heartworms when we got her but the shelter paid for the treatment. I say adopt an older GSD because you should still get the loyalty that comes from GSD, but you can know their temperament. She isn’t a full blown protection dog and isn’t trained for it, but she looks intimidating (which I think is most of the job of a protection dog anyway)
That said, you’d still want to make sure you weren’t leaving the dog home alone everyday from 9-5 with no interaction. Dog sitters and walkers would be needed and would get pricey.