GSD for a first time dog owner Questions

Hi there,

I am doing some research into getting my first dog, and I absolutely love GSDs and I would love my first dog to be one, but I would like to get people's opinions and advice on on having one as a first dog, based on my situation and such.

I have recently been spending a lot of time looking into the possibility of doing this and I feel like its definitely something I am capable of doing but I do have some concerns regarding the amount of time that is required to put into such a breed. I am currently a uni student and for most days I am out quite a lot, but I am currently staying with my mum who also loves dogs and GSDs who has agreed to do everything necessary while I am out. Would being in a situation like this cause problems in training or anything early on that I should be aware of at all?

I am extremely determined to give any dog that I do get the absolute care, time and effort required for this to work, but I do realise that a GSD in particular is a big responsibility and I want to make sure that I am ready for such a big step really.

I think I have rambled on quite a bit, hopefully I am asking the right questions, thank you for any advice you can offer

My first dog was a GSD. I`ve not been without one since 1973.
My advice would be to wait until you can spend more time with the dog. Or he will probably bond to your mum.

I had considered that and tbh I think that would actually suit my situation well.

At some point i'm going to be moving out, and I really don't like the idea of leaving my mum on her own, so I think I am mostly considering this as a way of getting my mum some company and myself some valuable experience for the future when I get a GSD of my own.

Does your mum know you plan on leaving the dog with her, ultimately...?

If not, then wouldn't it be worth discussing it with her, because a GSD is a very big, strong dog needing a lot of attention and if someone wasn't planning on being the sole owner/trainer/carer for one......yet then finds herself in precisely that position.......?

This is how dogs sometimes end up in rescue. So no offence meant to you or your mum at all, but I would really urge you to discuss it.


Also, you'd need to be sure that you are both on the same page re training techniques. Otherwise if both of you are going to be walking the dog etc, the dog is going to get seriously confused!!


Since you're presumably asking for honest opinions, I would urge you and your mum to discuss this and work out precisely who will be the actual 'owner' of the dog and responsible for feeding, insurance, training, vet, etc etc etc.

Doesn't seem much of a plan Damien, you really need to discuss this with your mum!

Sorry I should have explained this a bit better.

My mum is fully aware of the plan, and as such she would be the main owner. Shes agreed to take full responsibility of the dog regarding insurance, etc etc. Everything regarding the dog is being discussed with the pair of us, and as such she is also reading this post ( She says hi ).

We have been writing out lists and such of how we would like a dog to behave if we were to get one, to ensure that we are on the same page about things. This is very much a joint decision, with her being the owner, so to speak.

I wouldn't want to go into this without us both being clear on what we were after, I wouldn't wish to mistreat a dog in such a way.

The idea as it stands is that my mum will be there for all of the walks, taking the dog during the day when i'm out and then both of us would take the dog in the evenings. Would this simply cause confusion?

And yes I really am after honest opinions so please don't feel any need to hold back, if the situation simply sounds like it would be detrimental to the dog then I would rather cut my losses now and not put one into a bad situation.

Does your mum want a puppy, a youngster or an older dog?
There are loads of GSDs in Rescue because people don`t realise they need to spend time training / socialising them.
Here are some good places to start...
http://www.germanshepherdrescue.co.uk/index.html
http://www.vigilgsdrescue.org.uk/
http://www.southerncountiesgsdrescue.co.uk/
http://www.german-shepherd-rescue-scotland.org.uk/

Thank you for that, thats very helpful

She says that she would love to rescue a dog and is quite happy to get an older dog through a rescue, than a puppy.

Has your mum ever had dogs before? you say you are at Uni, does your mum work at all?

Are you both aware of the different 'types' of German Shepherd (show type and working type) and how different they are? is your mum eventually willing to to walk the dog for a couple of hours a day?

Are you looking at puppies or adult dogs? if you are looking at puppies, is your mum (and you) ready for the sleepless nights, toilet training, mess and general destruction a puppy brings? they turn your routine upside down.

When you are bogged down with Uni work, will the dog still be your number one priority? I had two puppies the summer before my final year at University and it was not fun. I found the dogs demands mixed with my Uni work demands difficult to juggle.

Writing a list of "how you would like the dog to behave" is one thing, actually making that happen is another. A lot of the time the s**t hits the fan when you are dealing with training young, high drive dogs -- it often takes a lot of frustration, time and hard work to get them to "the way you would like them to behave". You might get lucky and have a naturally easy dog, but equally you might not -- are you prepared to deal with all eventualities?

Yeah, my mum has had dogs in the past, the last one was when I was a baby, 25 years ago and shes always spent time with dogs since then. She doesn't work no.

I know a little bit about the different types of shepherds and one of the reasons that I am here is to learn more about such things. My mum is practically "chewing at the bit" to be out and about more with the dog, she loves getting out and shes dieing to have the excuse of the dog to get out even more

We would be looking at an older dog most likely, but if a puppy was what we went for we are both more than willing to put up with sleepless nights, we are both already used to such things so this is not an issue.

My uni work will always be my number one priority, hence this is going to be my mums dog, and it will be her number one priority, so the dog will have all the care necessary.

The reason for us writing lists is to iron out exactly what we both want, there would be no point in us getting into this if we didn't know what we wanted and why we wanted it. We are both fully prepared to put in all the effort that will be necessary to deal with any problems that will arise. I very much realize that I am not buying a packaged good and I have spent the last few months considering exactly how determined I am to do this and I can say that I am absolutely determined to put in the monumental effort that I imagine is required to make this work, as is my mum.

My only thoughts are:
If you do get a rescue dog, you need to be prepared that it may well never be able to tick all your boxes. Depending on its past (which you may never know about). It may be DA, it may be overly attention seeking, it may chew up your house... I don't want to put you off a rescue, but you really need to be ready for issues. It isn't like getting a puppy and training it, older dogs may have ingrained problems. (I have a rescue who was very VERY nervous when we got him. He is 12 now, had him ten years, and a raised voice will still send him into a quivering heap.)

Take your dog to training classes.

Firstly, well done for doing your research BEFORE going out and buying a pup or rescuing a dog. I own GSDs and will never have anything else (well perhaps the odd BC ;-)) so can well understand your admiration for the breed.

You have had loads of good advice already, and my personal thoughts are that if your mum and yourself are both determined to get a dog, and your mum is happy to commit to the lifetime ownership of any dog, then you can certainly make it work.

One thing about breed specific rescue is that usually they will find out about yourself and the sort of life you can offer a dog and they will then endeavour to select a dog that will suit you and your lifestyle.

couldnt have said it any better moobli ;-) good luck with your search on the dog that suits you best and i must say fab choice of breed

Great, sounds like you and your mum make a great team and will be a lovely new family for a GSD

I think getting a slightly older rescue dog is a fab idea. I have a rescue dog, a Lab, but I plan to get another rescue in around a year and a GSD is right at the top of my list, so I will watch this thread with interest!

I would strongly recommend getting in touch with the specific rescues for GSDs. I look at them regularly and they have some GORGEOUS and lovely natured dogs, crying out for caring new homes!

That way you could possibly get a dog who has already got the basics in place and who would be suitable for you and your mum, as you haven't had a GSD before.

Maybe consider a dog that is aged 3 or over?

Please let us know what happens!

Ooo another GSD thread... *stalks*

There is no such thing as the perfect dog.
The most difficult GSD I`ve had came from a breeder as a puppy. The others have all been rescues or rehomes and not nearly as much work. So you pays your money and takes your chance either way.

Oh really? How come?

She had hormone isses. I found out later it can happen when a bitch lies between dogs in the womb and has too much testosterone. It became worse when she was spayed. She fought me for supremacy all her life till she was 8 and sustained a knee injury then changed overnight - allowing me to take over.

Oh, I quite agree. I just meant that with a rescue, you may not know what has happened to the dog previously, and may have issues due to the life they have had, rather than their nature IYKWIM,

Both mine are rescues

Just FYI - was in the vets this morning and there was a woman with a beauuutiful GSD in, so was chatting to her, as ya do, and she said she volunteered at GSD kennels, so gave me a card and it is for second chances - GSD rescue scotland, so that's an option too