GSD for a first time dog owner Questions

no offence meant.

Thank you very much for the advice and information so far, this is all very helpful

I am in a mindset of treating any dog that I do eventually get as an individual, I am not going to get a dog from a breeder and expect no issues, just as I wont get a rescue and expect them either.

Its also great to know about some of the issues that we may run into. Hopefully whatever I do end up getting, I will have enough knowledge by then to know how to handle it, though I don't pretend to assume that I will ever know everything

I spoke things over with my mum a bit and we do think we are probably going to lean towards a rescue, from the advice here and from what we understand so far.

Whereabouts in the country are you, and we may be able to steer you in the direction of a good GSD specific rescue

I'm very close to Glasgow, in North Lanarkshire. Any help in locating a good rescue place close by would be greatly appreciated, then I can go out there and ask some more questions

Good luck to you and your Mum with your search. If it were me looking, I would go for a dog between 1, maybe even 6 months, and 2 year old. Easier to shape ( with regards to behavoir ) than an older dog,and still cutting out most of chewing probs and house training of younger puppy. Hope you find a dog that you both fall in love with. Julie

Thanks again for all of the advice and help everyone.

We have been discussing our options and we think we are definitely going for a rescue GSD. So we are going to be looking at the websites provided (Thanks again!) and looking for rescue places close by, hopefully I can find some GSD specific rescues in the area.

Still a good few months before I can really go for it, but I wish it was tomorrow hehe

have a look at german shepherd rescue scotland

http://www.german-shepherd-rescue-scotland.org.uk/

I volunteer for GSD Rescue Scotland

www.german-shepherd-rescue-scotland.org.uk

There is also Second Chance GSD Rescue here in Scotland ...

www.second-chances.com

Neither organisation have a rescue centre where all the dogs are kept, but have dogs throughout the country in either boarding kennels, foster homes or still in their original homes.