# GSD’s All Around Us



## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

Neighbors on both sides of us have German Shepherds. And there are two on the corner and another a few houses down. One is outside all the time, with a doggy door to the garage or wherever. Another is inside with the kids and family, barks if we’re outside and she hears us, but not excessive. The neighbor on the other side has one that barks along the fence by the street or if it hears us. That one has escaped frequently into the road to the distress of frequent runners or joggers. The two on the corner are remarkably well mannered, but must be out at night because it’s a barkathon. I am so used to my quiet guy. When he barks it’s something. He watches our security camera and will bark if someone is at the gate. I know dogs were bred to bark, but I can’t imagine it’s always a 911,, with the ones at the corner or on my one side. No disrespect to the breed. I was very envious of a friend in college who had one of the most beautiful German Shepherds I have ever seen. He would wait for her outside of classes, and our student food court. Sadly, he was stolen. Back in the day, that was unheard of. He was that handsome.


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## Charmed (Aug 4, 2014)

Having had a GSD for its entire 16 year life, I know that they are not a breed to be left to their own devices.


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

I genuinely like the neighbors with the GSD that is outside patrolling all the time. This is their third one. I just disapprove of that lifestyle for a suburban dog. It can guard and alert you inside just as well. We have rescued two of the three over the years, when a gate was left open and they slipped out. So clueless on the street. The Monks of New Skete come to mind when I think about GSD’s.


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## JasMom (7 mo ago)

My uncle always had German Shepherds. They barked a lot, a female he had was non-stop. Beautiful and intelligent dogs, but too noisy for me.


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

I spent a lot of time training Buck what was a threat and needed a bark. The garbage trucks come every week, yay! The postman comes every day. The next door house, three years in the making, with every trade got the call off of “they’re working.” The first owners with the nasty, noisy BC, got the call off of “nothing to say”. From what I’ve read, working GSD’s bark when there is something: drugs, a cadaver, someone trapped under rubble, a missing person found. You never witness GSD seeing eye dogs barking incessantly. I guess pedestrians and joggers are perceived threats to these dogs behind their gates, running the fence with nothing else to do. The shedding and the frequency of hip dysplasia put them off my list. I may be wrong, but they may also be a breed that you need to disclose on your homeowners insurance. Poodles breeze by😎


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## JasMom (7 mo ago)

I think that's the key - training. To my knowledge, my uncle's GSDs never had hip problems, but the last one passed in the mid-90s. He had at least 4 over the years, probably others before my time. They were his breed. Hips and hair were also a No for me. Not sure on German Shepherds, but I know our home insurance asked about Akitas, Mastiffs, Rottweilers, Pit Bulls, and other "Bull" breeds.


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

Maybe the insurance possible exclusion is why we have so many GSD’s around us. We had a house on an adjoining street with a Bull Mastiff. He didn’t make a sound and we took a wide berth of his property. He never moved, either. Just looked like a war dog in waiting.


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## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

My second dog was a German Shepherd (Alsatian - we lived in Scotland). She was a wonderful dog with a very unusual pedigree - her dam was from all English breeding and her sire was a German Sieger (champion, sort of). She was, from the day we bought her, my son's dog. He named her on the long drive from south Wales to Scotland and she slept on the end of his bed. She loved children but was barely tolerant of adults. She would become very aggressive if an adult raised a hand to a child. She and my son went over the Rainbow Bridge together.


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

Gotta love a dog that cannot abide child abuse.


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## BBVidya (6 mo ago)

I am so sad for this GSD really a big puppy under 2years old that a lady got up the street as a house pet, and after he nipped a neighbors great grandson and escaped a couple times just bought a small pen and locks him in it 14-16 hrs a day. The poor dog barks constantly, and I have heard him on a too hot afternoon, and a frigid night when taking my dog out for a. Late night pee break. I am tempted to ask her if she can rehome him to somebody that works with their dog, or just call a local organization to report her for abuse.
He’s a gorgeous black and rust dog, and would be so nice for a caring owner.☹
Some folks should not own dogs.


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## ShelleyDickison (12 mo ago)

We have 2 German Shepards that live across the street that get out all the time. I had my 2 mini poos outside playing in our fenced yard about a month and a half ago and they came charging to the fence. Rammed it so hard I thought it cracked. Maggie who was 4 and a half months at the time is now scared of dogs. Trying to work her through it but it’s been tough.


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