Is a Germand Shepherd the Right Breed For You

There are a number of things to consider when deciding on the right breed for your family. German Shepherds are a breed that have specific requirements to ensure they are a happy, healthy, and well-rounded dog. Whilst there are breed specific characters to consider, as with any breed, each dog is an individual, with different drives and physical needs. However, there are some basic requirements relevant to all German Shepherds that should be considered when first deciding if they are the right breed for your family:

𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 – Do you have the time and effort to put training into your German Shepherd? This is an ongoing requirement, not just when they are a puppy. Every moment spent with your German Shepherd is a training moment. German Shepherds want to be around their people most of the time, they do not do well locked outside in a backyard with little interaction. They will start to show signs of stress which will affect their behaviour. They require ongoing training and commitment and to build a bond with their caregiver.

𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 – German Shepherds are prone to antisocial behaviour if not regularly exposed to different scenarios and situations. They require regular socialisation with other dogs in a controlled and safe environment, they need to have positive experiences with different types of animals, people, vehicles, places, and objects. By the same token, flooding a German Shepherd/any dog can cause them to stress and display reactivity. Get to know your dog. Learn some of the stress signals so you can recognise. Flooding is a form of “socialising”. For instance, you decide to socialise your GSD with other dogs and you take him to the park. There are plenty of dogs there for him to meet. Whilst this may sound like the ideal plan, in reality it may overwhelm your dog. If we miss the signals, and carry on “socialising”, it could have the opposite effect to the one we are expecting. Your dog may become reactive, because his previous attempts at communication (stress signals) were ignored.

𝐂𝐨𝐬𝐭 - German Shepherds can live for on average for 10-14 years; during their lifespan, they need to have regular check-ups at the vet as they can be prone to some medical conditions which are expensive to treat. This is one of the many reasons that they are relinquished to a rescue. German Shepherds are a large breed dog, resulting in higher veterinary bills than smaller dogs if they ever need surgery, they must also be provided with good quality food. German Shepherds may also need assistance from a professional trainer to help with any arising behavioural issues.

𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 – German Shepherds shed A LOT of hair! They need regular brushing to keep their coat well maintained otherwise they can become matted and itchy. No matter how much you brush or groom your German Shepherd, there will be plenty of hair everywhere around the house! Shaving a German Shepherd is not an option, they have a double coat that helps to regulate their body temperature acting like a layer of insulation!

𝐄𝐱𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐧𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 – German Shepherds are an active breed that need to be given exercise daily and provided with mental stimulation in the forms of walks, games, training, challenges, and puzzles to keep them active and amused. They are a clever breed that need to keep their mind working or they will become bored and develop problem behaviours.

These are the bare necessities for a German Shepherd to live a happy, healthy, and fulfilling life; please consider if you can meet all these basic requirements of a German Shepherd, if you can, then the next step is to do some further research on this wonderful breed. Learn as much as you can about them. Take the time to find a reputable breeder or rescue. There is no doubt that you will experience “teething troubles” (sometimes literally) so you need a breeder or rescue or will provide back up support. You also need a breeder/rescue who have done their best to pair you with suitable match temperament wise. Out of a litter of puppies, each one of them will have different characters. Your breeder should have got to know their characters. They should ask you about your lifestyle and what you expect from your new best friend. Some of the puppies will be forward and confident, some may be more timid and less confident. If you are an outgoing person who has a hectic social life that you will include your dog in, the timid one may stress in such environments. If you are a bit of a home bod, then the party animal out of the puppies may not be sufficiently stimulated. A rescue should ask you what you expect from a dog and try to match you with a suitable candidate. If you have cats, it is not the best idea to take a 4-year-old who usually chases anything furry and expect him to get used to it.

If you cannot fulfil all of the requirements listed above… then a German Shepherd is not the breed for you! However, if it is then adopting a rescued dog can be extremely rewarding - take a look at the dogs in our care to see if you could give one a loving home: http://www.gsdwelfarefund.co.uk/dogslist/

Lexi's Pups Six Months On

Back in February we enjoyed an emotional day when Apollo and Lexi's puppies left our care for their adoptive homes. Those pups are now six months old, and here we catch up with a few of them and their pawrents.

First we catch Evie, adopted by Cathy and Chris.

We we are a retired couple who live in the Norfolk countryside with an enclosed acre field for our GSDs, and so were in a position to offer one of the Welfare puppies a loving home. We had/have two boys: George 6 and Milo who was only 11 months old at that time. Sadly we'd lost our girl Meggie Moo to a tumour on the spleen which had then burst, she was only 9 yrs old and we were devastated.  

We certainly had room in our hearts and our home for a new little girl, but weren’t actively considering getting another puppy at the time.  Then the pups were born and Debbie said that Welfare were giving first consideration to people who had previously adopted from Welfare. Although being long time supporters over 30 years we had never adopted. Then I saw Debbie’s post about two pups looking for homes and I contacted her and asked if any girls were available.  And the rest as they say is history 😁. 

Evie settled in really well with us and our boys, in fact, I would say she chose us… I sat on the grass and she came running to me. This is amazing as she really is cautious in nature and takes time to get to know new people, not worried at all but she does things at her own pace. We feel blessed to have her in our lives and she has gone a long way to healing our hearts after the loss of our darling Meggie Moo.  We can’t thank GSDWF enough for the opportunity of letting Puppy Evie share our lives. 

Jane also shared some lovely photos of Jackson with us.

Young Dickie Hill is probably the more famous of the litter with his own social media channels (you can follow him on Facebook here -  https://www.facebook.com/DickiesDiary), and was adopted by our chairman Debbie Hill.

  

The day these wonderful puppies were born, is a day that I wont forget easily. Just over eight weeks previously we had taken in a male and female GSD that had been presented at the vets for euthanasia. They were so frightened that we couldn’t touch them. This particular day, 10th December 2021, I had visited the kennels to get updates on our 

Welfare dogs. I had interacted with several of the dogs and then they brought out Apollo (the male of the pair that had come from the vets). I was blown away with his progress. He interacted with me and was no longer the terrified boy that I had brought here. When it was time for Apollo to go back to his kennel, the kennel owner told me she was fetch Lexi (the female from the pair). I waited, quite excited to see how she had progressed. 

Nadine came back out of the kennels and shouted something to which her husband Craig went running over. He then came out and called me over. I was getting a bit worried that something had happened to one of our dogs. In no way did I expect to hear what they told me. Lexi had a puppy. I went and looked, and sure enough, there she was laying on her bed with a puppy. We all sprung into action. Nadine, who had a wonderful bond with Lexi, went in to help her and supervise the birth. Craig was arranging another kennel for her, where she would have more privacy and I went off to source a whelping box and all the nutritious food mum would need.

A total of 9 puppies were born but sadly mum lay on one, despite having roll bars in the whelping box. And so began this new journey. It was quite worrying that not only were these puppies born in rescue, but mum and dad were both nervous so not the best temperaments to be producing puppies, and also, we had the madness that the pandemic had brought about in the dog world. The market was flooded with puppies.

We couldn’t do anything about the parents’ temperaments, but we could give the pups the best start possible. We took advise from behaviourist Lisa Hird and from day one we provided stimulation for the puppies. Different obstacles and surfaces. As the days passed, we watched their characters emerge. Cuteness overload! We took them on car journeys to the pet shop. We needed these pups to be bomb proof.

The thought of finding the right homes for these puppies was terrifying. The world and his wife were asking for them, but we were concerned people were seeing them as a chance to have a cheap puppy. They had not had the best start in life, being born in rescue, we wanted to do our very best to ensure that they found forever homes. We decided that we would give first refusal to our members and to people that had adopted our dogs previously. We were very lucky in that the homes we found were all people known to us, or recommended to us by trusted friends.

At six weeks, we started the puppy parties, introducing the pups to their potential pawrents. As the pups all came running out, exuberant and full of confidence, I couldn’t have been any prouder of them. We paired them with their potential parents and I almost sighed with relief. I felt really comfortable with the selection we had made.

The day for the pups to go off to their new homes came around so quickly. It was a very bittersweet moment. We were so pleased and proud to see them starting their new adventure, but by the same token, it was sad to see them go. We have a Facebook group, especially for the puppies so that we can all keep in touch and share the highs and lows that having a puppy can bring and offer each other advice. It has been amazing to watch their progress and see them grow.

Sadly, one of the pups, Sparkle, was taken ill. She was diagnosed with a brain degenerative disease which means she suffers seizures and has trouble using her back legs. Her pawrents have been amazing and have done everything in their power to get her the right treatment. Unfortunately, this is the risk of breeding from dogs with no health tests. Most back street breeders do not health test and this is precisely why we advise against it. In this instance, we had no choice. Lexi had come to us already in whelp. Also, when adopting rescue dogs, you never really know their background. That said, there is so much more to gain from adopting a rescue dog.

Although I had no intention of adding to “my gang”, one of the pups really took a liking to me. He was the naughtiest and was always at the centre of the mischief. I did worry what would happen when he was adopted. I had a home lined up for him and they came and met him, but then changed their minds at the last minute. It seemed fated that he should come home with me. Mr Green became Dickie Hill.

Dickie is a working dog, although working in media rather guarding a flock from wolves :-) He helps us promote Welfare and the work we do. We desperately need to educate people so that so many dogs do not find themselves in rescue. He features in training videos, not only demonstrating the effectiveness of positive reinforcement, but also sharing the fun of growing up as a pup. He recently made his first public appearance on behalf of Welfare at a street collection helping to raise funds for us and was a star.

We are so proud of all these puppies, and eternally thankful to their adopters for giving them the most amazing homes that we could ever have wished for. We may all be a bit greyer and a few more wrinkles but we are all ready for the next six months of our journey.

Sincere thanks to all our supporters that were there for us when the puppies were born. Also, heart felt thanks to Lisa Hird for her continued support.

Dickie's Diary - The Best Toy Ever

Hi everypawdy - Dickie Hill here with news about the Greatest Toy Ever. You can't believe how truly amazing it is. Mum took me to a shop filled with lots of colourful smells, and more toys than I could count. But none of them were right.  I didn't know what I wanted, but I knew that it wasn't here. 

I searched, sniffing the toys on offer until we left. We arrived home and there it was! I grabbed it immediately before another dog spotted it, or mum told me not to. I grabbed it, I dropped it, I threw it. I chased it. It's the best toy ever. 

Got to go everypawdy - Dickie signing out until next time 🐾🐾🐾

Dickie's Diary - And then mum said...

 

Elda's Updates Return

After a temporary pause in posting updates while some other work was being completed, we're pleased to resume them. This update dates from a few weeks ago, and we're going to catch up with the next few updates,  and then we're back to normal.

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The lovely Elda is coming on in leaps and bounds. This is from my perspective and they might not seem overly dramatic they are all positive steps for her well-being. After four weeks I’m still not attempting to touch her. It's important that I remain mindful of my behaviour around her so as not to frighten her. It's all too easy to lose progress by pushing a dog too hard.

Sometimes people consider basic command training a way of measuring progress with rehabilitation work. I’ve not even attempted to put a lead on her. So why do I think she has come on in leaps and bounds? Elda's body language is much softer. She's now asking to interact with me. She is playing with toys, and communicating in ways other than barking - which has also lessened. Her emotional state is changing. Does she trust me? Not yet, and it would be surprising if she did. Four weeks of care does not wipe away the trauma she's experienced.

Of course I want to cuddle her and tell her it will be all be alright. I'd love to take her for long walks, and to allow her to catch up on what she missed these past two years. But that’s what I want. Not what Elda wants - yet.

Debbie Hill

Meet Kosmo

This is the lovely Kosmo. He is 16 months old and bred from working lines. He was a real challenge when he came to Welfare but we are pleased to say he is making progress.

He won’t be up for adoption for some time yet as he is following a rehabilitation plan. Here he demonstrates how clever he is. He knows where the treats are kept and had no problem opening doors. 💗

Visit our website to discover more dogs in our care: http://www.gsdwelfarefund.co.uk/dogslist/

Meet Hollie

This beautiful girl is Hollie. She has come so far since coming to us. She was one of four dogs that we rescued - mother and her three daughters. They lived in a run down kennel without any stimulation, and human contact was almost non-existent.

Not surprisingly the owner couldn’t even get near them, so you can imagine the challenge we faced when collecting them. They had never been on lead.

That was Christmas 2020.

Although Hollie has come so far during her time with us, because of her previous life she will always bear emotional scars. We are looking for an understanding human companion for Hollie who can help her cope with those scars.

If you can provide a loving home for any of our dogs the please visit here to learn more: http://www.gsdwelfarefund.co.uk/adopting-a-german-shepherd/