In Defense of German Shepherds Everywhere

[BlueKota]

I have been bit three times in my life. Twice by My Aunt's miniature Poodle. That same dog later bit several of her grandchildren and others. In fact that dog bit more people than all of the six German Shepherds that I have had over my 61 years of life, combined. I was also bitten by a Beagle when I was seven.

The GSD my Dad got us when I was five, bit a guy who walked in without knocking. True my Dad owned a business, and some people stopped by to pay their bills in person, but we had a huge sign on the door to knock first as it was our home and not an official office. My Mom was upstairs taking a bath, and my sister was only 9 and me five. The dog was doing his job protecting us and he didn't even bite him hard.

The only other incident happened with Riggs who I had in the 1990s. He and my cousin were playing with his ball. She stepped back at the same time he was moving forward to grab the ball and exactly one of his teeth made a puncture wound in her heel. Even the ER Doc said, there clearly would have been more teeth marks if it had been anything more than an unfortunate accident. Those two incidents were it as far as "bites" by any of my Shepherds.

Not saying there aren't any who are aggressive but I don't think there are many breeds that have a totally pure record as far as aggressive individual dogs.

Plus Riggs saved my mother and I from a home invasion, and my current boy Dakota, alerted me to a potentially dangerous gas leaks. It therefore really 😡 upsets me when people make remarks like "Shepherds are too aggressive to make good domestic pets." I never said no one should own a miniature Poodle. People who make those kind of remarks have little to no knowledge about what a wonderful companion Shepherds can be. Also would they have been selected to be guide dogs for the blind if they were all just vicious biters? I don't think so.

Don't bash my babies please!

[Polly Hennessey]

1. No bashing here. I had three. All were superior dogs.

[BlueKota]

5. They really are

Dakota is great company and he makes me laugh every day.

[Ponietz]

2. My GS taught me things no human could

She charged a bear at 2, and is yet the most gentle being: quiet leader, patient, empathetic, sensitive, respectful of people and other dogs, follows commands well. She shepherds me. Training is everything. No other breed is so disappointed when master is displeased.

[BlueKota]

6. She sounds wonderful and very brave!

[Karadeniz]

3. I've had only one as a foster dog. I let her be adopted and I wish I hadn't !!! She was a

character !!!

[BlueKota]

7. Some of them really have amazing personalities

That was a selfless thing to do to foster one.

[woodsprite]

4. I love shepherds and have had 2 in my lifetime along

With 2 beagles. All were ‘single dogs’.

My beagles were the biters. One would bite if he had something he shouldn’t have and you were trying to take it away from him. My other - beagle/terrier mix - bit two of our friends he didn’t know. I blame dad for a lot of his behavior because he would roughhouse with him all the time - pretend he was going to hit me or mom, let the dog chew on his hands, etc.

I had shepherds for over 18 years. The first one growled and bared teeth one time - a guy we met out walking at night (a water company supervisor who was overseeing a pump station fix). He put his hand on my shoulder and patted my back to assure me they’d be finished soon. She growled, he pulled his hand back and apologized. The other nipped a friend who didnt follow our instructions. Newly adopted, Halloween night, he was in a costume. We told him to ignore her and she would eventually come to him. He didn’t do that. Came right to her and reached out with his gloved hand to pet her. She got his glove.

I miss my girls so much, but haven’t talked hubby into adopting again.

[BlueKota]

8. It's hard when people won't give the dog a chance to get to

know them before reaching out for them. That's why our neighbors Beagle bit me. I hope someday you will be able to adopt another dog.