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Is It Good To Have Two German Shepherds

Are German Shepherds Hypoallergenic

5 Reasons 2 German Shepherds are Better than 1!

Just because youre allergic to dogs, doesnt mean you dont love them, right? If youre allergic to dog hair but still want to be an owner, specifically the owner of a German Shepherd, youre probably wondering are they hypoallergenic?

The answer is no, unfortunately not. In actuality, no dogs, apart from a few rare hairless breeds, are truly hypoallergenic. However, some breeds have such low-shedding coats that it doesnt trigger a reaction in people with allergies. They are known as hypoallergenic dogs, but German Shepherds are not one of them.

That said, dont give up! There are several things that budding owners with allergies can do to make life with a German Shepherd easier.

Are There Any Large Breeds That Should Not Live With German Shepherds

In most cases, a German Shepherd not getting along with other dogs is more due to training issues than problems that involve other breeds. Proper socialization makes a difference in the case of any multi-dog situation.

Dog Breeds List considers the German Shepherd a good match for most other breeds. However, there are some exceptions where large breeds are concerned.

Even though they have some popularity due to their beautiful appearance, wolfdogs are some of the most aggressive dogs around. Since many are part Shepherd, they often end up in homes with a German Shepherd present.

Wolfdogs are less predictable than many other types of dogs, due to their recent wild ancestry. These dogs are less likely to obey commands given to them, and less likely to respect their owners leadership. These dogs may be quite aggressive.

Staffordshire Terriers or American Pit Bulls, though known for being agreeable to most people, often tend to be aggressive towards other dogs. American or English Staffordshire Terriers have a dogfighting history.

In the case of American Bulldogs, these dogs were used for catching livestock. The traits that make these dogs capable of capturing livestock can also prompt aggression towards other dogs. Dogs with these traits can cause injury.

Training Goal #: Socialization

Puppies of all breeds have a critical socialization window that closes at 12 to 16 weeks of life, and your GSD puppy is no exception. In fact, for GSDs, who by nature are protective guardians, socialization is extra important so that your puppy learns which strangers are friendly and not a threat.

GSDs are very observant, and your puppy will pick up on your cues and reactions around new people and new situations. During this critical period, having exposure to many different kinds of people in non-threatening situations will help your puppy be confident among friendly strangers rather than fearful or aggressive. And even during times of social and physical distancing, you can still socialize your puppy safely.

Proper socialization cannot be overemphasized for this breed as Adams notes, The foundation for most training is confidence. It is critical that the GSD puppy is well socialized from an early age onward. Safely exposing the puppy to new sights, sounds, and smells is absolutely critical for development. Good socialization translates to confidence.

Certified dog trainer and CGC evaluator Jacqui Foster, CPDT-KA, echoes this sentiment: I tend to lean more towards developing self-confidence in the puppy. For this I recommend short, fun, three-minute games that engage the puppy with the owner as well as in noises, weird and uneven surfaces, family members, etc., throughout the day. A confident puppy is a happy puppy.

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German Shepherds Are Strong And Active

Originally developed as a herding dog, the German Shepherd Dogs are bred to work for and with humans. German Shepherds are herding dogs that require plenty of physical and mental exercises every day.

They need to be out and about to have long walks plus a variety of fun activities for stimulations.

For adult German Shepherds, the American Kennel Club recommends at least two hours of exercise daily. That being said, you and your family should be prepared to be active with your GSD.

If you love exploring different places, enjoy jogging, running, biking, hiking, camping and the likes, a German Shepherd will be your ideal companion.

Are There Different Types Of German Shepherds

10 Signs You Are A Crazy German Shepherd Person

Officially there’s only the one breed. But I explained in the Temperament section that there are different lines of German Shepherds with different temperaments. Those lines can also LOOK very different from each other.

Show lines

Those of us who admired the strong, noble look of German Shepherds from decades ago are saddened at what has been done to the appearance of modern show dogs.

If you go to a German Shepherd specialty show in the United States or Canada, you’ll see tall narrow bodies, long narrow heads, and such excessive curvature of the rear legs that the dog’s back slopes downward from shoulders to tail. You could roll a ball down that back.

In my opinion, these are misshapen caricatures of a German Shepherd. To make matters worse, show lines produce more than their share of spooky and low-intelligence dogs, which is what happens when you over-focus on appearance rather than temperament and trainability.

In contrast, the West German show line has a more normal shape. Best of all, German Shepherds in West Germany cannot win show ring ribbons or be bred without passing a temperament/trainability test.

There are many West German bloodlines in the United States. So if you’re interested, you can look for show breeders who emphasize West German lines instead of American/Canadian.

Just be aware that these dogs aren’t couch potatoes: they do have plenty of energy and some working drives that will need to be exercised.

Working/protection lines

Pet lines?

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They Can Smell Human Emotions

We all know that dogs can smell a treator your chicken dinnerfrom what seems like a mile away, but research suggests that a dogs sense of smell can pick up a whole lot more than food .

A dogs nose can also detect fear or even sadness because our canine counterparts can pick up on the scent of adrenalinealso known as the fight-or-flight hormone. When it comes to smelling your fear, an increased heart rate and blood flow sends distinctive body chemicals to the surface of our skin, which a dog can sense almost immediately.

So thats why mans best friend is often relied on as service or emotional support animals, as they can be trained to smell anxiety attacks or other adverse events in their human. Dogs have also been known to smell diseases, including cancer, as they leave specific odor signatures in a humans body and bodily secretions, like their sweat, breath, or urine.

Training Goal #: Crate Training

This is also a good time for crate training, which Adams recommends as well. GSD trainer and dog sports enthusiast Alexa Hagood, LVMT, agrees: Crate breaks, even when brief, can help the puppy become acclimated to going in the crate and having some alone time. She notes that this can help reduce the risk of a puppy developing separation anxiety, and recommends beginning with using the crate for feeding times , and at times when the owner needs to do daily chores.

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How Can I Stop My Puppy From Biting

Itâs important for puppies to learn to control their bites. This is best taught at a young age.Carefully watch your puppy for signs that he is about to grab your hand. Before he can do that, give him a soft toy or a Kong as an alternative.

If puppy bites you before you can give him a toy, make the squealing sound a littermate would make when it is bitten by another pup âeekâ or âouchâ. Then quickly redirect the puppy to an appropriate toy that is âchew safeâ.

When a puppy canât be supervised he should be safely in his crate or an exercise pen with Kongs or other dog-safe toys that canât be chewed up and swallowed. DO NOT LEAVE STUFFED TOYS IN A CRATE WITH A PUPPY. Talk with your breeder and/or vet about safe toys for puppies.Also, a tired puppy is a good puppy. Be sure your puppy gets plenty of exercise for his body and his brain . Exercise for 10 minutes every hour or so is better than 2 hours at a time. Puppies need naps just like babies.

Start training at an early age in a good puppy class in your area. Puppies of all breeds get your puppy used to other types of dogs.â Cheryl May

For more information: Use Google to search for âpuppy trainingâ in your area. Look for local classes that are affiliated with the AKCâs S.T.A.R. puppy training. Also look at our Regional Club listings to see if there is a club that offers puppy classes in your area especially for German Shepherd puppies.

Consider why puppies pull when they are walking:

How Big Are German Shepherds

Two German Shepherds with ZERO Training Cause Chaos | It’s Me or the Dog

Males stand about 24-26 inches at the shoulder and weigh 75-110 pounds.

Females stand about 22-24 inches and weigh 65-90 pounds.

Some German Shepherds are considerably larger than that, but shouldn’t be. This breed is supposed to be athletic and agile, not giant-sized and ponderous. Larger dogs can have more joint problems and a shorter lifespan.

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Should You Get Two Males Two Females Or Two Opposite Sex German Shepherds

To make our points more relevant, we spent some time researching the internet and social media to get the best possible answer for this specific question.

Here are what the current German Shepherd owners have to say about having two German Shepherds when it comes to choosing the sex:

Thinking that both ladies may work it out together is not a good choice. Very likely, fights may escalate, and one dog may severely injure or kill the other. This seems to happen most often when the two dogs are close in age or when one dog is older and a newer dog is introduced to the pack.

You are playing with fire with two males. My advice is to definitely get a female. If they get along its great, but sometimes one of them snaps and it could lead to death.

Ren. A.

Dont do it . My GSD pup seemed fine with the older female GSD on my parents property when I first brought her over. They played together fine for months. Then they stopped play-fighting and fought for real, and part of an ear was bitten off in the process. We have to keep them separated now.

Tiffany N.

It is not possible to keep two male dog where one is of age and doesnt like another one With a female, there will be no problem because a male dog is never aggressive to a female dog.

Schweizer V.

Regardless of breed, while many dogs of the same sex do get along peacefully, having two dogs of the same sex may pose a higher risk than the opposite sex.

Why Your German Shepherd Sniffs Everything

While it is true that your German Shepherd will sniff things a lot because it has a very strong sense of smell, it will also use this ability for a number of different reasons.

Below, I will mention a number of reasons why your German Shepherd might sniff things and the signs to look for with them.

It smells to get information

The main reason why dogs will sniff things a lot is that sniffing things will give them a lot of information. For example, the urine of other dogs will tell it where it has been, its health status and what it has been eating. This is the case for humans too. They can even pick up on the ovulation of humans which is why they will sniff females more during certain parts of the month .

They want to know what other animals have been around

German Shepherds are very protective and territorial dogs which is why they are often used as guard dogs. The reason why it tends to sniff things such as trees and bushes is so that it will be able to tell what other animals have been around.

Its curious

The reason why it sniffs things could be that it is curious about things. In addition to getting information, sniffing things it will help it figure out what it is and whether or not it is a threat or something to be excited about.

Their eyesight is not as good as ours

It can store the scent

How to stop your dog sniffing everything when it is on a walk

You can watch the video below to see more:

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Gsds Are Loving Companions

These are very social dogs who want to spend time with their humans. The more time your dog gets to spend with you, the happier your companion will be. They may exhibit aloofness with strangers rather than immediately adoring everyone they see, but that only makes their love even more special. Plus, these loyal and dedicated guardians and gentle family pets are willing to put their life on the line to protect their loved ones. And you cant ask for a more loving best friend than that.

What Have They Touched Or Picked Up Recently

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What have they rolled in?

What have they picked up in their mouth?

What have they eaten?

If your dog is rolling in poop or picking up dead animals regularly it makes sense they would smell bad.

The same goes for rolling in seaweed or dead/washed up sea animals down the beach.

Also, note that a dogs coat can absorb smells and trap them under the top coat much more effectively than what human skin does which is exposed.

This is why its so important to make sure the areas your dog is playing in are clean!

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Do German Shepherds Attach To One Person

German Shepherds attach to one owner more than other members of the same family but this wont be determined straight away. Puppies will usually form their strongest bond with whoever they choose as their true master within the first 6 months.

Just like you cant make someone fall in love with you, you cant make your German Shepherd choose you as the one person they will attach to. Dogs are similar to humans in many ways and this review of canine-human behaviors identified that they are more human-like than any other species, but its still impossible to make them choose you as their master.

I remember collecting my German Shepherd pup from the breeder as if it were yesterday. You do know that she will choose one of you to be the master? he said. But as long as you are both firm with her from the outset, she will bond with you both in her own special way.

I have never forgotten those words and looking back, they were so very true. Within the next few months, it was clear to see that the pup had chosen her master and it wasnt me, but my partner!

My German Shepherd is so devoted to him she will follow him everywhere, even to the bathroom! When he is out of the house, she will wait patiently gazing out of the window until he comes home. When he finally arrives home she will go crazy, crawling on her belly in excitement! Dont get me wrong, she will lovingly greet me too, but not in the same way as she greets her master.

German Shepherd Vs Goldendoodle Temperament

Golden Retrievers in general are very good natured and friendly dogs. Poodles can be more aloof and wary of strangers, but Goldendoodles are unlikely to have strong guarding tendencies. German Shepherds, on the other hand often have very strong guarding instincts and that may be reflected in the temperament of a Goldendoodle mixed with German Shepherd. What all these breeds have in common is a powerful loyalty to their families and a deep intelligence that makes them very responsive to training.

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Note On German Shepherd Colors

German Shepherd puppies come in many colors:

  • black and tan,
  • black and brown,
  • and sable.

Some color patterns are not accepted as standard by the AKC: for example, a completely white German Shepherd. A puppy with tufts of hair in his ears and between his toes is considered a “long-coated black” German Shepherd. Although he is not a standard German Shepherd type, the long-coated black will make an excellent family pet.

When To Seek Professional Help

German Shepherd Everything You Need to Know

Seek the help of a professional trainer the moment you begin to notice problems with biting or barking. You want to make sure any sign of aggression towards the dog’s family is stopped right away. Dogs are pack animals by nature, and you must make sure your dog knows its place in the pack and sees you as the pack leader. If the dog sees himself as the pack leader, behavior problems such as violence can come into play.

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Do Male German Shepherds Get Along

Common misconceptions about the German Shepherd have led to unnecessary fears and false information spreading all over the internet. One such common misconception is about their innate aggression toward people and other animals.

Were here to set the record straight. While its been proven time and time again that German Shepherds are not inherently aggressive toward people, what about other dogs?

So do male German Shepherds get along?

Because German Shepherds have big personalities, two males could get along just fine, or they could really hate one another and do nothing but fight. Early socialization is key to helping male German Shepherds get along, and neutering male GSDs can help quell aggression as well.

There is nothing quite as terrifying as seeing two huge German Shepherds having an argument. It can be noisy, brutal, and exhausting for the dogs and the people involved.

But not all male GSDs will behave this way toward other males. It comes down to natural temperament, training, early socialization, and sometimes hormones. Below, well dive into whether two male GSDs can get along, and how you can help them do so.

  • Final Thoughts
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