What Jobs Do German Shepherds Do

Gsds Are Incredibly Smart

If youre a German Shepherd owner, you have a strong suspicion your dog might actually be smarter than you are. After all, what cant your dog do? These dogs are known for their intelligence and many can learn a new behavior in only a few repetitions. In addition, they have a legendary desire to cooperate and work with us, a trait many see as a wish to please their humans. No wonder this breed excels at so many activities and is a top Obedience competitor. Because German Shepherds are one of the brightest breeds, be sure to be consistent, use positive reinforcement-based methods, provide plenty of mentally stimulating toys, and play brain-challenging games.

What If I Dont Give My German Shepherd A Job

WARNING!!

If you dont give your GSD a job theyll make up their own job to do

And you probably wont like it .

Your German Shepherd likes having a job because it prevents you from becoming upset with him and he earns his rewards. Its positive work and activity.

Most importantly

He spends time with his favorite person

You!

Your German Shepherd Is Experiencing Growing Pains

Panosteitis is often nicknamed growing pains, which makes it sound like it is just an awkward stage of life.

But in dogs, panosteitis is a very real health condition that causes pain as the bones grow quickly during puppyhood.

Panosteitis is much more common in large and giant breed dogs because the growth from puppyhood to adulthood is so rapid and extreme.

Unfortunately, there isnt a lot that can be done to treat it. It is important to limit physical exercise until your GSD has gone through the majority of its growth spurt to avoid damaging the bones and joints.

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Consistency Patience And Proper Techniques Get The Job Done

The key to training a German Shepherd is to be consistent and patient, using proper training techniques. When disciplining your German Shepherd, never use physical punishment, yell, or use other aversive methods as this will only cause aggression, fear, and mistrust.

If you prefer, enlist the help of a trainer, and you and your companion will have a much better and calmer existence.

Animal Assisted Therapy Dogs In Mental Health

In 2010, the SCAS Journal published an article entitled, Animal Assisted Therapy in Mental Health that suggested that patients who interact with therapy dogs can reach increased levels of oxytocin, which is associated with emotional bonding. The study conducted also suggested that therapy dogs could help increase levels of dopamine, which is a chemical produced by the brain that is associated with happiness, and that the use of therapy dogs can also lower the stress hormone, cortisol.

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Keep Your Cat Indoors To Protect The Environment

When youre playing fetch, youre simply throwing something for your dog to retrieve. Once they catch the thing or have to fetch it from wherever it landed, theyll usually bring it straight back to you. Then, you can throw it again or move on.

Sound simple? It is. There are a lot of different things that you could use to play fetch with. A couple of the most common are tennis balls and sticks, but youd be surprised at what your dog will be eager to chase and catch. Other fun things include frisbees or dog toys.

Pretty much anything you throw past your dog, theyll run to catch, if theyve trained how to. Some dogs do this naturally, others have to be encouraged to chase after objects by being provided with affection or treats.

Once youve played enough fetch, you can begin teaching your German Shepherd simple tricks like how to catch things that you throw at them or to do jumping tricks while fetching.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the authors knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

German Shepherds In Detection

Detection work can take many forms.

Search and rescue, cadaver searching, narcotics and drug detection, explosives detection, accelerant detection and mine detection dog are all examples of how German Shepherds are used for detection work.

They are suited for these lines of work because of their sense of smell/scent and their ability to work regardless of distractions.

To give you some perspective on how good German Shepherds are for scent detection, consider this information about the number of scent/smell receptors in a German Shepherds nose:

Humans have about 5 million scent receptors in their nose

The fox terrier has about 147 million scent receptors in their nose

German Shepherds have about 225 million receptors in their nose

One really interesting new and modern way German Shepherds are being used for scent detection is to detect breast cancer in poorer countries where patients may not have access to mammograms.

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Show German Shepherd Dog Breed Line

The show or companion canine German Shepherd is much more likely to look and act like the German Shepherd most people are familiar with.

In most cases, you will find these traits in a German Shepherd that comes from a show breed line, even if that dog is not competing in dog shows:

• Gentle and calm once trained.
• Easy to share space with if their daily activity needs are met.
• Quite trainable and very devoted to their people.
• Larger body size with more even conformation .

These German Shepherds are a popular choice to guard and protect a family because once trained, they are trustworthy even around babies!

This is very relevant to why your GSD may be more prone to digging. It can also be very relevant to how successfully you can retrain your dog not to dig.

If your German Shepherd dog comes from a working line, however, your dogs determination to dig can easily be more than a match for your determination to train them not to dig!

Here, it can be smart to consider working with an experienced canine trainer to learn effective techniques to work with your dog.

Involving your GSD in competitive athletics like Schutzhund can also give you the experience you need.

German Shepherds: A Fantastic Breed

German Shepherds are a wonderful, intelligent, hardworking breed that is highly intelligent and loves to work. Its important that you give them a job to do and provide plenty of mental stimulation.

These dogs need to work and want to please, making them delightful to train. They are capable of nearly any task they are asked to perform and are incredibly loving around adults and children alike.

While they may not be ideal for first-time dog owners, with enough training, they can be excellent pets. Does a German Shepherd sound like the ideal K9 for your family?

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Your Dog Wants You To Be Consistent

For dogs, everything is black and white they dont understand compromise. Remember this and you’ll have fewer bad habits to break.

Training your German Shepherd will be easier.

Heres an example of the types of mistakes owners make:

Change verbal commands from come to come here keep your verbal commands consistent throughout.

If youre trying to keep your pooch off the sofa, be consistent. If you allow it sometimes and other times not, youll confuse your dog and slow down the training.

How can you expect your dog to learn if you’re not consistent?

What Is The Smartest Breed Of Dog

There is no single dog breed that is the smartest. In a study conducted by Finlands canine researchers, it was found that there were many extreme outliers in their tests meaning certain breeds of dogs have more potential intelligence than others.The Border Collie, for instance is an example of a very intelligent breed given how successful they are as herding dogs. The same can be said for German Shepherds and Poodles who make great service dogs because of their high levels of obedience skills.At the other end of the scale, breeds like Chihuahuas or Basset Hounds which are considered very little to no intellectual ability at all these types remain at pretty much one level throughout.

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A Shared Herding Heritage

Both the Malinois and German Shepherd are members of the Herding Group and can trace their origins to livestock herding dogs. As their names imply, the Belgian Malinois was developed in Belgium and the German Shepherd in Germany.

The Malinois was one of four varieties of Belgian Shepherd Dog in use in the late 1800s. It was first recognized by Professor Adolphe Reul. He characterized the variety as a medium-sized square dog with dark brown eyes and triangular ears. Each of the four types of Belgian Shepherd Dog was named for the area around Brussels where it was developed, with the Malinois hailing from the Malines region.

As the agricultural lifestyle declined, the Belgian Shepherd Dog became favored in the development of police dog training, according to Ann MacKay, who has owned Belgian Malinois for 32 years and bred them for 26,

German Shepherd doing a police dog demo.

Belgian Malinois doing a police dog demo.

In fact, as early as 1908, the AKC Gazette mentioned that two Belgian Sheepdogs had been imported into the United States to work as police dogs in New York City. More were imported in 1911, including two specifically identified in the AKC studbook as Malinois. Finally, in 1959 the Belgian Malinois was granted full AKC recognition as a breed of its own, separate from the other Belgian Shepherd Dog varieties.

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Your German Shepherd Is Being Territorial

German Shepherds are bred to be guard dogs. They have every trait they need to be intensely protective.

But sometimes this trait can backfire when the food arrives or when another dog tries to play with a favorite toy.

Sometimes, a groaning German Shepherd is issuing a warning to other dogs or even to their people, saying stay away, this is mine.

This is a training issue that needs to be addressed swiftly. German Shepherds are very strong, powerful dogs and a GSD that has become territorial around food or possessions needs to be taught not to do this for everyones safety.

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Problems Caused By Improper Food Intake

If you have an active German Shepherd at your home then nothing will depress you more than your dog getting ill. Most of the diseases caused to German Shepherd are related to its stomach. These stomach problems are caused by feeding your dog with unhealthy or inappropriate food.

The stomach of a German Shepherd is very sensitive and it easily gets troubled if the food intake is unhealthy or improper.

Let us have a look at the health problems a German Shepherd can go through due to false feeding.

German Shepherds are tall and healthy but they are not fat. They need an active and slim body to do their job requiring running, jumping, and detecting. Overfeeding and lack of regular exercise can make your dog obese.

Your dog is getting overweight or obese if you can not feel its ribs while gently pressing the coat. This is an alarming situation and you need to consult the vet immediately.

Overweight is dangerous for a German Shepherds health. It can become a reason for diseases like arthritis, hip dysplasia, and elbow dysplasia . The excess weight lays pressure on the joints and can make your dog paralyzed.

To avoid obesity, you need to make some changes to the diet of your dog. Add some fresh fruits and vegetables in their diet. It will help in maintaining a healthy weight of your dog without letting it feel hunger.

You can provide your dog with dog toys and treats. This will keep the dog engaged and will not increase its weight and make it obese.

What German Shepherds Were Originally Bred For

It is all in their name. While some dog breeds might not give you any information about their origin or why they were originally bred, a German Shepherds identity is out in the open.

German Shepherds make it easy. As their name implies, they were originally bred in Germany for none other than shepherding . And while theyre not known for herding today, plenty of them still herd!

But of course, theres much more to these dogs than just herding on a farm. Unfortunately, many of the old German Shepherd herding lines were abandoned, as it became more profitable breeding for the new GSD show lines.

The true German herding lines were lost around the same time the split between the working and show lines became prominent.

Chip Blasiole

The German Shepherd of way back then may have been quite different from todays. In fact, many believe that these dogs were much smaller back then. Plus straight-backed dogs, for example, are much more sought after than before.

Though relatively new as a breed, they have a history filled with all manner of jobs and stories. Lets take a look.

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Health Benefits Of Neutering:

According to the Animal Cancer Foundation, around 6 millioncompanion dogs are diagnosed with cancer each year in the United States alone.

In addition, a study published by the Journal of Comparative Pathology in 2008 revealed that 27% of unneutered dogs develop at least one testicular tumor.

Based on the research by the National Canine Cancer Foundation, testicular tumors make up 90% of canine cancers related to the male reproductive system.

Apart from preventing testicular tumors and cancer, neutering your German Shepherd would also prevent prostate problems as he ages.

Neutering is also believed to reduce the risk of diabetes as well as perianal fistulas, a medical condition thats relatively common among German Shepherds.

What Jobs Can I Give My German Shepherd

Here are twenty-five jobs that you can do with your German Shepherd. Keep in mind that some of these may require training beforehand, so dont give up if it seems like its hard at first! Also, make sure to consult your dogs trainer or behaviorist if they seem stressed while doing any of these tasks.

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How Do German Shepherds Compare To Other Herding Dogs

When it comes to herding, few breeds can compare to the sheer intelligence and power of the athletic German Shepherd. Not only were German Shepherds excellent for herding sheep, but they could also protect the flocks from predators.

Their intimidating physicality and loud barks were often more than enough to scare off animals that might see sheep as snacks, such as wolves. In other words, they were very useful dogs that took up several roles on farms.

But even if the predators did not run away, a German Shepherd could just as often put up a fight.

Specifically as a dog for herding sheep, they were and are perhaps the best choice. But for herding larger animals, it might be better to go with a smaller dog, such as the Corgi. Yes, this might seem a bit counterintuitive, but we will explain.

Sometimes the animals being herded are not always the most cooperative. So, they might display a little aggression in the form of a kick here and there.

For smaller animals like a sheep, this wont pose much risk to a German Shepherd. But what about cattle? A kick from a cow could seriously injure even a German Shepherd.

So, for these animals it is better to have a Corgi or other shorter breed. Any kicks would just fly over their heads, leaving them unharmed. German Shepherds are much larger, thus, becoming a much bigger target for flying hooves.

German Shepherd Dogs Are Protective Of Their Loved Ones

They are known for being fearless and self-confident. GSDs will assertively stand their ground and are suited to be either watchdog or guardian, whichever the situation demands. They can be aloof with strangers yet are not hostile. This natural protective instinct is reassuring to the German Shepherd owner. But it also comes with a certain responsibility. You should be committed to spending time socializing and training your dog to ensure your companion feels comfortable around strangers and other dogs. If you do, you will benefit from all this dog has to offer.

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The History And Origin Of The German Shepherd Dog

Other names for the German Shepherd Dog

Alsatian

The German Shepherd Dog is a breed of large-sized dog that originated in Germany in 1899. As part of the Herding Group, German Shepherds are working dogs developed originally for herding and guarding sheep. Because of their strength, intelligence and abilities in obedience training they are often employed in police and military roles around the world.

German Shepherds Are Known As A Mouthy Breed

They tend to use their mouths as an appendage thanks to their herding heritage. Its even right there in their name, ShepHERD. This mouthing behavior is natural, so expect your GSD to mouth you and chew anything that will fit inside their mouth. However, that doesnt mean you should allow it. What might be cute in your small puppy will get more powerful as your dog grows up. Training your dog not to bite your hand or the chew on the furniture is essential with this breed. Teach your German Shepherd to channel those instincts safely and appropriately.

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