Mean German Shepherd Dogs? Don’t Believe The Hype!

by Jan Ryan

The personality of the German Shepherd (or Alsatian) is one of the biggest reasons why they are so popular - for the right reasons and the wrong reasons. Since they make great police and military dogs, some people rush to get a German Shepherd thinking it will make a vicious guard dog. The German Shepherd is so eager to please, that it can be easily taught to attack. But the German Shepherd is not a vicious dog by nature - they are just doing what they’ve been taught to do.

German Shepherd dogs do, indeed, live up to the fictional resume of Rin Tin Tin. They are noble, loyal, brave, friendly and eager to please. Yes, you read that right — they are incredibly friendly. However, because they are so eager to please their people that they will quickly learn to attack if that is what their people want. At one point a few decades ago, German Shepherds were as feared as Pit Bulls are today.

German Shepherds are indeed powerful dogs that can take quite a large chunk out of you - when they are given the command to. They will also attack if they think anyone in their family is being threatened. There are some German Shepherds that, in the presence of an intruder, will run and hide rather than attack, but they don’t get much press. They have to be trained to attack before they would ever attack another human being.

Since German Shepherd dogs are so large (they average about 75 pounds), they often do not know their own strength. Ever watch puppies playing? They wrestle quite fiercely and often bite softly. German Shepherd dogs will think you want to play like a puppy - very roughly. This can cause unintentional (but still painful) injury. It is important that your German Shepherd be trained and regularly exercised in order to prevent any accidental injuries.

The German Shepherd dog has been described as embodying all of the noble characteristics of human beings. They are problem solvers, want to get along with others and will sacrifice themselves when protecting their family.

A German Shepherd dog looks to you as a worshipper looks to God. Don’t abuse this trust and devotion. You don’t like it when God rains bad situations down on you through no fault of your own. This sadly happens to many German Shepherds who are abandoned because their owners did not take the time to learn basic German Shepherd information about their care, needs and personalities.

Hopefully, armed with this German Shepherd information about their basic personality, you will know if a German Shepherd dog is right for your home and lifestyle. There are variations in each dog’s individual personality, as there are with each dog’s physical traits.

This is not often talked about in German Shepherd information available from the AKC. The price of a German Shepherd’s companionship should never be measured in terms of money. The German Shepherd dog, if the situation was reversed, would spend every last penny to make sure you were out of pain.

About the Author:

Jan Ryan is an avid lover of the German Shepherd and owns a popular website that can show you how to have a happy, healthy and well behaved German Shepherd. Among other topics there, you will find out more about German Shepherd personality plus a whole lot more.

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