Without a doubt, the German Shepherd is one of the best-known dogs in the world. His excellent abilities mean that, in addition to being a good companion dog, he can participate in police and assistance work. In this article on our site we are going to focus on explaining the advantages of having a German Shepherd in our home, whether pure or mixed and regardless of age, because You have to get out of the topic of adopting only puppies and discover the advantages of adult and elderly specimens.
So, if you are thinking of adopting a dog with these characteristics and you want to discover if it is the ideal one for you, discover below the reasons to have a German shepherdand if he is your ideal partner. If you already live with one, then leave your comment with the reasons that led you to adopt it!
Basic Characteristics of the German Shepherd
To understand the advantages of having a German Shepherd as a companion, the first thing to do is to know the basic characteristics of this breed. Also, you have to know that no matter how good qualities a dog has, if these do not match our living conditions they will not really be advantages For example, the German shepherd he is very intelligent, but if we hardly have time to stimulate him, his intelligence will not be an advantage, but a problem, since frustration and boredom will end up affecting coexistence.
Going on to its characteristics, as its name indicates, this breed comes from Germany. In the beginning he dedicated himself to herding sheep, but soon diversified to perform military, police, security or assistance work, as well as company.
They are dogs with a life expectancy of between 12 and 13 years, weigh between 34 and 43 kg and measure height at the withers between 55 and 66 cm. Therefore, they are plus size. They have adapted perfectly to life in the city, although they do not have any problems if they have to live in the countryside. They are good watchdogs and excellent obedience students, as well as very active animals that display great energy.
Although the best known is the tan and sand colored German Shepherd, the truth is that there are many shades, including white, and with long or short hair. In any case, they all share a wolflike appearance with an elongated snout, an intelligent gaze and erect ears that transmit an expression of permanent alertness.
As a peculiarity, female German Shepherds are capable of giving birth to large litters. It is very important to keep the puppy with his family for a minimum of eight weeks and worry about providing him with socialization and education from the first moment to avoid handling problems that can become serious when dealing with a large animal.
Advantages of having a German Shepherd
After reviewing the main characteristics that can bring us closer to the possible advantages of adopting this dog, or disadvantages, let's see below the benefits of having a German Shepherd:
It's the perfect size
Leaving aside its beauty, since it is a matter of taste, among the advantages of having a German shepherd we highlight, first of all, its size, neither too big nor small This allows those who like big dogs to have one that is not impossible to handle or even house in an apartment.
The expenses, although high, as many are associated with the size of the dog, are not excessive. In addition, you have to know that a large dog like the German shepherd or its crossbreeds, especially when they are old, can be kept perfectly calm at home without needing large spaces.
He's a great student
Possibly the first advantage of owning a German Shepherd that comes to mind is their great ability to learn It's true, but you have to know that it is a double-edged sword. In other words, the interest in learning makes the dog need constant stimulation. Without it, he could become frustrated and the result would be behavior problems. It is important to insist that dogs have the ability to learn throughout their lives, so there is no problem adopting an adult or even elderly German Shepherd or one of its crosses.
Discover in this other article How to train a German shepherd.
He is one of the smartest dogs
Related to the previous point, the German shepherd is a highly intelligent working dog. In fact, according to the list compiled by psychologist Stanley Coren in the 1990s, the German Shepherd occupies an outstanding third place out of a total of 79. This list measures, from highest to lowest, the dog's ability to learn commands, in how many repetitions it achieves and how likely it is to obey them.
He is a very active dog
High activity will be considered one of the advantages of having a German Shepherd at home as long as our life is active. This canine breed is going to need, in addition to the mental stimulation that we discussed in the previous section, physical stimulation. Therefore, is an ideal breed to spend time playing together, for excursions in nature and sports activities in which we can also introduce obedience, such as agility.
If we are not very active, but would love to live with a German shepherd, we always have the option of adopting an elderly one. He will retain all of his qualities, but will need less physical activity
It's a dog to feel safe
The German shepherd has a reputation for good guardian and as such has served throughout its history, but we have to know that in order to For the dog to be able to carry out defense activities, it must be trained by professionals.
We highlight his role protectoras an advantage of having a German shepherd because the mere company of him gives us security. In addition, they are dogs that are characterized by loy alty to their family and, well raised and educated, by their balanced character. All these qualities, plus his alert attitude and size, give us a feeling of security in his company.
He is one of the most loyal dogs
Precisely because of his protective instinct, it is one of the most dog breeds faithful and loyal to his family. This loy alty can lead them to want to defend their group above all else and, above all, to create a strong bond with all its members.
Disadvantages of owning a German Shepherd
Rather than talking about "disadvantages" we have to refer to characteristics that do not fit with our lifestyle Precisely the same reasons for having a German shepherd exposed in the previous section may be a reason that leads us not to adopt it. For example, as we said, if we are not active people, perhaps adopting a puppy or young German Shepherd is not the best option, but an older one is.
The German Shepherd is an active dog that loves to play, which needs mental and physical stimulation to stay balanced and he althy, so It is essential that we are able to cover these needs. If we consider that we are not going to be able to do it, these traits so characteristic of the breed can become a "disadvantage" for us.
On the other hand, unfortunately, indiscriminate breeding has given rise to exemplars with he alth problems on a physical and mental level. The famous hip dysplasia, but also gastrointestinal disorders, eye disorders, exaggerated nervousness, shyness, phobias or aggressiveness are some of them. On the contrary, a good German shepherd will be a balanced and obedient dog.
Can I have a German shepherd in a flat?
Living in a flat or apartment is not a disadvantage for having a German shepherd, since this breed of dog adapts perfectly to any space and situation, as long as all its needs are met. So, if we can give him the mental and physical exercise he needs, we socialize him properly, we give him a good education based on positive reinforcement, we dedicate time and love to him, a German shepherd can live in a floor no problem.
