General publics perception of german shepherds

euser1984

I find interestingly that alot of people love my dog and I could count on one hand the amount of people that have had concern.

I find a lot of people know what the breed is actually like.

Is this hard man image associated with owning this breed a thing of the past? What do people think of a person that owns a german shepherd?

Thanks.

VonVix

I never had much opinion of German Shepherds until I worked with a few. My mother had two of them growing up and absolutely dotes on them, I never knew why exactly, but I did think they were lovely to look at.

Then when I met a few, worked with a few, enjoyed the company of a few?
I now want one. They are simply divine and have the loveliest nature. The loveliest ones I've met seem to have the best owners who really dedicate themselves to their dog. After my shelties I feel like they would be another breed I think I would be compatible with.

I met one person who told me "I wouldn't trust a German Shepherd" but he also told me he was the kind of guy who grew up in a farm environment where their dogs never came in the house.

DBB

I own two GSDs. That must make me a VERY hard man indeed

euser1984

DBB wrote: »

I own two GSDs. That must make me a VERY hard man indeed

Send me a PM, I'm looking to get a job done. You seem like the kind of guy I'm looking for.

pawrick

I've been considering getting a german shepherd for well over a year now (just waiting on the right time before committing to any particular dog). It was only yesterday when someone said they would never have one near children to me and I still find that view point common when asking people for opinions on what dog breed I should get. I do think the hard man image is gone however but more because the types who go in for that have moved on to other breeds over the years and generally anyone you see walking a gsd now looks after their dog well or at least any I have seen around that appears to be the case.

DBB

euser1984 wrote: »

Send me a PM, I'm looking to get a job done. You seem like the kind of guy I'm looking for.

I doubt it. I think you'd be terribly disappointed by the reality

I find people either cross the road, or come over for a chat. The former are probably becoming less common.
Having said that, there are a few "hard men" around here that breed them for show. They love intimidating people with their frog-dogs.... You can see these fellas coming a mile off with their swagger. Eejits

As for GSDs with kids, there are some lines of GSDs that you just have to be careful with. But a good GSD is a very special animal in many different ways. My two here are brilliant with kids, as completely reliable as a dog can be

braddun

I walked past a police dog once that was in the owners house it kept trying to jump through the glass to bite my head,


it was not too bright but it was trained as an attack dog,

DBB

braddun wrote: »

I walked past a police dog once that was in the owners house it kept trying to jump through the glass to bite my head,


it was not too bright but it was trained as an attack dog,

How do you know it was trying to bite your head?!

boomerang

Best Dogs In The World, Ever.

As someone already said, once you spend time with them and "get" them, that's it, you're smitten.

Love collies too, but man, I always say, if you find a good German Shepherd, that's your heart dog. They'll never be surpassed.

boomerang

This:

DBB wrote: »

a good GSD is a very special animal in many different ways.

fits

I haven't been comfortable around any I have met. and i am a long time big dog owner. Don't shoot me!

The other fella

Love them.Beautiful dogs and the best non human companion you could have

DoctorEdgeWild

I have two. They are absolutely fantastic. That's all I really have to say on the matter. Couldn't care less how people 'perceive' them or any image they associate with them. They're my dogs and I love spending time with them.

DBB

boomerang wrote: »

Love collies too, but man, I always say, if you find a good German Shepherd, that's your heart dog. They'll never be surpassed.

You've met one of my GSDs boomerang... I will never have another dog like her. She is simply exceptional, hilarious (every day she does something that makes me LOL), and gentleness in a big, hairy pack. Beautiful to look at too. When I look at her my heart melts
I'm so damn lucky to have found her.... A rescue dog I might add

peasant

I've got nothing against them, but they're not for me.

I like my dogs to have a bit of an independent streak, while at the same time being relaxed and a bit lazy and dumb ...neither of those are typical GSD qualities.

I'm also a somewhat imprecise leader of dogs; work with custom and loose ground rules rather than strict commands ...again an environment not best suited to GSDs

DBB

peasant wrote: »

I've got nothing against them, but they're not for me.

I like my dogs to have a bit of an independent streak, while at the same time being relaxed and a bit lazy and dumb ...neither of those are typical GSD qualities.

I'm also a somewhat imprecise leader of dogs; work with custom and loose ground rules rather than strict commands ...again an environment not best suited to GSDs

Ah, I dunno... I think you're thinking of some GSDs that you might have met or seen on d'telly. Whilst nowhere near dumb, both of mine are very relaxed and chilled-out dogs.. one of them is almost comatose she's that laid-back. Very easy company indeed. I've had another before now, and again, she was one of the most laid-back dogs I've ever met.
And I'm far from being a disciplinarian, I'm really quite take-it-as-it-comes with them. I think they like this approach! They're both working dogs too, and pretty highly trained, but all done with my rather informal and fun approach to it all. They both amaze me and make me laugh in the process

ShaShaBear

I adore them, and recently met a female long-haired one in the pet shop when getting Opie's food. Lady with her called her out of my way but I asked could I give her a scratch. I ended up sitting on the floor roughing her head and chatting to her like I do to my baby daughter :P
Lady said she assumed I'd feel intimidated by such a large, imposing breed. I told her the only reason I hadn't adopted one is because we'd never fit all three of us in the bed :pac:
Very good friends of mine have a rescued male and he is to die for!

Believe it or not, the only breeds I am in any way uncomfortable with are the really small ones barring a few. Most terriers, any toy yappies and Poms would make me wary. But that's more to do with their owners and me knowing their lack of patience when peed off

borderlinemeath

DBB wrote: »

I doubt it. I think you'd be terribly disappointed by the reality

I find people either cross the road, or come over for a chat. The former are probably becoming less common.
Having said that, there are a few "hard men" around here that breed them for show. They love intimidating people with their frog-dogs.... You can see these fellas coming a mile off with their swagger. Eejits

As for GSDs with kids, there are some lines of GSDs that you just have to be careful with. But a good GSD is a very special animal in many different ways. My two here are brilliant with kids, as completely reliable as a dog can be

I was in the vets one day when I'm fairly certain the same "hard man" came in with one of his dogs. I was with an absolute dote of a foster akita who was rolling on the floor enjoying a belly rub when he came in jerking the chain of the poor GSD. He did nothing but give out and pull the poor dogs chain while he waited to see the vet, not that the dog even did anything, he just wanted to be vocal with him it seemed. I felt so sorry for the poor dog

Most GSDs I've met have been complete pets, and my OH is very taken with them. There was a litter of GSDs born here 18 months ago and one of the pups was kept by the family so I still see him (and his Mammy!)from time to time. They're definitely a breed I would consider owning in the future.

DBB

borderlinemeath wrote: »

I was in the vets one day when I'm fairly certain the same "hard man" came in with one of his dogs. I was with an absolute dote of a foster akita who was rolling on the floor enjoying a belly rub when he came in jerking the chain of the poor GSD. He did nothing but give out and pull the poor dogs chain while he waited to see the vet, not that the dog even did anything, he just wanted to be vocal with him it seemed. I felt so sorry for the poor dog

Yep, sounds just like him, the great gobsh1te.
He would live within walking distance of that vets.
I can't believe it's 18 months since that litter were born :eek: Jeez!

roadsmart

On an aside, why do some German Shepard owners take umbrage at their dog being called an Alsatian?

DBB

roadsmart wrote: »

On an aside, why do some German Shepard owners take umbrage at their dog being called an Alsatian?

Lol. Their correct name in the purist sense is German Shepherd.
Alsatian was an affectation insisted upon by our British neighbours during the 1st world war, not wanting their dogs to be referred to anything connected with the Hun
I have had poeple insist that my long-coated one is a German Shepherd, whilst my short-coated one is an Alsatian

mountsky

Moved house a number of years ago&a German Shepard was first choice,a wonderful temperament and great around people generally speaking

Genghis Cant

My general perception of the breed is nervy, narrow, hump backed yokes hardly fit for purpose.

roadsmart

DBB wrote: »

Lol. Their correct name in the purist sense is German Shepherd.
Alsatian was an affectation insisted upon by our British neighbours during the 1st world war, not wanting their dogs to be referred to anything connected with the Hun
I have had poeple insist that my long-coated one is a German Shepherd, whilst my short-coated one is an Alsatian

Yup, tried to explain that to a work colleague recently and he actually got quite annoyed.

SillyMangoX

German shepherds have always been the breed I wanted growing up, even as a small kid. When we were getting our first dog my mam went to the pound while I was at school because she knew if I was there I would have somehow found one and not left without it and she only wanted a small dog
I've met a few around the place and while on my placements and I have to say it makes me want them all the more. They just seem like such loving gentle bears in saying that though I have met some show type frog dogs and generally found them to be a bit more nervy and skittish than their straight backed counterparts, would that be the norm or was it just coincidence that all the nervy ones were show type?

Heckler

Never owned a dog but think GS are a beautiful breed. I don't think i'd ever trust a large dog fully though. Small breeds either but the potential for major harm is so much bigger with a big dog.

Probably irrational but i've seen (very well trained) king charles bite at their long time owners. Always down to possession of food or an object not just random but still. An animal is wild by nature and should always be treated as such.

People who leave babies and young children alone with even the smallest dogs or even cats are irresponsible IMO.

Sure I'm gonna get the babies rolling around on the floor with the Great Dane etc stories and its all fine. If that works for you no worries.

Millem

I don't have any experience with gsd but my neighbours have a white one (who is stunning). They have two young children and they never get any hassle about her but they told me they think it's because the majority of people think she is a big retriever.
I do think that some people don't like gsds and refer to them as Alsatians, I think they have an irrational fear with them (the same goes for other restricted breeds). The same people don't realise that gsd x lab/retriever are used an awful lot as guide dogs etc.

I am a big dog person and am always a bit wary of certain smaller dogs. I have met so many so small dogs that go crazy at you for no reason! No one ever really says anything to them and a lot of the owners just pick the dog up and pet it !

borderlinemeath

Heckler wrote: »

Never owned a dog but think GS are a beautiful breed. I don't think i'd ever trust a large dog fully though. Small breeds either but the potential for major harm is so much bigger with a big dog.

Probably irrational but i've seen (very well trained) king charles bite at their long time owners. Always down to possession of food or an object not just random but still. An animal is wild by nature and should always be treated as such.

People who leave babies and young children alone with even the smallest dogs or even cats are irresponsible IMO.

Sure I'm gonna get the babies rolling around on the floor with the Great Dane etc stories and its all fine. If that works for you no worries.

I'm a bit confused by your post, dogs have been domesticated over thousands of years, so how do you suggest treating them like a wild animal? Dogs aren't wolves, they evolved from them, but are not the same thing. If you treat a dog like a wolf, to fend for itself and to hunt for it's own food it will most likely die as it will have lost pretty much all it's hunting skills, and unless it has been abused by humans or it's owner then a dog will probably look for the nearest human to scavenge for food, which is certainly not the trait of a wild animal.

A dogs personality is part nature and part nurture, and the nurture part is where you train, encourage, socialise, befriend and teach your dog, and you will have the companion you want it to be. The King Charles you describe was showing obvious resource guarding so while they may have been trained in certain aspects of behaviour, others were ignored (the guarding) and left to fester, so your observation of "very well trained" is incorrect. Guarding is easily sorted with the correct methods, once the owner is prepared to be consistent and take advice from a properly qualified trainer or behaviourist rather than a tv quack or usually from somebody "who had dogs for 30 years" and deem themselves an expert. All to often if the dog is punished for guarding (such as removal of food/object) then it tends to exacerbate the problem.

PauloMN

euser1984 wrote: »

I find interestingly that alot of people love my dog and I could count on one hand the amount of people that have had concern.

I find a lot of people know what the breed is actually like.

Is this hard man image associated with owning this breed a thing of the past? What do people think of a person that owns a german shepherd?

Thanks.

My own opinion would be that the hard-man image owning one is really a thing of the past. They used to be the dog of choice for the local hard men, but I think most people who own one these days would be very much dog enthusiasts - that's the way I'd see it anyway.

As for the dogs themselves, my perception would not have changed - they do very much have a guard dog image about them. Lots of yards use them as guard dogs, so clearly they are meant to be more of a deterrent to intruders than a labrador or whatever! I know lots of people have them as family pets, but like I said above I'd personally think that they'd only be suitable for real dog enthusiasts rather than as a dog for general family ownership. What I mean is that I think you'd need to commit more time to one than other breeds to ensure it was well trained and exercised etc..

Mark Tapley

My neighbours have a German Shepard rescue. One of the nicest dogs I've ever met .
When I was a kid my sister came home and said she had a new friend called Alan Station , it took us a while to figure it out.

ElKavo

I Love GSD's but I do think its a shame the way that they have developed as a breed.... Not that I'm an expert on the breed but it is rare enough that you will actually see a GSD with a straight back. All for the aesthetic of a black back? I am an RB owner (Rottie and Rottie X) and If you think peoples perception of a GSD is bad you should try walk my two around a busy street... Not that they would do anything other than lick you to death!!


Although yesterday while out in the park with the family and dogs, another family with kids came over to tell us how beautiful our dogs were. Needless to say their kids got a load of slobbers and doggies got rubbed to death. I may have converted another family over to the dark side LOL.

jopax

Heckler wrote: »

Never owned a dog but think GS are a beautiful breed. I don't think i'd ever trust a large dog fully though. Small breeds either but the potential for major harm is so much bigger with a big dog.

Probably irrational but i've seen (very well trained) king charles bite at their long time owners. Always down to possession of food or an object not just random but still. An animal is wild by nature and should always be treated as such.

People who leave babies and young children alone with even the smallest dogs or even cats are irresponsible IMO.

Sure I'm gonna get the babies rolling around on the floor with the Great Dane etc stories and its all fine. If that works for you no worries.

I just wanted to say I have a gsd and two young children.
My gsd is very gentle with the kids and i would trust her as much as any dog could be trusted.
I agree totally with you regarding children and dogs. I would never leave my youngest who is two alone with our gsd, even if its only for a second.
If a dog growls at a child that young the child can't understand that its a warning like an adult would. So if anything happened its not the child's fault as they are too young to understand and it's not the dogs fault either as she is only an animal.
Therefore its my responsibility as a parent and dog owner to be aware of the dangers and take precautions that it doesnt happen.

Zapperzy

Would I be right in saying the hard men types have moved on to other breeds, and these breeds are now the 'bad' breeds of today (rotties, bull breeds and akitas). The gsd has had a few years to recover it's reputation and people have forgotten it was once one of those ''naturally aggressive'' dogs that eat children for breakfast. I'm even starting to see people soften a bit towards rotties and staffies, whereas akitas which are relatively new in this country are very much the kiddy eaters of new, I'v even heard a lot of vets and nurses refer to them as having an unpredictable nasty streak. Do these things come in cycles?

The grandparents have a huge male gsd from working lines (security and sniffer dogs), he's easily 40kg plus. Absolute sweetheart of a dog but not for the inexperienced owner. If he doesn't get enough exercise or stimulation he will chase his tail and chew it out of frustration.

Timberrrrrrrr

Have an 8 month old GSD that i got out of a well known dog rescue. She is SUPER protective of my 3 year old lad and to watch the 2 of them running around the fields is great to watch, The dog lies on the floor while my young lad uses the dog as a pillow. He jumps on her climbs on her and grabs her by the ear to "walk her" and she doesn't bat an eyelid. When i got the dog the mother in law got on the phone and gave out to me asking why the hell would i get an "attack dog" with a young lad in the house. This same woman was sat n the sofa last month with the dog stretched out next to her and head on her lap. GSD get bad press because a lot of peoples perception of them is as police dogs and therefore attack dogs.

Vel

Timberrrrrrrr wrote: »

, The dog lies on the floor while my young lad uses the dog as a pillow. He jumps on her climbs on her and grabs her by the ear to "walk her" and she doesn't bat an eyelid.

Why on earth would you allow your child to do that to the dog? You are putting the dog in an awful position and if something were to happen, the dog would be getting the blame even though you are at fault for allowing your child to maul your dog. I just can't believe you would allow that. It is completely unfair on your dog.

I have two dogs and three children and it has been drummed into the kids as early as possible that they were never to harass the dogs. They are as bomb proof as can be around our dogs but I would always be vigilant and never put my kids or the dogs in a situation where something could happen.

If the rescue you got him from was in any way reputable I would imagine they would be very unhappy to hear this

Narsil

We have an almost 5 year old white GSD called Ghost and he's just a big, super friendly, goofy boy! He lives with 3 cats and just loves everything in life. We brought him everywhere as a puppy though so he was exposed to everyone and everything, all other dogs, horses, cats, children etc. GSD's are so intelligent and pick up things very fast. This is one of the many things I love about the breed!

Timberrrrrrrr

Vel wrote: »

Why on earth would you allow your child to do that to the dog? You are putting the dog in an awful position and if something were to happen, the dog would be getting the blame even though you are at fault for allowing your child to maul your dog. I just can't believe you would allow that. It is completely unfair on your dog.

I have two dogs and three children and it has been drummed into the kids as early as possible that they were never to harass the dogs. They are as bomb proof as can be around our dogs but I would always be vigilant and never put my kids or the dogs in a situation where something could happen.

If the rescue you got him from was in any way reputable I would imagine they would be very unhappy to hear this

The same dog pins my young lad to the ground by sitting on him, Trust me i have been around dogs all my life and i would in no way let my young lad be rough with the dog. When i say "jumps on" i don't mean jumps on literally same when i say "grabs her ear" he is not GRABBING her ear and pulling her around the room.

Karen91

Timberrrrrrrr wrote: »

The dog lies on the floor while my young lad uses the dog as a pillow. He jumps on her climbs on her and grabs her by the ear to "walk her" and she doesn't bat an eyelid


You are seriously playing with fire letting your child do that to the dog, a dog is not a toy they are living things with feelings, and it is so unfair to put your dog in that situation. She may tolerate it now but maybe one day she will have enough and snap, and its the poor the dog that will get the blame and end up being destroyed.

Larger breeds are obviously more tolerant than small breeds such as the toy group, if this was done to my Pomeranian she would snap for sure.

Its cruel what your doing to your dog, your letting your child treat her like a toy. I am sure the rescue you got her from would be very unhappy if they knew.

Oink

I would trust GSDs more than some other breeds. That's purely subjective. I would trust most dogs whose owner is not a muppet.

Also, I just plain like them. They're nice dogs. However I also have a healthy respect for anything that could kill me if it had a reason. That's a good thing.

If I was getting a dog, I would happily get a GSD.

Timberrrrrrrr

Sigh

This is why i stay away from the pet forums, the more militant posters tend to jump on the slightest thing and run with it and it drives people away simply because it's so easy to get lambasted by people who know nothing about you or your pet but by god they know it all because of the books they have read :rolleyes:

Does this look like an unhappy dog?

roadsmart

Ahhhh, look at the little pup on the trampoline.












And the Alsatian beside it.:D

Karen91

People will jump when you write things that make it sound like your letting the child treat the dog like a toy, I had to buy a Rough Collie from distant relatives a few months ago, they let the children swing and drag off her untiil she had enough and she snapped bruising one of the children, the immediate reaction from them was the dog was wrong and it should be put down. I managed to talk them into selling the dog to me and my parents have given her a good home.

I apologise if I offended you but I was going by what you posted Timberrrrrrrr and it sounded like the exact situation I have just mentioned with the collie I bought from the relatives.

Timberrrrrrrr

Karen91 wrote: »

People will jump when you write things that make it sound like your letting the child treat the dog like a toy, I had to buy a Rough Collie from distant relatives a few months ago, they let the children swing and drag off her untiil she had enough and she snapped bruising one of the children, the immediate reaction from them was the dog was wrong and it should be put down. I managed to talk them into selling the dog to me and my parents have given her a good home.

I apologise if I offended you but I was going by what you posted Timberrrrrrrr and it sounded like the exact situation I have just mentioned with the collie I bought from the relatives.

Understand fully where you are coming from, I took a labrador off a guy in a prk before because i saw him kicking it, I had that dog for years and believe me i am the last person who would allow an animal get mistreated in any way.

DforDisaster

Any of the German Shepherds I've been met have been really lovely. One elderly one in particular, she was definitely the biggest GSD I've ever met, and a pure dote. I love the expressiveness of their faces!

Barring the ones that you see that clearly haven't been given the training and time they need, but then again I would feel that way about a dog of any size, I would never have thought of them as particularly scary...

Vel

Timberrrrrrrr wrote: »

Sigh

This is why i stay away from the pet forums, the more militant posters tend to jump on the slightest thing and run with it and it drives people away simply because it's so easy to get lambasted by people who know nothing about you or your pet but by god they know it all because of the books they have read :rolleyes:

Well I don't consider it slight to let a child maul a dog who could potentially kill it if things got out of hand and then the dog put down, so if that's militant, then I can live with that!

I reacted to what you posted but I was somehow supposed to know that what you wrote wasn't actaully what you meant?

Great if its all working out for you now. What about when your pup gets older and your kid gets stronger? I personally wouldn't let my kids, one of whom looks about your kid's age lie on my dogs like that, nor would I allow them to pull ears, however gently. Kids like dogs are unpredictable. For example, what happens if your dog gets a sore ear one day and the kid decides that day to pull it?

Sorry but I am unable to see how your dog feels from photographs. The only way I would be able to tell how comfortable/uncomfortable they are would be to see how they react in person.

I think anyone allowing their child to hang out of their dogs is playing with fire personally, and I would much rather be safe than sorry. Kids don't need to be allowed to do the kind of things you described in your first post. They aren't missing out by being stopped from doing these things. And I'm not saying kids shouldn't interact with the dogs they live with but letting them do what you described is asking for trouble.

Timberrrrrrrr

Vel wrote: »

Well I don't consider it slight to let a child maul a dog who could potentially kill it if things got out of hand and then the dog put down, so if that's militant, then I can live with that!

Sigh


As i said.......Militant posts


Show me where i said the child "MAULS" the dog.

I reacted to what you posted but I was somehow supposed to know that what you wrote wasn't actaully what you meant?

React? Sure.......Over react? No.

Great if its all working out for you now. What about when your pup gets older and your kid gets stronger? I personally wouldn't let my kids, one of whom looks about your kid's age lie on my dogs like that, nor would I allow them to pull ears, however gently. Kids like dogs are unpredictable. For example, what happens if your dog gets a sore ear one day and the kid decides that day to pull it?

As i said, You know nothing of me, my kid or my dog and the training she has had or will get. I have had dogs all my life (over 40 years) so i think i will go with my own experience rather than yours.

Sorry but I am unable to see how your dog feels from photographs. The only way I would be able to tell how comfortable/uncomfortable they are would be to see how they react in person.

Well we will just have to agree to disagree i suppose.

I think anyone allowing their child to hang out of their dogs is playing with fire personally, and I would much rather be safe than sorry. Kids don't need to be allowed to do the kind of things you described in your first post. They aren't missing out by being stopped from doing these things. And I'm not saying kids shouldn't interact with the dogs they live with but letting them do what you described is asking for trouble.

Again as i said you have taken what i said LITERALLY and ran with it, If i thought for one second that the dog was not happy then i would stop them from playing, From being around dogs all my life i can safely say i know when a dog is having fun and mine has plenty of it with the games she plays with my son.

jopax

Timberrrrrrrr wrote: »

Sigh

This is why i stay away from the pet forums, the more militant posters tend to jump on the slightest thing and run with it and it drives people away simply because it's so easy to get lambasted by people who know nothing about you or your pet but by god they know it all because of the books they have read :rolleyes:



Does this look like an unhappy dog?

I just wanted to say I think your dog looks very content and happy there.
I wouldn't see anything wrong there at all, the only point I would make is that I wouldn't leave them unsupervised just in case anything happened.
Im not trying to imply that you do leave them alone either.
Its lovely to see the two of them together and they obviously have a strong bond.
I think your dog is very lucky to have a home with yee.

Karen91

Timberrrrrrrr wrote: »

Understand fully where you are coming from, I took a labrador off a guy in a prk before because i saw him kicking it, I had that dog for years and believe me i am the last person who would allow an animal get mistreated in any way.

She is a beautifull dog

I don't know why people have such a bad attitude towards German Shepards. My OH really wants one and has been looking into it for a long time and when he mentioned it to the family his sister had a tantrum and gave us a big lecture about her not visiting if we got one because she would fear for the safety of her baby.

VonVix

DBB wrote: »

As for GSDs with kids, there are some lines of GSDs that you just have to be careful with. But a good GSD is a very special animal in many different ways.

This struck me, can you elaborate a little by what you have to be careful with? Health wise or mentally wise?

paulmclaughlin

VonVix wrote: »

This struck me, can you elaborate a little by what you have to be careful with? Health wise or mentally wise?

German Shepherds tend to suffer from hip and elbow dysplasia.

Breeders of straight-backed German Shepherds have the hips and elbows scored of the sire and dame, giving a view of how healthy their hips and elbows are and through that, how healthy their offspring's will likely be.

Breeders of show-line German Shepherds aim for a sloping back to give a visually enhanced trot (apparently) but this has the side-effect of increasing the chances of dysplasia. It is very frowned upon among German Shepherd enthusiasts, earning them the nickname as 'frogdogs'.

Rips

'Rescued' is my favourite breed, but German Shepherds rank top among those!

I think pedigree breeding is ruining them unfortunately, and not just health wise, most of the GSD's I've known personally have been strays or rescues, including my own, who I would consider to have a very 'classic' temperament, in as much as you can stereotype a breed's nature. While I'm sure they are as near as you would get to 'purebred' if not, they were still mongrels, in the respect that they were backyard bred, not inbred or overbred.

For the sake of argument, my dog had a very bad background and he was nervous when he first came in, but within 2/3hrs he copped on to the situation and never looked back.

The GSDs I meet though work, that are papered, bred commercially or bred from showing lines especially, a huge number are inherently nervous cringy dogs. Many of these have been in loving knowledgeable homes from pups, so its not the fault of nurture or environment. They are still inherently more forgiving and trainable then nervous dogs of other natures, and I still have an affinity for them but its an awful shame.

Some of them I would even describe as slightly neurotic, always pacing, can't sit still, tongue lolling all the time, certainly not relaxed, and not tuned in at all. Very 'high energy', which is not IMO typical.
The more 'typical' in aesthetic appearance towards the show standard (slighter, narrower, taller, more rounded backs, longer eared and long narrow faces) the more neurotic they are.

I have to say I've never met a white one with the solid shepherd temperament I've become accustomed too either, although I haven't met any neurotic ones, either. The white ones I've met have all still been a little bit nervy, just not as confidant and relaxed as your typical shepherd.

If I was to go about getting another say (I wouldn't be buying a puppy in any case) it would be a 'shepherd' of illegitimate breeding!