German Shepherd - Should I Get One?

by FIONA
(IRELAND)

hi my name is fiona i have a daughter aged 11 ever since she was 10 she wanted another dog this year i said yes because i think she is ready

so she looked up on pounds and kennels all over ireland and found a german shepherd mix called bonnie she is four years old fully house trained knows lots of tricks

shes the perfect dog and is well on the lead and great with other animals and i have a jack russTle i said great but their very big dogs and shed a lot so...

what do i do are they worth it i lovvvee dogs so much and i know ill be doing most of the work how many walks a day do they need my max is three long walks


SHOULD I GET HER
YES/NO

Total German Shepherd:

Hey Fiona,

While I can't tell you what to do, I can tell you that you are right, German Shepherds/mixes do shed a lot but if you brush the dog fairly frequently outside that will cut down on a lot of the hair indoors.

As far as exercise goes, yes, she will need to be walked ever so often outside so she can "do her business" and get some fresh air too but you'd be surprised just how much of a couch potato GSDs can be once they are comfortable inside their home.

And since Bonnie is getting on into her early middle age she is probably no where near as hyper as a 1 or 2 year old dog. In fact, she may be a lot calmer than your Jack Russell too. ; )

And yes, they do have big paws and bodies and tails but if you have any sense of humor at all you'll get used to it fairly fast. And won't mind it at all in the future. Plus they have big hearts to love you with!

Take your JRT to meet her a few times - if they get along well then you have accomplished a lot right there before you even bring her home. The fact that they get along is so important!

She will eat more food and require exercise but not loads - you can even play with her in the house. And if she already knows plenty of tricks practice those with her and maybe even teach her new ones. That's perfect for keeping her mind happy and healthy too.

Good luck with your decision either way - that's a toughie but you have to decide what is best for you, your family and the dogs too!