Ok, this is another topic that came out of the other thread.

It seems that people have a lot of different ideas about what the ideal home situation is for a german shepherd. Obviously we all understand that there are many different types of gsds who have different energy levels, etc. but I thought we could start a conversation based on what all of us do with our own dogs.

Here are some specific questions. Please provide justification for your answers.
Feel free to add addition questions and responses. Since there are a lot of questions, feel free to skip some too!

How much and what type(so) of exercise do you do with you dog each day?

How much and what kinds of training do you do with your dog?

How much time total do you spend with your gsd per day?

Where is your gsd kept while you are at work or away from the house? Is s/he crated or contained?
If loose, is s/he with other animals?
How long are you typically away from home?

How much do you spend on food, toys, training and vet care per year on your gsd?
Food:
Toys:
Training:
Vet Care:

Do you do any sports or formal activities with your gsd? If yes, please explain.

Do you think gsds need to do some sort of organized activity in order to be happy? Why or why not?

Is your gsd an only dog or does s/he live with other dogs?
If yes, how many and how much/how do they interact?
Do you think s/he would be or is happier with other dogs in her/his pack?
Does your gsd live (and get along with) cats?

Do you have a close relationship with your gsd? Why or why not?

Do you think you are providing your dog with what s/he needs in order to live a fulfilling life?

Each dog is different, so..

Stark
- two 40min - 1hr walks per day (usually one with Zefra, one without)
- 1hr of ball play/sniffing at the park
- 30mins of actual training (usually obedience of some sort, although we do drills throughout the day)

Zefra
- two 40min - 1hr walks per day (usually one with Stark, one without)
- 30mins of ball play
- a track or two
- several 10-15min training sessions (obedience/agility/etc.)
- a socialization/distraction walk/time usually lasts about 20 minutes give or take

These things I do on a "off day" when not actually going out and training. We do hikes and play dates with friends dogs as well VERY often during the week.



Both dogs are involved in schutzhund. We train 1-2 days per week depending on my work schedule. We train with a club and with a private trainer. The club is an all day event even if the dogs are only out for a short while, and when working with someone privately, the dogs get a good 30-1hr session broken up over a couple of hours.

Zefra will be starting agility and fly ball soon as well and Stark will be doing herding again in the spring which are usually 1hr sessions once per week.



Well, I usually work 8-9hours per day.. but my sister is home with the dogs most of that time, so... me personally, 15-16hrs per day.



Stark is loose in the house usually (unless Zefra is in heat, then he is locked away in his crate in a bedroom) and Zefra is always in her crate when we are not home.. lol.



Both are crate trained, but Zefra is usually the only one crated.



Yes, we have cats as well. Everyone lives together here.



I am usually gone 8-9hours per day/5 days per week, but my sister lives with me and is home when I am not usually.

How much do you spend on food, toys, training and vet care per year on your gsd?
Food: $500.00 for 2 dogs (raw fed, I buy in bulk - not including suppliments and extras).
Toys: Don't want to think about it... well over my food budget.. LMAO
Training: Don't want to think about it... well over what I pay in rent per year... lol... seriously.
Vet Care: Probably average about $400 per dog for annual stuff/checkup, more if we are doing x-rays, etc.



Yes, both of my dogs are training in schutzhund and will soon be trialing. Zefra is enrolled in agility and soon flyball, she will hopefully compete in both as well. Stark is involved in herding and it is with high hopes that he will do some competitions in the future as well.



No, not so much organized activity, but they do need to be active both physically and mentally alike.



I have 2 dogs, both GSD's; one male and one female.



They are together pretty much all day. Zefra is crated when we are gone, but Stark has free roam of the house and will sleep in the same room as Zefra (when she is not in heat obviously).



I think Stark is happier to have a friend, he is much more a "momma's dog" than a "other dog-dog" but he and Zefra are totally bonded and enjoy eachother's company very much.



Yes, they do.

Stark is fine with the cats, plays with them and sleeps with them. Totally neutral the rest of the time.

Zefra is learning not to chase them at this point but if she does catch up to one, is pretty gentle with them and will only bat at them with her paws, like she wants to play. Just puppy stuff.



I feel like I do, I think Stark is becoming a bit more independent now that Zefra is here and taking up some of my time, but he is happy. I think the less pressure he is feeling now that schH is just a "fun thing" for him and not so serious really helps our bond. I feel like it was strained before because of some things we went through with his reactivity and then the whole "not wanting to work" thing, but we are now understanding one another better and I think our bond is as strong as it has ever been.

With Zefra, we share a special bond. She is crazy and so high energy that not a lot of people can take her.. lol.. I love the little devil. We have so much fun together and she really has taught me to lighten up and have fun!



I do, and I am proud to say that.

I have made sure that I can do the things I want to do and what I think is the best choice to make for my dogs. From nutrition, to vet care to toys and training, I put in a lot of thought when considering things for them. I feel like there are things I still want to do for them (buy a house with a bunch of property) but I think they live a pretty darn good life! They give me so much that I can only try to give them back as much.

How much and what type(so) of exercise do you do with you dog each day?
About 2 hours walking every day plus fetch.

How much and what kinds of training do you do with your dog?
Obedience probably 1/2 hour throughout the day

How much time total do you spend with your gsd per day?
I am home 24/7 so all day and night


Where is your gsd kept while you are at work or away from the house? Is s/he crated or contained?
If I am out (groceries etc), she is inside loose.
If loose, is s/he with other animals?
Yes my two cats
How long are you typically away from home?
Probably maximum of half an hour every second day .

How much do you spend on food, toys, training and vet care per year on your gsd?
Food: Fed RAW and it is expensive here so I would guesstimate $1700.00
Toys: $200-$300 aprox
Training: Currently not in classes but in the last year including a behaviourist around $500.00
Vet Care: Last year was over $5000.00 and then I stopped adding

Do you do any sports or formal activities with your gsd? If yes, please explain.
We were doing agility but have stopped for now (due to her reactivity)and have done numerous OB classes.

Do you think gsds need to do some sort of organized activity in order to be happy? Why or why not?
I'm unsure of this, I think Molly is a pretty happy girl even though we currently are not involved with any organised activity.

Is your gsd an only dog or does s/he live with other dogs? Only dog.
If yes, how many and how much/how do they interact?
Do you think s/he would be or is happier with other dogs in her/his pack? I don't know that she would be 'happier' with another but she does love her playdates with her friends.
Does your gsd live (and get along with) cats? Yes two and one she does chase at times.

Do you have a close relationship with your gsd? Why or why not? Not sure how to answer this, she is my world and if following me around like a limpit stuck to my leg indicates I am her world , then yes!

Do you think you are providing your dog with what s/he needs in order to live a fulfilling life? I 'think' so yes, she gets exercise, love, shelter, friends to play with, swimming at the beach etc.

How much and what type(so) of exercise do you do with you dog each day?
6 mile run with Niko in the AM, 1 hour of ball play at noon, 45 minute walk or run in the PM


How much and what kinds of training do you do with your dog?
Niko has about one session per month with a private trainer to work on his reactivity issues. One day per week he attends a class with Rosa where we do nose work, agility, or soccer. I take him to town one day a week for exposure to town life.


How much time total do you spend with your gsd per day?
Most days I am home with the dogs all day and all night long.

Where is your gsd kept while you are at work or away from the house? Is s/he crated or contained?
Crate


How long are you typically away from home?
At most four to five hours.

How much do you spend on food, toys, training and vet care per year on your gsd?
Food: 2010 - $544, 2011 YTD - $818
Toys: 2010 - $665, 2011 YTD - $78
Training: 2010 - $525, 2011 YTD - $750
Vet Care: 2010 - $2300, 2011 YTD - $400

Do you do any sports or formal activities with your gsd? If yes, please explain.
We do nose work, agilty and soccer, but it's just for fun, we are not working toward any titles.

Do you think gsds need to do some sort of organized activity in order to be happy? Why or why not?
No but I think it does enrich their lives and I think it's always good to keep learning and doing new things, no matter what your species.

Is your gsd an only dog or does s/he live with other dogs?
If yes, how many and how much/how do they interact?
Niko lives with one other dog. Niko is free to be with Rosa when we are in the house together, and he plays with her at lunchtime, but his morning and evening workouts are done alone with one of us. On the weekends they hang out together and follow us around outside when we do our chores.

Do you think s/he would be or is happier with other dogs in her/his pack?
Niko would not be pleased if we added another dog to our pack. But he loves Rosa and they are very happy to have each other. I know he would miss her terribly if she were not with us, and I think he also gains some confidence with her presence.

Does your gsd live (and get along with) cats?
Yes, he lives with two cats and it has been a very long time teaching him to leave them alone, but now he is pretty good about not bothering them.

Do you have a close relationship with your gsd? Why or why not?
I am very close to him. Why? Because it has been necessary for me to know him inside and out and to have a very good bond with him in order to deal with his behavioral/reactivity issues.

Do you think you are providing your dog with what s/he needs in order to live a fulfilling life?
Probably not but I am doing the very best that I can.



Very thought-provoking questions. Thank you for posting this.

Way too many questions!!!!!

Kayos and Havoc take turns walking 2 miles every day and we add several fetch sessions in the yard. I try to spend a few minutes on some kind of training daily with Havoc. Kayos no longer is actively trainingexcept an occassional track and I did enter her in a tracking test week after Thanksgiving just to go play. May not make the draw as she already has her titles.

Ijust started HAvoc in SchH but also do AKC/UKC obedience, agility and tracking.

We are away from home about 10 hours 4 days a week. The dogs are outdoors in adog run but have access to the garage, they have beds in the garage. How I house my dogs when at work really depends on where we live. As we move a lot for our jobs each place is different. We had a pet sitter in Oregon that walked them at lunch everyday and they were in the house while we were gone. No pet sitter here so we do what we have to do.

I don't really keep track of expenses, it would probably terrify me. They will get what they need adn I don't worry about the cost.

Do they get what they need? I don't know, they are not telling me. They are happy, love to play, walk and train. They are devoted to us and to each other. I think we have a wonderful home.

I can't begin to answer all your questions but will come back and try after my coffee

How much and what type(so) of exercise do you do with you dog each day?
30 minute walk in AM, 1 ½ - 2 hour walk in PM w/ fetch. Weekends long hikes/swimming at beach pretty much all day both days.


How much and what kinds of training do you do with your dog?
Recon gets about 20 minutes a day of basic OB work. *I need to get better at this~!*


How much time total do you spend with your gsd per day?
Weekdays I am home at 4:30pm and am there until 6:00 AM the next day. Weekends we are always home.

Where is your gsd kept while you are at work or away from the house? Is s/he crated or contained?
He roams (by roams I mean, sleeps at the door waiting for us to return )


How long are you typically away from home?
8-9 hours a day. We are lucky though, I leave at 6:30 am and fiancé leaves at 8:00. I am home around 4:30 and he is home around 5:00. So really about 8 hours a day Recon is by himself, but it would be more if not for our schedules.

How much do you spend on food, toys, training and vet care per year on your gsd?
Food: Approx $600
Toys: Approx $120
Training: 2011 – No classes. Previous years were close to $400/year
Vet Care: Approx $200-300 (unless big things come up)

Do you do any sports or formal activities with your gsd? If yes, please explain.
not regularly – Recon did Rally in Virginia and obedience classes. Here in San Diego he has gone to Schutzhund 2 times and he’s still warming up to it.

Do you think gsds need to do some sort of organized activity in order to be happy? Why or why not?
I think some dogs do absolutely – In my experience, Recon is just happy being with us. He would go crazy if we didn’t hike/swim/explore on the weekends. But doesn’t need an organized activity.

Is your gsd an only dog or does s/he live with other dogs?
If yes, how many and how much/how do they interact?
Recon is an “only dog” currently  This is changing very soon though.

Do you think s/he would be or is happier with other dogs in her/his pack?
Recon would 100% be happier with another animal. As much as we are his world, he really does love being around other animals.

Does your gsd live (and get along with) cats?
Recon lived with a cat for 6 months (Bengal leopard) and they got along. It took a while, but eventually they were best of buds. However, when Recon goes to someone’s house who has a cat he cannot handle it. He wouldn’t hurt the cat, but he has to chase/obsess over the cat. He’ll whine and follow the cats every move.

Do you have a close relationship with your gsd? Why or why not?
I am very close to him. I would say we are close just from how much we do together. My fiancé and I don’t go to the gym without him coming along  He’ll wait out front (it’s a small close knit gym) and watch us workout. He is always coming to dinner wherever we can sit outside etc.

Do you think you are providing your dog with what s/he needs in order to live a fulfilling life?
Yes – I can do better though. I think I need to really focus on getting Recon into more training because he enjoys classes so much.

Don’t ya just love it when a single thread makes you think so much?

How much and what type(so) of exercise do you do with you dog each day?
I guess I don’t believe in putting time limits on exercise. Some days it’s more some days it’s less. Kind of a daily scenario in our house; in the morning the dogs get some free running (in the fenced portion of our yard) before breakfast and I leave for work. My husband gets home from work about 2 hours before me so he usually takes the dogs outside for group play time. They play catch and run and do yard work. After my husband & I eat dinner we'll usually take 2 of the dogs for a walk. In the summer months we also go swimming and hiking. We still go for walks in the winter but no swimming or hiking. So for us wintertime usually means less exercise than summertime.

How much and what kinds of training do you do with your dog?
We train daily. Again, I don’t really put a time limit on this but try to focus on one thing a day. How much will change depending on the individual dog and the age of the dog. Daily we do obedience with all of the dogs. Sometimes group, sometimes individual.

On top of the obedience;
Sundance currently gets 3 days a week for tracking.
Dalton currently gets 3 days a week with stupid parlor tricks. (He use to do informal tracking but we stopped a few years back when his DLE nose got so bad.)

Where is your gsd kept while you are at work or away from the house? Is s/he crated or contained?
Sundance is crated in our dining room. He's too young IMO to have free roam, yet.
Dalton is roaming around inside the house. He probably just sleeps on the couch all day.

If loose, is s/he with other animals?
Yes

How long are you typically away from home?
6 hours

Do you do any sports or formal activities with your gsd? If yes, please explain.
Yes, Schutzhund with Sundance.

Is your gsd an only dog or does s/he live with other dogs?
Lives with other dogs.

If yes, how many and how much/how do they interact?
2, (we currently own 3 dogs), to me they interact like typical dogs. Each is different.

Do you think s/he would be or is happier with other dogs in her/his pack?
I think they would do fine either way.

Does your gsd live (and get along with) cats?
Yes, 1 cat. Dalton could care less about the cat. Sundance thinks the cat is his little buddy.


I'll try to get to the other questions later that I skipped. If I remember.


No kidding!

But I’ll add one more. How may people are in your household that are dog people too? Meaning, how many help with the feeding, grooming, vetting, playing, training, socializing, exercising, etc.?

What I consider an ideal situation is different from what I believe the bare minimum for a GSD is.

For me, speaking as a foster home, an ideal situation would be owners who have GSD/working dog experience, work from home so are with the dog all day, have a huge fenced in yard, participant in some kind of activity with the dog, whether it be SchH or just simple pet tricks, will socialize the dog as needed, daily exercise, will let the dog sleep in the house (on the bed lol), and just generally integrate the dog as a member of the family on every level.

I think the number of homes that can satisfy all, or even most, of these requirements are rare, so it's unrealistic to wait for that perfect home to come along. Each dog has different needs, as you said, and there are many homes that would be a good, but not ideal, match for each dog, and for me that's good enough. I don't think dogs really miss out on things they haven't experienced. I'm sure my Bodie would love it if I could be home with him all day and go on 5 hour long hikes and play till he collapsed and cook him steaks for dinner, but all he really knows is what he's used to now - sleeping by the window while I'm at work, 1 hour of off leash exercise when I get home, some training or find-it games after, and then chilling around the house with me for the rest of the night. On weekends we'll spend the whole day out exploring new parks, hiking, doing "dog" things, and he always comes along with me on rescue home visits, so it's not the same old thing day in and out. I'd like to think he's a satisfied and fulfilled dog.

At the shelter where I volunteer we do this exercise called "The Perfect Adopter." One person makes a list of all the traits in their ideal adopter, all the volunteers stand up, and each item is read aloud. If a volunteer does not meet the requirements for an item, they will sit down, and at the end we see how many people are still standing. A lot of times, there's no one.

On the other hand, for a GSD especially, I think there's a bare minimum of needs to be met.

Exercise/physical interaction - if the dog is healthy, active and can tolerate it, I think at least an hour a day on leash.

I believe dogs should live inside with their families - outside during the day in a kennel or enclosure is fine - but I would never adopt to a family that made the dog a permanent outside dog or kept the dog separated from the family.

I think socialization is important for GSDs; dogs with more stable temperaments may not need it as much, but the dogs that I've worked with all visibly benefited greatly from going out into the world and experiencing new things.

Training - I'm not picky about whether an owner goes to a formal class or not but I think there should be some level of training going on, even if it's just simple sits and downs taught with a clicker.

And of course vetting - I'm not a fan of yearly vaccinations and unnecessary vet visits, but I want to know that a family will take care of their dog if it's sick or needs treatment, not skimp out due to laziness or being cheap.

I think these are my bare minimum requirements for an active, healthy GSD. But it's a very personal thing, I'm sure plenty of people would disagree with one thing or another. Obviously there are exceptions, older dogs, dogs with health issues, couch potatoes - but since I foster mostly younger, energetic dogs, I wouldn't be too comfortable placing a dog in a family that couldn't meet these minimum needs.

How much and what type(so) of exercise do you do with you dog each day?

Walks, 2, couple miles each time, we walk at approx 3 miles/hr. Off or long lead walking, backyard games

How much and what kinds of training do you do with your dog?

Basic only - don't crap in my house and don't lick my plate until I'm done.
Seriously, house pet training, but we reinforce commands every day.

How much time total do you spend with your gsd per day?

24/7

Where is your gsd kept while you are at work or away from the house? Is s/he crated or contained?
If loose, is s/he with other animals?
How long are you typically away from home?

They are confined to the main floor when we're all gone, seperated by a gate, both have access to water and food, neither are destructive.

How much do you spend on food, toys, training and vet care per year on your gsd?
Food:
Toys:
Training:
Vet Care:

No clue, what they need they get.

Do you do any sports or formal activities with your gsd? If yes, please explain.

Oz likes watching me play baseball... We are going to get Dolly carting! Before Oz's back went out we tried some agility and actual working herding, me on horse, him on ground cutting.

Do you think gsds need to do some sort of organized activity in order to be happy? Why or why not?

Not necessarily, I think as long as the dog is content, not showing signs of boredom, depression their needs are being adequately met.

Is your gsd an only dog or does s/he live with other dogs?
If yes, how many and how much/how do they interact?
Do you think s/he would be or is happier with other dogs in her/his pack?
Does your gsd live (and get along with) cats?

Oz only likes cats if they come into the house as kittens, he and Dolly seem to be getting along, there are issues we're working on.

Do you have a close relationship with your gsd? Why or why not?

Honestly, Oz is a man's dog, he prefers dh, but tolerates me. I think he knows he's with me for life, that where I go, he goes, but he really does like dh, so I guess as long as I have Oz, I have to stay in this marriage.

Do you think you are providing your dog with what s/he needs in order to live a fulfilling life?

I think, but mostly hope so.