I had a variety of different dogs, some mixed breeds. I had lost my Steig a St.Bernard mix and really wasn't looking for another just yet. My DH was buying out a snowmobile dealer and I thought he was joking when he asked if I wanted a German Shepherd pup. I knew the funds were next to none so I just said sure, figuring he wouldn't have the money to buy me a pup. Well he came home with a huge load of snowmobile parts and a little black long coated GSD pup. That was my first. He was every bit as smart as my Steig which is saying a lot because that boy was scary smart.

LOL, I guess DH thought since he was starting a new endeavor, you needed one too!

Max is my first GSD - came with the husband. Husband's gone, but I still have Max

We had a wide variety of dogs when I was growing up and I was always drawn to the species. We had a GSD mix when I was a teenager. Bear was an "outside" dog but..... I spent SO much time with him. As an adult I went to talk with a person about getting into SAR and went to their kennel which was full of GSD's. I was drawn to two in particular but the "striped" female (the way she was blowing coat she reminded my of a brindle). The beautiful sable I fell in love with was Bax. Bax ended up being the mother of Tika, grandmother of Chimo (but Tika is not Chimo's Mom she is actually younger than Chimo by 2 years) and great grandmother to KC and Rayne. Bax was one of two dogs I never owned but I loved as deeply as if she was my own. KC had MANY of the same qualities I loved in Bax and she also most resembled her great grandma which I feel is part of why I loved her so deeply.

We too had a variety of dogs growing up, all of who were fabulous in their unique own ways.

GSDs have always inspired and interested me. I love training and I was keenly interested in SchH so I figured I might be a good match for a GS.

Working with a GSD is crazy different from the other dogs we've had - there is no way, no how, that I think I could ever now own a different breed (I do have a soft spot for Newfies and GRs though)!

The level of intensity in training and keen desire and constant willingness to work is nothing short of amazing to me. The ability to work hard, play hard, yet also just hang out and be lovey and goofy is exactly what I desire in a dog. I think a GSDs fits this bill perfectly

My first GSD was only my second dog experience. I had a lab first and had a chance to adopt a GSD that was 18months old. He was beautiful. What a handful for a non-experienced owner of the breed. I thought he would drive me out of my mind. I was ready to kill the next person who ever said to me, "it's a german shepherd thing." As we grew together in our relationship, I discovered that I had a working boy who LOVED to work, LOVED to be with us, LOVED to talk to us and challenge our attention span. His was always much longer than ours. Through learning with him and about him, we got more involved in GSD rescue, worked with quite a few in our surrounding area and had our own small rescue for a couple of years.

Now we have one senior girl who is approximately 9 years old, Sara. She was a return after four years in her adoptive family. She got old and a little crippled up so we got the phone call to come get her back.

We have Reeses, who is a brindle shepherd/pit mix girl, 4 years old next month.

Our new addition is a 5 month old female GSD who is quickly becoming the light of my life. Angel. She's been with us for a month. She is beautiful, smart and anxious to learn and please. Quick to learn everything except; stay out of the garbage, drop the socks, don't chew rocks they'll break your teeth and stick in your gut. She loves her crate that we've only had for 2 weeks. She's got a beautiful off leash heel. Nose straight up at the tips of my fingers, but she hates a leash.

I'd love to post photos but don't know how yet.

Roy Rogers and his dog, Bullet.

I actually don't remember, but I have loved the breed forever. It probably was the look that initially drew me to them and then all of the stories I read. Most of my early GSD books were very old and discussed the history differently than the books written in this day and age.

We had a few dogs for a short period of time when I was growing up. Outside dogs since my mom hated dogs. We had a couple of labs and a malamute mix. I got a mix from the humane society when I was 19 after my husband (well, boyfriend back then) rescued a really tiny (he didn't stay that way) mix. After that I got my sister a Dobe. My mom fell in love with him and that opened up the path for me getting my first GSD a couple of years later. I now have 5 and there is no other breed in my eyes.

my dad had gsd's growing up and had a gsd when he was in the army in germany. My first dog as a kid was a collie mix, queenie. (we always had loads of animals around to)..

The farmer that lived next door got his wife a gsd puppy that she didn't want and kept locked in a chicken coop, well I cried and pleaded until my father got me that dawg:)) Lobo, he was around 5 months when I got him and not the greatest example of the breed but my first gsd nonetheless.

2nd one my sister brought home a coatie who was HW positive, got him thru that, by then we had a lab and another gsd mix my dog as well..

When I moved out on my own, of course the first thing I did was get a gsd, Jake, then Kodi, they both passed away within a year of each other at 13 and 9 respectively, by then I had Sami & Dodge as well, and my female aussie.

Sami passed away 2 years ago this month, Dodge 1 year ago this month..Now have Masi (who saved my sanity, couldn't live without a gsd!) and the 2 comic relief aussies, Jynx & Jag.:)))

If I lived in a colder climate I would probably have Saint Bernards. We had them growing up and I just loved those dogs. My parents bred them way back in the 60's and 70's.

Shepherds were actually my second choice but I wouldn't trade them for the world now!

I think initially it was the look of the GSD that drew me to them. After doing research, I became more drawn to them for less superficial reasons. Their intelligence, loyalty, multipurpose abilities, and working potential. I love active, smart dogs that I can do things with.

Some day, I hope to actually own one. Not just admire them from afar.

I saw a White German Shepherd when I was a kid and fell in love. Never had a dog growing up, never had one while I was married. Got my first one, Kaspar, 6 years ago and fell in love with him and the breed and the rest is history!

I had just lost my collie and couldn't stand the thought of another but was so lost without my friend. I found a german shepherd that I wanted but there were concerns if he would work in our house with two other dogs so when I got to the shelter I was pointed towards this yahoo puppy chasing cats all over the building and having a ball! And there ya go...my first German Shepherd.

Had them growing up As soon as I moved from home I got MY first GSD. Then another, and another, and another.. I really need to stop!

I grew up with Old English Sheep Dogs and Golden Retrievers but always loved GSDs. When I was 25 I bought a house and was finnally able to have a dog of my own. There was a small breeder in the town that I worked in, I would say a cross w/ a BYB and a reputable one. She was getting titles on her stud dogs but nothing but OFAs on the females. At the time I didn't know much and was impressed with that.

I bought a puppy and ended up taking his mother as well. She had a difficult birth and wasn't going to be bred anymore. I loved them both so much. Titan was the smartest dog I had ever owned, I could teach him anything. He did however had loads of issues, HD, DM, anxiety issues.

I don't have a GSD now but I foster them often to get my fix. Here's a photo of Titan & Shilo.

I worked for my girlfriend who bred shepherds and did Schutzhund as well. She too was a cross between a BYB and a reputable breeder. Only her stud dog was titled and not her females. Both of Czar's parents were titled as they were both imports. It was love at first sight and I have never looked back.... and never will.

I'm certain it is because my father said no after I saw Rin Tin Tin.
I had many mixes before I brought home my first. There have been so many dogs in my life and those who made a very big and special impact.

When I was in college I knew I wanted a dog and I decided that I wanted a gsd x husky because of how they looked. I don't think I had ever really known any nice gsds, just ones in the neighborhood who tried to eat me through the fence!

After college I lived in a big house in Western Mass and we got this little weekly paper that listed the dogs at the animal shelter. Every week I looked for a gsd x husky puppy. One week, when I was feeling very down after the sudden death of a co-worker and friend, I saw a gsd x husky puppy in the listings. I rushed over there right away, asked to meet "Petunia" and it was love at first sight.

It was apparent pretty quickly that she didn't have any husky in her but she had plenty of gsd. She was 100% attitude, full of confidence, energy, intelligent and had intense alligator like tendencies. My kind of dog for sure. That was my Massie and I was smitten with the breed. Unfortunately she had just about every health problem that gsds are prone to (bilateral HD, intestinal issues, pannus, etc. ,etc.) but she lived to be almost 12 and I couldn't have asked for a better companion in life.

The reason I don't have one now is because I decided to downsize. That's how I ended up with my Rafi, the malaroo. He's smaller so I can pick him up but he has 10 times as much energy as a gsd.

I always admired GSD, the first dog book I bought was "German Shepherd" of Alfred Hacker, but mainly for the trining section, I confess.

Back then when I had no permission to own dogs and used to buy dog magazines to help with my fix I, without knowing, wassearching for the most trainable dog because I alway knew that training was my passion, since the day I trained the stray dog of my street...

MY first, really mine, dog was a Border Collie, because I was already interested in working breeds, I did SAR and TV with that dog. But all those years since I get involved in the dog world I started to attend SchH seminars and met the working line GSDs and began to consider the breed, as all the show lines I had met in the past were not what I was looking for. Then I raised a GSD/Belgian cross for SAR that is a real joy to work with, even today when I see her at her current handler home, she remebers me absolutely. When I left Santiago and this dog stayed working in SAR I began the search of my own dog. I wanted to do SchH for good this time and looked for a working line GSD. The search was not easy and ended up importing one from Argentina... Diabla, che.

I still consider other breeds, I dream with importing a Holland Shepherd, breed I met in France, and I know that some day I will own a Malinois, but I also know that I doubt my home will not have a WGSD unless for some lethal illness I can't keep any dog at all.

Getting my first GSD, was baically a compromise. The gal I was with at the time wanted a collie, and I wanted a dobe. Since 1984, I've had at least one GSD ever since.

To add a bit, being involved with the GSD has provided me with great opportunities. I met my wife at a SchH club, and helped her with her GSD. I have the chance to travel all over the world based on my involvement with the GSD, and share/exchange a bit of knowledge with folks.

My mother says I basically went to the dogs in 1984, and I suppose she right:)

Al Govednik

Like Lisa Clark, Ive just loved the breed for what seems like forever. I cant recall one certain thing that drew me to them. None of my family member had a GSD.
I used watch a TV show years ago (70's) called Run,Joe,Run about a GSD that was an army dog( I think) and something happened and this dog was on the run(hence the name). Joe's owner/handler was trying to find him and everytime he saw Joe, Joe would run away. I cant recall why. Does anyone else remember this show??
I worked for a dog officer for several years and became good friends with her sister in law who had a nice male sable GSD named Duke. That furthered my interest in the GSD breed. There were a few what appeared to be purebred GSD's come thru the dog officers place. I would help the dog officer by spending time with the strays and helping with their training so they would have a better chance of someone adopting them. I also worked in her dog grooming shop and we had several customers that brought in their GSD for grooming.
I was not very cautious around GSD's back then which could have gotten me bitten. One instance was when I went on a stray dog call. A lady has a GSD on a huge chain that got wrapped around her picnic table in her back yard. When my friend and I got to the house there was a GSD and an older pit bull pup with him. The pittie was loose and she was very friendly, greeted us with a full body wiggle and kisses. Anyway, the GSD was barking at us and he was a rather large dog. Since he was a GSD and I loved the breed, getting bitten was not on my mind. I went over and untangled his chain and we got him in the car and took the dogs back to the pound. They knew whose dogs they were so the got in contact with the person who owned them. Turns out the GSD was the guard dog for this guys classic car business and supposedly a dog that most people were afraid of he was considered vicious. Im just glad that he didnt bite me or attack me. Maybe because I didnt show fear?? I dont know.
My mother would not let me have a GSD because she heard that they turn on their owners. I could not make her understand that they really didnt. There was a female GSD that was imported from Germany, she was 9 months old, spayed and the people were giving her away free. Her owners said that she got too big for them and I really wanted her. I knew this dog and the people since they brought her in for grooming a few times. My mother would not let me have her no matter how hard I tried to convince her that GSD were not as bad as she had heard. No luck. This dog did end up going to another customer of ours so I still got to see her when they brought the dogs in for grooming but not the same as if she were mine.
My mom has seen the light now,years later. Her and my dad, who is not an animal person, like my male, Baron. They have not met my female, Numa yet. I think my mom now knows that since my two GSD's havent eaten me in all these years, they are not the mean dogs people led her to believe they were.
Now that I have two GSD that I own I hope to never be without atleast one , ever. Although its really hard not to have more than one. LOL!! They sure are addicting!!

My DH when we were dating said that he wanted a GSD. As a child I was trapped in a car by a GSD and I was therefore deathly afraid of all dogs. Friends of mine had 2 black labs. Spending time with them helped me get over my fear of dogs. I started researching GSDs when I was ready for a dog and DH went along with my decision to get her. He wanted her for protection of me - as if I couldn't do it myself - but now that we have her, I can't imagine not having her. We'll be a one family dog but I love my princess like there's no tomorrow and she definitely protects me when necessary (especially when there are dogs on TV )

Actually, I was looking for a medium sized, sweet, cute dog like my friend's who had a lab/husky mix. I ended up with this vicious black white eyed wolf!

I grew up with them. My parents owned and bred GSDs since before I was born and we always had at least one, usually more, GSDs around. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of those dogs. So when I grew up and was ready for a dog of my own, as far as I was concerned there were no other breeds.

My husband and I got a GSD/malemute mix when we first got married (many years ago!) We had her for 11 happy years and then she died from cancer. We went 14 years without a dog, but we were always drawn to both GSDs and malemutes. After looking at rescues for both breeds, we decided on a GSD and soon after, Heidi entered our lives!

I never had a dog growing up As stupid as it sounds I always say I married a GSD..yeah I know..GAG. Dan had Meeka from a pup and when we were married she was 12 and made a guest appearance on our wedding video. I remember riding in the back of the car with my arms wrapped around her and the luggage on the way to our very first house all together. A great adventure. Then I was hooked and started reading everything and anything I could get my hands on about GSD's and dogs in general.

haven't really looked back since, hope to someday own another breed...maybe

Growing up I always had dogs. Several different breeds, but usually they were small breeds. My dad was a deputy and at one point he was a K-9 officer. His partner was a beautiful GSD named Baron. I remember getting to help my dad hide the "stash" for Baron to sniff out. Anyway, fast forward several years. When DH and I tied the knot, our first house had a really nice yard, and we both agreed that we needed a pup. I was pregnant with our oldest kiddo, and I was going to be an at home mom. We went to the near by adopt a pet event, and I fell in love with a little mixed breed pup. When we were applying the rescue workers told me that because I was pregnant, they would not adopt a puppy to me, only an adult dog. They felt I would not have time to properly train and work with a pup, I was heartbroke, because I wanted a puppy. Anyway we decided to look elsewhere. Before I knew better, we went and picked up a local paper. I began scanning the adds. DH had always wanted a GSD and I always wanted a Rottie. Low and behold there was an add for GSD pups. I called the lady and she said that she only had one pup left, a 9 week old female. We drove out to her place to meet mom and pop and pup. It was love at first sight. Daddy was a solid black PPD and mom was typical Rin Tin Tin looking. Anyway Shadow came home. I had three full months before baby was due, and Shadow and I did EVERYTHING together during that three months. She went with me on errands, to take DH to work and pick him up. Literally we spent every single second of every single day together. We were so bonded that when it was time to have the new baby, I wanted to take her with me to the hospital LOL. Shadow will be 11 next month, and we still do jsut about everything together. She has "helped" me raise all four of my kiddos. We have added Duchess and Gianna to our pack as well. I will never ever NOT have a GSD in my home. I am without a doubt hooked.

Grew up with one...have had several other breeds..so I know first hand, GSD's are the best breed of dog in THE WORLD. They are your best friend.

It was my husband's choice. He had one as a young boy. His uncle had given him a 22 rifle (yes, this was years ago when that was acceptable) and he traded it for his dog. The puppy actually belonged to his mother's boyfriend. He had the dog for several years and one weekend the boyfriend said he wanted to take the dog to his family's farm for the weekend. Being a trusting young child (and probably not being given a choice), my husband said yes. He never saw Smokey again. Isn't that just the most cruel thing an adult could do?? This was back in the days when dogs didn't have to be leashed, so Smokey went everywhere with him - they were inseparable. He was heartbroken and always wanted another. Thank goodness his mom dumped the boyfriend because of it...

I lost my GSD/lab mix at the age of 13 and was inconsolable. I've had two of this mix over the years and found them to be a wonderful combination of the breeds. I was sitting in a meeting at work one day and my husband showed up and asked me to come outside. He pulled this enormous puppy out of his truck - one ear hanging - and I thought YAY - another GSD/lab puppy. Max was not a mix, he was a purebred GSD. It's easy to love this breed, but when your first one is nearly perfect, there's just no turning back. He was with us for almost 12 years and I honestly can't think of one thing that I would have changed about him. He was such a great example of this breed. Loved everyone - adults, kids, dogs, cats, kittens. Okay, well maybe not squirrels, but he even got to the point as he aged that he could be in the back yard without chasing them.

He was just the best...

I grew up with dogs, mostly smaller mutts but was always drawn to huskys, bouviers, anything larger.
My step-dad had a service station and had two GSDs for his impound lot as "watchdogs" Stomper(b&t) and Misty(white). They were ok with people as long as Stan told them it was ok to be friends. If not, then all bets were off, and they were intimidating. At home, they were stinky cuddlebugs.
My step-dads "partner" ended up poisoning Stomper(they had a falling out after he embezzled from Stan, he hated the dogs and was afraid of them) and Misty died a couple yrs after of natural causes.
When I moved out, my DH and I got a black GSD pup and named him Stomper,II. He died of bloat at 11.
Clover was about 8 months when Stomper passed~ Clover lived with us for 12 yrs and she was great w/ the kids, but she didn't have the drive or excitement I was use to. Something was missing without a GSD in the house!
DH surprised the family with Onyx in '06 and the rest is history!! Onyx and Kacie kept Clover young til she passed at almost 15.
Here is a pic of the original Stomper, taken in the late 70's:

This is StomperII and Clover

I grew up with GSD's too
My First one was Burbon he was awesome I have the pic somewhere of us I was 6 months old at the time.

I waited 10 long years and I got the opportunity to get Brady and jumped at it. I got first pick and I fell in love with him at 3 weeks he was a loner but when we went up at 8 weeks I knew
he was for me independant but needy and a big time mommas boy!!

He has never given me any real problems and as my dog trainer said to me I hit the lottery with him and I totally agree!!

My dad had a GSD when I was a kid and I fell in love with them from the start. I also think the breed fits my personality the best. I'm never satisfied to stay at the level that I'm at with anything, so that goes over into dog training. I love the intelligence, drive, and work ethic. I prefer higher strung/higher energy animals that need help focusing that energy and calming down as opposed to a couch potato that you have trouble motivating.

I grew up with small dogs but always admired my nieghbor's GSD even thos she was very aggressive due I am sure to lack of socialization and exercise. She was confined to he yard 24/7.

As an adult I had no dogs until I divorced the first husband who hted animals. My son wanted a dog and wanted a GSD so we got Lucky from a BYB. Then along came Wolfie, my white GSD. Then we rescued Max who is still with us. A few years later Kayos joined the crew and most recently Havoc rounded out the wrecking crew.

Had a few GSD's I fostered along way but not recently.

I can't picture myself without a GSD but the older I get the more I realize that I may need to size down.

I have long coveted a Wildhaus dog but in reality the next dog may be a Corgi.

I would love a Corgi,too! They are just adorable!! Maybe Chris should...

then you could have a Wildhaus Corgi!!

I grew up with German Shepherds and so when it was time to get a dog of my own, there was no choice.

They are everything I want in a dog and more.

My first memories of a dog was when I was little. My grandparents had a GSD and my grandmother took care of me while my mother worked. And I remember going to play in the park near their house. My grandfather would always take Lady with us. I'm sure that's what started my love of the breed.

We didn't have pets when I was growing up because my Dad was in the service and we were moving around every 3-4 years, some of these moves were overseas.

When I was out on my own and bought my first house I got a GSDx from friends of mine. The litter was an "oops". Max was my introduction to the intelligence of the GSD and dog training. From there I went on to get Kelly, then Rica, and Aodhán, and finally Caleb.

I shared a house with a friend of mine and her son for a few years down in Texas. Between us we had 6 dogs - 2 Schnauzers, a Golden, an Aussie, a GSD and a GSDx. The other breeds were OK, but I have found over the years that I love the looks and intelligence of the GSD. I don't think I'd ever get any other breed

Ironically, I hated dogs because of a scary experience with a GSD when I was 5. Even though I love animals, I told DH that I wouldn't marry him if he got a dog! LOL!

We were only married for a few months before we were at the Humane Society to pick out Bear and after that I had no idea how I had gotten through life to that point without a dog.

When we got Moose, I wanted a Golden and DH wanted a GSD. Since Moose is a Golden/GSD mix he was the perfect compromise. When we decided to get a second dog, I told DH that he could get whatever dog he wanted so we rescued 9 month old Gator. From then on it has been nothing but GSD for me.

When Gator passed, we researched dog breeds again, trying to keep an open mind, but just kept coming back to GSD. And once Bison's breeder sent us Bison's "Grumpy old man" puppy picture, it was all over.

I grew up with GSDs. My father was introduced to the breed when he was in the service and fell in love with them. After my mother and he had us kids, he introduced our family to the GSD when I was very young. My father bred this female so we had little GSD puppies around too. Each one of us kids had a GSD from different litters. So I owned my first GSD when I was still a kid. Satin (my father’s dog) lived to be 16 years old.

I still have some pictures of these dogs and a new scanner just itching to be used.

I grew up with brother and sister lab mixes. So when my husband and I decided we wanted a dog (since I was going to be a certified ABC dog trainer), I wanted a lab. He wanted a German Shepherd since his family had them when he was growing up. (Not his immediate family.)

I gave in, since I was the reason we were getting a dog, when we were getting a dog.

Now I am in love with German Shepherds, especially Max. They are just so regal, loyal, and smart! Max is especially handsome with his square muzzle and broad chest. And it's still so surreal that we are caring for a living being who is so quirky and funny! He's our constant source of entertainment. It amazes me every time he looks at me with his intelligent eyes - those eyes speak volumes. It's almost impossible to put into words. But I'm sure you all know exactly what I'm talking about!!!!

We talked about getting a dog for years, but as jobs and daily commute had us out of the house for over 12 hours, we didn't think it fair to the dog.

When we moved six years ago, our new house was delayed and we moved in with my SIL for two months. Her daughter had an Airedale Terrier named Winston. Winston had a sweet personality, and was the first large dog I had been in prolonged contact with.

This move brought us closer to work, so once we got the yard fenced, etc., we again started looking at getting a dog. But then I was laid off and went back to school for 2 years. Not knowing where I'd end up working, we again stopped thinking about a dog.

Then, about 2 years ago my husband started working from home - he needed to concentrate on a big software program and was getting interrupted too much at the office. This temporary arrangement worked out so well, that he now officially works from home. We again thought about getting a dog.

We researched all the breeds and even attended an event for Wheaten Terriers - I didn't want a large dog (famous last words). We were acquainted with a GSD breeder and he invited us to his place to discuss the pros and cons of dog ownership. This was in August 2008. Marco also raises (actually, they get "fostered" for the first year) and trains PP dogs that he sells. He still had three females of Suki's litter. Suki was his favourite of the litter and he had wanted to keep her as a future breed dog, but her "croup was too short" (apparently this self corrected when she matured). Anyways, he asked if we wanted to take a puppy "on trial". No, we didn't leave with a puppy that day, but we thought about it.

We never considered a GSD, but we also never NOT considered a GSD, if you know what I mean. The thought had just never crossed our minds.

In the mean time Marco went to his cottage up north, with all the dogs. When he came back a few weeks later we told him we would take a puppy on trial. That was on Wednesday, September 3, 2008 ... and she never left

I grew up with mixed breeds, but fell in love with collies based on the "Lad a dog" books and Lassie. So my first personal dogs were collies. When I lost my very special boy Roenick(collie) to cancer at 8 years old my DH asked if I wanted another collie. I told him I wasn't ready to do that, and he asked "what about a shepherd?". I have always had a soft spot for GSD's because of the neighbor's 2 females when I was growing up. We didn't really interact with the dogs but he always had them outside with him when he was gardening. One day another neighbors terrier mix (40lb) chased me when I was riding my bike (I was 6 or 7) and was biting at my legs. Gretchen, one of the GSD's, who never left her property charged the smaller dog to get her away from me. She chased her a few houses down the street to make sure she was well on her way and then proceeded to go back to her house.
Well now I have Luke and there is no looking back. I will always have a GSD in the future, they are one in a million.

I forgot to mention that Suki's parents were also on site when we visited him "just to talk", so we got to see them.

I had a friend that had a beautiful male GSD named Alek. He was a gentle giant and something about him got me interested in the breed. (I've not ever owned a dog before as an adult.) At the time I was a cat person, but when my cat passed away at age 18, something was missing. My boyfriend has a huge allergy to cats, so getting another one was out of the question. So for about 5 years we had no animals. Then we bought a house (in an OK neighborhood, but not somewhere I would walk at night alone in) and had a yard. Each day on the way to work, I would see these elderly ladies out walking their GSD and they looked so 'protected', so that was kind of how it started. I read up on them and then thought maybe the breed was to powerful for a new dog owner, but talked to lots of people, trainers, etc. and began my search for Siena.

The rest, is history, as they say We love her to death!

My parents had a GSD before I was born named Shep. He was my dad's hiking/mountain climbing buddy. I was very interested in hearing stories my parents would tell me about Shep, and would often look at all the photos they had of him thinking 'wow, what a nice dog. I would love to have a dog like that someday.'

Years later when I was 9-10yrs old my dad (who was now remarried) got a White GSD named Tea-bone. He lived outside on our 2 acres of land. He would play with us kids during the day and guard our chickens and ducks at night. Great dog who led me to love White GSDs.

5yrs later when it came time for me to get my first dog, I had forgotten about the GSD breed and went with a Golden Retriever.Thinking about it now, and knowing what GSDs require, I'm glad I did.

Through out my Golden Retriever's life, I was able to meet and talk to a lot of GSD owners who would share their experiences in owning the breed. I would go to police dog demonstrations, and watch the dogs work there. While my cousin was competing in Obedience trails with her Sheltie, I would be on the side lines talking to people about Goldens and GSDs.

In 2005 when my Golden died, I really could not bring myself to get another Golden, so I went with the breed that had been slowly luring me in for so many years, a German Shepherd Dog.

When our 3 Yorkies passed (ages 14, 15 and 16) we had decided "no more dogs." Not that we stopped loving them but at our age we just decided enuf's 'nuff.

Well, hubby decided to go back on the road 18 wheelin' it and there I was alone and working mids. I really missed my Damien and his warning barks when something was not quite right outside. For 57 years I'd been alerted by barking when something spooked the dogs. Suddenly, that was gone and it was feeling pretty spooky to me and I was jumping at lots of little noises that I never worried about before cuz there was always a dog to "tell" me if I needed to be concerned. Also was not sleeping well because the bedroom is wayyyyy upstairs at the far end of the house which meant I couldn't hear to well if anything did happen downstairs.

My mind kept wandering to thoughts of my forever other favorite dog breed (read not second just other) but I talked myself out of it a few times because of our agreement. Finally one day six months later I just blurted out "I want another dog." And so the hunt began ...

My mom tells me that I first asked to have a dog when I was 3, seems I fell in love with the St Bernard that belonged to some family friends.

I asked again a lot as a teenager, but the answer was always "You have horses and cats, you don't need a dog".

But my best friend and riding buddy had a German Shepherd and and Irish Setter. I fell in love with both breeds (and of course the Big Red series of books put a spin on the Irish Setter love as well)

Fast forwarding through my live 40 years from that first asking for a dog and I was finally in a place where a dog would really 'work' and then the decision - Irish Setter or German Shepherd.

Dante won though I really wouldn't mind having a nice Irish Setter some day!

As a 20 something, I had been admiring Afghan Hounds. The fellow I was seeing at the time had gone through a series of dogs. When I went to visit for TG vacation, his latest was a 9 or so week old GSD/Elkhound cross that I fell in love with. Fast forward a couple of years - the pup had to go. Efforts to find this great dog a new home weren't working -- So I took him. It's been down hill ever since!

Husband came with a young GSD...I kept the GSD


I should add, I always loved GSDs from the distance, and we were around several at training. Never thought I would have a larger dog, much less a GSD. Oddly, it was the only breed that Indy was drawn to, she disliked most other dogs. I wasn't looking to add another dog, but luckily they hit it off (think similar to Risa's reactivity) with very few issues.

Eta: lol, answered twice, this is an old thread...oldie but goodie?

My husband had always wanted a German Shepherd. Growing up, he wanted to be a police K-9 officer. So he always wanted a German Shepherd for the breed's loyal tendencies and protection. When we were dating, he'd talk of having a german shepherd. I knew from stories of my parents and from others that German Shepherds have the ability to be aggressive, and some of the dogs were unpredicably aggressive. I never wanted one, did not see the sense in adopting one, and only agreed to one so my husband can get his dream dog. I'm more of a small breed type, not a large one, and was never fond of big dogs that liked to jump on people. So we got a puppy- 8 months old.

3 years later, our Abbey is a wonderful, loyal German Shepherd. I see the sense in having this breed, and I'm in love with it. I think I might be set for this breed for life!

Hmmm,I don't see this as a GSD trait at all. Of course, any dog has the 'ability'
to be aggressive. I know for some time that was laid on GSDs, then rotties and now those in the pitbull family.

Luckily for me, my family had German Shepherds from the time I was toddler to well in my teens. They were such family dogs and that is what draws me to them to this day.

For many years I had a GSDx, adopted as an adult from a shelter. My late Seiko reminded me once again how loyal and loving these dogs are to family. Seiko only once needed to exhibit what she could do if there was danger and her warning was more than enough to scare off the 'bad guys.'

Skye? I don't know if she would do the same, but I would bet she would. Hopefully she will not ever be put in that position and can just remain loving and carefree.

German Shepherds are loyal, fun, ready for almost anything and aloof with those who just plain don't matter to them. What is not to love about them?

[quote=PositiveDogGerman Shepherds are loyal, fun, ready for almost anything and aloof with those who just plain don't matter to them. What is not to love about them?

[/quote]
I agree!!!!! I discovered that aloofness once we established the "leave it" command for her to leave an animal or person alone. It's just amazing that these dogs can completely ignore the others when told to!

My husband and I were living in an apartment in Traverse City MI and had just started house hunting to buy our first house together. I grew up on a farm with many animals and of course dogs but we wanted to research which breed to get. I bought a book on all the breeds and read it, and we knew we wanted a larger breed and both agreed upon a German Shepherd.

We got Reggie a week before we closed on our house in the country and have been here over 16 years.

We got Reggie from a lady downstate and have learned so much since that. First of all she met us halfway. I think he might of come from a puppy mill. We got him home and he was covered with fleas. We bathed him and took him to the vet the next day.

We moved to the country and Reggie was the most loving, intelligent dog we could of ever had. My husband fell in love and they were inseperable. Reggie could anticipate your next move and be ready for it. In his 9 years of life with us there is only 1 person he did not like. A friend of our brought someone to our house and Reg told us in his way that he did not like him so yes, we did not trust that man and thank goodness that is the only time he was at our house.

We have now owned 6 Shepherds in 16 years. Reggie who passed at 9. Tonka who passed at 2. Tank who passed this year at almost 7. And we have Jessie almost 14, Max 6 and Cash 9 months. I love this breed. They are my friends, family, heart and soul. I do love all dogs but there is just something so special about a German Shepherd that they will always be our dog of choice.

A stray GSD showed up on our front porch. We fed and watered it while looking for it's owner. It was a sweet and brilliant dog. We were able to find the owners, I knew the dog must have been sorely missed as it was a great dog. After turning it over I started researching the breed and found that we would make a good fit. Penny followed not too long after.

So happy the stray dog found us that day.

I got to know my first GSD as a young child living in a neighborhood where dogs ran loose ("back in the day"). Was his name King? Something like that. He watched over all the neighborhood kids (and other dogs) as we played during the summers. He was huge! Problem was when unknown cars would come down the street, Mr. Childcare Worker GSD would become Vicious Protector in a matter of seconds, lunging up at people's car windows and snarling. We wouldn't even bat an eye. Finally, one man got really angry one day. From there on out, poor King was tied up in his yard during the day (although they would let him loose overnight). I don't know why that one strange man called the shots -- We didn't know who he was, and he never came back. I always felt sorry for King after that .

As a teenager, I met Heidi, who belonged to the family of my boyfriend (now my ex). I was completely taken by her loyalty and smarts. The family got a second GSD, Holiday, who was a hoot. The two of them together were something else. In my late teens I babysat for a woman who had a similar situation: Gretchen was the boss dog, all business, who commanded respect, while Hickory was the younger goofball GSD. One time I was chasing Hickory around the kitchen table with my arms out while I was making monster noises at her, when Gretchen, previously unseen, lunged across the kitchen from nowhere and placed her jaw on my arm (with no pressure whatsoever) and let out a little growl to tell me, "Enough!" Gretchen knew I was the babysitter, but she always had her eye on me and knew I was not family, so as far as she was concerned her job was also to keep me in line!
I got my first GSD several years later from a backyard breeder. Sigh. While I would never recommend getting a dog that way, I can't say I regretted the purchase at all (although she was quite the personality to handle)!

I'd always loved German Shepherds ever since I dog-sat a family friend's GSD for 7 years (started when I was a kid, stopped as a teen). My senior year of high school, we had a special k9 presentation. The police brought in their dogs and showed us how the dogs help them with their jobs. They showed us a bit of the training the dogs go through, show us how good the dogs are at sniffing things out (they hid things throughout the room for the dogs to find) and demonstrated the strength of the bite. There were two dogs total, a Malinois and a German Shepherd. Both of them stunned me. I saw the obedience, the way the two worked as a team, the loyalty, the trust, and I wanted that. I was hooked from that day.

Now I have my first pup and, while I'm still very new at this, he's been amazing.

I thought I'd answered this, but found that old post on the old blue board...



Dancing with her was just plain fun. It may have been that experience which too many years later led me to put on a sleeve. Back then attendants pumped your gas and took your money. Folks would crack the window less than an inch and push cash out the window because the dog was there. She didn't bark at them, just observed intently, and her gaze was enough to command prudent respect. That worked for me.
I didn't actually own a full gsd for many years, as my first 2 were mixes, but I always knew where the best parts came from.

I have been looking for a few years for a shepherd.I tried a few on trial and then Roy came up on a local trade site.He was dropped off for a days trial.I fell in love with Roy the minute i first met him.We bonded within hours of first contact.A doggy love story.!!

When i was a young child my dad was a handler in the Dog Squad for the Police force. We had a GSD named Muddy, he was my best friend, i loved him and he loved me.
My parents split, ,y dad left the dog squad but i always liked big dogs.
When i turned 18 i got myself a petshop pup Sam, a gsd x rottie.
He was the most fantastic dog, he was my best mate, my heart.
When he died and i was looking for another dog, i looked at GSDs, but then my husband said he didnt want a big dog, only a little dog so we got a jack russell.
then i got a foster pup called Barker, who was a gsd x kelpie, sadly at 16mo i came home to find him dead
Then i started looking again, and a friend was getting a gsd pup once they were 8 weeks...the bitch was just mated when Barker died.
I thought about it, and asked if i could buy one of these pups. That is how my boy Daire came to me.
I still have the jrt but i will always have a gsd or 3 in the yard.
They are where my heart lays

When I was born my Mum had a GSD x Kelpie (Sheba) who looked mainly like a GSD. I loved Sheba, she was so loving and gentle with me, I absolutely doted on her. She passed when I was 6 and I spent the rest of my childhood begging for a GSD.When I was 5 I was convinced that when I grew up I'd live on a property in the Hills just outside of my states capital and I would have a LOT of GSDs- I was going to have pedigree GSDs and also go around the country rescuing GSDs from shelters . I flirted briefly with the idea of having a GSD and a Siberian Husky for a few months, but eventually settled back to wanting just GSDs. I loved dogs in general but German Shepherds are special, they are much more than ''a dog'', they are incredible dogs, intelligent, loving, versatile, regal looking, gorgeous. I pretty much watched/ read anything featuring a GSD on TV and books/ magazines. I had 2 dog books and I used to spend hours staring at the GSDs and daydreaming.

Fast forward 20 years and at 26 I was finally stable enough health wise, residentially etc to realistically look at bringing my GSD into my life. I saved my money, did plenty of research on how to select a suitable dog, how to purchase from rescue or a reputable, registered breeder , looked at my state canine council website and found a wonderful breeder. Brought Brennan home at 8 weeks back in June 2009 and the rest is history.

I am so thankful to my Sheba girl- my GSD cross- if she had not been in my life when I was born then I may never have fallen in love with our awesome breed.

After I lost my Newfoundland and then a short time later we lost our Pomeranian, I swore I would never own another dog. I couldn't stand the thought of going through that heartbreak and sadness again. About a year later my wife decided to get another Pomeranian. It was then that I realized that the friendship, love, and memories that a dog can give you is too hard to be without.

Being in Law Enforcement I had the opportunity to do alot of training with German Shepherds. There hard work, drive, and intelligence impressed me. The thing that sticks out most and amazed me was after we were done training, which by the way I was always the volunteer to put on the bite suit or sleeve, I could sit down with them and play and they were my friends. It amazed me how they could distinguish between wor, training, and fun time.

After talking my wife in to GSD's, which she had the stereotype of aggression and mean, she fell in love with ours and tells me all the time how glad she is that we got Sasha. Especially after Sasha cuddles up next to us and stares at you until you pet her.

Needless to say I will never own another breed of dog.

I used to dog sit for friends of the family growing up. My favorite of all the dogs was a German Shepherd that I watched on and off for ten years. He was the least noisy, most intelligent, and most fun out of all of the dogs. He grew to be protective of me over time, as well. That's how I grew to love the breed. I never really thought about owning one though--my dream dog was a Border Collie. When I was in high school the police k9 squad came in to do a demonstration on the k9 team and drug busting. The dogs were incredibly well trained and behaved. They were smart, but in a different way from Border Collies. That was when I decided that if I couldn't have a Border Collie (after all I was going to college and wouldn't own land for a long time) the dog would have to be a German Shepherd. I was absolutely in awe of what they were capable of.

I've come to learn no dog gets that way on its own. Behind every disciplined and obedient dog is a master that worked their butt off to get to that point. But it's worth it. My GSD is five months old and knows more commands than several of my friends' 10 year old dogs from various breeds.

Lived near a kennel that breed GSD. My husband met the girl who lived in the house
on the grounds and took care of the dogs. We got a pup and need I say more. Now
35 years later we still have german shepherds. Smart, intuitive, and protective.