i am 16 and i have own and lived with boykin spaniels all my life. i am very interested in adopting a german shepherd dog but of course my mind just wanders about everything when it comes to this matter. does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions for me that relate to this?

Can you be more specific about what your questions are? What are you wanting to do with a German Shepherd? As you probably know these are generally very intelligent dogs who do best if they are able to do a job.

well my story is that about 2 years ago there was an incident at my home. My family had 3 home invasions/armed robbery all within a 5 month period.so we thought of getting a big dog for a pet for comfort/deterrent. so i started doing some research on GSDs,in which a german shepherd trained for personal protection could have been handy. luckily no one was ever hurt, but is spawned the idea of me getting a german shepherd dog. there is no way for this incident to occure again so idealy i dont really need a german shepherd for this deterrent role but from research i have done, has drawn me to look into getting a gsd for a personal pet a companion/family dog. but i would be going to college soon which has some effect on me getting a dog. But i have just become obsessed with GSDs. My family has owned a boykin spaniel for my entire life and she is now an astonishing 15 years old( and some people get her confused for a puppy when we take her on a walk). so from this i have thought of a boykin spaniel instead. so i am just getting twisted thoughts and ideas running through my head , that makes me not sure about what decision i should make. because i am now obsessed with GSDs but i also have considered another boykin spaniel. so having a gsd for a companion dog whom i could be active with alot and play hard with, which he or she would just have that presence of comfort (if you kinda know what i mean) and a good family dog, i have considered the idea of schutzhund as a hobbie for me and a possible gsd. and i think a boykin would serve all those roles except that deterrent, that comfort and assurance role, and of course the schuthund role. so that is my story for me, and my reason for a dog and what i would want for a dog.

At your age and getting ready for college in a few years, it may not be a good idea to get a high drive GSD. Between girls, cars, and college, it just may be to much. I'm old, but my long term memmory is fantastic. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I would suggest volunteeing with a German Shepherd rescue for now. Volunteering would let you learn more about the personality of the breed. You could even foster for a rescue which lets you be with a German Shepherd on a daily basis for weeks at a time. On the other hand in 2 years when you go to college your family doesn't have to be responible for a dog that you wanted.

When you wake up in some strangers bathroom covered in beer and vomit (mostly yours) and the only thing you want to do is close your eyes and maybe have someone fetch you some McDonald's breakfast, trust me, having to drag yourself home to walk the dog is no fun. The best part about going away to school is the freedom, the knowing you don't have to wake up in your own bed in the morning. Think hard before you tie yourself down with a dog. Also, you will be at a stage in your life where you buy groceries with a roll of nickels and a gift certificate from mom. Dogs are expensive. I bought a puppy in September, and not including the price of the dog, I've spent over a $1500 on dog stuff (vet bills, food, crate, grooming equipment...).

Hi Ben

I think I understand your plight, having to deal with armed bad guys in your home is a very bad thing for anyone to have to experience, having to deal with it as a 14 year old is even worse. It blows your feeling of safety and security and makes you feel powerless. But here is the thing you have to realize and grasp; surrounding your self with "powerful" things will not make you "powerful" or even safe. Power does not come from the stuff around you it comes from whats inside of you. Based on your post, I can see you have what it takes, the fact that you talk about a "deterrent" shows you have your head in the right spot. If you will stick with my post just a bit longer, I will try to explain it, with myself as an example.

Ben, I am a big guy. I am over 6feet tall and not a light weight. I have been in the martial arts for over 25+ years. I own more guns than many 3rd world countries. I am a better shot with those guns than probably 98% of the people you will ever meet. I also own some very nice dogs. But NONE of those things make me powerful and that is because THINGS are not full of power, they are not magic amulets. I also know that I do NOT have complete control over my life and I never will, no matter how many things I surround my self with. The worst thing you can do is to surround yourself with things thinking that they will give you control, because you will be in for a hard fall when they fail. In the end, I give things over to God and have faith that things will work themselves out for good, under his plan, even if I don't understand it. But I also know that God wants us to take care of ourselves, which is exactly why I know how to fight and shoot and to take care of myself and family. I do exactly as you said; I build levels of deterrence against the bad guys. If you keep that in mind and don’t get caught in the trap of thinking that “power” or “safety” comes from things you will be much better off.

Now to answer your question directly, I think you will find a GSD too much to deal with at this point in your life, you should be enjoying your life and not be worrying about it. I think you will find the activity level and the needs required to do what you would like to do overwhelming. If you parents are willing to take on the effort and have you as a helper then it is a different ball game. But barring that, here is what I suggest you do, find someone in your area who is a good GSD trainer (the people on the board can help you with that) and ask those trainers if you can help them out as an assistant. (you don't need a dog to do that).That way you will get lots of first hand experience.

In the mean time, getting a family dog is a good idea, but you want a dog that fits your family. And it sounds like you need a dog that is calm in the house yet will still scare away the bad guys. For that, I recommend a Rhodesian Ridgeback. They are very calm in the house but they will also put fear into evil people, but they do need lots of obedience training. . It will also give you a good start to put a dog through obedience training. If you do it right, by the time you are ready to head out on your own you will be able to find a good GSD that fits your lifestyle and you will know exactly what you are getting into.

The last thing I will recommend is that you get your parents to take you to a NRA firearms safety course or a good hunter’s safety course. Because, no matter how you or your family feel about firearms, the safety that comes from the knowledge of how to properly handle, or NOT HANDLE, them is very important, because you never know when firearms will be injected into your world (as you have already seen),

Hope that helps

Thomas

I had a dog while I was in college, and yes it is hard and you are tied down. It's not much fun to walk the dog after one of those tequilla nights but it can be done. Not to mention going to work that way! As mentioned earlier, the expense has to be considered too. I would sometimes go without so my dog could eat well. ok, not go without, but eat less of the mac and cheese and romen noodles! It was great for my figure at least lol!
Anyway, having a large dog is nice for a single female college student.

I would suggest fostering as well. What happens when your dog bloats in the middle of the night and the vet won't even treat the dog without a $1,000 deposit, and you have to come up with $1,000 more before you can pick the dog up?

I was just approved to foster for russell rescue, and I can't wait. All I have to do is buy food. They cover vet bills and leashes and collars can be reused.

I agree with Lauren. Fostering is an excellent opportunity to "test drive" dogs and not be tied into a commitment at such a young age. The group I foster for provides everything, including the food, but I find myself picking up toys and goodies for the dogs so they will have something to take with them when they leave. The hard part of fostering is "letting go". I have found the reward to be ten-fold if you do your homework and find the best possible match for the dog. The last foster I adopted out went to a single lady who could give him all the attention he needed and deserved. He has blossomed into an absolutely wonderful boy and for me, it's a great feeling.