r/GermanShepherd

My little lady just turned 6 years old and is showing signs of either hip stiffness or possibly arthritis. We were told she does not have hip dysplasia but will look into getting a second opinion just in case.

I give her a can of sardines (in oil) every night so she gets healthy omega-3s in hopes that will help. We do have a large fenced in yard and she plays with our other pup often (He is a 6yo Shepsky). We try to do 20-30 minute walks every night but have two babies under two so that doesn’t always work.

What else can I do to ensure she has healthy hips for many years to come? More consistent exercise? Any foods or supplements that are proven to work? Any tips are greatly appreciated.

Hi!
I’m planning on getting a german shepherd in the future for when i get my health together. this is going to be my first ever dog but i have experience with several dog breeds since im a dog trainer and i’ve worked at shelters, doggy day care and groomers. i’m going to be training my dog and doing stuff like bite work, nose work and maybe some agility, i’m not going to have my dog in a crate (it’s illegal in my country) and before i even get a dog i will be making a training plan for what i want to train my dog in.
so for years now i’ve been wanting a german shepherd and i feel like my life is heading in the right direction for me to get a dog and i know most things about what this particular dog breed needs but i would appreciate getting insight from german shepherd owners so i have a few questions
i will be of course getting a healthy dog i don’t care about the look of the dog only the health and mentally!

1. should i get a male or female dog
2. bite work how dose it work and how to start
3. long haired or short haired what is best for a beginner
4. best types of toys to get?
5. i’ve thought about muzzle training early on if it’s needed in the future
6. thanks in advance for your answers!

Hi everyone. I have a 12 year old senior shepherd (the love of my life!). Recently, she’s started having accidents in the house. I took her to the vet for it about a month ago, and even though they did not see any bacteria or white blood cells on her urinalysis they treated her for a UTI. This led to fecal incontinence that eventually cleared up with extra medication and the accidents in the house stopped for about a month. Now, they’ve started back up again (minus fecal incontinence). Queue a very expensive vet visit later, and x-rays show no signs of stones, urinalysis is still completely clear, and they did not perform blood work because she had just had some in March that was totally clear (this began in April). The doctor sent her home with some incontinence meds which she’s been on for about 5 days now, and we thought maybe we were in the clear, but she’s just had another accident. Any ideas of what could be going on?
Important to note: I was not sold on the idea that it was urinary incontinence because she is aware of the fact that she is peeing. She’s not waking up wet, and there are no wet spots when she gets up from the couch/floor. She does appear to be drinking/peeing more but they don’t believe it to be related to diabetes since her previous blood work did not have any indicators for that.
I’m at a loss and hopefully want some ideas to bring up to the vet at her next appointment. Thank you in advance.

By “crap” I mean literally crap and non-food items. My 7mo floof is pretty good and trains well, however, she is still a puppy. It’s really only soft fabric items. I’m very glad she doesn’t eat or mess with furniture, but I am distressed over her getting a blockage. I didn’t notice she ate a sock the first time until she passed it and tried to eat it again… she would nab my microfiber towels off the counter so I gave her one to shred. She never tried to swallow it, got over that and doesn’t care for hanging dish towels, but SOCKS and clean undies are an issue. She’s passed three socks and a pair of undies. Again, I didn’t notice, she didn’t make a sound, tummy was soft, still peed and pooped normally and handled it like a tank.

She has a variety of toys and it’s getting better but I pulled my toddlers socks out of her throat today. Socks are not allowed in common areas and she is not allowed in our carpeted bedrooms yet. I do my best in monitoring and missed my daughter taking her socks off for <5min.
She also eats her poop. It’s only when she has an accident inside and not outside so I’m thinking she’s “cleaning”?? She eats Blue Buffalo puppy kibble with occasional add-ins like berries, spinach etc so I don’t think it’s diet related.

Do they age out of this?

Hello! I have a 6 month old and he won’t stop swallowing parts of his blankets and his soft toys. I’ve already gone ahead and tossed anything that has a chunk missing, and I’ve taken his blankets out of his crate so he doesn’t currently have access to them. I’m needing some advice on what to do to either get him to stop or to find stronger replacements.

Hi! For background, I recently adopted a mixed breed puppy from a rescue and got her DNA results recently- two of her main breeds are German Shepherd and Australian Cattle Dog. (But she also has things like Belgian Malinois and Great Pyreneese).

We take her to Dog training classes, puppy playsessions supervised by the dog trainers, and separate 2 hour train and learn group sessions with dog trainers -- all three of these weekly. We also work on training every day and take her on walks and play fetch and tug with her. All meals are fed through stimulating toys. One meal every day is fed by sprinkling kibble on our lawn so she can practice sniffing (store bought snuffle mats too easy). We try to get her out and about for socialization every day, especially on weekends. Have also focused on teaching place commands. She came to us already a pro at leave it and with very good bite inhibition -I assume her foster worked on that.

She and the training have been great. She has very very good focus, is highly biddable, and is quick to learn. Honestly has been a surprisingly easy and well behaved puppy.

But there's one issue the trainers haven't yet been able to guide me to a training solution for (everything else for every other issue has worked): how to get my puppy to stop herding my kid's stroller on walks.

They told us to work on loose leash walking and heel training without the stroller and we have and she was an insta-champ. Without the stroller, she is a loose leash walking dream, walking nicely beside me and basically never pulling. But re introduce the stroller, and she keeps doing a pit maneuver. She doesn't herd my kid. Just the stroller. But it's like some instinct takes over -- I see it in her eyes, they look like they're in a trance-- and she can't help herself.

Is there a specific training exercise you would recommend?

We live in the suburbs so there aren't any sheep to herd in her future.

Hi all! My lovely girl Zoey is 10 now. She’s definitely showing signs of being an old lady. The most annoying thing is her hair. We’ve always had the shedding and the coat blowing, but this year is different. Her shed is very inconsistent and the fur is very straw-like. Obviously I’m bothered by the extra vacuuming, but now I’m more curious if this is an indicator of more serious health issues. Other than a little limp, she’s very healthy. Is this typical aging or do I need to look into something else?

Our puppy?-15 months old- has become fixated with squirrels and chipmunks. We have a large fenced in yard, and within our yard is a bird feeder. Our dog is obsessed with the squirrels/ chippers. Fine if she's outside. However, when she's inside, she sits at our slider and waits....when she sees one, she goes insane and jumps up on the sliding glass door. Her mind goes blank, she listens to no one. Husband lets her out so she can chase them. But my goodness this can't continue! What can I do?? The other thing is that she won't stay outside alone...she wants us outside with her. We do this, but there are things that we have to do other than be on dog/ squirrel patrol! Please advise....🤔

This is penny, the gsd, she belongs to my aunt, my aunt works all the time or is on vacation, Penny’s message to you is, don’t get a dog like her or a dog at all if you cannot give her the attention and training she needs, penny loves her mom so much, but unfortunately, when my aunt comes home, she barely looks at her, sits in the couch and looks at her phone as penny stares at her waiting for cuddles, which barely ever happens, if at all, for two seconds, she gets so depressed when her mom is away and stares at the door waiting and whining, I live with my aunt so I can make sure she is fed and gets lots of cuddles, grooming, and some training, I also gave her a soccer ball which she takes to her “room” crate as her own toy, she dosnt have any other toys, of which I will fix that problem soon, but what I do for her is not sufficient because she loves her mom most, and she knows I am not her mom, I can play with her, train, and cuddle her but that doesn’t replace the person she loves absolutely most in the whole wide world, who hardly ever looks at her, I even gave penny her own YouTube channel of which I post videos showing the world how cute penny is, which her mom never gets to see or experience, because the lifestyles and personality’s don’t match, penny is probably as emotionally intelligent as a toddler, she is very often sad, she laid her head on my moms lap after she( Penny) went into a emotional breakdown after her mom went to get a cooler from outside, please don’t get a dog if you cannot give it appropriate attention and love, my life personality will probably not fit a dog this I probably will not get one in the future because of it, a message from penny and me,

Ghost is a 2.5‑year‑old, 112‑lb neutered male German Shepherd, fully vaccinated, crate trained, and exceptionally intelligent. He completed a 3‑week board‑and‑train program as a puppy and has a solid obedience foundation. He is not destructive, free‑roams comfortably when left alone, and also settles well in his crate.

He is deeply bonded to his people and thrives with structure, routine, and clear expectations. Like many working‑line shepherds, he takes his role as protector seriously and forms strong attachments.

Ghost does require an experienced handler who understands large working breeds and is comfortable managing reactivity. He has shown resource‑guarding tendencies around food, which are well managed through established routines; he eats all meals in his crate without issue.

When he was a little over a year old, we had an incident during at‑home grooming where we accidentally nicked his neck. Startled and in pain, he bit my husband’s hand, resulting in a few stitches. Since then, he can be anxious with handling around his neck, though we have a calm routine for putting his collar on and off that works well.

Following that incident, our son developed a fear of Ghost and now will not be in the same space with him. We have spent the past year trying to rebuild his comfort, but it has not improved. This has created a stressful environment for both our family and the dog, and it has become clear that Ghost would thrive in a home without children.

Because of these behaviors, we believe Ghost would be most successful in an adult‑only home with an experienced owner who can continue providing the consistency and management he needs. He does best in calm, predictable environments and becomes anxious around small children.

Ghost is not the right fit for every home, but for the right person, he has so much to offer. He is devoted, intelligent, eager to learn, and forms incredibly strong bonds with the people he trusts. Our priority is full transparency so he can be placed somewhere he will be safe, understood, and set up for long‑term success.

This is an incredibly difficult decision for our family. We love him deeply and want to ensure he finds an environment that truly matches his needs and gives him the best opportunity to thrive. Currently located in Chicago IL

We have a bit of a unique pack dynamic going on, and I’m curious if anyone else has experienced something similar.
We have an 8-year-old female GSD who has recently become increasingly aggressive toward our 13-year-old terrier mix.

For context, we’ve always been a 3-dog household. Our terrier may be small, but he’s always been the pack leader. He’s confident, fair, and our GSD has always respected him.

A few months ago, we lost our male GSD, and our female was very bonded to him. Around the same time, our terrier was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and has understandably slowed down quite a bit.

About two months ago, we brought home a male Portuguese Water Dog puppy. Our female has been absolutely wonderful with him, but her behavior toward our terrier has changed dramatically. It seems like she’s challenging him more and more, almost as if she’s trying to take over now that he’s physically declining.

We’ve already contacted a trainer, and she’ll be going to a two-week board-and-train program because we want to address this before it gets any worse.

I’m mainly wondering if anyone has experienced a shift in pack dynamics like this when an older dog begins to decline or after the loss of another bonded dog. Did your GSD suddenly start challenging the older dog? Were you able to improve things?

Any advice or experiences would be greatly appreciated. We’re committed to doing what’s best for all three dogs and want to help our senior guy live out his remaining time as peacefully as possible.

Ok, so...i have a 4 year old female GSD. she definitely needs some training, and I'm in pickle. first, i think she is resource guarding; if my sister goes near my mom (my mom is her person, but im her owner) then my GSD will immediately go crazy, and try to prevent it..even to point of biting my sister. nothing lethal, but definitely like a warning. if I go near my mom, she does whimper and get antsy, but she does not bite me or anything remote. she's home a lot with my mom, but i do the feeding, taking care of her, grooming, etc. so to me, it makes sense cause my sister doesnt offer my GSD any value..again, just my opinion. if we do have anyone come over, I'm forced to put her in a crate, bc its like shes filled with rage and wants to kill them...no one wants to come over as much bc of it and it makes me sad.

second, is the barking at the windows, lunging at the windows when someone or something goes by, and trying to escape out the door when its opened. ive gotten shutter windows, have the tv loud when I'm gone, etc. when my mom is home for the day, its not bad at all. but when she leaves the house for walk, she is a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT DOG. attentive, doesnt go after people or dogs, good to walk.

so with those 2, i thought its got to be issues within the home, and not an outside thing. i know dogs can be territorial, so i looked into at home training..i was quoted about $1000! I'm still waiting to hear from others, but 1000 bucks?! come on man..

so what would you do? what have you done? is there anything new i can try besides youtube vids? would you pay the money for training? am i doing something wrong, or not enough? I'm just at a crossroad with all of it...and no, GETTING RID OF HER IS NOT AN OPTION.

Basically what the title says, she just refuses to eat her kibble any way you slice it. She gets plenty of exercise and play time and otherwise would be a great and healthy dog. We’ve switched up her kibble from Blue Buffalo to Purina Pro. We’ve tried to put broth and toppers in her bowl. We’ve done eggs and chicken, nothing seems to work to get her to eat the meal. It’s not as if she doesn’t go for any food, if it’s anything we are eating or treats she will gobble it up.

Now I will take blame as recently I had fed her chicken breast and steak as a treat, but it seems like now she won’t even touch her food holding out for something better.

Just curious if anyone has experienced this and what have you done to get them eating normally again.

Hi all, I have a 6 month old GSD mix puppy. I’ve never owned the breed before so I’m just wondering if there’s a way to mitigate the risk for hip issues later in his life? I know that it is a very prevalent thing for German shepherds. Any advice is helpful. Thanks!

I have a 5 year old female long haired german shepherd. We moved a year ago and she’s had issues with the potty ever since.

She was extremely hard to potty train as a puppy and was never super reliable. We potty trained with the bells on the door and if she hit those bells you had to put her out right away. Or she would yell and paw at you and that’s how you knew she needed to go out.

We moved to a place with no yard so I have to put her on a leash and walk to a park to put her out. We kept the bells and she no longer gives any cues. She won’t hit the bells. She won’t pat at you. She simply poops wherever she chooses. She has been crate trained and she will poop in the crate. I’ve taken her out of the crate to see if that was the problem, and she continues to use my house as a personal bathroom.

I work full time and I have a toddler and a husband who is gone for 5 days for work. I put her out three times a day, ensure she’s done her business and then I’m coming home to dog crap on the floor, waking up to dog crap on the floor. It’s a daily thing at this point.

We’ve switched her food to grain free and that hasn’t solved the problem. She has been to the vet and the vet said there was no issue health-wise that would be causing it. They suggested a behavioural therapist but I don’t have the time or the money for that.

Does anyone have any advise on how to get this to stop happening? I’m at my absolute wits end

I am getting a female pup in two weeks.she is 3.5 months old sable color.

This has been a long awaited dream for me .. I have spent years searching for a good breeder.

I am a planter in southern India I have quite a few acres of land where we plant rubber trees and other crops plus my house which is nearby it has it own compound as well.

Any advice in training especially potty training and obedience training? And generally your experience in owning a ddr gsd especially female

Thank you