Owning & Living with a German Shepherd

When considering a German Shepherd joining your family there are a few things to consider.

 

Where will your dog live, will it live inside or will it live outside in a kennel. If you are looking for a kennel dog who isn't welcome inside your home, our dogs are not right for you. 

 

How much time do you have to dedicate to your dog. Will your dog be with you and the family most of the time or would work and family circumstances mean that your dog would be alone regularly for several hours.  

 

How much exercise are you willing to give your dog. Whilst the demands of exercise are low as puppies, German Shepherds grow at an astonishing rate. By the time your dog is 6 months old expect to have a 40-50lb dog who will need 20-30 minutes of exercise two to three times a day.  By the time it is 2 and a half years old it will be needing two hours a day. German Shepherds are large, strong, athletic and agile dogs who do not do well if they do not get sufficient age appropriate physical exercise. They are also very intelligent, so mental stimulation is crucial. If you don’t give them things to work their brain, they will create their own exercise with whatever they find in your house.

 

How prepared and willing are you to put the work in to train your dog. German Shepherds have active minds and are keen to learn. They thrive when there is structure, a stimulating routine, consistency, clarity and kindness. Left to their own devices to use that huge intelligence and they will most likely find ways to amuse themselves.  This can be destructive and mischievous. However, set clear and consistent boundaries, stimulate their minds, build a relationship based on mutual respect and trust and you will have the most loyal, emotionally intelligent companion possible. 

 

Have you thought realistically about the cost of owning a German Shepherd?  German Shepherds are large dogs, a healthy diet, proactive health care and regular exercise and training are essential. 

 

Unless you are an extremely experienced owner who has trained many German Shepherds you are probably going to need to access a trainer.  This may be within a class or maybe one to one. You may be used to other breeds but as many first time German Shepherd owners have said “these are different” 

 

We would always recommend pet insurance and you can expect most reasonable levels of cover to cost between £40 and £60 a month. Insurance costs usually increase as the dog gets older.

 

Feeding. Correct nutrition is essential for developing German Shepherds.  Under or over feeding can result in a range of health issues.   We recommend a RAW diet or a high quality dried food. Durham Animal Feed have a range of excellent products and Royal Canine produce a dried food designed specifically for German Shepherd puppies. By the time your puppy is just 5 months old, you can expect to be feeding 500g of raw meet twice a day, plus two raw chicken wings and a hard boiled egg every day. So expect to budget approximately £3:50 a day. 

 

There will also be some initial essential equipment that you will need. Whilst these are not all individually expensive, costs add up. The following list is not exhaustive but is the minimal things we would recommend that you have ready for when your new dog arrives. 

 

- Crate 

- Leash

- Collar

- Water bowl

- Food bowl 

- A few age appropriate toys.

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Finally, what will you do with your dog when you are away on holiday.  Will they go with you or will you need to plan on boarding them.  If you have a Mascani dog from us then we encourage you to bring them back to stay with us.

 

How much space do you have in your house and how easy is access to outdoor space. Whilst German Shepherds can and have lived in flats and apartments, the reality is that these are large dogs that require regular access to outdoors. 

 

Finally what is your home environment like and is this suited to a large working breed. German Shepherds make amazing loyal family pets.  That said, a dog’s behaviour will frequently reflect its environment.  A household that is frantic, loud, noisy and boisterous will quite likely be mimicked by your dog.