Content
- Basic German Shepherd Characteristics
- Advantages of Having a German Shepherd
- It has an ideal size
- He is a brilliant student
- It is one of the smartest dogs
- It's a very active dog
- It's a dog to feel safe
- is one of the most loyal dogs
- Disadvantages of having a German Shepherd
- Can I have a German Shepherd in an apartment?
Without a doubt, the German Shepherd is one of the most famous dogs in the world. His excellent abilities allow him, in addition to being a good companion dog, to participate in police and assistance work. In this article by PeritoAnimal we will explain the advantages of having a German Shepherd at home, whether pure or mixed and regardless of age, as there are many advantages in adopting adult and elderly specimens.
If you're thinking about adopting a dog with these characteristics and want to find out if it's right for you, find out below the advantages of having a german shepherd and if he is your ideal companion. If you already live with one, leave a comment with the reasons that led you to adopt it!
Basic German Shepherd Characteristics
To understand the advantages of having a german shepherd as a companion, the first thing to do is to know the basic characteristics of this breed. Furthermore, it should be known that no matter what qualities a dog has, if they are not in accordance with our living conditions will not really be advantages. For example, the German Shepherd is very intelligent, but if we don't have time to encourage him, his intelligence will not be an advantage, but a problem, because frustration and boredom will end up affecting the coexistence.
Moving on to its characteristics, as its name indicates, this breed comes from Germany. In the beginning, it was dedicated to the herding of sheep, but soon it diversified to the performance of military, police, security, assistance, and company work.
They are dogs with a life expectancy that ranges between 12 and 13 years old, weigh between 34 and 43 kg and measure between 55 and 66 cm to the withers. Therefore, they are large. They have adapted perfectly to city life, although they have no problems if they have to live in the countryside. They are good guardians and excellent obedience students, as well as very active animals that display great energy.
Although the best known is the reddish and sandy German Shepherd, there are a lot of shades, including whites, with long or short fur. In any case, they all share a wolf aspect with the long muzzle, smart look and prickly ears that convey an expression of permanent alertness.
As a particularity, German Shepherd females are able to give birth to large litters. It is very important to keep the puppy with his family for a minimum period of eight weeks and we are concerned about providing them socialization and education from the first moment to avoid behavior problems that can become serious because it is a pet. large size.
Advantages of Having a German Shepherd
After knowing the main characteristics that can bring us closer to the possible advantages of adopting this dog, let's see below the advantages of having a German Shepherd.
It has an ideal size
Leaving aside its beauty, as this is a matter of taste, among the advantages of having a German Shepherd, we highlight, first of all, its size, neither too big nor too small. This allows people who do not like very large dogs to have one and it is not impossible to take care of it and even house it in an apartment.
The expenses, although high, as many are associated with the size of the dog, are not disproportionate. Furthermore, it is necessary to take into account that a large dog such as a German Shepherd or its crosses, especially when they are of a certain age, can remain perfectly calm at home, without needing large spaces.
He is a brilliant student
It's possible that the first advantage of having a German Shepherd come to mind is yours. great ability to learn. It's true, but you must know that it's a double-edged sword. In other words, the interest in learning makes the dog need to constant stimulation. Without it, he could become frustrated and the result would translate into behavioral problems. It's important to insist that puppies have the ability to learn throughout their lives, so there's no problem adopting a German Shepherd or any of his crosses as an adult or an elderly person.
Find out in this other article how to train a German Shepherd.
It is one of the smartest dogs
Related to the previous point, the German Shepherd is a working dog with great intelligence. Even, according to the list drawn up by psychologist Stanley Coren in the 1990s, the German Shepherd occupies a prominent third place out of a total of 79. This list measures, from highest to lowest, the dog's ability to learn orders, in how many repetitions it can do so and with what probability you obey them.
It's a very active dog
High activity is considered one of the advantages of having a German Shepherd at home whenever your life is active. This canine breed will need, in addition to the mental stimulation mentioned above, physical stimulation. Therefore, is an ideal breed to spend time playing together, to travel through nature and sports activities in which we can also introduce physical and mental stimuli, such as agility.
If we are not very active, but would love to live with a German shepherd, we always have the option of adopting one of advanced age. He will retain all his qualities but will need less physical activity.
It's a dog to feel safe
The German Shepherd is reputed to good guardian and as such it has served throughout its history, but we have to know that in order for the dog to carry out defense activities it has to be trained by professionals for this.
We highlight your role protector as an advantage of having a German shepherd because his company gives us security. Furthermore, they are dogs that are characterized by their loyalty to their family and, when well bred and educated, by their balanced personality. All these qualities, plus your alert attitude and size, give us a sense of security in your company.
is one of the most loyal dogs
Precisely due to its protective instinct, it is one of the most popular canine breeds. faithful and loyal to your family. This loyalty can lead them to want to defend their group above all and, above all, to create a strong bond with all its members.
Disadvantages of having a German Shepherd
More than talking about "disadvantages", we have to refer to features that don't fit with our lifestyle. Precisely the same reasons for having a German Shepherd as outlined above can result in a reason for us not to adopt one. For example, as we were saying, if we are not active people, maybe adopting a puppy or young German shepherd is not the best option, but an elderly one.
The German Shepherd is an active dog who loves to play. need to receive mental and physical stimulation to keep yourself balanced and healthy, so it is essential that we are able to cover these needs. If we consider that we are not going to be able to do it, the characteristics of the breed can become a disadvantage for us.
On the other hand, unfortunately, indiscriminate reproduction has given way to individuals with physical and mental health problems. The famous hip dysplasia and also gastrointestinal and eye disorders, exaggerated nervousness, shyness, phobias and aggressiveness are some of them. On the contrary, a good German Shepherd will be a balanced and obedient dog.
Can I have a German Shepherd in an apartment?
Living in an apartment is not a disadvantage to owning a German Shepherd, as this dog breed adapts perfectly to any space or situation, as long as all your needs are covered. Therefore, if we can offer you the mental and physical exercise you need, we socialize you correctly, we give you a good education based on positive reinforcement, we dedicate time and care to you. a German Shepherd can live in an apartment without any problems.
If you want to read more articles similar to Advantages of Having a German Shepherd, we recommend that you enter our What You Need to Know section.