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Saturday, September 15th 2007

9:12 PM

To Save Your Dog & Family Please Read This.

If you want to see true happiness just look at the face of a child when they hold their new German Shepherd puppy in their arms for the first time. But that can also be the start of the worst time in your life if you picked the wrong puppy.

Can you see yourself walking into a car dealership and announcing you want a car. Well that's makes about as much sense as going to a German Shepherd breeder any saying I want a German Shepherd. Like cars there many different types of German Shepherds you may see them here: http://www.shawlein.com/The_Standard/13_Breed_Type/Breed_Types.html

What you should first learn is the The term temperament it refers to a dog's general demeanor. In general, it's much easier to predict a pure bred dog's temperament than that of a mixed breed.

As with size, the general temperament of any  purebred German Shepherd dog is usually well known to breeders and veterinarians. Some terms used to describe dog temperaments include: aloof, loyal, dominant, aggressive, independent, gentle, intense. However, as with people, dogs can be quite individual!

If you do have your heart set on getting a puppy, here are a few tips on how to pick one from a litter.

1. Confident?

    * Try and call the puppy to you by kneeling down, clapping gently and calling to him.

      A confident puppy will come readily, tail up and attempt to play with your hands.

2. Independent?

    * Stand up and walk away from the pup in a normal manner. Make sure the pup sees you walk away.

      Not following indicates independence, which may make training difficult later on.

3. Dominant or Submissive?

    * Crouch down and gently roll the pup on his back and hold it with one hand for a full 30 seconds. Fierce resistance, such as flailing and crying out indicates difficulty with submission Let pup stand up and gently stroke him from the head to back while you crouch beside him. Continue stroking until a recognizable behavior is established.

      The pup may try to dominate by jumping, nipping or growling, or may accept your dominance by cuddling up and trying to lick you.

    * Bend over and cradle the pup under its belly, fingers interlaced, palms up and elevate just off the ground. Hold it there for 30 seconds.

      Again, fierce struggling and growling are indications that the dog has a tendency to be dominant, and little or no struggle indicates submission.

Dominant dogs may have aggressive tendencies, both with people and other dogs. They do not make good pets for children or the elderly. There could be difficulties teaching the dog "its place" in the social order of your household. These dogs should only be considered by someone who has experience with dominant dogs.

Pups that submit readily and avoid eye contact may be overly submissive and aren't a good choice for a first-time dog owner. They will need special handling to build confidence and bring them out of their shells. These pups do not adapt well to change. They do best in very structured environment. They are usually safe around children but may bite if severely stressed.

Ideally, pups should struggle a bit, and then settle with some eye contact.

4. Retriever?

    * Crouch beside pup and attract its attention with crumpled up paper ball. When the pup shows interest and is watching, toss the object 1 to 2 meters in front of pup.

      There is a high correlation between ability to retrieve and willingness to work with a human.

5. Sensitive?

    * Take puppy's webbing of one front foot and press between finger and thumb lightly, then more firmly till you get a response, while you count slowly to 10. Stop as soon as puppy pulls away or shows discomfort.

      If the puppy starts squirming in less than a 3-4 seconds, it is very sensitive to touch. If you're looking for a "snuggle-bunny", this may not be the right dog for you.

    * Make a sharp noise a few feet from the puppy.

      Cringing and/or attempting to hide may indicate the puppy is shy. If the puppy ignores the sound, he may have a hearing problem. Ideally, the pup will try and locate the sound and show some curiosity about it.

    * Place pup in centre of room. Tie a string around a large towel and jerk it across the floor a few feet away from the puppy.

      Running away and hiding is not a good sign!

It requires a great deal of extra work to help a "spooky" dog adapt to new situations or sudden changes. Some dogs can become very aggressive if they are frightened, so delicate handling will be required to prevent this from happening.


Dogs are pack animals, and each pack needs a leader.  Someone who establishes and enforces the rules. With any dog it's important that YOU, the human, assume the role of leader. If you aren't willing to be the leader, breeds that are dominant in temperament are more that willing to step into that position of leadership. As a matter of fact, dogs from dominant breeds will often challenge your position as leader, and try to "move up the chain" by challenging your spouse and children for their places within the pack.   

If you see that your favorite breed of dog is dominant and you have children living in your home under the age of 8-10, wait until your children are older to get this breed. You also must consider your children's temperament. The best owners for dominant breeds are confident leaders. "My house, my rules" or "Because I'm the mom/dad, and I said so" are their mottos. If your children share this strength and ability, then the dominant breed may indeed be the breed for you. If a timid or tender gene has slipped through the gene pool to one of your offspring, you'll want to consider getting a breed with a less dominant temperament. You can not have your dog thinking he/she ranks higher than any human member of your pack.


A dog's world is built based on a pack identity.  Wolves in the wild can not survive alone, they must live together in a pack.  Within the pack there is one leader, and below him the pack has an ordered hierarchy.  Dogs are very comfortable with this arrangement.  In a dog's mind, the world is full of leaders and followers. Fido knows that if you aren't the leader, then it's up to him to define the rules.  This is the basis of most dog/owner problems.  

Dogs don't need self-help books. The dominant dog does not seek to be more submissive and vice versa.  If you don't exert your authority over your dog, he won't wring his paws and worry about how to not hurt your feelings.  He'll take charge.  This is why choosing the correct dog is so important

If you would like to see what true German Shepherds use to look like check this out http://www.asuperiorgsd.com/p2p.html

www.ASuperiorGSD.com
Lane's House Of Shepherds
Large German Shepherds Intelligent, Noble,
Dignified, Sensitive, Loyal. Sound in mind and body.
LanesShepherds@Gmail.com

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