Love them dogs

[Gman]

This was our first GSD. Just really always wanted one. I'm no expert at all, but if you've never had one--here are a few things I'd mention.

(1) Plan on getting a really good vacuum . . . they shed like absolute mad. It's never ending.

(2) The pups often go through a "land shark" period . . . they chew on EVERYTHING. Furniture, shoes . . . you. Try to redirect them to specific toys and train them on "no" or "off" or whatever. Seems like our just stopped chewing as fast as he started. But we had heard they did that and sure enough, he did. He destroyed all sorts of stuff.

(3) Be sure to get into some decent training and execise them. They are wicked smart and like to work.

This is not my first GSD. The wife and I both grew up with them.

We have a good vacuum, but I've found that regularly brushing them mitigates a lot of it, most frequently in the spring when they lose their winter undercoat. The back of the back legs can yield an amazing amount of fur.

Yeah, puppies have needle like teeth and will chew on pretty much anything available. The trick is limiting what's 'available' by putting things away and limiting their environment early on. It's also good to teach them while they're still young what is or isn't an appropriate level of biting force when they're interacting with you. Also directing their focus to what is there for them to specifically chew on and away from what they're not.

They're smart dogs, bred to interact with humans, and it's really not too difficult to get them to understand what you want from them if you're consistent in your direction. I teach them to fetch early on. It allows me to work the dog without wearing me out. I'm not sure what it is about me, but my dogs understand me. It gets to the point that I can just give them a look, or a look and a point, and they know what I want from them. GSDs are whores for positive attention. I find they want to please their humans.

They're also understanding of their 'pack'/family unit. They seem to be instinctively protective, so it's important to train them to where introductions with friends and neighbors are understood to be accepted as not a threat. This is also related to barking when someone is at the front door. Once we've acknowledged that someone is there, stop barking. If we haven't acknowledged (like if we're not home), feel free to keep barking. That's called the K9 home security system.

My wife says that this is my dog and she wants to get one a little later. I hate to tell her this, but they'll both probably end up being 'my dog'.

Buffalobo, that's a funny comment about weaponizing Corgi cuteness.