How I love my 6yr old german shephard dog!!

His name is Basil,born in January,he stands about 4ft high,and weighs about 8-9 stone. He is medium long haired,big boned and absolutely of pure breed,with a wonderful temperament and great with children.
Who ever tells you that the german Shepherd is vicious,is not true of more than most,and certainly not Basil!
READ MY LIPS...they are not vicious.
And never buy without the pedigree chart,insurance,vet checks,etc.

If you raise the shepherd well,with respect,care,love,kindness,firm discipline and teach it from day one that YOU are the Boss and number 1 in the pack,not them,you cannot go wrong.

Walks are a must for supple joints and fit weight.
When considering all the pros and cons,shop around before buying.
Go to a reputable breeder.
Always see the parents.
Check the hip score (a test only a qualified vet can do.This is expensive,but worth it,as it'll save you vet bills and heart ache later on.
The german shepherd can be prone to hip dysplasia,a condition due to their frame and the way they have been bred-such a large dog with narrowed hips puts a strain on them.
It is common for the pup to suffer from strained joints/muscles whilst still growing,but the condition almost always rights itself as they grow older.
Basil loves football-provide plenty!!

But Don't let that put you off.

yes,they were originally bred as hunters,both in water and dry land.They protected crops and valuables with their life,and they are excellent swimmers.And as we know can be trained agility tests,and physically strong.
They make excellent guard dogs,sniffer dogs,police dogs,even some are suitably trained to be assistant helpers,guide dogs for the blind, for example,and their bold fearlessness would put off any unwanted criminal!
And yet- they are equally at home in the family as a pet- both gentle,easy going,and not at all snappy,my 3 children adore him. Basil is as his name sounds,gentle,loyal,obediant and very very similar to basil brush!!
When Basil was a pup he was shy,yet the largest of the litter. His coat was nearly all black,with grey fluff this is the under coat which is completely water proof.
Today, Basil is a beautiful mixture of sable,black,tan,and white under belly and hocks. Because his fur is so thick,and qute long,it is important to brush regularly,as he moults in all seasons which is the only drawback,but I can tell you,he more than makes up for this in temperament.
The true proper German Shephard should never be agressive,or vicious.Highly sensitive,intelligent,protective,and very easy going and loyal is Basil's middle name. He loves children particularly,and on the daily school walk with my 9yr old son,is greeted and welcomed by children and adults alike.
They love to play and chase together-despite his size,which if you don't know him,can be quite scary,but one wag of his tail,ears sympathetically cocked with his head tilted to one side,and a big fat kiss from his tongue(and I swear he can wink!) and people warm to him, instantly.

Because he is easy going such an old charmer,with soft intelligent brown eyes, and a gentle nature,the local cats take advantage-hissing and scratching him on the nose -and they get away with it,Basil actually cries and cowers if one certain tom cat doesn't want to play and lashes out with his sharp claws.
so you can see-there is no agression there.
I have know Basil to protect a toddler from veering too close to the kerb and on comming traffic,by stepping in front and gently nudging her away from the edge of the kerb.

HERE ARE A FEW DO'S AND DONT'S FOR A SUCCESSFUL DOG.

1. teach the german shepherd who is boss from day 1.
2. give lots of praise and reward when obediant.
3.Teach and train your shepherd from a tiny pup.(we managed to complete his toilet training within a week. He was so eager to learn and to please! by far one of the most intelligent of breeds!)
4.Socialise your pup properly,get him used to different things,and people from an early age.
5. At least 1-2 mile walks a day.They need plenty to stimulate,toys,some company in the day time etc.
6.teach your dog to walk to heel on,and off the lead.
then teach him to sit,stay,stand,run,toilet on command,yes,they are perfectly capable of this!(how I detest dogs that haven't been trained to do his poo on the grass/under a bush/ as opposed to the middle of the pavement.Not only filthy,and horrible but dangerous too) and please-always clear up after your dog.
7.Do not overfeed you pet.Obesity can be life threatning,and is cruel.
8.Bath,Brush and check his ears,eyes,trimm claws etc.
9.Find a good vet,and stick to it!
10. De-worm,De-flea and yearly injections regularly! Frontline is the best de-flea treatment you can get from any good vets.
11.Teach your pup to allow food to be taken away for a moment,to wait to be non agressive with their bowels and belongings,by putting your hands in the bowl and training the dog not to growl or snap possesively.I have seen quite mild labrodors bite and growl when their food has been touched or bowls taken away-it is quite possible for the german shepherd to be trained by reward and praise method when they have been good,and patient.
12.never leave your dog in a sweltering hot car for any length of time,and if you are feeding him,remember the golden rule with the complete dry food-plenty of fresh water,at least 1ltr.per day.more in summer.
13. Remember- a dog is for life!

Other helpful info:

german shepherds tend to have delicate digestions at times. Do not over feed/scraps. As a pup,Basil used to be quite sick/flatulant/gas,diarrhoea at times-take heart,introduce different foods gradually,over time. Try complete Dry food,as opposed to canned/sloppy/oily base.
Rice,is good to clear up diarrohea,and use charcoal sticks for fresh breath,wind,etc.
Remember,Diarrohea is something most pups grow out of,so don't despair!

At present,pedigree chum complete dry food is on special offer at 25% extra for a 15kg. bag.

Now for the price of the Dog;

6 yrs ago,when we bought Basil,he cost us £300. A good breed 6 yrs ago, varied from £320-600 back then.
Now, it is not much more than that,depending on pedigree,parents,lineage etc. anything between £350-600.would be about the mark.
Personally,word of mouth is much better. I don't like puppy breeding farms for this reason.
Basil was bought from a tiny,private breeder whose attitude was you had to be vetted carefully before buying-not the other way round!

Lastly,if still in doubt,just ask any german shepherd owner,-watch the dog,observe,and you will find the love,loyalty,pleasure and intelligence they offer worth every penny of your devotion.
Basil has taught me much.
He is a true friend.
Please let me know if you have further questions,I'll do my best to help.