[nagdu] German Shepherds

Shanna Stichler slstich at gmail.com
Thu Nov 27 10:20:25 UTC 2014


Yeah, my current Shepherd is a picky eater, which is annoying. She also 
has some digestive troubles, although she does not have EPI, thank 
heavens. I actually can't figure out what the deal is with her stomach, 
but my best guess is that it's some sort of food allergy because all 
physical testing and such has been absolutely normal. Diamond's health 
has really not affected her work at all, so while I certainly want to 
get things figured out for her as soon as I can, I plan to keep working 
her as long as possible.

That said, all the other Shepherds I've owned have been incredibly 
food-motivated and didn't have any digestive troubles unless they ate 
things they shouldn't have.
On 11/26/2014 10:18 PM, Nicole Torcolini via nagdu wrote:
> I have never had a German Shepherd, but I know several people who have or
> have had German Shepherds . My observations of the breed match what has
> already been said. In addition to digestive problems, they seem to be more
> susceptible to hip and back problems. German Shepherds seem to be more
> likely to develop aggression problems, both in general and as a result of
> becoming over protective of their handlers. Also, German Shepherds seem to
> get stressed out more easily and not eat. Finally, German Shepherds seem to
> retire earlier than other breeds, sometimes from back problems.
>
> Nicole
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tracy Carcione
> via nagdu
> Sent: Wednesday, November 26, 2014 6:25 AM
> To: Joe; NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] German Shepherds
>
> Hi Joe.
> It's been my observation that shepherds seem to have more health problems
> than retrievers, most often digestive problems.  Your results may vary, of
> course, and people find ways to deal, usually by experimenting until they
> find the right food.
>
> Some people say that shepherds have an internal executive committe that
> checks any command to see if they agree it's a good idea, then act
> accordingly.  Other people say shepherds are always ready to push the
> envelope and see if a rule applies to them in this situation.
> I've had labs that do that, too.
> I've had a lab who is shepherd-like, and a lab who was golden-like, so who
> knows what any particular dog's personality will be?
> I wouldn't call a lab gait especially smooth, until one gets used to it.  My
> last lab had a nice trot.  My current cross has a kind of lunge step gait,
> which is rather odd, but I'm getting used to it.
>
> My recent TSE class had a number of shepherds in it.  One was dropped
> partway through for becoming excessively protective, but the others were
> very nice.  Some of my classmates were going from a shepherd to a lab, and
> others from a lab to a shepherd, and they all seemed happy with what they
> got.
> HTH.
> Tracy
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Joe via nagdu" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> To: <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, November 25, 2014 9:11 PM
> Subject: [nagdu] German Shepherds
>
>
>> Hi, I'm curious about people's experiences with German shepherd guide
>> dogs.
>> That may sound like a strange question coming from someone with experience
>> with the breed, but as I consider returning for a second guide dog, I'm
>> giving some thought to breed preferences. Mine was something of a handful,
>> but his work ethic was outstanding. I'm curious to see if my experience
>> can
>> be duplicated somewhere else. I don't want to express interest in a
>> specific
>> breed based on my old dog's personality when perhaps the same
>> characteristics could be found in another breed. Personally, I loved the
>> smooth gait and serious persona. Yet, a few people claim they found their
>> shepherds to be too delicate. Anyway, I hope the question makes sense. All
>> thoughts welcomed. Appreciate it in advance.
>>
>> Joe
>>
>> --
>> Musings of a Work in Progress:
>> www.JoeOrozco.com/
>>
>> Twitter: @ScribblingJoe
>>
>>
>>
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>
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