Hi everyone, I suspect this has been asked plenty of times before but since I haven't found a definitive answer, I'm turning to you lot for some expert advice! ^^ For a few years now, I've wanted to get a Shepherd-type dog, specifically a German Shepherd. Now that I'm financially independent and in a stable position, I can finally afford to get one. I've recently moved into a ground-floor flat with a large garden; it's a three-bedroom flat where it's just me and my partner. However, as we're tenants, we have to follow building rules (which is totally fair). The rules state that we can't have 'Category 1 or 2' dogs, i.e., those classed as attack or guard dogs. I've looked online for the classification of a German Shepherd and I think I've understood that they're 'Category 3' (unrestricted). But I haven't found a full list of every breed and its category, so I'm still a bit unsure... So my question is: what category do Shepherds, and German Shepherds in particular, fall into? And would I be sticking to my tenancy agreement if I got one? Thanks in advance!!!
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Hi there,
It’s important not to confuse breed groups with legal "categories". Breed groups are simply sets of dogs with similar physical traits or jobs. The categories, on the other hand, were introduced in the late 90s to crack down on dog fighting and the ownership of certain breeds deemed dangerous. "Category 1" dogs are those that look like American Staffordshire Terriers, Tosas or Mastiffs but aren't registered with a pedigree body (like The Kennel Club). Owning one requires a special permit. "Category 2" dogs are pedigree American Staffies, Rottweilers or Tosas, as well as non-pedigree Rottweilers.
Since the German Shepherd isn't one of these breeds, it isn't "categorised". This means ownership isn't subject to the strict regulations in place for restricted breeds (such as mandatory neutering, registering them with the local council, and so on).
You are therefore perfectly free to adopt a German Shepherd, as long as you follow your own building's rules or tenancy agreement.
Before you commit, however, do think about how much time you can actually give them. GSDs are famous for needing a lot of exercise, but they also need plenty of mental stimulation—through games, learning new things and being challenged. Ask yourself if you’ll really have enough time to get them out and about. Nine hours is a long time to be left alone, especially for a young puppy. Could you manage to pop home at lunchtime, or perhaps ask a friend or your partner to drop by?
Best wishes,
Julie
From what I’ve seen locally, they are far from being easy dogs, regardless of their age. This is even with long daily outings (mostly just basic walks without fetch or any specific activities like agility or bikejoring—just long walks for at least three-quarters of them, easily over 2 hours a day). The "problems" that crop up most often are: a massive need for exercise and mental stimulation, constant barking, reactivity or aggression towards dogs or people (or both), and destructive behaviour. I get the impression that you see these "issues" much more frequently with them than with any other pastoral breed or other groups. Out of the 7 or 8 German Shepherds we’ve known in total, only one seemed sound. I’ve included him on the list, but he’s actually the one we know the least; we’ve only seen him three times and spoke to the owner from a distance. He’s a working dog (mountain search and rescue) and stays in "do not disturb" mode even when he’s off-duty. He seemed really settled, but all the others—aside from one owned by a retiree who is a bit calmer but still stands out compared to any other breed—are a real handful...
PS: I don't know a single soul who walks their dog for three hours every day; that just isn't a thing around here.
Whether it’s Huskies, all sorts of shepherds, terriers, or crossbreeds... most dogs get about an hour to an hour and a half on average, and often a bit more at the weekend.
But definitely not several hours every single day.
When you're out in the countryside with some doggy mates and plenty of scents to sniff, a lot can happen in an hour and a half.
I'm partly saying this with you in mind, as I know how much you love this breed.
Just because a dog can manage a hike for hours on end doesn't mean they need to be walking for hours every single day – that's all I'm getting at.
A walk lasting over an hour a day is actually plenty, especially when it’s a stimulating environment.
My girl might have much more stamina than a pure-bred flat-faced Boxer, but she’s perfectly happy with that routine.
If we’re out for a bit less time than usual, she’ll just make sure to burn off any extra energy by running around a bit more or playing...
Whereas if we head off on a really long hike, she’ll pace herself. Dogs learn how to manage their energy levels based on what’s on offer :-)
Not in terms of training time—I don't want to tar all GSDs with the same brush, but just looking at Orphée lol! Yeah, in my biased opinion, I reckon a GSD would actually take less training than she does...
Then again, is it just about walkies? Activity time, etc.? Because at the end of the day, I spend ages and ages with Orphée, but stamina plays a part too—for both the dog and for me. And yeah, to me, shepherds on a walk have way more stamina than Orphée, who's completely zonked after an hour or an hour and a half.
Time is also tied to energy, and that's just my take on it because I'm factoring in my own rest and recovery time too 😁
There you go, hon. I'll admit I'm definitely not being objective, and I haven't necessarily used the right words, so it's a good job you're here to point out the flaws in my logic that were missing from my earlier posts.
I've just read your last message and I think I'll try to pick the brains of some GSD owners if I run into any, just to adjust my perspective.
Yeah, I have a great time with my girl when I’ve got the time, but it’s just a bonus—it’s not strictly necessary, and definitely not every day, far from it.
To be honest, I’ll have a chat with other owners about it at some point, but for me, GSDs are still fairly easy dogs.
There are a few in my neighbourhood whose owners are between 55 and 70, and they don’t spend all their time constantly stimulating them.
They just go out for a regular long walk and that’s about it.
Yeah, but in my view, a GSD doesn't actually need any more time than a Boxer, to be honest.
That’s why I looked into it a bit; I was quite surprised by your take on things, when you said a GSD would take up 'way, way too much time' for you compared to Orphée.
Mind you, as for being out for 9 hours, of course that’s too long—as we’ve already said, that applies regardless of the breed, really.
You’re right, you can’t really tar all shepherds with the same brush, any more than you can with mastiff types—they’re all individuals...
Maybe I didn't explain myself very well, Lorna; I wasn't really trying to say whether a GSD or a Boxer is easy to live with or not. I was mainly talking about the time commitment.
Without wanting to lump them all together, an active dog with plenty of stamina will need more of your time—not just for walks and various activities, but also for training them to settle (depending on the individual dog, of course).
As for Molène, maybe that’s the terrier side of her 😉. In any case, everything you do with her is partly about meeting her basic needs (including burning off energy), but a lot of it is also stuff you do extra because you enjoy it and have the time.
I was just mentioning the basic requirements, as not everyone can necessarily go above and beyond that. Especially if they’re already away from home for 9 hours a day.
You know, for many breeds nowadays, it’s all relative because there are such massive disparities in breeding styles... I’ve got some lazy Huskies around here who are supposed to be proper sled dog stock, but my girl absolutely leaves them in the dust.
So I find it hard to think in terms of a breed as an absolute. Not all German Shepherds are created equal, and the same goes for many breeds these days.
As for stamina, my girl has plenty of it, yet she’s still very easy-going (the two aren’t mutually exclusive).
My trainer has always mostly had GSDs; he came over to the farm with three of them, and those dogs are so zen and settled. They aren’t constantly wired; they potter about quietly, they aren't pushy, and they aren't always on the lookout for a ball or some kind of activity.
Since we’re talking about "shepherds" here: on one hand, there are so many different types, and a GSD doesn't give off the same energy at all as a Malinois, who doesn't give off the same vibe as a White Swiss Shepherd, who doesn't feel the same as an Aussie, and so on. So you can't really establish a "typical" shepherd profile.
On the other hand, you also have to be aware of the "extreme R+ mania" movement which is very prominent (overwhelming, even) at the moment, and it has quite an impact on the relationship many new owners build with their dogs.
If you take a shepherd (or any dog with a bit of drive or focus) and you keep them constantly wound up with treats and tennis balls from a young age, they aren’t going to turn out the same as the same dog worked quietly with leadership and a more settled bond—one where you aren't constantly over-stimulating or hyping the dog up, which is a common trend right now.
So there you go, you have to use a bit of discernment. If you’re interested in a certain breed, go and see how the dogs turn out under different models. Because yes, if you look at a shepherd raised by R+ fanatics or in an agility-only setting, you won’t get the same feeling at all as you would with a more moderate approach.
And since the R+ craze has so many followers among beginners, we naturally run into quite a few high-strung shepherds who can’t handle frustration. You shouldn't draw conclusions about the breed from that, but rather about the way they’ve been trained.
