German Shepherd breed classification?

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Atomsk Icon representing the flag French
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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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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Yeah, I think my take on it is bound to be subjective. When I mention time, it’s not really about the training—we’re spoilt in that department with a Boxer as well! Lol. But I don’t know, I can’t help thinking that the higher stamina of a GSD (health issues aside, obviously) would take a lot more time to satisfy, wouldn’t it? It’s not like my Boxer girl, who I just let play with her mates and have a few sprints... She’s done the odd hike, of course, but it’s not exactly a "requirement" for her. Mind you, there are so many pros to having a GSD, I don’t think I’ll be able to resist getting one later on! Mind you, it’ll be a long way off, as I’ve got a proper teenager on my hands at the moment!
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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi ADB, Honestly, I'm not sure you can say for certain that a German Shepherd requires more commitment, time, or effort than a Boxer. To be honest, the GSDs I’ve met so far are very calm, almost always glued to their owners and really responsive. According to the owners, there aren't any issues at home either. Basically, the GSD doesn’t strike me as being a particularly demanding dog. However, at the moment, if you want to find a relatively hardy GSD and you want a KC registered dog, you’d better be very careful about the breeding lines... because if you end up with a dog that has a completely unbalanced build and hindquarters that are practically dragging on the ground, you'll be quite limited! And you can forget about having a "sporty dog with plenty of stamina" ^^
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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi there,

    Until they’ve finished growing, you shouldn’t do any intensive activity, so any proper dog sports will have to be put on the back burner for the first year. You’ll need to plan other activities like group walks, meet-ups with other adult dogs and puppies, and so on. Games like tug-of-war or fetch with a ball are great too.

    All of this takes time, but it’s essential for any dog, especially when they’re young and active.

    A GSD will need both physical AND mental stimulation. They have a lot of stamina... it’s the kind of energy that takes longer to burn off compared to dogs that just do short sprints. Alongside that, as with any dog, you'll need to work on calmness training to teach them how to settle and manage their emotions.

    Training them to be left alone, house training, calmness as I mentioned... and socialisation. It all takes a lot of time.

    A pet sitter could be an option when you’re out, but it depends on the person—whether it fits your budget and if they can build trust with the dog, keeping them active and training them while you're away.

    They are clever dogs that learn quickly, but keep in mind that if they pick up a bad habit and it sticks, it’s much harder to train them out of it later...

    I looked into it quite a bit as I love the breed. But right now, they would take up far too much of my time—even more than my Boxer does.

    Make sure to research breed-specific health issues thoroughly and see if you have some savings put aside or if you’re planning on getting pet insurance.

    Active, medium-sized dogs are also more prone to injury, and treating a leg can be quite pricey. For example, our dog’s knee cost about £1,500, and that’s without even counting the post-op care.

    This isn’t meant to put you off getting a dog or a GSD, it’s just to help with your research! 😉

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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    I think nine hours straight without even being able to go out for a wee during the day is a bit much as well.
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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Phew... that sounds like a long time. I’m not one for saying people who work shouldn’t have dogs, but a GSD is a very active breed and they get very attached to their owners. I’m not sure he’d cope with being left alone for such long stretches. Wait for some more advice from people who know the breed better than I do... otherwise, is there no one who could take him out for a walk during your lunch break?
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    Atomsk Icon representing the flag French
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    Thanks so much for your reply!

    As far as exercise goes, there won’t be any issues there as I’m quite an active person myself.

    However, it’s true that during the week I’m out of the flat from 8am to 5pm for work – do you think that might be a problem?

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    Lacurieuse Icon representing the flag French
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    Actually, German Shepherds aren't on any banned or restricted breed lists, so there’s no issue at all there – you're perfectly entitled to own one.

    GSDs are very high-energy dogs; are you quite active yourself? Also, will you be out of the house for long periods during the week?

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