A German Shepherd is an intelligent dog that wants only to be part of a family and have its own job to do everyday. If you do not have a lot of time to dedicate to training your German Shepherd then you will start to experience German Shepherd problems almost right away. A loved and properly trained German Shepherd is not a threat to anyone as it is under control but an improperly trained German Shepherd can come with its fair share of problems.

The German Shepherd breed of dog was first domesticated in Europe over one hundred years ago and it was bred to help herd animals in Europe. That is where the German Shepherd gets its name. But this herding instinct can go horribly wrong if it is not first corrected by a responsible owner, who knows how to care for their dog. It is important to make sure your German Shepherd does not display its natural herding instincts at any time.

A German Shepherd can learn to socialize very easily as long as it is taught at a very early age to socialize with other animals and people. A German Shepherd dog craves a social atmosphere and they love to be around people so if you take the time to socialize your dog with other animals and other people you can easily eliminate this problem that seems to have grown into a huge myth that Shepherds hate other animals. A properly trained German Shepherd can interact very nicely with other animals and strangers as well.

Your German Shepherd will need a lot of exercise, it will want to constantly be in motion and it needs a job to do. That job can be as simple as to be in training to be the family dog but that requires hours of attention each day from everyone in the family and also a lot of empty outside space for your dog to run in. A bored German Shepherd will resort to its natural instinct to hunt and herd and that can lead to nothing but a lot of trouble.

Another of the German Shepherd problems that people are not usually told about is that this breed of dog sheds a lot. If you do not want to have to groom your pet everyday and then also deal with hair all over the place then maybe a German Shepherd is not for you.

This is not just a winter or summer thing, they shed all year long and they shed a lot. So if you have an allergy to pet hair, or you just do not want to be constantly vacuuming up pet hair, then stay away from a German Shepherd.

A properly trained German Shepherd makes a great pet but you will need to spend a lot of time with it. Their superior intelligence makes them very easy to train and it also makes them a great watchdog.

It may also help you to know that they want to be trained as much as you want to train them so don't be afraid to try and teach your German Shepherd something new as it will probably love you for it.