Sometimes people ask me why I own the German Shepherd Dog. Why not another breed? Couldn’t you love another breed as much as you do your German Shepherds? Why did you choose this breed of dog instead of another? And yes, I could love another breed of dog because I love animals although there are probably a few breeds I might not enjoy owning for one reason or another.
I have always favored the larger breed of dogs. I always thought that a dog isn’t a dog unless he was this big macho looking animal. I always felt a dog should look like a dog and not be this teeny tiny little thing no bigger than a cat. Well that was then and this is now. Some of those little dogs, what they lack in size make up for in personality. Some of them have a heart close to a German Shepherds. If I didn’t own German Shepherds, what would I own instead?
Well as I get older, I can certainly appreciate the smaller breeds of dog. A large dog can be a challenge especially if he’s an energetic one. The size and strength of a large dog would dictate that he better be well behaved and trained or one can find them difficult to handle.
If I were to own another breed of dog and a German Shepherd wasn’t available to me, what then would I consider to have this breeds boldness, power, loyalty and trainability? Well I really don’t know too much about other breeds although I’ve been around many of them. I confess, although they are the breed of dog that gets the worst press, I love the Pit Bulls. Of the couple that I’ve been around, I find them one of the most affectionate breeds of dogs. I adopted a little mixed breed female when I lived in Georgia. I loved that little precious baby. And my nephew owns a six month old mixed Pitt Bull. He is the most loving and mischievous little fella I’ve ever seen. So yes, this is a breed that I wouldn’t mind owning although I’d be worried that some authority figure would come and take him away because he was labeled as “dangerous!”
There are other large breeds of dogs that I love the looks of, but I don’t know what their personalities would be living with them. I was always curious about the Doberman Pinscher because of their loyalty and protectiveness to their owners. I like the feel of their smooth short coat. One thing I always felt looking at these dogs is that they had this cold, dark look to their eyes. Whereas, a German Shepherd can and should have a dark eye as well, but their eyes I always thought was warm and intelligent looking. That said, I used to be a manager in an office in Connecticut. One day a client came in and he brought his female Doberman with him. I didn’t know what to expect from her. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that she was a real sweetheart and she enjoyed me petting her. So I found out, you can’t always judge a “book by its cover.”
I love the looks of the Newfoundland, but don’t like dogs that “slobber” and if I go crazy with all the hair that the German Shepherd sheds, I can’t imagine what it would be like living with this “wooly bully” of a dog. But they are sure handsome! They look like a bear! One of the hallmarks of this dog’s personality is that he is a sweet dog. He’s also supposed to be intelligent which is important for me. I can’t live with a dumb dog. I love a smart dog and one that learns quickly.
I guess one of the reasons that I’ve always liked the larger dogs is that they command respect. They make heads turn. I’m proud walking down the street with one of my German Shepherds by my side. The German Shepherd male that is pictured at the top of my blog…..the dark headed boy, “Rajah”, he would stop traffic when I walked down the street with him. No, I’m not kidding. I literally had people that were driving down the street, stop their cars and talk to me about him. Someone once said they had a female that they’d love to breed to him. When I took him on the show grounds, people would always inquire about his bloodlines. So I must feel proud with the dog that is attached to the end of the leash.
Now if I were to have a small breed of dog, which ones would I find appealing? I’ve always liked the terriers because of their spunk and attitude, although some of them can be very stubborn. I’ve always admired the “Westie” because of their obvious beauty. They say that the Corgi has the heart of a German Shepherd only in a smaller package. They’re supposed to be very intelligent. I love the looks of the “Havanese” dog. I also like that they are non-shedding and good for allergy suffers like me. I always enjoy looking at the Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen, or PBGV’s when I see them on television at the Westminster Show. He’s supposed to be outgoing, but independent.
I think I would like to own a smaller breed so I could just pick him up and take him in the car with me. I’m afraid he would become very spoiled because I’d probably end up making a big baby out of him. I guess some of us have a tendency to do that with smaller dogs. We want to “mother” them to death.
And then there are the mutts. Could I own one of those "mixed" breeds staring back at me from behind a shelter door? You betcha I could. And yes, I could own a mutt because some of them are the most beautiful and affectionate dogs. So I guess you could say I love most dogs. Call me a snob though, but I don’t think I could own a downright homely dog unless he had a personality that made him beautiful. I really like a noble looking dog and one that is pleasing to the eye. However, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and some dogs that I might not find appealing, others think they are “God’s gift to the world!”
So getting back to our beautiful German Shepherds……I think one of the reasons that they are so popular is that they really possess the total package. They are all dogs rolled into one. If you are looking for a handsome dog, could you not have a more handsome looking dog than the German Shepherd? If you are looking for intelligence, there are very few dogs that does all this breed of dog does. They lead the blind, help defend our country, protect our streets from criminals, visit the sick and elderly in the hospitals, baby sit our kids, guard our homes and probably has made more Hollywood movies than any other breed of dog. Truly beautiful, truly versatile, truly noble………really why look anyplace else when the German Shepherd has it all?!
So yes, I could love another breed of dog but like the dog that I love (the German Shepherd), my heart would always remain loyal to this breed. So what about you? Do you own other breeds as well as your German Shepherds? And if not a German Shepherd, what breed of dog would you enjoy owning?
My rating: The German Shepherd Dog: (4), other breeds of dogs: (4), mutts: (4)
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