The German Shepherd Puppy

Puppies are adorable fluffy, cute bundles of love, there is no question. They are quite hard to resist when you look at them.

They are also extremely time-consuming and can be a lot of work, which most people just don't expect.  Puppies chew items (usually your favorite things), piddle and mess in the house, and need constant supervision.  CONSTANT. They are just babies, after all!  People often expect puppies to behave as if they were adult, educated dogs. This leads to frustration and disaster.

If you want a puppy, be sure you have the time and patience to deal with housebreaking, crying at night, chewed furniture and other damage a puppy can cause daily. Plan on having no real time for much of anything else you enjoy doing because you must supervise the puppy, for months.

Another point about puppies is, you never know how a puppy will look when it grows up, or its general personality until that dog reaches around 18-24 months old. And don't forget the puppy energy level. That often doesn't level off until the dog is between 2 and 3 years old!

The Adult German Shepherd

If you get an adult dog, you can see the dog's general personality, and you can also see a mature version of him.  Most adult dogs are very adaptable and most will adjust well to your home.  Adult dogs can and do bond to new owners quite readily. In fact, German Shepherd Dogs want to bond to an owner strongly, and are very willing to do so to the first person who shows them love and caring.  You still need to provide structure, love, and training for an adult dog, as you would for any dog you raise, but the puppy hood chores are over for the most part. 

If you are looking for a nice dog that knows generally not to chew things, not to scream all night, not to mess in the house...if you're looking for a dog that you can start obedience training and fun games with right away...for a dog that can stay home all day without a major problem...for a dog that has an adult dog's comprehension level and attention level...if you're looking for a dog who needs you as much as you want to want him, consider an adult rescue German Shepherd.

The Senior German Shepherd

If you Are you looking for that special companion who adores being with you? One who has wonderful house manners, who can let you finish the Sunday paper but be ready for ride at a moment's notice? An older dog or senior may be for you!

Consider this: older dogs whose lives have been disrupted in their later years have so much love to give and like nothing better than giving it. They tend to rely heavily on their owner for companionship and therefore bond very quickly. The desire to return the companionship given to them is very strong.

Older dogs, in most cases, do not have the same exercise requirements as their younger counter-parts, though depending on their age, they can still enjoy long walks or a good game of ball.

They have gone through the chewing and destructive stage long ago, and want nothing more than a warm pair of feet to lie next to or a soft lap or bed to snuggle on. Their daily  walks can be therapeutic for *both* dog and owner!

Older dogs have the benefit of mellow age to help them focus and can often be more easily trained than their younger counterparts- they know what "no" means, how to get along with others, to be a part of the pack.

The joys of owning an older or senior dog will greatly outweigh the effort involved, as will the extra years of companionship gained.