When we lost Molly back in April, our house was so empty and quiet. We are back to the puppy chaos and so in love with her!

Leo is officially ours!

Everyday I gotta go to work I say "gotta go to work buddy I love you so much" and he cries and pouts. Even when my girlfriend gets home he just looks depressed until I get home.

My baby boy is about to turn 5. I posted here 4 years ago and wanted to rejoin the community

Anyone else’s shepherd like to come over to them after they finish eating look at them all cute, and then burp right in their face? Every meal. Burp in my face. Shes healthy and I restrict activity after meals for an hour. I just think it’s silly and wanted to know if anyone else is gifted “shepherd burps”.

ft. his lamby :)

I wish I could experience a nap like this. She even has crusted drool on the side of her mouth 😂

I was looking up what a 9 month old GS looks like and she's just looks so small compared to them. The vet said her age was right and they say she's healthy but she's so small😭

Where any of your guys German shepherds this small at nine months?

Pretext:

Hey y’all, it’s been a while, I posted a while ago seeking out advice regarding whether I should get a working line GSD or Showline GSD. Thank you soo much for the advice.

The goodest boy. Professional poop manufacturer. Occasional poop connoisseur. Destroyer of clothes, slippers, rugs and household peace. A permanently leaking pee fountain with absolutely no respect for property boundaries. Equipped with enormous paws, malfunctioning ears, unlimited fur, questionable dietary choices and the innocent face of someone who has definitely done nothing wrong. 🐺💩

His current activities include:

Eat → pee → attack cloth → poop → investigate poop → sprint randomly → dig soil → demand affection → collapse dramatically → repeat.

He’s adorable and his temperament is excellent except for the teething phase part. 🙃 absolute land shark.

QUESTION:
WHEN DOES THE POOP EATING PHASE STOP??!!

When do the ears start to point upward? Keeps flopping around 😭❤️😍

It’s not a matter if he can. He clears the couch, the beds, pretty much anything he can jump. But he won’t jump in the car. He did it once but now he wants me to pick him up. He’s gotten too heavy for me to do it. I have tried throwing treats in and toys. What else can I do? He loves car rides so I need him to jump in.

She turned 1 today. I’m pretty sure I could’ve cloned 365 more of her with the fur I brush off daily. Not 100% GSD, but is 100% land shark.

I have an incling my boy is mixed with a king shepherd instead of 100% pure german (i could be wrong). We got him from the shelter 2.5 years ago.

He's on the bigger side, has a decent amount of thick fur and doesnt have the arched back most german shepherds are known for. (Pay no attention to his floppy ear. It was the result of an injury instead of genes).

Im curious to see what others look like that might be mixed with kings!

I cannot believe he’s turning 4 this year! tb to his baby pic 😆🖤

I’ve been avoiding making a post on here because I am ashamed and feel like a failure.

In 2023, I got my German Shepherd, Axel. My ex’s family had gotten him but kept him in a kennel all the time, pretty much only letting him out to go to the bathroom. He was one of 4 dogs in a fairly aggressive environment. When my ex would let Axel outside, Axel would have a tucked tail, ears flat, and an overall skittish demeanor. I’ve helped train 3 labrador service dogs, and I thought Axel just needed a calm, loving enviornment where he could gain confidence. When they said they were getting rid of him, I immediately bought Axel from them. He was 11 months old. I had done some basic research on GSDs and I thought it would be a good fit.

About a month after I got Axel, I had surgery on both my arms, and then I lost my job. My mental health suffered, and my financial situation got pretty bad. (I’m employed now, but barely above the poverty line.) I didn’t have a good structure, boundaries, or consistency with Axel.

Very quickly, Axel started exhibiting what I believe is fear reactive behaviors towards people and animals. I have gone through spurts of trying to train him (like, 3 month spurts). I was taught to use positive reinforcement, but he completely ignores any treats or reward I try to give him. I try to interrupt the behavior, use body blocking … once he sees someone/something, it’s tunnel vision. I took him to a trainer once, they wanted me to use choke collars, yell NO, and yank the leash whenever he lunged at someone. I had read a lot online about how GSDs need prong collars, whatever, and even though it was completely against what I feel is right, I tried it for a few months. I stopped. It wasn’t working and was breaking my heart.

July 2025 I had to take him to the emergency vet for 6 or 7 stitches on his leg … he broke the inside layer of my window jumping at it, barking at someone walking on the sidewalk outside my house. My brother lived with me for a bit, if we were sitting on the couch, and my bro stood up while I was sitting down, Axel would lunge and snap at him. I hesitate to say he has bitten, because it is more of a warning, he has “mouthed” my brother. Nothing that breaks skin, bruises, or hurts, but it is still a “bite” I guess. If I am around, my sister is the only human he is comfortable with.

If I am not around him, and he is not in our house, he reverts to being skittish/ears back. I know this because my parents have watched him a few times. He gets along with their tiny dog, in their home. My mom will walk Axel to my car, and then once he is in my car, Axel will start viciously barking and snapping at her.

I live alone, and I feel safe sleeping because I know Axel will deter anyone from entering. But, I also have so much anxiety that he will get loose and someone will get hurt. I have a lead outside, and I watch him when he goes out, because he has pulled it from the ground before. I am scared to walk him, he is too strong for me, has terrible leash habits, and barks/snaps/lunges at any living thing around.

I work 10-12 hours a day 5-6 days a week. I try to give him peanut butter kongs, bones, I throw balls in the house for him, but I know he is not getting enough mental stimulation or physical activity.

He is still intact. I didn’t have the money to neuter him before, now I could probably afford it, but I don’t think it’s safe to leave him alone for 12 hours a day while he is recovering.

In around 3-6 months, I will be moving to a different state to rent from a family friend. They have not explicitly said I cannot have Axel yet, they are currently saying they are uncomfortable. I do not have money to train him. I do not believe I am giving him a fair life. My sister looked into GSD rescues, none of them have openings, or they only take from shelters. I fully believe that if he goes to a shelter he will eventually be put down, and I just can’t do that.

I don’t know what to do. I am so overwhelmed and ashamed. I thought I knew what I was doing, what I was getting into, but I did not. I know Axel deserves better than what I have given him. I thought I was saving him, and I have given him a better situation, but it’s still not good. I am so sorry.

Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated.

Little Lyla Grace

Hanna keeping an eye on an overheated squirrel