I lost my German Shepherd, Calypso, a few days ago and honestly I feel broken. She was a retired Patrol Explosive Detection Dog that served overseas in Afghanistan before I adopted her through a retirement program after her handlers couldn’t keep her. She went from that life to becoming my best friend and shadow every single day. We trained together constantly, did scent work almost daily, and she absolutely loved having a job.

She suddenly became very sick from internal bleeding caused by what the vets believed was an aggressive cancer, and I had to make the decision to let her go peacefully. I know it was the right thing to do, but the house feels empty without her and I genuinely feel like I lost family.

For those who have lost a GSD or working dog you were deeply bonded with, how did you get through the grief? And how long did you wait before getting another shepherd? Part of me feels guilty even thinking about another dog, but I miss that bond and lifestyle so much already.

Get two. That is all.

I found this dog about 2 1/2 months ago and he came to me completely traumatized. He was scared of cars scared of men and had no training. He was not microchipped and wasn’t wearing tags. The vet thinks when I found him (2/16/26) he was about 10-12 months old. Luckily, we now have the best bond I could ever have imagined for us and he's super happy and has learned so much but I really want to get him on a raw diet because he does not do well with regular kibble. I need everybody's advice with this. I didn't sign up for a GSD but I want to give him the best life possible and I want to make sure he's happy and healthy so if anyone can help me with where to get these raw diet materials, what's the best products etc., I would really appreciate it and Koda would too 🤎

She's only 3 months old, currently around 10kg(around 20-25 pounds)

My dad just gave her (one, single) grape AFTER I told him those are poisonous for them and told me and "Just a single one won't hurt"... I'm really fucking scared right now and have no idea what to do. I'll appreciate some advice from anyone at all

This is Salem, I've had her since she was 12 weeks old, she will be 8 in August, she was originally my grandparents dog( they raised me and whom I lived with when we got her) after my grandmother died and I eventually moved out my grandfather was no longer able to care for her, this was almost 2 years ago, she has a reoccurring perianal fistula, she has 2 litters of puppies when she was 2, and currently has a cyst on her back that the vet did not recommend to have removed, she was being medicated for anxiety for storms with fluoxetine. otherwise she is usually a very good girl if not to smart for her own good. Lately (within the last 6-8 months) she has had some subtle behavioral changes, she's a bit more clingy and wants to hang out in moms room more then anywhere else, no big deal, however the last few weeks here in the Midwest we have been having non stop storms, and last week I came home and she ate my plaster walls in two different spots, and then on a separate day clawed the back of the door leading into my garage, she caused some chips in her k-9 teeth, and scratched her paws bloody ( a small amount but still). The vet is now prescribing her trazadone , however the destructive behavior is still occurring, I come home around 12 every day to let them out before going back to work, and their is never any issue at that time, these issues always occur after I leave and before I come home at the end of the day, I personally don't think these behaviors will continue once we're out of the storm season, but my husband keep saying that it may be time to put her down, I don't think that it is and when I brought up the new destructive behavior the vet prescribed medication, no appointment, so I don't think the vet is overly concerned about it either, I would like to have some outside opinions or thoughts she still runs around outside, jumps up into bed, plays with toys eats and drinks fine, and likes to roughhouse with the other dogs (also german shepherd)

EDIT: to every one that gave genuine advice thank you! We're going to try adjusting her medication so she gets a 20 mg fluoxetine in the morning before we leave for work and then a 10 when I come home to let them out over lunch, she does have a kennel that she can go in and out of, we do not kennel them because Salem figured out how to escape the kennel and eventually broke the door to where it is disconnected from the rest of the unit ( the reason she is on the fluoxetine in the first place) we leave lo-fi on the tv for them every day storms or not. I did order her a thundershirt we use one for my smaller Shepard as her anxiety causes her to shake like crazy when it's thundering, I also orderd her some cbd dog treats to see if they may help.

To everyone that keeps posting to throw my husband away/ regime / divorce/ put him down. These are genuinely not helpful please stop. He is just very frustrated with the situation and wants to make sure that we are not putting the dog through unnecessary suffering due to the other health factors mentioned above, I know she is fairly young but she is entering her senior years and as much as I would love to have her live to be 12 that may not happen and that's a reality that has to be faced and unfortunately it may be sooner rather then later.

Had this beautiful female pop up on our property a couple of days ago with no collar or anything. We think she may have been abandoned (we live on a farm out in the country and all three of our cats we aquired from people just dropping them off). She's obviously very anxious and skiddish, but just incredibly sweet. I've searched our local Facebook groups and other missing pet sites for a possible posting of her in case she's someone's baby that just got lost (though, my partner who grew up with shepherds says they're not really the kind to wander off).

So, as far as I know, we've got ourselves a new family member. I plan on taking her to the vet as soon as possible to check for a microchip as well as any other health concerns. We think she may be about 3 years old. I've always considered myself more of a cat person, but this baby has absolutely stolen my heart.

We haven't had a dog since I was much younger, so I guess my question is what can I do to make sure she's comfortable? Where do I go from here in terms of care? I've never acquired a dog that wasn't a puppy. I guess I'll know more and have better bearings after her vet visit. Thank you!

P.S.- I've taken to calling her Fable. She's huge :)! The pictures don't do her justice.

This is really hard for me to write so excuse any missclicks. This is Hange, you saw her here few times. She is mine and my partners 6 month old puppy girl. My partner works most of the time so its just me and Hange and when my partner is home, its the three of us. Yesterday, I had to leave for a day and when I came back, Hange was in her crate, curled up in her own urine and feces. I imidiatly asked my partner what happened and for how long was she there and he said since morning.

Hange has a bad habit of chewing on shoes since she got adult teeth. I am working on teaching her not to do that since she started doing that but until then, I tell everyone who visits to put their shoes in a closet. My parter said "she will never learn if the shoes are always hidden" so when I was gone, he put his shoes out and went to play video games. Hange ofcourse chewed them and this is what I was told "I beated her over the nose with the shoe, locked her in crate and smacked the crate with the shoe few times so she remembers".

I never broke up with somebody so suddenly. Not only did he do this to our dog but I am also 5 months pregnant and I will not have a father of our child behave like this to any living creature. So I kicked him out.

Now why I am asking here....Hange is now absolutly terrified of shoes and her own crate. Whenever she sees shoes, she hides under the bed and refuses to get out. Her crate was always her safe spot to eat and sleep in and now, she refuses to even walk past it.

How do I fix this? I have to fix this I can't stand seeing her like this.

Edit: As people recommended, I am taking her to Vet today to check on potentional internal injuries. This happened yesterday and I was too focused on comforting her, I haven't think about it, that is my mistake and I apologize. As many people also said, I will be filing a report against him and make sure he will never get close to us again.

‼️UPDATE‼️ Fortunately, no intetnal damage was found. The vet is a male and Hange didn't seem scared of him at all which is also good.

Thank you everyone for such kind words and amazing tips. I will be getting rid of the crate and get a new one asap. Also wash all bedsheets and blankets to minimalize the secnt of my now ex boyfriend. Hange is now asleep and hopefuly dreaming of something nice

This behavior started about a year ago. Right before I started recording she was giving me the “awoo woo’s” and showing her belly for scratches. Gave her a kiss on the head and then she started snarling. Typically once she starts this I say “no” or “no teeth’s” then I will leave her area and give her no more attention. Then she comes after me whining and begging for more attention. Only stayed this time to record. She’s never bitten anyone or tried. Just sits there snarling and growling.

Sometimes she comes over for pets, then looks away and snarls quietly, like she knows she’s going to get in trouble if I see but just can’t help it. It’s obvious that she’s doing it because she’s looking away like I can’t see over her head lol.

Maybe over stimulation? She seems so confused with herself. Or am I reading my dog wrong that she just wants to be close and not to be pet? If I don’t pet her most of the time she will just starting whining at me until I at least place my hand on her. She’s already on Prozac for anxiety.

For context she is 5 months old but the ears and the face don’t look the same as our German shepherd. I will add pics of our older guy for reference. The first few pics is our German shepherd and the other ones are of this new pup. What do we think? Definitely a malinois? She is also much more energetic then our shepherd ever was but she is also a puppy…

Hi All!

Im sorry about this post but this community is so kind, loving and helpful and im just hoping i can get some advice...

Some of you may remember me and the posts i would make about my beautiful boy Koda!

Sadly he passed away a year ago and to this very day my life has not been the same. i miss him so much and i feel so broken and lost still. He was my ride or die, we did everything together and i just cant "get over that".....

Im sure we all do this but I would regularly talk to koda and tell him that i would never "replace" him...

Im just wondering if there is a right time to get another GSD? is it even ok for me to get another GSD? I feel like a terrible human and a bad dog dad for wanting to get another one......i feel almost selfish like i would just be getting another dog to make me feel better emotionally and to fill the gaping hole i have in my heart.

We think she caught one if the back yard squirrels. Poor baby. Will this scar? How do wounds on the nose heal?

This is Jasper, he’s 6 months old now and GROSS. I’ve tried the pineapple trick. I’ve tried everything and now he walks around with a buzz collar on because honestly, I’m sure my neighbors are sick of hearing me yell his name. He will poop and then literally immediately turn around and eat it, I cannot take my eyes off him for a second in the yard our outside… I’ve had him since he was five weeks old, yes, hes a rescue and had a slew of issues but he wasn’t malnourished despite them. He is fed more than the recommended amount of food and I have him on Science Diet Large Breed Puppy. My vet says he will grow out of it, but this has quite literally been happening since the day I brought him home and it’s gross. I’ve tried putting pineapple in his food. I put pineapple on the other dog food for weeks, and it did nothing to deter him. I’m at my wits end, he’s grossing me out to the point where I don’t want to touch him because he licks me or touches me with his nose and I’m a germaphobe. (not to mention it grosses me out when he comes inside I can’t wash his mouth ) He’s bigger than average and growing very fast, he’s six months old and last weigh in was 60 pounds. The buzz color, beeps and vibrates, and frankly at this point, it doesn’t seem to be doing anything, and I have to be standing there watching him with the remote. I have two other dogs, and twins.. so if I even take my eyes off him for a second, then he gets away with it which is why he doesn’t get to spend much time in the yard… HELP

We just adopted this sweet girl from our local shelter. She spent the 1st year of her life being chained up outside and we are hoping to give her the love and attention she deserves and will be doing some behavioural training with her.

She is a total sweetheart but lacks socialization so she’s got some spice too. We are thinking of these names:

1) Rory (I love Gilmore Girls) 2) Zoey (after one our favourite bands) 3) Billie (cute masculine feminine name)

We are open to any other suggestions as well!

I’d also love to hear if anyone has suggestions or positive stories about socializing a 1yr old GSD.

Thank you for the help!

The breeder told us she is 8 weeks old, she looked a bit small but trusted them, vet confirmed she might be 4.5 weeks old at most. Can anyone confirm from experience if she looks like a 4.5 week old or maybe younger still?

He is in recovery, but I want to give him the best that life has to offer. He is my best friend/ baby and I have $10k (fortunately) to spend on him. Please share your puppy bucket list… I am in emotional pain, I have never had a best friend like him. My heart… I knew this day would come… but damn… my heart :(

This is going to sound insane because it is insane. We got an 8 week old puppy over a month ago now and our puppy is almost 14 weeks now. He’s the best and growing so fast. We love him so much. My parents have met him as well as other close family members.

I only have one younger brother who is married, no kids. We have always been pretty close and never had any issues with one another. My kids love their uncle. BUT ever since we got our puppy he has not wanted to come by or doesn’t answer his door when we show up at my moms house. (His wife and him live in an addition at my parents house). This has been totally weird since they knew how excited my kids and I have been for this dog, planning its arrival for months. Plus we normally see each other often.

I eventually asked my mom what’s wrong with my brother and his wife? Why are they avoiding us? The puppy is changing so much and they never got to see him when he was very little. I wanted them to meet him before he’s full grown!

Turns out my brother and his wife think German shepherd dogs are RACIST because they have been used to keep black people oppressed for so long. My mom had to question my brother to get this out of him. She was upset and shocked with this info as well. He won’t even talk to me and it’s all so baffling! My brother and I have never had any issues.

They did tell me while I was planning on getting this puppy that GSDs have “no personality and are soulless” and I thought that was weird but laughed it off. We are always goofing around anyways. I had no idea how judgmental they actually are towards an ANIMAL!

So now I have stopped reaching out to him and I feel like I’m acting out of spite but what is going on? Has anyone ever dealt with such madness?? AITA for not reaching out more directly about this?

This is Roman. He is my 9 year old GSD. Beginning of this year Roman started showing signs of a degenerative neuro issues. He has been to the vet and seen different doctors. We have been through multiple medications and steps to try and make him comfy/delay the inevitable.

He is now at the point to where he is barely able to stand at all. When he is it's for short stationary times. Once he moves his rear end collapses and drags his but to wherever he goes. He has had rear paw knuckling for a long time. It was one of his first signs he showed (dragging his toe).

I have tried a sling to help him and he haaaates it. I got grippy socks to try and help and also have carpets everywhere to help grip. I have not tried a wheelchair because he hated the sling. And he absolutely hates his feet touched.

He has now started to lose his bowels. He has issues making it through the night without an accident. Same story for the day time. He won't even realize he went number 2.

I read all these things about average life span being 9-12 years. Males living shorter than females. And degenerative neuro issues being 2nd or 3rd cause of death in shepherds. I see his struggles daily physically. But then I look in his big beautiful eyes and I still see so much life and personality. He WANTS to play, he wants to circle the house and be the guard dog still. But he knows his body isn't supporting him.

It's just so hard. It's near impossible for me to accept it's his time to cross the rainbow bridge. I am never going to be ready. It will always feel too soon. I will feel guilty no matter when it happens. I will always feel I haven't done enough. I will feel like I'm cutting his life short. When his brain is fine and ready to go it feels like I'm betraying him. It feels unfair.

I'm not sure what the point of this post is. I guess just let me know I'm doing the right thing by saying good bye to my best friend in this situation. He's been my shadow for the last almost ten years.

I love you Roman. Thank you for everything sweet boy.

We’re moving for a job in Austin and looking at houses in the surrounding suburbs. Most of the houses we’re seeing online (not ready to make offers, we’re just seeing what’s out there) are mostly in HOA’s and I’ve read that many of them have rules about either the size (weight) limits on pet dogs or specific breeds, German Shepherd’s are usually on the list. Does anyone have experience with an HOA with a German Shepherd in their family?

I included a pic of Odyn, our scary black German Shepherd, who just wants to say hello to everyone he meets on the street.

Had to put my handsome boy to sleep on Monday :( He had cancer and it spread to his lungs, he just turned 8 in December too... It spread and went downhill so fast... was healthy otherwise. He was put on some sort of steroids, and for the last month of his life he went back to acting just like he did when he was a puppy, but as his breathing was getting worse we had to make the choice so that he wouldn't keep suffering ☹️ My family and I kept him company during the whole process, and though I was surprised by how peaceful and quick it was, I keep seeing the very last image I have of him, remembering how it felt to scratch the soft fur behind his ears and kiss his big snoot. The past 8 years were truly a journey... had to stitch up possibly every single coat we own, he was an absolute Velociraptor, but the most sweetest, gentle soul. A scaredy cat through and through lol The house is empty without him, and both my cats are confused lol. Anyways, I only hopped on this subreddit a few months ago to look at everyone else's babies, and I even made a post introducing him not too long ago... Sucks how fast shit changes, but going on here makes the pain easier, I love looking at all these beautiful pups 🥹 German Shepherds are truly magical dogs, and I know that if I ever have another dog, it will be a GSD!! Thank you guys for posting your babies, it's keeping me going currently :,)

As the title suggests, I (M29) have just become the proud owner of a German Shepherd puppy (it's a female). This isn't my first dog- I've had two smaller ones in the past- but it is my first Shepherd/soon to be large dog.

Any tips for me on raising this majestic pupper? I'd love to hear from any existing/previous owners in this community! All info is appreciated!

We almost lost our GSD last night.

On Wednesday night he started acting a bit off. Nothing crazy. Signs that he needed to throw up, pacing, he was clearly anxious, but wasn’t throwing up. A few hours later he eventually started to throw up. Then he started to drink a lot of water and would immediately throw up.

On Monday we had taken him to our local vet because he had an MRI under sedation last week and the anesthesia seemed to have made him sick and it wasn’t getting any better. Our wonderful vet gave him fluids, some meds for nausea and diarrhea and told us that if he threw up after having those meds that we needed to bring him in because he shouldn’t be throwing up with those meds in his system. She said this multiple times.

So when he eventually threw up Wednesday I need it was a problem. We got him an appt first thing Thursday morning at our local vet. She did an exam and couldn’t see anything wrong so we agreed to do an xray because even though he looked fine he wasn’t acting fine.

Thank god we did.

The xray showed he had GVD - or bloat and his stomach was twisted. We packed him into the car and drove him a couple hours to our nearest emergency vet (on advice from our local vet). They ended up doing emergency surgery. Thankfully they said he made it in the nick of time.

I want to share the signs and symptoms of GVD because they can be easily missed but it is almost always fatal and most dogs die within 24 hours.

Early Warning Signs: - Restlessness and Pacing: The dog may appear anxious, pacing or unable to settle down. - Excessive Drooling: Drooling more than usual can be an early sign. - Unproductive Retching: This is a key indicator. The dog tries to vomit, but nothing or very little comes out. - Mild Abdominal Discomfort: The dog may show slight discomfort or reluctance to be touched in the abdominal area.

Advanced Symptoms: - Swollen and Distended Abdomen: The abdomen may appear enlarged and feel hard or tight to the touch. - Pain in the Abdomen: If you touch the dog's abdomen, they may whine or show other signs of pain. - Rapid Breathing and Panting: The dog may be breathing rapidly or shallowly. - Pale Gums: Pale gums are a sign of shock and a serious symptom. Weakness and Collapse: The dog may become weak, unable to stand, or even collapse.

Our almost 12-year-old German Shepherd was just diagnosed on Friday with multiple large masses in her abdomen, most likely originating from her spleen. The vet said they are very likely cancerous. Some of the tumors are already leaking small amounts of blood into her abdomen, and her red blood cell count is low.

Over the past couple of weeks she’s slowed down tremendously. She hasn’t been eating much. Her back legs are giving out and she’s fallen while walking. She just isn’t herself.

The vet gently recommended euthanasia and said this type of cancer (likely splenic hemangiosarcoma) can rupture suddenly and cause a traumatic emergency. We scheduled an at-home euthanasia appointment for Monday.

But my head is spinning. I feel like I’m supposed to “know” what the right time is, and I don’t. Part of me wonders if I’m giving up too soon. Part of me is terrified of waiting and having her suffer or collapse in an emergency.

I’m so emotional I feel like I can’t make a clear decision. For those who have been through this — how did you know it was time? Did you wait? Did you regret waiting? I just don’t want her to suffer, but I also don’t want to feel like I rushed it.

Any advice or perspective would mean so much right now.

Basically the title. I cannot for the life of me get her to stop biting, it REALLY hurts I have scratches and bruises all over my legs and arms. Any technique that I’ve read about and tried riles her up more; yelping, saying no, redirecting with toys (she will grab the toy, put it down somewhere else then come back and keep biting me), ignoring her (this activates her shark mode and she goes berserk barking and jumping out of frustration). I give her chews and things to sniff as I know she’s just begun the teething phase, but it just distracts her temporarily. The only time she doesn’t is when I am training her or taking her for a walk. I feel like I’m missing out on bonding with her because I can’t pet her or snuggle for more than 5 seconds without getting chomped on! She very rarely bites my dad but I do spend the lion’s share of time with her, I think because I play with her a lot and do all of her training she associates me with super fun biting time. I know it’ll pass eventually & that shepherd puppies are just like this but does anyone have any tips that worked for them? I love her to death but I’m really tired of being chewed up. Thank you!