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Ingwe wrote:
The other caveat I would mention about GSDs...but the OP might have this covered by saying his daughter is a "dog" person...GSDs are dogs for dog people....even the 'pet' variety are a whole 'nuther level of dog from the average breed. You need to "understand" them, make sure your body language and other communicative skills are in place, and be prepared for them to test you every step of the way...they like well defined boundaries but they like to probe those boundaries themselves



I can't agree enough. My Dad grew up with the breed. I've had one, and I'll probably get another. Mine was smart enough to:

1) Use the TV remote
2) Figure out when his favorite shows were on and turn them on himself.
3) Watch B&W Film Noir movies and enjoy the heck out of them. His other favorites were Lassy (the old ones with June Lockhart, Emergency Room Vet, and Miracle Pets
4) Understand compound sentences, and complex syntax. "If you take your bone outside, I'll give you another one. " He would go get the old bone from another room, and come back in and ask ask for the new one.
5) He learned out to work a deadbolt lock, ring a doorbell and a fence latch on his own.
6) "I'm thinking of a bagel this morning." to KYHillChick elicited a response of having him run to the door and wait for me to finish dressing and let him out. He knew we were out of bagels and anticipated me driving out to get some.


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He died in 2006. There's a ride I have to take every spring, listening to Keith Jarrett's Koln Concert-- it was the road he and I used to take to town on a regular basis. It was on that road one day during turkey season that I found I could call out "Cows on the left!" or "Horses on the right," and he'd understand and respond accordingly. He barked at cows-- they were food. He whined at horses-- they were potential playmates.







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