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Depends on the Shep and Mal....take a larger GSD and a smaller "rat sized" mal and there's a bigger differnce (obviously  ). What the lack in size they more than make up for in the speed and single-minded (crazy) drive they bring to the table. I'll keep my GSDs thanks! George
�Out of every one hundred men, ten shouldn't even be there, eighty are just targets, nine are the real fighters, and we are lucky to have them, for they make the battle. Ah, but the one, one is a warrior, and he will bring the others back.�
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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Hello all:
I know there is a wealth of knowledge on the 'fire.
My youngest daughter is within 10 days of turning 15. We are a 'dog' family. The time is now. She will be getting "her" dog this June. She wants a German Shepherd. I think this is a pretty good fit.
I would love to have the field narrowed down to three good breeders in the mid-Michigan area (within 100 miles of zipcode 48827). Let her play with the puppies and pick the one that has the best chemistry.
Does anybody have an opinion, informed or otherwise? Good health and stable temperaments are absolute requirements. PMs or responses to the thread are appreciated.
Females IMO are easier to handle/socialize in the protective breeds. That's admittedly based on a small sampling, one Rott and GSD I owned, and two of each that belonged to friends, that were well behaved in social situations. None of them gave up anything in ability to protect their people. That's what I'd suggest for your daughter. GSD's shed a lot, and need frequent brushing, but the smarts make it worthwhile. As much as I liked my Rotts, I'll have another GSD when I retire, and she'll likely have a black face. 
"...the designer of the .270 Ingwe cartridge!..."
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Campfire Regular
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All I can say is most Malonois run about 45 mph faster in behaviour than most GSD's and are definitely lighter.
A close cousin for sure.
They are excellent working dogs for sure.
Last edited by Texas Hunter; 03/22/12.
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Campfire Tracker
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Sounds like my two year old male. He is of American lines. Hyper does not begin to cover him, and can easily top out over thirty MPH, whereas the bigger female gets to about 25-26 (measured by ATV). He also is fully grown at about 80 LBs vice closer to 95 where the older female is.
"If dogs don't go to heaven, when I die I want to go wherever they went." -Will Rogers
"If you have a lot of self control you don't need a lot of government control" - Thomas Sowell
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Campfire Sage
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Campfire Sage
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Every male dog I've ever owned has been super friendly with strangers and every female dog I've ever owned has been highly suspicious of strangers, regardless of breed. Anyone else notice this pattern with dogs they've owned? In fact the sire of one of our German Shepherds was so indiscriminately friendly that someone stole him. Her mother, however, was so aggressive with strangers that she had to be locked away when strangers came to the breeder's house.
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Campfire Outfitter
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I enjoy decoying for other people's mals and handling sheps.
IMHO, I have the best of both worlds.....a 63ish lb. black female GSD. Speed, intelligence, and noneo of the bullchit male hang-ups. Sometimes, she's not as independent as I'm used to. That's a minor issue, though, and not a bad habit alone in the dark.
George
�Out of every one hundred men, ten shouldn't even be there, eighty are just targets, nine are the real fighters, and we are lucky to have them, for they make the battle. Ah, but the one, one is a warrior, and he will bring the others back.�
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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We are on our 2nd GS & she just turned 8. There's been a lot of good advice here so I won't repeat a lot of what's been said, except to reinforce looking towards a pet/companion bred dog, & I would strongly urge you to get a female. Your daughter must also be very strongly committed to the dog; as she & the dog both get older, she cannot forsake the dog for her friends or her high school activities. GSD's are extremely intelligent & want to be with & go with their owners at all times. They are, IMO, the finest breed & the best companions of any breed.......they become the very next thing to human. Ours goes with us or either of us, whenever at all possible; she is extremely protective of her property, is a better alarm than one from Brinks, will let no strangers approach her without being introduced w/o being overly aggressive. She went through obedience & command training with us & her manners are impeccable. She is independent enough w/o being a problem & will always obey her commands, even in the presence of other dogs. Bottom line is, a really good GSD will be fully committed to your daughter & likely your family, but the dog requires & deserves an equal commitment from your daughter & family to it. I would never really consider any other breed of dog. MM Ilsa ![[Linked Image]](http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o56/baw0000/1.jpg) ![[Linked Image]](http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o56/baw0000/p1010241Medium.jpg)
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Campfire Sage
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Pretty dog. Same color pattern of the two I grew up with. ![[Linked Image]](http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w188/TheRealHawkeye/JoeandHeidy.jpg)
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Campfire Tracker
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Every male dog I've ever owned has been super friendly with strangers and every female dog I've ever owned has been highly suspicious of strangers, regardless of breed. Anyone else notice this pattern with dogs they've owned? In fact the sire of one of our German Shepherds was so indiscriminately friendly that someone stole him. Her mother, however, was so aggressive with strangers that she had to be locked away when strangers came to the breeder's house. No, that has not been my experience. As I mentioned earlier, we work at socializing ours, but out of the five I have right now, not a one of them are alike with their personality. They are all equally loyal, but some are more alert, and others laid back. Hate to quote Forrest Gump here, but they are indeed like a box of chocolates . I chalk that up to the intelligence and how you build their confidence. YMMV
"If dogs don't go to heaven, when I die I want to go wherever they went." -Will Rogers
"If you have a lot of self control you don't need a lot of government control" - Thomas Sowell
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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My brother has a Czech Border Patrol Shepherd appropriately named "BIG". Jet Black with Mahogany colored paws and lower legs. Just a beautifully built dog . My brother had him professionally trained and spends a lot and I mean a lot of time with him.
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Campfire Tracker
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I enjoy decoying for other people's mals and handling sheps.
IMHO, I have the best of both worlds.....a 63ish lb. black female GSD. Speed, intelligence, and noneo of the bullchit male hang-ups. Sometimes, she's not as independent as I'm used to. That's a minor issue, though, and not a bad habit alone in the dark.
George Sounds like our late Talimar, the one that hooked us on the breed.
"If dogs don't go to heaven, when I die I want to go wherever they went." -Will Rogers
"If you have a lot of self control you don't need a lot of government control" - Thomas Sowell
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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Every male dog I've ever owned has been super friendly with strangers and every female dog I've ever owned has been highly suspicious of strangers, regardless of breed. Anyone else notice this pattern with dogs they've owned? In fact the sire of one of our German Shepherds was so indiscriminately friendly that someone stole him. Her mother, however, was so aggressive with strangers that she had to be locked away when strangers came to the breeder's house. I owned two male GSD's and both were very protective. I owned two females and they too were very protective,one could not stand my girl friend at the time and had to be watched in her presence. Both females were so trainable that for me at least they are my preference.
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Joined: Dec 2002
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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Every male dog I've ever owned has been super friendly with strangers and every female dog I've ever owned has been highly suspicious of strangers, regardless of breed. Anyone else notice this pattern with dogs they've owned? In fact the sire of one of our German Shepherds was so indiscriminately friendly that someone stole him. Her mother, however, was so aggressive with strangers that she had to be locked away when strangers came to the breeder's house. <shrug> If my girl Alexis didn't know you and you approached her, she'd warn you off, but introduce her to the person and all was well. I saw similar behavior from the other two female GSD's. Of the Rotts, I can think of three females (not mine) that I walked up to, said, "good dog!" patted them on the head, and they thought I was fine Of the four male Rotts I've known, two were teddy bears, one was unapproachable, and my guy Mauser was usually okay, but sometimes touchy. He was also so intimidating that few people ever DID casually approach him!
"...the designer of the .270 Ingwe cartridge!..."
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire Outfitter
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That second pic kicks azz, Sammo! My contribution: "Classic" GSD at work. 86 lbs. of solid muscle and attitude. ![[Linked Image]](http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa115/offgeorgej/Robbins20taking20bite1.jpg) Black bitch ready to work. ![[Linked Image]](http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa115/offgeorgej/DSC00341.jpg) George
�Out of every one hundred men, ten shouldn't even be there, eighty are just targets, nine are the real fighters, and we are lucky to have them, for they make the battle. Ah, but the one, one is a warrior, and he will bring the others back.�
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Make sure to get one that you and your wife like. As much as we don't like it to happen - the youngest end up going off to college or starting a life somewhere besides with their parents. Most of the time the dog stays behind. My wife just got her new GSD puppy this past weekend. It was a long search, but looks like she was placed with a good one. (breeder matched dog to her). Good luck with your search and new puppy!
Last edited by Dan_H; 03/22/12.
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Campfire Tracker
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My perosnal opinion.
I strongly dislike the slouched back line that many US bred show GSPs demonstrate! It is purposely bred into the line for show ring looks which gives them a mincing gate. They also have a blander temperament that makes the AKC-ed lines about useless as K-9 candidates. Most police/security forces go to Europe for mor expensive dogs because the AKC lines fail the training so often. The European dogs also are erect postured.
1B
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Just caught this so I'll chime in now..First off I know an excellent breeder in michigan...indeed I'm getting my next dog from them. That being said...not meaning to pop the OP's bubble...but an excellent breeder won't let you show up and pick out your own puppy...they select and place dogs according to temperament, personality of the dog plus the experience and skill level of the prospective owner.. That also being said these are working dogs...and while they make wonderful companions/pets...they also must have a "job"...or they will make you crazy.... I would be inclined to reccomend to the OP to find a breeder who specializes more in companion animals/pets in the GSD arena. It would make a better fit for his situation, and regrettably, I don't know the name of a breeder I could reccomend for that type of dog... 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 would never buy from a breeder that would not allow me to pick my own dog. ther is no way he can know me better than me and I know what dog I want from their actions as a puppy. that would be like letting someone pick my wife. 
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Campfire Outfitter
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Every male dog I've ever owned has been super friendly with strangers and every female dog I've ever owned has been highly suspicious of strangers, regardless of breed. Anyone else notice this pattern with dogs they've owned? In fact the sire of one of our German Shepherds was so indiscriminately friendly that someone stole him. Her mother, however, was so aggressive with strangers that she had to be locked away when strangers came to the breeder's house. You are right, almost every dog I have owned was a female. they are extremely protective of the Home and family. That being said I have had no trouble training them and seem to connect better with the female dogs. The worst one I had was a male, he just had too much energy when the sun came up he was ready to start the day and being a house dog he made sure I was up with the sun. I sure miss him.
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Campfire Sage
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Campfire Sage
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My perosnal opinion.
I strongly dislike the slouched back line that many US bred show GSPs demonstrate! It is purposely bred into the line for show ring looks which gives them a mincing gate. They also have a blander temperament that makes the AKC-ed lines about useless as K-9 candidates. Most police/security forces go to Europe for mor expensive dogs because the AKC lines fail the training so often. The European dogs also are erect postured.
1B I agree regarding the low slung hind quarters of the American lines. The AKC has a way of ruining any breed they get their hands on.
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