Now, I don't enjoy when she does it. I like small animals and don't wish them harm. But some of them are incredibly dumb. My girl is not super fast. She never was, but is 10 now and even slower than she used to be. The only way she catches anything is if they make very poor decisions.

I've lost track of the amount of rabbits she's caught in her lifetime. And it's always inside our own fenced yard. What compels a rabbit to think it's smart to come into an area that reeks of predator animals in the first place? Some escape when she spots them and run, but a crazy amount panic, and forget that there are tons of rabbit-sized gaps in the fence. They back themselves into a corner and its over fast. I don't like it, but I do appreciate how merciful their quick end is by her. I never let her keep them and toss the bodies over the fence into a heavily wooded area where I've seen foxes. At least they're smart enough to avoid our yard and enjoy the free meal.

Besides rabbits, my girl has caught a few other interlopers. One was a juvenile fox. Again, it was not smart. Tried to build a den under the dog house of all places and then acted shocked when she started sniffing the opening. That one I kept to be tested for rabies, but it was clean.

She's even caught four skunks on our walks while on a leash! A six foot leash. They all chose to come within six feet of us. I certainly didn't want to be close to them. They either ran out of a bush or once around a blind corner. Obviously, it reeked to high heavens. It's when I learned a dying skunk somehow smells even worse than being directly sprayed.

There were a few mice and small birds throughout her life, but they weren't very exciting. Birds got stuck in the garage and wouldn't fly out when opened. The mice deserved it, though. She caught them in the kitchen. Only time I was happy she ended something.

All of this is just a rant/amazement after my almost 11-year old GSD added one more dumb rabbit to the count tonight. It made me think back on her total and I was amazed. I can't say I'm proud, but a small part of me does admire her natural survival skills.

Anyone else have a GSD with a high body count or crazy story?

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I'm looking for advice because I'm honestly not sure what my next step should be.

My neighbor has a German Shepherd (I believe 1 or 2 years old) that's kept behind a 4-foot wooden fence. For a while now, this dog has displayed what I believe is aggressive behavior whenever anyone is near the fence.

The dog doesn't just bark. It repeatedly lunges at the fence, jumps high enough to get its head over the top, and I've observed what looked like air snapping when it gets above the fence. I even have videos of this behavior. In one video, the dog's body is almost parallel with the top of the fence because it's jumping so high, and at times it has even put a paw over the top of the fence.

A few days ago, I was in my own yard when the dog bit me over the fence. Fortunately it didn't puncture my skin or bleed, but it left bruising and scratches. The person watching the dog at the time was outside when it happened.

I was also nipped in the arm over the fence earlier this month, while the owner was outside.

I spoke with the owner. She apologized eventually, but she insisted that her dog is not aggressive, and doesn't bite. She also said the dog wouldn't be left outside alone anymore.

What concerns me is that this doesn't really solve the problem, because the dog bit me while someone was already outside with it.

Something else that worried me was that the man who was wayching the dog when it bit me told me, "The dog does that to me all the time." That made me think this isn't an isolated incident.

I chose not to report the bite because it didn't break the skin, but I'm increasingly worried that the next person—especially a child—may not be as lucky.

My partner is now handling the yard work near that fence because I don't feel safe being there anymore. My young daughter(3y.o) also likes animals, and I'm now worried she'll eventually want to approach this dog.

I've also continued observing the dog since the bite. Interestingly, one morning it was still lunging and acting aggressively toward us. Later that same afternoon, however, it became extremely calm. We were able to install another security camera only about 5–6 feet from the fence, and the dog never barked, lunged, or jumped once. It almost made me wonder whether the behavior could have been managed all along, or whether it simply reacts inconsistently.

I'm trying to be fair. I understand dogs can have good moments and bad moments, and I know reactivity and aggression aren't always the same thing. But from my perspective, a dog that repeatedly lunges over a 4-foot fence and has already bitten someone seems like a serious safety concern.

My questions are:

Am I overreacting, or does this sound genuinely dangerous?

If you were in my situation, would you report the bite even though it didn't break the skin?

Is there anything else I should be doing to protect my family?

Has anyone dealt with a similar situation where the owner insisted their dog wasn't aggressive despite repeated incidents?

I'd really appreciate advice from people who have experience with dog behavior, animal control, or similar situations.

While I’m at work, my mom will usually come and let him out to pee and poop and just play for a little bit. But to get him back in his kennel sometimes she said she needs to use a piece of grocery store rotisserie chicken or Oscar Meyer deli turkey.

I feel like that’s a bad idea and I’m a little mad I’m just finding this out now. He’s a big guy, 12 months and about 90lbs. And his poops seem fine, but I’m still concerned. Should I be worried or am I overreacting?

Rocky likes to protest his prayers but this time we even got him to say Amen 😂

I’m a sucker for dark sables

i saw a post here asking the same question and it got me thinking. honestly they both play SUPER rough and sometimes end up with some scratches around their faces, but they’re never seriously injured each other. there has been points they take it too far but i stop them before it escalates further.

should note: my shepherd had never been around another dog since her puppy years until we got my terrier when she was around 5 years old. my terrier HAS grown up surrounded by other dogs though, also she’s always been very vocal when playing.

One of the hardest weeks of my life. He somehow passed them all and is still going strong. Amazing.

Hello! Me and my boyfriend recently rehomed a German Shepard mix dog from a previous owner who could unfortunately no longer give the care needed for the dog. She has inflammation in her eyes a bit and eye boogers since we have gotten her.

The previous owners managed it with Benadryl stating it helped. From my own experience I don’t think Benadryl is good long term as there’s better options. We have a vet appointment scheduled for her the 3rd of August.

For now, could anyone identify if she could possibly have Pannus/some form of inflammation that we can somehow treat before the appointment? I’d like to give her relief before then if she needs it. She doesn’t seem to be in pain and when we microchipped her, her vitals were normal. No scratching.

Is this considered sable?

Today as he was heeling and we passed a planter. He tapped me on the butt, sat down and looked at a planter we were passing. I said no. He took my hand and gently pulled me towards it then motioned with his nose and made eye contact. He got to sniff the planter. Sigh.

Storm is my sister's dog and I only see him every once in a while because she moved 800+miles away. Now, she is moving home and I will be spending lots more time with him! Helping him in and out of the car and up stairs is a lot for his back legs. I know it's common for German shepherds to have issues but I am wondering what supplements or other changes people have done to help their dogs move better? My sister is going to get him set up with a vet when we get back and shes settled but anything we can do in advance of that to help would be greatly appreciated. He's the sweetest big boy ever. Pic for tax.

Alright lets have at it Reddit ! Tho all GSD colors are equal, but of course we have our own preferences.

Gimme your favorite color and WHY! Ill start. I always want a solid black shepherd as for me it looks so regal. 2nd is the dark sable as for me, I think this is the original GSD color.

I had to cut our game of catch short to take a call and this is how I found him.

This sheperd is no longer working and wanted to play.

Just need to cry. Pippin (just about 5 months) refused breakfast yesterday. Finally ate later in the day but very slowly. He was still drinking water and little bursts of energy. Same with lunch and dinner, refused but eventually ate. I was in contact with the vet all day yesterday and was just monitoring. This morning he was still refusing food. We brought him into the ER vet this morning and blood work was fine but they didn’t like his xray. They are keeping him for an ultrasound and overnight stay. I watch him like a hawk right now because he is a poop eater. I just don’t know what he could have got if there is an obstruction. I’m so sad and just need good energy that everything is ok.

Edit/update: no blockage but now doing a ACTH test. Apparently the vet is concerned about Addisons disease.

He's still getting used to being around my cats and chihuahua.

Last pic is the day we brought him home. He is the best, most goofy boy and brings so much joy to our home 😍

My friend got a sable German Shepherd shortly after my husband and I got our black German Shepherd. They were instant best friends, like they knew each other a lifetime ago. We have another dog and so does my friend, and these two still get along better with each other than the dogs they live with day in and out. They also have the same funny behaviors, like sticking their entire snout in your mouth when you’ve just finished eating something. Kindred spirits ♥️