Seems to make sense, except the exact opposite is true. All puppies are cute; all puppies love everyone. It’s not until a dog hits sexual maturity that some innate behavioral problems start to surface. We can’t estimate how many calls we’ve had from people who paid thousands of dollars for a purebred puppy, who is now a year or two old and biting people, attacking other dogs, or engaging in some oddball neurotic behavior. Purebred is not the same as well-bred, and sometimes it feels like the disreputable breeders grossly outnumber the responsible ones.

The truth is this: when we list a 4 month old puppy, we can only guess what kind of adult she’ll make. When we list an 18 month old dog, we can predict pretty accurately what kind of dog you’ll have forever.

Many people believe this, right up until the moment the dog is hit by a car, eats poison in the neighbor’s garage, or is stolen.

Although we do not insist on a fence, we do insist on leash walks. Rescue dogs are typically either strays (which means they have a history of wandering) or owner-surrenders (which means they’re going to go look for their ex-owner first chance they get). We just can’t risk it.

No, you didn’t. Trust me, he was only perfect because you were 8 and didn’t have to clean up after him and be responsible for him. I know you believed he was perfect, but you also believed in Santa and honest government then, too.

I had a perfect GSD named Max when I was growing up. He died in my freshman year of college, and has since, in family lore, gone on to be canonized. St. Max. Bow your head when you say it. Everyone in my family seems to forget the time St. Max was hit by a car he was chasing. Or the time he bit the kid biking by. Or how he used to sneak in and sleep on the furniture when no one was home. Or the time he had diarrhea all over the hardwood floors. Or how he used to eat the Christmas ornaments off the bottom half of the tree.

Since I’ve been an adult, I’ve never had a perfect German Shepherd--but every single one of them was perfect for me.

WRONG! I’m sorry. Try 3 or 4. Many shepherds don’t calm down and hit their stride until they’re 5 or 6. And you know that wonderful mental image you have of the stoic and noble shepherd sitting on the hill surveying his domain? He’s 9.

In the wacky world of GSDs, that’s just not true. For starters, it’s impossible to make gender-based absolutes. But once you spend time around GSDs, you’ll start to notice there are plenty of hyper, dominant females out there. You’ll also notice lots of mellow, roll-with-the-punches males (especially after they make that all-important trip to Dr. Nip and Tuck).

It all depends on the individual dog, but don’t think for a minute that a female is a sure ticket to a passive, submissive pooch.

Well, if they are, more breeds should mutate.

People who don’t like white shepherds are often, coincidentally, the same people who have never spent any time around them.

Many die-hard black and tan’ers have had their minds changed by the fabulous whites that have come through our rescue.

The secret here is to look at the last 4 letters in the breed name: herd. German Shepherds herd. It’s what they do. And chances are, that’s all he’s doing to your friends and family.

This is called mouthing. It’s what happens when those cute little puppy bites go uncorrected. And if your dog’s doing it, he will continue to do it--and do it harder and stronger--until you DO correct it.

Fortunately, it is relatively easy to fix in most dogs. There are lots of tips on the internet (just search for "dog mouthing") and your vet can probably help as well. If the problem is really out of hand, you may need to call in a trainer for a few sessions.

That sound you hear is all the people with rescued dogs falling over laughing. Because the exact opposite is nearly always true--your rescue dog will CLING to you.

Look at it from the dog’s perspective. He’s spent the bulk of the last year on a 6 foot chain in someone’s back yard because he committed the unconscionable sin of no longer being a puppy. At some point during the day, someone may remember to bring him food and water. The only attention he gets is when they yell at him for barking.

Finally, they take him for a car-ride--dumping him in a wooded area where he can have a "fighting chance." Despite everything, he waits there for their return or tries to get back home. He finds water somewhere. He raids trash cans and gets sick. If he’s extremely lucky, he survives long enough for an animal lover to find him and bring him to the shelter.

Then he sits in the loud, scary shelter run, starting to lose faith that his family will ever find him. The kennel people are nice, but he is one of a hundred needy dogs they have to care for.

Finally, the shelter calls us. And you take him home.

You not only bring him into your house, you give him his own bed and bowl, and a crate where he feels safe. You speak quietly. When he messes on the carpet, you don’t seem to mind--you just take him outside and then clean it up. You feed him regularly AND give him toys and treats and bones. He sleeps in your room. He may even have a big brother or sister to play with. He gets kisses. And when he goes out in the car, he always comes back.

Your rescue dog’s biggest fear is that you will spontaneously combust.

He’s not going to let you out of his sight for one minute. People with rescue dogs learn to function with a 70 pound shadow following them everywhere.

That said, there are some dogs who just never learned to connect with people, but that becomes apparent very quickly--long before we place him with you.

GSRA's spay/neuter policy is not negotiable. If everyone prevented irresponsible breeding, we'd be happily out of business. Do not humanize your dog--no one's asking you to neuter yourself. Your dog will be healthier and more comfortable once she or he is shifted into neutral--and will also be a much more pleasant companion.

Neutered male dogs roam less, mark less territory, and are generally less aggressive. Spayed female dogs avoid the messy and annoying heat cycles, and are not at risk for unwanted pregnancy. And both males and females are less likely to get certain illnesses.

As for the miracle of birth, well, there's another rite of passage occurring to 20 million dogs a year in this country, 25% of them purebred. It happens every day at your local animal shelter. But most parents are not as eager for their children to see that.

Article by Betsy Morris of MAGSR