I adore all animals (except wasps, don't see the point of them) but I am actually afraid of German Shepherds! We looked after one for a while but she terrorised Saffy when she was a pup and never had the "nice" look about her. Consequently I freeze up whenever I see one out, and my lot are nervous round them too.

What can I do about this? Other large dogs don't bother me in the slightest - rotties, dobes, staffies, etc etc but GSD.............

Karen

Do you know anyone who's getting a gsd pup and you could get familiar with it whilst young and then you might be ok whilst its getting older?

No Everyone I know is getting/got a yorkie, westie or springer spaniel.

There's one GSD on one of the walks I do but he ignores his owner and intimidates my lot as well. Not havning much luck!

I live in South Wales if anyone in this area has a GSD.........

Thanks for the idea though.......

I was very nervous around GSDs but mostly Dobermanns.  When I first started going to training club there was a Dobe in my group whose  owner kept saying was brill. The dobe and my dog didn't get on well so I didn't actually have any direct contact until one session I had to hold his dog's lead while my dog was tied up.  I can't remember why now only remember that I was very nervous to start with but realised that actually he is a lovely dog.  There are other Dobes  attending now as well and I find I am not nervous around them at all so my suggestion to you would be join a dog club with a variety of breeds that you can work in close proximity to.

If you fancy a trip to rainy Stockport, I've got a gorgeous 4 month old boy, who is just the most adorable, laid back softie ever!!!  Oh and did I mention he was fantastically gorgeous? :D

(I'm deliberately not mentioning Sasha the she-devil!!!!)

I do understand, though,  I was terrified of dogs when I was younger, apparently one of my big brothers gsds sat on me when I was about 18 months old (we'd been chasing each other round the kitchen and it didn't realise I'd come up behind it ;) lol) Used to run screaming at the sight of them - now I've got 4 dogs
(Have always been an all or nothing sort of girl lol)

Paula

What you have to remember is that GSD's, Rottie's, Dobes and other large dogs, are actually no different to any other dog, all dogs are an extention of their owner and their enviroment.  And will behave only as trained.

GSD's are extremely loving, friendly, loyal dogs although used as guard dogs the common everyday pet/show dog is not trained to do this job and therefore is no different to any other dog you may come across, infact they are quite soppy animals.

You need to mentally look at them in a different way, as others have suggested it would help to meet a few 'nice' ones to get rid of the fear you have, I guess that is the only way.  Read up on them, look at websites and breeders on the Internet, see them as loyal loving friends and maybe that will help you. :-)

Its not the dogs I am frightened of, its the idiots holding the end of the lead :D

Is there a breeder of good quality GSDs near you who might be willing to let you interact with their dogs to get used to them?  I used to be the same around GSDs, I never trusted a single one - unfortunately a lot of them round my way aren't soppy, they're often very nervous.  Not in the way they should be - wary of strangers (being a guarding type) - but actually nervous, untrustworthy IMO.

But, I started work at my current kennel job, and my boss has 3 (possibly 4 soon) GSDs - all excellent quality, top temperaments on all of them.  Now I see them as much nicer dogs, if they're raised right - her 3 are all friendly with me, and the possible 4th (who's staying with her at the moment) is a total goof - absolutely huge, and soppy as anything.  We play a lot :D  It's made me a lot more confident round them - even the more typical types that come in to stay.  We've got 3 in at the moment - one friendly pup, and two adults that won't come near me and will growl if I try and touch them.  Those are the type I'm more familiar with, sadly - we get a fair few white GSDs come in, and every single one so far has been nervous and won't come near; I've only managed to get physical contact with one, after a lot of crouching down and ball throwing :D but I'd never have done it before I met my boss's 3.  I'd go so far as to say I'd gladly take Ellie (the youngest) home with me, she's a fab dog :)

It might be worth while finding out if there are any GSD pat dogs in your area. At least then you can get to know one who you can be 100% sure is fine with other people. I know several people with fantastic gsd's, whom i've never seen show any aggression, as people say its the owner not the dogs. I must admit though i am slightly more wary about gsds and rotties at work, just because we do tend to have a few unfriendly/nervy ones, but then terriers can be just as bad too! 

Not in the way they should be - wary of strangers (being a guarding type)

Er GSDs should most definitely not be"wary of strangers" I quote from the GSD current breed standard

Characteristics
Versatile working dog, balanced and free from exaggeration. Attentive, alert, resilient and tireless with keen scenting ability.

Temperament
Steady of nerve, loyal, self-assured, courageous and tractable. Never nervous, over-aggressive or shy.

There was a time when 99% of the Alsatians(GSD)were very nervous & the top breeders got the then breed standard changed to include "noted suspicion of strangers"to allow the top dogs to come within the breed standard(& they were very very unstable dogs to boot), however this was back in the 1950's & early 1960's & indeed there are still breeders who breed this type of dog-but they should not be doing so. Many fail to see the temperament of their dogs is faulty, because they have always had them with the same failing

GSDs need(because they are a highly intelligent breed)a 100%+ temperament & anything less should be atypical.

As you are in Wales contact the GSD Breed Councilfor a club in your area & they will I'm sure be able to put you in contact with a responsible breeder who breeds to the current breed standard(especially the temperament & character)for you to meet some correct GSDs

I'm too far away from you to meet up mine im afraid but just so you know, you are not alone, i meet many people who tell me they are frightened of GSDs, they look scary after all, and if one was nasty it could do an awful lot of damage.
I have had children run up to mine and hug him and if they did it too a different dog it could be a disaster, so a fair bit of caution is not a bad thing.
I met a guy the other day with a big dog, dogs all met, no problem, big adult man skulked along by the fence keeping as far away from them as possible, i can only assume he was frightened of my dog, i dont know because he wouldnt say hello, and got away as fast as possible!

I don't mean nervous of strangers, but cautious - I wouldn't expect them to go running up and say hello.  Not quite getting me words right as usual there :)

Hi there

I was a bit wary of GSD`s myself when I was young this was probably because my mum was terrified of them , unfortunately at the time neighbours next door but one either side had one, my mum would actually cross the road, or walk round the block rather than pass one.  However a few years ago I decided I wanted one and got a lovely GSD bitch, by this time my mum was in a home, but I used to visit her every day with Kizzy and she couldnt believe that it had taken her 80 years to actually stroke one, in fact all the elderly residents loved her...and she them cos they used to give her biccies. I now have 2 and wouldnt be without them, as said before in previous posts they are lovely animals who should be of sound temperament. I suppose it is there appearance that puts people, so many people have said they look vicious but in my eyes they are beautiful to look at.

Funny coincidence.  Having already mentioned up top that I used to be scared of GSDs and Dobes I took my dog to agility class tonight and our group included 2 Dobes and 2 GSDs.  There were a lot of big dogs overall but the only one that was very grouchy and snappy was a little JRT

I feel for you, I really do.  I own and have bred GSD's, and have never had a problem with any of them - but I've met people who are terrified. 
I have to agree with Chloe here about the idiots on the other end of the lead bit!  GSD's on the whole are amazing animals, unfortunately there are bad breeders, and bad owners, and that's where the problem dogs come from, as I'm sure you know.

I'd go with what a lot of the other posters have said - maybe try and find a good kennel in your area, and go along to meet their dogs, or see if you can find any PAT dogs. 

Also - do you show?  (I'm sorry, I've not been around for quite a while and have lost contact with just about everyone) Maybe you could go along to a show and ask the owners if you could be introduced to some of the Shepherds there?

I'm in West Wales - so it'd probably be a bit too far for you to come and meet my girl, but she's a soppy tart!

Hope you manage to get over this fear,

Take care,

I've owned GSDs and I am very wary of them now.  In my area they tend to be the breed most likely to have aggressive and/or nervous temperaments, unfortunately.  

When i had my lovely GSD nearly everytime we took him out people would cross the road to avoid him. People would walk past with their hands up by their chins and pressed agianst the far side of the path. One woman even snached up her child when we approched, even though my 2 year old son was 'helping' me to hold the lead :rolleyes:

On top of thhis nearly everyone i spoke to, family included, had been or knew someone that had been bitten by an 'alsation'

Mind you i can add to that now as mine did bite me!  Totally my fault and he didn't know he had done it but i could join the 'i've been bitten by a GSD club'now LOL

How could it be your fault your dog bit you? unless you did something really awful i can't understand why it would be your fault. Some people are cautious with my GR, i often find it's not a certain breed people are scared of, just dogs in general.

It was my fault; the GSD was play fighting, (rather enthusiastically, almost real fighting!) with our Labrador. As i went to grab him he connected with my hand and bit through the ball of my thumb surprisingly it didn't hurt. He didnt realise he'd even done it and was looking at me wagging his tail.

So ,all my fault. I shouldn't have put my hand into that position.

Hi Saffismum,
I'd buy one of my own. :-)

oooooo that sounds painful helenRR

I agree with you there - the smaller the dog, the bigger the bite! My JR however thinks he's a labrador and is so soppy but sooooooooooooooo cheeky! I think he is a vicky pollard in the making.

I can't agree with you all enough - it's the OWNER not the dog.

As you live in South Wales I suggest that you contact a couple of Schutzhund clubs in your area, either Severnside or Celtic Vale.

Both places are awash with GSDs the vast majority extremely social as is my boy with people, dogs etc etc etc.

Thank you to all of your posts. I never used to have this fear like I said, but we took on a white GSD with a view of having her permatantly.............no way after she attcked my pup. She also went for my older dog and nearly went for me so she went back to her owner who was "surprised" at her bahavour. (please excuse spelling, been out for a very nice meal and an awful lot of red wine!)

I have NEVER had a problem with dogs before but that look in her eye and I thoght "I'm next". I will try and contact a local group. I might add that where I took the dogs training, the bloke who ran the class was an exceptional person, one of a kind, and he raised and bred GSD. Even he was wary around her and whaen we gave her back (I felt soooooooooooooo bad) sad I had done all I could, had tried my hardest and every owner in the class has commented how hard I had tried to work with her. I didn't realise until she went and I worked with my pup that there were other dogs in the class who misbaved!

It was when she started going for other dogs in the class and it took 4 of us to stop her that I felt ill and scared of her, I must admit the other owners were brilliant and ALL gave me support and encouragement.

However, when you do your best for a potential rescue dog and it fails abysmally you feel like a grub under a stone.

Karen

I think you were right to give her back, as a pet owner(ie not trainer etc)once you are scared of a dog then the relationship is probably over, looking at my great big soppy GSD I know that if I was scared of him, I couldnt carry on.

we had gsds all our lives, mum got 'rebel'  and he was a lively intellectual male who did very well in agility, after him we got 'minstrel' a bitch- and the soffest dog ive ever known-

she would lay by the fire and i could get on the floor and snuggle up to her- i would stroke the hair inbetween her toes as i went to sleep next to her. a fly once landed on her bed and she jumped off and wouldnt go anywhere near it till we showed her the fly had gone! she was a babe- and she changed our view- we thought that every gsd waslike her.

after she passed- we got another bitch as we missed minstrel so much, she was called 'sian' and problems started when she was 8 weeks old- agressive behaviour even then- mum thought it wasnt real agression and kept her, as got to 5 months- she would start being possesive and more aggro, we trained her at our local classes each week- yet by the time she was 9 months- she bit my mum through her hand when my mum held her collar as she went to go for a neighbour, she would threaten to bite me and snap at me if i got too close- i was 16 and petrified of her. if mum went out she would run up and down stairs non stop, we tried all sorts with this bitch and nothing helped- she seemed neurotic from birth, the police wanted her pts- as we asked them for advice- so they come round to our house and seemed like sian was calm- as the officer left- he went to stroke sian and she bit his hand badly- we were gonna pts, until we heard a farmer needed a dog- so she lives with him on his extensive land- she gets all his attention and theres no problems w eheard.

the point of me saying all this- we loved gsd's and was devastated when minstrel died- hip dysplasia, we wanted to keep them all our lives- until sian, then after her- we were so upset- but we try not to let it mark our view on all gsd.

chrisjack, you have seen both sides of the story and I know of at least 2 other people who have also been in that situation,ie; had a great dog and a nasty dog, both brought up by the same owners so possibly a genetic thing? mine is soppy but if you had just seen him playfighting with  his northern inuit friend just now you would have thought they were killing each other, if someone was scared to start with that would have sealed it!