Credit: http://www.spockthedog.com/
We’re up to the fifth article in what I call my “versus” series. Basically, after doing some research, I find out what breeds the public wants to look into and be compared to the Golden Retriever. So, if you have any breeds you would like to see here, just leave me the breed in the comments. Now we’re looking at German Shepherds. But before that, we have to do our standard Golden Retriever recap. In case you forgot what we were comparing.
Golden Retrievers
Credit: http://www.golden-retriever.com/
The breed is known to be friendly and their tolerant attitude makes the Golden Retriever a wonderful family pet. Golden Retrievers excel at retrieving game for hunters (hence the name), tracking, sniffing out drugs, and as therapy and assistance dogs. They’re also natural athletes, and do well in dog sports such as agility and competitive obedience. So, if you want a hunting or show dog, you should definitely look into the Golden Retriever.
As mentioned before, Golden Retrievers make amazing family pets. But please remember that this is a large breed dog. Golden Retrievers need lots of room to run around and get exercise. This breed does not adapt well to apartment living. If you are a new pet owner, this breed is okay when it comes to temperament. However, their size may be a challenge to some newer dog owners.
This beautiful breed is also known for being highly sensitive. The sensitivity also plays a part in the fact that Golden Retrievers do not like to be left alone. So, if you travel often and do not plan to take your pup with you, this may not be the breed for you.
Golden Retrievers are beautiful dogs. A lot of them have long, beautiful coats. Which means they shed. A lot. The long hair also makes them much harder to groom and they have the potential for a lot of weight gain. That’s why it is important for them to get a lot of exercise. Of course, they also have a high energy level. Golden Retrievers also have a high risk of cancer and unfortunately don’t have the best overall health.
German Shepherds
Credit: http://www.dogtime.com/
The German Shepherd is actually right up there with Golden Retrievers when it comes to popularity. The German Shepherd is intelligent and a capable working dog. Their devotion and courage are unmatched. The breed can be trained to do many things such as: guide and assist work for the handicapped, police and military service, herding, search and rescue, drug detection, and competitive obedience.
Good news for apartment dwellers! German Shepherds actually adapt better to apartments than Golden Retrievers. However, they are a much tougher breed to handle when it comes to new dog owners. They are less sensitive than Golden Retrievers and handle being left alone slightly better.
When it comes to humans, kids, and strangers, they are actually very friendly. But they tend to like being the only pet in the house. However, this can vary if you raise them with another pet as a puppy.
They shed just as much as a Golden Retriever, but they are much easier to groom. They also drool less. The German Shepard’s overall health ranking is much better than the Golden Retriever. They are very intelligent and easy to train. Though they have an attitude they also have a high energy level.
Do you have a German Shepherd or a Golden Retriever? Tell us about them in the comments below.
