I am thinking of getting a german shepherd puppy. What should I expect in terms of cost? What are the future costs when the dog is older? Please help me. I love to have this dog and it is one of my dreams in life.

Frankly speaking , maintain a GSD is cheaper than rabbit
My current cost for adult GSD is btw RM $80 a month. Adult only eat once a day, 1 cup. Brand Eukanuba Lamb. 15 kg dry food can lasts 2 month. Once a month I feed it HeartGard (a recommend pill for dogs by vet).

As for vaccine, once a year for adult - around $80. For puppy, need check with vet. If not mistaken, during the 2 years of puppyhood, it must be taken vaccine for at least 5-6 times.

Get MKA cert puppy GSD. It will reduce the risk of getting bad genes GSD.

I didn't give treats to my dog anymore (used to do it during obedience training). However, I try feed it once a week (if possible), pig bone (leg part) $2 a piece from pasar. Dog love to chew pig bone but make sure it is cook.

Puppy Cost = Average $150 - $200 (month), Average $5 (a day)
Adult Cost = Average $80 - $150, Average $2.6 (a day)


Own a GSD ultimate challenge is not about the cost but exercise them everyday. Everyday I cycle with my dog and make sure it release its energy. It do the normal routine where it will mark its territory by urine at the park. You need to spend times exercise your GSD everyday if possible.

Try watch Caesar Millan Dog Whisper from Astro 553 , Wed night before you get a dog. I never experience own a dog and my first dog is a GSD. I used Dog Whisper methods.

Dear vincentwee,
Thank you so much for the info.
Now I am more confident in owning a GSD.

show us a sampel foto of ur gsd pilis?!

This post has been edited by Tikietic: Jun 18 2013, 03:23 PM

My GSD


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eerrr... someting more current?!
wat is the weight of ur gsd?

yea..the pic taken few years ago... i take pic of him and share
last year he is 27kg ..only weight at vet

i suspek ur gsd is srsly underweight.. for a 1-cup-a-day ration.. deswai i ask about ur gsd "current" weight..
den u can conclusively say that it is cheeep to maintain a gsd based on ur food ration alone.

Please help I need more opinions.

http://www.reddit.com/r/puppy101

Look at the right side, under "BEFORE YOU POST A QUESTION". Before you even think about getting a GSD, think about whether you can handle a puppy. Can you socialize it? Can you afford it? Are you going to wake up nightly and let it out to do it's business? Keep in mind that cost isn't just food and vaccination. What if the dog gets sick? Can you spare 2000 ringgit for an emergency vet visit?

Also, have you read up about the GSD as a breed itself? All health problems, including the hip problems plaguing the breed? How about its energy requirements? Can you afford the time to play with it and tire it out? Keep it occupied? the GSD is a working dog, and it will need much more exercise than a little toy dog.

Also, note that male GSDs are supposed to weigh 35–43 kilograms, according to standards. This may vary, but 27 kgs really strikes me as underweight. Even my old Jack Russell ate more than a cup of kibbles a day, and that's a breed that's a quarter the size of a GSD, so take the cost with a pinch of salt. It'll be close to 200 a month if you feed it quality kibbles, and 300 if you go for the top end.

p.s. Please don't feed cooked bones to dogs. Cooked bones are prone to splintering, and if a dog swallows a piece, its gonna pierce its guts and then you're in trouble. Raw bones are always better, and even then only certain pieces.

This post has been edited by dishwasher: Jun 21 2013, 10:00 AM

Thanks for the info.
1. What does "socialize" mean?
2. Could you name the common health problems.
3. Please elaborate on the 'hip problem".
4. What exercise and how long does the GSD need.
5. What do you feed a GSD, the frequency per day?
6. What type of bones and what quantity for GSD?

Awaiting your informative reply.

Don't keep a dog, or any other pets (except pet rock).
You can google up all those questions that you are asking, but you expect people to spoonfeed you the answers.
It shows that you have a low interest level in the dog. It shows that you don't have the drive to learn more.
Soon you'll be asking why your dog is not active like last time, but won't bring it to the vet for whatever reasons.

I thought you would be helpful.
Well I guess not.
Good-bye.

Are there actual owners of a German Sheperd who could provide me more info on what to expect in having a GSD as a pet...really appreciate the info.

Xecton has a point you know... I already provided you a link with information on taking care of puppies. There's a link right there about socialization and why its important, did you read that?

Rather than just being hell bent on getting a GSD, you seriously need to read up about puppies, then you can consider whether you actually have the commitment to take care of one. If you can't even google basic information or read provided links, why would anyone have confidence in your ability to have a pet dog?

I value experience more than theory. The questions are straight forward. If you have an answer please reply.Otherwise, please don't waste your time and mine.

Spoken like a 13 year old growing his first pube.

Your questions were not on in-depth analysis of GSD or advance dog-keeping. They were just basic like what is socializing your dog? How much to feed?
Information that can easily be found on the internet. No personal experience required.
Please consider keeping these guys; cute, cheap and easy.

I don't own a GSD myself ( parents' GSD, not mine), so I can't answer much of your question. I'm a dog owner myself ( love local mutt), and I suppose I could share some very basic info.

Vaccine: for starter, your pup needs 3 to 4 shots, price varies with type of vaccine you choose ( ranging from RM35 - RM65 each shot), followed by annual booster.

Heartworm prevention: can choose between that ONCE A YEAR proheart injection, or ONCE A MONTH heartgard chewables consumptions. Price goes by weight, the heavier your dog is the more it cost.

Dewormer: can get those cheapo RM1/ pill type or can get quality type at RM5 to RM10/pill depending on what brand and where you buy.

Food: it is really up to dog owner to decide, but I recommend getting those better quality food rather than some overpriced crap that is famous due to their marketing technique.
Personally I use to feed Arden Grange, Acana/ Orijen...etc but now switched completely to prey model diet. So it is really up to you to decide though.

Just a thought: Spend more on better quality dog food now rather than spending huge amount of money and heartache for vet bills later on.

Accessories, You will need:
Collar for your dog
Harness ( optional)
Leash
Poop bag ( can use normal plastic bag or buy a poop bag)
Toys
Water/ Food bowl

Others:
Training Treats ( can buy commercial treats or make it yourself)
Hygiene Care ( ie shampoo, disinfectant to clean dog place...etc)
Classes ( puppy classes/ basic obedience training)
Supplement ( if you give good food, shouldn't need it, but as dog age, esp big dog, might need certain supplement for the hip & joints...etc, others are optional ie salmon oil/ fish oil la, brewer yeast la...etc)

Time:
Walks/ exercise, these do not refer to short 2 to 5 minutes walk from your house to place nearby for your dog to poop. Real exercise as in letting the dog run/ play/ physical actions.
Bonding: takes time, no amount of money can do this
Research: constantly updating your knowledge, not only through internet but also discussions and sharing sessions. Research and updates on dog food ( this can be controversial, or sometimes even scandalous, so never trust commercial pet food 100% without updating news from time to time), reading up about dog care/ dog breed special needs..etc there are a lot of info out there, but it takes time to filter out those real genuine scientific proven research from other piles of craps, knowing why and what to look for in your dog food ingredient, if you feeding raw, more to read on why feeding this and not that...blah blah, a lot of readings.


Stop here, continue when home.

Key of owning a dog is to know the very basic needs of keeping a dog, then only into breed specification. Yes, different breed has different needs, but at end of the day, they're still dog, so get through the general knowledge about dogs ( any dogs, any breeds), then only do specify readings on breed, that will enable you to understand GSD better.

This post has been edited by blackright: Jun 23 2013, 02:44 PM

You clearly have an attitude problem. You are rude and disrespectful, yet expect to be spoonfed like a King.

When one is seeking for help, one must be nice to others, not the other way round.

Why would you waste your time. If you want to help, answer my questions. Otherwise, keep minding your own business.

Perhaps suggesting a pet rock as an alternative is pretty rude of me.
But the truth is, GSD is not a beginner's dog. It is actually a working class dog and requires much work for it to settle down as a good house pet.
A toy class dog should work better for a beginner. But please avoid those teacup toy dogs. They are very unhealthy and usually die in a short time.

Here I've listed out a number of toy dogs for your consideration. Not sure about their availability in Malaysia though.


This post has been edited by xecton: Jun 25 2013, 07:56 PM

wah...didnt come to this forum.so many ppl reply..

actually i don think my GSD is underweight...use my fist felt its meat than bone ..taught by vet..

my rule of thumb feed 1 cup a day because it only eat that portion, if more than it, it will not eat. different dog different diet.

lastly, as i cycle with him everyday, he is very powerful and energetic..if a underweight dog wont have the power to exercise for rounds...

just remember to reply this quote.

cooked bones remove the bacteria from raw bone. compare cooked or raw bones, cooked is the right one.
however, if refer to vet, neither both should be fed. vet normally recommend those sell at the petshop. only those "bone" are recommended to dogs as it is been process. agree with u there is risk pierce guts, that y i only feed pig bone (very big one)...refer attachment...this is the one i get from pasar...boil it until it is cooked...

last year, my dog only 1years++. only this year june he is 2++. im using Purina Proplan cup to scoop Eukunuba dry food. If use Hill’s Science feeding cup it will be 2 cup, as Purina ProPlan cup is big and tall.




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This is the ultimate conflict between raw feeders and cooked feeders.

The raw side is against the idea of cooked bones because cooked bones become hard and brittle, and will splintered (as said previously) into sharp pieces that will potentially cut the internals of the dog. Bacteria is not a concern due to the very acidic level (pH2) in the dog's stomach.

The cooked side however is afraid of bacteria and perhaps don' know/buy in into the idea that bones' structure changes when cooked. Generally for the raw feeders, it is better not to feed bones than to feed cooked bones.
However in your case, you are actually not feeding bones but instead providing recreational gnawing bones for your dog. So your dog does not actually eat the bones in pieces but probably tiny pieces scrapped of from the bone.
But perhaps you should consider also that those big bones could possibly be weight bearing bones and thus very hard. It is then made harder by the cooking process. This might potentially cause dental issues with your dog.

I have suspected that your 1 cup a day is actually 2 cups. Mine is the same too.
However, I feed my 28kg dog 4 cups (the measuring cup, not the scoop cup itself) a day. It lost weight when I reduced it to 3 cups a day.
Not seeing your dog personally, I'll leave it at that. You should know better seeing that you actually see and touch your dog everyday.


Now this thread do contains some good info. Hopefully the idiot can comprehend the infos here that were not directly spoodfed to him.

Fresh pic, just took it while I cycle with him at BU park. He is 2 years old.


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He look medium sized for 2 year old.

What a beautiful GSD. Congratulations, you must love him very much.

Thanks, love him very much, nolah. But love him as a pet.have a caring heart to walk / exercise with him everyday, bath him once a week, cut his nails if needed, n etc.minimum spend half hour with him everyday to Max hour on weekend.


when he stand, he can reach my height, 170cm.I think he is large size compare medium.

I think xecton has his points right and dishwasher is being very informative as well. GSDs tend to have more health problem than normal breed (doberman tends to be first though).

There are lot of useful information you may see from Youtube. Those facts are pretty straight forward. In case you are getting a GSD, I suggest you to get from reputable breeder so that you will get a balance & healthy dog.

GSD are truly a loving dog. They are loyal, fearless, and smart but they have the downside too. They have thick fur so it makes skin infection less obvious to owner especially to first timer. Thick fur also means that their hair fall pretty a lot (seriously a lot).

In my humble opinion, i would not suggest you to get a GSD if you are ;

i) first timer
ii) do not understand the breed well enough
iii) busy (they need exercise, they need training and etc)
*training could be anything but you must always keep them occupied.
iv) disciplined (you need to commit yourselves daily, or least 3-4 times a week)
v) you have to be strong in character so the dog will obey you. (otherwise, a smart dog like them will easily overrun their owner)


There are many GSD owners who have had GSD all their lifetime and still learning to get their dog better. Learning never ends! You should start flipping books and websites before you really getting into having a GSD.

Help yourselves and help the dogs as well. Many thanks.

This post has been edited by kian26: Jun 27 2013, 11:24 PM

Based from kian26, i fall under i) & ii). when i wan to get my 1st dog 2 years ago, the petshop recommend me a MKA cert GSD straight away ..initially i wanted to get Rottie....he said GSD is smart and loyal...1st time owner will have less difficult... if i don watch Caesar Millan shows that time, i will not dare to get a GSD... while 1st time own a dog, i begin to implement Caesar teaching (Astro 553)... of course, i also enroll my puppy for Basic Obedience class where learn the basic command and understand more about dogs from trainer.. that is a bit of investment...i socialize my dog by bringing him to 1Utama Central Park to met other breeds... even at his age 2, whatever breed he meet, he is friendly

You are my guru vincentwee. You have given me the confidence with your knowledge and experience. You are a true guru my friend.

While I realise this thread is old, I've got a couple of things I'd like to add:

1) do not buy a puppy from he petshop. even with the MKA cert, it could come from bad genes. I'm sorry vincent, you do not know what you're saying.
2) Find a reputable breeder. Means one who gets their dogs genes tested for things like hip dylapsia. I didn't do this. My Golden retriever (MKA certified) was born with an ectopic ureter. genetic defect. I spend 2k on surgery because I love her and she's perfect to me in every other way. Just that she leaked urine and it cause her to smell and get urine burns. She's 7 now. Still has a weaker bladder but no longer leaks like a broken faucet.
3) DO NOT EVER GIVE YOUR DOG COOKED BONES. Once again, vince, I'm looking at you. RAW bones only. Dogs have a very acidic stomach. This isn't a problem. COOKED BONES CAUSE CHOKING. Raw bones (hard ones) clean teeth. My dog gets pig bone marrow once a week (very cheap, RM6-7 for a HUGE pc). Her teeth get a good cleaning that way.
4) Grooming. Now for a GSD, I suppose because their fur isn't too long, daily brushing is good enough. Trim his nails weekly. You'll be glad you did, but please, be careful. Don't cut it too short and make him bleed (happened to me before, too, I use coffee powder to stop the bleeding)
5) Socialise. I've seen GSD pups who are very nervous. They're smart dogs, but they need to be socialised when they're young. Meaning, if you've a friend who has big breed dogs (around the same age, preferably), get them to meet you outside, on neutral ground. Introduce the dogs slowly. Keep a close watch. Otherwise, you can even take him for obedience class.
6) He's going to be a little destructive for a while, but be patient. Be stern and patient. Don't hit him, don't yell at him. It's hard, I know, I sometime sell at my Golden girl too. Usually just a 'who did it' in a stern voice gets her hiding.
8) Also someone suggest that yearly heart worm prevention- check with your vet. It's a good idea actually.
9) Year booster shots once the pup reaches 1.
10) No human food. High premium kibble, and sometimes raw meat (beef, lamb, chicken), raw liver, boiled carrots and potatoes. (trust me, this is good food, their fur will be awesome)
10) Brewers yeast tablet. THESE ARE AMAZING. Somehow they prevent ticks, and also the dog's fur will be nice and glossy. You should see my girl's fur. So thick, so fluffy.



These are things I can think of from the top of my head. I've had dogs for more than 20 years.

Thank you so much.

I learn something new today..thanks!

You have got some really good advice for our OP here.
I caanot agree more.
MKA cert merely certify that the puppy's parents are MKA certified dogs for a certain breed, thus you get the 'certification' of it being a purebred dog.
It certainly does NOT mean it is free from bad genes.
I strongly recommend you do some research and look up responsible german shepherd breeders in you area. If you may have to pay a higher price for the pup, it's much cheaper than the vet trips that may break your bank.
A responsible german shepherd breeder should be able to tell you the pup's genetic hereditary diseases, especially from the pup's dam and stud. Responsible breeders will breed away from them, any stud or dam having such condition will be spayed. Don't believe if the breeder say the genes got no problem at all. That's bullshit.
Be wary of weak hind legs and unnatural sloping back plaguing the show line quality. I am not a keen supporter for those dog shows as they encourage some bad breeders to exaggerate some show qualities which result in an unhealthy dog with an unnatural gait.
A responsible breeder will not hesitate to let you visit the puppies, the place or den that he houses them, or let you see or have more info of the stud and dam. You are, after all, entitled to know the condition of the puppies, the size or temperament of its parents.
In fact, a good breeder will be more curious to know about you. Generally, to assess your knowledge of the breed, to know how much time and energy you are willing to spend on it, how many dogs or pets you currently own, your house compound, your family's respond to the new pet etc. I have once bought from a breeder who visits my house and gave me interviews, that shows how concern the breeder is that the puppies go to the right homes.
Generally, I will not buy pets from pet shop. I often consult my family vet who will recommend to me some good breeders.

Like what Cesar Milan would say,breed is power. A dog is a dog, and its breed will be its power. A german shepherd is a powerful dog, intelligent and smart. It is not as difficult to handle as, say a rottie which may be stubborn.
A german shepherd is a herding dog, so be prepared to experience mouthing/nipping, and a tendency to chase/herd the cats/chickens/ducks. These are all typical gsd traits which needs correction if you find it undesirable.
Aside from its breed, a dog may develop food guarding habits, which is dangerous to its owner. You have to learn to discourage that behaviour, even more so with a powerful dog. You dont want any family members to get bitten.

And do remember to exercise your leadership over it through games, walks, feeding etc. Basic obedience taught will ease you disciplining it when it gets stronger and older.

Even short hair gsd shed heavily, in fact they are all year round shedder. Be prepared to comb them daily and expect fur all over your floor.

A female dog goes into a heat cycle, are you ready for puppies and male stray dogs guarding your house all week?
A male dog may get agressive if they do not mate for long periods, if you have no plans for continuing its bloodline, best to spay and neuter.

A dog is a lot of work, a lot of time and energy spent. You need to be absolutely certain you will care, provide and train the dog. Or else, for breeds like this and rottweilers, doberman, etc, it's pretty much a gone case if you send it to shelter, especially if they are not well trained and develop agression issues.

I'm just sharing the 'effort' side, not the monetary side.
Having a dog is a lot of fun. If you are ready, go for it.
There is nothing more rewarding that your dog's happy tail wagging greeting you at the end of a tired day.

Great detailed advice about the breed quality!