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Nine months ago, I adopted a 14 mos.old male german shepherd. The family that was giving him up did not have time for him and kept him crated way to much. I thank them everyday, as he is such a joy. The previous owner said he was a purebred and he appears to be, but they did not have any papers for him. He is a beautiful dog, although a little smaller than the average male german shepherd. I always tease and say he's not the sharpest tool in the shed, because it takes him a while to catch on to things and he still barks at my husband everynight like he's a stranger coming in the driveway. My other shepherd would remember a person after only meeting them once or twice. Some of his habits make me wonder if he may have some other breed. He does not seem to have a keen nose, or maybe he's not trained to use it. He loves to sleep in the recliner chair curled up like a cat. Another odd thing, he is so neat at his water bowl never even a splash on the floor), and all the other shepherds I've seen have more water around the bowl, or put there feet in the water. He does not drool and his toys stay completely dry when playing. No drool or saliva! Is there a different trait between working dogs and show dogs? Or American vs. European lines? Just curious as I love him no matter what he is. Terry

>>Nine months ago, I adopted a 14 mos.old male german shepherd. The family that was giving him up did not have time for him and kept him crated way to much. I thank them everyday, as he is such a joy. The previous owner said he was a purebred and he appears to be, but they did not have any papers for him. He is a beautiful dog, although a little smaller than the average male german shepherd. I always tease and say he's not the sharpest tool in the shed, because it takes him a while to catch on to things and he still barks at my husband everynight like he's a stranger coming in the driveway. My other shepherd would remember a person after only meeting them once or twice. Some of his habits make me wonder if he may have some other breed. He does not seem to have a keen nose, or maybe he's not trained to use it. He loves to sleep in the recliner chair curled up like a cat. Another odd thing, he is so neat at his water bowl never even a splash on the floor), and all the other shepherds I've seen have more water around the bowl, or put there feet in the water. He does not drool and his toys stay completely dry when playing. No drool or saliva! Is there a different trait between working dogs and show dogs? Or American vs. European lines? Just curious as I love him no matter what he is. Terry

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Dogs who spend most of their time in a cool place drool far less. GSDs have "tight lips" compared to dogs like Labs and Goldens, which means less slobber and less water spilled when drinking--it's a good thing! It's an especially nice thing in therapy dog work, where any drips must be carefully controlled to avoid leaving slick spots on floors or making the people you visit with the dog feel uncomfortable.

Curling up in a chair is normal. Many GSDs are oversized, bred bigger by people with various reasons, than the more moderate, more agile size called for in the AKC breed standard. A dog who is not so large is more likely to live longer and fewer orthopedic problems. A very good thing.

Teach him a different behavior to do when your husband comes home. GSDs need that kind of direction. Somehow he has become patterned to this behavior, and you can change it, probably without much effort. One substitute behavior would be to have him greet your husband with a toy in his mouth for your husband to throw, or swap him for a treat. This can be used with other visitors, too.
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series articles at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=47