Welcome to the Yappy Hour, powered by Yappily, the podcast for dog lovers who want to better understand and connect with their canine companions. I'm your host, Nathan Dunleavy, and today's episode is a real treat for fans of one of the. World's most iconic breeds, the German Shepherd. Joining me is Sue Kewley, a trainer and behaviourist who has dedicated her work to understanding, supporting, and celebrating these incredible dogs. Sue is the founder of the Happy Shepherd, where she helps GSD Guardians navigate. Everything from enrichment to reactivity with patience and empathy. Today we'll be talking about what it takes to live successfully with a German Shepherd, busting a few myths along the way and celebrating everything that makes this. Breed so special. So whether you've got a GSD snoozing at your feet, or you are just curious about the breed, you are gonna find lots of value in this conversation. So grab a cup of tea, settle in, and let's get started.

welcome back to the Yappy Hour, powered by Yappily. I'm your host, Nathan Dunleavy, and I'm so excited to bring you another episode of The Yappy Hour. Today we have one of our fantastic breed specific experts. Today we have the very lovely Sue Kewley founder of the Happy Shepherd who specialises in. German Shepherds and supporting their guardians. So excited to find out more about this fantastic breed. So Sue, welcome to the Yappy Hour. I'm absolutely thrilled to have you here with us today to celebrate and understand this amazing breed. How are you doing?

I'm good. I'm really good. Thank you. I'm delighted to be here. any excuse to talk about German Shepherds?

Perfect. Thank you so much. So thanks for bearing with me just then as well. I'll have to get that bit edited out or we might keep it in, who cares? So Sue, for those that may not know about you and your journey what made you fall in love with the German Shepherd breed?

Well, for me, it went back to when I was 10. Funnily enough, I've, I'd always, always loved dogs. As a small child, I, I adored all dogs and I.

Lovely.

When I was around about 10, we lived next door to a lady that had four gold retrievers and one German shepherd. And I

Hey.

allowed to take, I used to go out on walks with them and I was never allowed to take out the German Shepherd. And

Oh, okay.

would never allow me. No. They used to say it was, she was different. You're not allowed to take a German leopard out and understanding that. Now when I, now that I'm older, but she and I used to meet behind the shed. There was a gap in the hedge and she and I used to sit and I used to sit there and read stories to her, and she used to sit next to me and listen. And I absolutely. Vowed then that I would have one of my own one day.

Oh wow. I love that. Absolutely love that. What a lovely story. I love when there's a story behind it. Brilliant. So that's what started your love off and then

yeah.

brought you to where you are now. Brilliant. Okay. So let's move on to our first section then, which is all about the essence of the German Shepherd. Now my first question actually, and I probably should know this, Ian German Shepherd, are they exactly the same or what?

Yeah, same dog. During the war the German Shepherd was the, the word. And I actually, in my program, I have a history and it, it does cover that just a history module, but,

okay.

Basically what what happened was the German Shepherd in Germany was called the German Shepherd. And they felt that in England it wasn't appropriate to have something with after the

Ah, ah, yes.

So they, they, they, they chose Alation because it came from the region of Alfas, which is on the border of France and Germany. And

say,

how they, but it's exactly the same dog. In actual fact, it was the Ian Wolf dog at one point as well. Or the German.

okay.

It's, it is the same dog, but in

Yeah.

of like purist. German Shepherd Alsatian circles. There became a time when it was, if you bred the English type, it was called an alsatian, and if you bred the German type, it was called a German Shepherd. But

I see.

the same dog

I often wonder that because growing up, I mean I've recently turned 40, but growing up my great nan had Alsatians and they were known as alsatians. And then as I've got into dog train in the last sort of 10 years, all of a sudden I haven't heard the word ation, but I've heard German Chevron. I'm like, oh, are they the same or is it just, they got two names. And I've often wondered that.

Yeah, well there you go.

Thank you so much. Every day is a school day. I love that. So what makes German Shepherds such special companions in your experience? Sue?

A combination, I think. They are, they're innately sensitive. Which is a double-edged sword. They are, they, because they are hyper aware of their environment because they're bred to herd, because they're bred to be environmentally sensitive. also is, it makes them aware of our emotions also, which

Hmm.

that basically if you are having a bad day, your German people will know about it.

Okay.

so there. There had been, used to, when the children were little they used to pretend to cry. and then the dogs would go, oh, what's wrong? And they'd come and sit and, and go, can we come and sit next to you and be big and strong

Oh

after you? And if you are,

yeah.

and if you are poorly, they would there'd be, there'd be a dog parked at the bottom of your bed, yeah, it's, there's a lot that makes them so loyalty, their protective nature.

I was gonna say, it's almost like that protectiveness, isn't it? Yeah, that's what I was thinking.

They're devoted to their family members. although they do, they do choose their favorites, they're not one man dogs. Like, you can, you can, can send that away. They, they do enjoy their family.

Mm,

we,

wind.

to, when the, again, when the kids were little. We used to try and lose the children when we're out on a walk in the woods, oh, go and hide behind the tree, and the dog would go, hang on a minute. less, there are fewer people here now. And they would run back and go and find the kids. They'd go

well make, make a game of it.

Yes, they'd go and play. Hide and seek. Yes.

I love that.

no man

Oh.

There was no man left in the woods.

Brilliant. Oh, I love that. I was gonna ask you a another question anyway, but do you have a few German Shepherds yourself? No. You mentioned you had a puppy just offline.

Right. I don't have any German shepherds now. I lost my last, the last of my line 'cause I bred them for 35 years.

Oh, wow.

I, I lived with

Wow.

went into it deep.

You did.

I, I had my first German Shepherd in 83. And then I subsequently got into obedience and then I subsequently got into exhibiting and, just doing what I'm breeding and all that sort of thing. And so I had a line and. Roma was the

Yeah.

line. And we

Okay.

her in, in, in 19 sorry, in in 2023. I

Oh, bless.

I didn't, I wouldn't have another one. So

Really

yeah. Because there, there are too many things. Have changed in my life. That mean that

Sure.

give them the kind of life that I had been able to. So I couldn't

that's sensible. That's so sensible. You, you want to give it the best life.

So

Yeah.

got Spaniels and Labrador now.

Oh, really? Oh, lovely. Well, I love that. No fair play. So Sue, what traits do new pet guardians German Shepherd guardians often underestimate when they bring a GSD into their lives?

Well, you sword.

Yeah.

It is. They, they, because they notice every detail because when people see German Shepherds, they go, oh, that's a really intelligent dog. I see, the police use it and, and they see it

Mm.

under, really under conditions where it, that it's, it's being trained well. So they think that it's an easy, an easy dog.

Okay.

underestimate. How sensitive they are, how emotional they are how they can change from to tother really rapidly. How they can, because they're so bright, it's so easy for them to, to, to learn incorrect habits,

I say

that are. Undesirable. So they'll

yes.

I call self-employed. They'll actually go self-employed.

Okay. Yeah.

what people tend to underestimate. They just see this intelligent dog and they go, oh yeah, it's really intelligent. And then all of a sudden they go, oh yeah, but it's learnt to do this.

Ah,

yeah.

okay. Yeah, they used to, it's the flavor of the year, isn't it? They used to have a bit of a bad rep, didn't they? GSDs, and then it, before it moved on to something else. That might be what you mean by those undesirable unfavorable behaviours because they go self-employed.

Yeah, German Shepherds were one of the first sort of bad dogs, really, because people

Mm-hmm.

of them. And then they were, they were sort of the, the, the macho dogs, weren't they? They were the sort of, the bad lads would have them before they, changed to that. And then that, and then that, it's not a, they're not an easy dog to keep. And so I think. It, it became obvious that, you, you couldn't really look macho with a dog that actually they couldn't train poss, train well themselves. So no, it was very much a case of I. They did get a bad wrap. But then when you have a dog that isn't a situation that isn't ideal, whether its needs aren't being met, it's the same with any breed, but more specifically with a dog that learns really, really quickly. And also when things, when the wheels fall off, people remember. A German Shepherd because of its size, because of its power.

it. Yeah.

by a poodle, it's not, it's not, it's bad. And the,

Yeah, but not,

level of arousal is there, but it's not the same scale.

I know. Yeah.

So it's, it is very real. And I

Yeah.

People are frightened of them, still

Yeah.

them. There's a lot of, yeah, there's a

they've just got that, they've got that pre, they've got that presence about a moment. They, that big bravado, that presence, and unfortunately the media and press and films. Hasn't helped, with a lot of the, the Brad dogs and a lot of it comes down to the owners, doesn't it? And stuff. So, yeah. Bless them. So how would you describe the emotional, the emotional needs of a shepherd compared to some other breeds? Sue?

Okay, so. German Shepherds have an inherent negative bias. It's always about what could be wrong? What is that noise? It's bound to be something bad. So that is very much where they, where they, where they are basically. So. Can you just repeat the question again for me? I've gone

Of course. Yeah. No, no. It's all good. No. So just the could you describe the emotional needs of a German Shepherd compared to some other breeds?

so emotionally, although they look as though they've got all this bravado and they're making all this noise, they

Mm

need emotional support. They

sure.

need to be their buddy. You need to

Yeah.

Safe bubble. You need to be able to say, right, I've got this. You can stand down. You

Hmm.

yes, by all means, thank you very much for telling me there's somebody here, but actually I've got this now. So you can go and settle down and switch off. And. What often happens is that people quite like the idea that their German shepherd is quite protective.

Yeah.

so the dog will be fence running and going, there's somebody here, there's somebody here, and they're

Yeah.

up and up and up.

Yeah.

it's. That then adds to an awful lot more adrenaline and an awful lot more stress, kept stress hormones within the system. And so need to be able to be switched off to be able to rest, to be able to relax and rewire basically. That's, that's what I always think of. So it's, are, they are, you have to advocate for them. And

Yeah.

where you need more, you need to do this more. And that would be when they are adolescent, they completely lose their stuff when they are, when they are, when they're adolescents. So, yeah.

Yeah.

they, and they seem to, they always seem to get kicked outta the puppy class around 14 to 16 weeks.

Oh, oh no.

Yeah. And that's the

Oh,

difference because by that time, they're starting to look like a German Shepherd. Instead

yes.

ball in amongst all the little small furries or even the medium sized furries,

Yeah.

thing suddenly comes in at 16 weeks and goes, hello, who are you lot? And then they start to

Yeah.

and he feels they feel the same on the inside.

Yeah.

the, all the other little. The other dogs. But

Mm

of, because people then go, oh, hang on a minute. I've got one of those aggressive German shepherds. They then tighten up the lead, person, and this has actually happened to me. This happened to me many, many, many years ago. The trainer came over to me and said, right, tighten up your lead make sure that they don't do this, and make sure they don't do that. And, and, he actually wanted me to, to, to use a choke chain and to, and to, and to strangle the dog. I wasn't able to do that. And he then pushed, put, sent me into the corner, sent me out of the, out of the way and said, you can't be in this class. And I'd gone from having a puppy. Being full of beans and, and, and, and then one day he went in this is the emotional ro rollercoaster German Shepherd owning it. It, it's, that's what it's like. They, they, they do come out of it.

Yeah.

to be, you, you need to, that's when I get most of my phone calls, when, when you've

Right.

16 week old German Shepherd and it's, I've been, they've been told that they need a firm hand and, and all that sort of stuff. Even,

worst thing.

now. Even now, it's, oh, when you've got one of those dogs, you've gotta be firm with them, don't you?

Oh gosh. Okay. Well we wanna be setting them up for success and that's what a bit of a theme is advocating we want to be our dog superhero. And it definitely sounds like they need that, don't they?

Yes, yes.

Brilliant. So we've touched a little bit on this, but on our next section, which is all about the common misconceptions and stereotypes. So obviously we, we did touch on it a little bit, but German shepherds sometimes can have a reputation for being an inverted commas scary. What myths would you love to bust today, Sue?

I like the, you've got to, you've got to have a firm hand. Because actually I

Yeah.

will counter that with, you have to be dominant and all this sort of stuff, and, and, and this couldn't be further from the truth. And. What I actually counter it with is that tight leads trigger. Because if you've got an, an animal who is naturally a herder, that is, that feels good in motion and feels good when they chase, and then you start to apply. Tension and force. What, which is what people normally do when their dog starts to react and get scary. People gather them up, put them on short leads hold them really tightly. Then the dog starts to, it's, it's a bit like a Jack in the box. know, you

Yeah.

pressure and the more

Pressure.

that, the more that it will come back.

Mm.

so. One of the things that I do is to help people make a connection with their dog and see how gentle they can be and how quiet they can be, and just watch what their dog can actually pick up on without coming the hot and heavy. And because more often than not, I will have the husband, wife team and I'll have the well, I can handle them. Because I, I'm strong and then it's, but my wife can't, my wife's scared and that really, really pleases me because I go, right, okay. I think you, you, the confidence to have the relationship that you want with your dog, because I

Mm.

often want to deal with. We do, but I don't find it as easy to deal with someone that is quite biased in their opinions. So I enjoy empowering the

That's nice.

been told that they are unable to handle their German Shepherd. To bring out that. So that's a really, so in a roundabout way, that's a myth, but also you have to be strong to handle it. You have to be dominant to handle the dog. You have to, I'm five foot two, and I've been handling these dogs for decades and it's not

Yeah.

It's about getting them to work with you. And even dogs that aren't mine, once know. you are doing. And once they know that, that that fear goes and that adrenaline goes they, they, you actually find the dog that is, you're able to work with. So yeah, there's an get rid of all your pre misconceptions and then look at the,

Yeah.

and, if they were a dangerous dog or if they're a scary dog, they wouldn't be herding sheep, they wouldn't be breeding them to herd sheep. they are so reliable when it comes to, to, to herding sheep. They don't

Right.

a collie, they don't do it like a

Okay.

actually are mobile fences. So up and down and up and down and up and down and up and down. And then they're keeping an eye on everything that comes in, and then they might go up that way. In Germany, Germany, they will use them to, to segment keep them off this crop and put them on that, that place.

Yeah.

So, and if somebody moves out of line, they just go along and say, right, you are not supposed to be there. They'll barge, same as you've seen. If you've seen them play, they'll barge into them or they'll Griff, which is bite on, on just the shoulder, but not badly. And then the, the ship goes, oh, okay, I apologize. I'll go, I'll go back again. If they were,

Yeah.

if, if they were dangerous or whatever, they wouldn't be doing that. But again,

definitely.

They're bad people and there are bad dogs. But as a

Yeah.

If they're well bred and well brought up, but then

Yeah,

into all that.

yeah. It sounds like to me it comes down to, to connection doesn't, it really is about connecting them with with them. Mm.

rather than control.

Yes.

learned decades ago with Sarah Fisher and,

Oh yeah.

Ellington Touch and what have you, when, when many moons ago with Linda Ellington Jones and, and what have you.

Oh yes.

Connection

Yeah.

Yeah.

over connection, over correction is what it's all about. Brilliant. So Sue, do you think that their intelligence sometimes works against them in pet homes if their needs are not being met?

Yeah. if their needs aren't being met, they will start to get into a loop of, okay, an obvious one that I, I just had this evening. If the dog is, has continued to. Not have their needs met by maybe appropriate exercise, maybe appropriately addressing their needs. Then they bark at the window. They bark at the window 'cause people are walking past. And then of course they get into that, oh, that works. That then gives them a relief. Which means that they go, they go and do it again. Oh look, there's somebody there,

Sure.

Apprehension, frustration, fear, Bing, bing, barky, barky, bark. then. It's that it then becomes relief. Okay, that's really good. I'll do that again. And

Yeah.

something like that will become like a a loop

Mm-hmm.

Yeah. And if you then get somebody turning up and then a door gets left open or a gate gets left open, then you've got a dog that is on that loop going,

Mm-hmm.

dunno what to do now. 'cause I've always had the barrier of the fence or the barrier of the window

Mm-hmm.

getting to the thing. All I've done is just bark at it and it's gone away. It's, they don't properly learn how to. Make good choices if they aren't taught properly. And that's

Mm.

and meeting their needs is, is really important. Meeting their needs also mentally by giving them an outlet, we

Yeah.

be able to give them the, gating it 15 miles an hour for, all day or, or whatever, which is what they did or what they were bred to do originally. Although you, your dog isn't doing, isn't likely to do that, but it is, we've got to be able to say, can they forage, can they, can they have sufficient exercise? Can they use their brain, can they, and, and, and all that sort of stuff. Do they have a job to do? can they switch off? You

Yeah.

all that sort of thing. Yeah.

Yeah. Brilliant. And what impact do you think, we did touch on it earlier again about media, but what impact do you think Reed be portrayals in the media and film have had on expectations? I.

I dunno. 'cause I don't tend to, I don't tend to watch them. 'Cause I don't like watching dog movies 'cause the dog, if the dog dies and that's it. I can't watch.

Oh, I'm the same God. What was it? Find, what was it? Mar Marley and Me or something that, that worked. No, God, I know you. I cry everything anyway. Something's sad on tv, but if it's got a dog in, I'm gone.

No, absolutely. I don't,

No, I think while it is, is that they've just been in the films where they've been the Guard dogs at, at the Scary House, and they've been with the Badie, and unfortunately that's then. Moved over to real life because then they attract a certain type of person.

yes.

is me putting it in a roundabout way?

Okay. So yes, definitely. When I was breeding, you would get a certain type of person at that time that would want a a, a German Shepherd, and you'd have to weed them out. You'd have to go, well, no, isn't the right dog for you.

Mm.

yeah, I think. It's the same with a lot of, a lot of breeds though. And yes, the guard dog image is, is also, and also the bringing down the, the personal protection stuff, know,

Yeah.

The Mally has got that pretty much sewn up now. The Shepherd has come away from that, but you do get a, a lot of the east German still working in the police and still, being, being in the protection in, in, in that line. In that

Yeah.

dogs, a lot of

Yeah.

as well.

That's it.

Yeah.

And I, and I think that's where like, unfortunately I don't like to talk about it too much 'cause we're a positive reinforcement show. But you see a lot of the aversive equipment, equipment on these types of breeds of dogs, unfortunately, because

yeah.

used for a certain.

Yeah. And very often one of the first things that I talk about, I, I, in, in my programs I've got a, an, an equipment It's basically, what are you, what's your dog wearing? Why are you wear, why are they wearing it? I would like you to change it to this. It's not, it's not an option. And, and, and. So yes, you do need to have equipment that is going to support your, your, the connection with your dog so that you

Mm

you know, well-fitting equipment is, is really, really important.

mm.

a double-ended lead that kind of thing. But yeah, because, and certainly some. In this country, the. It's more normal to see dogs wearing prongs.

Exactly.

and, and stuff like that. German Shepherds

Yeah.

And just breaks my heart. Absolutely. 'cause that was one of the biggest things that

Yeah,

when I realized how sensitive these dogs are and then you think, my God,

yeah.

such a bad rap. really

Hmm.

They are, they, they, people tend to use too much force because they, again, we've said they that's where they think it's, it's supposed to be that you're, what you're supposed

Yeah,

but also

yeah,

put all this equipment on, because they feel. Unable to control the dogs, so they just lump all

yeah, Yeah. Fish circle.

yeah, it is. Yeah.

And I think like as well, we, I say a lot on this show is that, it comes down to education, owner education. And unfortunately you don't know what you don't know. And if a, a member of the public, Joe Public saw a policeman or a dog in a being used by the police in that equipment, they're gonna think, oh, the police use it. It must be okay. 'cause they don't know,

no,

which is a shame.

to be fair, the majority of equipped PE of police forces in this country, I do believe now use positive methods.

Yeah.

I believe.

That's, yeah, that's good. Right. Lovely. Thank you. So moving on to our next section, which is again about mate meeting the needs of the shepherd. So, meeting the shepherd's mental and emotional needs what does a fulfilled and happy GSDs day-to-day life look like in your view? Sue?

Okay, so I. The need for foraging is really, really important. So snippy walks and being able to use a Kong wobbler for example, that's

Yeah.

that, a Kong wobbler. and so did my, so did my German Shepherd. She, she would So on days when I. Couldn't do everything. It would be a con wobbler and, let's go out in the garden, let's go find stuff, let's do some scent work. Let's do That kind of thing. Let's just do a few tricks, just to get the, the brain pattern going. on good days when you know, when you've got the time, a blooming good walk a, a blooming nice beach walk. Is great, but I never used because they're so big. And you don't really want them landing on something like a, a, a bag of spanners, know, you actually want them to be so they, they don't have particularly good breaks. And although they're a medium sized dog, they don't have, they do, but, some of the bigger dogs anyway. I would always get them to wait and then lob something and then send them onto a dead toy. That sort of thing. And something else that would, that I, that I used to do would be, I would throw a. Non a, a not exciting toy. And then I would do a, a call that, so they would, and send them. And then I would do a call that meant you've got your really exciting toy and it's going that way. It's going in the opposite direction. And it would be, oh, great, we're going. And then they would yeah. So just

that.

that would, that keeps them with you. When I go on the beach, I, I used to want to have my dogs. I still do. But when I had Roma as well, I would want her with me. I wouldn't want her bothering about what's going on over there. Who's that over there? Do what they doing. I haven't checked their papers. Are they supposed to be on the beach? I don't, I don't need that.

Yeah.

So things that get them involved. And by all means, yes, allow them to be a dog and allow them to go and paddle and allow them to go and, just check out stuff. But yeah, engagement I think is really

Yeah.

because the look on their faces when you go, right, we're gonna do 10 paces of he work and they go, oh. Because they know at the end of it, they're gonna get their ball dropped or they're gonna get, something for food puzzles and, and training games and, that sort of stuff.

Love that.

usual. Yeah. And the occasional, and, and, and I mean the, the good, the good walks, that's what I would do. I think. I think that, I think a German Shepherd would be fairly happy with that.

Yeah. Yeah, that sounds brilliant. So, we might have already touched on it, but what types of activities do you recommend for tapping into the Shepherd's natural talents?

I think it's something that is available now that wasn't available when I had my shepherds or not to, to the extent that it, it is now. I did working trials with mine.

Mm-hmm.

because you have the obedience, you have the agility, you have scent work, tracking, all that sort of stuff. So that's really great. More available now is the man work, the not the man work. The, the man hunting, what

Oh, the the man, man trailer,

Yes, man.

Annette?

yeah. That's great. Absolutely great. I'm gonna go and find a person and, oh look, they've got a ball, they've got my ball, or they've got sausages or they've got, that's just great. Tracking is the best thing, Ft. Work.

Yeah.

is the best thing for actually, for a lot of breeds. Certainly spanners too. My spaniels too. But yeah, that's what that's what I would certainly say if I was to get a new Shepherd, that would be what I

Yeah.

I would be doing, I would concentrate on something like that. I.

Yeah, man. Trailing has become really popular recently, and one of my colleagues, she was on one of my mentoring programs, she set up her a man trailing business in the end because she had a, she's has, she has a German Shepherd, but they obviously had some issues. And she found the thing that helped the most was mantra trailing and, and she loves it, and they go off and do all sorts now.

Yeah. Yeah.

that. So how do you balance providing structure without tipping into over control?

I'm a control freak. Surprise. If, if you, if you apply too much structure, they'll become

Mm.

So you can't be rigid. So I think is, is the best way of doing that. And also working with them. Controlling in quotes without them realizing they're being controlled. so you are not working against them. You are working with them. are working

Yeah. Love that.

they want to do. You don't wanna over control. You wanna keep it balanced. you want to establish clear boundaries, but

Mm.

going, no, you can't just say, yeah, you've done this. Just and keeping it simple.

Yeah.

know, keeping everything simple. And if you are not getting the behaviours that you are wanting, break it down.

Mm

it right down.

Mm.

dog has got fixated on, if your German Shepherd has got fixated on something that's coming along the beach and they can't look at you, just stand next to them and just mark it and then scratch the top of their head. Just, they will, they will be, oh, you are here. Oh, I didn't realize you were here. Have to be able to tap into them as

Mm.

as, and manage it safely without using rigid controls. I think you

Yeah.

things, set them up as accept and go, okay, let's be consistent. I think one of the things that enjoy doing at the moment. Or I did with my shepherds is, is to start, is to use the start buttons. Shepherds will have extreme start buttons. They will come in and drop the ball in your lap, or they'll come in and, and try and get on your lap or, or something like that, so if you set a boundary and go, right, okay, the start button is, you get on your mat and then we will play ball. They'll, within moments they're doing it. So,

Yeah.

Give them something that they're able to do and then think it's their idea. Great.

Sounds like they just wanna please you as well, don't they?

They do actually.

Yeah.

They just want a good life. They want a quiet life. They wanna be able to of engage with you, you

Yeah, exactly.

that's important,

yeah.

Don't get me wrong. It's not about just constantly being saying, oh yes, you're a good dog. Here's some food. Yes, you're a good dog. Here's some food. It's about setting the dog's boundaries and saying, right, okay, if you lie there for half an hour, I'm gonna get up and, chase you around the garden and play and play ball for five minutes,

yeah.

fair. That's how you, that's how you get the right balance, I think.

Yeah. And I like you said about not being too controlling because you don't wanna damage that relationship that you're building, do you, you've got, there's gotta be some flexibility. Brilliant. Okay. Thank you so much. We're gonna be moving on to our next section now, which is Real talk. So challenges of living with a German Shepherd. So we're getting real. So what are some of the bigger challenges that you see guardians face with German Shepherds? Sue say.

Okay. Reactivity has got to be the biggest problem that people find because it's antisocial. People struggle because their dog doesn't like other people. Their dog doesn't like other dogs, and that makes very often family life or going anywhere with their dog Difficult.

mm.

They don't need, they don't realize that why their dog is being way, and they just see it as being a problem. And it, and it is

Yeah.

It is

Yeah.

to them. If you've got a dog that is, is, or a dog that will chase another dog in the, in the park,

hmm.

minutes ago your puppy was gambling around in the park, playing with other dogs, and then. Oof. They hit the other side of 18 weeks and then they're starting to chase things, know?

Yeah.

so that's another

Yeah.

thing that that, that very often happens. So those, I think those are the things, the things that mean that the people become a social pariah because of the dog that they've got. And they, people have said to me, I don't think my neighbors like me anymore because I've got this German Shepherd and this German Shepherd barks at. The neighbor, or I walk down the street and people cross the road. Because if you've got, so the, the reactivity is, is, is the biggest problem I think.

Yeah. And reactivity or being reactive is such a broad term, isn't it? But it's a word that the general public seem to know more about and relate to. But there's a lot of reasons why a dog could be reactive in inverted commerce. They could be in pain. They could, their needs could not be met. So, it is, it's about looking beyond the surface, isn't it? 'cause there's a lot of reasons why they could be being that way.

Yeah,

Yeah.

The, the, the, the habits that the dog has got into the, the what, what they've learned. And as you say, there could be pain or discomfort or the needs not being met. It all comes out in the same way it comes out. If it's not reactive then, then people very often will say, my dog is, is aggressive.

Yeah.

say, you'll very often hear people saying, oh, well he's a lovely dog, but he's aggressive when he goes out.

Yeah.

and the thing is, your dog isn't changing. He hasn't changed into an aggressive dog. He is reacting to the situation that they find themselves in. And what you need to do is to, to, to seek help to. Work on how to help them to cope with that environment because it's, it, it, it's doable. They've just

Mm,

coping strategy that

it worked.

that works for them. Yeah, absolutely.

Yeah. Brilliant. So Sue, if someone is struggling with their GSDs behaviour, what's the first step you suggest they take? Phone, Sue.

Yes. In all seriousness, see if you, if they are, if they are struggling, they need seek help because the sooner we actually. Address something, the easier it is because the longer your dog gets a chance to rehearse this, the more and more and more rehearsed it becomes, the more entrenched it becomes. And

Yeah.

what we need to do is we need to say, okay this is a problem. How can we unravel it and what do we want the dog to do instead? And one of

Yeah.

know, that. That's basically what we, what they need to do. So, yeah. Take a step back, look at what it is and what's going on and find an expert. Find someone that specialises in, doing what, in, in working with German Shepherds, I.

Yeah. In the breed. And also, oh, I was gonna say something. I lost my train of thought. So, yeah, it's about there's, there could be something else going on, so take a step back. And it doesn't necessarily mean they're, they're being bad. 'cause there's, there could be stuff going on. So, Def I like that what you said about taking a step back because they Oh, and that, that's what I was gonna say. But getting help early on before it does get too ingrained and become like a learned behaviour. That's what I was gonna say is get help early on when you start seeing it before it gets too for, in too deep.

to fix the behaviour in a younger dog, than it is to, to to fix a behaviour in a dog that has, has developed problems because of that continuous learning. And, and perhaps had ducked ups or perhaps had other, other, trauma going through their lives because it hasn't been addressed early on.

Mm, brilliant. So why is it so important for Shepherd Guardians to focus on the dog's emotional needs and not just the training drills?

Emotions are something that tend to not associate with. Dogs, but basically we've got rage and fear and play and seeking and all those kind of all those emotions that are, that are available and your dog isn't doing what they're doing because it's bad, or it's just for the heck of it because it's, it

Mm

to, it just wants to spoil your day. The dog, there is an emotional reason why your dog is doing what they're doing. And it could be apprehension or frustration, or it could be because it feels good, pleasure, delight, they wanna chase the, the, the little dog in the park, that makes them feel great, but it's not at, it's not really. So we need to understand they are an emotional creature.

Yeah.

The, the hard thing is German Shepherd emotions seem to be big emotions a lot of the time. A lot of the time. Certainly when they're, when they're young, when they are adolescent, big emotions. And they change so often, so frequently. But yeah, it's, it's really important because the dog isn't doing it just to, to, to to annoy you. They are doing

And that's what we've got. That's what we've gotta remember. They're not doing it on purpose or too annoying. Like you say. They're not that clever, are they?

Nope. Nope, they're not.

Oh. Bless. And I think what you said is obviously, it, it's because they are bigger dogs that they give off that more bigger rah, don't they?

Yeah.

Bless you.

Yeah.

I, I just, I just wanted to share a little story before we start wrapping up that my first dog walking client seven years ago was a German Shepherd. And she was quite a young one, but her name was Aetna after Mount Aetna, which I think is the volcano in Italy or something, because our owner, one of the owners was Italy and oh my God, wasn't she like a volcano? But she taught me so much because I just started my dog walking business. I was doing solo dog walks and. So you attract obviously certain types of dogs and I just learned so much from her. She, oh, I've got a picture of her that came up the other day and I just, yeah. I just learned so much from her. She's, yeah, brilliant. They're lovely dogs.

there is really, really interesting because people that have had a relationship with a German Shepherd will always remember it. Always, it,

Yeah.

huge. And I dunno why you, you speak to anybody and they'll go, oh, well I had a German Shepherd once and beautiful dog. Oh, it's wonderful dog. I've never had another dog like it or something like that. And it's, it's, it's very true. And then, when, when you spoke about that just then it was Oh yeah. And she was lovely and she taught me so much and all that sort of stuff, but yeah, we do, we get really attached to this. They, they, they wheeler your way into your heart. They really do.

Well, yeah. And they just leave an impression, don't they? That's what she's done.

Yes.

Oh, bless her. Aetna. Yeah. Brilliant. Love her. Right. Oh my goodness. We've sailed through this episode. It's literally been jam packed full of so much useful, useful information about. Jeremy, shes, I've loved it. And look, we've got a few on our books still now that, one of my colleagues walks and they're just fascinating characters, lovely dogs. So we're gonna spend the next five minutes or so, Sue, just wrapping up with some final questions and thoughts. So, Sue, if you could give one piece of advice to someone considering getting a German Shepherd, what would it be?

Oh gosh, that's always really hard.

You, you take your time,

yeah. Gosh.

do your research. That often comes out when I ask this question to our breed specific experts.

Yeah,

Do your research.

think it's, it's always really important to ensure that you get your puppy where it has that, that good start in life. You

Mm. Good.

Yes. A good breeder. They have an early onset hazard avoidance German Shepherds do, which means basically they are aware of, of what's going on around them. Probably more than colleagues, more than colleagues, more than labs, more than any other, other breed apart from I think it's a wolf. That's the, yeah, basically, so that means that if they don't get, if they live in a, in a, in an isolated. Environment, even if it's clean. and they don't get the challenges. IE multi-steps and, and all this sort of stuff, like puppy culture gives them,

Mm.

that it doesn't, that, that they don't realize that they aren't gonna die when something bad happens. Okay. So they've, they've basically got to have those challenges throughout their. Their early life from about four weeks onwards. So it's the breeder's job. So my big question would be where you're gonna get it from. Have they done the health checks and are, what are they doing for mental and physical stimulation for that puppy now? You

Yeah.

they, when the puppy is still in their care. and then

Yeah.

Two be kicked out of your puppy class? You probably wouldn't. I probably wouldn't recommend going to a puppy class. I would say go into the real world and do your socializing in the real world.

Yeah. Yeah. I, I think as Brits or as humans, we think, oh, we must do a puppy class. But sometimes they're not suitable for all breeds, are they?

don't think they are. I really don't

Yeah.

very area specific. German Shepherds need an awful lot of. When things aren't area specific, when we proofing, they need an awful lot of proofing and to do things in different places.

Yeah.

Over the

And I've,

Yeah, I, I, I did, I did a lot of, a lot of marching around school halls and, and scout huts, with my dogs. And to be

yeah.

I think going to this, going to the sort of the, the, the the school of life was probably the, the best thing. It really

Yeah.

Yeah.

And I think it comes down again to education because again we think of socialization as chucking it into a puppy class, but that is not proper socialization.

No.

you're saying. What school? School of real life is better.

Yeah, go. Go down the local park and sit and watch the world go by.

Yeah, definitely.

world

Yeah.

let the dog chase the dogs around the car, down the park. Don't let your, let your

Yeah,

play with other dogs in the park a lead, sit and watch. And then they

it's pretty much

And then, there's a couple of little bits of Hello Sniff. And then, and then away.

bit of, bit of engage and disengage game, I think.

absolutely. Sorry I

Sue.

there. Sorry.

Oh, no. I love it. You're so passionate and I love that s from you. Sue, what's the most rewarding part for you in helping Shepherds and their people?

Oh, that's, that's a good one because it's unlocking the, the relationship you

I love that.

the when you first meet. When I first meet my. Shepherd and my and my person, are at loggerheads. They don't like each other particularly, they don't understand each other. And they're both struggling. and my job is to go in there as a translator and to unravel everything and go right there. We are. This is, and then, oh my gosh, I got a message from someone the, the other week and she said, oh my gosh, when you first came through, I had no idea what you were doing, but I totally embrace what you, what you what you suggested. And now I love my dog and I think she loves me. And

that must be rewarding.

my gosh,

So reward, do you?

all the stress.

Do you know what? I loved what I picked. You said translate. It's, they're lost in translation and you are the translate. I love that.

Yeah. Yeah.

Oh, I absolutely love that. You should coin that one. Brilliant. Perfect. Thank you, Sue. So, where can people find out more about you and learn about the Happy Shepherd please?

So the website is www do the happy shepherd on. you are a professional or if you are a, a guardian, then there will be the relevant little buttons or bits and pieces to press for you. I'm going to make sure that there will be something on there that people can download tips or I've, I've did, I did a a positive interrupter and I've, I've got a little booklet on a positive interrupter, so I'll,

Oh, okay.

I'll pop that on there so people can download it.

Was this the freebie you were? I didn't, to mention it or not, you want to do a freebie for the li for the listeners?

yes. So that will be, that will be on the, on the website or before this goes out, we can potentially have a link for, for that or whatever.

Yeah, we, we can always pull it in the show notes. It'd be a little while before it goes out. Yeah, yeah,

because it's, it's really important to have something just to be able to, to look at and go, okay,

yeah,

not need it now, it might come in handy. So yeah, my positive

yeah.

yeah.

Love that. So, and you are on like your show, you've got your socials as well? Yeah. They're all similar.

I'm on as Sue Kewley or Sue Kewley practice.

Yeah,

just do a search for Sue Kewley, do a search in Google for Sue Kewley you

yeah.

And you'll, you'll find me there's, there aren't

Brilliant.

around. So yeah, that's it, because I, I do work with other breeds, but German Shepherds are my passion.

Are you thing? Yeah. And you like to specialise, so just tell us that website again, please Sue.

Www.thehappyshepherd.com.

Perfect. Sue, you've been one of our breed specific experts today on the yappy hour, talking all about the fantastic and fascinating German Shepherd breed, and I've absolutely loved it. I've learned so much today. So thank you for joining me on the Yappy Hour, powered by Yappily. It's been an absolute pleasure.

Thank you. Thank

Thank.

Nathan, for inviting me. It's been great fun.

You are most welcome. We'll speak to you again soon.

you.

Wow. Such a brilliant and insightful conversation with Sue Kewley. Here are just a few key takeaways from today's episode. Number one, German Shepherds are emotionally deep, not just physically capable. They five, when their mental and emotional needs are truly understood and supported. Number two, they aren't easy in inverted commas. Working dogs, they're sensitive thinking individuals. Without guidance, patience, and connection, even the cleverest shepherd can struggle. Number three, enrichment structure and compassion are all non-negotiables. It's not just about training drills. It's about partnership and communication. Number four, stereotypes don't define them. Guardianship does. A wow supported Shepherd is loyal, loving, and deeply rewarding to live with. Sue, thank you so much for sharing your passion and experience with us today. And to everyone who's listening, if you are thinking about bringing a German Shepherd into your life. Or if you already share your home with one, check out the Happy Shepherd for loads of brilliant resources and support. If you love today's episode, please consider leaving us a review, subscribe and share it with your fellow dog lovers. This has been the yappy hour, and I'll see you next time.