Can you leave a German shepherd alone for 7 hours?

Hi!I'm planning on getting a dog, but I have no experience with them so this would be my first dog. I'm planning on getting a German Shepherd, but I dunno if I can leave him alone, cuz I'll be out all morning. Any advice?And any tips for how to take the best care of him?Thanks!

If it's housetrained and has no separation anxiety, it should be fine.

If you have no experience with dogs at all, what makes you think you are ready for a GSD? No you cannot leave a young puppy alone for 7 hours straight.

Well, if you are getting a puppy... don't lol! Puppies can't be left alone for that long. If you have no dog experience at all, then you need to do some research first! If your dog is well behaved and housetrained then you can leave it alone for 7 hours, but if it chews up your house and pees all over, it might not be such a good idea. I would be happy to give you some [email protected]

i would leave him/her in the back yard while your not there with water and food, and if your yard is not fenced, i would by a pen for outside. if you don't have a back yard and are living in an apartment, that's not a good breed to have because just like huskies, there pack dogs and hes gonna try and escape. it's a little bit of money but petco or petsmart have doggy day care and you could always bring the dog there so he can play with other dogs. he wont be lonley and he'll/her will get all of it's energy out and will be lovey at the end of the day.

Adult dog yes, puppy no...Puppies can't be left alone for more than 2 hours...And another thing I would suggest is go for a different breed...GSD's are not good for a first dog owner..

Leaving your puppy alone would under-mind most of your training. This can also lead to separation anxiety for young dogs. GSD's in puppy stages really need the constant interaction with there handler. I know to you it might not seem 7 hours is a long time but for your GSD it's forever.A lot of bad habits can be formed in 7 hours. If you must leave you should consider a kennel for the yard to keep the dog safe and out of trouble. If you choose to use a kennel shade is a must. I wouldn't leave him/her in a kennel any longer than you need to. And when you let the dog out I would let it get some exercise before just going in the house.

This is your *first* dog and you want a GSD? Hell no. Go for a more "user friendly" dog. GSDs are bossy, stubborn, intense dogs who need a confident, EXPERIENCED handler who isn't afraid of using punishment and can put it to work.Puppies cannot be left alone that long. A 2-3 year old dog though could. It wouldn't be *happy* but it could. It's best to keep it crated, or blocked off in a room without anything it can get into. Loose dogs can cause a loottt of trouble. Dogs left in the backyard end up jumping the fence or the gate opening and resulting in them getting out. Have fun getting your dog back! Dogs left inside to roam tend to have accidents (even house trained) and eat poisonous things, and large dogs *love* to swallow inappropriate stuff, say batteries. Since crating or leaving it in one room are your best options, I'd suggest having someone check on it half way through when you're gone to let it out to go to the bathroom and stretch its legs. If you can't find someone to do that then I wouldn't get one. It's not fair to keep a dog locked up for 7 hours multiple times a week.I would *highly* suggest doggy day care.So definitely pick another breed, crate or block your dog off to one room and have someone check on it while you're gone, or put it in doggy day care. If you can't do any of that I would suggest a stuffed dog.Good luck!

if you are thinking about a large breed dog such as the German Shepherd. As the third most popular dog breed in the United States for the last 10 years according to the American Kennel Club, the German Shepherd dog attracts attention with its good looks, intelligence, and strong personality. However, this classic and lovable dog breed is not an easy or low maintenance pet. Many pros and cons come with owning German Shepherd dogs.For happy owners of these powerful dogs, the cons become just part of an interesting routine, but for other potential pet owners the challenges of a large breed can be prohibitive.Pro: As a large breed dog, a German Shepherd presents a robust animal full of energy that allows its owner to make a bold statement with his or her pet and enjoy companionship with a dog that adds security to the home.Con: This breed can easily prove to be too much dog for some people. They are strong, and often strong-willed, and any owner of a large breed bears the responsibility of controlling his or her dog. When visitors to your home are barked at incessantly by a Yorkshire Terrier, they would be annoyed, but visitors receiving an unrestrained barking session from a German Shepherd will suddenly feel like they are in the midst of a civil rights protest. Along with controlling the barking, you need to teach your dog not to jump on people. Getting hit in the chest by a 70 to 90 pound animal with big claws is painful.Pro: A German Shepherd is an intelligent even mischievous animal that will respond well to training and be fun to play with. You will enjoy the interaction with your dog during formal training and be proud of the learning progress that your pet displays. German Shepherds require mental and physical stimulation, which makes them an excellent choice for a person or a family that wants to integrate a pet into an active and fun lifestyle. A German Shepherd is an excellent motivator for keeping you active and healthy yourself.Con: A German Shepherd should not be left alone for long periods of time (more than a few hours). This applies to any dog, but as an original working breed, the German Shepherd dog is geared toward high levels of activity herding animals, aiding in search and rescue, and as law enforcement dogs. You must commit to exercising and stimulating your dog every day. In a German Shepherd reference by D. Caroline Coile, Ph.D., the author reported that this breed was bred to move for hours across large territories. Daily walks and play sessions along with several hours of attention are essential. It is of paramount importance that you commit to training your dog during adolescence and maintain an exercise routine throughout its life. If this is too much for you or your family, then do not adopt this breed.Pro: As a German Shepherd owner you will receive countless compliments about your pet's beauty during its lifetime. They are gorgeous animals, and you will be proud of your dog, especially if you train him or her properly. You will admire and love your pet for its many capabilities and charms.Con: German Shepherds will be naughty, particularly during the first two years. My dog ate my birthday cake when she was two years old. Overall, be prepared to have things you love destroyed by chewing, digging, and rough play. Flower beds in a German Shepherd's mind look like a soft cool moist play station. Packages delivered to the front porch become chewy cardboard balls. All manner of possessions such as clothing, remote controls, books, walls, doors, and garden tools will be crunched between powerful jaws.Pro: Being a very smart breed, the German Shepherd can be steered away from inappropriate behavior. Have lots of toys and chews available at all times. When your dog chews on the wrong things, give him or her a chew or toy and positively reinforce chewing on the correct objects. Unfortunately, as far as I can tell, these strong-willed dogs will never entirely give up digging. Their taste in landscaping will not win you any home and garden awards. I've had to content myself with a dog trained not to dig up the vegetable garden.Con: German Shepherds in general are susceptible to genetic conditions that can be troublesome or even debilitating. Hip dysplasia, panosteitis, and degenerative myelopathy commonly develop in this breed, and you will need to learn about care and possible prevention. This breed can also suffer from various allergies. My dog has food and environmental allergies that took me months to sort of before she got relief. Good breeding can limit the frequency of these conditions but there are no guarantees.

Yes,If he chews stuff up or isn't potty trained put him in a kennel when you leave because dogs don't pee on where they sleep. He should be fine, but, make sure you still play with him everyday if you leave him in a kennel for 7 hours each day, he will get lonley if you don't play or snuggle (some dogs don't like to snuggle but they like to play, and some dogs don't like to play as often as they like to snuggle) he will get lonley.