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Some people shouldn’t buy German Shepherds
Or Border Collies… Or Dalmatians
My neighbor has a German Shepherd. My neighbor shouldn’t have one. The poor dog spends most of its time alone in the back yard. It barks a lot, which makes it annoying. But it’s not the dog’s fault. The dog is lonely and bored. I feel sorry for him.
You see, I love German Shepherds. I also love Collies, and Border Collies and… well, I love dogs. Pretty much all of them. It’s hard for me not to pet a friendly dog when it comes up to me on a walk. The owner will be apologizing as his pup puts its muddy paws on me, but I’ll be smiling and happy. What do I care about a little mud? I’m just happy to make a new canine friend.
All that being said, not every dog is for every person. Or family.
Some dogs are more challenging than others. They need special types of families or owners or environments.
Case in point — the Belgian Malinois. This is the breed of Conan, the dog that helped US Special Forces execute the raid on ISIS leader al-Baghdadi last month. Conan is a hero. But like any Belgian Malinois, he is not a good fit for every family.
Dogs like Conan need a job. They have high energy levels and need plenty of exercise and they also need to be with their person most of the time.