Why is my German Shepherd so calm?

If your German Shepherd is very calm, you are probably wondering why.

This post will show you why your German Shepherd is so calm and what you can do about it.

So, why is my German Shepherd so calm? Probable causes include its nature, getting older, having been trained to be calm, diet, heat, illness or not enough exercise.

There are a number of things that you can consider when trying to understand why your German Shepherd is so calm. Depending on the cause, there are also a number of things that you can do about it.

Why your German Shepherd is calm

Each of the different reasons why your German Shepherd is calm will likely come with a number of clues.

Below, I will mention a number of reasons why your German Shepherd is calm and the signs to look for.

It is naturally calm

It could be the case that your German Shepherd is just naturally calmer than most other dogs. This would be more likely if it was even calm as a puppy and it didn’t suddenly become calm.

In this case, be glad that it is so calm. Having a German Shepherd that is overly calm is much better than having one that is destructive. With that being said, if you want it to be less calm you could try playing games such as tug of war with it or teaching it to play fetch.

Related post: How to tell if your German Shepherd loves you

It is getting older

If your German Shepherd was not always so calm then it could be calm now because it is not young anymore. This would be more likely if it was more energetic as a puppy and it has gradually become calmer as it has gotten older.

You trained it to be calm

If it was a lot more energetic as a puppy but you spent a lot of time training it to behave the way that you wanted it to then it likely learned to be calm. As mentioned above, this would be a good thing since it is being well behaved and not destructive.

Diet

A poor diet could also be why your German Shepherd is calm.

This would be especially likely if it started to become calmer at around the same time that you changed its diet.

You can look at this website to see what you should and should not be feeding your German Shepherd.

If you are unsure of what food to get for your German Shepherd, consider getting dog food designed specifically for German Shepherds. You can get a GSD specific dog food on Amazon here and one for GSD puppies on Chewy here. 

Heat

Being too hot can also cause your German Shepherd to start acting calmer.

This would be more likely if it started to act calm when it became hot outside and if it tends to become more active in the mornings and evenings when it is cooler.

If it is hot outside then be sure to give it access to shade, water and a cool area.

Illness

The cause could be that it is ill and it has less energy than normal because of it. It could also be that an injury is causing it to be less active.

This would be more likely if it started being calm suddenly and if it started after it ate or did something that might have caused it to get ill or injured. It would also be more likely if it has been acting differently in other ways as well such as if it has been crying or if it has become slightly snappy or aggressive.

If you think that illness or injury might be causing it then it would be worthwhile for you to see what a vet has to say about it.

Not enough exercise

The cause could be that a lack of exercise is making it feel less energetic.

German Shepherds were bred to be very active dogs. If they do not get much exercise then it will cause them to behave abnormally. Generally, it is recommended that you make sure that your German Shepherd get at least an hour of exercise every day.

Related post: Ways to exercise your German Shepherd.

Considerations

Below, I will mention a couple of particularly helpful things to consider when trying to figure out what is causing your German Shepherd to be calm.

When it became calm

The timing of when your German Shepherd started being calm would likely be helpful to consider.

If it was not always calm and it became calm suddenly then it would make it more likely to be due to things such as illness, heat or a change in diet.

It would help to consider what else happened at around the time that your German Shepherd’s behavior started to change.

When it becomes calm

It would also help to consider the timing of when it becomes calm.

If it is less calm at certain times than at others then it would make it more likely that there is an external cause such as heat, boredom due to a lack of exercise or it has just eaten.

Again, it would help to consider what times it seems to be calm at and what else happens at around that time.

What to do about your German Shepherd being calm

If your German Shepherd is naturally calm then it would likely be a better idea to allow it to be calm. Having a German Shepherd that is naturally calm is much better than a German Shepherd that is destructive and easier to handle than one that is highly energetic.

However, there are some things that you can do to get your German Shepherd to be less calm that I will mention below.

Take it to a vet

If your German Shepherd became calm suddenly then it could be due to illness. If you think that it might be due to illness then the best option for you would be to take it to a vet.

Make sure its diet is right

As mentioned above, if it is not getting the nutrients that it needs in its diet, it can cause it to become less energetic. If you want to get your German Shepherd to be less calm and for it to be as healthy as possible it is important to make sure that it is eating correctly.

You can look here to see what you should be feeding it.

Give it exercise

There are a number of ways that you can give your German Shepherd exercise.

One way would be to just walk it for an hour daily. If you live in a hot area then try to do this when it is not so hot outside such as in the morning or evening.

Another option you have is to play fetch with it. Fetch is good because it gets your German Shepherd to wear itself out quickly. If your German Shepherd does not know how to play fetch then I have written about how you can get it to play fetch here.

Give it toys to play with

Another thing that you can do is to give your German Shepherd some toys to play with if there is not much for it to do where it spends most of its time.

There are puzzle games that you can get and toys that you can find online that are specially designed for dogs to play with.