NAro,

Thanks for you comments!! We love coated shepherds. Most strangers we encounter have never seen one before and are amazed to see an enormous "fluffy" looking german shepherd.

I'm always very impressed with serious dog trainers and the respect they give the animals they work with. We spent several years training our dog (night and weekend classes) and got to work closely with some very capable people. No one knows better that the people who train them the power these animals have. I happen to think obedience training should be mandatory for large dogs, as most owners don't seem to know any more than to yell and tug at the leash, for all the good that does...