Last Updated/Info Checked on October 17, 2023 by Scott

German Shepherds may have imposing personalities. But beneath that thick coat of intimidation lies a heart beating for its human.

I’ve trained GSDs and they are one of the easiest breeds to work with. They listen to you closely, respect your cues, and try to please you to the point of absurdness.

So, do German Shepherds like to cuddle? The simple answer is yes, they love to cuddle. They were bred to keep their flocks together. Further reasons are their love toward their families and children; their playful nature, high trainability, openness to strangers, and protective nature.

Other dog breeds that love cuddling include Huskies, Chihuahuas, Golden Retrievers, Boxers, Newfoundlands, Poodles, Great Pyrenees, Pomeranians, Malteses, Beagles and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are typically cuddle-loving dogs.

Here are all the reasons why GSDs love to cuddle more than most breeds. 

6 Reasons Why German Shepherds Cuddles 

Below are the reasons that were there all the time without you noticing them.

1. Unending Love For Family 

Family Love: 5/5 

German Shepherds are known to show their love to their owners and their families as a whole.

Most of them get agitated when someone or something that they may consider a threat to their owners approaches them. I was hired to correct this very behavior of some GSDs. 

They are generally open to strangers but nothing comes first than their families. Cuddling is just one way to show you how much they love you. In addition to that, German Shepherds make an excellent dog for first-time owners.

Your warmth makes them fuzzy and tingly on the inside. The bond that they try to create this way lasts for years. 

2. They Love Children 

Affection towards children: 5/5

GSDs could be watchdogs or hunting dogs, depending on how you raise them. However, despite what they learned in their puppyhood, you’ll see them approach your children nicely.

They may consider them as the most fragile beings of their flock that need protection. 

Cuddling your children is an extension of that feeling. Your dog knows that it needs to deal with them with care and love.

3. Playful As Hell 

Playfulness: 5/5  

German Shepherds have high mental and physical stimulation needs. Not exercising them well enough could lead to an increase in their overall playfulness.

I remember Tiara, a 3-year-old GSD who had a bad habit of jumping on its owner. Upon enquiring, the owner didn’t have sufficient time to exercise the dog. 

She ended up being agitated and one of the many ways in which she’ll get that energy out was to try to play with her owner when she’d return.

Besides and after a tug of war with her purse and clothes, she’d try to snuggle and cuddle with her when she’d settle down on the couch. 

I had to introduce exercise and healthy playing activities into her routine to ease her agitation. 

4. They Could Be Trained To Cuddle

Trainability: 5/5 

I already told you that the breed is highly trainable. It will ignore your mistakes and try to learn what you teach them afterward. I haven’t seen a lot of GSDs that disappointed me during the training.

There were a few special cases where I needed to use bigger tools and tougher strategies. Overall, however, they live to please you. 

While they have a natural tendency to be affectionate towards you, if they are not, you could easily teach them that. I recommend that you begin that training when the weather is a bit chilly.

They have thick coats, so trying to squeeze them into your chest then wouldn’t be a good idea. That may instead repel them from the overall behavior. 

Nonetheless, watch how Rocky cuddles with his GSDs to avoid that:

5. They Are Open To Strangers 

Stranger friendliness: ⅘ 

They mostly don’t mind strangers around their property, except other dogs and squirrels, of course. They are an extremely intelligent breed, which means they can easily distinguish friend from foe.

So, if you see them warming up to your new friends and potentially cuddling them, know that they have accepted them. Otherwise, you could hear him bark his heart out, show a little aggressiveness, and so on. 

6. Protective And Vigilant

Protection and vigilance: 5/5 

GSDs could make good watchdogs. In fact, most of the owners have them for that. They could be trained to know the boundaries of the property that needs protection. However, there’s another aspect of their protection of you.

The paw behavior. That’s what I call it. 

When you’re lying with the dog or sitting on the couch, you may see one of both of its paws on you.

That’s how they show their love and protective nature. The paw means you’re their property and theirs alone. Hugs and cuddles are just their protective nature’s currencies. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Sharing a few related questions about German Shepherd behavior.

Do German Shepherds Like To Cuddle – Wrapping Up

German Shepherds do like to cuddle and there are reasons for that engraved in their personalities. I talked about those reasons, so the next time your pooch tries to cuddle with you, you’ll know why it’s doing so.

A word of mine to remember though – do not force your pets to cuddle with you. That could potentially damage the relationship you have with them.