With regards to the debate of pure vs cross breeds...you will find within pure breeds the whole range of 'personalities' like aggressive, strong, shy, submissive etc. Just bec you have a pure breed does not mean you have that exact personality that was written in a book. labs are a classic for that, some are lazy as anything while others are hyper. Most of the people here are saying to avoid pure breeds as most breeders, and I mean nearly all are reputed NOT to have good breeding standards and will breed without regards for genetic disorders. And yes mutts CAN have genetic disorders but they are not as common as pure breeds as due to dominant genes etc. My suggestion would be to find a dog that you connect with, as in can you walk a dog every day or maybe even twice a day, as a GSD would need or is your lifestyle more suited to a dog that needs less activity. GSD are working dogs, pls do not just go for looks