This is most important! You must from the earliest age ensure your GSD under goes both training and socialises, and no better way than go straight down to your local obedience club and start your Mutt mixing with all the others there. Its called "partying" - Mutts love it!

Mutt training can be great fun particularly if you have got a sense of humour. It is also a good leveller, in that, just when you think you have cracked the current problem with your Mutt, it has a bad day, puts on an awful performance and so it's mutt and you go back to the drawing board. Gives every body a giggle, but who cares next week it will be their Mutt who make a complete "cock up" of the "on your mat" instruction and you can have a smirk at their expense.