There is a real problem with owning a German Shepherd ( or any of a number of other fine breeds ) in Ireland.
Some four years ago there was a nasty incident in the UK.where a Pitbull terrier attacked and badly injured a child. There was typical overeaction by the tabloid press in the UK and this was taken up here in a very uninformed and ignorant way by a popular radio and TV presenter, aided and abetted by a vet. who should have known better and who between them seemed to wish to whip up an anti large dog hysteria. This manufactured hysteria would have died down in due course- but into the picture stepped a blundering and publicity seeking Government minister who sweepingly signed an order that German Shepherds ( and 10 or 12 other breeds) would by law, have to be muzzled AND kept on a short lead in any public place. This meant that legally no German shepherd could be exercised freely outside private property- which in effect means one's own garden. This was a travesty of justice for dogs through a poorly thought out order by a puplicity seeking politician . In a surreal part of this order Bulldogs too are to be muzzled. How do you muzzle a Bulldog? And why? Other large dogs such as Pyrrenean Mountain Dogs and Wolfhounds were exempt. An example of how ridiculous the order is- I was walking my German Shepherd bitch the other day.She was on a lead, but not muzzled. We were confronted by a Pyrrenean in the control(?) of a ten or twelve year old child. This dog weighed well in excess of 10 stone. My bitch weighs 5 stone and I - 15st. Yet I was the one breaking the law!!! This order was opposed ( rather feebly ) by the Irish Kennel Club to no avail. However in a typical Irish solution to the problem, everyone now ignores the order, but risks prosecution all the same were it to be applied.

The publicity seeking and panicky politician will I'm sure have put the whole business from his mind - which is now fully occopied by a party row and possible scandal over a £50,000 donation. The anti dog TV and radio presenter is thankfully semi retired and is unlikely to do much further damage