The first thing you want to ask yourself, is this for you? German shepherds can be demanding, visit kennel clubs and speak to some of the owners; this will give you a better understanding of what is required by you in raising a German shepherd puppy.
Obedience training is crucial to implement early on.
You need to start soon after getting your puppy.
Remember, the dog is a pack animal and will begin to test its boundaries, finding out where it stands in the pack hierarchy.
Pack animals will always try to get to alpha male status.
GSD dogs are an intelligent breed, they pick up on things far quicker than most other dogs, don't neglect you puppy and leave it on the floor chewing toys all its life, give it food for though, attention, playing games, exercise.
German shepherds are athletic and powerful dogs, if you decide to take on ownership of a GSD, be prepared to give it a lot of regular exercise.
Plenty of brisk walks and runs in fields of safe surroundings.
Remember, the German shepherd is a strong dog, even at an early age, they are more than capable of knocking you or anyone else in your family to the floor.
Keep expensive or irreplaceable items out of harms way.
Your puppy's tail can easily sweep the items of a sideboard.
Buy your GSD puppy from a solid breeder with a good history; good genes and an even temperament are two ways to ensure you dog has a good starting point in life.
Get a referral from your vet, kennel clubs or dog training clubs.
German shepherds molt a lot more than other dogs; you will need a regular cleaning schedule to stop the hair from piling up.
If you hate house cleaning then maybe the German shepherd is not for you.
Keep you puppy mixing with plenty of people and other dogs, taking it out for walks and runs will go a long way in keeping it social, this is important to its temperament.
A dog kept away from the world will be aggressive and wary of others.