Identify your needs. In general, English Shepherds are active and athletic dogs but are not suited for apartment or city living.
They are gentle and devoted with their owner, but bold and determined guardians of the home or farm. They are very alert watchdogs and will exercise their judgment about who and what is acceptable. English Shepherds thrive in an environment with clear, consistent rules and a confident leader. Lacking those, an English Shepherd just might decide to take over and run things himself.