I know exactly what you mean. We have a 120 lb male and a 75 lb female German Shepards and their strength is enormous as well, I am in awe of their reflex speed is scary. Trying to get the best of them with hand speed is useless.
Beautiful animals and loyal to the end to their “pack”.
I found out my girl dog likes to play soccer with her softball.
This is one of the most entertaining things I have ever done with a dog.
She’ll drop her ball and wait for me to come steal it. if I pick it up with my hands she knows I’m about to throw it, so she gets ready to chase.
But if I approach it with my feet she goes into defensive stance and waits for me to kick it.
She’s extremely fast. No matter what direction I kick it, she’s on it in about a quarter of a second it seems. It hilarious to try and fake her out, sometimes I can and can kick it about 15 feet away from her before she gets it.
That’s a point for me if she has to run to get it. If she blocks it with her front paw, that’s a draw and we go again, but if she catches the ball in her mouth within 2-3 feet of me, she gets a point.
It is in this game that I can see how slow I am and how slow she is not.
I lost my other shepherd in June, a 92 lbs male, he was my best friend. I adopted this dog, Isis, about 5 days later. I truly feel she was sent by God to me. She was mana for the soul and balm for the heart, and is quite possibly the most incredible animal I have ever known in my life to this point.