Are German shepherds good with kids?Are they protective?Are they aggresive with animals?please answer.

-- Stephanie (aubrey56@maine.rr.com), November 19, 2001

Answers

You have to look at each dog's personality. My mom raised shepards when my brother and sister and I were young. Those dogs put up with all of our antics with a really good attitude. They pulled us in a wagon, we dressed them up, etc. My mom also had a Shepherd with East German bloodlines who was great around people, even little kids, but wouldn't tolerate any other animals. She'd chase the horses, try to kill cats, and pick fights with other dogs. That was the first dog we had who had German bloodlines (her father was imported) so I'm not sure if maybe American lines maybe have less of a killing instinct toward livestock. I've never seen a Shepherd agressive towards people unless they are trained for that. I think they're great dogs, but assess each dog you're considering individually. Just my opinion.

-- malinda (teneniel_80@yahoo.com), November 19, 2001.

Stephanie , maybe it would be easier if you told us in one thread a little about you and your home life and what you are looking for in a dog .You can find almost any trait in any breed .Some where bred for certain things so say for the GSD they where bred to herd and protect .So yes they "can" be protective and aggressive .That does not mean EVERY GSD will be .The best thing for you to do may be read the archives here , go to dog shows and shelters and see what you like .Good luck ~ Patty

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@slic.com), November 19, 2001.

An Old German breed of German Shepard from a reputable breeder is the best all around homestead dog you can ever hope to get, especially if you pick the pup out yourself, and see which pup naturally gravitates towards you, you will know which one to pick!!!

Raised with your children, he/she will consider them as "their own pack" and defend them and you ( and all your critters) with their life if need be, and provide a level of devotion, loyalty, intelligence, and respect unmatched in any other breed of dog.

They are not unduly aggressive with animals they consider their "territory", my Shepard is the most gentle creature with the farm cats as could be desired of any dog, he is best buddies with the runt of all the barn cats!!!

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), November 19, 2001.

Stephanie,

I have a pure bred, 5 year old female GS named Zoe, that we've had since she was a pup. This dog is the best companion/protector/guard dog my 2 children could ever have. She thinks of the kids as her own (the whole family really) and there are few strangers who would dare challenge her authority.

Every morning my children go down to the end of the driveway and she goes each time with them to make sure they get on the bus. Then she heads back up the driveway when they are gone. It's a long day for her until they get back, but she lets me know when it's time because she bugs me to go out so she can "herd" them back home.

She has never lunged or nipped at anyone, but she sure lets them know that she isn't comfortable with the present situation. No one has ever had the feeling they were about to be attacked in any way. She maintains her guardian posture until my wife or I assure her all is well.

When my children are playing in the yard, she assumes the role of guardian, and is on constant "look out". She loves all kids and they can abuse the heck out of her all they want...she loves the attention. So in my opinion, yes, they are very good with kids.

Good Luck. Sorry about long winded post.

Glenn

-- Glenn (gj_usa1@yahoo.com), November 19, 2001.

Why don't you get a lab or golden or a setter. Sheppards are a loaded gun. Maybe it will be mean or maybe not. There are any number of breeds that are good watch dogs and good around kids. Why tempt fate.

-- Ed (smikula@bellsouth.net), November 19, 2001.

Stephanie, I have had some terrific German Shepards, and they took excellent care of my little boys. It helps if you can spend some time with the parents of the puppies. I bought a high dollar shepard puppy the last time that just was not right, it hid under the couch and was terrified of all of us. I took it back and got another one that was a little better but never quite right either, I think it was the kennel and their breeding program(too interbred, and breeding for color!) It is hard to get a good dog of any breed, but Dylan, my last shepard before the brain-damaged ones was one of the best dogs I ever had the privilege to call my friend. Good luck. Oh, I had a rule for the whole family(onery boys), the dogs could not get mean with the boys and the boys could not be mean to the dogs. It worked out very well.

-- Karen in Kansas (kansasgoats@iwon.com), November 19, 2001.

Are German shepherds good with kids?Are they protective?Are they aggresive with animals?please answer.

-- Stephanie (aubrey56@maine.rr.com), November 19, 2001

Shepherds are good with kids. Shepherds are protective. Shepherds are not aggressive.

Now let me explain:

Overall, German shepherds as with most breeds of dogs are good with GOOD kids. If you have mean or bad children no dog is a good choice because dogs require a certain amount of discipline and if you can’t control your kids you wont control your dog and a German Shepard is to big to let “play”. A Shepard with a good bloodline and good training will tend to not associate with bad children and will take himself out of the situation. This is a general statement because each dog has it’s own personality. The dog you buy may be shy or aggressive and not be suitable for children but this is not the norm with German shepherds. If these are your kids, this will be your dog, and they bond to one another the dog will selflessly die to protect them. Shepherds have an instinct to herd and protect and they will stand between a threat and your child. If someone gets into a fight with your child the dog it will act according to it’s training. If it has received no training, it will defend the child with “a bit to much enthusiasm” but consider this, if your child is attacked by a strange dog you would want your dog to quickly kill the strange dog. A friend his Shepherd and I were sitting on his front porch one morning when another friend pulled up in his new car. We all went down to look at the new car with the dog taking the lead by about 10 feet. The dog knew the friend in the new car but that moment of apprehension we felt caused the dog to key off us and take a more defensive posture. Shepherds are Smart. They can hear your heart beating from several yards away, smell pheromones released during apprehension, fear, etc, the dog can sense your mood and will key off your attitudes. There are some flaws in character no dog should exhibit. Never let them chase deer or livestock. Any aggression the dog shows to these types of animals should be met with severe retribution (kick the sh*t out of him the first time and if he does it the second time kill him). He needs to know you are the master and a test of this is being able to take food away from him while he eats and if he growls you have to put him in his place. He must be able to stand still and have a bathe, not sit on furniture and follow any other rules you lay down.

A good Shepard can be one of the best breeds of dogs you can get for a child. Contact American Kennel Club (AKC)

-- mw (mdwood@beienginers.com), November 19, 2001.

I can't speak about all Golden Retrievers, but a couple of my friends have them and they are great as far as disposition is concerned, but as far as protection, they aren't worth the powder to blow them up with. These dogs would watch the family get slaughtered and then show the intruders where the jewelry is. Again, this is in reference to 2 I know of.

-- Glenn (gj_usa1@yahoo.com), November 19, 2001.

Stephanie, you seem to be looking for a dog that will bond with your kids and protect them.I am not sure this can be decided by breed. You really have to judge the charactor of the individual dog.Also any dog must be Trained what is acceptable behavior and what is not,you can't just turn the dog and kids out together.It will take much time and effort to have a good dog.That being said I do believe the female dogs may be more child oriented than male dogs.

-- VickiP. (countrymous@webtv.net), November 19, 2001.

I second Glenn's post, Goldens will also show the coyotes and the racoons where and how to get in the chicken house!!!

A good friend has a Golden, and she has lost dozens of guineas and chickens to predators this past year, I have lost none. The Golden is also a known cat killer.

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), November 19, 2001.

Having 4 German Shepherds of my own and running a non-profit German Shepherd Rescue for several years and fostering over 100 German Shepherds I would have to say it depends on the individual dog.

I have 2 Shepherds I bought from a breeder as puppies (Maxwell and Sanka) and 2 that I adopted, one as a 2 day old puppy (Tipper) and one that I adopted when she was 6 years old (Kayla). All are good with my 2 children, aged 5 and 2, although Tipper is probably the least tolerant. Only Kayla can be trusted with the chickens, all are okay with the goats. I'd also have to say that Kayla is my favorite.

When I use to have foster dogs and before I got livestock I have had Shepherds that were not good with other dogs or children or even some adults. I've also known other foster homes that had dogs that were aggressive and attacked people for no reason. I had one dog like that, she only liked my husband and I but she was never allowed near a stranger as she would bite them and eventually we had her put to sleep once she started to turn on the other dogs. I've known ones that will scale a fence to kill the neighbours chickens, goats, or attack another dog.

German Shepherds are as individual as people - some are nice and some are not.

-- Anita in NC (anitaholton@mindspring.com), November 19, 2001.

Stephanie, have you considered a German Shepherd / something mix? Just a "fluke" of nature? I grew up with a German Shepherd/Collie. She was a bit smaller than a pure Shepherd, but what a wonderful guard dog (of people). She was the most tolerant, loving dog with kids (my brother used to put tube socks on her on cold days, and then drive her around on the 3 wheeler, LOL)...unless one of them came after us. Then she was a fur raising bag of snarls. Never once bit anyone, though. She kept all the nasty neighbourhood dogs out of our yard, and invited in all the nice ones. I've also lived with 2 pure shepherds at different times. The first was generally mellow, until a stranger pulled in the drive. Then she'd go nuts. Put down because of her hips at 3. The second was the most mischievious (sp?) dog I've ever seen. A definite clown! Try to shovel snow, and throw it...she'd bite the end of the darn shovel! She was awesome with kids, but wicked to racoons. She'd shake 'em to death. She also just wouldn't learn the porcupine lesson, and we pulled quills from her over, and over, and over... I guess this means they're all different like us. I'd say for sure, though, to get a pup. Then you know it's WHOLE history of behaviour. (none of our dogs were ever trained except to do their 'job' outside)

-- Rheba (rhebabeall@hotmail.com), November 19, 2001.

Stephanie's more-or-less 12 or 13 years old. The family is moving to the country soon, or has just done so, and I get the feeling Stephanie would REALLY like to get a dog, and her mother is not that keen. One of the reasons seems to be that Stephanie's sister is or may be allergic to dogs, and the only dog anyone can say is likely not to trigger allergies - a standard poodle - seems to be off the list - possibly because her sister is prejudiced about them.

Stephanie, German Shepherds and Dalmations would trigger allergies too. If you want help from us you're REALLY going to have to start giving us some feedback. In fact, it would help a lot if your parents could fill us in on the situation as well. With fuller information we might be able to give more helpful answers.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), November 19, 2001.

Stephanie, We have 5 purebred German Shepherds, whom are all house dogs. 2 of them were not raised with my children, they are tolerant of them at best. The other 3 were raised with them, and they would protect them with their lives, we are part of their pack. They are as cuddly with us as any lap dog could possibly be. On the flip side, they are as aggressive with outsiders as could possibly be. It's difficult to have people over, our dogs just don't like it. Which is fine, they probably get that from us, hehehehe. Personally, my opinion is that they are phenomenal dogs, however they need to be trained and understand their position in your household. CJ

-- CJ (cjtinkle@getgoin.net), November 19, 2001.

Ok.Well I'm 12 and I have really been wanting a dog since I was VERY young.We are going to be moving onto 13 and 1/2 acres of land soon hopefully next year.And my sister is allergic to dogs but not all of them and I would not want a poodle My mom grew up with them and We want something idffrent.The only prob. with me getting a dog is that we live where we can't have dogs right now,and we just moved so we are starting to get back on our feet.So there is my personal profile hope you like it.LOL

-- Stephanie (aubrey56@maine.rr.com), November 19, 2001.

Stephanie, is there some reason you would not want a poodle? Standard poodles (40 pounds or bigger) are some of the best all-around dogs out there. Smart, protective, good with kids, very trainable, good with livestock, etc. The coats, if kept fairly short, are easy to care for and the dogs are attractive. You know they are actually bird dogs that people have decided to give foofy haircuts. We have two standards. One was abused before we rescued her, and is a little shy. The other one is about as good a dog as one could hope for.

-- Laura Rae Jensen (lrjensen@nwlink.com), November 20, 2001.

As I said before My mom had them and this dog is going to be MINE only mine and I want something diffrent than what My mom had and I don't think she wants anymore anyways.Are german shnauzers or however you spell it.are they Hypoallergenic?

-- Stephanie (aubrey56@maine.rr.com), November 20, 2001.

Stephanie, a standard size poodle is about as big, or bigger than a German Shepherd. I'm not a fan of little dogs (esp. poodles), but standard size ones are awesome. My uncle had a jet black one that was loveable, protective, and aggressive only when necessary. This is a man who also owned bulldogs, so this wasn't some "wimpy" little dog, the way some people (me) view poodles. If this is a dog that doesn't affect those with allergies, I'd give it a second look. And this from a German Shepherd lover...

-- Rheba (rhebabeall@hotmail.com), November 20, 2001.

STEPHANIE...SHEPHERDS ARE THE DOG MOST LIELY TO BITE IN ALL OF NORTH AMERICA AND BRITAIN BASED ON SPCA FIGURES.SHEPHERDS ARE USED BY POLICE GROUPS BECAUSE OF THEIR AGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR. A FRIEND OF MINE HAD WHAT EVERYONE THOUGHT WAS THE FRIENDLIEST DOG ON THE PLANET.UNTIL ONE DAY A CHILD GOT OFF THE SCHOOL BUS AND IT TRIED TO EAT HIM.IT WAS LITERALLY TRYING TO DIGEST HIM...THE VETS AND HEALTH CARE WORKERS NEVER SAW SUCH A VICIOUS ATTACK.THE CHILD HAD THE SENSE TO PULL HIS BACK PACK UP OVER HIS HEAD AND PROTECT HIS NECK AND FACE.THIS PROBABLY THE REASON HE IS TODAY. THIS ATTACK NEVER MADE THE NEWS EVEN IN MY AREA.BUT I SUSPECT IF IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A PIT BULL THEN IT WOULD HAVE BEEN RUN INTERNATIONALY. SEEMS THE PRESS LIKES TO PICK ON PIT BULLS.[REMEMBER PETE FROM THE LITTLE RASCAL/OUR GANG SHOWS YEARS AGO...HE WAS A PIT BULL.] I FIND BREED RESTRICTIVE LEGISLATION TO BE ANIMAL GENICIDE. ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY IGNORE THE FACTS AS TO WHICH BREED IS RESPONSABLE FOR THE MOST ATTACKS.

CORDWOODGUY PS:THE NUMBER ONE DOG FOR ATTACKS IN THE USA WAS SHEPHERDS.THE NUMBER TWO DOG ON THE LIST WAS PART SHEPHERD.THESE STATISTICS HELD UP IN BRITAIN AS WELL.

-- CORDWOODGUY (cordwoodguy@n2teaching.com), November 22, 2001.

That's the most ridiculous statement I've ever heard! German Shepherds are used by Police for their keen intelligence and superb tracking skills. We've had German Shepherds for years....not only are they excellent drug dogs, tracking and herding dogs, FAMILY pets, they are also superb therapy dogs! Dogs become vicious when people mistreat them, or due to illness. As for your statistics, we all know statistics are generally worthless and engineered. After all, how many poodles do we put in aggressive situations? German Shepherds are wonderful, loving animals, extremely loyal and intelligent. I have a miniature schnauzer whom I adore, but you know what? He's 10 times as likely to bite a passing leg than any of my 5 German Shepherds are.

-- CJ (cjtinkle@getgoin.net), November 22, 2001.

Stephanie, this is a delayed post, but we just adopted a German Shepard/ Chow Mix. He looks very "German" with a black tongue and gums. This is the first dog that I have had since I was a child. We adopted him from a shelter for our son who has just turned 5. He is awesom! He is smart, super sweet, very dedicated to me, and enjoys both of our children! We have had him one week, and in this week he has settled down to where he doesnt jump on you when you approach him, recognizes his name, and plays ball endlessly. He is such a happy puppy, (4 months). He does, however bark at our cats a lot. He has been scratched on his nose and cheek, but still doesn't understand that cats rule our home. We have 2!Our neighbors dogs have come over to play, and for the most part, they all get along. He gets a bit hyper around other dogs and wants to wrestle.So for the 1 week that he has been a member of our family, I would say all is going very well.

-- Leanne Blaney (leanneblaney@yahoo.com), April 12, 2002.