Is a german shepherd a good dog for a family?

Answer 1

It all depends on how you raise it. Some people think all German Shepherds are dangerous because they're used as police dogs. That's just not true.

The first step is to find a respectable breeder. Pet stores should certainly not be the first choice, seeing as some can be neglectful of the animals. I have a German Shepherd of my own. His name is Chipper and he turned 11 in May. He grew up with me and my sister in a nurturing family environment, so instead of being an aggressive dog, he's a protective dog, which is a very touching quality in a pet.

The only downside of that protective quality is that he's very territorial. He barks at strangers a lot and they're instinctively afraid. But once he encounters them close up, he turns to mush (He used to have a bad habit of peeing on visitor's shoes). So make sure that you don't keep him completely housebound; teach him how to interact and share with other people/dogs while he's still young and hasn't developed his territorial characteristics yet.

Just raise your German Shepherd with love and he'll love you back. They're wonderful dogs. They're incredibly intelligent and obedient without being hopelessly submissive. Hope this helps.

Answer 2

If you get a well-bred dog and socialize it, then follow up with obedience training, you will have a family dog beyond compare. Granted, I'm just a *tad* prejudiced, but to me, the German shepherd is the most intelligent, loyal, and loving breed out there.

They need to be around their people a lot, so you'll need to spend time with them. Other than a poorly bred dog, the only mean Sheps I've ever seen have all been tied out back and left to their own devices. That will turn a Shep mean or squirrely.

My only caveat: you may have to watch for signs of overprotectiveness when your children are playing with other kids since Sheps tend to watch out for their people. With the right training, that's not usually much of a problem to correct.

But other than that, I'd recommend a Shepherd to anyone who wants a terrific loving family pet.

Answer 3

I currently have two german shepherds. Neither one was raised around small children as our children are older. One is almost a year old (female) and the other is 5 (male). Both dogs have been around plenty of people and other dogs, just not small children. My brother recently remarried and my new sister in law has a small daughter. Both shepherds love her, especially the big guy. He is 103 lbs and is so gentle when playing with her. When she runs and squeals because he is chasing her he runs behind her but never tries to tackle or do anything that would be considered aggressive. The puppy will get right under her feet and they both end up rolling, but she's not doing it to be aggressive, she's still got puppy coordination. Both dogs have been brought up in a loving home and it would be work to teach them to be aggressive, although the female is slightly more aggressive to strangers that come in the yard than the male (she barks, he rarely barks). Recently two little boys have started to come over to play, and my male dog always tries to follow them home, he does sometimes walk to their home with them and then he comes back looking more sad than usual. They are wonderful dogs and actually a bit timid so if brought up in a loved environment will be a great dog for your kids.

Good luck!

Answer 4

A shepherd is a great family dog. It will keep an eye on everything. I would urge that you have a fenced yard. When our kids were small our best family dogs were collies, but collies are not known as vicious dogs. They flunked out as police dogs, in fact, because they refused to bite. My wife had a boxer as a family dog when she was a kid. She still talks about what a great dog it was.

Answer 5

I had one when I was about 7 or 8 years old and she was great. We now have a shepherd/chow mix and she's wonderful. A very good watchdog and very protective of the family.

Answer 6

I heave read from several sources that German Shepherds are more likely to attack randomly than other breeds. If you have small children, I would not recommend it.

Answer 7

I hear they are excellent dogs for a family and they are good with children but it is hard because it all depends on the dogs personality too.

Answer 8

well i like BOXERS there a great family dog the cops need the German shepherds so no the BOXERS are a great dog period....

Answer 9

I don't know where you live but My state (Alaska) they are #1 on the unprovoked bite list.
if you have kids over the age of 10 yrs and get a puppy and train it with the family you should be ok . but that breed typical bonds too 1 or 2 masters but not to families in general..

Answer 10

I always like labs, but my dad insists on always buying a german shepherd. they are friendly, not too troublesome, and very affectionate. and make great watchdogs. i have 5 of them.
Awesome Question.