Do Big dogs make good house pets?

Question

I want to get a good loyal house dog that can protect my children if I am not home for some reason but I want one thats fairly easy to train and has good protective instincs. I would like to hear what others have to say. I was thinking of getting a German Shepard?
Thanks
Shawn

Answer 1

GSD's are excellent dogs, tho I would definitely suggest obedience training and that your children participate in that (I assume if they are old enuf to be home alone, they would be old enuf to help in training). Shepard's are friendly and protective of thier family, too. But they can also be a great companion dog.

As with any breed, research the breeders you are considering. Make sure your new pup comes from a good breeder, who actually cares about the breed. If they tell you they'll take the pup back if he/she doesn't work out, that's a good start. A good breeder will breed dogs for temperment too, which you want. It will cost you more to get a pup from a good breeder, but it's well worth the cost to know your pup was bred with care of the breed in mind and not just for profit.

Answer 2

I had a Berlin Shepherd (long haired German Shepard) when young she was not as big as the dogs we have now, but she was a great and loyal friend.
We have a playful Saint Bernard who we have not had long so we can not say yet if he is a good protective dog.
Our other big dog (170 pounds?) is our mastiff. Neutering him keeps him in our fenced yard.
He is a fantastic, gentle loving dog who I would not hesitate for a minute to trust him with anything I feel strong about leaving him to protect.

Now there are the draw backs to owning big dogs! One is there food bill. We have a stew pot full of food at most times. If this is not FULL of food the dogs act as if they are going to starve to death lol! Two dogs of this size we go through 1 1/2 to 2 bags a week, this is the forty or fifty pound bag. They are not fat dogs!
Two if you are going to get a puppy, train this puppy! The mastiff would drag the couch to the door so he could take it outside when he was a puppy!!

As puppies these big breeds if not supervised can be real destructive!! Anything on the counters, or at waist level is open game if not trained.
See the movie Turner and Hooch I bust up laughing every time I see that movie!
These two guys and our other dog have the run of the place. They are trained (Saint Bernard is new here but we are working with him) and someone is always home. There fence is 6 feet tall. When a stranger is at the fence when they jump up they reach the top of this 6 foot fence! The door is always open for them, almost always it snows here, but SB knows how to open doors....
I would have no problem taking the Mastiff out of the fence in public on a walk (never had problems lets say). However I will not allow the kids to open the gate if these two are really wanting something outside the gate (I go out and deal with the dogs). These dogs are bigger and heavier then I am. Without training having these dogs would be imposable for someone of my size.

German Shepherds are very smart. Smarter then some people I no! Within no time at all a German Shepherd puppy is bigger then most full sized dogs. Protective instincts these dogs do have, with proper training (a professional) can have a GS puppy doing anything you want!
Knowing now that this will be a work dog is a good start as well. Work dogs and house dogs are two different things. If this is going to be a pet you do not want to have guard dog training.
Remember to just having a big dog does not mean someone can not take a gun out and kill your dog if the bad peeps want something bad enough.....

With owning big dogs there is a lot of responsibility such as kids are always attracted to big dogs. You have to keep a eye on ALL small children who want to walk up to your fence and put there fingers through to pet the dog. Even if the dog is playing and nice something may happen and us the dog owners are responsible! The dog out in public and runs after a cat, something happens and we are responsible. Remember big dogs can do some car some damage if the dog gets hit by a car, our responsibility to pay damages.
Almost done, get your fence ready and everything else, people LOVE to steal big breed dogs!
Good luck with your decision. Buy from a reputable breeder!

Answer 3

I don't know much about German Shepards, but I do know that our Boxer is great! They are pretty hyper for the first 2-3 years, but they settle down. They are great with people, including children, and they make a great watchdog (ours certainly does)! I do not know about all of them, but I can tell you that ours was very easy to train. We researched good "house dogs" also; a lot of people are very fond of Boxers. The only concern I would watch out for, that we did not know, is that purebred dogs (any breed) have more health problems. Our dog gets ear infections, and she has bad allergies. It really is not a big issue for us, but if you do not want to be inconvenienced by this, or you do not want the expense (which is not too bad), go for a mixed breed. I think someone recommended a Pit breed, but honestly, I would stay away from any Pit or Chow breeds. They are notorious for "turning" on their owners. It is a risk with any dog, but with those particular breeds, it is much higher. It may not ever happen to you, but with so much at steak (your kids), and so many other breeds of dogs to choose from, why even go there? Hope this helps!

Answer 4

We have two German Shepherd dogs and as someone else said you need to be the ALPHA. GSD are very smart, eager to learn, protective, and loyal. I have found them very easy to train. Both our girls take commands from our 4 year old niece, they realize that she is also their boss. We also have 2 two year old nieces and a 3 month old nephew, the dogs adore the kids. They are also great at "herding" the kids. The GSD is a herding breed and they know the borders of our property and the kids do not cross those borders. Both my dogs are house dogs, but really like being outdoors or wherever we are. They are high energy and require a lot of attention, but since your kids are probably older this can be a lot of fun for them. Please look at a local humane shelter or GSD rescue organization!! Good Luck!

Answer 5

Almost any dog makes a good house pet. If I had children in the house & wanted a dog to protect them, my preference would be,
1 Irish Terrier
2 Standard Schnauzer
3 Border Collie
4 Airedale Terrier

Answer 6

You have probably gotten a lot of opinions on your question, I will say that a boxer is a wonderful guard dog and is very trusted with children. I grew up with boxers and when I had my son I bought him a boxer pup and they are growing up together. Boxers can stay in the house and are very easy to train. They are a very loyal breed and will definately protect person and property.

Answer 7

German shepherds are a good idea, but get a puppy so it will grow up with the kids. Otherwise it may turn out to be a bit snippy with them. Also German shepherd puppies need to be well entertained, they get bored really easy. Labs are also good for kids and they become very loyal, attached and protective.

Answer 8

Hands down I think that the standard poodle is the best breed for a family dog. I had one growing up and he is smart, was easy to train, and fiercely protective of the whole family. She has the scratch marks in the glass of her back door as proof. Some of her renters are pretty rough looking and they don't dare bother her because of him and he's 13 now. I'm 5' 8" and he is tall enough (on his hind feet) to look me in the eye. I also think they're good with kids as long as they're raised with them.
(*Kind of high maintenence to groom but worth it)

Answer 9

I just lost my boy ....Sabre was 9 years with me and my family are as devastated as me and i lived away from them ,German Shepherds are the boys...BUT YOU MUST BE THE TOP DOG , ALPHA MALE OR FEMALE I DON'T CARE what you call it , yes they will protect you and your family for ever but in return you must entertain them , train them , teach them feed them second , make them respect you through training which isn't hard they are so clever.they will cop on to a new baby and take the child under there wing , you are alpha top dog they will treat the baby as a pack member and as long as there is order , IE , you , wife then baby then dog everyone will be fine , they are the most beautiful family guard and protective dogs .Please dont go for a savage breed for protection , A shep will give himself till death

Answer 10

As long as you are able to house them. The larger the pet the more it cost to take care. Also learn about the breeds you are thinking about.
Have you thought about a boxer? They are very good with children. We see plenty of boxer at the clinic where I work. They are fun to work with. Also they shed less since they have short hair. Whatever you pick the best of luck.