German Shepherds?

Question

I'm thinking of getting a GS pup for our family (boy-6, boy-4, girl-2). Any thoughts about what to look for in a pups personality? Is this a dog that is good with kids? How do I make them kid, guest friendly?

Answer 1

It all depends on the family and what they think to. But NEVER NEVER get a shy or timid dog no matter what breed. It is said that a dog chooses his/ her owner. Basically whatever dog rellay clicks with you.

Answer 2

It all depends on you really. If you get the GS as a pup, you can train him/her not to jump up on the little ones and that.
I have a German Shepherd, Husky mix and she's the greatest. She jumps up a bit, but not on the little kids (Ages 9 and 6) She's very good with them as well. And when she had some little 1 year old screaming in her face she didn't do anything lol But like I said it depends on you and the dog it's self really.

Good lucky and hope you find a great dog to be the new member of your family!! =D

Answer 3

German Shepherd can make great family dogs, as for any breed its all about how you raise them and socialize them.

Definitly get a German Shepherd from a reputable breeder, because German Shepherds are notioriuse for Hip Displaysia, eye problems, lower lumbar problems, heart issures and some can be prone to bloat ( a fatal condition most commonly found in deep chested dogs). Make sure parent of the German Shepherd puppies should have atleast their hips checked.

German Shepherds are natural guardian, so make sure the breeder is breeding for good temperment as well. Mom and Dad of the puppies should be friendly and outgoing, not aggressive or shy.

When deciding on a puppy, esp. for a family with little kids, make sure the puppy you choose is friendly, seeking your attention, not fighting or bully'n the other puppies and the most important of all, roll your puppy on its back. See how long your pup allows you to do so, if he bites at your hands (not to confused with playful nipping) or starts to growl, you don't want that puppy because he's/she's already got it in their head that they are the dominant dog and will be more difficult to socialize with a busy household.

After you have picked your puppy, make sure your breeder offers a Health Guarentee! Any good responsible breeder will offer at least a year Health Guarentee and will have had both parents tested on their hips (OFA).

As far as making the puppy kid friendly its all about structer and discipline. Start young teaching your puppy not to bite ( nip) or jump up. Give your puppy plenty of toys for playtime and stimulation, and start young with daily walks ( this will help reaffirm the family as the pack leader).

German Shepherds are very smart dogs, eager to please and can be ever so stuborn. Its important to socialize them with other people and dogs early to prevent problems when they get older. Puppy training classes or basic obiedence is great for this.

Now this is a working dog by nature, so they need plenty of exercise and stimulation to prevent behavioral problems.

I hope this has helped, and I wish you all the best of luck finding the right puppy for your family.

Answer 4

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, find and buy rom a REPUTABLE breeder. Do not just get a shepherd from anywhere as the majority of breeders in this country have screwed up the breed beyond repair. There are kids involved here, so that is the MAJOR
number 1 concern. When you find that breeder and after you have asked a million question and got answers that satisfy you, and checked the references, look for a litter that the breeder will tell you will have the most potential of all, FOR YOUR PURPOSES. When the puppies are about 8 weeks old you can start to evaluate potential candidates. Look for a puppy that is friendly to everyone he meets and that is naturally curious to his surroundings, one that wants to explore. Should you like that puppy, bring him home and make sure that you get all records from the breeder on that dog, along with all GUARANTEES for the health, temperament, AND HIPS. It is extremely important that you socialize this dog by taking it with you everywhere you can, and I mean EVERYWHERE. He needs to see people and things and greet everything and everyone with a friendly and happy attitude. Show him everything you can, and then some. Make sure that the jids understand that he is a dog, not a human and he should be treated as such. Now for a bit of the bad news. Dogs like that cost REAL MONEY and if you are not prepared to pay you will be in for a surpsise. One last thing I want to add in here, I am also the father of 2 little boys that mean the world to me and that every dog that comes home they fall in love with. For that reason, I have never owned a "pet" quality dog. I want my dogs to be able to do police work, even if they never work a day in their lives. They are just more stable and held to a higher standard then your average pet, and I want that mental stability in my house with my kids. Good luck to you.

Answer 5

I dont have good guidelines for picking a german shepard, but I would recommend getting a puppy that will grow up knowing your kids are part of the family. We got my German Shepard as a pup. We got her after my husband had his dog put to sleep and at the clinic i worked at there were 2 pups a male and a female. We got her because we had all other female dogs and didnt want a male. Well she is the best family dog but we dont have any kids yet so I dont know how she will do with our kids, but I know she is very aggressive towards everyone who is not in her "family" She is very smart and know who my parents, inlaws, and our grandparents are, and is like a big puppy when they come around, but if it is not one of the above mentioned she will bite if they come too close. I have a feeling that when we have kids she will be a great gaurd dog and a loving pet to our kids as well as us. but just make sure your puppy is submissive to every human it will be in close contact with. Start when they are young because it is harder the longer you wait. Shepards are smart dogs so it will pick up on it prett quickly. Good luck!

Answer 6

If raised from a puppy, most dogs can be great with children. But you do have to evaluate your family's life style to make sure this breed is a good match for you. You also have to make sure that your children will be able to learn proper treatment of a puppy. For me, we have 2 boys, ages 3 and 5 and tho we wanted to bring a puppy into our home a couple of years ago, we waited until this past summer to do so, as we felt our children were too young before hand to work with well on learning proper behavior with a new puppy.

As for "making them kid/guest friendly", the best thing to do is to get into proper training classes with your puppy. This will help socialize the pup and help you to learn how to train your dog to be well mannered. It's also a great way to bond with your dog/puppy.

Be sure to find a reputable breeder. A good breeder will be able to help you decide if this breed will be a good fit with your family too.

Answer 7

I don't know that there is a good or bad breed for kids. I am partial to GSDs, being that I raise them and compete nationally with them. Some things to look for when picking a pup are:
1) Level of socialization. Is the pup happy to see you? Do they respond to your voice? Do they attempt to make eye contact?
2) Overall health of the pup. If the pup looks malnourished, not only could you have long-term health issues with your pup, but chances are that if they didn't take care of the pups, they certainly didn't socialize them
3) Overall living conditions. Do the other dogs on-site look healthy? Are the parents available to be seen? Are the pens clean?
4) With GSDs (and any long breed), a hip/elbow certification would be desirable. GSDs are prone to hip/elbow displasyia.

Best Wishes!
WCK9

Answer 8

In choosing a puppy, make sure you do a background check on the breeder and the temperament of puppies he produces, make sure the mother and father are on site and you are able to see them!!!!!!

It is said that the puppy will choose you which is true, although you do not want to get the most excited puppy most likely that dog will have a over active and aggressive temperament. Be sure to hold the pup and if they trust you in your arms, you are good to go!

German Shepherds are amazing dogs, with amazing temperament towards all animals and other living beings. They will be kids friendly if they associate kids with fun, nice. But you do not want to have you dog associate kids with pain, do not allow you children to pull on it's tail, ears, biting, carrying the puppy around when not necessary! Anything that hurts the puppy will make them think negative thoughts towards the thing that hurt it.

Good Luck!!!!!

Answer 9

My sister just got a german shepard puppy back in october...You look for the friendliness of the puppy...he can not be really afraid. My sister bought them from a person who breeds and sells them and there were 5 pups to come from and she picked the MOST friendlinest. The only problem she has now with him is he jumps on people even her 2 yr old daughter and has scratched her with the paws with playing so she is going to spend the 200.00 and take him to "school". Her kids are 2 and 7 years old. her pup is going to be big....120 plus pounds so i hope you have a nice big yard like my sister does. Me, personally..I like her first dog still....She has 2 now....Her first one is a black Labador , he has always been gentle...he is now getting up in age but he was always a good dog. good luck

Answer 10

Been breeding GSD for almost 30 years. I only have German lines because of temperment.health and working ability. Most of the answers are GOOD this time.I always match the puppy to the new owners because i have been with pups from birth and i fill i know them best. For a family with kids i always place mild temperment pups but one with a pain threshold on the higher side because kids will be kids and some times they can be rough and the pup needs to be able to forgive the rough play involved. DON'T PICK PUPPIES BY COLOR OR CUTENESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!MORE HELP?????JUST ASK

Answer 11

It all depends on any dogs temperment. I have a GS myself and she is totally my daughters (4) dog. They are very loving dogs. I would suggest taking your whole family with you to look at the dogs. Watch how they interact you don't want a timid dog nor one that is up in your face biting it! You should be able to roll them onto there back without them nipping or going crazy. Going to your local shelter might be a good idea too! you can usually find a GS mix and those are the best in my experience because full breeds have lots of congenital problems...bad hips, knees...etc.