which is better for me, a golden retriever or german shepherd dog?

Question

i want to get a girl golden or a girl german shepherd, i hear that german shepherds have a soft side a are pretty good family dogs, but i hear that goldens are the idel family dog with and all forgiving personallity. over all i want a dog that will protect me if i need it to, but will still be kind to my 4 and 6 year old cousins that visit every weekend or so, and thplayed with had never been near an animal of any kind before, they will play, ruff house, and just might squeze her ears, and will still have a good sense or humor.

Answer 1

Hi! I would recommend a golden for a first time pet owner, especially if you have young children coming over all the time. they have such mellow personalities and are great with kids ( my 5 yr old goes to our neighbors house all the time to "play" with their dog...they have no children and she actually looks forward to seeing him every day..lol) though I don't think they would be that good for protection...they might kiss the intruder to death...lol
GSD's, though I love them to death and own one, are a lot of work. training and socialization is extremely important with this breed. they too are excellent with children if brought up with them...and as someone stated in a previous answer they do become protective of their owner and the children they are used to. My GSD is 18 months old and he is beyond excellent with my youngest son who is 3 yrs old and has down syndrome! he has saved his life by herding him back to me when my son started running into a busy road, he tolerates getting his ears pulled, being sat on and you name it and he has never ...ever....raised his lip or became aggressive. But that took a lot of training and research to find the right tempermant. I would suggest going to akc.org and doing your research on both breeds, once you have chosen a breed look at reputable breeders in your area...don't buy from pet stores or back yard breeders. they may be cheaper in some respects than a reputable breeder but you have no way of knowing the health and tempermant of the dogs they are selling. I hope this helps you in some way and good luck finding the dog that will be a special member of your family!

Answer 2

Well, you could find individuals of both breeds that would fit what you're looking for perfectly and you could find dogs of both breeds that would be an absolute nightmare. German shepherds can make great family dogs if they have the right temperment and are properly trained. So can Goldens. Both breeds shed year-round with two heavy seasonal sheds per year (often called blowing coat...huge clumps of hair will just fall of the dog as you watch!). Goldens have longer hair which will require a little more grooming to prevent mats from forming (especially in the longer hair behind the ears, in the tail, and on the backs of the legs). Both breeds are prone to joint problems. The goldens in my area tend to be a little more prone to allergies than the shepherds, but that may not hold true for your part of the country. Shepherds are a little more likely to think independently and challenge the boundries, but I have met some really hard-headed goldens too. Both breeds are high-energy and will require a bare minimum of 30 minutes of exercise daily.

The single most important thing to keep in mind with dogs and young children is that it is YOUR responsibility to make sure the kids understand that they are not allowed to do things that would hurt the dog (and possibly cause them to bite) and supervise them to make sure that they don't. Of course, kids will forget the rules from time to time and you will want a dog with the temperment to tolerate a lot (they shouldn't HAVE to though) in the event that the kids forget. IMO, children should not be allowed to rough house with dogs, because children often don't realize when they've gone too far and they can't pick up on the signals the dog is giving that says they've had enough.

I would recommend an older dog of either breed for your situation. A puppy often doesn't have fully developed bite inhibition and won't even realize that nipping the kids is a bad or painful thing, and both breeds remain puppies mentally long after they have reached "big dog" size. it's a running joke at our dog trainer that goldens and labs don't even think about growing a brain until they're two years old (and as a shepherd owner and volunteer for the local shepherd breed rescue I can tell you that a lot of shepherds really aren't any more mature than labs or goldens). Both breeds will be physically bigger and stronger than a 4 or 6 year old by the time they are one, but they may not have much self-control. Also, puppies tempermants aren't set. The puppy that seemed good with children could potentially become an adult dog who really dislikes them (generally puppies raised with kids become dogs who are good with kids, but not always). With an older dog, what you see is what you get. You will know right away, before you even get the dog if you are adopting through a breed rescue, what health issues the dog might have, what sort of personality the dog has, and (less importantly) exactly what the dog will look like as an adult.

Answer 3

Golden Retrievers have the best personalities for being around children. All dogs can be raised to be family dogs...it is in the way that they are trained and what they are exposed to. But I do believe that with children - your best bet is either a Retriever or a Golden/Black Lab. Even a Mutt is a perfect companion for a family....Check your local pound! Save a dog that may otherwise be put to sleep. Most people that I know who has chosen a "pound dog" has never regretted it and they have turned out to be the best dog ever!
Remember that all dogs need love and discipline to be the type of dogs that you want them to be. An obediance course would be a great start when they are puppies!
Good luck! Dogs are so awesome!:)

Answer 4

i don't have any training or studied it, but I'd say German shepherds would be best, friendly dog that protects, retrievers are too friendly, and might just bark abit at an intruder before coming to sniff and ask to get petted, German shepherds are the ones that bond with the family AND see it as their duty to protect, like an uncle maybe. But it also depends on the dog, just like people their personalities very greatly

again i have no degrees and am not a vet, just someone whose played with both kinds of dogs before-and watches animal planet :D

Answer 5

I have had/had both. My last dog Sammie, was a german shepard mix and was one of the smartest dogs I had ever seen. People were amazed by her and thought the dog could actually understand English. She was wonderful with my children but was always a little gun shy around children. Sam was extremely protective of me and the children. She never bit or even growled at the other children but would constantly place herself between us and others. Although, I knew what a sweet dog she was, the other mothers would get nervous.

I currently have a beautiful goldendoodle (standard poodle and golden retriever mix) named Zoe. She is wonderful with my children along with the neighbors. They pull at her and sometimes try and ride her. She takes it all with a grain of salt. She is well behaved and was easy to train. Zoe is a wonderful dog. She does not have the wit of my shepard mix or the protective nature but she is a joy to have around, especially for the children.

So to make a long answer longer, I would go with the golden retriever for the children's sake. Especially if there will be children other then your own around. Shepards are wonderful dogs but not dogs made for chaotic home life.

Good luck to you and enjoy your new family member.

Answer 6

Hey how about a golden retriver and german shepard mix! I have 2 dog mixes. One is a daucaund maltese mix and the other is a cocker spaniel poodle. I have NOTHING against pure breeds!!! Pure breeds are good if you want a dog that acts a very certain way. BUT if you HAVE to chose witch dog go with a goldie. OR you can get a german shepard puppy so the guy will get used to kids

Answer 7

Both breeds of dogs are amazing animals. Goldens are known to be loving and caring, not so much protective. Shepards are also gentle giants but have a protective side. You may be better with a shepard since you want to feel protected. As long as the dog is raised around children it should be fine with a lttle ear pulling and ruff playing. One con about Shepards is as they get older almost all of them have problems with their hips.

Answer 8

I would say german shepherd would be the better choice. I have a male and female and I love them to death. They are amazing animals and are very loving. As long as they are raised around children pulling on ears, laying on them etc. they will accept it and not harm the kids. In fact they will become protective over you and the kids as well. I havent seen a golden retriever ever be used for protection.

Answer 9

Get the retriever. Most of the German Shepherds I've met tend to be rather high-strung and will not react well to being pulled and tugged by youngsters. And meanwhile, teach your little cousins not to pull on the dog's ears: That is painful to them.

Answer 10

Try using a dog breed selector. There are tons of different breeds to choose from (around 400)

1. Take the dog breed selectors.
2. Write down which breeds you get
3. Read up on each breed (If you don't have a close library google it.)
4. Pick your favorite.

I've provided you with four dog breed selectors. Have fun choosing! Good luck!