# Would you reccomend GSD for kids?



## Akk578

I was just wondering how people thought of GSD's being kid/family dogs? Do you feel the breed is a trustworthy breed to be around children? I have a male GSD and I have three children 5 yrs, 3 yrs, and 2 yrs an I have had poeple say to me before that my dog was a poor choice because GSD are not good to be around children. Yet mine loves them to death so I was wonderind what others thought to this subject.


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## onyx'girl

If the dog is of good genetics and is in a household that does right by the breed, they are the best!
Its sad though that many of them are bred by BYB's and placed with people who have no clue on training, socializing etc. 
Then they dump them at a shelter after the cute puppy stage wears off(or sooner) or are put in a kennel out back and the dog gets reactive due to lack of nurturing.
That is where the breed reputation has come from.


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## doggiedad

yes GSD's make great family pets. if there's a problem
within the family it's probably because the adults in the house
are doing or did something wrong when raising the GSD.


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## Sigurd's Mom

onyx'girl said:


> If the dog is of good genetics and is in a household that does right by the breed, they are the best!



Exactly what I was going to say! :thumbup:


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## KZoppa

so far ALL of my dogs do great with kids. They love our kids, seeking them out to give very sloppy just took a drink kisses. Well trained and nurtured GSDs are fabulous with kids. those who say that GSDs are a poor choice as a family pet, i believe dont have a clue what they're talking about and really have no right to say anything as a result because obviously, my dogs are fine with kids. I have a 3 year old and an 18 month old. My kids dont know what life without a GSD is and i hope we always have a gsd!


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## JKlatsky

doggiedad said:


> yes GSD's make great family pets. if there's a problem
> within the family it's probably because the adults in the house
> are doing or did something wrong when raising the GSD.


I'm with this. 

I think the problem with GSDs and kids is not necessarily that they're not great together. But I think GSDs require competent owners who establish clear boundaries and expectations and meet their physical and mental stimulation requirements. I think we can all agree that many pet owners out there do not fit this description. 

Now, personally I do care for small children/toddlers with large breed puppies. I didn't think it was good when we had Mastiff's either. Small kids and dogs should never be unsupervised in my opinion. An active 7 month old 70lb puppy can level a toddler without any sort of ill intention. But again that goes to the management of the situation by the adults in the household.


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## Elaine

It's usually not a question if a dog is good or safe with kids, but the other way around. People don't teach kids how to behave around dogs so the kids are unsafe. Also, kids should never be left unattended around dogs because of this.


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## King&Skylar

I agree with elaine. It's up to the parents to teach the KIDS how to act around a dog. Skylar has major issues with kids because she's been chased by them, kids throwing themselves at her, etc. It was strange kids. I can't trust her around kids because of the KIDS, she would have been fine if parents would teach their kids how to approach strange dogs!! So yes, if the parents can train the kids how to act around a shepherd, or any dog, then it would be safe- i'd never leave any dog unattended with a child, though, no matter how good i thought they'd be.


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## Stogey

I am so glad both of my kids grew up around my GSDs. They both have such an appreciation not only for the breed but animals in general ! My son thinks the world of DJ, almost like he was HIS dog !


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## Wolfiesmom

My two oldest kids had GSD's Major, Gretchen, Shultzie, and Chief in their lives. I would trust all of these GSd's with my kid's lives. Later, when my youngest was born, only Chief was left, and he was that baby's protector and best friend for 10 years. Now Wolfie is around mostly adults, but my daughter has 2 young stepsons that come and see Wolfie. He just loves it when they show up to play.


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## Deuce

I have a 4 and 5 year old and Deuce is wonderful with them. I think they're a very family friendly breed and would highly recommend them to families with children.


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## CaseysGSD

3 and 5 year olds here and my dog LOVES them!


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## Deuce

CaseysGSD said:


> 3 and 5 year olds here and my dog LOVES them!


We have a lot in common! Our pups are almost the same age, too!


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## CaseysGSD

Deuce said:


> We have a lot in common! Our pups are almost the same age, too!


So funny, I posted almost the same thing on your Deuce intro page about 25 minutes after you posted this (I didn't see this until now)!


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## MaggieRoseLee

Elaine said:


> It's usually not a question if a dog is good or safe with kids, but the other way around. People don't teach kids how to behave around dogs so the kids are unsafe. Also, kids should never be left unattended around dogs because of this.


This is why I do NOT recommend GSD's for families with young kids. Not because of the GSD puppy, more because most people just have no idea how much time and 'work' adding a puppy to the home can be. All the families I know are already in a time crunch with work, and housework, and activities the family are involved in. So adding another responsibility is just too much.

It's why so many dogs end up back at the breeders or in shelters. And why I meet people ALL the time when I'm out in public with MY GSD's and meet so many other GSD owners. They come up to me, admire my girls, and when I ask why aren't they walking their dogs on this beautiful day I get a shocked look and a 'We could NEVER have our dogs out in public like this............' . I'm not even going into the dogs that have to live their lives in the yard cause it's too much for people to instead have them in the home and TEACH them to be a family member. :headbang:

Clearly there ARE people that are experienced and know their lives will change when they get that puppy, and they are fully prepared to arrange their lives around the new addition.


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## GSDAlphaMom

Yes! I have no kids of mine own but recently fostered 3 little boys ages 2, 4, 6. My dogs are 4yr, 2.5yr, 1.5yr and had never been around small children. They were wonderful with them! They boys would lay on them crawl on them and the dogs were always gentle with them. I never had to worry about it.


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## liv

My girl is great with kids - we have probably 18 under 8's in our cul-de-sac, and they are forever ringing the doorbell and asking if Kokoda can come out and play! My foster (11 mos) came from a family with four young children (mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer, which is why he is with us), and the other day, when we were walking we were swarmed with little kids and both dogs just soaked up the attention very politely. I don't plan on having kids for a couple of years yet, but I did take that into consideration when I chose GSDs. I did want to have a my dog trained and maybe even a little bit settled, before having babies though! If I do add another, it will likely be the foster we have now, so they would be 3 and 3 1/2 before babies come along.


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## Jessiewessie99

I think GSDs make great family pets and would be great with kids IF the family has the time, patience and dedication to train and care for the dog properly. I also think it would be a great opportunity for the whole family to get involved with the puppy's training its a way to bond and learn responsible dog ownership. Also training the dog for things such as a Agility can be fun for the whole family and the dog.


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## codmaster

Yes, a good GSD is super with kids.

We had a 2 yo female when my wife got pregnant and people had her worried sick about the dog and kid. She would be jealous and be a danger to our son, etc. Au contraire! She was perfect with him even to letting him crawl all over her (while we were in the room of course) as an infant.

Great dogs! All 7/8 that we have owned over the years.


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## KZoppa

you tell me if GSDs are great with kids or not!!!


















































cuz i think they're fabulous!!!


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## GSD Fan

Reading Breed Basics: The German Shepherd Dog, I believe when it comes to being a family and kid's dog, the german shepherd CAN make a good family and kid's dog. BUT, a breed, like the golden retriever, would have a higher percentage of being a great family or kid's dog. Now I'm not saying a GSD can't make a good family dog, it's just that if you have young kids, you should monitor them when they are around a GSD. 

I believe if you get a GSD and have toddlers or smaller kids, you definitely want to do much research. You want to not only see if a GSD is suitable for your family, but you also want to know about the GSD puppy or dog you are getting. If the puppy or dog is from a breeder, you want to make sure there are few to none temperament or biting problems in the line. If you adopt or rescue a GSD, you want to talk to the people who evaluated the GSD or GSD mix.

That's my 2 Cents.


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## Emoore

GSD Fan said:


> Now I'm not saying a GSD can't make a good family dog, it's just that if you have young kids, you should monitor them when they are around a GSD.


Interactions between kids and dogs should _always_ be monitored, whether that dog is a GSD, Golden, St. Bernard, or anything else. I don't care if the dog is a seeing-eye dog or a therapy dog. Kids and dogs should _never_ be unsupervised together. 

It takes kids a while to develop the concept that other people have feelings. It takes them even longer to understand that animals have feelings. A child might treat a dog kindly while adults are around to avoid punishment but behave very differently when they're alone with an animal, simply because they're still learning that animals are creatures that think and feel. 

Kid hurts the dog -->dog defends itself --> dog is put down. The adults are left saying "I don't know what happened, she was always such a good dog!"


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## codmaster

Are you folks kidding?, or maybe some don't trust their kids or their GSD.

Assuming that the GSD is a "normal" dog with a normal temperament, why in the world would one not be good with kids?

All of the ones that we have had in 40 years of GSD's that we got as puppies were GREAT with our son and his friends. Now maybe that was because we got lucky or maybe we raised both kid and dogs properly.
Our dogs and bitches came from all sources - BYB, American top show lines and German import top Sch lines. I would trust all of them around any kids and also around puppies.In fact, I am sure that our dogs would probably classify little kids and puppies in the same class - something to protect and also to put up with.

Now, did we have rules for the son intersacting with the dog? - of course, we taught him to be kind to the dog.

BTW, I am curious as to how old some of you folks that don't think kids should be alone with dogs - "how old should a child be before you would leave them alone with the dog"? The only limit I would have is if the child is small enough so the dog might accidentally step on or bump the child. But I would and did trust our son to take care of the dog and treat him nicely and the same thing for our dog to treat our son nicely! Wouldn't have a dog that we wouldn't trust with our son!


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## Shadow's mum

I said yes because, Shadow is fantastic with my son and my nephew. She is great when we take her on school pick ups also, but Shadow has a good temperament and A LOT of training has gone into both Shadow and all the kids that come into contact with her. We have also realized it's easier to train a strangers child how to behave and respect the dogs boundaries with a big dog as opposed to a smaller yappy less intimidating dog. All the training pays off, Shadow is super attentive and protective of my younger son, she is gentle and calming for him and she is big and cuddly.  
It's great to see the reaction when we take Shadow to school to pick up my younger son. Kids start yelling "Shadow's here!!!" "Hi Shadow" We have some kids following us all around the yard. There are a few special needs kids at my sons school, she seams to know and will patiently put up with their petting and poking. 
Kids that 40 pounds ago used to scream and run and yell "it's a nazi dog" or "wolf" or "police dog" now call out "Hi Shadow". Instead of shying away or just randomly running up to her, these kids now approach calmly and always ask"can we pat her", they wait now until they are given the go ahead. She is very therapeutic. Having said all that though, without the training and the right temperament a dog that hasn't been raised properly or is fearful of kids can be a lethal liability. Elaine was 100% right in saying it's also about training the kids to respect the dog and it's foundries. 

p.s I also have 3 little dogs, they are more unpredictable and skittish than Shadow(GSD) they may also be little but could do big damage very quickly.


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## kiwilrdg

I would no sooner recommend a dog being around kids than I would having a human around kids. Of course there are exceptions in both catagories.


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## 2GSDmom

I have had dogs that I wouldn't let unsupervised small, inexperienced children around, because the dog in question was old, infirm and in pain and therefore lacking in patience. I also have the same rule when it comes to young inexperienced dogs around children smaller than the puppy.

But as a breed, GSDs are tolerant, nuturing, protective, playful, loving, cuddly, devoted...everything one would want in a family pet. The only caviat would be to point out they do have a "hard" mouth, which some people find objectionable and prefer "soft" mouthed sporting breeds instead. I always classified a few inadvertent bruises and cuts from playing with GSDs to be equivalent to the rest of the skinned knees, bumps and bruises and cuts I got in the normal course of being a kid.

There were several mothers in the neighborhood who wouldn't let their kids out to play unless our GSD was "on duty". Our dog was also exempt from the town's leash law because a city judge ruled him a "provider of a public service". So, yeah, I think they are great around kids of all ages.


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## BR870

I grew up with my mothers 3 German Shepherds
My GodDaughter grew up here with my big male GSD, Kai
When my son was born we still had Kai, and now have Abbie and very shortly another male.

So yes, I think kids do fine with GSDs. Of course most people in this forum are significantly more responsible for their dogs than JQPublic....


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## mysweetkaos

It's a mixed bag. As other posters have stated, a lot of people don't want to put the extreme work into the situation that makes it necessary....but that isn't just with GSD's, you need to put that level in NO matter what breed you have. I have friends with kids for whom I wouldn't recommend a goldfish, because the desire to put the work into it isn't there. We on the other hand have a 9yr, 105 lb GSD who has never been anything but trusting, loving, and reliable with my 3 children who are 10, 7 and 2.....but it didn't just happen that way, we put TONS of training and socialization into him. As our guy ages he is less tolerant and will often just go lay in his own "room" when our 2 yr old is around so as to avoid him. We also have an 80lb mastiff/GSD x who is "training" so as of now he is not allowed unsupervised with any of our kids, because until he is not dependable why put him or our children in a situation that would be neither of their faults? I believe I've seen on here before "if you don't train them, don't blame them" Goes both ways....my kids have had to relearn as much etiquette with the new puppy since he is not at the same level as our older dog. 
That being said if you are capable and willing (not the same thing) to devote time and energy into it GSD's are great companions for kids who are respectful and loving in return.


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## WVGSD

I grew up with German Shepherds and my mother even had one or two of her German Shepherds in her day care center when she had one in the 1970s. The kids used the dogs as pillows for naps and would use their paws as CB radios during games. My Border Collie never tired of trying to herd the children as they rode their tricycles or ran around playing. Never an incident of any sort and the dogs and kids played, ate and slept at the same times. 

It was a combination of good breeding, good training, leadership and love.


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## Holmeshx2

As a general answer YES! I haven't gone through all the responses but honestly a GSD in itself is great to have around kids of all ages. Jinx was not raised with kids but they are her favorite thing in the world. At a store she will be in a perfect down/stay at the register with people coming in and out of the door walking past her and she wont break however a kid comes in the door and she sits up and the tail starts going crazy.


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## Emoore

Kids aren't really the best choice for people with a German Shepherd. I'd recommend a 2nd German Shepherd instead.


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## Germanshepherdlova

Speaking for my GSD he does great around my children but that is because they have been taught how to behave around a dog. I don't know how he would do around kids abusing him such as yanking his tail or stepping on him. I think another way of asking this question would be, do you think your child knows how to behave around a GSD? Or any dog for that matter.


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## LaRen616

Emoore said:


> Kids aren't really the best choice for people with a German Shepherd. I'd recommend a 2nd German Shepherd instead.


:laugh:

I agree!


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## Josie/Zeus

I got Koda at 5 months old, he has not been around children before and yet... look at these pictures, his first 2 hours in our home.


































Our son is taught to always pet gently, don't pull the dog's tail/poke his eye, etc he's learning early. 

These pics are my favorites of my two boys, they are so cute together! :wub::wub:


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## Discoetheque

Depends on the dog, the child and the parents, but with all the conditions being ideal (the dog being sound of temperament and the parents being vigilant in teaching the dog and the child to respect one another as well as never leaving them unattended), I would by all means recommend a German Shepherd as a companion for children of any age.

My sister used to babysit out of our home for a period a little over a year ago. This thirteen-month old child would come to our house and stay anywhere from eight to ten hours in a day to a week and a half at a time. At this time, Discoe was about eleven months old. The introductory period was gradual and full of reward and as a result (I think it certainly helped that the baby picked up on the idea of 'treating' the dog and would throw her peas from her high chair), she came to love this little girl. When the baby was learning to walk, she would sometimes use Discoe to brace if she started to lose balance. If I was in my room and Discoe was laying on the floor, she would crawl in and sit with the dog and just pet her leg for as long as she would lay there. And when Discoe decided she had had enough of the baby, she would simply get up and leave the room.

They certainly were a pair.


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## LARHAGE

codmaster said:


> Are you folks kidding?, or maybe some don't trust their kids or their GSD.
> 
> Assuming that the GSD is a "normal" dog with a normal temperament, why in the world would one not be good with kids?
> 
> All of the ones that we have had in 40 years of GSD's that we got as puppies were GREAT with our son and his friends. Now maybe that was because we got lucky or maybe we raised both kid and dogs properly.
> Our dogs and bitches came from all sources - BYB, American top show lines and German import top Sch lines. I would trust all of them around any kids and also around puppies.In fact, I am sure that our dogs would probably classify little kids and puppies in the same class - something to protect and also to put up with.
> 
> Now, did we have rules for the son intersacting with the dog? - of course, we taught him to be kind to the dog.
> 
> BTW, I am curious as to how old some of you folks that don't think kids should be alone with dogs - "how old should a child be before you would leave them alone with the dog"? The only limit I would have is if the child is small enough so the dog might accidentally step on or bump the child. But I would and did trust our son to take care of the dog and treat him nicely and the same thing for our dog to treat our son nicely! Wouldn't have a dog that we wouldn't trust with our son!


 

I agree, heck, I don't recall a time in my life as a kid that we didn't have a German Shepherd , and in fact my parents back then would leave us alone watching TV to run to the store BECAUSE we had a German Shepherd watching us, I can recall once being sick and home from school, I was about 12 and heard someone in the kitchen, I was alone with the great Baron, one of the best Shepherds we ever had, I thought it was my parents home for lunch and when I walked in the kitchen,baron behind me, saw a man standing and staring at me, I froze in fear and after what seemed like eternity, Baron launched himself at the man who scrambled and literally ran out and jumped through a plate glass window, Baron after him. I know there is no other breed of dog I would rather rasie kids with than a German Shepherd!!!


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## NewbieShepherdGirl

I think it depends more on the dog than the breed. I think Sasha would have been exceptional with kids if she had been raised with them. She's very curious about them, and is fairly receptive to their attention. However, I would say she tolerates them more than she likes them, simply because they make her a little nervous. Would I worry about her if I had a baby tomorrow? Absalutely not. There's not a mean bone in her body. She would much rather leave a situation than fight her way out. Would she be the kind of dog that wanted a kid to waller all over her? Probably not. She doesn't really appreciate that from anyone though. She's very gentle with them, and very patient, but I think she's be perfectly happy if I never brought one home.

Funny story though. I brought her over to my friend's house and she got to meet her two boys who were 2 1/2 and maybe 6-8months old? I was little nervous about how she'd handle the boys (I wasn't worried she'd bite, but I was worried she'd get overwhelmed) so I made sure and got her really worn out before hand. She was a champ! The baby started screaming because he was hungry and Sasha just acted like she hears babies screaming all the time. The baby at one point grabbed at Sasha's fur and pulled a little clump out (I know, I should have never let that happen as it could have gone differently) and Sasha just licked the top of his little head and have him a slobber Mohawk lol! She does seem to like babies more than little kids (5-12) for some reason. I have a sneaking suspicion that it's because babies always smell like food lol! The girl knows her people when she sees them.


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## SARAHSMITH

When my German Shepherd was a puppy I would have had to watch carefully around young children as he bit a lot and it really did hurt. My daughter who is 9 used to get upset because he would chase and bite her and they more she ran the more excited he got. Even at her age the beginning part was difficult in that respect. 
Once he got a bit older though, he is a sweetheart. He is used to being hugged and perhaps overly loved, which in a way is good because young kids tugging and hugging don't upset him.


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## msvette2u

The only reason I'd recommend against a GSD for a family with small kids is if the GSD was a puppy and going through the biting phase. People tend to have real short tempers with GSD puppies in the biting phase and kids shriek and scream, inciting the puppies to bite harder, it seems. 
If people could control that, I'd be all for it, but often folks want to bring puppies back or give them up short weeks into this phase.
For them I'd recommend an older dog past the biting phase and one used to kids...and also for the people to monitor kids closely so they don't torment the dog, I hate hearing stories of "my kids sit on, ride, and pull the dogs' ears all the time and the dog is fine"...I just shudder and hope they continue to be "fine"


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## codmaster

IMO, properly raised and with a standard temperament - there is no finer breed with children than a GSD. Male or female makes no difference as we have had both with our young children.

Any GSD who is not good and very tolerant with young children (barring any good reason) has a temperament problem.

Our 4yo 95lb male GSD will actually lay down when meeting little toddlers (and he does it with little puppies as well as i think he places little toddlers and little puppies in the same group!)


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## Emoore

I don't know... as somebody who doesn't much like children, I tend to resent the implication that all dogs have to like children and there's something intrinsically wrong with them if they don't. Some people don't like dogs and some people don't like cats. Maybe dogs are the same way? Maybe some don't like kids like others don't like water or fetching.


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## msvette2u

There are many things that can go wrong with that ("properly raised"). 
First you're assuming people would properly raise a puppy - what about those who don't realize resource guarding should be worked, on and baby/toddler gets too close to dog as it's chewing a rawhide, and boom, kid gets bitten?
That's just for starters. I'm sure you could think of plenty of ways how people may not "properly raise" a puppy. Add in a couple of kids (maybe not "properly raised" either) and you've got a recipe for disaster.


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## Daisy&Lucky's Mom

There is another thread right now Jimmy and my kid. Kind of answers the question.I think it depends on the individual dog and the child. My one cousin had a Rottie ,actually her sons .Zeus was very gentle w/ grandkids although he had a spot he liked to set in in front of the TV and so did her grandson they used to scoot over and push the other one w/ their butt to mget the exact spot,Gotta love it. Just asthere are humans who arent good w/ kids ,their are dogs. Von Stephanwitz believed GSD's should love and tolerate children well.


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## BR870

Emoore said:


> I don't know... as somebody who doesn't much like children, I tend to resent the implication that all dogs have to like children and there's something intrinsically wrong with them if they don't. Some people don't like dogs and some people don't like cats. Maybe dogs are the same way? Maybe some don't like kids like others don't like water or fetching.


They don't have to "like" children, but a dog should be clear headed enough to realize that a child is no real threat, and thus should not demonstrate any hostility. There's nothing wrong with being aloof with children, but if the dog reacts to them with hostility, fear, or treats them as prey something is wrong IMO.


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## Chicagocanine

I would say it depends on the owner(s) and how engaged they will be with the dog. IMO if it's just that they want a dog to lay around the house or a "pet for the kids" I would not suggest a German Shepherd. If they want a dog for themselves and can provide the attention, training and exercise needed than I say go for it.
ETA: Bianca loves kids and her previous owners had kids including a young baby who she did great with.


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## codmaster

Josie/Zeus said:


> I got Koda at 5 months old, he has not been around children before and yet... look at these pictures, his first 2 hours in our home.
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Too Cute!

just how a GSD should act with a child! 

Beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## BR870

These two are best buds... Partners in crime too


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## Ava

I agree with most that GSDs are great with kids. Exceptions of course, but as a rule great kid dogs. I had them as a kid and have 4 kids now. But there is merit in the quote below.



msvette2u said:


> The only reason I'd recommend against a GSD for a family with small kids is if the GSD was a puppy and going through the biting phase. People tend to have real short tempers with GSD puppies in the biting phase and kids shriek and scream, inciting the puppies to bite harder, it seems.


I met a guy last weekend with an 11 week old pup and three kids under 7. He was complaining about the lil landshark making his kids cry. By his attitude I could tell he wasn't open to advice but I told him about this forum and encouraged him to check it out. He said "That's okay, I'm getting my advice from a police k9 trainer.". Not to pass judgement, but I suspect this pup might be getting smacked around just for being a pup which will lead to bigger problems. 

This guy probably should not have gotten a GSD. I hope I'm wrong.


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## Warrior09

I would rather trust a GSD than a **** 5lbs Chihuahua. Those are the one you have to worry about biting. I have one and he is so hateful that no1 can get around him not even children. I punish him for doing that but apparently every1 with a small dog acts like that. I also agree on the child(s) being the reason that dogs get annoyed with them. Pulling tails and slapping a dog isn't fun. Us humans dont like to be hit on and neither does dogs in general.


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## Germanshepherdlova

Warrior09 said:


> I would rather trust a GSD than a **** 5lbs Chihuahua. Those are the one you have to worry about biting. I have one and he is so hateful that no1 can get around him not even children. I punish him for doing that but apparently every1 with a small dog acts like that. I also agree on the child(s) being the reason that dogs get annoyed with them. Pulling tails and slapping a dog isn't fun. Us humans dont like to be hit on and neither does dogs in general.


I agree with this. When I was a little girl my grandfather had a Chihuahua that was always on his lap, one day I went to give my grandpa a hug and the jealous little fool bit me. I have never liked those little dogs much since then.


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## Warrior09

Germanshepherdlova said:


> I agree with this. When I was a little girl my grandfather had a Chihuahua that was always on his lap, one day I went to give my grandpa a hug and the jealous little fool bit me. I have never liked those little dogs much since then.


Well really its my mother's dog, I'm the one who picked it out though which i shouldn't but she wasnted a tiny house dog. Yeah my mom allows dogs in the house but small ones; nothing like my dad  lol too bad i dont live with her.


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## MookiesMom

We had our Mookie first and when he was almost 1 year old, I became pregnant with our son. Of course, everyone at work had to put their 2 cents in: "Mookie's too big, he'll be too difficult to handle", etc. One even suggested getting rid of him! I took it with a grain of salt and, luckily, I was right.

From the moment we brought our son home, Mookie was so protective of him. He would actually nudge me when it was feeding time. The true test came when my son was about 1 1/2. Mookie was eating in the kitchen, my son walked towards his dish and tried to look in it. I went to grab my son when, all of a sudden, Mookie backed away! I couldn't believe it. Still, I taught my son to never bother a dog when it's eating; he was never rough with Mookie, either. 

To this day (Mookie's now 13), they're still the best of friends and I would definitely trust a GSD over a small dog. 

--Liz


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## Tiffseagles

I think it depends on the owner/family.


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## codmaster

Our first GSD was almost 2.5 yo when we had our son. Some folks scared the heck out of my wife about the dog "being jealous" and having to really watch her all the time and never leaving them alone together. HAH!

Princess adopted kenny as soon as he was old enough to be on the floor with her. She let him crawl all over her and wouldn't move while he was in the process of crawling over her. We have pics of him grabbing her by the tounge before we rescued her! 

A normal well tempered GSD is ideal for a child - no matter what age! 

Yes you should teach the child to respect the dog and not abuse them BUT the dog should not react with ANY violence toward the child either! And a good one will not!


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## Gracie's My Girl

I think that a GSD can be the perfect dog for a family with all ages of kids. However, I would hesitate to get a GSD when I have small kids. The dog we are raising right now is extremely mouthy and can play bite pretty violently. I have all kinds of scars because of it. I would hate for my young child's leg to get caught in a rough puppy's mouth. I understand that there are owners who are able to raise a puppy and a small child at the same time and do it perfectly. However, I would rather wait to add a GSD to the family until the kids were older.


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## dazedtrucker

codmaster said:


> IMO, properly raised and with a standard temperament - there is no finer breed with children than a GSD. Male or female makes no difference as we have had both with our young children.
> 
> Any GSD who is not good and very tolerant with young children (barring any good reason) has a temperament problem.


I totally agree! I have had GSDs around all 5 of my kids since they were born. I can honestly say we have NEVER had a problem (and my 1st GSD was from a backyard breeder). Our GSD has always been a huge asset to the family in many, many ways. My dogs have been best friends, comforters, protectors, pillows....the list is endless. A properly raised GSD is THE BEST dog with kids, hands down.


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## vicky2200

Absolutely! As long as the owner is a good dog owner. If not, I wouldn't put kids around any of their dogs.


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## LoveEcho

I'm pretty sure Echo prefers children over adults... they usually have food on their hands...very tasty to lick. Time and time again my rowdy, clumsy, no-idea-how-big-he-is puppy would surprise me with how gentle, slow, cautious he'd be around very small children. He follows my friend's two year old around like her shadow. When he was about 7 months we took him on the ferry and he was absolutely petrified, cowering and shaking. I turned around to a guy kneeling next to him with his infant son RIGHT in his face, telling him to "pet the doggie", without even asking me...the baby was petting him a little roughly. I almost had a heart attack, wondering how my anxious, stressed dog was going to react to being poked in the eye before I even got a chance to say "WTF??" to the owner. He just sat there and licked the kid's face. I think GSD's just know...


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## bunchoberrys

Yup. I think they do well together.:wub:


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## Lakl

I have four children and have owned various breeds of dogs, mostly mixed, but I've found my GSD's to be some of the most trustworthy dogs I've owned around children. BUT, I also believe that with any breed, it depends on what is taught to the kids regarding how they handle dogs. My children have been around dogs all their lives, so they know what they can and can't do. They know that the dogs are NOT a toy, but a member of our family, and while I know I can 100% trust my dogs with my children, I do not 100% trust them with other children, simply because I don't know how those kids were raised around animals, and whether or not they know their boundaries. Children you don't know can be unpredictable, and therefore bring about unpredictable situations with dogs.

I have a 5 lb chi and a couple years ago, the DH had her outside with the kids. Their friends came over and a 9 yr old girl thought it would be a good idea to throw her up into the air and not catch her, letting her hit the cement driveway. I heard the scream from the kitchen and came bolting out, but the DH would not tell me what happened until after the girl left. He knows I do not play behind my dogs. Fortunately, she was okay, but if I had been out there, someone's child would have felt my wrath...


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## LoveEcho

bunchoberrys said:


> Yup. I think they do well together.:wub:


holy crap, cute overload


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## codmaster

Vprice1030 said:


> I'm pretty sure Echo prefers children over adults... they usually have food on their hands...very tasty to lick. Time and time again my rowdy, clumsy, no-idea-how-big-he-is puppy would surprise me with how gentle, slow, cautious he'd be around very small children. He follows my friend's two year old around like her shadow. When he was about 7 months we took him on the ferry and he was absolutely petrified, cowering and shaking. I turned around to a guy kneeling next to him with his infant son RIGHT in his face, telling him to "pet the doggie", without even asking me...the baby was petting him a little roughly. I almost had a heart attack, wondering how my anxious, stressed dog was going to react to being poked in the eye before I even got a chance to say "WTF??" to the owner. He just sat there and licked the kid's face. *I think GSD's just know*...


 
The good ones certainly do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## katieliz

just wanted to say that a properly bred and raised german shepherd dog is just plain and simple the BEST DOG EVER. the best. nothing else even comes close (imho, of course).


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## degsdmom2011

My almost 7 year old son is scared of our 3 year old Shepherd, mostly because of his size(dog's, not son's), and the fact that he(dog) is VERY hyper, likes to jump on everybody and every THING that comes near him. He is not neutered, and my neighbor says that would help, but I have also been told it would not. We do plan to get it done asap(we adopted him a year ago), just have been able to come up with the $ . My 11.5 year old daughter is ok with him as she's big enough and tough enough to tell him "Buddy, DOWN" and he actually listens. William(almost 7) is small for his age and not foreceful sounding enough(i guess). 
I sure hope this changes as they both age, as I LOVE having dogs(got my first when I was 8) and I'd really love for them to bond. 
Melissa and Buddy in Dover, DE


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## degsdmom2011

Btw, Buddy is 100% outside dog unless there is snow or lightning/thunder outside, but we do spend lots of time with him. My son is fine walking him with me as long as he can walk to my side or behind me. 

Any suggestions on how to help with this? 
Melissa


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## codmaster

degsdmom2011 said:


> Btw, Buddy is 100% outside dog unless there is snow or lightning/thunder outside, but we do spend lots of time with him. My son is fine walking him with me as long as he can walk to my side or behind me.
> 
> Any suggestions on how to help with this?
> Melissa


Training would really help! Suggest that you talk with a qualified trainer.


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## Syaoransbear

I think german shepherds are great for children of all ages, but I'm not sure how great young children are for german shepherds. Some of those kids do things that HURT!


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## sparra

Syaoransbear said:


> I think german shepherds are great for children of all ages, but I'm not sure how great young children are for german shepherds. Some of those kids do things that HURT!


Well that is where boundaries come in (which is a foreign word to a lot of kids) My 3year old is wonderful with ALL animals not just our dogs but he has had to learn this....it is a great lesson in life for children.....how to respect and care for animals.
As for other kids, our dogs are always put away when other kids are over...always. It is not that i don't trust the dogs...I don't trust other peoples kids. I will never put them in a situation where they could "fail".
Also what our dogs tolerate from our son...they may not tolerate from an unknown child so best if they are just kept safe (the dogs that is) locked away.


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## 4TheDawgies

onyx'girl said:


> If the dog is of good genetics and is in a household that does right by the breed, they are the best!
> Its sad though that many of them are bred by BYB's and placed with people who have no clue on training, socializing etc.
> Then they dump them at a shelter after the cute puppy stage wears off(or sooner) or are put in a kennel out back and the dog gets reactive due to lack of nurturing.
> That is where the breed reputation has come from.


I really really could not have said it better! 

I don't have kids but I feel comfortable knowing my dogs have been well socialized enough to be great nanny dogs for my children.


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## High Impact

After owning a GSD for almost two years with children I can say that I trust the GSD more than I did our 6 lb cockapoo. We were very frustrated raising a very high drive GSD puppy but the whole family learned how to respect and control the dog. Now 18 months later we have the most obedient, trustworthy, kind, protective and loyal dog ever. Zoot is around little children often, she loves them and wants to meet and play with them all. We couldn't imagine the family without her.


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## CookieTN

Sure, if the owner has done their research and is going to be a responsible owner!

My brother and I grew up with Cookie (now passed away). I was 8 years old when I met her. She never bit me, excepting play bites, which I eventually learned that I needed to discourage. I used to love playing with her. She did jump on me, mostly when I got her leash out from what I can remember. Eventually learned to discourage that, too. (No one else did.)
My brother was a toddler at the time. He used to hit Cookie when he was angry (which he got in trouble for), but the only time I can recall Cookie coming close to hurting him was when she jumped over his head to get to the door. Her hind legs hit him and he started crying.

I trained Cookie myself. I was 9 or 10 when I began trying to teach her tricks (with no experience or real knowledge on the matter), and I was actually able to make some progress. I taught her to shake hands.
Either around that time or a couple of years later I started reading about dog training and learned of more effective methods. Wasn't perfect, but when I was 13 I managed to teach Cookie to catch a Frisbee and clear approx. 1' jumps. My dad was impressed, he had thought Cookie was too old to be trained. (Of course dogs can be trained at any age, but we didn't really know that until later.)
When I was 14 I worked on Cookie's dog-aggression. I was no professional, and still am not. It wasn't the best or most educated way to go about it (took her out and socialized her, then gave her heck for showing dog-aggression), but we actually did make some progress over time. Enough to go from her turning around and snarling in another dog's face to more peaceful measures. She was never fond of other dogs, and seemed to feel like she had to be the dominant one.
I also tried to get her to pass the CGC test that year, but she failed the third test. (I don't think she would have passed the walking on the loose leash while passing another leashed dog had we gotten that far, to be honest.)
(In later years I got more interests and didn't spend as much time with Cookie. She still wanted to be whereever I was.)

So yes, I think GSDs are good with children!


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## CookieTN

My dad used to tell me that I have "a way with dogs" and other people would act like I was some sort of expert, but I really think it was Cookie's willingness to please and patience that made my unskilled attempts at training what they were.

(I always make a crapton of edits to my posts to threads like that, and I ran out of time to add this onto the last one.)


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## Gwenhwyfair

I voted yes as IMO given a healthy stable dog with proper adult monitoring around the kids it should be safe. I have to handle chihuahua's that are more dangerous to small children then an awful lot of GSDs that I run into.





Akk578 said:


> I was just wondering how people thought of GSD's being kid/family dogs? Do you feel the breed is a trustworthy breed to be around children? I have a male GSD and I have three children 5 yrs, 3 yrs, and 2 yrs an I have had poeple say to me before that my dog was a poor choice because GSD are not good to be around children. Yet mine loves them to death so I was wonderind what others thought to this subject.


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## Gwenhwyfair

I perused all the responses and read many have commented about Chihuahuas too!

Though I will say one client, who has a very nicely trained Czech GSD also has a very nicely trained Chihuahua. They both are a pleasure to be around.

and...one more add..... Max v. Stephanitz in an excerpt from his comments regarding the virtues of Horand:

_"Never idle, always on the go; well-disposed to harmless people, but no cringer, mad on children and always ---in love."_

I have observed, with my two Sheperds, they literally melt and get all wiggly and lovey around children.

IMO it's part of the _well bred_ German Shepherd to be this way, as in all the wonderful pics posted here.


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## Pepper311

I have a half GSD mix, pit bull, and Pom chi mix. All living with a crazy 3 year old girl. I tell people I have a pit and a baby. I get some looks for sure. My pit and Pom never where aroud kids till we had one. My daughter has been around dogs since before she was born. My dogs are good with my daughter. The old pit knows to leave the room when Zoe is running around. The Pom let's Zoe hug him and pet him. The GSD is the best with her but the 2 are growing up together. They play great together. 

The key is never leave a dog and child under 4 alone together too long. My daughter is still learning she is testing me and the dogs at this age. I don't want her testing the dogs when I'm not around. 

You have to train both your dog and your kid. Too many people think you need to train your dog to take the beating a kids dishes out. But you need to train your kid to respect dogs. My daughter is 3 Yr and I am teaching her how to read dogs. She helps me train them and she feeds the dogs with me. 

It's not about the breed it's about the parents and how they are with the dogs and kid.


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## WendyDsMom

I grew up with GSD's all my life - since my 3rd Birthday and my Godfather gave me his 'retired' working dog. I always had at least 1 GSD growing up - at one point we had 8 (Shea, her 5 pups, Sergeant, Dime). Sergeant and Dime were "adopted" from a shelter and we had them for 4 months until we took them to the family farm to work with my Uncles.

My kids had a black lab (leftover from my 1st marriage) and I personally have owned and fostered 5 GSD's since the Divorce in 2002.

If you ask my kids what type of dog they will want when they grow up - they don't pause and say "A German Shepherd."

GSD's are wonderful with children - my last Shepherd as a kid was Woophe - and he would babysit my nieces with such attention and care that no human could compete with! 

My GSD's have contributed significantly to the development of my kids - Kayla allowed them to have such incredible freedom while hiking, rock climbing and exploring while providing them the necessary protection I couldn't provide as vulnerable female! They would run off into the woods - I would give Kayla her "Watch-them" command and she was off after them in full alert. 

I hope Wendy is half as attentive as Kayla was, I always told Kayla she stressed too much.


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## Kayos and Havoc

My son was raised with GSD's and they are perfect dogs for kids.


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## MamaTank

We have fostered many different breeds and mixes (Great Pyrenees, Bernese Mtn. Dog, Chihuahua, American Staffordshire Terrier, American Pit Bull Terrier, Doberman-- to name a few) but Caesar is our first WGSD. My kids grew up learning to be respectful of dogs. My 6 year old daughter is capable of issuing commands and handling either of our dogs on a leash. My 4 year old son is still learning, but capable of issuing commands and helping with grooming and such. Our APBT is still young (11 months) and we had to work past her puppy behaviours, but my children are experienced enough with dogs of all energy levels, that they were able to handle it. Honestly, I will say that I would rather have my kids around Pit Bulls and GSD's then any other breeds. (Provided, of course, that the dogs in question are well behaved and trained)


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## EJQ

Generally speaking I would say that they are one of the best breeds around children. As with any dog, breeding, temperament, training and socialization are the key. I have never, never had a GSD that was not good with kids.

You should see my two TDI girls with five or six pre-k kids playing with them. I can't tell who likes the attention more, the kids or the girls!!!


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## caninecrazy

As someone with two little dogs and two bigger dogs and a two year old I can honestly say I trust the big dogs way more with my child. My smallest dog is also my oldest and my first dog that I got when I moved out on my own at 18. He is now 10 and was always spoiled rotten. He tolerated me getting a second dog when he was 5 and a third dog when he was 6 but when I had my daughter it seemed like a bond between us broke. He still has not bonded with her and is distant from me and since the day my daughter could reach and touch him he has growled at her and wants no parts of her now. Luckily he listens well enough that when I call his name he walks away from her and he is missing most of his teeth now but he was always snippy with kids to begin with and I just always paid close attention when children were around. Now my next smallest is outgoing but she will get testy with my daughter as well, if she feels like my daughter will step on her or hurt her in anyway she gets "the look" of fear and she too knows when I call her name she has to go to her bed. My shep mix I also had before having a child and since she was a new addition right before I got pregnant I exposed her to kids to get a feel for her toleration, she adores kids and without any traning needed she automatically sits to greet them and gives this gentle ears back expression to let them know they can pet her and kisses ensue. Now I have my GSD and even though she is a puppy next to other dogs visiting, kids are her top favorite and she is growing up with my daughter so I am hoping for an exceptional bond between the two. 
As a sidenote I take my daugther to tons of rescue and other pet related events with me and she tends to flock to bigger dogs and hides behind me with smaller dogs, then again each time we are out we are told more than half the small dogs are not kid friendly. I love my small guys and I understand their fear of being hurt by a child but given a choice between who I trust more it is the Shep's hands down.


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## BGSD

GSDs are big, powerful dogs. I think they can make excellent family pets; however, proper care, training, and the appropriate genetic background must be considered first.

I speak from experience to some degree. I have a GSD, my first dog. My GSD has inconsistent aggression issues. He's now 1 year old, and if I had children, I would not allow small or young children around him without supervision.

My point is, try to get a dog with a good nerve and provide good training in order to avoid possible aggression issues.

Other than that, GSDs make wonderful family pets.


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## codmaster

All of ours have been great with kids, even little crawling ones! As is our current unaltered 4yo male and we haven't had a child in the house in many years.

Any normal temperamented GSD should be great with little kids.


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