# Getting a puppy when you have a toddler



## marwin (Jan 6, 2015)

Hello experienced GSD owners! I am looking for advice on introducing a new puppy to my family which includes one young child, currently 11 months. I realise it is not ideal, it was not the plan, but I'd love to hear from people who have done it! Tragically, we had to let our beloved GSD go after she developed spinal stenosis. She was wonderful with our daughter and it's hard to imagine another dog ever filling the void she has left behind in our family but even harder to imagine life without a dog for the foreseeable future. We have a flexible lifestyle perfectly suited to a GSD and are leaning towards taking on the challenge of a new puppy. Preferably a GSD although a berger blanc suisse is also up for discussion. Experiences? Advice? Thank you!


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

I brought Sabi home with a 3 year old and a 6 year old step daughter that I had part time. I worked and went to classes. It worked for me, but is probably not recommended.
I would say it depends on you, your lifestyle and your commitment. 
I just treated the dog like another child and it worked. Not going to say it was ideal but neither do I recall it being a disaster. I do recall that I was tired, but I don't know that the puppy was to blame. I think if you want to do it, all will work out. I think if you are pressured into it maybe not. 
Of course I didn't want Sabi and I still did fine.
Most people would say wait if you have an option.


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## cloudpump (Oct 20, 2015)

marwin said:


> Hello experienced GSD owners! I am looking for advice on introducing a new puppy to my family which includes one young child, currently 11 months. I realise it is not ideal, it was not the plan, but I'd love to hear from people who have done it! Tragically, we had to let our beloved GSD go after she developed spinal stenosis. She was wonderful with our daughter and it's hard to imagine another dog ever filling the void she has left behind in our family but even harder to imagine life without a dog for the foreseeable future. We have a flexible lifestyle perfectly suited to a GSD and are leaning towards taking on the challenge of a new puppy. Preferably a GSD although a berger blanc suisse is also up for discussion. Experiences? Advice? Thank you!


I'm on my second puppy with a 3 year old. My first was when my daughter was 1. I kept them separate, utilizing a baby gate. I did this until my puppy was about 6 months. And I only did it when he was worn out. I'd work obedience, and then my daughter came out. Now, he's fine with her. 
My current puppy has twice the motor. So, she's not allowed with my daughter without strict supervision.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

It worked for me at the time because dogs and training were my passion and outlet for the busy life as a family mom. If you expect to have a new loving dog for your daughter you will probably pull your hair out in a week when you star with a pup. Think twice because raising a GSD pup to a good trustworthy family dog takes a lot of work and at least 2 years before it all starts to pay off. But when it does, it is awesomely major!


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

It’s entirely up to you. As long as you and your family realize the work, time , patience to spare involved and it’s not an impulsive decsion but a well thought out one.


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## Apex1 (May 19, 2017)

It is a lot of work i imagine. My youngest is 5 id prefer he had been like 7. My kids and the pup had to be separated for a long while.


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## Joys (Nov 6, 2017)

I haven’t had young kids with a GSD puppy. Apparently it works out fine for most people. It would never, not in a million years, have worked out with my landshark. 

My puppy has a high prey/fight drive ( without the nerves to back it up). 
Something falling, crying, floundering around like prey would excite her. 

Make sure the puppy you choose has a stable temperament.


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## sebrench (Dec 2, 2014)

Hi...well, I am crazy enough to have two GSDs and two small humans, a 2-year-old and a 6-month-old. 

Dog# 1 was around a year old when we had the first baby. Dog #2 came home when the baby was around 8-months-old. We had baby#2 around a year later. I'm passionate about dogs, I love training, and I know what to expect, which is probably why it works for us. 

Every family has to do some soul-searching to determine if they truly have the time and energy to commit to both kids and puppy. If you think that you do, here are some things that have been helpful in our situation. 

1. A good breeder. Don't increase the odds of getting a neurotic or unhealthy dog. Start out on the right foot by going to a knowledgeable breeder or rescue facility. This is even more important, I think, when there are little ones in the family. (Even good breeders can produce a dog with health or temperament problems, I am sure, but the odds are more in your favor if you go to someone reputable).

2. Invest in training. Hire a trainer experienced in GSDs, or take obedience classes with your puppy. I wouldn't just take one basic puppy class and then quit. I strongly suggest taking classes for the puppy's first year or even two.

3. Have an exercise plan for the dog. A fenced in yard is ideal. We have several acres and a large fenced-in field, which is one of the things that make it possible for us to have two young kids and dogs. 

4. Doggie-gates and crates are your friends. Keep kids and dogs seperate if they get too amped up. 

5. Expect mouthiness. GSD pups are notorious landsharks. Landsharks and toddlers don't mix (see #4). The good news is that with training, structure, boundaries, re-direction, GSDs grow out of their mouthiness, usually by the time teething ends.

Our GSDs have been wonderful with the kids. My two-year-old cackles with joy when the dogs nose him awake in the morning. Even my 6-month-old smiles and laughs when the dogs come close enough for him to touch . Keeping everyone happy is definitely a lot of work and not for the faint of heart. I would not think less of you, if you decided to wait several years until your three-year-old starts kindergarten. 

Keep us updated! I hope you find the perfect puppy for your family, if that is what you decide to do.

[Edit to add: I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your current GSD. That's the hardest thing about sharing our lives with dogs. They are never with us long enough.]


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## marwin (Jan 6, 2015)

Thanks for all your useful replies! I have some more specific questions for you since you seem to have lived through the type of situation I'm wondering about. Several of you mention sectioning off the house with gates, what other rules do you have for puppy and toddlers interaction? Should they be trained to ignore each other or interact only in certain settings or with permissions...? Also would love advice on what to look for in a puppy for this type of situation. We will go for a working breed not a show breed as where I live the show breeds have been destroyed by irresponsible breeding practices. Thanks again!


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## sebrench (Dec 2, 2014)

marwin said:


> Several of you mention sectioning off the house with gates, what other rules do you have for puppy and toddlers interaction? Should they be trained to ignore each other or interact only in certain settings or with permissions...?


I'm sure others will have a more structured answer for you. I'm not a trainer, handler, or breeder, just a long-time dog owner who has a family and a job.

I spent a lot of time on obedience/training so that I could give the dogs direction around the children. "Leave it" is a very useful command. I do not leave the kids and the dogs alone together. I do not let the toddler pester the dogs, and when there are interactions, I am there to guide them (toddler doesn't entirely know how to be gentle yet. Most of the rules are for him, haha). Actually, after an initial greeting, kids and dogs are pretty good about ignoring each other. 

As far as interactions: I take the kids and the dogs on lots of walks. Kids in stroller or baby carrier, dog well-controlled on the leash. Or I play with them all in the yard. Dog chases his toys. The toddler plays in the grass. My kids love to watch and be near the dogs, but I would describe their involvement at this point as minimal. The dogs are incorporated into our daily lives, but I don't encourage the kids and dogs to be playmates. I would use a stern "leave it" to discourage a pup from any chase games with the kids, tugging on clothing, ect. I usually put the dogs away at meal times, as my toddler thinks it's hilarious to throw food to them.



marwin said:


> Also would love advice on what to look for in a puppy for this type of situation. We will go for a working breed not a show breed as where I live the show breeds have been destroyed by irresponsible breeding practices. Thanks again!


 I think the best thing you can do is to go to a good breeder, describe your situation, and what you're looking for in a dog, and let them choose the most appropriate puppy for you. Most reputable breeders do not let you pick the pup anyway. Know the going rate for GSDs in your area so you don't get taken advantage of, but don't bargain hunt. Go to a professional breeder who knows what they are doing, who works or titles their dogs, or does something that shows that their dogs are trainable and have stable temperaments. Ask lots of questions. Meet the mother of the puppies, if possible. Father may not always be on premises, but ask questions about him. There are lots of threads on this site about picking a good breeder that you can search for. 

Unless you want to participate in a dog sport, I would ask the breeder for a puppy with low prey drive (to possibly minimize its desire to chase/bite at your toddler). A good working line breeder will match you with a suitable puppy. Hopefully, they will also tell you if their dogs will likely not be a good fit for you. My first GSD was from working lines. He was wonderful with cats, kittens, bunnies, birds, parrots, our little sheltie and Pomeranian, and my dog savvy 8-year-old niece. I think he would have adored kids, if I had them at the time. I do not think he would have been good with non-confident, non-dog savvy friends my kids might have brought home. 

I'm not trying to convince you to get a show line, because I love working line GSDs. The show lines, unfortunately, have their issues. But I do want to say that I believe there are stable, non-extreme show line breeders out there. I think my current WGSL may be the most stable dog I have ever had, including other breeds. He still has some spunk and drive, and acts like a GSD. I don't believe he has extreme conformation. He's 3 years old, so still young, but so far he hasn't had any health problems that I'm aware of.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

marwin said:


> Thanks for all your useful replies! I have some more specific questions for you since you seem to have lived through the type of situation I'm wondering about. Several of you mention sectioning off the house with gates, what other rules do you have for puppy and toddlers interaction? Should they be trained to ignore each other or interact only in certain settings or with permissions...? Also would love advice on what to look for in a puppy for this type of situation. We will go for a working breed not a show breed as where I live the show breeds have been destroyed by irresponsible breeding practices. Thanks again!


The GSD pup that worked for us was a mellow personality, working lines though. I guess we were oblivious and lucky at the same time. Never went through the landshark stage. My current dog(s) would not have been ideal with toddlers. I am not sure how fluent you are in reading body language in dogs but here are a few pointers. Toddlers consider the dogs part of the clan so they will interact if possible: looking straight into the pup's eyes, hug the pup, trip over the pup, take each other's toys, which all can be an invitation for biting since this is how most GSD puppies, esp. the WLs, like to communicate. Also the emergency "Leave It" will not be solid in the young pups so calling them off a toddler is quite useless. Forget the ideal commercial ads about pups and babies/toddlers. I visited families where the kids' only safe spot was the couch where the puppy couldn't reach them. But that was only for a few weeks. So if you are into the working lines I would ask a good breeder if he may have retired adults or can recommend one. Carefully check references, have the dog evaluated by a 3rd party, so you don't end up with the situation from a previous poster who was deceived and had to give up her dog. Take your time, it will be worth it.
If you do decide on a pup, be prepared to do a lot of separating and managing (also in the first weeks of getting an adult though) the two species with crates, gates and leashes. I personally would not have had the time to do this with a strong working line pup in the time when we had toddlers.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

Yeah I’m probably wasting my time but a wise idea find some reputable showline breeders in your area and take a look. Don’t read things on the internet to form a decsion - make that decsion on your own-it could prevent you from finding your dream dog. Whatever line stress to your breeder what you need and not want. These golden retriever type gsds that are mature and adult gsds either are a myth or occur randomly in all lines. I will say the level of seriousness , aggression, protective instincts , herding instincts , confidence, bideability have different ranges in all pups of every line.


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## sebrench (Dec 2, 2014)

If I could, I'd post, or send you, some videos of my dogs and toddler so you could see how they interact. I don't particularly want to post them on youtube--not that I even know how to do that. 

As I stated before, I have a WGSL. My other dog is a white shepherd, which I think I should mention, as looking back I see that you are interested in berger blanc suisse. Temperament wise I think a BBS is going to be somewhat different than a typical working line GSD. My white shepherd is a little more sensitive and softer than I prefer. But he was less mouthy as a puppy than my WGSL, and he has less prey drive. He's very biddable and intelligent, picks up on training fast, and he's very sweet. For him, a stern verbal correction works in most situations. He has a naughty side (he jumps my fence, if I'm not outside with him, grrr). But, overall, I have been very pleased with him. There may be more poor breeders of white shepherds than good ones, so be wary of where you get one. I would be more concerned about buying a BYB white shepherd than I would be buying a showline puppy from a breeder who titles and/or works their dogs. My white shepherd at 1.5 years has also been healthy thus far. Perhaps, Cowboysgirl will read this post and chime in, as I believe she has a white shepherd that she is pleased with.


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## GandalfTheShepherd (May 1, 2017)

We have a berger blanc suisse, lord knows I have no idea genetically what the difference is between that and a regular colored german shepherd (someone else here probably does) but he is a GREAT family dog. I have never met a dog that loves kids more than him, his face just lights up and he loves to give them kisses. He especially adores my 4 year old nephew and follows him everywhere bringing him toys. Apparently all of the dogs from this breeder have that sort of personality so maybe there is something to it. He is a gentle giant, never has hurt any living animal although he does like to chase animals sometimes (but gets along great with our cat). He is very smart and has been overall easy to train. He doesn't require a ridiculous amount of exercise I feel like either, I can walk him twice a day an hour each and he settles down nicely in the house or throw the ball a couple times. He is very sensitive and tuned into his people, when I'm sad he will snuggle up close and lay his head on my lap. Might be a great fit for kids! Look out for health problems though, our guy was sick when we brought him home as a puppy so at least have some savings or a good pet insurance. I have had several vets tell me the white shepherds are more prone to medical problems and several trainers ask me "what sort of neurotic behavior does your white shepherd have?" He is obsessed with mulch. Also if you are a clean freak be prepared to be shocked at the amount of dirt your dog is actually bringing in. When I had sables the mud blended in with their coat so it never bothered me, with a white dog I am constantly cleaning his dirty paws because I can see it. But he sure is cute! I don't have kids so sorry can't give you any advice there.


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## cloudpump (Oct 20, 2015)

I teach my dogs that I'm funner than my daughter. .y male will interact with her, but will come when I say something. He will ignore her to be with me.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

My showlines great family dogs.


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## sebrench (Dec 2, 2014)

I found a short clip of Asher and his boy from last week, and I even figured out how to upload it. It's a pretty typical interaction. Please ignore or mute the cringe-worthy narration.


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## marwin (Jan 6, 2015)

Overwhelmed by all your wonderful responses, thank you so much! I have started the hunt for a good breeder, give me a shout if you happen to know of one in Norway or Sweden (yes I know not exactly capital of the world). I keep hearing how lovely family dogs berger blanc suisse are while still being very similar to the GSD so I think the choice will come down to what I find the better breeder of.


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## GandalfTheShepherd (May 1, 2017)

marwin said:


> Overwhelmed by all your wonderful responses, thank you so much! I have started the hunt for a good breeder, give me a shout if you happen to know of one in Norway or Sweden (yes I know not exactly capital of the world). I keep hearing how lovely family dogs berger blanc suisse are while still being very similar to the GSD so I think the choice will come down to what I find the better breeder of.



There is a lady from Sweden I believe who has a young Swiss shepherd that looks like it's great with kids and has a good temperament. The dog has its own facebook account called Nero White Swiss Shepherd , maybe she can tell you where her dog is from







.


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## CometDog (Aug 22, 2017)

I have 3 kids, 11, 9, and 6. The 9 and 6 year old are both significantly disabled. The 6 year has severe global delay, and Cerebral Palsy (mild). He is non verbal but communicative. He makes strange noises constantly and kind of walks with a weird gait. My 9 year old son has Autism, is very intelligent and somewhat verbal...but has HELLA OMG SOMEBODY HELP US level hyperactivity. 

I have always had dogs around them. Starting with a Jack Russell ( who I use to think was an example of hyper activity. God laughed and gave me my son lol). Then I had a Boxer mix, an English Mastiff, a GSD rescue puppy 3 months old. Now I have a Staffie and a Czech GSD pup, 6 months old with a banging pedigree.

Expect to encounter and correct- puppies and toddlers acting like fractious littermates, toddler not being able to walk by without puppy trying to initiate play by nipping and jumping, footie pajamas being used as a tug toy while still on child, licking faces and nipping with puppy teeth in the process, kids needing to learn to play properly with puppies and dogs..you need to stay on them to make sure they are not poking eyes and pulling tails.

Also keep in mind and expect, that with a well bred dog GSD from a reputable breeder, with vigilance and work from the whole family (which is fun, gratifying, and brings the family closer) you will get a faithful companion and best friend for your child. Your child will learn more from caring for the dog than the dog will learn from you. There is nothing like a good dog for teaching a child about unconditional love, faithfulness, and always looking forward to the next best thing no matter how bad the day was. 

100% vigilance is key. Don't feel bad about crating while you can't be there to supervise and parent and train. The easy habits to break are the ones that don't become habits. And you will screw up, you will turn your back for a minute, and something will come crashing down or someone will have tears because play got too rough. Be prepared to educate and train through it.

Keep in mind you are not just training your dog to be good with kids. You will be training your kid to be good with dogs. 

Keep in mind just when you think you have training licked 5 months in...they will go through regressions and adolescent brat stages. Just like your child will in the teen years.Actually, these days it starts at age 10 lol

I think every kid should have a dog, and since I always had GSDs during my own childhood, I think every kid should have a GSD 

Good luck in your adventure!


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## Heartandsoul (Jan 5, 2012)

Jumping in to touch on an important thought. First, no doubt stable GSDs make wonderful family dogs. Those vids and pics prove it. 

When you narrow down the breeder(s) you are considering, ask if they can refer you to one or two of their previous buyers whose lifestyle and family structure matches yours as a reference preferably someone who has a dog from the same breeding if possible then ask that buyer how their pup/dog behaves with other (stranger to the dog) children especially when child and friends get rambunctious during play.

We waited until our kids were young adults before getting our boy but prior to him we did have mixed breeds. Our first dog we lucked out with. We had 3 kids and our yard and home was a magnet to their friends. The mix was perfect and remarkably stable with outside play and children romping wildly. 

Also, know your own temperament. Are you easy going and relaxed or get uptight worried with things. You don't need to answer, it's just part of the equation when considering adding a dog to the family especially since GSDs are very in tune with their humans.

I wish you luck and am sure you will find the perfect pup.


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## Your Dog Obsessed Hooman (Jan 27, 2021)

GandalfTheShepherd said:


> We have a berger blanc suisse, lord knows I have no idea genetically what the difference is between that and a regular colored german shepherd (someone else here probably does) but he is a GREAT family dog. I have never met a dog that loves kids more than him, his face just lights up and he loves to give them kisses. He especially adores my 4 year old nephew and follows him everywhere bringing him toys. Apparently all of the dogs from this breeder have that sort of personality so maybe there is something to it. He is a gentle giant, never has hurt any living animal although he does like to chase animals sometimes (but gets along great with our cat). He is very smart and has been overall easy to train. He doesn't require a ridiculous amount of exercise I feel like either, I can walk him twice a day an hour each and he settles down nicely in the house or throw the ball a couple times. He is very sensitive and tuned into his people, when I'm sad he will snuggle up close and lay his head on my lap. Might be a great fit for kids! Look out for health problems though, our guy was sick when we brought him home as a puppy so at least have some savings or a good pet insurance. I have had several vets tell me the white shepherds are more prone to medical problems and several trainers ask me "what sort of neurotic behavior does your white shepherd have?" He is obsessed with mulch. Also if you are a clean freak be prepared to be shocked at the amount of dirt your dog is actually bringing in. When I had sables the mud blended in with their coat so it never bothered me, with a white dog I am constantly cleaning his dirty paws because I can see it. But he sure is cute! I don't have kids so sorry can't give you any advice there.


A Berger Blanc Suisse (also called a White Swiss Shepherd) has minor cosmetic differences, their most prominent being their long, gorgeous white coats. Here's a good comparison picture.







(On the right there is the Berger Blanc Suisse, and the left is white GSD)


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

3 year old post but good to know. OP never did come back to report if they found a breeder ow how it went to introduce a GSD to a toddler.

We've had puppies brought in the house when we had already had babies/toddlers and we've had babies born when we already had dogs. Never an issue that I remember although certainly more work for both of us. My son and DIL gave us a grandaughter when Rogan was just 7 months old, zero issues and we never kept them apart.

Harley is interested but basically ignores her while Rogan is super interested and loves to lie below whatever she's sitting in or beside her on the floor. And she is already super interested in them and we'll make sure she knows about eyes and ears and tails and gentle as she grows.


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