Mom of 3 Children Seeks German Shepherd Breeder Recommendations

[Anonymous]

If you are a first time dog owner, do not get a German shepherd. Get a lab or golden retriever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have a GSD and our kids are 5 and 3. He is absolutely fantastic. He is so patient with the kids (they climb all over him, snuggle with him, play with him) and has the best temperament. We have had SO many people over the last 10 years tell us he is the best dog they've ever met. My Dh also travels for work so I feel better having our dog home with me and the kids. We adopted him- check your local shelters and set up some visits! There's many wonderful dogs looking for homes.

Please please please don't let your kids climb on the dog. I'm glad it's gone okay so far, but one day if your dog wakes up with stiff hips (age, weather, degeneration) or isn't feeling good, or didn't sleep well and is crabby for whatever reason, that puts everyone at huge risk of the dog reacting to pain and snapping. It's exceedingly dangerous.

It's also just not kind to the dog. You want to teach your kids that the dog is allowed to approach them, or they can encourage the dog to come to them, but they should never ever force the dog to accept attention. Think of it as asking for the animal's consent.

--trainer

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love dogs and don't like disparaging a breed, but look into GSD's guarding tendencies. That might feel like a plus for you as they are great protectors. That said, with young kids and likely playdates and friends over in the future, things can go downhill. My sister always had GSD dogs. They were the absolute best until one day I went in a room unaccompanied by my sister's immediate family and the dog got very very aggressive, despite knowing me well. The dog was beyond sweet with its family, but a wildcard with others entering the family space.

Agree in general, but also think this is dog-specific. One nice thing about adopting is you usually get to do home visits or a trial period and get to know the dog a bit vs being handed a tiny puppy that was bred. What PP describes has also been my experience with herding breeds- shelties, collies, australian shepherds, etc. They can instinctually try to herd little kids which doesn't end well.

Like you said, this is all dog-specific behavior. If you find a well-bred pup with parents of proven temperament (meaning, you've met and interacted with the sire/dam and see their health testing/titles, which they absolutely should have), then you're more able to ensure the dog is socialized/exposed to all different types of people/situations/sounds before they're about 6 months of age. THIS is key to preventing disasters with new kids/situations. Even golden retrievers will exhibit aggressive/frightened behaviors if they're improperly socialized/trained.

[Anonymous]

I agree that this is not the best breed for a first time owner. They are great dogs if you know what you’re doing, but they are high maintenance. You most certainly cannot feed low quality foods as they are prone to digestive issues, hip/joint dysplasia and need to maintain a healthy coat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you are a first time dog owner, do not get a German shepherd. Get a lab or golden retriever.

No, I disagree. OP should get the type of dog that she wants. If she did get a Lab or Retriever, then what is she supposed to do, wait years for it to die before she gets something that she wanted in the first place?

[Anonymous]

OP, I had a German Shepherd growing up and I have a German Shepherd now, so I’ve had a German Shepherd for 20 years of my life! We raised our first dog from 8 weeks and I was a little kid and given primary responsibility for him.

I do not recommend a GSD for a first time dog owner for several reasons:

1. They are very intelligent, but very stubborn dogs and this can make training for a first time owner difficult.

2. These are very large, strong, stubborn dogs. Hence they need an absolute ton of exercise to be healthy and happy and well behaved. This doesn’t quite fit for most busy families. They need to be properly socialized and trained as puppies by someone who knows what they are doing. You can’t wing it or you are going to end up with a large, frightening dog with resource guarding or reactivity or other behavior problems. German Shepherds are the second most common dog to bite people after pit bulls because people get more dog than they can handle.

3. They need space and quiet to be at their best. We have a quarter of an acre and my husband gives our dog tons of exercise but he is happiest at my moms house because she has a few fenced acres where he can just wander around in peace and quiet. He dislikes our busy suburb and having so many other dogs and people around, because he’s not trained as a working police dog or something with a job to do. He’s just a frustrated pet, and it makes sense because these dogs were bred to herd sheep in a wide open field. They need a job or peace and quiet.

4. They tend to have behavior issues anyway. This is the flip side of being so intelligent. Our dog hates other dogs, particularly small dogs. He is large and intimidating so we basically can’t take him anywhere.

[Anonymous]

OP, fwiw, we have a mix that is mostly GSD, so sharing our experience:

He takes his job alerting us to anyone/thing outside on our property VERY seriously. But that amounts to barking until we acknowledge the alert. He is completely fine interacting with humans, including strangers and our kids and their friends. He's the most neurotic dog I've ever owned, though, honestly afraid of his own shadow.

That said, PP is correct about digestive problems, and the shedding is insane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I had a German Shepherd growing up and I have a German Shepherd now, so I’ve had a German Shepherd for 20 years of my life! We raised our first dog from 8 weeks and I was a little kid and given primary responsibility for him.

I do not recommend a GSD for a first time dog owner for several reasons:

1. They are very intelligent, but very stubborn dogs and this can make training for a first time owner difficult.

2. These are very large, strong, stubborn dogs. Hence they need an absolute ton of exercise to be healthy and happy and well behaved. This doesn’t quite fit for most busy families. They need to be properly socialized and trained as puppies by someone who knows what they are doing. You can’t wing it or you are going to end up with a large, frightening dog with resource guarding or reactivity or other behavior problems. German Shepherds are the second most common dog to bite people after pit bulls because people get more dog than they can handle.

3. They need space and quiet to be at their best. We have a quarter of an acre and my husband gives our dog tons of exercise but he is happiest at my moms house because she has a few fenced acres where he can just wander around in peace and quiet. He dislikes our busy suburb and having so many other dogs and people around, because he’s not trained as a working police dog or something with a job to do. He’s just a frustrated pet, and it makes sense because these dogs were bred to herd sheep in a wide open field. They need a job or peace and quiet.

4. They tend to have behavior issues anyway. This is the flip side of being so intelligent. Our dog hates other dogs, particularly small dogs. He is large and intimidating so we basically can’t take him anywhere.

+1

GSD owner and I largely agree with this. Ours does love walks and other outdoor activities however. Is very well trained to not bark or react to other dogs when on leash during a walk…however- she cannot be around other dogs off leash or unsupervised (especially small dogs). Has not ever harmed one or anything but I don’t fully trust her. Her play style with other dogs is far too rough and she wants to chase small dogs.

She is extremely sweet and wonderful with the family (us and DCs). Totally fantastic, couldn’t ask for better. Is well socialized, very neutral/aloof with all strangers outside the house. However- she doesn’t love having guests at the house, and- after a greeting- we usually put her away when any other children are over. Which is kind of a pain. She has not ever shown aggression to anyone but guests make her nervous- & many people find her intimidating and are likewise nervous around her.

And the shedding is next level.

OP, I would really rethink. A lot of GSDs have issues with prey drive and/or other dogs, and can be territorial about their home turf. An excellent (and $$$$) trainer is pretty much a requirement, and helps tremendously but the breed is what it is. They work well for certain lifestyles but for many busy families would really not be a good fit.

[Anonymous]

I have 3 kids (albeit younger) and I will also add on that having a puppy with 3 kids is NO JOKE. We had a dog (who we got as a puppy) before we had kids and thought it would be fine doing it again. NOPE! It is exhausting and like having another baby who doesn't grow up, who can tear apart a couch with their teeth if you aren't watching them and who needs a ton of exercise. Our puppy is now 1 years old and takes more of my time and energy than my kids right now. I walk her 3 times a day, go to the dog park once a day for 30-60 minutes, and try and do mental games/training with her. It is constant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A friend had to have her German Shepherd shot off a family member. I will never feel safe with them. It was a sweet dog that had a brain tumor.

Blaming a whole breed for a dog that had a brain tumor is idiotic.

[Anonymous]

There are several good GSD rescues in the area. Because this is your first dog, I would recommend starting there with a young-adult dog. They are generally fostered, so you will have lots of information about how they do with dogs, cats, children, etc.

I used to volunteer with VGSR many years ago. Used to do home visits and help match dogs with adopters. Plenty of people live successfully with German Shepherds and children.

[Anonymous]

They are adorable loyal pets, but they bark a lot and bite (strangers). Our neighbor’s gs bit attacked our golden retriever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a GSD and our kids are 5 and 3. He is absolutely fantastic. He is so patient with the kids (they climb all over him, snuggle with him, play with him) and has the best temperament. We have had SO many people over the last 10 years tell us he is the best dog they've ever met. My Dh also travels for work so I feel better having our dog home with me and the kids. We adopted him- check your local shelters and set up some visits! There's many wonderful dogs looking for homes.

Please please please don't let your kids climb on the dog. I'm glad it's gone okay so far, but one day if your dog wakes up with stiff hips (age, weather, degeneration) or isn't feeling good, or didn't sleep well and is crabby for whatever reason, that puts everyone at huge risk of the dog reacting to pain and snapping. It's exceedingly dangerous.

It's also just not kind to the dog. You want to teach your kids that the dog is allowed to approach them, or they can encourage the dog to come to them, but they should never ever force the dog to accept attention. Think of it as asking for the animal's consent.

--trainer

+1, my brother did this with our exceedingly gentle golden when he was 3, she got startled/excited and jumped up, he fell onto a brick fireplace and broke his arm in three places.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have a GSD and our kids are 5 and 3. He is absolutely fantastic. He is so patient with the kids (they climb all over him, snuggle with him, play with him) and has the best temperament. We have had SO many people over the last 10 years tell us he is the best dog they've ever met. My Dh also travels for work so I feel better having our dog home with me and the kids. We adopted him- check your local shelters and set up some visits! There's many wonderful dogs looking for homes.

Well you are very lucky.

This is not always the case for that breed.

They can also turn on a dime around age 5 -7.

I have had many of them need need major training period.

Not a good breed for someone who has never owned a dog.

[Anonymous]

OP here.

I appreciate all the concern and advice here, I do. As a lawyer who makes a living from seeing good intentions go sideways and cause harm, I have a lower-than-usual risk tolerance. I am not going into this lightly. I have done a lot of research already and there is still a very long runway before the moment I bring a puppy home.

With that said, I would really appreciate GS breeder recommendations in the DMV area, or a state that's a few hours away, driving distance. Specific recommendations, complete with contact information would be most welcome. Thank you.