Signs That Things Are Going Well
Just as there are signs that a German Shepherd should not spend time around kids, there are signs that you can look for that indicate that your dog is doing well with children and that there is no reason to worry.
- Laying calmly on the sidelines while children play
- Happily chasing balls or toys without any growling or barking
- Calmly sniffing and allowing petting without shying away
- Wagging a tail while interacting
- Ears low and back while being interacted with
Your dog should always be rewarded with love, attention, and/or treats whenever they show positive signs while interacting with children. This will encourage them to continue the behavior as time goes on and help keep safe any child who spends time with them.
Hi Everyone I Am Seriously Considering Getting A German Shepherd For My Family We Have Four Children Ranging From Age 6 To 11 Are German Shepherds Good With Kids
The general answer is yes, but it all depends on the age youre getting one, the dogs possible treatment history if its older…. the list goes on and on. This goes hand in hand with your training. And when I say your training – I mean just that. GSDs are crazy smart. Takes personal discipline and training on ourselves as owners almost as much as it does with the dog.
We got ours a 8 weeks old and my daughter was 8yrs old. Hes now 14 months and hes usually so gentle with her he almost ignores her, other than the occasional clumsy-80-pound-toddler-of-a-dog moments. She loves him to death.
I recommend spending a lot of time doing your research – anything from diverse blog posts to YouTube videos.
Good luck – I have no regrets.
Definitely! If the children are trained well and socialized properly Lol. I jest! Sort of?! GSDs can be amazing family doggos. They are intelligent so not only do they require physical exercise but mental stimulation too. This would be a great way to get the kids involved, playing games, doing puzzles. So ask yourself if you are confident in your abilities to not only train a GSD but teach your children how to interact with a dog correctly. Don’t be too sad if your doggo ditches you for the kids, they’re more fun Lol.
I have 3 kids and Ive never had any issues. I will say kids need to learn to respect the dog and their space though.
I have rules to keep everyone safe and happy –
No chasing them etc.
Are German Shepherds Good With Babies
Some may think that how German shepherds act around kids is also how they act around babies, but its actually different.
How a German shepherd acts in the presence of babies depend on how they were raised. They can be jealous. They can be protective. They may even act like theyre your babys mother.
Since infants arent that active, they are not seen as a threat by German shepherds. Either way, here are some pointers on what to do to make German shepherds good with babies.
- Get your German shepherd used to the smell of the baby. This is often done right after birth. Simply let them smell the scent through the babys towel or other objects.
- Since German shepherds are extremely loyal, they crave for attention. So instead of directing your attention to your baby alone, make sure your dog gets some of it too.
- Set some boundaries for your German shepherd. You can do this by limiting where they can go, preferably where the baby often sleep, like the crib.
If youre able to do these, you might even make a guard dog out of your German shepherd with babies, which leads us to the next topic.
Recommended Reading: Outdoor German Shepherd
The German Shepherd: Family Dog Material
You never want to assume a negative trait of a breed occurs in an individual dog, because you could miss out on the perfect pooch! Its always best to get to know the actual pup that you plan to bring home. Here are four reasons why a German Shepherd can be the best family dog:
- A German Shepherd is very intelligent, and he can be taught a number of fun tricks that will delight your children.
- A German Shepherd is loyal and will bond well with the family children if started at an early age.
- A German Shepherd has a lot of stamina and energy, making him a great playmate for active kids.
- A German Shepherd is protective of his family and will watch out for your kids, but its important to use caution with other children.
Socialize At A Young Age
Its best to start socializing GSDs when theyre puppies not only because they havent grown to their full size and weight but also because they havent formed any bad habits.
While theyre puppies, give them tons of exposure not only to young kids and babies but to all sorts of people, animals, and environments.
Recommended Reading: How To Properly Train A German Shepherd Puppy
Use Playtime To Help Bonding With Your Family
Play interactively with your dog frequently to burn energy. This also helps them to stay fit, toned, and healthy.
If youre an active family willing to devote time to your dog, then they are a perfect match!
Interactive games with your children, like fetch, help your GSD to bond withthem. But teach your child how to end the game on his or her terms to maintaincontrol over your dog.
The German Shepherd is good with kids and families who are active and enjoy fun activities with their pets! If youre looking to get a German Shepherd, then read up on how to buy a German Shepherd puppy first.
What Is Bad About The German Shepherd
As in the temperament, the main concern relating to the German Shepherds is their behavior. Sometimes when not trained adequately or an inconsistent treatment towards them may make them very aggressive.
Considering their health perspective, this breed is common to have canine hip dysplasia capable of making them disabled or leading to deaths.
Apart from canine hip dysplasia, the German Shepherds are often victimized to many other diseases such as elbow dysplasia, allergies, cleft palate, degenerative myelopathy, perianal fistulas, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, bloat, panosteitis, Von Willebrand’s disease, Wobblers Syndrome, heart and skin disease and thyroid disease.
The German Shepherds also shed their thick long overcoat heavily around the year and shed the thick undercoat twice a year.
All things considered, to find a good breed with a well-trained temperament and health is the hardest part henceforth.
Also Check: Average Weight For A Female German Shepherd
Why German Shepherds Make A Great Family Pet
German Shepherds, also known as GSDs, are highly intelligent and are known to have been loyal protectors to families for generations. Theyre extremely high-energy dogs that make great playmates for children.
Although GSDs live up to the phrase mans best friend, theyll typically be skeptical of strangers. For many families, this is a sought-after trait when looking for a dog to protect their homes and families.
Reasons Why German Shepherd Is A Good Family Dog
German Shepherd or GSD serve as an ideal family dog. They are considered as good house dogs because of their calm nature and caring temperament. Here are top 10 reasons why you should choose GSD as your family dog:
1- German Shepherd is an intelligent dog breed The largest percentage of police dogs all over the world are GSDs. They are an intelligent dog breed and can easily learn what you make them do.
2- German Shepherd respect their owner and protect them They are very caring and possess a protective attitude towards their owners. If given proper training, they will love, care and respect their owners and also protect them from any foreign intruders.
3- German Shepherd is high on energy levels The energy levels of German Shepherd is high so they dont get tired so soon. Your children can play with the dog as much as they can.
4- German Shpeherd is loyal and can learn and do almost anything They are a very loyal dog breed and know how to protect and serve the family they are a part of. They can be taught to learn to do almost anything.
5- German Shepherd is one of the top guard dog breeds Having served as a police dog for decades, they know how to keep their family safe. They are one of the best guard dog breeds that are known to save their family from enemies.
Great! Now, we assume that you are convinced about adopting a GSD and make it a part of your family.
Also Check: German Shepherd Ears Stand Up Age
Is A German Shepherd Puppy A Good Fit
There are plenty of benefits to getting a German Shepherd puppy, even when you have kids. There are also potential risks. Deciding if one is right for your family can depend on a number of factors. The age of your children is one, because there can be more work involved with especially young children. It may be safer with older kids, but it is not impossible to have a German Shepherd puppy around young kids.
It ultimately all comes down to the training of your puppy. German Shepherd puppies can be easy to train, but they require a lot of time and attention. If you are willing to put in the work and spend time making your puppy child-friendly and social, it can potentially be one of the best decisions for your family. However, if you have a busy life and do not have a lot of time or energy to spend training your puppy, it might not be a good to get a puppy with children.
Ultimately, you must weigh this decision with your family and decide what is best for everyone.
German Shepherd Breed Characteristics
So, you know these dogs are clever and caring: they are also steadfast and loyal, as well as having been bred to herd since the nineteenth century, which contributes to their superior size, strength, and intellect.
Whilst all of the above traits are desirable in any family dog, they can also result in negative experiences if you fail to understand how a German Shepherds mind works from the get-go, or neglect to train them adequately.
First, lets talk about potential problems with their personality:
Don’t Miss: German Shepherd Separation Anxiety
How To Introduce A German Shepherd To A Child
With proper socialization and training, a German Shepherd can be child friendly and enjoys the company of children very much as any other breed of dog, and hence its not a bad idea to have a German Shepherd with your family.
These family pets are curious beings as mentioned before and they love learning, so training them is not hard as you may think. A successfully trained German Shepherd can be your guardian angel and loyal to have your back at all times, but do make sure that you socialize them since they can be overprotective and may harm any person whos a stranger to them as a defense to protect its family.
In order to make them acquainted with the children, both of them need to understand each other. Small kids are often unpredictable with their noises and mood swings from time to time, and it may mislead the German Shepherd into interpreting them to be a call for play. Accordingly, the counteractions may frighten the children causing long-term mental trauma though they have no such intentions to harm them.
Therere a few safety measures to be considered while petting a German Shepherd :
Teach basic commands such as sit, come, don’t jump, etc so as to use those wisely when needed especially around children.
Before introducing the dog, mimic the behavior of a child so that the dog is well aware of childrens behavior.
Educate your children of the dos and don’ts around the dog since unpredictable chaos can make them aggressive if not perfectly trained.
Kidadl Team
German Shepherds Are Protective And Loyal
German Shepherds were initially bred to be herding dogs in the late 1800s. But unlike the Border Collie and some other shepherd breeds, they also excelled at protecting the sheep from stray dogs, wolves, and other predators. Their size, strength, and stamina, combined with a strong bite force, meant that they could easily safeguard their flocks.
Although rarely used as shepherd dogs nowadays but preferred in other working roles such as police and military, their protective and loyal traits remain. German Shepherds are self-confident, brave, intelligent, and devoted and are very protective of their loved ones, including the children in the family. German Shepherds are good family dogs.
They will naturally protect kids from strangers and intruders and are the ideal guard dog. However, its essential to use caution around other children due to these strong protective instincts.
I find it fascinating that the German Shepherds herding instinct remains so strong. Some dogs will even herd kids and keep them in check such is their instinctual drive to move animals around. If your GSD possesses very strong herding instincts, youll need to channel their energy into mentally stimulating games, exercises, and training.
You can read more about the protectiveness of the GSD in this article, Are German Shepherds Protective?
Don’t Miss: Can German Shepherds Eat Tomatoes
Why They Could Be Good With Kids
I know a family that has fairly young kids and a year-old German Shepherd, and it works really well with them. There are several possible reasons for this, as German Shepherds can bring a lot to a family with kids. Also, its important to note that German Shepherds are considered puppies within the first three years of their life, which is good to remember when considering one for your family.
Some reasons a German Shepherd puppy could be good with kids are:
This all may be dependent on your families lifestyle and the age of your kids, however. German Shepherds can be great with older kids, but there are still potential risks, especially when it comes to younger kids.
Is A German Shepherd Right For Your Family
So, is a German Shepherd a good family dog? And, are German Shepherds good with kids?
Absolutely
When they are given the appropriate training, exercise, and care.
A GSD is a larger breed dog that is generally tolerant of grabs, prods, and occasional tail tugs from children in the family. Many families adopt or buy German Shepherds because they are so loyal to their families, especially kids.
While large dog, they generally enjoy their close family members and may see kids as their flock that needs protection. They need plenty of exercise and love the outdoors.
Visit Shepherd Sense to find out everything you need to know about owning and caring for your next German Shepherd.
Found this helpful? Share it!
About The Author
Also Check: At What Age Do German Shepherd Ears Stand Up
Understanding The German Shepherd And Protection
The German Shepherds are widely used to fill important jobs such as police dogs, search and rescue dogs, and military dogs. While this has a lot to do with their intelligence and eagerness to obey, their ingrained need to protect also plays a major role in choosing GSDs for these jobs.
The first German Shepherd Dogs were originally bred to protect their owners belongings, whether it was their land or their homes.
When a habit like this has been ingrained in the breed for hundreds of years, its no wonder they appear to instantly protect their owners without any specific training. Being protective is just part of who a German Shepherd is, and they carry this trait with them throughout their lives.
With the combination of a German Shepherds herding experience and their need to protect, you end up with a dog that has a deep need to protect their family.
Generally speaking, the willingness to protect their loved ones is an incredible quality for your German Shepherd to have. While this behavior is a huge reason as to why the German Shepherd has become so popular, it is a quality that needs to be fine tuned to ensure safety.
With any dog that is protective by nature, they will need to be properly raised to ensure the safety of the children in your home.
If you want a GSD that can be your childs best furry friend, just make sure to socialize them and offer obedience training from the moment they enter your home.
German Shepherds Are High Energy And Love To Play
German Shepherds are high-energy, keen, and alert. The intensity of their energy levels is second to only the Belgian Malinois among guardian breeds, especially the working line German Shepherds. They make great playmates for active children with whom theyve grown up.
Due to their strength, energy levels, rough play, and strong prey drive, its wise to be cautious when introducing an adult German Shepherd to children until theyve become familiar with them. If you already have kids, its best to get a puppy and start the socialization and training straight away.
I advise choosing a show-line German Shepherd as they have a lesser working drive and a slightly friendlier temperament than some working lines bred for border patrol, such as the Czech Shepherd.
My German Shepherd is from the show lines, but I had no intention of entering her into shows when I bought her. I chose her for her temperament, looks, and lineage, knowing that shed have more patience around children.
A German Shepherd needs at least two hours of daily exercise plus brain training and stimulation. Due to their breeding purpose, they love having a job to do and desire to please their owners, including the kids. They enjoy fun games like fetch, Frisbee, hide n seek, agility, and find it.
Learn More About GSDs and Kids In This Video
Recommended Reading: German Shepherd Part Wolf