The German Shepherd breed makes an excellent pet for children. Here are a few things to know before adding one to your family.
There seems to be a consensus here among dog owners who have kids. There are a lot of breeds that are usually considered to be ‘the perfect family dog’. While GSDs are not always in those lists, they definitely should be.
The German Shepherd dog’s heritage is easily recognized through the name. German Shepherds were initially bred to help farmers and shepherds with their job of herding livestock. Even though after the WW2 it became a bit tricky to refer to anything ‘german’, and the breed took several different names to conceal their ancestry – the dog became an instant hit. The German shepherd is a brave, defensive and very intelligent dog. It is also incredibly loyal and friendly. The combination of these traits makes the German Shepherd a great addition to the family, that has kids.
By: Jen Grantham
The GSD is always alert and has an eye for intruders
Due to their flock guard instincts, German shepherds are particularly protective of kids in their family and will happily warn off perceived threats. Because of this, you must introduce your pet to frequent visitors while he’s young. The postman, paperboy and neighbors will all be accepted with a wagging tail when he knows who they are.
Your German shepherd will usually grow to between 22 and 26 inches tall in the shoulders. So there’s always a danger that your favorable German shepherd will inadvertently knock over a little kid or even a full grown adult. The dog typically won’t mean any harm, but is genuinely enthusiastic to see someone and greet them!
You must always monitor interaction between dogs and kids
However friendly your dog and the kids are – you must always check them. The dog might be overly-protective and harm a kid without meaning to, so it’s always good to be alert and in control of the activities of your pet and kids.
Because of their intellect, which is typical among most herding breeds, the German Shepherds are very easy to train. You need persistence, safety assurance, and firmness to get the best out of a German Shepherd. They are a curious breed and their focus may slip if training is just too repetitive or boring. Getting kids involved with training is a superb idea, provided they’re capable of being serious about the matter of training.
Failure to be constant in training may undo a lot of good work with regards to training, because it may simply confuse your dog. Being a slow maturing breed, the German shepherd has a long puppyhood. There’ll come to a point toward the end of puppyhood when you have an almost fully grown dog, with the excitable, full of energy temperament of a pup.
It is amazing when you can preserve this temperament, and having children around will certainly help. The dog will remain super loyal, friendly, playful, but will also attain characteristics of a mature dog. This is, arguably, the perfect mix you’d want to have!
By: Jen Grantham
