Dogs and Kids and Which Dogs Love the Water and German Shepherds

If you look at which dogs are most likely to bite. The German Shepherd is top of the list - above pit bulls. I would never have one while I had small kids. The bottom of the list was the Golden retriever, they also love water, it would be the logical choice. You could also get a Portuguese water dog, if you can find one.

I'm not sure which parts of your description you don't think fits a german shepherd?

We have a 3 year-old purebred German Shepherd Dog. She is great with kids, likes to play in the water (doesn't actually swim much, but enjoys being in the water), and is fine with other dogs.

Shepherds are very smart dogs and need training and firm discipline when they are young. Ours likes to bark at other dogs, but is not aggressive, but needed a firm hand to deal with the barking. If you aren't willing to do this kind of training and discipline, you may not want to get a GSD. Maybe a lab or golden retriever, or one of these mixed with a poodle (labradoodle / golden doodle) would be a better fit.

We love our GSD because she is smart, protective, and loving. She is my running partner and my 10 year-old daughter's friend and playmate. But different breeds of dogs do fit with different families. I have friends with a lab, with a golden doodle, and with a shitzu, and a Westie (West Highland Terrier). Each breed works well for their family. Actually, the little Westie loves to swim, much more than our GSD.

We have 2 GSD's and 2 young children. they are the best dogs. extremely smart but if you don't do training and socialization early (and i mean very early for probably about the first year) they WILL outsmart you! they are great with kids, mine absolutely LOVES to swim. I'm not sure what you read that made you decide that they wouldn't be for you, but if you do not have time for training or walking them then dont get one. it's not fair to the breed. they're very smart and love to have "tasks" to do. if you don't keep their curiousity peaked, they will do other (probably bad) things to entertain themselves.

We have a one-year-old German Shepherd and she's a wonderful dog! Super sweet, great with the kids. We read a lot about breeds and this one rates highly for families with kids. Very smart and protective of kids. Ours loves to play with the kids (ages six and nine) and wake them up in the morning. She submissive pees, so she's not aggressive at all. Our vet is in love with our dog and thinks we picked a great one for a family.

Our dog hasn't been around bodies of water, but runs around in the sprinkler with our daughter when's she's playing in the water. I don't think she'd have a fear of water.

German Shepherds are very bright, so you do need training. We also use a Gentle Leader collar when walking her, which prevents the strong tugging.

The right breeder or rescue group will tell you J. what a particular GS is like personality-wise. Some are better suited to police work/protection (tend to be males) and others are family dogs.

https://www.google.com/search?q=english+cream+golden+retr...

Well, Jo is right sort of. I defy you to look at these pix and not want one.

I've had three Golden Retrievers. Only 1 of the 3 is a real water dog. However, they ALL are 100% love all the time. All love, ALL the time. Especially with kids.

I love German Shepherds too. Only reason I haven't gotten one is I love Goldens too much.

:)http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=443587048995592&am...

There's my Kate, Water Wonderdog

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=442799025741061&am...

Ok, Kate AND Luna, as long as I'm showin' off!

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=436742749680022&am...

My vote: Whomever is in charge of the dog (stay at home parent, or the WAHP while the other works outside the home, etc), chooses breed/individual... Because they will be the one dealing with them.

To know about German Shephards. They're SMART. Smart dogs are kind of a pain to train, but it works out to 1 year of you training them, and then a lifetime of them taking care of you. Goofy dogs, you spend their entire lives ON them. The bite stats on GS's are also heavily swayed by law enforcement use. Unlike pits, which are mentally deficient (trying to be kind) and bred as battle dogs and CANNOT in most cases be called off, GS's will bit on command, and then immediately release on command. Many will even stop mid leap even if it hurts them to do so. They are, as a breed, completely obedient to their partners, will stop on a dime, and are often used to 'babysit' young children (only 2 other breeds do this; Germans, Mastiffs, and wolves... Huskies will also mind children, but they do it their own way, taking their judgement ahead of yours. So not the best babysitters. Wolves also use their own judgement, but will take yours over their own, even if they think you're being stupid. LOL... And boy do they let you know they think the command is daft. BIG difference, wolves are like kids. It takes their WHOLE childhood to train them. Not J. a year, but 4. The first 2 needing constant supervision. J. like kids.).

So as far as German Shephards as babysitters:

J. as an example: you can tell a GS 'No Stairs', and they will not only not go up the stairs, but block your toddler from using the stairs, as well. They'll bodily block the stairs, bark to get your attention, and nudge/herd the toddler away from it. Taking pulled fur, blows, etc without even twitching. They are GREAT kid dogs when well trained. Similarly, they'll put up a racket / block older kids from leaving the yard, strangers, etc. they are SMART dogs.

If you don't train them, though, they come up with their own ideas about things. If they'd let a puppy do it, they cheerfully encourage small children to, and ditto, of they don't let puppies do something, they block your kids the same way. Smart dogs are Incrediably tolerant of behavior that goofier dogs freak out over (like fur, ear, tail pulling, accidental falls, etc.) of those who don't know better... But with kids they deem old enough to know better they'll no-skin-break-nip to chastise if you DON'T train them to do otherwise. Big difference, again, is that you CAN (easily) train them to react differently. No such luck with breeds that aren't as smart.

I know nada about goldens... So I'll leave them to others.

To know about labs:

There is a dwarf gene that's been bred for so much these last few decades, that many labs CAN'T swim. Their legs (where this particular dwarf gene expresses, it's not all over) are too short compared with the rest of their bodies.

There are only a handful of breeders in the country who are flouting the show convention, in trying to breed the long leg BACK. And ditto not cheap ($800 )

Labs are about 50/50 on being smart or goofy... Often in the same dog. Which makes them often challenging. Far more so than German Shepards, but far less than Huskies or wolves. It's one reason so many labs end up as 'Lawn Ornaments' :(

Golden Retrievers!! They are water dogs!

Okay so my oldest didn't believe M. so she would J. soak her feet. The second one would try to swim in a puddle.

I defy you to find anyone who doesn't fall in love with a Golden pup!

Well, I don't know of anything, really, that German Shepherds aren't good at. ;)

We love ours. They are fine with water. Ours doesn't particularly care for it, but she that is J. her personality, not the breed. She will not get in the swimming pool with us. BUT, she absolutely LOVES for US to get in, and she runs circles around whoever is in the pool so we will splash her.

GSDs are very intelligent and with the proper training can be taught J. about anything. They are very good with kids, too. Particularly if they grow up with them. Like any dog, a GSD needs to be socialized properly in order to be friendly with kids/other dogs. Ours grew up with our kids (my youngest was 3 years old when we brought the puppy home) and loves ALL children.

But, they are also strong animals. And like any dog, can be dangerous if they are not properly trained/socialized, and if your kids do not know how to behave around them (pulling their tails, hitting them, getting in their faces, etc). Generally, our dog will put up with J. about anything, and if she has had too much, will leave the area and go "hide" in our closet or her bed in our bedroom to get away from chaos she isn't enjoying. Some kids will pursue if you don't teach them to leave the dog alone. This goes for all dogs.

All that said, you must get a dog that fits your lifestyle and habits. A GSD is a working dog. So if you do not keep them physically exercised and mentally stimulated, daily, they would not be a good fit for your family. The fact that you have kids or like the water is really quite irrelevant, in my opinion. Whether you will train the dog, take it for regular daily walks/exercise, play mental games with it and otherwise meet it's needs is a bigger concern. If you do not do these things, then your dog will be miserable and that can lead to other issues.

If you don't think they are cute, J. scroll through some of this:
https://www.facebook.com/TheGSDC

Labs :)
They are the best family dog ~ my Daisy is 9 and my boys are 8 and 4 and she has been amazing with the both of them.
*most* labs love the water....my Daisy, not so much! She'll get her feet wet but doesn't get her belly wet. She also has absolutely no interest in playing fetch (ball, stick, frisbee ~ nothing.) Strangest Dog ever, but we love her so!!!

(Promise this isn't a 'push' for pitbulls, J. the first few sentences!) Too bad Reily J. does not know her facts! The info she gave on pitbulls is inaccurate. Someone who knows very little about them would say as she did, because they lack knowledge. Pitbulls used to be know as the nanny dog because they are so great with children. Unfortunately, many have been trained and in-bread to fight. It is because they are so smart and so eager to please that they are such proficient fighting dogs. I have worked with dogs for almost 20 years, and continue to advocate for the fair treatment of all breeds. ANY dog that you get will need training, and socialization which usually adds up to a year of work. If you want to skip most of that work, adopt an older dog, not a puppy. The staff at the shelter are a huge asset to you, as they know each dog and it's temperament. They will be able to help you select the right dog. You will also want to consider the activity level of the whole household. GSD need lots of activity and exercise. They are wonderful dogs and seem to fit the description you mention. Most breeds have rescue groups dedicated to the specific breed. Try googling for your area. Most rescuers will be happy to talk with you about breed temperament and requirements to help you find the right breed as well. Big plus, if you decide on a breed by speaking to them, you can also adopt from them! They are usually full to capacity with dogs so it's the same as adopting from a shelter if you want a specific breed. Good luck, and thank you for being a responsible dog owner!

We spent 5 days at my parents' cabin with four large dogs - all different breeds.
Personally, I think a lab is the best with kids and water. They are great with kids and protective, but not overly.

I would bring these characteristics with you to the SPCA and take home the dog that you fall in love with. Don't rule out a mutt with some GSD looks, for example. Anecdotally, my neighbors had a GSD when I was growing up and she was great. She learned to collect eggs from their chickens, would carry them to the house in her mouth.
I also second what DVMMOM said about "career changed" guide dogs. Guide Dogs for the Blind still uses GSDs and has some career change dogs from time to time. There is usually a waiting list- the dogs in these programs have been raised, trained, and socialized very carefully and can be amazing pets. If it has to be a pure bred GSD, I would definitely go this route.

Great job on doing your research. I am a huge Fan of the dog whisperer Cesar Millan. You can go to NatGeoWild.com and watch episodes of the show. You can learn a lot about the different breeds of dogs and how to train your dog. Goodluck!

I love labs, but....they shed like crazy!! I have always loved, and had labs, or some other kind of large dog. I never thought I would like a "small" dog. We now have a Schounoodle...a mix of Schnauzer and Poodle...she is a minature. She is completly non shedding! Poodle's are at the top of the list, as well as Schnauzer's for being the most intellagent. She has been very healthy(never had to take her to the vet for anythng other then normal shots, and well care) Ours would do ANYTHING for J. a little praise. She absolutly loves the water, and we take her camping, and J. about everywhere we go. Her name is Lady, but we tell everyone, she is no lady, becaue she loves being wet, and muddy. We also have horses, and she loves being in the barn, and is not afraid of the horses. The kids love her, and she loves to snuggle with them, and because of her size, she is a great "lap dog". If she gets wet, or dirty, I J. chuck her in her crate until she dries off, and, again, because she is small, she is very easy to bathe...the kids do it! She loves to play soccor, and chase balls. I take her to our office (my husband is an accountant, and we own our own office) with M., and the clients love to see her when they come in. I will never go back to a large dog, or one that shedds! I can give you the name of the kennel where we brought her, if you are interested.
Good luck with what ever you end up with!!