Thinking about buying a German Shepherd..thoughts?

[seguidordejesus]

We're thinking about buying a German Shepherd/Husky mix. We live in a large apartment with all tile, plenty of sunlight, and lots of room to run around outside on a leash. We have a 2.5 yr old daughter. The weather here runs 60-80 degrees Fahrenheit year round, so there wouldn't be a significant time when we couldn't walk the dog.

Input, anyone?

[ManOfWord]

My favorite breed! Purebred Shepherd though. Huskies are pretty high strung, so personally, I'd shy away from them. The mix might be OK though. I've had a few shepherds. Smart, well behaved, good with children, great watch dogs. Just remember, big dog, big "pile." LOL

I love shepherds. I've also had a St. Bernard as well........slobbery!! Great to play with though!

[seguidordejesus]

Originally Posted by ManOfWord

My favorite breed! Purebred Shepherd though. Huskies are pretty high strung, so personally, I'd shy away from them. The mix might be OK though. I've had a few shepherds. Smart, well behaved, good with children, great watch dogs. Just remember, big dog, big "pile." LOL

I love shepherds. I've also had a St. Bernard as well........slobbery!! Great to play with though!

Thanks for the input. For what it's worth, the dog is 3/4 Shepherd and 1/4 Husky.

[revrandy]

Unless your will to spend a LOT of TIME with the dog I wouldn't...they need much time and training....

[ManOfWord]

Hmmmmmm.....always wondered how they measure that!

I used to be a Lab Tech for OSU Lab Animal Dept. many years ago and worked with a number of different breeds. Huskies were more prone (maybe not a lot) to be unpredictable than shepherds. I really do think Huskies can be great family dogs and it may be more a matter of preference than anything. I've just always personally liked shepherds. I like a dog who can put his front paws on my shoulders and look me in the face! LOL Not hard for me since I'm short......but not Epley short!

[tstew]

I can speak to the Shepherd part. Personally, I think they are the best dog when it comes to the mixture of temperament and protective qualities. Is this a very little puppy or an older dog? That is something to consider, particularly with the age of your child.

And here are a few gratuitous shots of ours

[Timmy]

Originally Posted by tstew

I can speak to the Shepherd part. Personally, I think they are the best dog when it comes to the mixture of temperament and protective qualities. Is this a very little puppy or an older dog? That is something to consider, particularly with the age of your child.

And here are a few gratuitous shots of ours

. . .

Gorgeous!

[seguidordejesus]

Originally Posted by tstew

I can speak to the Shepherd part. Personally, I think they are the best dog when it comes to the mixture of temperament and protective qualities. Is this a very little puppy or an older dog? That is something to consider, particularly with the age of your child.

And here are a few gratuitous shots of ours

It's a puppy right now, just a few weeks old.

[MissBrattified]

Originally Posted by seguidordejesus

It's a puppy right now, just a few weeks old.

That's perfect, then!

I love German Shepherds--they are beautiful dogs, and have such wonderful personalities, and they're SOOOOOO smart.

You do need to plan on lots of regular exercise--big dogs need lots of activity, and like someone else said--they also produce bigger piles of poop to pick up.

Don't skimp on the playtime/exercise. They not only need it just for their health, but if they are cooped up in a small space too much, they can become irritable and may behave badly. It's a great way to spend time together as a family, anyway. When the dog goes out to play or walk, so should the kids (and parents).

[tstew]

Originally Posted by seguidordejesus

It's a puppy right now, just a few weeks old.

I would think that that should be fine. Our dog was about a year and a half when we had our baby. They do fine together although we still do not leave her with unsupervised access to him.