Are German Shepards good around kids?

Actually they might be slightly aggressive, depending on their make up, but if raised with the kids they should be fine. THey're more of a "ownership" dog... to the owners they're great but to others they can get testy. Dogs pretty much can be trained to deal well with certain things and keeping them around the kids, etc. will make the dog very likely to be fine with kids. I think the only real aggressive German Shepherds are the ones that are trained to be that way.

My cousins wife breads shepherds and they have never had trouble with theirs but I have had friends that have had shepherds who where raised with the family then just attacked for no real reason. My cousin and his wife don't allow the dogs in the house and the kids are not allowed with the dogs without an adult, I think that says something. I don't trust them myself they are known for being great family dogs then turning one day. I would suggest a lab or a lab cross, they are good solid dogs and great family protectors. I have 2 and they are great with my son who came after they did.

I have two german shepard mixes. One of the two is a five year old that wa abused by a former owner. The other is a one year old that is as sweet as can be. Having said that I have three small children. Neither of my two german shepards have harmed my children. They are protective of the kids. I think your wife is correct. If you get the german shepard as a puppy it is more likely not to harm your family. The problem with the other one you first had was that someone had abused it in some way. Not all german shepards are bad.

Firstly, why would you attribute the German Shepherd part of your dog to be the cause of him attacking your fox terrier. It was a mix - having a bit of German Shepherd in him wasn't the cause of him turning on your other dog. And even if it was, that's no reason to think another dog, one with a stable temperament, would turn on your small dogs or your daughter. I wouldn't risk getting a breed like this one at a pound, though. German shepherds are prone to serious health problems and should only be purchased from a reputable breeder - one who does ALL the health checks and breeds only dogs with stable temperaments. Also, no matter what breed you get, no toddler should ever be left unsupervised with a dog. You need to teach her how to treat a dog, and you need to be sure the 2 dogs you have now are well socialized and dog friendly. Your wife is right in that a dog you raise as a puppy would be fine with your family. Provided that it's raised correctly and comes from a line of dogs with good temperaments - it's important to see both parents, but seeing the mother is a necessity.

As long as it's properly trained, they should be pretty good companions. i learned first-hand while visiting a friend's place what they're like without much training. But then again, it may depend on the dog.