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They are lovely dogs. I have owned one. And they seem to be in demand hunting dog around here at the moment. Definitely on the more boisterous end of the gun-dog spectrum. Beautiful dogs though, and your's looks a fine example.
German shorthair dogs are great with kids but extremely high energy so must be exercised daily for hours. I doubt that the OP has the time with 3 small children to do this.
German shorthair dogs are great with kids but extremely high energy so must be exercised daily for hours. I doubt that the OP has the time with 3 small children to do this.
I have 4 of them and they don't need hours of exercise daily. I don't know why people perpetuate that bunk. I guess it was written somewhere so it must be true.. My dogs do have a big area outside to romp, but in all reality they are calm and very well happy to be chill inside. I have many hunting friends with GSP's and they are the same. Absolutely chill inside unless you get them fired up- not unlike any other dog.
These dogs are way more chill than the pair of basenjis we had before, and a lot more relaxed then my neighbors 3 GSD's. Those dogs ripped his couch to shreds when he left them unattended.
Their favorite pastime is to relax with the kids. My son is under there somewhere....
My daughter under there too...
We've owned a lot of dogs- Basenji's, hounds, a boxer- I grew up with GSD's, minature poodle, rat terrier.. By far the best breed I've ever had are GSP's. Good in the field and great at home.
I dont know about Mastiffs but Danes are usually very sweet. Of course, this is all subject to how the dog is treated as a puppy.
Danes are very sweet, but also unaware of their size. We have one, she is about 120lbs, on the small side for a Dane. I would not have one if I had small children.
When people come over, she is initially kenneled until a lot of the "energy" of the arrival has dissipated and people are sitting down.
As others have suggested, I would do a Lab or Lab mix. We have had 2 labs. Great with everyone, but they can be destructive as puppies so be prepared to have to replace furniture and sprinklers.
We also currently have a Kelpie. She is very good with everyone and she is protective. Kelpie's are smart and need to be able to exercise their brains.
Danes are very sweet, but also unaware of their size. We have one, she is about 120lbs, on the small side for a Dane. I would not have one if I had small children.
When people come over, she is initially kenneled until a lot of the "energy" of the arrival has dissipated and people are sitting down.
As others have suggested, I would do a Lab or Lab mix. We have had 2 labs. Great with everyone, but they can be destructive as puppies so be prepared to have to replace furniture and sprinklers.
We also currently have a Kelpie. She is very good with everyone and she is protective. Kelpie's are smart and need to be able to exercise their brains.
cd : O)
My buddy has a mix breed very large dog. Roscoe. He's huge and I have no idea how much he weighs. I'd say lowball 150lbs.
My buddies 1 year old daughter plays with Roscoe. He send me the cutest video- she was dressing Roscoe. He just patiently lets her do whatever she wants. He stays by her side almost constantly.
So you’re saying it probably wouldn’t be a good idea? I’m only asking because people do you have these breeds with very small kids. And they say that they were very gentle and perfect for kiddos.
I had a Rottweiler growing up but we didn’t get it until I was in my teens just because that’s whenever we move into a home, we were living in a apartment before. What do dogs tail or gentle paw saying hello knock my toddlers over? Do you think this would be a huge deal or the dog would learn to be gentle and not bumped them over or not into them? How would the weight and strength and height of the dog compared to my daughters?
I wouldn't even consider letting a child take the leash to walk a huge dog. They are very strong. An adult would have a hard time controling it without loads of obedience training. That is how one of the near attacks on my small Westie happened.
My dog and I were a good 25ft away from this group of people walking a standard poodle/lab mix with a young child holding the leash. When it saw my dog it broke away from her, and charged my Westie who is only 12" tall. Nobody lifted a finger to stop it, I yelled no, and it still charged so I had to spray it with pepper gel to get it to stop which it did. I'm not going to let another dog attack him if I can help it. The dog wasn't trained, and the little girl wasn't strong enough to control the dog. If this happened with a Mastiff it could mean a blood bath for somebody. Very bad idea.
Also little kids have a tendancy to be grabby with animals pulling ears, hair, and whatever else they can grab. Tormenting them when the animals are sleeping/eating. Animals are not stuffed toys. Little kids also move too fast, and are unpredictable. They need training as well on how to behave around animals in general. Look up dog attacks for specific breeds. Glad you are asking the question first before getting one. Read everything you can on breed characteristics, energy levels, temperment, etc. But any dog can snap in an instant if pushed.
If you want a giant dog that is good with kids and is reasonably easy to live with why not get a Newfoundland?
Anyone who buys one should probably keep in mind that it was developed in cooler northern parts of the world, and cannot handle the heat. All that hair is good to keep them warm though. They are good swimmers, and have been trained to pull small carts. Dogs shouldn't be out in the heat of summer anyway no matter the breed, and never left in a car unless it is winter, and for short periods.
Cars get at least 20 degrees hotter than the outside temp because of the greenhouse effect. 80 outside means 100 degrees in the car even with windows open. But stupid people keep doing it anyway, and the animals suffer.
If you want a giant dog that is good with kids and is reasonably easy to live with why not get a Newfoundland?
That's my advice. You just never hear of a dog bite from a Newfie.
We've had three over the years and they were all wonderful. So gentle and sweet with the kids. Would always get between the kids and whatever they decided was trouble.
A central vac system helps with the hair.
But they are so worth it.
It is difficult for them in a hot area, but they are indoors most of the time anyway. However, they do love snow.
I would advise against the newfiepoo mixes on sale these days. Newfies are gentle, and peaceful. Poodles are not really known for that.
I
I have 4 of them and they don't need hours of exercise daily. I don't know why people perpetuate that bunk. I guess it was written somewhere so it must be true.. My dogs do have a big area outside to romp, but in all reality they are calm and very well happy to be chill inside. I have many hunting friends with GSP's and they are the same. Absolutely chill inside unless you get them fired up- not unlike any other dog.
These dogs are way more chill than the pair of basenjis we had before, and a lot more relaxed then my neighbors 3 GSD's. Those dogs ripped his couch to shreds when he left them unattended.
Their favorite pastime is to relax with the kids. My son is under there somewhere....
My daughter under there too...
We've owned a lot of dogs- Basenji's, hounds, a boxer- I grew up with GSD's, minature poodle, rat terrier.. By far the best breed I've ever had are GSP's. Good in the field and great at home.
We had these dogs growing up and it’s not a myth. They are high energy for a long time. They are great family dogs but I hate when people get a breed that is not a good match for their family and it ends up in a shelter which very often means it’s killed.
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