re: German Shepherds as Pets (with cats, small dogs, and kids)

With all of these talks of insurance rates going through the roof, you might want to call your insurance agent and see how much your insurance will go up with a German Shepard.

I doubt that it will increase that much. The board's favorite "dog of peace" is probably much different.

ETA: I dated a girl right after college who had a German Shepard. She was afraid to invite me back to her house because she said her German Shepard was fairly aggressive with men. I assured her that I got along with all dogs. As soon as I walked in her house, the dog came and jumped on me (in a friendly manner) and I was her (the dog's) new best friend. We got along great -- which greatly surprised the girl. The only issue I had was that the dog would never let us close the door to the girlfriend's bedroom. She'd scratch at the door and cry until we let her in. Then, she (the dog) would just look at us with almost a sinister vibe. It was clear that she (the dog) did not like my being in bed with the girlfriend.