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

I have 2 of them

One is a female and is my dog. I got her after she was an adult. It took her a long time to trust us, probably a year, and she is very anxious at times. She now fully trusts us, and she is very protective of me and my wife around guest. She absolutely hates female dogs. She loves riding in the Jeep with the top off. We take her out a lot and sometimes she gets very anxious around crowds, we have to take her home at these times. She is great with our other dogs and protects our chickens very well. She is the head protector of the house. She is very smart and listens to me.

The other we got as a puppy from my brother. He is male, still a puppy, and is going through a wild stage right now. He worships the ground my wife walks on and won't leave her side when she is home. He is very smart and listens very well. He is very sociable, but he doesn't let anyone come towards the house unless we let them.

I have had many GS over the years. The female we have now is the first one that has been this anxious.

They are high energy dogs and need a lot of exercise. We have a lot of land for them to run on and they run a lot. We spend a lot of time with them and give them plenty of toys.

We also have a Fiest and they both play with him. He spends a lot more time on his bed than the other 2. He is a lot more laid back than either of them.

Both of my GS are great around children. The boy is sometimes a little rough because he is so playful, not because he is mean towards them.