We have just been offered...

Question
We have just been offered a pure bred Black german shepherd puppy.My concern is that I have three children aged 13,9 and 3 what are they like with children? What should we look for in the puppy before we say yes? Do you have any general stats as to the nature,health etc of German shepherds and any advice on shepherds that we should know before saying yes..

Answer
Hi, German Shepherds make great kid dogs.  The only thing you would have to concern yourself with is the 3 yr old as puppies tend to be hyper and could easily knock down the 3 yr. old.  German Shepherds as a whole have fairly good health.  The biggest thing to worry about in them is hip dysplasia which can not be determined completely until they are at least 2 yrs of age.  Most shepherds tend to come down with it in old age as the hip joints start to breakdown.  A lot of the larger breeds have this problem, especially in old age.  You should start training early as they can be hyper, depending on their heritage.  If you have any more questions, feel free to let me know.  Hope this helps.

Dawn