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Expert: - 1/24/2010


Question
hello. im in the market for a female german shepard dog. but we a planning on having kids in the next couple years. Is it a bad idea to get a dog now? or Should we wait until after we have a child to get a dog?

Answer
Haven't you seen Marley & Me? All kidding aside, this is hardly an answer for me to give!
Personally, I would get the dog first, kids later. That way the dog is acclimated to you, and will welcome any new family members. Shepherd's are generally good with kids, but Labs are better as are golden retrievers. Much gentler dogs.

Shepherd's tend to be too protective and are known to bite strangers a bit easily. That means strange kids around your house too as the kids get older and have their friends over.

Not all of them mind, you, but on the whole they are very protective. Labs are protective too but also really great with all kids.

Just a thought. If you have your heart set on a Shepherd, then by all means get one. But get one now, have her well trained and she will be a great dog for your family.

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Jana Connell RVT, CVT

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

Organizations
Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

Education/Credentials
Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

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