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Golden Retrievers are typically great with kids, and realistically all a dog needs to do is bark to chase away most would-be criminals anyway.
Regardless of the breed, if you buy from a breeder it's critical that you get a written health guarantee and ask lots of questions about the health history of the parents. Do your research and find out what types of congenital issues are common with each breed, and find a breeder who is screening his breeding stock to eliminate these issues.
Purebred dogs these days are in general a genetic mess, and there are few things more heartbreaking than having to have a one, two, or three year old dog - a young, beloved family member - put down because of some chronic condition that is the result of our current polluted canine gene pool.
The little I know of German Shepherds is that many of them are affected by hip dysplasia. If you go with one, I would closely question the breeder about the health of past offspring of the sire and dam.
I grew up with two golden retrievers. The first one we got as a puppy, lived to be about 12 or 13, the second one we got used, he is now about 11. They are exceedingly gentle with young kids, but YMMV as far as watchdogs. They would certainly bark (the first one barked a fair amount, the second one rarely barks) but as far as being an intimidating watchdog, not so much. A friend of mine has a boxer that follows her upstairs as she puts the babies to bed, and then lies down outside their room. I wouldn't get a GSP unless I did a lot of pheasant hunting and nothing else. They just seem to be neurotic in my experience with them.
The German Shepherd is the only dog on the list I would consider, and the one I have the most experience with. They are not cheap for a good dog bred by a reputable breeder. Expect to pay $1500-3000 for a puppy with no training. There are a lot of differences between working line(think police or military k9), European and American Show line GSD's. They can all make great pets. DM me if you want more info.
The little I know of German Shepherds is that many of them are affected by hip dysplasia. If you go with one, I would closely question the breeder about the health of past offspring of the sire and dam.
Any reputable GSD breeder will REQUIRE you to have OFA x-rays done at 2yrs of age. Sometimes for the elbows as well as hips.
I'm going to guess that no matter what breed is chosen, the likelihood of finding a reputable local breeder with a puppy available right when you want it is going to be slim. In other words, be prepared to travel.
I have owned several breeds of dogs over the years. Without question I would strongly recommend a properly bred GSD (German Shepherd). That being said, good breeders are hard to come by. You may want to check out Leerberg.com as there are a lot of professionals on that site (plus more good training info than anywhere I've been). All breeds have health issues of one sort or another. You have to perform your due diligence. A good breeder will track this and should be forthright in discussing it with you. A common misconception with Shepherds is that are the most susceptible dog for hip dysplasia. While common, many other dogs (Goldens included) have a much higher rate. As previously noted, good breeders will have OFA records not only of the parents but much farther back. There is a huge difference between American lines and German working lines. The German dogs can be much "harder" and higher energy-they need a job. However, in my opinion they are genetically superior (I've had both). When you talk to a breeder about your needs, they can work with you to pick out the proper puppy with a suitable temperament.
My last purchase took many, many months but I was not willing to settle for a substandard dog. My current dog (solid black, working line GSD) is 8 and still has the energy of a puppy-0 health issues.
I have owned several breeds of dogs over the years. Without question I would strongly recommend a properly bred GSD (German Shepherd). That being said, good breeders are hard to come by. You may want to check out Leerberg.com as there are a lot of professionals on that site (plus more good training info than anywhere I've been). All breeds have health issues of one sort or another. You have to perform your due diligence. A good breeder will track this and should be forthright in discussing it with you. A common misconception with Shepherds is that are the most susceptible dog for hip dysplasia. While common, many other dogs (Goldens included) have a much higher rate. As previously noted, good breeders will have OFA records not only of the parents but much farther back. There is a huge difference between American lines and German working lines. The German dogs can be much "harder" and higher energy-they need a job. However, in my opinion they are genetically superior (I've had both). When you talk to a breeder about your needs, they can work with you to pick out the proper puppy with a suitable temperament.
My last purchase took many, many months but I was not willing to settle for a substandard dog. My current dog (solid black, working line GSD) is 8 and still has the energy of a puppy-0 health issues.
By the way, these dogs do shed quite a bit!!!!!
I agree. I'll add that I don't really recommend American lines because most of the GSD traits have been bred out of them. Working lines can be a handful for a novice owner, but either will require extensive training. They learn quick if you're firm but fair.
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