Quote: randy allen

No, no dig at you Betty. I knew damn well you didn't have any dogs of that discription.
Just playing while we hear back from the op.

 Quote: Jared Burns

I really respect all of your opinions seeing that you guys have a lot more knowledge of dogs than I do. What breeds would you recommend as a beginner dog? just curious to the different answers.

2-3 year old lab/lab mix from a reputable rescue would be my first suggestion. Standard poodles can also be really good family dogs, but they are a bit more upkeep in the grooming department. If a smaller dog would work for you then Shih-Tzu's can be nice little dogs.

If you've still got your heart set on a GSD, check out a rescue group for a young adult so you know the energy level and how the dog is good with kids. My family had a GSD mix (possibly lab??) when I was growing up and she was an awesome dog for my family.

Of course, the best dog is probably a good GSD. I'm not sure that's the best " first"
dog for everyone.
We had English Setters in our family. Easy dog, gentle, steady, mild but not wimpy.
Like a golden retriever w/o the ball obsession. Loves a good jog, but it's not a daily imperative.

A GSD is as good a first dog as any breed I'd say. It's really what you do with the dog that counts, you'll either make a mess of the situation or not. Forget about rescues for a first dog, most of them are all screwed up for whatever reason, temperament, abuse etc. Get a puppy.

 Quote: Al Curbow

Forget about rescues for a first dog, most of them are all screwed up for whatever reason, temperament, abuse etc.

We must have a supply of pretty darn good second hand dogs here then. Of the dozen or so rescue/stray dogs that have been adopted by friends/family in the last 15 or so years, one has some moderate SA issues. The rest are pretty bomb proof/fool proof dogs.

I think if you have a good idea of what you're looking for, your odds of getting a nice dog through rescue are pretty high.

I used to think breed really mattered for temperament and drive, then my ex boyfriend (the dog trainer) took on a gorgeous male yellow lab with way more drive and aggression than my dog.
His drive was very different type of drive, but it was drive nonetheless.

The dog ended up being my real boyfriend, he was so much fun to work with! The human relationship didn't work out.

I would still steal that dog if I could.

My pup is not DDR, but she is from some pretty serious Czech and West German lineage. Grim and Chico are the prominent sires in her pedigree. I'm not gonna lie, she is a lot of work and has been full of surprises and challenges ( I have had pepperitis many days!) But she is awesome and I wouldn't trade her fo anything.

So I would agree to get the DDR idea out of your mind as an absolute, but I would not be quick to put the idea of a good GSD out of the mix.

Don't know about rescues/pounds having only screwed up dogs. My shepherd popped out of the woods, skin and bones, on one of my runs four years ago. After searching for her owners, I kept her. She is the perfect family dog.

Will bark alert but is no nuisance barker. Great with kids and gentle. Very people oriented. Fun, retrieves, very athletic. Really wants to please. Not a resource guarder.

Of course, from the looks of her she is American lines, but doesn't have the weird back end angulation. Given she's running 100 plus miles a week these days, I'd say she's quite well built.

So, no, don't discount rescues. There are some great breed specific (german shepherd only) rescues around. If you do want a jogging partner, though, get x-rays or chose a dog with a known breeding background to try to avoid hip/elbow issues.

The vast majority of dogs are dumped/abandoned because of the owners problems NOT the dog's.

In general, unless you are looking for a dog for a very specific job that requires a certain temperment or physical build a dog from a rescue or pound is a great choice. As with ANY dog, choose wisely.

Great post Kiersten and I just wanted to add that rescues often have puppies.

I tend to think that surviving time in a shelter is pure Darwinism at work. Only the strongest and most stable temperaments make it out alive. Stress and it's related problems and disease cull the weaker, unstable dogs. Since the op's children are so young I'd look for an adult dog that has been tested and found good with kids rather than gamble on a puppy.
Rescues that house dogs in foster homes know their personalities really well.

Edited by Meredith Hamilton (02/18/2011 11:24 PM)
Edit reason: add

The rescue I have been fostering with has 2 litters of puppies. Sometimes rescues come with a bonus and a lot of extra work.