Generally Christmas is not a good time to bring a dog into the home. In many homes there is lots of excitement and visitors, and it stresses out an already stressed dog. Instead maybe consider giving your son a leash and collar and a book like Dogs for Dummies. This also gives you time to start your search. And yes, I think it's a great idea.

I have a soft spot for German Shepherd/Collie mixes. But if you really want a purebred they are certainly as pretty and loyal. I'm not sure of the life expectancy of a GS. Seems to me it may not enjoy as long a life as other breeds and also can have hip displasia problems. You say you have both owned them in the past so you are familiar with the breed.

Thank you all! I have actually been looking at rescue dogs. The foster to adopt idea is a great one - thank you! We have had pets before, we had a Ragdoll cat who passed away in 2010. I do realize that cats generally require far less care than a dog. I also realize that I cannot possibly expect my son to be the primary caregiver and most of the responsibility will fall on me and my husband. Especially considering I am divorced and my son spends every other weekend with his father. Still a lot to think about... I will let you know what we decide! Thank you!

I am not in a rush to have the dog by Christmas. If we decide that we are going forward with this, I have no issue with giving my son a stuffed dog with the promise of finding the right one. He will be thrilled enough at the prospect! I want to make sure it's the right fit for all of us.

My advice as a non-dog owning, non-parent is to take your kid to visit those dog owning families more often and save yourself the trouble of pet ownership. :-)

My next advice is to tell him he can have dog (I like the leash & book idea above) after Xmas, and after he researches and decides what breed he wants. He might want something smaller than a GS, maybe his heart is/will be set on another breed, maybe even something bigger than a GS! He might have a mental picture of himself with a dog BFF that is not what you would pick out, so shouldn't he get to choose?

We we will require puppy pictures if you get a puppy. Forum rules!!!!!

Yes, yes, yes! Kids and dogs (and teenager boys and dogs) are a great combination. I have always had kids and dogs and not one of my 4 kids outgrew a dog. you have the experience and desire--go for it!

Sounds wonderful, especially since he seems to have a rapport with dogs. And you've owned them before. Like others have suggested, don't just pop off and get one -- a little late before Christmas -- but involve your son in the process. You may even find out he's drawn to some other dog than a German shepherd. Read up on breeds -- a Jack Russell mix for instance, may be way too high energy for your lives.

I think a dog is a wonderful thing...they are great emotional support for kids going through those tough adolescent years and they are a great way to teach responsibility. They open hearts and teach us things. If you've had dogs before then you know what to expect. I think it'd be a great idea.

Yes Yes and Yes! This will be his best Christmas ever!

My kids have learned a great deal from our having pets. Both DH's and my families are big dog advocates, too.

I will admit though that I planned getting our current dog based on expected life span and when kids were going off to college. I have been the primary caregiver of our pets from Day 1, and I want the option of being pet free once we are empty nesters. But I wouldn't trade the experiences our children have had with pets for anything.

Yes.

We are partial to german shepherds too. Our current girl came from the SPCA as a puppy. She looks very much like a purebred shepherd but I have no doubt she's a mix. I'm not sure where you're located but I somehow ended up following a FB group called "German Shepherds Needing Rescue" - the dogs seem to be primarily in California and some in the south. There are some beautiful dogs abandoned & needing saving everyday. Breaks my heart, so big kudos to you for considering a rescue. (can't resist adding a pic of my girlie)

I cannot imagine life without a dog. We tend to get rescues, our current dog (Husky Malamute mix) was rehomed with us.cp. I drive 800 mikes to get him and i'd so it again in a heartbeat, Our last two dogs were a rescue and a dog we found starving in the woods. See if you can find a German Shepard rescue organization. I agree that the dog doesn't!5 have to be under the Christmas tree Christmas morning. A collar and leash along with and a note explaining how you and your son will find the perfect dog will do nicely. An 11 year old is old enough to be part of the selection process and you want a dog he will bond with.

Absolutely yes. I am so sorry that we didnt get a dog for our now 26 y o dd. She recently told me that on her birthdays, when she blew out her candles, she wished for a dog, but never said so (re the candle wish) bc she believed that if she told, her wish would not come true. When she was around 8, we did get her a guinea pig, which she did not really take care of. She did periodically ask for a dog but we just did not. The usual reasons and also that we are older parents. We, her parents, and dd herself believe she had an ideal childhood, other than that. A dog is so good, especially for an only child. I am an only child and always had a dog.

I think you should - you seem very realistic about what a dog would entail. And what a joy for your son! We only have cats because our lifestyle isn't conducive to having a dog and we know it, though DH would love a dog. We both had dogs when we were kids.

We have some friends who now have three grown kids and the mother refused to have a pet of any kind. They found a stray cat under their deck and begged to keep the cat - NO. One of the kids called me one morning at 7am crying. They were going out of town for Christmas and he wanted us to take the cat because he didn't want it left alone in the winter while they were gone. We said we would take care of it while they were away. We ended up taking her in when she was about a year old and she's now 16. These three kids all got a dog immediately after they graduated from college. I always think it's sad they never experienced the joy of having a pet when they were kids.

Yes. Dogs provide companionship,fun,and good lessons in responsibility, empathy,and unconditional love. You sound as if you have done the research,have experience, and are willing and able to properly care for a dog so why not? I consider myself a pit bull kinda gal myself,but I have had one German Shepherd. SO,who is a truck driver,picked him up on the side if the highway , emaciated and filthy.(unfortunately , with the exception of one of our dogs,which was a gift to me from him, this is how we end up with all our dogs) I had no experience with the GSD breed. However, I don't necessarily agree with the notion that one breed is dramatically different from another,at least when it comes to training. All dogs need firm and consistent training. We trained him like every other dog we had. He was one of the most loyal,sweet and gentle dogs we have ever had. I still tear up when I think about him. I miss him so much. (The pain of losing them is the only true downside i experience from pet ownership)

Just for balance, kids can become wonderful, loving, responsible adults provided other factors of their upbringing, if they're not raised with pets.

This might be obvious to most, but I thought I'd add it here anyway, since the subject line lends itself to those who advocate for pets. And all the posters obviously love our pets.

Of course pets are not essential for a child's development into a caring, responsible adult, Lisa. And sometimes it can work the other way. I volunteer at a shelter, and the "wrong" pet parents-- people who buy or adopt pets and bring or return them to shelters at the first sign of inconvenience-- can teach children that a pet is disposable rather than a life-long responsibility.

Yes, yes, yes. A dog would be a wonderful thing for a boy. I am a dog lover , and we are just recently petless. I never was allowed animals growing up, and I think pets are a wonderful addition to the family. I love the idea of the leash and collar as a Christmas gift. He could hang it on his wall until he's ready to use it. :)

I was raised on a big farm with lots of different animals and always dogs and cats . I have had pets my whole life . I can't even imagine my life with out them. They have been an integral part of the family. So I definitely vote yes to the dog. I too say let him have a say in the breed and size and I also vote for a pet that needs a forever home whether from a shelter or rescue group etc. I currently have a toy fox terrier that travels with us everywhere . That's one advantage of a small dog and they do not poop nearly as much ! Going from all of the Great Danes we have owned to this tiny dog was a major transition but this little girl has stolen our hearts and we are so happy we took her in when she needed us because we needed her even more .

Who will take care of the dog while you are at work? As you know, they will need to be walked and exercised during the day. That is the most difficult part of dog ownership for me, finding care when I am not around or having to rush home to let the dog out. I love dogs, but a dog no longer fits my lifestyle (such as it is!).

I love dogs. Be prepared to be patient. It has been raining here for over 24 hours and is expected to rain through Monday. The dogs bounded through the house to go outside this morning, and accidentally bumped my little Christmas tree, which fell and broke a bunch of old timey glass ornaments. I hustled them out to the back yard to make sure they didn't walk on the glass, then cleaned up and anchored the tree to an electric cord or a wall air conditioner, not beautiful, but effective. It was not their fault but stuff like that will happen.

A dog is a wonderful addition to a family and helps teach kindness and responsibility if the parents are kind and responsible which I know you are. I echo the thoughts of those who say that Christmas Day may not be the day to present the dog. I think in fact that you and your son will get more joy if you present him with a book about dogs and a gift certificate to get dog 'stuff', and allow him to learn and anticipate. Too, you can get a wonderful selection of dogs in July (if that is not too long to wait) of Christmas puppies whose only crime is that they grew up, and their owners grew bored of them.

I think one thing that is not emphasized enough... we got a dog for our kids when we moved. Before, we were on an acre in a suburb that was pretty urban, and a fair amount of traffic. When we moved and got 9 fenced acres, it was a much easier decision. But my DH and I get a great deal of pleasure from having a dog, too. I don't think I would want to be dog--less again.

I have always been a cat person. A year ago August, I don't know what came over me but we went to the humane society to get a dog, My older son who has his own place now was dumbfounded and said he had always wanted a dog. She is a great addition to our family. It has taken a lot of work to make peace with our cat but it is a decision I don't regret. DH and I both grew up with dogs but that was a long time ago. I got advice from this forum on training. I read books on different methods. Thankfully she is treat motivated! Best of luck to you. I hope you find a new love.

Mtn, I'd like you to make your emphasis clearer. Are you saying those of us in urban or suburban situations with traffic that do not have large properties should not have dogs, or are you saying that fenced yards make dog ownership easier?

I had a dog growing up, and do love dogs....but it just seemed like so much additional work when my kids were very little, plus I am a neat freak and didn't want an animal in my house. But my daughter was relentless. She is a total animal lover. We told her we would get one for her 10th birthday. We had been in our new custom built home for a year so I grudgingly thought it would be all "broken in" by that point, lol! I did tons of research & decided on a cavachon (1/2 Bichon, 1/2 King Charles Cavalier.) Right size (@20 lbs, non-shedding, "hypo-allergenic" -whatever that means, lol. And boy, he was adorable! I will not lie...the first 6 months were ROUGH! It is very similar to having a new baby, except my babies were 10 and 13 and I didn't WANT a new baby! :) But now... I wouldn't trade that sweet snuggle monster for the world! He has brought so much joy to us, and he is truly a member of our family. I will say, though, that if I had to do it again, I would forgo the whole designer dog puppy route and find a rescue. I thought I needed certain "things" (non-shedding, etc) but I think that could be found in a rescue dog that needs a home.

Nini , your first BIG mistake was to get a "designer dog". No reputable breeder ever breeds such dogs - they're in it for the money solely, and clearly know nothing about genetics. Genes are not check boxes on computers where one can select the ones one wants and leave the others unchecked!

I've owned Cavalier King Charles Spaniels now for over 32 years (one on my lap as I type!). I've been involved the the original Breed Club, the CKCSC,USA in multiple ways over these years. Many years ago, I bred two litters and quickly discovered that breeding was not for me! So I work for the Club - I'm presently in charge of Puppy Referral.

Cavaliers are the dearest, most adorable, sweetest little dogs on earth, but they are perpetual "babies". They do not handle too much freedom in the house well - "open concept" houses would be a nightmare as their freedom must be limited unless you don't mind finding poops in the guest room or a puddle on the dining room curtains. They are VERY expensive little dogs, with puppies from reputable breeders sellin for $3000-3500 - pet quality.

For those in love with the breed, there is Cavalier Rescue, but one must be prepared for the dog to possibly have some issues. They're such sweet dogs, that even an older one will bond with his new owner very quickly. Since all Rescue dogs have been fostered and carefully vet checked, you WILL know exactly what you're getting and you'll have the support of Rescue behind you if you need it

No reputable breeder of ANY breed will let a puppy go at Xmas - just not a good time to introduce a puppy into a new home. A picture or leash under the tree is best, the puppy coming later.

I'm an only child and begged for years for a dog. My parents finally gave in and got me the black Cocker of my dreams. We had a new house, my parents had no idea how to house break a dog and I was just 9; the dog ended up living in the garage or chained in the backyard- I'll go to my grave feeling guilty about how that poor dog was treated. When I was grown, divorced with children, I finally got a dog and haven't been without one since. Now a widow, they're a great source of companionship for me.

Good luck!

Well, respectfully, I don't feel our dog is a "big mistake." He actually doesn't shed, as promised, and is ridiculously healthy. The sweet lady we purchased him from only owns 2 Cavaliers and breeds them with two Bichons. She only does 2 litters a year, rotating the Cavaliers. It certainly isn't a puppy mill and she totally checked us out before she sold him to us. The only reason I mentioned I would do a rescue next time is that the puppy training nearly killed me, lol! Plus, obviously, so many sweet doggies need homes.

The Christmas we moved in to the house we currently live in, I bought my DH a gift certificate from the local shelter for the adoption price of a dog. That way we could go pick one out after the holidays.

The same day I bought that gift certificate, my husband brought home a yellow lab puppy. So we used the GC to buy her supplies at the shelter store instead. Our girl will be celebrating her 12th Christmas with us this year.

Linelle,

Wow, I really did a terrible job crafting that paragraph.

Here is what I meant. Get a dog for you, too, not just the kids.

DH and I grew up with dogs but did not have one at first. When we moved somewhere we felt was ideal, we got a dog "for our kids". But now that we have our dog, we very much enjoy it and hope to never be dog-less again.

My daughter was thirty years old when we got our first dog. Guess who ended up as primary caretaker?

Caveat aside, canine companions are worth their weight in gold:)

Mtn, I think you meant to respond to Lucille, not Linelle. :)

It's funny though, because when I was little my 8 year older brother used to torment me by calling me Lucille. I would go nuts.

Do consider adopting an animal from a shelter. Some are purebred if that's important to you, but mostly they need lots of love.

I agree with Annie. We have two rescues in the family. (Both ours and my oldest DD's came from the same shelter.) However, they both have issues. So, you need to be very careful. Sometimes, dogs are at the shelter for a reason and it's not always because someone isn't a responsible dog owner.

Be aware too, that when you take one of these dogs you can become attached very quickly which is why we still have ours. Honestly, this dog was not supposed to be my next dog, but fate intervened.

All that said, you have a child in your home so you need to be very choosey.

The first two months with a young puppy were sheer horror. I knew it would be a lot of work and guilt but I had know idea how much work and guilt. Good attention to training, socialization and relationship building has helped make subsequent months (the teens) much easier. I know some dogs are unbearable in the teens and 6-12 months is a real danger zone for pets going to shelters. Although our dog is intelligent and we have attended to potty training with zeal, consistency and positivity, we are still having a few accidents at 6 months.

I would be hard pressed to have a young puppy with a young child (e.g. 8 years or younger). They're so bitey and infuriating!

I'm very happy with my designer (not purebred) dog. She's the right kind of mutt for me and I appreciated the chance to avoid some of the genetic pitfalls of purebreds (e.g. 50% prevalence of MVD and 70% prevalence of syringomyelia in cavs). On the other hand you certainly give up some certainty as it's impossible to know which parent's traits will show up. I ended up with a poodle personality and retriever garbage bucket stomach in mine, fortunately I love the mischievous poodle personality so I'm good with it.

Shelter dogs are awesome and would have been my preference. Many I have run into here (farther North) have big problems which is why they were in shelter, they are still worth it but it is a commitment to take on a dog with probs. For example, I love greyhounds, but my parents adopted a greyhound this year that tries to eat every non-greyhound animal. Turns out their brand new grandchild falls in that category and dog is disturbingly fixated on the baby. So the dog can never be around the grandchild, supervised or not. It is very limiting. I'm extra ticked because it bit my dog twice on our supervised walk this weekend (my dad let him get too close to mine twice in quick succession, at which point I ended the walk until his was muzzled). Fortunately my dog is well socialized and brushed it off quickly but it could have been really damaging to my dog's socialization. My parents are clearly the wrong owners for this dog because it needs bigtime animal behaviourist help and they have not hired anyone and just sort of live with it.

My sweet girl just turned 1 year old.

There were times during puppy hood I swore, out loud, I'd never get another puppy again. I love this dog more than my heart can bear sometimes, but Holy Hannah puppies are hard work! They pee every 10 seconds, they don't know and don't care what "no" means, wrecking anything/everything they can get their little sharp teeth on (including your feet!) is the most fun they can imagine.

We've had dogs our whole life (I'm old, ha ha), and yet this girl - who was the most adorable ball of white fluff - was the most obstinate, obnoxious puppy I'd ever known. She'd stare right into my eyes and do exactly what I'd just told her not to do. (I was so glad I've gotten more mellow in my old age, this girl tested me in a thousand ways.)

It took months - and I truly mean MONTHS of hard work, literally hours every day - to turn her into an awesome dog. We are finally there and I love her so much and am so proud of how she turned out. But wow. So. Much. Work.

Robo, the situation with your parents' greyhound would scare the cr*p out of me, in particular with an infant grandchild in the mix. We once had a dog that had a protective nature and was fine with people after a proper, slow, polite introduction. But there were lots of children coming over to visit who couldn't be expected not to rush up to the dog. We were fearful of an incident and in the end decided to say goodbye to our dog. It was painful but unavoidable.

Linelle you are right and I sent them an email this morning encouraging them to see an animal behaviorist. I believe that person will urge them to rehome the dog if the grandchild will frequently be in the same house as the dog.

I truly believe that rehoming dogs can be in the dog's best interest if the family is not equipped to handle the dog. This is in my provincial context where it is 100% no kill and every dog (that does not need to be euthanized for overwhelming medical/psychological problems) finds a home. I also don't really believe that rescuer myth that the dog will be so sad and emotionally stunted that it was emotionally rejected by its first family. I know tons of rescue dogs that are happy as clams in their new homes. The dog doesn't know the difference between a forever family and foster home. The dog likes eating, exercise, pats, praise and (depending on the pup) having a job to do.

Reading about other's harrowing experiences, I don't think I could ever get another breed of dog. Our Golden is so incredibly easy. We have had her since 8 weeks and she was a snap to train. Since then she has never, ever had any accidents. She doesn't bark, bite or chew and she is so loving and smart. As I mentioned before, she started to steal food recently after being put on a diet. We have ameliorated that by supplementing her food with green beans.

I'd like to think it is her, or us, but really it is the breed. Incredible dogs. My DH jokes, you never see a "lost" poster w a Golden; too smart to get lost.

I have to admit potty training didn't go so smoothly but other than that puppy penny is kind of like having a golden that doesn't shed and hopefully isn't prone to hip dysplasia. People are very impressed with her smarts and we have quite a repertoire of tricks built up by now. I really love having a friendly dog that I don't have to worry about with kids or other dogs. Of course she is still young and she may get cranky with time.

Shedding, yes, that's true. And that can be a real pain. We have her groomed often and we have help so tbh I don't notice it. But I grew up with a yellow Labrador and without a housekeeper, and shedding is no fun. I used to own a lot of lint brushes!

I also worry about big dogs for older people, as they can easily knock them down.

She is black pants friendly! About dysplasia - goldens (20%) and to a lesser extent poodles (12%) can suffer from it. Doodles about 13-14%. Goldendoodles can also grow bigger than either breed standard (up to 90-110lbs), some people love their giant doodles but I think it's hard on the hips.

I have always loved goldens...I think they have the sweetest personalities of any dogs. The ones I know are not Mensa candidates, lol, but chock full of love. I was extremely interested in getting a golden doodle due to the intoxicating possibility of a sweet golden w/o all the hair! :) I fell in love with a golden doodle puppy in our neighborhood. However...I watched darling Toby grow. And grow. And grow...when he became the size of a mini horse I decided I needed to search smaller, lol! Oddly enough, there are 3 families in our small neighborhood w/golden doodles, and each has two!! I don't know if they just loved one so much they wanted to double the joy :), or realized if you have one mini-horse you might as well have two! :)

I'm already thinking about my next dood but my husband isn't so sure-he's perusing the rescue cats ;) They do have mini and medium-doods as well. Mine is non-shedding but there is no guarantee, some have straighter coats and they will shed. Purebred Portuguese Water Dogs like Bo and Sunny are very popular around here as well, also have curly hair coats. I think they can be a handful. They only get to medium size and often have lovely colors.

One thing I love about Penny is how goofy she is. She bounces everywhere (very slow runner because she runs like pepe le pew). Also I think her muzzle is going to turn out to be too narrow for her body (poodle muzzle on a golden body). So basically she's gonna look weird. She would not be suitable for someone who likes beautiful dignified dogs. You can see the muzzle problem in this photo.

It was enlightening hanging out with my foster dog (GORGEOUS brindle shepherd-pit mix) as she was a real show stopper and people crossed the street to meet her based on looks.

If I were to get a purebred GSD I would check dam and sire carefully for the cant of the back. It is my personal belief that the steeply sloping back that is currently in vogue is very bad for the hips and legs. Dysplasia is no fun.

I think this change in conformation is part of the reason Belgian Malinois' are getting more popular, although my impression is that they are a lot of dog and can be difficult to satisfy their working drive and energy needs. A woman at my work has a Malinois a bit older than my pup and he is still fully in land shark mode, mine has already calmed down a lot. I would never go for a Mali myself as I would be a terrible owner for a hard headed, extremely intelligent, extreme high energy dog. I knew I needed a soft dog and picked a soft puppy for that reason.

Signing up for working-dog drive is a big commitment. My sister's sled dog (malamute GSD mix) was impossible to keep up with and very hard to live with for the first 18 mos. Multiple runs per day were not enough.

I agree with Robo about GSDs. I love them so much and grew up with them, but it is very difficult to find one that won't have hip problems. That sloping back seems to have ruined the breed. Even our last girl, whose parents both had good scores on their hip tests, couldn't come up our stairs from the time she was very young. They are such wonderful and devoted dogs, it is really a shame. I have an Airedale Terrier now, because after growing up with GSDs and Dobermans, I wanted a goofy dog.

I met a portuguese water dog today whose owner said she loved his personality but he's dumb as a stump. Then I watched as she pretended to throw a nonexistent ball one way and he ran in the exact opposite direction. He was pretty hilarious.

Absolute get a puppy from the best breeder you can find. We are in the same boat you are in but our only child is 5.

we will get an English Labrador sometime in 2017

cant wait and best of luck

We have an only child and got a dog when he was 10. It was supposed to be a good playmate, companion for DS, etc. but he's totally my dog. I'm not sure how that happened. DH does most of the work and is home more, but that dog loves me. We tried to get him to sleep with DS, but he wants to sleep with us. DS takes great care of him, takes him for walks, plays with him when he has time. I'm not sure how you get a dog to be a boy's best friend. I did do the training sessions when he was just a pup, so maybe he bonded with me then. Even when everyone is home, he will wait and look out the front door window until I get there - unless someone is eating:) food is clearly his favorite thing in the world - gotta love a lab.

All this to say, I love, love, love my dog, and I am so grateful to have him. He is the best! But he is my dog, not my son's. There is some anecdotal thoughts among my friends with dogs that male dogs bond with the females in the family and the other way around? I've never read that anywhere other than my friends with dogs.

I got my first dog (Lovey) in 6th grade. It was the first dog my parents ever had since they grew up in city apartments. She was officially my dog and slept with me, but I think she loved my mom and dad more than me. My mom gave her dinner, so that's a big duh. But the loves of her life were my dad and grandfather, who lived next door to us. She loved them to death. The funny thing was, she didn't like other men at all. Hated them. Except for Dad and Pa.

You can't always control which person a dog (or cat) will become attached to, and it's important that your son understand that. And his parents, for that matter.

I have to say, every time I see the thread "Should we get a dog?" I think, if you have to ask...