Deciding on a breed

[Krisis]

My friend A. has an opportunity to adopt a puppy. She's found a (pure) Dutch shepherd puppy and a lab/GSD mix puppy. Having had a lab/GSD myself I am partial to that one! But she's not sure which to choose, so I'm posting this for her.

Her main concern is if a Dutch shepherd is going to be too aggressive or hyper for her family. She has a cat and a 1 year old.

When I had my lab mix, he was really good with my 16 month old and my cats. If he got hyper we could redirect him easily. He also calmed down quickly and was smart, but I know Dutch sheps are smart too. She's told me she might want to train the dog to be a therapy dog or possibly a service dog for her son (he is at risk for many health issues).

If it was you, which would you choose? I'm going to email her this link and maybe she'll choose to make an account and post herself

[jecombs]

Your friend needs to look at the temperment of each dog as an individual, not as a breed. Spend time with both dogs, walk them, feed them, play with them. Having a 1 y.o. and a cat in the house probably means that your friend needs a dog with a calm, submissive personality that is easy to work with. I would not get a dog that is hyper or will require a lot of intense training (of course all dogs need some training!). If the current owner will allow it, maybe your friend can have each dog spend a night at her house, just to see how they do. That will help her make up her mind!