german shepherds are one of my favorite breeds! i say they do well w/ all family members. however they do have a prey drive for small animals but get along well w/ other household pets. they are highly energetic and need lots of exercise. they are very intelligent and you need to be able to work w/ that to get them to listen to you. love works as the best training method. as someone else said, they don't need to be trained to protect you (trying to train them this can actuall work against having a wonderful dog.), they will know when to protect you naturally. because they love you. if you do plan on getting one and you have no experience w/ the breed, i suggest you research breeders and find out what kind og personalities their lines get. if you were a little experienced in the breed i'd suggest a rescue. remember these dogs have the wild in there blood. when you are getting a germaqn shepherd, you are almost getting a wolf. are you prepared for this kind of commitment? most dogs of this breed need you day and night to be happy.