Looking to add a large dog breed to the family. A shepherd most likely. Are there any other preferred breeds I am overlooking?

great pyrenees (lots of hair)
german shepherd (lots of hair)
belgian malinois (expensive)
black mouth cur
Anatolian Shepherd
Rhodesian ridgeback maybe

German Shepherd.

Out of that list? Easy - German Shepherd.

Lab always.

This

Here's a good looking ridgeback mix pup needing a home.

Pup

^...This. Good friend of mine has one and she loves this dog bread. Very intelligent, loyal and protective.

From your list: Great Pyrenees.

Of your list...

No way I’d have a Mal if kids or kids friends are gonna visit. Great dogs no doubt, they are working dogs for sure. They are protective, they are high drive. You may have a bite eventually

I don’t wanna hear any of this how it was raised bull, I know the breed and 18 mo raising ain’t gonna change the DNA down deep

I’ve had two great GS, they too have that protective gene. Once We had kids, I haven’t had one. It’s my personal favorite breed

We’ve been kicking this around for a few years ourself, we’ve been leaning to Aussies

I just don’t want a breed that is prone to strongly protect with our kids and their friends and their parents always stopping by

I gotta say boxer. Once you own one you will never have another breed. Indoor dogs primarily.

Black Mouth Cur

Not all German Shepherds have a ton of hair. My Labrador sheds way more than my German Shepherd, he has short hair for a German Shepherd. Best dog I've had yet, and he isn't full grown until next March.

And Mals are high speed, low drag. And you had better be able to give them jobs, and tons of exercise. My German Shepherd is good if we're chilling, or moving all day. Whatever I want to do, he's good with it.

Having had 3 in my life. I vote for the lab.

Shepherd is mine. Lab (was) my wife's. They spend most days with me. She's (lab) turned into a pretty good gaurd dog, as far as alerting. In the end, I think he will be a little more bite with the bark. Both are as loyal as they come. She will sometimes choose not to listen (rare). He's a year and 2 months, and though still officially puppy, my word is law as far as he's concerned. Both are great dogs, and great with the wife and kids. My wife rolls her eyes how he kind of listens to her, and as soon as I give him the same command she did, he does it.



I had some venison summer sausage they thought they needed some of too.

Great Pyrenees

I had one His Name was MO he was a "Great Dog". R.I.P.

Cane Corso.

My neighbor had a ridgeback that was huge... and Awesome! Almost small Great Dane “ ish” in size... his name was Moby and he was my buddy. He loved to play and I was surprised at how soft his temperament was. Real good with their kids and mine who were little at the time. So of your list, I’d probably do some research on the Ridgeback and see what you think.

Off the list... Black Lab. I picked up a pup about 9 months ago and I swear she’s almost human. More smarts than a lot of people I see these days. She’s got drive, confident, and just loves being a dog and playing with you. I had another several years back named Molly that was the same way. But man do they shed!

Doberman

Weimaraner

GSD

I'll always have a lab but if I was going to add a non lab to the pack it would be a Pudelpointer

+1 on boxers! My family has owned 4 or 5 over the years. My first boxer Ginger passed on my 18th birthday the same day the Cowboys beat the Broncos in the Super Bowl. Quite an emotional day for me! Since then we had my mothers caretaker take one boxer pup "to the store" and came back with a six-pack! "the dog just ran away. Another boxer shot by a neighbor of the family ranch. He said she raised blood on one of his sheep or goats, I don't remember which. All I know is I would have bought him several.

Anyway I now have a Chocolate Lab that catches Frisbees and wares us out wanting to go all day long!

Either would be my favorites.

Newfoundland gentle giant shave him at beginning of summer & good to go