If you raise up all from a pup, the GSD doesn't take to strange kids while at a group function, GSD separate who they know from who they don't.
I've noticed with the Cattle Dog and Malinois they except strangers and include them in the bunch.
This is what I searched for so long.... in every breed for kids, now I know.
Just my opinion of course. Good Luck.
I don't quite agree with this. Most ACDs that I have met were one person dogs, meaning they liked their family and that was it. Didn't like visitors, strangers in public, strange kids, they tolerated them, but were not very social at all.
We had a wonderful shepherd from east german working lines. She was the worst guard dog on the planet. Well, not quite. She would bark, but as soon as someone got close enough to pet her she'd be all over them licking them and happy. She LOVED every single child she ever met. She was actually stolen from us. We let her out to go potty and the thief left her collar draped on the fence.
We fostered another shepherd who also adored every single child she ever met. She would get down on her hands and knees and low crawl up to very small children and babies, then roll over on her back when she got close to them. This is something she decided to do on her own, we never trained her for it. She would let any child do anything to her, including body slamming, bite her ears :yikes: try to ride her, pull fur, she loved every minute.
I think GSDs and Catahoulas are very strong canidates. The only reason I put them over border collies is I don't think a BC has the build and strength for draft work. Labs are great at all those things except for herding. Pit bulls are awesome, but I don't know if they could herd either.