Essentially a herding breed, the inherent traits of German Shepherds include courage, loyalty, and guarding instincts. This is what makes them ideal guard dogs, police dogs, military dogs, and guide dogs for the blind. Power, alertness, and aggression comes naturally to them. However, this does not mean that they cannot be brought home as family pets. They possess an ideal blend of traits that make them loving, gentle, playful, and powerful at the same time. While a German Shepherd can get really intimidating for trespassers, they are equally goofy and playful with kids.