My family raised a GS (love of my lifetime) when I was a young child and we had chickens that free ranged everyday with no problem whatsoever. GS are one of the smartest breeds and can be trained to do just about anything. I have read that because of this they can make one of the best family pets. They have a herding instinct and I remember being herded myself (pretty funny) and watching my chickens be herded by her, never made any attempt to harm. Their intelligence can work against you though if you do not provide correct and/or enough training, stimulation and excersize for them which make them pent-up, unhappy and more likely to get into trouble. I say you should go for it! Get a puppy, do some training classes with them (also include your children in the training process) and give them plenty of exposure to all different types of animals if possible. We had Rats, bunnies, chickens, cats, parakeets around. Nothing surprised her and she only chased balls and rocks