As the founders of German Shepherd Rescue of Alberta, we have seen first hand the awful effects of poor, careless and money motivated breeding. Because of this we have put together a program for people looking for their next dog. With this program we aim to help buyers find a mentally and physically sound dog. Below is a short version of our extensive puppy choosing course.
We also offer litter testing to help you find the right puppy!
So you want a German Shepherd?
German shepherds are not for everyone, that said, you may be the perfect candidate! Before you buy a dog here are some things you should do -
Evaluate your situation -
Are you ready for a large, high energy breed that sheds none stop and requires a great deal of energy, time and training?
Are you prepared to save at least $1000 to put towards buying a quality dog? Probably more?
Do you have the right setup for a dog like this?
Does everyone in your family agree to this breed and it's needs?
Are you alone? Who will look after the dog when you have to work long hours or go out of town?
Do you have access to a good trainer who will help you?
Have you researched diet needs? Are you ok with the bills you have discovered you will have by owning a dog like this?
Alright, so you answered all these questions and still want a GSD. Here's what you need to do.
Find a great breeder - a great breeder has lots of knowledge of their breed, it's purpose, it's correct temperament, it's correct size and look and many other things. A great breeder also knows a good match when they see one and doesn't breed dogs together that will produce incorrect temperaments, size or behavior. When matching breeding dogs a breeder should look for a good balance between the two temperaments matched, as well as attempt to match dogs who's strengths and faults will offset each other in a positive manner.
The breeder should be more then willing to introduce you to the parents of the puppies so you can get a feel for the kind of dog you will get when your puppy grows up. Here are some things to look for when you visit a breeder to help you find a great German Shepherd.
- both parents should look healthy and clean.
- both parents should be obedient and have good attention for the owner. If they aren't/don't then the breeder is not doing their job and should not be breeding dogs. A dog should never act fearful towards the owner. The parents Should also display GSD appropriate behavior. This doesn't mean they have to be all over you, friendly like a golden retriever. An aloof temperament with strangers is acceptable. They are not meant to lend themselves easily. They are however expected to be tolerant of company and never lunging, barking or growling unless you are a threat. Dogs that display this type of behavior should be considered unsuitable candidates for breeding. A dog that runs at you threateningly and does not obey a recall from the owner can be either nervous, overly aggressive or have some other instability on top of not being under control. Part of breeding dogs is insuring the dog is capable of it's original purpose. While we don't believe titles are a must we do believe training and testing are. After all Gsd are working dogs. If the parents can't work they should not be bred.
- both parents should have straight up standing ears. This is a must or you cannot insure your German Shepherd will have standing ears. This is part of the character and look of a German Shepherd that makes them so noble, sharp and beautiful. Some reasons for poor ears are infections left to long without treatment (neglect), poor breeding and poor nutrition. Watch out for these signs. If a dog does not have correct ears walk away. You can do better.
- both parents should have straight limbs and a strong back/top line, watch out for low carpal joints, cow hawked dogs and dogs with excessive angulation. The parents should be well balanced and look capable yet graceful.
- both parents should be health tested and puppies should come with health guarantees protecting the buyer for at least two years against genetic defects such as hip/elbow dysplacia and eye problems.
- never buy a puppy from a breeder who seems annoyed when you ask lots of questions and feel good about a breeder who has many questions for you. As long as they are the right questions of course. Some questions a breeder should be asking you are about lifestyle, energy level and experience.
- A responsible breeder will pick your puppy for you based on your needs. After all, they know the litter best after eight weeks of living with them and should have had proper temperament testing done to determine what kind of dog each puppy will grow up to be and what kind of home they should each be placed in. A breeder who allows a new owner or someone with little experience with the breed to choose their own puppy puts that puppy and family at risk of a lot of heartache. While you may get lucky and pick a puppy that works out for you there is a great chance you will pick a puppy that will not. Too many breeders do this and the match fails so often.
- a great breeder doesn't have more puppies then time. Take into consideration the process of early socialization and development and think about how much time and effort goes into that. If a breeder has too many litters on the ground at one time they cannot possibly keep up with the demands of each puppy and therefore you will not get a well socialized, balanced puppy that is ready to meet the world head on!
- a great breeder will always take their puppies back of your situation changes and in fact should have this as part of their contract.
- a great breeder will give lifetime support to you and your added family member, if you feel like support will end when money changes hands, walk away. Being responsible for the animals you produce is part of great animal husbandry and should be considered a must. Protection should be in place so that the dog does not end up in a shelter or the wrong hands. German Shepherds can go very wrong with mishandling and they usually pay the price with their lives while the humans get off with nothing.
- keep in mind that the old adage "it's all in how you raise your puppy" is only true on a small level. Yes you can ruin a genetically sound temperament with mistreatment but you cannot fix a genetically poor temperament with any amount of love or training. While you may be able to manage them (depending on the behaviors displayed) they will never go away and you will always have to manage. Genetics play a huge role in what kind of dog your puppy will turn out to be, pick genetics that you want and handle/train them correctly and you will have a great dog.
- you get what you pay for. A cheap dog is NOT a bargain. You may end up paying a lot more in the long run for vetting and behavior modification training then if you had just saved a little more money and bought a dog that someone took the time to carefully research bloodlines, health test and train so they could be as certain as possible to create a healthy, mentally stable dog for you. This doesn't mean you will never have health issues, it does significantly reduce the chance and also covers you, at least financially, if something does go wrong.
- Cassandra Beach
These are the basics of puppy buying. At rock solid we offer an extensive class on picking puppies as well as litter testing and purchasing advice. We also have a "start it right" class for new puppy owners so that you will have the dog you always wanted when your puppy grows up.
We also offer litter testing to help you find the right puppy!
So you want a German Shepherd?
German shepherds are not for everyone, that said, you may be the perfect candidate! Before you buy a dog here are some things you should do -
Evaluate your situation -
Are you ready for a large, high energy breed that sheds none stop and requires a great deal of energy, time and training?
Are you prepared to save at least $1000 to put towards buying a quality dog? Probably more?
Do you have the right setup for a dog like this?
Does everyone in your family agree to this breed and it's needs?
Are you alone? Who will look after the dog when you have to work long hours or go out of town?
Do you have access to a good trainer who will help you?
Have you researched diet needs? Are you ok with the bills you have discovered you will have by owning a dog like this?
Alright, so you answered all these questions and still want a GSD. Here's what you need to do.
Find a great breeder - a great breeder has lots of knowledge of their breed, it's purpose, it's correct temperament, it's correct size and look and many other things. A great breeder also knows a good match when they see one and doesn't breed dogs together that will produce incorrect temperaments, size or behavior. When matching breeding dogs a breeder should look for a good balance between the two temperaments matched, as well as attempt to match dogs who's strengths and faults will offset each other in a positive manner.
The breeder should be more then willing to introduce you to the parents of the puppies so you can get a feel for the kind of dog you will get when your puppy grows up. Here are some things to look for when you visit a breeder to help you find a great German Shepherd.
- both parents should look healthy and clean.
- both parents should be obedient and have good attention for the owner. If they aren't/don't then the breeder is not doing their job and should not be breeding dogs. A dog should never act fearful towards the owner. The parents Should also display GSD appropriate behavior. This doesn't mean they have to be all over you, friendly like a golden retriever. An aloof temperament with strangers is acceptable. They are not meant to lend themselves easily. They are however expected to be tolerant of company and never lunging, barking or growling unless you are a threat. Dogs that display this type of behavior should be considered unsuitable candidates for breeding. A dog that runs at you threateningly and does not obey a recall from the owner can be either nervous, overly aggressive or have some other instability on top of not being under control. Part of breeding dogs is insuring the dog is capable of it's original purpose. While we don't believe titles are a must we do believe training and testing are. After all Gsd are working dogs. If the parents can't work they should not be bred.
- both parents should have straight up standing ears. This is a must or you cannot insure your German Shepherd will have standing ears. This is part of the character and look of a German Shepherd that makes them so noble, sharp and beautiful. Some reasons for poor ears are infections left to long without treatment (neglect), poor breeding and poor nutrition. Watch out for these signs. If a dog does not have correct ears walk away. You can do better.
- both parents should have straight limbs and a strong back/top line, watch out for low carpal joints, cow hawked dogs and dogs with excessive angulation. The parents should be well balanced and look capable yet graceful.
- both parents should be health tested and puppies should come with health guarantees protecting the buyer for at least two years against genetic defects such as hip/elbow dysplacia and eye problems.
- never buy a puppy from a breeder who seems annoyed when you ask lots of questions and feel good about a breeder who has many questions for you. As long as they are the right questions of course. Some questions a breeder should be asking you are about lifestyle, energy level and experience.
- A responsible breeder will pick your puppy for you based on your needs. After all, they know the litter best after eight weeks of living with them and should have had proper temperament testing done to determine what kind of dog each puppy will grow up to be and what kind of home they should each be placed in. A breeder who allows a new owner or someone with little experience with the breed to choose their own puppy puts that puppy and family at risk of a lot of heartache. While you may get lucky and pick a puppy that works out for you there is a great chance you will pick a puppy that will not. Too many breeders do this and the match fails so often.
- a great breeder doesn't have more puppies then time. Take into consideration the process of early socialization and development and think about how much time and effort goes into that. If a breeder has too many litters on the ground at one time they cannot possibly keep up with the demands of each puppy and therefore you will not get a well socialized, balanced puppy that is ready to meet the world head on!
- a great breeder will always take their puppies back of your situation changes and in fact should have this as part of their contract.
- a great breeder will give lifetime support to you and your added family member, if you feel like support will end when money changes hands, walk away. Being responsible for the animals you produce is part of great animal husbandry and should be considered a must. Protection should be in place so that the dog does not end up in a shelter or the wrong hands. German Shepherds can go very wrong with mishandling and they usually pay the price with their lives while the humans get off with nothing.
- keep in mind that the old adage "it's all in how you raise your puppy" is only true on a small level. Yes you can ruin a genetically sound temperament with mistreatment but you cannot fix a genetically poor temperament with any amount of love or training. While you may be able to manage them (depending on the behaviors displayed) they will never go away and you will always have to manage. Genetics play a huge role in what kind of dog your puppy will turn out to be, pick genetics that you want and handle/train them correctly and you will have a great dog.
- you get what you pay for. A cheap dog is NOT a bargain. You may end up paying a lot more in the long run for vetting and behavior modification training then if you had just saved a little more money and bought a dog that someone took the time to carefully research bloodlines, health test and train so they could be as certain as possible to create a healthy, mentally stable dog for you. This doesn't mean you will never have health issues, it does significantly reduce the chance and also covers you, at least financially, if something does go wrong.
- Cassandra Beach
These are the basics of puppy buying. At rock solid we offer an extensive class on picking puppies as well as litter testing and purchasing advice. We also have a "start it right" class for new puppy owners so that you will have the dog you always wanted when your puppy grows up.
