BigBlue

As long as I can remember, I've wanted a shepard. We had one for about 2 weeks when I was younger but my mom got rid of her (I still give her crud about that). Now I'm in college making money and I want to buy my own dog. My roommate has a 2 yeard old black lab and I love playing with that dog. He's a great dog. Doesn't destroy anything. Anyways, he's lonely during the day and wants a playmate and I want a dog. I'll probably be looking to buy one around Christmas time. I don't want anything cheap. I want a good bred, solid, good looking animal. What should I look for when I go to buy one? Any suggestions on where I should start looking for one? I've never bought a dog before. I don't plan on doing anything major with this dog. Certainatly not anything like what Jack is doing. I want this dog just for the thrill of having one. Just someone who's always happy to see me. I know there are gonna be several other costs such as vet bills and food and toys and stuff, but I've already planned for that. What do yall think I'm gonna be paying outright for this dog? Should I go through a breeder or what? Thanks for the help yall. I'm very serious about this so please help. Thanks.

jthorpe

Well first off, let me say that if you're in school, you probably don't have time for a puppy. GSD puppies are a LOT of work, and they don't mature until about 3 yrs old. Mine is 2 and he's still wild.

Given your situation, you should find one that is crate trained, or one that's trainable.

In terms of lines, I would stay away from the ones with real low angles hips. You want to find one in German lines vs. American lines in my opinion. We've messed them up too much. If you look at Jonah's picture here, youll notice that his hips are much less angled then say a show dog for instance. He comes from working lines. Also, a dog from german lines must be titled before being bred. That's not the case with American dogs. Although it's not foolproof, it does tend to help keep the working traits in the German dogs.

You also need to evaluate how much room you're going to have, and how much time you have to spend with the dog. They require a lot of attention and are happiest when active, and with their family. My dog for instance is 115 lbs. I think the average male is 80 lbs, but remember that they not small dogs.

I would NOT get a white Shepherd. They tend to have a higher rate of hip issues.

This is a good place for pedigree information once you start looking at breeders:

http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/gsd/index.html

You can also find good dogs at rescues.

I hope this helps a little bit. I have more I'll post later.

jthorpe

oh yeah. GO TO SCHOOL WITH YOUR DOG! Untrained GSD's are a hazard in my opinion. You need to make sure you have your dog under control. They're smart, they're agile and they're strong. You don't want an incident in public. I'm not saying that GSD's are dangerous, but the untrained dog in any breed is asking for trouble.

Just another thought.

Here is a good article on picking the right dog:
http://www.petplace.com/articles/artShow.asp?artID=2415

Jack

dieselminded

First Let me suggest going to
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www.pedigree.com
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click on site map then go to select-a-dog and fill out

"Our SELECT-A-DOG® questionnaire guides you through this maze of canine possibilities. It’s a fun way to narrow your choices down to a list of the top 10 breeds best for you and your lifestyle."

I currently have a 100+# white german shepard named jerico now and if you've never had one it'll take alittle getting used to ...jerico is the 2nd german shepard I've owned and all I can say its a love hate relationship

dieselminded

My boys his little buddie.

BigBlue

Ok. I live in a 3 bedroom house. There is always someone here to play with him. Usually it's me cause I'm only taking 13 hours of school right now. So I've got LOTS of free time on my hands. I plan on having him trained, but not to the extreme that your going to Jack. I'm looking for no younger than at least 1 year. I can't handle much more.

diesel_kid

We have a 13 yr old German Sheperd. Back when we got him he was just a few months old and we paid $450 for him and he was police dog breeding I guess. He has been nothing but outside his whole life, which I attribute to his great health. The only time he has been sick was a few months ago when he dropped down to 55lbs from 80. The vets say around 8 yrs is when they start to show hip problems, ours was about 12 when he started. So IMHO if you get a German Sheperd, well any large breed, keep them outside at all times. Because they need to ru nto stretch their legs. And get good breeding, I am not suggesting Police Dog Breeding, which I think is around 3000-4000 CDN a pup now, but just a good pure bred pup, and spends lots of time with him.
Goodluck

-Jared

Tfeore

We had a Rotty, the best thing I did was go to school with her. Not so she could learn but for me! IMHO learning how to correctly communicate with a dog and understand what a dog is "telling" you back is the best thing anybody can do for their pet.

Good luck, we just lost both of our dogs and I miss them very, very much. I can't wait until we are able to have another one around the house. German Shepards sure are a pretty bread!

tom

Lary Ellis (Top)

One thing to keep in mind is that your dog (if you get one) is going to form a very strong bond with your roommates Black Lab. He will be heart broken when you split them up in a year or two, as always happens with a room mate.

Dogs need a good stable and safe environment, being young and not necessarily set into your career yet, you might want to consider waiting to get a dog.

Who knows, in 2 or 3 years you might be pulling up stakes heading for your dream job and end up in an apt where a dog would not be a good thing.

I am not saying you shouldn't have one, just trying to give you food for thought as a dog is a lot like having a baby. Once you are more settled into a career, and making payments on your own home, it just makes more sense

John Halter

Big blue I'am 45 now and on my 5th german sheparded I had one named Sam when I was a kid that we used on the farm hearding cattle that was schutzhund trained, not sure of the spelling he was so smart he drove us nuts.A smart dog is a lot harder to raise then one thats not and that being said I have never seen a dumb german shepard but have seen alot of owners who wern't smart enoff to handle them.Read books and talk to trainers this will help alot in raising your dog and him not raising you.My second shepard I got as A pup when my little girl was born she is now is 22,he was the best baby sitter you ever saw.We had a sand box in the back yard my kids like to play in that we kept covered so it would stay dry, one day we were sitting on the deck watching her and the dog, Hager and every time she would go towardes the sandbox Hager would grab her diaper and pull her back.He would do this alot when she would go towards the steps our towards something that looked like trouble to him.He pulled her back about 3 times and Jessica was getting upset so I yelled at him,he put his head down walked over to the sandbox lifted the lid and pulled out the biggest ground hog I had ever seen making me feel like a real idoit .When I got Hager the horable I never checked his parents papers for hip problems this is a very big problem in American shepards not so much in German,German shepards and he got hip problems at 14 ,that is old for a shepard and I had to put him down,it still brings tears to my eyes so make sure you do back check on family history.If I did I would have missed out on the best dog I ever had but it still is a good idea.His nick name was Hager the horable and you will learn why when you get one the first 3 years with a puppy you need to watch them alot and that will not be good enoff but it is worth every second.I own 2 all black shepards now and one is a Ohio handicapped assistance dog that I use for balance since I have illness simular to MS called AMN.The black shepards have a different temperment I prefer the black and tans over them for companaionship the blacks are all bussiness and are always working and are not very playful.A shepard needs room so if you don't have that yet I suggest you wait till after you get out of school,I know that is not what you want to hear but you need to think of the dog and what he is going to need. The best of luck in finding what you want,I would never buy a dog with out visting the place he was raised in, the first few month means alot in how a dog will act and it is very important that people handle them.

A good dog is the best friend you will have

John

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FrankB

The lady on the next street breeds them. Her last litter has(9) has all but three sold. Usually to police forces in Canada and the US. Her line is from Germany and the dogs are all taught commands in German.

They are VERY expensive over 2.5KUS. Cannot emember the exact price. If you are interisted, I can get her phone number.

cheers Frank

BigBlue

Hmmm. Interesting points yall bring up. I think I'm gonna have to do some more thinking about this. Thanks yall.

gsdog1

Read, read, and then read some more. Wonderful breed in my opinion, and my handle conveys that. My wife is a professional trainer and runs a small breeding program. Feel free to contact me and I can get you in touch with her if you are interested in a ton of free insight from someone who is in the business.

GSD's are not all created equal, and as Jack mentions above, you will want to stay away from certain lines if you want a healthy companion. Also, GSD's are one of the most versatile breeds on the planet. You will need to decide exactly what you want in terms of temperament. Lots of people get "too much dog", and it can lead to a very disappointing experience for you and the critter. You can spend an eternity doing research, but going into it keep in mind your idea of the "perfect" dog for you.

BTW - if you ain't a police officer, you don't want a police dog, per se. And if you aren't going to work the dog (SAR, Schutzhund, etc.), you should be upfront with the breeder about that as well. Matter of fact, any decent breeder should not sell a working dog to a non-working home. And the price tags vary according to the utility the dog brings with it.

Also, don't be bashful to tell a breeder what you are looking for based upon your knowledge of the breed. They should listen, carefully, to what you think you want. Be open minded about the responses you get. You will quickly determine who you want to work with, and those that you don't. There are a lot of breeders out there, some good, some bad. I happened to like mine so much I married her!

I could go on and on......

Matt

FrankB

Excellent Points gsdog.

My wife previously owned a beautiful GSD. She still loves and paints them but, we are now in the process of aquiring a Maltese. Yes 6-7 lbs full grown. Our lifestyle over time since the GSD has been a toy poodle, Standard Schnauzer (wondeful pet) and a Maltese. The Schnauzer left us two years ago - she was 15 and our Maltese left us this spring in OKC - she was also 15 - on our way home from Az.

Yesterday evening we were looking - having a wondeful time - with the GSD puppies on the next street. Six week old ***** of energy. The breeder mentioned that a local police man was looking for a pup but she said she had bad vibes and probably would not sell to that family. She has two left....

Whatever companion dog you go for, remember it is a 12-15 year commitment. They need continious love and affection and plenty of outdoor exercise. Some one once told me that a dog needs more exercise than a horse. - do not know if it is true but they really do need a lot of daily exercise. Regardless of size.

Watch out for the puppy mills - these people will sell a dog - for profit- to anyone. If a breeder does not interview you and ask a lot of very personal questions about your lifestyle, residence and ability to look after your dog - both the financial comitment and time comitment - STAY away from that breeder. Look for recommendations from other dog owners and dog clubs. Know the AKC standard.

We are truly looking forward to our new dog - the wife will probably have pink ballons hanging on the fence and invite all the neighbours to see our new "child".

Good Luck Big Blue. Send us some pictures.

Cheers frank

PS Watch "Dog Whispers" on Dish if you have access - great show.

FrankB

Further information on the GSD bredder on the next street. Their web site is located at....

http://www.appleridgekennels.ca/

Cheers frank