Hello all! If I ever needed your expertise in the area of Working line German Shepherds...it's now.

This will be the first thing I do with my new pup...pick him!!

This is a link to the 4 male GSD pups that I have to choose from:

http://s143.photobucket.com/albums/r159/Puppickle/

They'll be 8 weeks on December 9th. The father is V-Ursus aus dem Furstentum Lippe SchH3-V, KKL1 and the mother is Newa von der Salztal-Hohe SchH3, KKL2.

Now, I understand that you can't tell me about their temperaments. I'll be finding out more about that tomorrow. But could some of the breeders here help me out by letting me know if there is anything structurally that you can tell...shape of the head, legs, etc from these photos?

It would be a huge help to me to have your input. I have to make my decision soon as 3 other people are waiting for their turn to pick after me.

For those of you unfamiliar with photobucket..if you click on the pictures, you'll see a larger version of it.

Many thanks!

Ooh, tough with just photos! Do you have a movie? I can't see anything except I'd like to take all 4 home, heh, heh... Pup #1 seem a little more alert & focused than the others, but that could be just the photos & the way they were sitting. Have they been temperament tested? Which one does the breeder reccommend for you?

Good luck!

I'm talking to the breeder about temperament tomorrow. My question is more for people that breed the pups and can maybe tell something about structure from a photo. You know...the shape of the head or legs or nose...that sort of thing. I'm not experienced enough with the dogs when they're that young to know what to look for, structurally.

And yeah, I'll take whichever one the breeder recommends into consideration for sure...but there are really so many knowlegeable people here that I'd like to hear from. I've come to trust their opinions!

I'm hoping to get some more pics tomorrow as well. Sheesh, this seems like such a HUGE decision! I'm always stumped for awhile in the face of cuteness!

Thanks again.

what are you going to be doing with the pup?

 Quote: travis pettit

what are you going to be doing with the pup?

Advanced obedience work. I would love to do Schutzund, but sadly there aren't any clubs even remotely near to where I live.

well, then i am sure you know that "any" puppy is a crapshoot, but at least you have the odds in your favor by going with workingline gsds. i would not look at structure at all compared to temperment and play behavior, the fat little guys are going to be hard to be judged on structure this young, i would want a pup that would want to play and always wagging its tail and the one seeming to be the most energetic, if i were a guessing man i would guess that it would be pup 1 or pup 2 based on the photos...whats weird about puppies is that they may grow up to be totally different than you expect!

nice looking puppies. tough choice. definately take the breeders advice as far as temperament goes, but #1 is sure a sharp looking little fella. good luck.

Amber ,those photos are like picking out candy>I mean really, I'd want to have all of them.
Having said that I like to point out that 2 of those puppies don't have front legs I would want on a shepherd.Now having said that again, they are so young and that apart it is hard to pick anything from a picture. But if I had to pick just by what I am seing and nothing else #1 is the one I would pick. Amber ,really ,I hope you are taking this opinion with a grain of salt .I wish you lots of luck with your new pup and with a good foundation , you can achieve a lot with this new pup.

 Quote: Angelique Cadogan

2 of those puppies don't have front legs I would want on a shepherd.

Could you tell me what you mean? You mean shape, right?

Well, I thought that it might be difficult to really say anything about them from a single pic from each...but you never know with this board! I considered it a distinct possibility that you guys with your sharp eyes might have been able to catch something that us non-breeders wouldn't see.

It's amazing how one picture can make you think something about the temperament, too. Like #1 with his alert look (he looks kind of like a chow pup, all fluffed out) and the one with his ears back looks submissive. But the first puppy picture I have of my Corgi made him look like a lounge lizard while the first puppy picure I have of my second Corgi made him look like an King Imp! Actually, the reverse is true.

But I'm glad to know that nothing is jumping out at people and that they all seem to be similarly structurally sound.

Argh...Getting this pup has been years in the making. Now that it's time to actually pick him, it's so hard to make a choice. I got the genetics I wanted...but I'm totally stuck on picking on the best one for me.

If you want to chcek the conformation of the pups, you need to stack them akin to this:

http://www.pbase.com/cattledog/image/52965898

This photo was taken of the pup at 5.5 weeks. I was getting a pup from this litter and stacked the entire litter at 5.5 weeks and 7.5 weeks and photographed them so as to have a visual later in life. Stacking them in this fashion allows you to check the front and rear angulation, turn of stifle, length of forearm etc. While I always hold temperament and drive as paramount, you need to ensure that the dog you get has conformation to withstand the rigors of the sport. There is nothing sadder than seeing a dog have the mind for the sport but is physically incapable of performing due to his/her body breaking down.