Both of the shepherd pups I've boughten resemble the mother in both temperment and conformation almost totally. So much onus is usually put on the sire. Which parent does your pup most resemble?
If you were going to buy a puppy, which parent would you pay the most attention to?
Lindsay Janes Webboard User Reg: 10-24-2005
Posts: 749
Loc: Tucson, Az
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Umm I don't know. I haven't had a puppy in a long time. I am hoping to get a puppy later in the summer. All dogs I have had were from rescue or found on the street.
"It's better to be an optimist who is sometimes wrong than a pessimist who is always right"
An interesting question. I recently had the experience of rescuing/fostering a mixed breed dog that turned out to be pregnant. She had four healthy boys.
None of the puppies look like her, and three of them have completely different colour scheme than her (pups are black and white, she is brindle). She has an absolutely stellar temperament, confident, stable, friendly. I kept one of her pups hoping it would turn out like her. He just turned 5 months old.
The 4 pups temperaments were all very different from one another. VERY different.
Since I don't know anything about the father, and the dogs are all mixed breeds, I don't know if this helps with your question. But seeing as how the wide variety of conformations and personalities I have seen in a 4-pup litter, I would assume that you would really have to also look at grandparents and littermates of the parents as well, and not strictly at the sire and dam.
Reg: 08-29-2006
Posts: 2324
Loc: Central Coast, California
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From what I understand my dog's mother has a nice, stable temperment and she certainly seemed friendly and confident when I met her. She was said to be a very good, attentive, playful mother. I think he has his mom's temperment.
My dog more physically resembles his sire and I think his drives more closely match his dad's. Dad was absolutely single-minded and focused on chasing his bumper into the water during our meeting. Wasn't too interested in the visitors.
I think my dog has the best of both parents and I'm glad for it. He's easy to train, lovely to live with, and drop-dead handsome. It's really a shame that breeding produced HD.
Julie Wilson Webboard User Reg: 07-12-2007
Posts: 148
Loc: Washington State
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Ummm..Reigne has her father's eyes and interest in 'guard duty.' He was exactly what I like - I felt like I was going through airport security when I met him, but then he settled right in and let me pet him. She has her grandmother's coloring and sense of humor, but her mother's conformation, profile and obsessive needs to chase things (balls, children, cats...lol).
If I were going to buy another pup I would do what I did last time. Spend a lot of time with BOTH parents and any other relatives to see what I am dealing with. Seeing what BOTH parent's traits are, IMO, allows you to decide the liklihood the pup will turn out to meet your expectations as it grows. Seeing one parent only gives you half the picture doesn't it?
Why is the onus on the father? (I am not knowlegable on this)
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