My husband and I are thinking about adding a German Shepherd Dog into our family and I have been reading the Leerburg Forums for some time in order to learn more about the breed as well as looking at the breed club websites in Canada. I do have some concerns about the differences between working and conformation GSDs and breeders that have websites in the Western Canadian provinces (BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan).

I am leaning towards a working line of GSD, and what I don't want is a dog that has been bred to the point where the function is lost.

Currently we own a 2 year old Golden Retriever, own our home with a large yard (to be landscaped and fenced), and live outside of the city. My husband works the evening shift so I'm the primary caregiver towards our dog and frequently have to walk in the dark alone with the dog. My husband is considering getting a GSD as he feels it would be much more of a deterrent than our Golden.

What should I be looking for in a GSD breeder? What major health concerns should the breeders be screening for? hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, heart, eye, thyroid? Should I be looking for breeders yhat are actively involved in obedience or Schutzhund?

The only venues I've seen the dogs titled on some sites are conformation or the dogs have some Schutzhund titles a few generations back!

Any advice or PMs sent recommending specific breeders in BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, or even the Pacific NW states like Washington, Idaho, Montana would be much appreciated.

Thanks. Let me know if I need to answer or provide any more information to send me in the right direction!

Christine,
What I'm going to key on in your post the the term you used, 'bred to the point where function is lost'.
Well thats the point isn't it, you have to decide what you're looking for in a dog. If you want a Golden retriever that looks like a GSD, then tell the breeders you talk to straight out thats what your looking for. If however you're looking for a working line, pain in the butt, social climbing brat, thats completely an unreasonable hand full, then there are probably people here that can help you find him.
But you have to decide within your own mind what you want.

Randy

Christine,
you could look on http://www.janzhaus.com as one option

If I wanted another Golden Retriever, I would get a Golden Retriever. However, I should point out that my Golden Retriever doesn't have a normal temperament and he is a social climbing brat that my husband and I always have to keep in check. Someone we deal with on a regular basis worked with Rottweilers has said our dog has an unusually stubborn streak paired with a really high prey drive.

Has anyone dealt with Janzhaus before? Like with any breed of dog, I would prefer a breeder that has proven his/her dogs in a venue before breeding them after the age of 2 years old.

Christine -- sending you a PM.

Katie

Thanks for the PMs. I definitely appreciate the nudges in the correct direction. I will be looking into them in more detail to make a better informed decision.

Christine:

I am extremely happy with my West German show-bred GSD. He is a great companion and a natural protector. Since I am not a professional handler or trainer I did not feel comfortable in starting with a working line GSD. From the research that I did before I purchased my dog I felt that the working line GSDs may be too "sharp" for me to handle. I did my research and felt more comfortable with the show line GSDs with very strong bloodlines, parents both SCHIII with certified hips, elbows, and temperment tested. My dog gets along very well with my 11 year old Weimaraner and my 3 year old Chocolate Labrador.

I think that there are GSD bloodlines for everyone out there. It is best to define exactly what you are looking for in the dog and possibly to join a local GSD club in your area and see the various varieties of this great breed up close and personal. You can then evaluate the examples of real dogs and see which strain fits the profile that you're looking for.

Good luck!