Hello! I will have a choice of 2 puppies to pick from this weekend, I am wondering if there is anything the pros on this board can advice in terms of picking a pup? I've read all the articles on this site about picking pups but they are geared towards hardcore police dogs, not pet dogs.

What I want out of the pup: a pet dog who can do advanced obedience like focused heeling and complicated parlor tricks. He has to live with a cat and 2 adults.

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The pups are 10 weeks old White GSD. One is mostly 3s on his Volhard and one is mostly 4 on the volhard. One retrieved the ball on the test, the other just chased the ball but returned without it. Should this be a sign? I had read in this site that this indicated the one who retrieved would be better at obedience?Is it really that big of an indicator? Or will both of them be biddable anyway? I'm not in competition so I don't really need the extra 10% of drive as long as the dog obeys.

Will the dog that scored 4s develop separation anxiety and clinginess?

I realize from reading this site and forum that volhard is not a set-in-stone predictor of future potential of a dog, but I am wondering if the dog that
scores mostly 3 really that different from a dog that score mostly 4? The breeder called the red one the "feisty" one and the green one the "sweet" one (Which seems to be euphemism for "softy")

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

What kind of dog do you prefer?

Some people like the softer velcro types and other people like the hard charging nosy all over everything type.

The green pup looks like an overall softer dog than the red pup. Either that or he was ready for a nap.

I wouldn't look at any particular part of the test as a huge predictor for anything. The overall impressions are useful though.

The red puppy would be going home with me.

Personally, I really think who did the test matters most. I know it sounds pretty straight forward, make noise, whats the puppy do, etc.. But an experienced eye is really important.

Since you've decided on this breeder Laine, you've put your trust in them. I would go with their judgement, to me thats a big part of what you're paying for.

 Quote: steve strom

Personally, I really think who did the test matters most.

But an experienced eye is really important.

Since you've decided on this breeder Laine, you've put your trust in them. I would go with their judgement.

Ditto...and these pups are 10 weeks old, how old were they when the test was done?

An experienced breeder should be able to help you decide.

Ditto on the above for the tests, especially Steve's comment about the tester being so important. Breeders doing their own testing can often be kennel blind. It requires some one that can really analyze what they are looking at and not what the want to see.
Have you looked into health and temperament in the breeding? White GSDs are bred almost totally for color. The UKC show line White GSDs for color and show structure.
It's not uncommon for them to have health and temperament problems more so then the average GSD....and that's not a small amount.
I'd be curious how or if the breeder responds to a question of that sort.
I'm not wanting to chase you off form one if that's your choice....Well maybe a little but do a lot of research on ANY breed your looking at.

Hello all, thank you for the answers. I don't know for sure if I want a feisty dog or soft dog. The last GSD I had was feisty. Soft dogs seem like they would be easier to handle but I've never lived with one. Both have pros and cons *shrug* I do trust the breeder to recommend me one based on my needs. I suspect she would suggest the green one because it would be more gentle on the cat.

I definitely do NOT want: spooky dog that is afraid of random things like skateboards or flying objects, and I don't want a whiny dog that flips out when I leave. I'm a little worried a soft dog will be like that?

Am thinking of doing my own test when I see the pups like making noise and dropping objects to see if they run away. Are there any tests I can do to check for weak nerves, fear aggression or big temparament problems?

To answer Bob's question: I've done as much checking on health and temperament as I can; I literally have been looking at dogs for years; different breeders, different breeds over the years. When I asked this breeder about the health,she was honest about previous problems she had (esophogeal deformation in puppies) and was by far, out of all the breedres I talked to, hands down the most knowledgable breeder to talk about the genetics, bloodlines, testing, compatibilty of bloodlines, etc. Did the usual talking to a customer who was not referenced by her. It's comforting to know many breeders obtain dogs from this kennel, I figure they would do their own research too and find the best kennel.

That being said I do know it's still a crapshoot in the end and GSDS have their problems; but this is my bucket list item so I will jump in and commit with full knowledge I have a risk for problems

Edited by Connie Sutherland (01/31/2013 08:08 PM)
Edit reason: fixed bracket problem

Laine's post is not showing up?

Edited by Connie Sutherland (01/31/2013 08:08 PM)
Edit reason: it's fixed

Was able to see it through quote:

"Hello all, thank you for the answers. I don't know for sure if I want a feisty dog or soft dog. The last GSD I had was feisty. Soft dogs seem like they would be easier to handle but I've never lived with one. Both have pros and cons *shrug* I do trust the breeder to recommend me one based on my needs. I suspect she would suggest the green one because it would be more gentle on the cat.

I definitely do NOT want: spooky dog that is afraid of random things like skateboards or flying objects, and I don't want a whiny dog that flips out when I leave. I'm a little worried a soft dog will be like that?

Am thinking of doing my own test when I see the pups like making noise and dropping objects to see if they run away. Are there any tests I can do to check for weak nerves, fear aggression or big temparament problems?

To answer Bob's question: I've done as much checking on health and temperament as I can; I literally have been looking at dogs for years; different breeders, different breeds over the years. When I asked this breeder about the health,she was honest about previous problems she had (esophogeal deformation in puppies) and was by far, out of all the breedres I talked to, hands down the most knowledgable breeder to talk about the genetics, bloodlines, testing, compatibilty of bloodlines, etc. Did the usual talking to a customer who was not referenced by her. It's comforting to know many breeders obtain dogs from this kennel, I figure they would do their own research too and find the best kennel.

That being said I do know it's still a crapshoot in the end and GSDS have their problems; but this is my bucket list item so I will jump in and commit with full knowledge I have a risk for problems"

(there was an open square bracket in a smiley)

If the breeder has a good reputation and you feel comfortable with them, I would trust them to choose the right pup for you. It can be hard to leave that decision to someone else. I trusted my breeder and I couldn't be happier with the pup she chose for me.

Sort of off topic, but I'd just make sure that the dam was a dog that Iwould want to own.
Her personality, her pigmentation (some have a liver nose.) Beyond OFA,does her butt end look functional to you? Would you like to own her? Chances are her pups will be a lot like her.

Then I'd let my heart decide. You don't want to tell yourself forever "I knew I should have taken the other one home!"
Have fun! Picking a new pup is one of the great joys in life IMO.