Hello,

It's been about a year since I lost my beloved GSD. My family and I are now looking to purchase another GSD but now I have more knowledge and want to make sure I get the right dog from the right breeder. What questions should a novice dog owner like myself ask a breeder? What things should I be looking for when searching for a breeder? I made some mistakes the last time and now I want to be fully informed. What are some red flags? By the way I'm looking for a working line GSD.

Thanks

A lot depends on what you are look for in a dog. Are you looking for a dog that will be a house/family(younger children) dog or primarially a really high drive sport dog. Are you looking for a sport dog for Schutzhund, Ring sport, agility etc. Are you willing & able to give a working dog the daily time required for training & exercise, rain or shine. (at least 2-3 hours a day for a high drive dog) (my just turned 10 year old female still needs 2 hours of exercise plus obedience time daily...was more like 4 when she was younger)

Once you know what you want & need..then look for a breeder that is breeding dogs that meet your requirements. You want to know about the lines they are breeding & what those lines bring to the dogs in those lines. You want to know what health checks they do on their breeding dogs. You want to know if they are competing with their dogs (if you are looking for a competition dog) & in what venues & what titles they may have on them. Ask for names & info on people that they have sold dogs to & ask to contact them. See what they have to say about the dog they bought from the breeder. Ask then about their dogs.

This info should get you started.

If a breeder is breeding good dogs they will have no problem answering any of your questions & happy to supply references. If they don't want to share this info... then look elsewhere.

ETA... ideally you would want to be able to see & meet the parents of the pup that you are looking to get. You want to see the litter of pups also if possible & get to interact with them on several occasions.

Ask about the diet that the breeder feeds & vaccinations that the breeder gives their pups.

Also be prepared to answer a lot of questions asked by a good breeder. A breeder that doesn't ask you a boat load of questions to ensure you're going to be a good fit may be just looking to sell pups to anybody with the cash.

I'm looking for a working line GSD. Our family is pretty active and I know we could provide enough mental and physical stimulation for our dog. I am interested in protection training but I am a complete novice and am not certain I could commit to the training but I would like it to be an option. I guess my main concern is not to be conned. What guarantees from the breeder should I expect? What guarantees shouldn't I expect?

Also where do I go to find out about certain lines that I would want my dog to descend from?

Is there a training club near where you live that is geared towards working line GSDs and similar breeds? Like a Schutzhund Club or a German Shepherd Dog Club?

Even if you have to drive an hour or two to find a nearby club, I'd start there. This would give you the opportunity to meet a variety of dogs of the type you're interested in, and meet owners, and ask them about breeders to meet and avoid.

As a novice, having the support of a training club would be really valuable when you get your dog too.

A reputable breeder will likely offer some kind of guarantee of health--that the puppy is healthy when you buy it, is up to date on appropriate vaccinations, and perhaps a "guarantee" against inherited physical defects (but all this can really be is an assurance that the breeder has stacked the deck in favor of health by breeding OFA cleared parents.) There's no way to "guarantee" anything 100%, and the guarantee might require returning the affected pup/dog to the breeder.

A reputable breeder WILL guarantee (or require) that if at anytime in the future you are unable to keep the animal it must be returned to the breeder--not sold or given to a shelter.

No breeder can guarantee how the pup will perform. You're buying a little bundle of DNA and potential. What he becomes after he leaves the breeder in terms of behavior and suitability for a sport or activity is up to the owner/trainer.

I think you're going about this the right way--wanting to understand, research, etc. If I were you, I'd find a real live mentor. Somebody that you trust that is already involved in working line GSDs and dog sports to help you negotiate what can be a pretty complex field of good and bad breeders, potential health and temperament issues, types of dogs, and the training that will be required once you find your perfect pup.

I'd also recommend you pick up, "Pukka's Promise" by Ted Kerasote. Great book, and he goes over many important things to look for when choosing a breeder.

In terms of wanting something specific out of a dog in the future.....understand that puppies are a major 'crap shoot' in terms of what they may or may not be able to do in the future. All the best DNA & training in the world is still NOT a guarantee that you will end up with a dog that can do all that you hope for.....especially in terms of sport or protection work.

If you want to stack the odds in your favor for a specific outcome...you need to purchase a 'green dog' ...one that is 12 - 18 months old & is showing the 'traits' that you are looking for in a future adult dog. Bottom line is you may end up with a nice pet.

Bump

Everyone's idea of a good breeder is different. What is important to you in a breeder?

Figure that out and go from there, find someone that fits the bill.

There really are no guarantees with a pup I prefer the word warranty. If this is important to you quiz the breeder, do they warranty against genetic issues? Do you have to return the current pup for a replacement pup? Do you get to pick the breeding for a replacement pup or is it up the breeder?


You should be able to find out about the pups lines from the breeder. If not that would be an issue for me. Why did they pick this particular breeding? What are they looking to improve from each parent? What do they know about the immediate family members of each parent?

I want to hear about the parents, 1/2 siblings, cousins. I can google the WUSV champions........

Hope this helps a bit.