I think what you would do BEST with is probably a pure working line dog that showed complete lack of promise for the sport and is therefore being sold a little older, for way less money than you'd otherwise pay.

Believe me I've come across 3 or 4 like this in the last few years I wish I'd taken. They were calmer with less "drive" than their siblings, but they were every bit a well-bred GSD and if needed the defense instincts WOULD kick-in. You don't need a K9 soldier, you just need a deterrent.

And as an older pup who was overlooked because he wasn't a crazy pant-grabbing maniac, you might just score exactly what you're after and since he's older you'll know what you're getting.

The reason I say working instead of show is because typically in show lines the "picks" of the litter are based PURELY on confirmation, whereas the picks of a working litter are based almost purely on the mix of drives the dog possesses... Therefore the most likely to be overlooked in a litter are the ones that would be BEST for you.

JMO I hope this helped.

Edited to Add: Don't get me wrong, even the LAST pick of a working litter (because he wasn't a maniac) won't be an easy dog. He'll have drive, just not enough to warrant selling him as a SchH or PSA prospect. And don't think that's a bad thing. Believe me, once you LIVE with a high-drive working dog that you really don't need you realize that what you wanted all along was just a burglar alarm that would snuggle on the couch. Believe me, it will frustrate you if your dog won't sit still for 5 minutes.

Most beginning people don't really want a high-drive GSD. They just THINK they do.

I do think you can find what you are looking for in a working litter IF you choose the lower-drive pup in the litter. That would truly be the best of both worlds for you, IMO.

Hi Beth,
Wow, who knew that asking such a question was going to stir up such response? LOL, Just wondering if you were able to get on the site to look at the pedigrees of the sire/dam. It would be a great help to hear what you have to say about them. It really looks good to me, but then what do I know?

Let me clear up one more thing...the breeder is the one importing the dogs. They are coming to the states with the importer personally. The only reason I am being offered this pup is because the puppy I originally placed a deposit on died. The mother lost six out of seven pups due to the second puppy being breach. The pup is one that the breeder was importing for herself but is now offering to me for the same price as the other puppy. She is making no profit on the pup at all and absorbing all the costs involved with the importation. Also, the importer is someone she has used for years. The breeder is very involved in Schutzhund and has competed for years at the national level. She is also a professional trainer and completely understands wanting extreme drive breeding. She has been nothing but understanding of my stupidity and answered question after question (especially ones that I have gleaned from this site, lol). I think I am driving her just as crazy as everyone here. I really am truly just trying to make the right decision, I don't mean to offend anyone, just trying to learn. I appreciate your offering to help.

Jennifer, this is logical advice. Thank you. I appreciate your desire to help me make a wise decision based on common sense both from the standpoint of someone in the know and someone just trying to help the less experienced handler. I have gotten the feeling that you really do care about helping. Thank you.

 Quote: RobbinMann

I think I am driving her just as crazy as everyone here. I really am truly just trying to make the right decision, I don't mean to offend anyone, just trying to learn. I appreciate your offering to help.

I don't think you offended anyone at all here or are driving anybody crazy. After all, everyone's a newbie at some point. It's more an expression of the passion with which people view working dogs and the desire to keep their working abilities.

Wishing you all the best!

Hi Robbin. My father's best friend has usually had working line dogs. They where very high in dive and would indeed drive you crazy most of the time if not prepared. She recently purchased a show/schutzhund titled lines pup and wanted just a calmer dog, but still able to learn and do some work with some natural protection/alert/deterrant ability. Well, she got an unexpected high drive dog. Just as high as her old working lines. Me on the other hand bought her sister, who was more of a sable and she is duller and more shy. I wanted the high drive. lol.
Her dog has the level top line and mine has the sloped show line. Same parents, different genetic throwback, who would have known.
My father is a little dissapointed in my choice but is willing to try and get the most out of her drives as he can help me with. His friend on the other hand is pulling her hair out because she had expected a quieter dog.
You can see the two pups at this web site, mine is on the left side and my dad's friends is on the right side, under the link New Kids on the Block. I mean her puppy even has white paws, doesn't even fit the black and tan, and mine is more the sable. Why I don't ask her to trade I don't know. Maybe I should. lol
http://workingdogsontario.tripod.com/

That is something, Andrea. Maybe you should trade pups! Once again I will express something that will probably start a riot but I have always thought that each dog was individual and with their own personality. What you might need to train one dog i.e., correction/reward/remote collars can be sooooo different from dog to dog. I have never felt that what might work for one dog would work for all dogs. I feel the same about their personalities. Show or working dogs can throw out different personalities too, just because you buy one or the other doesn't necessarily mean you will get it unless you are Ed who has a 7th sense about those kinds of things, lol I guess you just really never know.

Hi Robbin. Just a couple of things. You are so right (and as others have also pointed out) that it's one thing to speak in generalities about traits in a breed, but each dog is an individual so there can be a lot of variance within a breed.

Thanks for explaining the situation with the breeder and the pup - that all makes a lot more sense now. I'm not familiar with very many of the dogs in the pedigree, but there are a LOT of dogs out there - so IMO your confidence that you are dealing with a reputable breeder is more important. Titles and show ratings alone don't tell you much IMO unless you are personally familiar with the dogs, or you know someone you trust that is personally familiar. When you are new, the reality is that you DON'T know a lot of dogs and people yet (how could you - this is where we all started at some point).

One thing is for sure - these discussions bring out strong opinions and I know that can be confusing. Do your homework on this breeder as best you can, and assuming you get this pup - enjoy the experience!

Beth

So you aren't familiar with this line...that's okay. But nothing jumped out at you as bad either I hope???

Ha Ha! Robbin, you're so funny--you're reminding me of me when I was researching my pup! I know the feeling of not wanting to do anything wrong. It really sucks that there aren't many absolutes when it comes to dogs!

You think you have questions now...just wait until you get him/her!!