Recently I spayed my show Rottie bitch after health issues in her litter. She is sweet/very smart and a terrible obed dog so I was interested in going to more working oriented lines. Had my name on one litter (german lines) and only one pup. Looked at a litter of show breeding but very strong German background but was informed that there is a lot of dog aggression in the pedigree and the dam is terrible even at ringside. Recently I saw several Shepherds from working lines at the ES I work at and they were great. I currently have 3 kids(8, 12, 14) a multidog household and want a social happy toy oriented obed and starter schutzhund prospect. Will also go to the hospital w me which is not in the best neighborhood. Stable, not sharp is paramount. Don't need a complete wall bouncer though. Thoughts on a Shepherd-the selection seems much larger. My interest was piqued by a litter - sire is out of well known dog TOM and bitch is out of a dog name Ufo. Breeder said bitch is stable, good w other dogs etc, both parents SCH 3, sire a cadaver/police dog. Any thoughts? Would a female fit into going many places w/out eating small children? I ask this because many serious working rotties can be quite unsafe. Daughter was nearly attacked at our Rottie specialty just walking over to say hi. This is discouraging because it will be no use going to work w me if it needs a muzzle to walk in the office.

The sire and dam only have one name?

What's the kennel name?

(BTW- you'd be surprised how much damage a muzzled dog can do, when they know how.)

A well trained, solid PPD dog can go anywhere with you.

GSD's and Rotties are a night and day difference. There is no comparison.

Stay away from the show lines. Don't waste your time there.

A good breeder knows what they are breeding and will help you choose the right puppy, or flat out tell you their litter is unsuitable for what you need.

Lots of dogs that I wouldn't want a puppy from are cadaver and police dogs. That doesn't mean anything. Pedigrees mean more, and other than being a guideline for what you might expect from a pup, they don't mean much either. Pups are a crap shoot, but going with a knowledgeable breeder stacks the odds in your favor.

A female is fine. Nothing wrong with the females, its about the individual dog more than it is the sex. Just be prepared to deal with heat cycles till she's about 2 or 3 years old. I wouldn't spay a female before then, especially if you want to do Schutzhund.

Griffy is one of my favorite dogs. He's a lot like his daddy, Tom Van 'T Leefdaalhof. Even has that bouncy heel. Very solid temperament. Won't back down from a challenge. Excellent cadaver dog. It took him about ten minutes to switch from being a Schutzhund dog to being a street dog. He's also the one the handler's grandkids like to play with.

I think I know the litter you are referring to. Should be a nice one. It should also be a litter that would do best in a working home. I'm not familiar with the female but I believe she is 4x SchH3 (in real trials).

More to the point of your question ... two dominant females in a household is generally looking for trouble. At some point they will fight and they tend to hold grudges. That is, the fighting never ends.

A working line Shepherd male or female is often pretty stable and social in public situations. They do have the ability to turn it on and off as needed.

You may want to contact the sire's handler/owner if you want to know more about the dog.

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More to the point of your question ... two dominant females in a household is generally looking for trouble. At some point they will fight and they tend to hold grudges. That is, the fighting never ends.

Oops I wasnt thinking about the mention of another female in the house. I was thinking more along the lines of suitability for what she wants the dog for. Good call. Generally 2 females will fight to the death, 2 males will fight till someone submits. Sometimes they do get along, and it is easier when it is a pup (unless the older dog is dog aggressive), but you never know how a pup will turn out.

I agree with others, don't add another female. A well socialized and trained male should not cause conflict. As far as the Rott going after your daughter, I think that was more an individual dog problem & showline nerves/temperament, than breed.

Yes the sire is Griff. mother is out of Ufo v Guys Hof. I do agree male would be better w bitches but as a personal preference would love a female. As for my household two are old small terriers and amicable.(one will likely not be around for long since she is over 15). My rottie bitch is 5 yrs and has never been an issue. Will likely be slowing down by the time this bitch is mature. I have been very lucky over the years and not had problems w dog fights despite haing up to 3-4 rotts at a time. The dam of the litter is herself not dog aggressive so that is a positive- but I know thats not foolproof. As an ES vet I have sutured a lot of dogs back together esp JRTs.