I think a lot of you old GSD's problems were perhaps lack of leadership and pack structure. Look at the dog for what it is a dog. Not the breed.

7k, 8k, 10k doesn't guarantee anything. If you don't show leadership, ESPECIALLY with a full grown working line GSD you're in for trouble. The dog has to respect you. It's not about obedience IMO, it's about pack structure. If you don't have it, a GSD of that caliber can get you or somebody else hurt.

They are eager to please but also want somebody to show them who's the leader. Aggression comes whether the dog is trained in 1000 commands or none.

 Quote: enrique muniz

7k, 8k, 10k doesn't guarantee anything. If you don't show leadership, ESPECIALLY with a full grown working line GSD you're in for trouble. The dog has to respect you. It's not about obedience IMO, it's about pack structure. If you don't have it, a GSD of that caliber can get you or somebody else hurt.

True, and even the most reputable breeder can't guarantee genetics. The price tag isn't the main focus, as mentioned earlier, a dog from a backyard breeder can cost the same as one from a reputable breeder if the buyer doesn't beware. My job is to sort through all of the crapola (BYBs, false claims, bad trainers, questionable bloodlines) well in advance.

I understand pack structure, and learned a LOT from my GSD. When we got him he was 1.5 yrs old, with zero training and a huge alpha complex. We completely upset his idea of pack structure and I learned how to keep on top of it, moreso than my husband ever did! He went from being a wild child (loooong story about how bad he was when we got him) to being a goofball who could be trusted in and around the house, but the second you got him outside of his "comfort zone" he would just be on edge and crazy-reactive. He came a long way in the time we had him, but our lifestyle requires a dog that is non-reactive in public (unless there's a cause).

I guess another question would be....are there many reputable GSD breeders out there that practice minimal/no vaccination and feed raw? I think my little pond is getting smaller and smaller.......

While a breeder can't "guarantee" genetics, they can make an educated guess, based on past breedings of the same sound dogs.

Check your PMs.