My family is getting a new puppy this winter we have already found a reputable breeder and I selected our Dam..she won't be bred until this fall..She is a K9Kraftwerk GSD and the father will either be another handsome K9kraftwerk dog or a LEERBURG named Gunnar..anyway So great parents..I have pick of the litter but they want me to decide male or female and be first to pick on that list..So I need input on whether to get a male or female...The puppy will be trained in obedience and Search and rescue. This will be our first GSD. After I select the sex..I won't select the puppy until I get his/her P.A.T.S score and P.A.W.S score..and by the way the parents are both working lines..seeing as Leerburg doesn't sell show..lol nor would I want a showline. Any advice..I have been told that females will select one person they connect w/ but will protect the pack..males won't pick a favorite person but will protect property better..Is that true? Any help is appreciated. thanks! I just want to find the perfect *fit* with our family.

I chose my pup by temperament/drive suitability for what I wanted her for first.

So the breeder asked me all the "right" questions about what I was looking to do with the dog (sport wise) and my family and lifestyle.

Then she asked if I had a preference of sex what would it be. So if she had two pups that were opposite sex but had similar drive/temperament then I would get the sex that I preferred. I said a no preference. The litter I chose only had female pups born (I chose the litter based on drive/temperament of parents and titles achieved), so I took the female that best fit me. The breeder chooses the pups for the owners at 6 weeks. This pup ended up being the best fit for me, and after thinking about it, I really prefer females for my own reasons, so I am glad I didn't jump the gun and choose by sex.

So I guess my point is, I would ask if you could just keep it open and see which pup works best for you and your family, not necessarily what male/female works best! Then maybe he could take the second persons pick, and if you choose the opposite then they get their pick. If you choose the same, then they get second pick, or first pick of the opposite sex. Couldn't hurt to ask.

I'm with Niomi.

The sex of the puppy would be whatever sex the pup is that "fit" what my plans for work were.

It's hard enough picking ANY puppy for a job it will do as an adult.

Thanks for your replies. I will talk to her..and see if I can wait..They just always have the puppies sold before there even born..and she has a list 4 w/male as the preference & 4 with female..if there's not enough of the sex you want you get put on the next litter. I was thinking female...and then pick her based on her P.a.t test..so I would know her temperament and the p.a.w.s tells me her prey, and working drive..So i would know if she was cut out for the job or not..I even thought about personal protection but there isn't any trainers around here and I would never attempt it myself..if I did anything wrong the dog would be dangerous to people.

Clair,

I come from the other side, in that I have a definite sex preference. I prefer females. If there isn't a female that matches my other needs, I'll pass up a puppy and find a new planned breeding.

I think the important thing is to really understand what is important to you in a dog. Males tend to be larger, there is the whole marking thing to deal with (yes, I realize this is a training issue), they can tend to lose their focus when working around females in heat (yes, another training issue, but also a real one). Some say that males can be more affectionate and females more aloof; some feel that females are more focused workers in general. Others want the macho male thing, period. Then, if you have another dog already (I realize you don't), going for an opposite sex puppy is often wise, in terms of how they may get along. Then, there is the intact dog thing to consider; would you rather deal with an intact female and the heat issues or an intact male? (Of course, if you neuter early, those aren't really issues.) You'll find people on both sides of each of those statements.

If you truly don't have a sex preference, that's fine.

I'm not familar with the particular tests you've mentioned, but to me, there is no substitute for an experienced, knowledgeable breeder who can assess his/her puppies as well as that is possible, and make a good match for me. For this to work, tho, the breeder needs as much information from you as possible about what kind of dog is your ideal.

leih