Hey everyone!

I'm new to the board, and the reason I joined is because I am interested in getting a WL GSD to compete in Schutzhund with. I've been looking around at a few breeders and I've found one that seems.....good, for a lack of better words. I'm under the impression that its not polite to mention certain breeders/kennels on line, but I want to know if there's anything imparticular about this breeder that would make this a bad decision.
Now, this isn't a pressing matter; I'm a junior in highschool and I don't plan on getting a GSD until I'm a Sophomore in college. I have been exposed to the dog breeding world, and I know there's a lot of fraud, lies, and people that really don't know what they're doing. So I want to get as much information as possible in order to find the perfect dog for what I want.I also want to have a prior relationship with the kennel, because I believe its good to have that BEFORE they have puppies. That way, I won't make a hasty decision based on them wanting to make a sale, etc. I do plan on (hopefully) breeding one day so I want the best I can get. Of course breeding is not my intention for getting a GSD, competing is. I want a high-quality dog in every aspect, from conformation to temperment to its status in the competition ring.

So how do I politely ask about the Kennel and do you have any breeder suggestions?

Welcome....

Since you have 4 years before you are going to purchase a dog, I would spend that time looking into the different lines of WL GSDs. The many different lines have different traits that go with those lines. Drives, temperment, size & structure,coat color & length, etc are only some of the part of information that comes form studying different lines. While there is no guarantees with breeding....you can see what breeders intent is by looking at what lines they are breeding & what dogs within those lines. Also look at the titles that they are putting on their own bred & raised dogs. That says alot, too.

Puppies are a crap shoot & the best lines produce all kinds of dogs. There is no guarantee that the pup you get will have all the qualities needed to title or breed. It takes a very standout dog, in every way, to be a stud dog. I would venture to say that more than 95% of the dogs held back by breeders as prospective studs don't make the grade. Many of the females held back by reputable breeders don't make it either.

So when the time comes I would sellect what looks like the best possible candidate fron the lines that you like & find having the traits that you are looking for as a working prospect & see what happens after you title the dog.

For right now, I would read & learn as much as you can.

Molly, it's great that you have a long-term plan. You sound like a person who is motivated and goal-oriented. That bodes well for your future as a dog owner and in life, in general. I agree with everything Anne said. You've got a lot of time. Use that time to study everything you can about the GSD. Learn what you want and what you don't want. At this point, I wouldn't set my sights on just one breeder. Maybe they will turn out to be the one, but you need to learn as much as you can about a lot of different breeders. I would only add that you should make it a point to attend Schutzhund trials whenever possible and even contact a club if there are any in your area, explain that you are a future GSD owner with an interest in Schutzhund, and ask if you can come and observe training sessions.

You can also ask about the specific dog in the breeders program.

Also, what are you going to be doing with your dog. You mention potentially breeding, and competition ring, but what exactly. Do you plan on doing competitive obedience, bite sports, herding, SAR? Do you have any experience with working line dogs, and I mean PERSONAL experience? Have you ever actually trained or worked with a dog in the competition you are wanting to do with this future dog? All of this will come into play when it comes to picking out a serious prospect; if you are working your first dog, you will want a softer dog that is more forgiving for example. Different line produce different types of dogs.

Good for you

I second the comments above. I recommend that you not set yourself on one particular breeder but to get involved as much as you can in Schutzhund. Join a club, help out, and perhaps after showing your dedication and interest there will be a club member that will allow you to work a retired dog or help put a foundation on a young dog. You will learn more by getting actively involved in the sport than you will any other way.

When I first decided to get actively involved with my breed, I had every intention of breeding and "doing it right". I look back at some of the breeders that I had contacted for puppies but did not buy from and thank my lucky stars that I did not go that route for a dog. Mind you, many of those breeders are good friends of mine now but what they breed is not what I want. I had plenty of good people recommend them and honestly there is nothing wrong with them as breeders per se - just that they don't breed the temperments etc that I feel are necessary for performance dogs.

Until I actively got involved in my breed and went to numerous nationals, I had no clue about the finer points of certain breeders. I feel that getting involved prior to getting a dog, particularly if you have breeding dogs in your future, is really important.

FWIW, next year will mark my 14th year involved in my breed and I will hopefully have my first litter on the ground. I washed out 4 dogs before actually finding two dogs that I feel are breedworthy (not breeding them to each other though). So don't feel pressured to find the absolute perfect sport dog and breeding dog in one package. Maybe you will get it and maybe you won't but you have plenty of time in your future to get that breeding dog ;-)

Good luck!

Wow. Thank you all! You brought up so many points that I didn't even consider. The closest Schutzhund club in my area is about 2 hours away. I didn't even think about observing training sessions. I would be willing to make the commute to view some trials and maybe get connected with a few trainers in my area.
I have never even been around a working dog in my life, let alone work with one. I admire the dedication both handler and canine have for work, and that draws me to the sport. I believe in having animals with a purpose; not just to show how pretty they are. I'm pretty sure I would like to compete in Schutzhund because that seems like a nice mix with the obedience, agility, and protection. Although I have not looked into any other sport (besides the obvious agility etc.).
I know I still have A LOT to learn, and I'm reading everything I can get my hands on. As far as studying lines where do I begin? How do I do it? At a glance its just a giant mish-mosh of names. How do I decode that into tangible material?
Also, where should I start in my journey to find the perfect puppy? And how do I determine a reputable breeder? I know that good testimonials, good practices, testing, awards, etc. is a good way to see but I know that even with all that hype you can still have a bad experience with a breeder. I have personally worked for a Neapolitan Mastiff breeder and have been...enlightened on some of the practices people will use to get some money.

Thank you all so much for your input! I know that I will benefit from talking to the knowledgeable people on this board.

molly, a not bad place to start researching some individual dogs/lines, is right here on the forum! go the the index and scroll down to the "GSD" specific area. there's some valuable discussion on various dogs, etc.

then you can take that info to the PDB (http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/german_shepherd_dog/forum.html) and research specific dogs, their ancestores, their sibs and progeny. just be aware that some of the peds may be altered, nd the discussions can get pretty "out there"(i usually use it for research, not discussion/learning--JMHO).