I've been looking at a dog magazine appropriately named "Dogs USA". It can be found in your local pet-store magazine section. It has a seemingly endless list of ads for people selling all kinds of dogs. It's very interesting, to say the least.

In looking through the GSD ads both in that magazine and on the internet I have found that many claim to breed for both show and schutzhund, ppd, etc. When I see references to "show" I move on to the next ad. My gut instinct is not to put much creedence into breeders who claim to breed both show and working dogs. Am I missing an opportunity to get a good working dog from some of them?

I am also concerned about getting a pup from Schutzhund lines that may not be necessarily a good PPD candidate. And so when I see an ad from a breeder that seems to be all about Schutzhund I wonder if their dogs' offspring would be great Schutzhund dogs but only fair PPD dogs. By the way, I know many here are avid Schutzhund enthusiasts and I know I'm on thin ice here with this line of questioning. I hope no offense is taken as none was intended. But I've read some articles (here I believe) about some Schutzhund (and other sporting dogs) that were all prey and not much defense. Anyway, I would appreciate any recommendations that can be offered on how to get a quality GSD pup for PPD work.

Thanks in advance,

I've read the ads in Dog USA and had a good laugh at many of the outlandish claims... :rolleyes:

For what you're looking for, Patrick, you might as well skip any ad that contains the word "show" in any context.

You can get an good ppd from SchH lines if you know what you're looking for and the breeder will let you test the dogs involved.

And also.....people's needs for a particular type of ppd will vary according to their life style. What fits your life style may not work for someone else - my experience with my dog leaps to mind here. :rolleyes:
I'm currently involved with training a ppd to be sold to a family with a toddler, and I needed a young dog that was *well* socialized with children - and this was a much harder slot to fill than the usual "send me the toughest dog ya got" order. I needed a dog which could provide effective deterrent, but was safe around the child. Again, this is a hard order to fill ( fortunately, a board member here that lives close to me had a dog that fit the bill *perfectly*. Thanks, Angela <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> )

As the ppd business picks up ( and it is ) , I could see a real advantage to Ed moving the Leerburg Kennel down my way...... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Patrick, the job of a good breeder is to get the right pup for your needs. You need to discuss what your exact wants are with the likes of Ed, VC, Will, Deanna, etc. You probably don't need to go any farther than this board.

Will, hearing what you had to say about placing a PPD in a home with a toddler reinforces my own good feelings about my current PPD. Today my 20 month-old son, from out of the blue, wacked my dog square across his head. For a toddler it was a pretty good shot. I immediately corrected my son (prong collar <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> ) and praised my dog, who didn't flinch one iota. He's a GREAT dog. I've got to get him up to see you some time. Sorry to get off topic (which I started, LOL!) but I wanted to share that with you.

Anyway, I'm not going to buy a PPD dog from just anyone. I wouldn't have a problem buying from a lesser known breeder IF I could meet and see the parents working. I wonder if they'll let me shoot a gun to see how they react. :rolleyes: