# Did I get a GSD?



## Captains Sidekick (Mar 19, 2016)

Hello everyone, 
New member here. My wife and I have been wanting to get our son(4.5 years old) and daughter(1.5 years old) a puppy. My wife really wanted a German Shepherd. So I kept my eyes out for a while now on Craigslist to see if any that looked like they were from a good seller pop up. 
We found one and went to see him. The current owner had just gotten him from a breeder. He wasn't able to keep him because of apartment rules. He showed us pictures of the puppy's mom, dad and litter mates. Our puppy Captain is the only one with white markings. He former owner said he had sent the AKC papers off and when he gets them he would send them to us. We have had Captain for less than a week and love him. But I do wonder if he is pure breed. He is very small for his age and weight. I did get the number to the breeder. And he confirm that Captain is pure working line. Captain has white markings and a shorter snout, with floppy ears. Both the mom and dad are from Germany. Captain is the only one from the litter to have white on him. 
What do you guys think?


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## Captains Sidekick (Mar 19, 2016)

Man I put this in the wrong section. 

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## Rosy831 (Feb 27, 2016)

He's as cute as can be but I'm seeing mixed breed. Enjoy your pup and love him anyway!


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

Not a purebred puppy. Sorry.


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## Captains Sidekick (Mar 19, 2016)

Rosy831 said:


> He's as cute as can be but I'm seeing mixed breed. Enjoy your pup and love him anyway!


We will!!


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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

Cute pup, but a mixed breed. I don't see ANY GSD in him.


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

a) mom had multiple sires
and/or
b) you've been lied to


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## Dainerra (Nov 14, 2003)

agree. no GSD in that dog. Well, I guess it's possible that he has some GSD blood but no way that he is purebred. Doubtful that even the mother was a purebred GSD from the look of him.
Craigslist isn't the place to find puppies from a good breeder. If the breeder he was purchased from was responsible, they would have required that the owner return him to them if he needed a new home.


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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

A good breeder would have also made sure that if the new owner was a renter, that they would have gotten the Okay from the landlord before selling them a pup, to avoid these type of situations.


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

with no information at all, the pup wouldn't strike me as having any gsd in him.... that said, if they are in fact sure of the mother, anything is possible. the litter pictured below was born to a purebred gsd mama. crazy right!?

OP, any chance you have access to a photo of the siblings? purebreds and mixed breeds can be produced in the same litter but I'm curious to see the others without white markings that are being called PB.


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## Captains Sidekick (Mar 19, 2016)

Fodder said:


> with no information at all, the pup wouldn't strike me as having any gsd in him.... that said, if they are in fact sure of the mother, anything is possible. the litter pictured below was born to a purebred gsd mama. crazy right!?
> 
> OP, any chance you have access to a photo of the siblings? purebreds and mixed breeds can be produced in the same litter but I'm curious to see the others without white markings that are being called PB.


I don't but captain is the only one that had white on him from pictures I saw. 

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## Captains Sidekick (Mar 19, 2016)

It's a little sad that he's not a German Shepherd. My wife really wanted one. But we love this little guy and will take very good care of him. He is going to a great vet and is in good health. I have learned a new lesson and next time I will do my research. Captain is part of the family and we'll love him. 

I'll post in a few month once he is growing if he starts showing German Shepherd traits. 

Thanks everyone, you guys are a great community!!


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## Stonevintage (Aug 26, 2014)

It's very possible your pup is 1/2 German Shepherd. I had a GSD/Stratford shire Terrier cross decades ago that looked very much like that as a puppy. Her mom (obviously GSD) was dumped at the pound with a litter of 8 puppies with a note as to what breed the sire was. She was an AWESOME dog! Not big but very confident and a startling powerhouse for her size. She kept up with my GSD/Wolf cross for 13 years. 

Heres an old photo of her in the background.
View attachment 355450

lol. Just as a side note. I really wanted a GSD too but my husband said No - not 2 GSD puppies in the house at the same time so I never told him Candy's mom was 1/2 GSD - she certainly fooled him for years - but smart as a whip.


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## Factor (Oct 9, 2015)

He is adorable!  And as been said, there are possibilities that he is ½ gsd even though he doesnt look like a gsd. Enjoy him anyhow  If you still in the future want a gsd also you could always get a second dog if you are able to, and then pick one from a good breeder, registrated, which is for certain gsd.


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## Captains Sidekick (Mar 19, 2016)

He kinda looks like a GSD/Boxer mix to me. He is super relaxed. Hope he stays that way. 

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## Captains Sidekick (Mar 19, 2016)

Hey everyone. I have confirmation now. 
Captain is a German Shepherd, Labrador Retriever mix. 

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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

who confirmed that?


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## Captains Sidekick (Mar 19, 2016)

Fodder said:


> who confirmed that?


The breeder


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## Factor (Oct 9, 2015)

Captains Sidekick said:


> Hello everyone,
> New member here. My wife and I have been wanting to get our son(4.5 years old) and daughter(1.5 years old) a puppy. My wife really wanted a German Shepherd. So I kept my eyes out for a while now on Craigslist to see if any that looked like they were from a good seller pop up.
> We found one and went to see him. The current owner had just gotten him from a breeder. He wasn't able to keep him because of apartment rules. He showed us pictures of the puppy's mom, dad and litter mates. Our puppy Captain is the only one with white markings. He former owner said he had sent the AKC papers off and when he gets them he would send them to us. We have had Captain for less than a week and love him. But I do wonder if he is pure breed. He is very small for his age and weight. *I did get the number to the breeder. And he confirm that Captain is pure working line.* Captain has white markings and a shorter snout, with floppy ears. Both the mom and dad are from Germany. Captain is the only one from the litter to have white on him.
> What do you guys think?


So did the breeder lie to you about him being pure WL gsd or was there some kind of misunderstanding?


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

Captains Sidekick,

You've got a great pup and regardless of what has happened is of no consideration at this point...as you well know...you're going the distance with Captain regardless of his lineage and this forum is chock full of information you can use to both of your benefits.

Make it happen Cap'n


SuperG


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## Captains Sidekick (Mar 19, 2016)

Factor said:


> So did the breeder lie to you about him being pure WL gsd or was there some kind of misunderstanding?


Yeah he lied. I talked to him again and he admitted it. 

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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

with the first "confirmation" being false, I wouldn't put much faith in the second... those aren't lab markings. granted genetics are funny and can reach pretty far back but not likely.

boxer seems more accurate. either way, both breeds can be great.


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## Factor (Oct 9, 2015)

Captains Sidekick said:


> Yeah he lied. I talked to him again and he admitted it.
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk


Too sad there are people that have to act this way. I just cant understand it and its something I could never ever do.

I dont think you will get the very truth or trust 100% to anything he is saying. Just let it go and enjoy the pup and see it grow. I think you will with time see more and more what the other breed (or what breeds) it could be. Perhaps its half gsd, half boxer..time will tell more  The pup is adorable and he will probably have good breeds and be such a great dog :wub:


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## MineAreWorkingline (May 2, 2015)

OP, your puppy is cute, but a dog can be a 10-15 year commitment and can cost quite a bit of money and are time intensive. Since your wife wanted a German Shepherd, why not just rehome this puppy and get what you really want?


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## MadLab (Jan 7, 2013)

Come on, he's called Captains sidekick already. No true captain with get rid of trusted side kick so easily.



I think sometimes it is just destiny the dog you get


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## Captains Sidekick (Mar 19, 2016)

MineAreWorkingline said:


> OP, your puppy is cute, but a dog can be a 10-15 year commitment and can cost quite a bit of money and are time intensive. Since your wife wanted a German Shepherd, why not just rehome this puppy and get what you really want?


Thank you for your comment. You just reinforced what I did today. I returned the puppy. And will be getting a pure German Shepherd. My wife really wanted one, and I wanted to give our family what we had planned for. I did my research this time. And went to Akc.Org to find a breeder. And found one through them. That is recognized by the AKC and certified breeder. 
This is their site http://www.carolinasgermanshepherd.com/home.html

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## Captains Sidekick (Mar 19, 2016)

I meant we rehomed him to a family that had been looking for a good puppy for a while now. Since they lost one of their dogs that was 17 years old. They are very nice Christian people and will take good care of Captain. I didn't make any money on him. In fact lost a lot. But at least we got him checked by the vets. His shots and dewormed him. He has a clean bill of health. The family was overjoyed worth him. 

Now we are getting a pure German Shepherd now. From a responsible breeder. 

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## Captains Sidekick (Mar 19, 2016)

MadLab said:


> Come on, he's called Captains sidekick already. No true captain with get rid of trusted side kick so easily.
> 
> I think sometimes it is just destiny the dog you get


Lol 

I'm Captains Sidekick. But now we are getting a real Captain. 

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## MineAreWorkingline (May 2, 2015)

Slowdown OP!  From the prices I saw listed on that website, and the one stud isn't even two years old yet, I think you can do a lot better. Now is the time to do your homework and research. If I am not mistaken, they are crossing a dog down from American show lines and mating it to a working line. This can flag big trouble if the breeders don't know what they are doing.

There are some good threads on here on how to pick a breeder, take a little time to read them. It is spring time and there will be plenty of puppies to choose from.

I am sure if you post your expectations of what you want in a dog, and your general location, people on here will be able to point you in the right direction in getting what you really want.


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## Captains Sidekick (Mar 19, 2016)

MineAreWorkingline said:


> Slowdown OP!  From the prices I saw listed on that website, and the one stud isn't even two years old yet, I think you can do a lot better. Now is the time to do your homework and research. If I am not mistaken, they are crossing a dog down from American show lines and mating it to a working line. This can flag big trouble if the breeders don't know what they are doing.
> 
> There are some good threads on here on how to pick a breeder, take a little time to read them. It is spring time and there will be plenty of puppies to choose from.
> 
> I am sure if you post your expectations of what you want in a dog, and your general location, people on here will be able to point you in the right direction in getting what you really want.


Thanks. I spend a lot of time looking at every bit of info I could find. I found the breeder through the akc site. They have been breeding for years now. But I am still researching more info. I am leaning towards them though. 

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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

No offense, but you could not have spent that long. It's been barely a week since you got the first puppy and you only rehomed him today. 

Seriously. Take some time. Do it right, not right now. Not doing true and good research got you one puppy you got rid of already. Please. Take some time. 

I know you want a puppy, puppy fever is very strong. I get it. You don't want to wait. But please do.


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## sebrench (Dec 2, 2014)

Be sure to involve your wife in the breeder/puppy-search, too--not to say that you haven't been.


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## DutchKarin (Nov 23, 2013)

Keep in mind that AKC is not that meaningful. I mean it is okay but it isn't the gold standard or anything. Breeding a long time is not that meaningful either. There are many threads here about picking good breeders that breed healthy and well balanced dogs. A good breeder will help you get what you want.

By the way, why a german shepherd? Are you ready? Are you planning to invest tons of time and money in training. These dogs are smart, athletic and like to use their mouths. Typically this means more training and investment than less smart less athletic breeds. 

Good luck to you.


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## vomlittlehaus (Aug 24, 2010)

That website doesnt give me the impression they have been breeding for longer than a year. Anyone can copy and paste.


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## voodoolamb (Jun 21, 2015)

That breeder is in Rock hill. If you are looking for a pup in that area try contacting Richard shook at the piedmont schutzhund club/southland dog sports. He's got a litter planned and I think a few other breeders who work their dog through that clubs do as well. Mostly working lines but I have seen some nice high lines there too. 

Good people. Nice dogs.

Heck go up there and watch them work. See a dog you like - ask the handler where it's from. Get out to where the shepherds are and put out some feelers. That's how I found my pup.


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## Stevenzachsmom (Mar 3, 2008)

Honestly, with your children as young as they are, I would have kept the first puppy. He looked very sweet and would probably have made an awesome family dog. I adore German Shepherds, but GSD puppies are not necessarily the best choice for very young children. An adult GSD can be awesome. I adopted a 2 year old GSD, when my kids were 10, 6, and 2. She was wonderful with the kids and very careful not to knock over the little one. 

When my GSD, Annie died in 2012, I adopted a hound mix puppy. He is an awesome little dog. Two years later, I added my shepherd - who may or may not be PB. You could have done the same and added your GSD down the line.

To each his own, but I agree with everyone else. PLEASE do more research. AKC means very little. Ask for breeder recommendations in your area, or post breeders you may be interested in. It is helpful to get opinions.


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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

Agree you should look around a bit more, read more stickies and articles on this forum about finding a good breeder. The website's write-up about expalining SchH/IPO is a copy and past project, from original sources that were probably copied and pasted as the terminology is off, and many of the paragraphs and lists I have seen somewhere else.

Looked at the website: Ther is NO WAY sable puppies mature to be black and tans. ABSOLUTLY NO WAY. Sable puppies mature to be sable pups. Sorta disturbing that a breeder would make such a claim.


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## Galathiel (Nov 30, 2012)

I'm confused by the pups they have ready in March. They are sable, but will grow up to be B&T ? (from the website). Do they even know what they are doing?


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## NickZ (Mar 12, 2016)

Uhhhh Js  if you really want a relaxed gsd then I really suggest you get a showline because working lines are alot more energetic and destructive if you dont stimulate them  Goodluck

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## Ripple (Mar 25, 2016)

Are you looking to work your puppy? You mentioned you had small children in the house. If you are dead set on a GSD, I would recommend a dog from American Show Lines if you don't plan to work. They have less drive than the European working lines, but would still be good for family outings like hiking, camping, etc. I would also make sure you mention to a breeder your young children, and work with a breeder on getting a puppy of correct temperament suitable for a family lifestyle.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

NickZ said:


> Uhhhh Js  if you really want a relaxed gsd then I really suggest you get a showline because working lines are alot more energetic and destructive if you dont stimulate them  Goodluck
> 
> Sent from my HUAWEI G7-L03 using Tapatalk


 I sincerely hope you aren't talking American Showline!!!!!

Every one I have ever met has more energy then the energizer bunny. I will take working lines any day!


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