# "working homes only" thought of this after reading "pet people" thread



## mego (Jan 27, 2013)

*"working homes only" thought of this after reading "pet people" thread*

So some breeders say "this breeding is for working homes only".
What do you guys usually take that to mean?

"I promise I will title this dog", sport homes, homes that have titled a dog before, homes that are just extremely active and like to train a lot but don't participate in the sport scene, homes where family members are already part of a club, SAR homes where dogs do real-life rescue work, etc?

Just curious because in the pet thread the debate on what is a working dog vs a sport dog vs a pet dog came up and I recall seeing this "working homes only" phrase on a lot of breeders' websites

I know some breeders just say this to deter families that don't put any effort into rigorous training their dogs beyond maybe basic walking on a leash and manners / preventative measures for families that might get a little more dog than they asked for


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

I take it to mean the dog has to much drive, or is to sharp, for a normal pet home and needs an experienced handler.

My breeders next litter is for working homes only because of this.


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## Whiteshepherds (Aug 21, 2010)

You'd have to call the breeders to know for sure but at face value I take it to mean they want the dogs to go to homes where the dogs will be worked. Either real work or competitive sports.


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## LoveEcho (Mar 4, 2011)

I think there are a lot of reasons. In my hunt for a dog, I talked to a few people about this. Dogs that breeders pair up with the specific intent of producing working dogs could have a propensity for producing "hard" dogs, a possibility of dog aggression, dogs that may be prone to handler aggression in response to unfair (and/or inexperienced) corrections, dogs that are so high drive/intensity that even a very active pet home would not be suitable, etc. 

In my hunt for my current pup (I was looking at GSD and Malinois litters, and a dog for IPO), I almost never found a breeder labeling a litter "working home only" just to deter pet owners- if they said it, they really meant it. But, those breeders spend enough time getting to know potential buyers that they were straightforward over what dogs would and wouldn't be an appropriate match.


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

While I have never used this phase for an entire litter, I have used it for individual pups. Most of the time it is a pup that I want in a working/certain type of home because of the drive and temperament of the pup.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

The puppies I can think of being advertised this way by people I know are because they are good puppies that the breeder will hold back until a good home is found. They are in no rush to sell/move the puppy and feel the dog has good potential. Why the breeder makes this designation can be many things. Maybe the puppy is too strong or too sharp for a pet home or an experienced owner, maybe the breeder just wants to ensure that some of their puppies end up competing and earning titles.


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## Curtis (Jun 9, 2013)

It fascinates me that breeders can tell so much about a puppy's drive so early. Does anyone know of a YouTube video demonstrating low vs high drive pups?

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## Merciel (Apr 25, 2013)

You know, this is a good question, and I never really sat down and thought about what it was intended to mean.

I always just sort of go "okay, that's not the dog for me then" and move on. But I never stopped to think about _why_. I guess I just assumed that the dogs were going to be too spun-up and low threshold for me to want to deal with.


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## mycobraracr (Dec 4, 2011)

LoveEcho said:


> I think there are a lot of reasons. In my hunt for a dog, I talked to a few people about this. Dogs that breeders pair up with the specific intent of producing working dogs could have a propensity for producing "hard" dogs, a possibility of dog aggression, dogs that may be prone to handler aggression in response to unfair (and/or inexperienced) corrections, dogs that are so high drive/intensity that even a very active pet home would not be suitable, etc.



I think this is probably the best explanation. I don't think "sharpness" has as much to do with it, but possibly. 

My personal take on this, is homes that are already involved in sport/service. I know and talk with a lot of breeders, and it seems like every potential buyer want's their puppy for sport or SAR. Of those, the majority are not currently involved in anything. Of the ones not involved in anything, guess how many actually get their puppy and truly go out to participate in sport/service? Less than 10%. So for me, unless the home is already active in a venue, I don't believe them.


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## Baillif (Jun 26, 2013)

Whiteshepherds said:


> You'd have to call the breeders to know for sure but at face value I take it to mean they want the dogs to go to homes where the dogs will be worked. Either real work or competitive sports.


Pretty much this. Worst case scenario it's some puppy mill trying to market their dogs as badasses. Best case scenario it's a breeder with world champion blood line dogs and they want them going to people who can continue to work and win with them, or at the very least keep them from going to kill shelters because the owners couldn't keep up with their needs and had their houses destroyed.

Most likely something in the middle but there generally won't be any confusion about what you're looking at.


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## Smithie86 (Jan 9, 2001)

we have stated it for puppies within a litter.

And yes, with some you can see that early on. Plus, with the hands on experiences of the bloodlines and personally knowing what the dogs have produced....

Husband's dog Yuri - very few could handle this young dog.....


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## Packen (Sep 14, 2008)

You also have to look at the breeder and the lines. Some use this disclaimer as a sales tactic only especially when the whole litter is advertised as such. But then there are highly accomplished breeders like Sue who when uses this disclaimer, it better be believed or can cause a train wreck 

What the breeder is looking for is that the person who wants to take that pup home has access to the right training resources and experience needed to make it a win/win situation. Without the training resources and experience what can happen is,

a) A dog with high potential gets wasted
b) Someone can get seriously hurt


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## Wolfgeist (Dec 4, 2010)

Most breeders want their best pups to be in homes that work the dog so they can prove the quality of the breeding stock via their successful, thoroughly tested progeny. I think it is also a good warning label that it may be "too much dog" for the average pet owner, and would do best in a home with an experienced handler that has the tools (experience, clubs, equipment, etc) to have a successful partnership and life with the "working home only" puppy.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Curtis said:


> It fascinates me that breeders can tell so much about a puppy's drive so early.
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


I asked Robin, the breeder, how she can tell. 
She told me about Hans's brother. 

She was trying to photograph the pups, placing each of them on a couch. By the time she reached around to grab her camera, he was already in her face. This happened several times. She said she would never sell me that puppy. 

Take a look at the facial expression. These pups are 4 weeks old. 
Crazy high drive nutter (I called him Joe Pesci): top. 
Hans : bottom


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## Curtis (Jun 9, 2013)

Sunflowers said:


> Take a look at the facial expression. These pups are 4 weeks old.
> Crazy high drive nutter (I called him Joe Pesci)


Haha. Joe Pesci looks like he should be dragging an anchor around to slow him up.

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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Curtis said:


> Haha. Joe Pesci looks like he should be dragging an anchor around to slow him up.
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Doesn't he, though? :wild:
Clear case of a picture being worth 1,000 words. 

I am willing to bet Pesci is in the military or police, somewhere.

Glad I got the dog I did get. If Hans was considered low(er) drive, I don't know what I would have done with Pesci!


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## Shade (Feb 20, 2012)

In Delgado's litter was a PD prospect, the sire of the litter is an active PD in Edmonton and the pup would be joining the same program. I spent many hours over a few visits watching the litter and that particular pup was always the loudest, pushiest, independant but in your face pup - even at 3 weeks when most of the pups were still fat sausages more interested in eating or sleeping, he never stopped or shut up. He wasn't the biggest or 'meanest' but he stood out literally every moment.

I turned to Melanie (the breeder) at 5 weeks and told her outright, "I love all the puppies and don't care which one I get, but not Lance" She laughed and reassured me that he had already been singled out as the PD prospect. I liked him, he was a good pup but there was no way he would be happy in a quiet home just playing fetch lol


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## mego (Jan 27, 2013)

Just to clarify, I know that it's individual per breeder or even per puppy, just wanted a discussion about it  and yes, already seen a bunch of different replies of what you guys take it to mean...
much like some people take pet to mean different things, it's interesting that 'working dog' means so many more things too to different people


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## Smithie86 (Jan 9, 2001)

Packen said:


> You also have to look at the breeder and the lines. Some use this disclaimer as a sales tactic only especially when the whole litter is advertised as such. But then there are highly accomplished breeders like Sue who when uses this disclaimer, it better be believed or can cause a train wreck
> 
> What the breeder is looking for is that the person who wants to take that pup home has access to the right training resources and experience needed to make it a win/win situation. Without the training resources and experience what can happen is,
> 
> ...


Thank you, but clarification. Breeder who is accomplished is Gabor (husband). . I continue to learn, research, train


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## Wolfenstein (Feb 26, 2009)

Curtis said:


> It fascinates me that breeders can tell so much about a puppy's drive so early. Does anyone know of a YouTube video demonstrating low vs high drive pups?
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


I don't know of any videos showing pups with lower drives, but I've always loved this one with a high drive puppy, haha!






If you think about the fact that breeders really spend at least 2 months watching the puppies grow, it makes sense that they'd be able to see their inherent personalities shining through by the time they're picking homes. You can tell the difference between dogs that are going to seem battery charged vs the ones that will just lay down and check out the room. The ones who will stand up to anything, running up to greet a strange noise, the ones who will be fine just looking to see what it is, and the ones who shy away. The ones who already show prey drive and a desire to bite and a pup who might show some interest, but lose it easily.

These beginnings are really important when it comes to picking the ideal home. Like others have said, it's not only about making sure people don't have more dog than they can handle, it's about the puppy becoming the best it can be. Genetics will only get you so far, it takes the right person and situation to bring out the potential the dog has. Just like a high drive puppy wouldn't be satisfied to lay around a house all day, a lower drive dog wouldn't work out in a sport home because it would take too much coaxing when it comes to training. Sure, you can train any dog decently far, but is the dog really enjoying itself?

I think I went on a bit of a tangent, it's not even 6am, I don't think I'm quite awake yet, haha! I just think all of this stuff is so interesting.


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## blackshep (Aug 3, 2012)

It's funny. I am a 'pet home' and a first time GSD owner. The breeder has expressed how happy she is that I took a pup from her. I ended up working my dog more than I thought I would, and am 2/3 or the way to our very first title ever and I take my dog everywhere with me. So I think it worked out really well for everyone. 

Another pup went to a 'working home' with a person who was a cop/K9 trainer, who lost their job due to some family drama and is now financially, and quite frankly, mentally unstable, so...so much for the working home. lol


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