# Our Thoughts, and Questions on Breeding



## TheRealCrazy8 (Mar 26, 2020)

So, we got our beautiful black/tan (13 week old) puppy. Her bloodline is amazing and it seems like it would be a shame to not breed her. The short version of how she came to be is great great grandpa and great great grandma came to the US during WWII. One was from Germany and the other from the UK. From then until now, there have been a number of show dogs and K9's and even now her uncle is an active K9. The breeder has done all of the leg work to put together the genealogy so that stuff, which I did view briefly look at (99% of it is is German from what I could tell) will be in my hands shortly. Anyway, we're not looking to be "breeders" necessarily, but if we had a litter, what could we be in store for? 

We have been befriending the breeders just because they're cool people, and were visiting them last night. It was briefly discussed about how Layla actually has 10 other siblings from one liter, how the basement carpet is destroyed even though plastic was put down, and something about a molting box. Of course, whether you end up with 4 puppies, or 11 puppies, you need to find people to buy them, if you're unable to, life is going to look pretty different for you...lol I also remember seeing on this forum that GSD's are NOT good as your first dog. Of course we'd see that after we've had ours already for 3 weeks. I also remember the breeder mentioning something about having DNA stored through a reputable clinic to possibly be cloned at some point in the future. But my [limited] research had shown that even if someone wanted to clone her, it's something like $55,000 to do that, so that's likely never going to happen.

Here's where I stand: We have a beautiful GSD that comes from a very impressive bloodline (at least to my wife and I and our limited knowledge) and it seems like it would be a shame to not breed her and keep those amazing genes going. However, because of that inexperience, and the questions/concerns above, I guess I don't know if it's a "good idea" to take on something like that especially not knowing if we can get them into good homes. Perhaps other breeders might be interested? Any advice or words of wisdom from those of you with experience, would be greatly appreciated. Maybe a "window view" of what all of this looks like and what to expect might be what's needed for us to decide one way or another? I'm going to stop rambling now. Thank you. LOL


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

So the first thing that popped into my mind- why are you visiting people right now?
Beyond that breeding is a messy, expensive, exhausting and thankless job. You are MILES from there right now with your puppy and lineage is only one of many factors to be considered but is your pup registered and do you have the pedigree is a good place to start.


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## UnlimitedGSD (Oct 16, 2012)

"We have a beautiful GSD that comes from a very impressive bloodline (at least to my wife and I and our limited knowledge) "

This says all you need to know about whether you should breed. You have limited knowledge.
You think your dog has some amazing pedigree that needs to be preserved, but you actually don't know that.

Breeding 1 litter is a breeder.


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## TheRealCrazy8 (Mar 26, 2020)

Sabis mom said:


> So the first thing that popped into my mind- why are you visiting people right now?
> Beyond that breeding is a messy, expensive, exhausting and thankless job. You are MILES from there right now with your puppy and lineage is only one of many factors to be considered but is your pup registered and do you have the pedigree is a good place to start.


We're actually not visiting people about breeding. The breeders I mentioned are people that we have been establishing a friendship with, but not on a breeder/breeding level. They're just a cool couple that we bonded with since getting Layla from them 3 weeks ago. We're now friends on FB because they wanted to see pictures of Layla as she got bigger and funny side story, turns out my step mom knows the wife from the hospital she works at. 

The pedigree is there and she is registered. He's got every detail on each dog printed out in a decent size stack of papers. The registration is something that I think I understand just the basic primary differences, but I believe (and I can ask to find out for sure) she has the limited registration right now (which the breeder did), but that I am able to upgrade her to the full registration. Now, I would ONLY do the full registration if I were to breed her, correct?


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## TheRealCrazy8 (Mar 26, 2020)

UnlimitedGSD said:


> "We have a beautiful GSD that comes from a very impressive bloodline (at least to my wife and I and our limited knowledge) "
> 
> This says all you need to know about whether you should breed. You have limited knowledge.
> You think your dog has some amazing pedigree that needs to be preserved, but you actually don't know that.
> ...


That's fair. I guess part of my "limited knowledge" thing was that maybe the pedigree isn't all that impressive and I just think it is? Something like that anyway...lol I always just associated the term "breeder" as someone who's done it more than once, and heck, maybe even does it for a living. But now I learned something new.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

You should not be visiting ANYONE for any reason right now, it has nothing to do with breeding and everything to do with a pandemic that is reshaping our world.
Long before you worry about breeding you need to figure out if your girl has the right stuff, which will happen through training and working and having her assessed by an unbiased third party.


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## RealThreats (Feb 23, 2020)

TheRealCrazy8 said:


> That's fair. I guess part of my "limited knowledge" thing was that maybe the pedigree isn't all that impressive and I just think it is? Something like that anyway...lol I always just associated the term "breeder" as someone who's done it more than once, and heck, maybe even does it for a living. But now I learned something new.


Can you post the pedigree ?


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## Kazel (Nov 29, 2016)

Limited registration would also have to be upgraded to full if you decided to show her not just for being bred. Breeding one litter of anything is indeed becoming a breeder. People often say it isn’t because then they aren’t responsible for anything basically because they aren’t a breeder they “just did it so their dog could be a mother”, or they only did it once. Until they only do it again just once next year and the year after that because people loved the other puppies so much. Very few people only ever do it once. 
After that a lot of dogs have amazing pedigrees. Puppy millers can sell puppies with so called amazing pedigrees particularly to the untrained eye.
So while a good pedigree gives you information about what you’re working with you need to make sure that your girl actually lives up to her pedigree. Not saying she can’t be an amazing dog for you. But we love our dogs, just because they’re amazing and perfect in our eyes doesn’t mean they should be bred. I have a dog that has amazing temperament, but he has nasty allergies and so just for that alone I wouldn’t breed him. 

In German shepherds to prove their worth breeding that often involves getting a working title on them and making sure they pass all health testing before breeding. Some people will say you have to do IGP etc. to prove breed worth. But people have taken sport titles to the extreme and created sporty dogs just like showing created showline dogs. So keep that in mind. But something like dock diving isn’t proving much for your dog.

After that say your female has passed her health testing with flying colors and has some sort of breed appropriate title(s). You’ll then have to find a stud who complements her, makes up for her weaknesses (because no dog is perfect), and also is health tested and breed appropriately titled. And then pay the stud fee if they'll consent to the breeding.

Assuming all that goes through you now have her and are planning for puppies. You’ll have to put together a whelping box and all the supplies you’ll need while she’s pregnant. You may want to do an x-ray (not cheap) to see how many puppies she’s carrying. If you’re not familiar with animal pregnancies you might not realize something is wrong if she has a birthing complication. That could result in dead puppies and/or emergency c-section. Then we’ll assume that your dog has good mothering instincts (not all do) you have to make sure the whelping box is proper but even then sometimes a mother may lay on her pup and smother it. That’s something you may have to deal with. Or maybe she rejects a puppy, many people will keep trying to force the mother to accept it, sometimes they’ll get rid of that rejected puppy permanently if you keep giving it back to them. It varies by dog and litter. This isn’t to try to scare you aware but are real things you’d have to deal with if you decide to have a litter of puppies.
You also have to screen buyers and find homes for all of these puppies. Which can be really difficult. You don’t want your puppies going to somebody who will dump them at a shelter at a year old or keep them chained up in a yard their entire life. Both are huge issues with German shepherds. And people can say oh I’ll just take any puppies back that don’t work out. But it’s better to screen good enough that you hopefully don’t have to. And people aren’t going to tell you if they aren’t taking care of the dog properly. Many won’t tell you if they drop it off at a shelter. You are responsible for bringing the puppies into the world so you have to decide if you’ll do your best to give them a good life while they’re here and that they aren’t turned into a breeding factor. Selling on limited and turning it to full after they pass health testing and titling can help but doesn’t prevent that.
All in all there is a butt ton that goes into being a breeder. But we really do need more good and solid responsible breeders. If you’re willing to give it your all, then educate yourself and go for it (but it may not be with this female). But if not we already have a ton of byb breeders and don’t need more of them.


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## TheRealCrazy8 (Mar 26, 2020)

Kazel said:


> Limited registration would also have to be upgraded to full if you decided to show her not just for being bred. Breeding one litter of anything is indeed becoming a breeder. People often say it isn’t because then they aren’t responsible for anything basically because they aren’t a breeder they “just did it so their dog could be a mother”, or they only did it once. Until they only do it again just once next year and the year after that because people loved the other puppies so much. Very few people only ever do it once.
> After that a lot of dogs have amazing pedigrees. Puppy millers can sell puppies with so called amazing pedigrees particularly to the untrained eye.
> So while a good pedigree gives you information about what you’re working with you need to make sure that your girl actually lives up to her pedigree. Not saying she can’t be an amazing dog for you. But we love our dogs, just because they’re amazing and perfect in our eyes doesn’t mean they should be bred. I have a dog that has amazing temperament, but he has nasty allergies and so just for that alone I wouldn’t breed him.
> 
> ...


Thank you so much for all of that. Thi sis some of the additional info I am looking for. I'm kind of a person that likes to get a big picture view of something like this, to help make a decision. Initially, I hadn't really planned on breeding, but was curious what all goes into it IF I ever entertained the idea, and this really gave me some good insight.

Just to touch a couple of your points:
As far as her full potential, I can kind of see that she has a lot of potential. She wants to learn and so far with her training she picks up quick. There is some distraction issues to work through, but I feel they're minor and I will keep trying to work through those. Anyway, because of what I see in her, I feel kind of bad when I see her sleep a lot. I keep having this thought of "if I don't spend 5+ hours a day outside training her, than I am failing her and not help her achieve here full awesomeness". Looking at the full picture, my wife and I do foster care and plan to use her as a therapy dog. But again, I feel like I need to help her be more than just a cool, well tempered dog that can help people feel good. Part of that is likely a personality thing with me too. lol All of that to say, I want to put in the work and time to help her reach her best. 

In regards to people who will dump a dog after a year or keep them chained up in the yard, we're thankfully not those people. I don't even like seeing people who have dogs, but are in an outdoor kennel 90% of the time. A - It's just ridiculous and B - it begs the question "why do you even have a dog"?

Im also one of those guys that when I want to learn, do something bad, I am all in. It actually drives my wife a little crazy. It's also how I ended up being one of those guys with a million hobbies. But, seeing all of this stuff you've posted is very helpful and gives a good look at everything. Odds are, I wont be breeding, but IF something later made me change my mind, I have a lot to think about and good info to start from.


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## Kazel (Nov 29, 2016)

TheRealCrazy8 said:


> Thank you so much for all of that. Thi sis some of the additional info I am looking for. I'm kind of a person that likes to get a big picture view of something like this, to help make a decision. Initially, I hadn't really planned on breeding, but was curious what all goes into it IF I ever entertained the idea, and this really gave me some good insight.
> 
> Just to touch a couple of your points:
> As far as her full potential, I can kind of see that she has a lot of potential. She wants to learn and so far with her training she picks up quick. There is some distraction issues to work through, but I feel they're minor and I will keep trying to work through those. Anyway, because of what I see in her, I feel kind of bad when I see her sleep a lot. I keep having this thought of "if I don't spend 5+ hours a day outside training her, than I am failing her and not help her achieve here full awesomeness". Looking at the full picture, my wife and I do foster care and plan to use her as a therapy dog. But again, I feel like I need to help her be more than just a cool, well tempered dog that can help people feel good. Part of that is likely a personality thing with me too. lol All of that to say, I want to put in the work and time to help her reach her best.
> ...


There is so much that goes into breeding correctly it can be a bit intimidating. I plan on breeding someday but that is easily 4+ years out before I even plan on getting a dog that would be a potential breeding prospect. This forum has a lot of good information, the important thing is to not rush into it and plan ahead if it's something you want to get into because there is a lot to learn and factor in.

Keep in mind on her potential she is only a puppy. They need their sleep to help grow and process all they're learning. You can overstimulate and do too much. Se's only what 4 months old? She's still a baby so distraction is pretty normal. If you want to give her something more that wouldn't be in conflict with potential therapy work (keep in mind some german shepherds aren't as cuddly friendly once they mature) tracking is something a lot of people enjoy. Some people get into SAR which sounds like a crazy huge commitment but I imagine would be very rewarding.

And not saying you guys are owners who ditch dogs or such. It's just something you have to be careful of, if you became a breeder. German shepherds attract a lot of unsavory people or people who don't really know what goes into owning a dog. So it's a breed you have to really vet any prospective buyers to make sure that doesn't happen to the puppies you produce. Tons of people who want a "guard dog" and will just leave it in their yard to bark and be bored and lonely all day. I got a dog who the person got rid of because she was too friendly. The breeder of that dog had a return contract but the person who bought her didn't care and if the breeder had truly cared just a quick facebook search showed that the lady constantly gets dogs and then gets tired of them and gets rid of them. So by vetting the buyer the breeder would've known better than to sell a puppy to that lady.

Also we really do need more truly responsible breeders. So if it's something you'd be willing to learn how to do correctly I would encourage you to explore the idea. Just realize that the female you have right now may not be a dog you'd start a breeding program with.


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## Pytheis (Sep 23, 2016)

TheRealCrazy8 said:


> As far as her full potential, I can kind of see that she has a lot of potential. She wants to learn and so far with her training she picks up quick.


Absolutely no offense intended, but those traits don’t really make your puppy anything special, in all honesty. Almost every single shepherd has those characteristics; it’s what makes the _breed_ special. You need to do something more than just training her to sit. You need to title her in something, get an outside eye on her saying, “Yes, that dog is amazing!” Of course you think your own dog is amazing. What counts is someone unbiased agreeing with you. Get her in to competition obedience, agility, IGP, tracking. Lots of choices out there. Just being a well-behaved adult (and she’s still a puppy. You have a long way to go!) isn’t enough. There are lots of well-behaved adult dogs that don’t need to be bred.

Stick around the forum! There’s lots to learn and great people to answer questions.


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## TheRealCrazy8 (Mar 26, 2020)

Pytheis said:


> Absolutely no offense intended, but those traits don’t really make your puppy anything special, in all honesty. Almost every single shepherd has those characteristics; it’s what makes the _breed_ special. You need to do something more than just training her to sit. You need to title her in something, get an outside eye on her saying, “Yes, that dog is amazing!” Of course you think your own dog is amazing. What counts is someone unbiased agreeing with you. Get her in to competition obedience, agility, IGP, tracking. Lots of choices out there. Just being a well-behaved adult (and she’s still a puppy. You have a long way to go!) isn’t enough. There are lots of well-behaved adult dogs that don’t need to be bred.
> 
> Stick around the forum! There’s lots to learn and great people to answer questions.


No offense taken. This has been great. I totally agree with everything. I can totally see how judgement can be clouded, especially if theirs lack of experience. Compared to the dog I grew up with, Layla is a beaming light of brilliance and all things amazing, but with in her breed, she may turn out to be sub-par, even if she's the most amazing thing ever to me...lol

My current plan and ideas for her are:
Once she's done with puppy training I am going to do (I think theirs 3 levels?) obedience and then I also want to do the Good Citizen Training. Being that we do foster care and will keep on taking in teens from time to time, I'd also like to see if I could do some "scent detection" with her. She could be very useful in situations that we have to do room searches for drugs (and we have done this and found stuff before) and other things the kids should not be having in our home. On that note, I'm guessing its a breed thing, but she CONSTANTLY has her nose to the ground. That nose could be handy. 

Most of the behavioral stuff is for the therapy role she'll play in the home, but also because I want her to be well behaved and offer me some peace of mind as well. You've given me so much info and things to think about. This is good stuff and perhaps will lead to some fun stuff fer hers and my future, so thank you again.


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## TheRealCrazy8 (Mar 26, 2020)

RealThreats said:


> Can you post the pedigree ?


I actually talked to the guy a little bit ago and he's going to give me all the paperwork he has on her. I just need to figure out when I'll grab it, but it could be later tonight. However, it might be some time before I post it only because the majority of all the pedigree stuff he had was in German and a TON of... not sure what to call it... notation maybe? Things like "BT" for Black and Tan, or "BR" for Black and Red, and so on. There's literally an entire sheet, maybe front and back even, of these abbreviations and what they mean, so I'll need to sort through that as well. I feel I'll be learning a great deal, and maybe even speak fluent German, after going through all of the paperwork....LOL


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

TheRealCrazy8 said:


> I actually talked to the guy a little bit ago and he's going to give me all the paperwork he has on her. I just need to figure out when I'll grab it, but it could be later tonight. However, it might be some time before I post it only because the majority of all the pedigree stuff he had was in German and a TON of... not sure what to call it... notation maybe? Things like "BT" for Black and Tan, or "BR" for Black and Red, and so on. There's literally an entire sheet, maybe front and back even, of these abbreviations and what they mean, so I'll need to sort through that as well. I feel I'll be learning a great deal, and maybe even speak fluent German, after going through all of the paperwork....LOL


A pedigree isn’t TONS of paperwork... don’t overwhelm yourself. Her parents names will do - folks here can get the info they need from that.


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## Petra's Dad (Jan 6, 2020)

The registration paperwork should have the parent's names written on it.


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## Katsugsd (Jul 7, 2018)

I'd spend some time learning more about the breed and let your girl grow. Once she's old enough, and seems like an exceptional specimen - look into whether or not your gal is breed worthy - temperament wise, workability (you plan to do sport), structure, etc. I've seen dogs with good pedigress that they did not reflect in themselves.

I've assisted in whelping two litters - one I arrived after the mother already had 4 of the 10 pups, the other I was there from start to finish. 

Sabi's mom is right, it IS messy and exhausting - there is a constant rotation of clean linens coming in and bloody/wet linens being taken straight to the washer. It is tiring and so many things can go wrong. We had two puppies get stuck on their way out and had to be manually manipulated. One of the two came out not breathing, and it took over 20 minutes to resuscitate him. He's 12 weeks now and seems to be doing just fine. The whelping started at 7:45am (I had climbed into the whelping box around 6:45am) and did not finish until 5pm. I did not eat the entire day, and if I weren't there, I'm fairly certain nothing in my breeder's household would have gotten done - some mothers REALLY want someone there with them and this female was one of them.

Not trying to turn you off at all, it's just a lot of work. I'm considering breeding in the future and I think I have an amazing mentor who tolerates all my questions and allows me to have hands on experiences like this.


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## TheRealCrazy8 (Mar 26, 2020)

I was able to get the pedigree info last night. What he did was, he printed off some stuff on each of the GSD's on the certificate, so that's what the stack of papers is.

With all of that said Layla's parents are:
Sunny Day Dougherty - DN42299002
Arrow Calah Knight - DN52567503

However, when I go to the AKC site and put that in the search, it will show (not always) the DOB, gender, and all of that, but the registration number turns into a clickable link, but nothing happens. Not sure if anything is supposed to happen, but for a quick second it acts like it's going to load something, and nothing happens. I'll have to see what I can figure out with that.


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## Kazel (Nov 29, 2016)

This is all I was able to find on the breeder.









German Shepherd Dog Puppies For Sale - AKC PuppyFinder


Find German Shepherd Dog Puppies and Breeders in your area and helpful German Shepherd Dog information. All German Shepherd Dog found here are from AKC-Registered parents.




marketplace.akc.org


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## Steve Strom (Oct 26, 2013)

TheRealCrazy8 said:


> I was able to get the pedigree info last night. What he did was, he printed off some stuff on each of the GSD's on the certificate, so that's what the stack of papers is.
> 
> With all of that said Layla's parents are:
> Sunny Day Dougherty - DN42299002
> ...


If it was me, I'd want to see the pedigree just for curiosity. But I look at pure bred dogs as something that takes a certain effort to maintain. So in general there are certain things done at a minimum to show that effort, like different health checks depending on the breed. When I see things like that not done, I don't put much value on the pedigree anymore. Same thing with working abilities and temperament. Don't tell me your dogs can do all these different things because 3 generations back such and such and such dog did. If all your dogs do is lay around the house, thats what I know they can do. That big red X next to applicable health screens would eliminate any thought I had about breeding. Other people I know wouldn't automatically think the same, probably just the opposite, but that's something for you to think about.









German Shepherd Dog Puppies For Sale - AKC PuppyFinder


Find German Shepherd Dog Puppies and Breeders in your area and helpful German Shepherd Dog information. All German Shepherd Dog found here are from AKC-Registered parents.




marketplace.akc.org


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## TheRealCrazy8 (Mar 26, 2020)

Kazel said:


> This is all I was able to find on the breeder.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


"Sassy" is Layla 

Since the AKC site seems to be problematic, I checked the pedigree database for more info. I wasn't able to see Layla's parents on the pedigree database site, but, I was able to find everyone from grandparents and on back.

Vin Von Der Liebeswarte
DN40626201

Ripleys Little Lola
DN27697404

Varneys Rocky
DN41554605 (couldn't find)

Dandy Vonsterlyn Wellman
DN40292902


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## UnlimitedGSD (Oct 16, 2012)

Neither of the parents have accomplished anything, neither are in the OFA database for proper health certification. 
I see no amazing pedigree here at all.


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## Nscullin (Sep 29, 2019)

UnlimitedGSD said:


> Neither of the parents have accomplished anything, neither are in the OFA database for proper health certification.
> I see no amazing pedigree here at all.


Didn’t look them up but let’s say “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” 

ALSO

at 13 weeks, breeding should be the furthest thing from your mind. 


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

I’ve been lucky enough to acquire excellent (for my needs) dogs through GSD rescues and the shelter system... my state has an abundance to choose from, from every end of the spectrum. We are a large state (CA) with _at least_ 10 GSD rescues. One of them posted yesterday that just this year (3 months), they’ve adopted out 214 purebred (with a few exceptions) dogs. 214!

If reputable breeders keep tabs on the dogs they produce, limit registration and will take their dogs back for any reason - then where do all these dogs come from? None of mine were plagued with major health or temperament issues, so one can assume they were of decent quality, yet homeless none the less. Puppy mills and pet stores are not an issue here, therefore these dogs are coming from backyard breeders - whether it’s their “just 1” litter or they have a website with a handful of family dogs of no distinct lines, accomplishments or health info... they are still the problem.

Despite my success and positive experience with rescues, acquiring a pup from a breeder is not completely off the table. I noticed your breeder listed their pups for $1200. The short list of breeders that I’ve been looking at have dogs starting around $1600-1800. For just a few hundred more I’ll tell you what I’m expecting...

- more experience than 1 pup. involvement in a sport / club / working dog association, etc

- knowledge of their dogs and the dogs behind their dogs (the pedigree), bonus points if they’ve owned / trained / worked multiple generations. What are the individual dogs strengths and weaknesses, what was the intent behind the pairing of the parents and what they’re expecting (not just hoping for) from the litter.

- I’d like to see titles or accomplishments related to my plans for the pup. Even if I’m seeking a pet - that pet will be trained and exposed to various activities and stimulus and I’d like to know that they are willing and physically and mentally sound for it.

- i’d like my breeder to have the knowledge, skills and experience to evaluate the litter and select the appropriate puppy for my goals and lifestyle.

- I expect early foundation training and socialization in the weeks leading up to the pup coming home. To me, this looks like beginning potty training, crate training, drive assessments, tug, body handling, exposure to sounds / surfaces, etc... not just playtime with visitors.

- i’d expect some level of follow up and support should questions or issues come up... information, resources, etc

- i’d like to know that the risk of my dog developing certain genetic disorders is low - the only way to know this is through documentation of generation after generation of clear health screenings.

These are just a few things off the top of my head, will likely come back and edit / add more. But this is all outside of the actual process of breeding, whelping and rearing a litter. I believe most of that has been covered already. Much more than worrying about your carpets, lol.

If I’m looking for a smaller sized working line bi color or sable long coated pup that’s confident, social, biddable, highly food motivated with moderate prey drive suitable for an active pet home with young children and goals of being the next dock diving champ... ask yourself, do you know whether or not you’re able to provide that?


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## Nscullin (Sep 29, 2019)

Fodder said:


> If I’m looking for a smaller sized working line bi color or sable long coated pup that’s confident, social, biddable, highly food motivated with moderate prey drive suitable for an active pet home with young children and goals of being the next dock diving champ... ask yourself, do you know whether or not you’re able to provide that?


This. X10. People like what they like.
Example:

I have a friend who love black, long coat working line males. He will consider nothing different. He likes natural aggression and very intense dogs. I find all these traits to be a rare find when in combination. A breeder trying to offload dogs will consistently try to convince that they’re dogs are just as good. Or it’s how they’re raised. Blah blah blah. While some of that is true. The bottom line is PEOPLE LIKE WHAT THEY LIKE. Responsible breeders do it for the love of the breed, not profit.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## TheRealCrazy8 (Mar 26, 2020)

Fodder said:


> I’ve been lucky enough to acquire excellent (for my needs) dogs through GSD rescues and the shelter system... my state has an abundance to choose from, from every end of the spectrum. We are a large state (CA) with _at least_ 10 GSD rescues. One of them posted yesterday that just this year (3 months), they’ve adopted out 214 purebred (with a few exceptions) dogs. 214!
> 
> If reputable breeders keep tabs on the dogs they produce, limit registration and will take their dogs back for any reason - then where do all these dogs come from? None of mine were plagued with major health or temperament issues, so one can assume they were of decent quality, yet homeless none the less. Puppy mills and pet stores are not an issue here, therefore these dogs are coming from backyard breeders - whether it’s their “just 1” litter or they have a website with a handful of family dogs of no distinct lines, accomplishments or health info... they are still the problem.
> 
> ...


This is really insightful and helpful. Even though I don't know what I am doing with going through the pedigree, it is something I am interested in and trying to learn more about the other GSD's. Thank you for writing all of that, I greatly appreciate it.


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