# How did you know that pup was for you??



## GSD84 (Apr 27, 2011)

We will be getting our girl Sept 17. And I was wondering how you all knew that your dog was for you? Was it the first one to come up to you? Or did you just pick her/him based on looks, activity level etc? Just curious. I hear that the females bond better with males and vice versa, so I am thinking of bringing our 4 yr old son with us when we pick her up. Maybe the pup will choose us


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## Bunch of Rascals (Dec 27, 2010)

I don't know about the males bonding to females and vice versa but I DO know that when it came to getting Frankie and all the research I had done before we even found our breeder that I was not experienced enough to know which ones were best suited for our needs...just a great family companion. Some GSD's need much much more than I was able to give them so I left that decision up to our breeder who spent so much time with the pups and could distinguish their personalities best. Just a thought  But I know there are some personality tests you can google if you really want to choose your own.


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## GSD84 (Apr 27, 2011)

Well our breeder mentioned that as well. She will advise you on the pup that will best suite your family. Just wondered if any of you just had a connection with a certain dog over another.


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

My breeder picked both my girls out for me. 

When I first saw Carly pile out of the puppy room with her litter mates, I was transfixed. She might as well have had a neon sign over her head saying she belonged to me. I never told my breeder that I wanted her because I knew that she would pick the best puppy for me. I was DELIGHTED when she said it was HER! 

Same thing happened with GSD number two. I went to see the litter (I was NOT interested in getting another dog at that time) and fell in love with this little dark faced girl. I joked "I'll be taking her home later this evening" and my breeder said, yes that's the one we have picked out for you. Eeeek! I mulled it over for about a week before I said ok. And that girl is now my "heart" dog.


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## Two (Jul 18, 2011)

Since the breeder that I will eventually be getting my pup from is quite a distance away from where I live, and I can't afford to fly there and back at the moment (only 20 years old). The breeder will be picking out which pup is best suited for my living standards. The breeder will pretty much know anything and everything that has to do with my living style and how the puppy will fit into it!

See what the breeder has to say. And when you go look at the pups you'll probably just know what one is right for you.


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## Holmeshx2 (Apr 25, 2010)

in answer to the title... because my breeder told me so lol. Honestly I "thought" I had plenty of experience had dogs before done rescue placed dogs in other homes and matched them with the right home etc.. but could not have done what my breeder has done she is perfect for us and would never go back to choosing my own because from the beginning you are drawn to looks and I know that would overshadow what I wanted/needed.


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## warpwr (Jan 13, 2011)

Miss Molly made long and strong eye contact with me and my wife. 
The other pups didn't. 
That did it for us and she still makes that strong eye contact.


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

In my opinion... you shouldn't pick the puppy at all. All puppies are cute... how can someone just choose one?

Tell your breeder exactly what you're looking for and have them choose the puppy those most fits what you're looking for.


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## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

> How did you know that pup was for you??


... I didn't, my breeder choose both my pups. 

With Stark, I went in wanting a companion who could eventually do some performance stuff on the side. Didn't know I would get as serious about training and competing as I did. He's the perfect companion dog and as he gets older he is becoming a joy to work with. He is amazing in the house and just an awesome companion for me. He loves to cuddle, is super in tune with me and is my love bug. He is my heart.

Zefra... oh boy, did I get what I asked for... LOL. I wanted a schutzhund prospect who would do well in other venues as well. Small, agile, high drives, medium thresholds, sound nerve, AWESOME temperament, naturally engaged, an eagerness to work with me and not a really "sporty" dog, I wanted a thinking dog as well. I got just that. She is only 4 months old but shows sooo much potential. She is just amazing. I am in love with her.


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

well until i joined this board i assumed everyone picked their own puppy. lol. Shasta is the only dog i have right now that was not from a rescue situation. Shasta was from a litter of 12 and when i found the craigslist ad, it was just her and her sister left. I didnt pick based on looks because they were both all tan... the looked kinda funny for GSD puppies. I was already in love with sables but didnt know what sables looked like as puppies, never having had one from a pup. Shasta was my pick. Her sister was the one in the picture i'd seen but her sister had NO interest in anything or anyone. Shasta acknowledged my existence and is my velcro pup now. I picked my puppy though my next pup i have NO problems having the breeder pick my pup.


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

I went through a byb to get my boy, I didn't know any better and I personally chose him. 

There were 2 other litters on the ground and he was the last puppy left from a 3rd litter. He was the only black puppy there and I was dead set on a black GSD. As soon as we (my ex and I) got out of the car, he came running up to us. He let me hold him, he followed us around, he held his ground to one of the adult GSDs and he stole a beer and proudly trotted around the pen containing all of the other puppies like "look what I got losers" haha, I knew he was mine right away. 

He is 2 years old now and he is the perfect dog for me. :wub:


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

LaRen616 said:


> I went through a byb to get my boy, I didn't know any better and I personally chose him.
> 
> There were 2 other litters on the ground and he was the last puppy left from a 3rd litter. He was the only black puppy there and I was dead set on a black GSD. As soon as we (my ex and I) got out of the car, he came running up to us. He let me hold him, he followed us around, he held his ground to one of the adult GSDs and he stole a beer and proudly trotted around the pen containing all of the other puppies like "look what I got losers" haha, I knew he was mine right away.
> 
> He is 2 years old now and he is the perfect dog for me. :wub:


I went through a byb too. There was a female and a male remaining and we wanted a female. She was so cute and very friendly and unafraid. I was a totally ignorant GSD buyer. At the time we just wanted a GSD pup and that was that. We had had 2 mutts prior to that and figured we knew all about bringing up pups, had no idea about the landshark phase or the challenges specific to GSDs. We learned a lot! Unfortunately, we didn't know about this forum until Abby was 1 and past all the most difficult phases. It was humbling to learn how much we should have researched and asked of the breeder .... rather than seeing cute pup and saying "OK, we'll take her".
All the BYB said was, "Do you have any questions?" nope


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## Backwoodz_ACO (Jul 26, 2011)

My first GSD was from a backyard breeder and like Lauren I didn't know any better. I was just excited to finally get a GSD puppy. He had so many issues and luckily I worked for a Vet office at that time and was able to save his life.

My second GSD I picked out. He is AKC registered and by the time I found the breeder out of a litter of 8 she only had two left that were for sale. When I arrived at her house she had both of them outside running around. There was a really big fluffy sable male and a small black and tan male. The small male already had his ears standing up and was running around like he owned the place. It wasn't hard for me to choose because I was already smitten with the small male. She told me that he was the runt and that no one has paid any attention to him. I picked him up and told her that this is the one that I want. I paid her and told her that I was going to name him Jerry Lee. He was such a good boy on the ride home and sat in the passenger seat of the truck just hanging out. He has been such a blessing to me and as I have found out...it isn't the size of the GSD that matters, it is the size of their heart!


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## Klamari (Aug 6, 2010)

Holmeshx2 said:


> in answer to the title... because my breeder told me so


 Amen. I don't know how they did it without ever even meeting me in person, but I can't imagine a dog that would be a better fit for me. I get to see Kalypso almost every weekend, and she is an AWESOME little pup also. But getting to observe her, seeing the little differences that Chris explained to me, it just confirmed that Rayne was the one for me.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

what others said,,'cause the breeder said so' LOL...Masi came from KY and I'm in CT, definately saw pics, but left the decision up to the breeder..She's exactly what I wanted


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## bianca (Mar 28, 2010)

I will definitely not pick my own puppy next time. I have learned my lesson!

I picked Molly for two reasons, she was the runt and secondly she was not afraid of DH's wheelchair. She was/is probably too 'out there' for what I was ready for. Again, next time a reputable breeder for me who will match the pup to me.


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## fuzzybunny (Apr 29, 2011)

In Jazz's litter there were only two males and I wanted a male as well as another older gentleman. He had first pick and selected the pup I wanted. A week before we were to pick up our pups, the breeder called me and said she strongly felt that me and this older gentleman were getting the wrong pup and she had spoken to him already and he agreed to change his selection based on her recommendation. After listening to the breeder describe the reasoning behind her thoughts I agreed to switch as well. I don't know how the other dog is now but I can say Jazz fits in perfectly to our life.


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## lesslis (Sep 23, 2007)

After 2 "genetically challenged" rescues, whom I love dearly but are far from the correct standard for a GSD. I'll give myself a small amount of credit for 2yrs of researching, watching, talking, lots of listening and finding the right breeder who then produced and picked the perfect pup. Thanks Chris and Tim.


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## EchoGSD (Mar 12, 2010)

I told my breeder what I was looking for (primarily family companion, healthy, solid temperament, with obedience and agility potential). She picked the original pup ("Gracie") for us, but on "pick up" day we found the pup she chose to be just a little too strong willed and independent for us. After a few hours of visiting and some discussion with the breeder, we opted to go with a different girl ("Echo") from the same litter. We have never regretted changing our mind. I met Gracie in a class a few months after we brought Echo home; as expected she has much more drive, energy, and independence than our Echo. I'm very glad we changed our minds on pick up day, otherwise we might have let ourselves in for years of frustration (both ours and Gracie's!).


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## Two (Jul 18, 2011)

warpwr said:


> Miss Molly made long and strong eye contact with me and my wife.
> The other pups didn't.
> That did it for us and she still makes that strong eye contact.


EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeee so CUTEEEEE GIMME!!! :wub::wub::wub:


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## unclemick (Jul 11, 2011)

We told the breeder what we wanted. He had two female pups that he said fit the bill out of the litter we were looking at and gave us our choice of the two. When we got Stori home for the first couple of months I thought that we had made a mistake. I even told my wife I thought we had made a mistake and was thinking of sending the puppy back and getting a different one from another litter. It would have been a big mistake. By the time she was 6 months old she started turning into a different dog and now at 16 months I can see what she will be like at the age of 3 or so....the exact dog that I wanted. Smart, loyal, friendly to EVERYBODY when she is suppose to be and serious/reserved when she should be. She is also very trainable as long as you make it fun for her. 

So I guess in a nutshell if the breeder knows what they are doing let them help pick the pup for you. Just let them know EXACTLy what you are going to be doing with the dog and what your life style is like so they can make the right decision.


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## bruiser (Feb 14, 2011)

Our breeder also helped us pick out 'bruiser.' It was also the pup that we felt a connection with which was cool. We have a wonderful family with our dogs and ourselves.


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## Gracie's My Girl (May 27, 2011)

We visited with the breeder before the puppies were born. We talked about our lifestyle and who we were. The breeder was then able to take that information and help us select a puppy that was right for us.

In the end, the breeder offered us a choice between two puppies that had equal personalites and tempermant. We picked the cute one with the floppy tan ears!


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## Sigurd's Mom (May 12, 2009)

I told my breeder what I was looking for. She chose the litter and pup. Thankfully the pup she chose for me was the one I bonded with during my two visits. I'm so glad. What drew me to him was he was his personality. Even though he was very young when we visited, he just had the spirit I was looking for. The other pups would lay on him, the other male pup would push him out of the way, etc, so he was sort of a loner it seemed like. He fell asleep on me when he was 5 weeks old and played with me... it was love at first sight. When it was time to pick him up and she told us which she had chose for us, I couldn't believe it!! I got my dream pup! My breeder made the best choice.


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## Management (Aug 1, 2011)

you really have to KNOW WHAT you want and also have a breeder you feel can deliver. with the exchanged feedback between us and our breeder on appearance, mannerisms and our needs- it all came together.


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## GSD84 (Apr 27, 2011)

Thanks everyone for the stories. I always pictured a little girl with the mole and floppy ears lol. But I know our breeder will suggest a pup for us. And with two small kids and being a first time dog owner, I don't want a dog with a completely high drive. So I will definately be trusting our breeder on this one!


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## King&Skylar (Jun 3, 2010)

The breeder picked mine out  I would NEVER do it myself, the breeder spends 9 weeks with them, I spend a few hours at most, and in Kayden's case, I never even saw him until he came home at 11 weeks.


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## dazedtrucker (May 2, 2011)

I communicated with my breeder, but it was the connection, that brought Axel to us. I gave her the authority to pick our pup, and it all came down to 2 pups, 1 of which was Axel. I told her at the 4 week old pix which pup I liked...
I wanted a little higher drive, out of a "mellow" litter, but when it came down to 2, the other being the higher drive pup..I chose Axel, because I had a connection to this pup since the get go, and I told her that. And he is PERFECT for us. We worked together, it was a gut feeling decision, and it was right 100%. I researched, and searched 6 months before I even thought about purchasing. Then put a deposit on a pup when the breeding took place. then waited 2 months + from breeding to picking up my pup.


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

My first GSD, Tara, was chosen for me by the breeder and so was Treue. Endi, looking back, was one of those "I want a puppy now" choices which is not a good way to get a puppy. I had a couple of others in there that were chosen by the breeder and didn't work out. Nike, I tested the litter and didn't like her two sisters. She showed the best nerve, desire to interact with me and had excellent hunt drive. I have to admit, though, that she was not an easy puppy and I didn't really like her that much until she was about 8 months old. Since then my pups have all been bred by me and I have known early on (few weeks) which one would stay. There was just something about those puppies that told me they were the ones. I think with Vala I knew the day she was born. LOL She came out screaming, was very strong and knew exactly what she wanted. Donovan took a bit longer since I really had no interest in keeping a male. I liked him and finally allowed my friends to talk me into keeping him.


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## Redhawk (Jul 8, 2011)

I intended and intended for years to find the 'right' dog that matched me. I did a lot of research finding a breeder that breed the type (temperament and activity level and drive) of GSD that I wanted. I made sure she knew exactly what I wanted and that she was the type of person that was going to make a genuine decision based on my needs and lifestyle. Many breeders will say they can pick for you, but if you really question them about the pups, you will find they just want to get them off their hands - I met a few very professional breeders like that, met them in person. walked away immediately, even though the pups were good, couldn't trust the breeder.

Eventually I found a breeder who would keep the pups til 9 weeks just to make sure she really knew their personalities, and when she picked and sent me the photo, I knew it was right.

Having said that, every morning when Tav gets up and we cuddle, I know it was the right decision. After coffee and right before her walk when she starts to nip at my hands, I feel like it was the wrong decision. On the walk when she zooms back and forth but stays 15 feet from me, I know it was the right decision. When we come back from the walk and she nips at me again because she is all wound up, I think this was a bad decision again When she goes crazy for the frozen pear and leaps on it, I know it was a good decision again  Thanks Unclemick for reminding me it will get better...

I love puppies, but I hate them as well. I am hoping as she grows more and more our bond will get strong, but it has been doing so slowly. I think it is the same as having a baby. Everyone glorifies the experience as if it's the best thing in the world. The truth is, like life I guess, sometimes having a puppy SUX at times (especially if you have no other dogs and you are the one providing every second of their entertainment) but it is worth it in the end when they grow up a bit


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## k_sep (Jun 21, 2011)

I found my pup and took her home so I could care for her until she was old enough togive either to a pound or a rescue. My vet estimated that she could be as young as six weeks old, so I was going to keep her for a few weeks and take care of her. After a few days, I knew that I couldn't let her go. She stuck to me no matter where I went, learned to sit in two days, made very few accidents in the house and hardly cried at night. I couldn't help it, I fell in love with her, so she's mine now!


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

I sat on the ground where all of the puppies were playing.....MINE!....MINE!...MINE!...MINE!...MINE!...MINE!...MINE!.....

I wouldn't recommend the process to anyone...


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## Louis (Nov 6, 2010)

This sounds crazy i know .But my 2 youngest pups i picked out by their photos.And each case they were chosen ,for sparkle in their eyes.I understand you think i am nuts,but both are all we could ever ask for.


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## GSDElsa (Jul 22, 2009)

I had absolutely no say (well, that's not fair--I told the breeder exactly what I was looking for and wanted out of a puppy) and didn't have any clue what puppy I was getting until he got off the plane. Oh, and even then we spent about 20 minutes trying to read the tattoos to figure out who was getting what one :rofl:


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

breeder chosing the pup, the pup chosing you.
i don't have much faith in that. you buy a pup from
a reputable breeder, you train, socialize, spend
a lot of time with the pup and you're going to have
an amazing dog. i bought my pup months before
he was born. i never saw the parents or met the breeder.
i chose my pup based on color and gender.
i wanted a blk&red, male GSD. when it comes to getting
a pup i have faith in the breeder. the breeder has to do the
hard part, making sure the pup is sound, good temperment
and strong nerves, etc. i have the easy part. all i have to do
is train and socialize. good luck with the new pup.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

so the breeder picked the pup for you. how does the breeder know
what the temperment or personality of the pup is going to be
a month later? yes, some GSD's probably need more of
something than others but hoe do you determine
that when they're 8 weeks, 9 weeks, 10 weeks old???



Bunch of Rascals said:


> I don't know about the males bonding to females and vice versa but I DO know that when it came to getting Frankie and all the research I had done before we even found our breeder that I was not experienced enough to know which ones were best suited for our needs...just a great family companion. Some GSD's need much much more than I was able to give them so I left that decision up to our breeder who spent so much time with the pups and could distinguish their personalities best. Just a thought  But I know there are some personality tests you can google if you really want to choose your own.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

so if the one you pick (that you know is right for you)
isn't the one the breeder picks???



Two said:


> Since the breeder that I will eventually be getting my pup from is quite a distance away from where I live, and I can't afford to fly there and back at the moment (only 20 years old). The breeder will be picking out which pup is best suited for my living standards. The breeder will pretty much know anything and everything that has to do with my living style and how the puppy will fit into it!
> 
> >>>>See what the breeder has to say. And when you go look at the pups you'll probably just know what one is right for you.<<<<


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## Franksmom (Oct 13, 2010)

I had been watching a breeders website that posted pics of pups from when they were born till they went home, I loved watching the pups as they grew to see how they changed, in one litter a little pup kind of caught my eye in each picture there was just something about him, but I wasnt' planning on getting a pup for another 2 years. 
Here's the part that's hard to admit you know how you accuse your husband of not hearing a word you say. well apparently not only had mine been listening to everything I'd said about what I would ask a breeder, but also what I wanted my next puppy to be like. 
Will the Hubby came in the day before our 20th wedd. Ann. and said If I call the breeder and that pup you've been drooling over has everything you want will you make the 10hour round trip tommorrow to get him with me. Of course I said "Sure, but there's no way you'll just call her up and get it arranged and have it be that puppy just like that"
He picked up his phone and called her number from memory, he'd been talking to her all weekend to make sure that, that pup was the pup for me. 
I was stunned when my Hubby told me that when he called and talked to her the pup in the picture was the actual pup she suggested would be the right one for me. without even knowing it was the one I'd picked too. 
So I guess Frank is double picked by me and by the breeder for us.


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## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

I wanted the biggest, dumbest, laziest pup in the bunch and Stosh hasn't disappointed. In other words, I didn't want a pup with a very high drive/energy level. The breeder had the pick of the litter all set out for me but he was exactly what I didn't want- I felt bad because she was so disappointed that I didn't want him even though he really was gorgeous and truly the 'pick'. Her husband suggested Stosh- he was a big furry lump, way too comfy snuggling with the two other long coated pups out of the litter of 6. I had no preference as to color or coat, I just wanted a male with a great temperament and good conformation. I can't say that he's dumb at all, but he has a calm, quiet, confident demeanor but is full of drive and energy when we're playing, herding, training, etc. I've never had a dog that was a better match for me


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## Packen (Sep 14, 2008)

Cause the litter passed the evaluation and the pup passed the selection


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

In my boys' cases it was mostly a breeder pick. I wasn't close enough to visit often so I would not have had a really good idea of who was who. I described what I wanted and reserved the right to say "no" if I didn't like what I saw when I came to get my puppy. We did visit Nikon's litter once at 4 weeks and he was the puppy that I was most interested in at that time. Size was an important factor for me both times, since I do some activities that can be really hard on joints for a dog that is larger or has heavy bone. That's not to say larger GSDs can't be fit and agile but there is a certain structure that lends itself to activities like agility and flyball (not just talking GSDs but across breeds). Both Nikon and Pan were small males in their respective litters. Pan was chosen for me by the breeders; Nikon I chose with the breeder the day I picked him up.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

GSD84 said:


> We will be getting our girl Sept 17. And I was wondering how you all knew that your dog was for you? Was it the first one to come up to you? Or did you just pick her/him based on looks, activity level etc? Just curious. I hear that the females bond better with males and vice versa, so I am thinking of bringing our 4 yr old son with us when we pick her up. Maybe the pup will choose us


I hope your breeder will choose the pup for you, and not the pup choosing you.
I trusted Karlo's breeder to pick the right pup for me after an extensive interview before whelping and while the pups grew we visited the breeder again. 
There were only two males however, so I wasn't sure there would even be a pup for me until the evaluation at 7 weeks.
I lucked out with Karlo, he is just right for our family. 

Onyx was the last female available in her litter, and the "alpha" one, so the breeder wanted her placed carefully. My husband convinced the breeder we could deal with such a personality...little did he know what we getting into!
Stomper was the only pup I've ever picked, he was the first to go in a litter, the only black male, so I picked him. He was bought from a dairy farmer who had a litter of GSD's. 
He turned out to be a great dog with no pedigree. His ears never stood unless he was excited, we always wondered if a black lab was his sire....even though the farmer said they were purebred.


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## cindy_s (Jun 14, 2009)

I was looking at puppies for about 1 1/2 years. I had 3 old timers that were near in age, so it was just looking at breeders. I had gotten Ruger after I had lost the first one, and decided to wait until the other 2 left me. I came across Cues on the breeders web site. I had to have her. Why, I have no idea. I had seen a ton of puppies. She was just a puppy sausage in the picture, nothing special about her. To make a long story short, I had talked myself out of her for a number of reasons. Two other fabulous puppies were available from another breeder, but by then I had talked myself out of a new puppy entirely. 
Then my sister came up. She insisted that I go look at the puppies from the original breeder. I called her, and she had 2 males from another litter that would be good for Schutzhund and would be what I was looking for. Still didn't concider Cues.
When we got there, Cues and her litter mate were in a room in their welping box, and the second litter was in theirs. Cue's litter was 8 weeks, and the second litter was 10 weeks. The breeder took out the 2 males that she had picked out for me to choose from, but then she took all the puppies out for play time together. Cues started rough housing with the males that were 2 weeks older. There was no back down in her. She got the zoomies and had to play with everyone at least once. Once she got tired, she flew up to me and sat in a perfect fuse with a laser stare. She had such intense focus at 8 weeks. I just looked at the breeder and said I had to have her!
So two years later, she turned out to have super high drives, intense focus, and very biddable. She is my shadow. I adore her with all my heart. It turned out that she was everything I originally thouth she'd be. Go figure. I can't believe I had talked myself out of her. Thank goodness she was still at the breeder's that day!


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## Stella's Mom (Mar 8, 2011)

I went over to my neighbors in February to look at the "whoops litter" as I was in the market to get another GSD after my Shepherd Mix died in December. I was planning on waiting until April to get a puppy, but it just so happened that I saw a sign on the tree at the corner of my street.

I got there and there were 8 pups, 7 females and 1 male, less than 5 weeks old. They put 3 pups in my arms and I could not get the feeling about any of the 3 pups that I had to have that one. I look at the other puppies still on the ground and there she was...MY STELLA. She was sitting there all fluffy and big staring at me. I did not even have to pick her up. I pointed and said, that's her. She is the one for me. 

She is a wonderful dog with an excellent temperament, no fear issues and as it turns out, the biggest and prettiest of the litter. She is very dog and people friendly too.


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## WarrantsWifey (Dec 18, 2010)

I didn't, my breeder picked him out for me. She knew after months of conversation what I was looking for, and I only saw Killian, I didn't get to see the rest of the litter. So yea, I knew he was for me about a week after I got him home and stopped seeing dollar signs and started seeing a puppy!!!


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## LovemyEli (Dec 28, 2010)

I brought my trainer to the breeders. The breeder picked the one out that would suit me best and before telling us asked my trainer which one he liked. They picked the same! 

I was always told not to pick based upon looks. Since I wanted a stronger dog I let them decide. Boy is he beautiful though!!

He's a year now and I never thought it would have been this long of a road. All that said he is an amazing dog suited for protection, tracking, obedience or just running in the sprinklers. I love my boy


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## lisgje (Sep 3, 2010)

Both my dogs picked me. Shane followed me when the others would not and put his paws on my knees and started to cry, I was toast. Chance, every time I came to see the puppies, was the only one that made a point to stand up in the box and cry to be picked up, the other puppies completely ignored me. He fell asleep on my shoulder after staring at me and licking my face. That said, both dogs have had numerous health issues that I believe anyone else would never have put as much time and love into to keeping them alive. I not only believe these two chose me, but that God did as well. May sound corny, but I really believe that. I have to, or none of it would make any sense! LOL


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## Glamdring (Aug 11, 2011)

I did a whole ton of research 15 years ago, more geared to Rotties, and for company and protection. We had her protection trained. Whit our new GSD I went to a couple breeders, shelters and looked into rescues. I decided I didn't want to deal with the rescue people. 

I understand why they do what they do, but it felt too much like asking for permission to me. I was primarily interested in seeing the temperament of the parents and the type of people the breeders were. 

I was leaning more towards a female, which is what we went with but mostly because we felt we found the right pup. The breeder had both parents on the premises and both dogs were very friendly and relaxed around us as strangers. 

We our pup was our 2nd choice, our first choice was one that was already spoken for. Ours ended up being the biggest female of the litter. She was curious, friendly and relaxed. Our primary reason for getting a dog is a family pet, and I am considering doing protection training in the future, but right now we were looking for something for the kids.

She is my velcro dog and it makes me want to get another


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## stacey_eight (Sep 20, 2010)

My breeder made the match as well. And I knew she was right when my baby started to cry and Zeke (my puppy) calmly got up, trotted over and licked her feet. 

I'm not *really* in the market for a second dog right now, but if Christine ever contacted me and said "You know, I've got this girl that I think would be great for your family..." I'd probably listen to her again...


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## bocron (Mar 15, 2009)

Of the last 8-10 dogs we've brought into our family, the breeder or importer has chosen for us. Except for my current male. He was from a litter born here (not our female, but we raised the litter). I picked the smallest male and my husband picked the most outgoing male. Then my husband ended up getting a 1yo male imported from Germany so he decided he didn't need a puppy, too. But we decided it would be a good time for our daughter to get her first dog of her own to raise and train. So I gave her my pick boy since he was smaller and quieter and I took my husband's pick. Of course the little male is my daughter's pride and joy and he is the perfect dog for her. My boy turned out to be a gigantic goofball and is a total love. So even though at first I was kind of sad to not get the other pup it has worked out perfectly. The male I ended up would not have been as good a fit with my daughter since he is a bit more strong willed at times, but he is great for me. The funny thing is none of us can imagine him as my husband's dog at this point. Go figure.

Annette


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## Dainerra (Nov 14, 2003)

because he was the dog that showed up in my driveway!  Or, in plain English, because my breeder said so and Singe is the pup delivered to me.

I haven't been disappointed


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## chelle (Feb 1, 2009)

My situation was different in that it was my son's dogs that had the litter. He didn't live with me then, but didn't live far away, so I had the opportunity to see the litter a lot. I often just observed all of them at play. I got to play with each one (or a handful of them at once!) and after many of these interactions, I chose the guy who I liked best. I think everyone is right about letting the breeder chose the right one, but it sure is nice to be able to just sit and observe them. Doesn't take long to see which one plays hardest, which one goes off on their own, etc.


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## robk (Jun 16, 2011)

Coin toss


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## DunRingill (Dec 28, 2007)

I didn't pick Bunny. Julia sent me this picture of 4 week old Bunny, with the caption: "I am calling you--ooo--ooooo." I kept saying I didn't want a puppy right then. She arrived 5 weeks later!


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## dogluvr (Aug 25, 2011)

*I finally found her!*

Hello - new to the boards. I got my first GSD in 1969, when I was 5 years old. I literally grew up with that dog - we put him to sleep when I was 18. he lived a wonderful 13 years. Love the breed! I currently have a 4-year-old neutered boy, Zeke, who is my avatar. After a few years in the conformation ring handling various breeds, and 12 years in all-breed rescue, helping to find good homes for more than 100 dogs, I stopped all that three years ago after I got Zeke, my last rescue dog. I just felt it was time to slow down and focus again on my first love, the GSD.

Two years ago, I decided that Zeke (who has a strong prey drive and loves to work sheep, but is submissive and does better with females) needed a companion, and started looking around at area breeders (well, area meaning that I was willing to drive up to 8 hours but I had to see the breeding stock, I didn't want to fly a puppy in without seeing and evaluating the dam and sire). 

Unfortunately, I found breeders that didn't OFA hips and elbows, or if they said they did, couldn't supply me with proof such as OFA certs and xrays, or some who couldn't produce at least a four generation pedigree. Some said I couldn't visit the kennel until I picked up (and already paid for) a puppy. Also, some breeders would not offer health guarantees, or would not have in their contract that they would take a dog they bred back at any time during its lifetime. Not that I would ever return my dog, but to me, if you bring a dog into this world, you are responsible for that dog ITS WHOLE LIFE - that's just one of the things that separates good breeders from BYB. After spending so many years in rescue, I have seen firsthand how dogs suffer due to the humans who were responsible for bringing them into this world.

Anyway, down off the soapbox. I finally find a breeder, 6 1/2 hours away, that has a beautiful female available. This breeder, who has bred GSDs since 1978, has OFA certificates and even the xrays right on her website for her breeding stock. She has a seven generation pedigree for the dam and sire, with a lot of V and VA dogs on either side. She socializes the puppies, and ranks their drives. This puppy has the bone, the structure, the drive, and even the pigment that I have been looking for. She said I was welcome to come at any time, and meet ALL her dogs.

How did I know this pup was for me? After the breeder met all my criteria, I looked at her pic and fell in love! See if you do too!

Karen in Ohio


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## hunterisgreat (Jan 30, 2011)

in both cases, because their respective breeders said "This is the puppy I have selected for you". Personally, I wouldn't get a puppy from a breeder who let me pick the dog... but I have distinct needs and goals that differ from most people I imagine.


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