# Breeders/Litters in California/Nevada?



## swestypants (Jun 20, 2013)

Hey there!!
Okay so at some point in the next 6-9 months I hope to be in the process of adding to my pack. I'm in search of a breeder with silver sables... Not that it matters too much but I'll be in search of a little girl to have some balance, I have zero intentions of breeding.

My hopes are to find a breeder that produces dogs with a straight back. Though I guess if I find the right dog I'm not to worried about how the hips look. I just want a sturdy dog for hiking and backpacking.

I'm in Wasco just outside of Bakersfield.. I don't mind driving north/south/east for a pup.. But I'm really tired of being in the car and don't particularly wanna drive somewhere so far away that I can't turn around and drive home in the same day.

Anyhow. If you guys know of any good breeders or litters in my general area I would love love love to hear about them 

Thanks!


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## wolfstraum (May 2, 2003)

Right now California is the last place I would send a pup due to the aggressive laws and the obscene overabundance of nice looking GSDs in shelters.....I know people are still breeding, but have you thought about working with a rescue?

Lee


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## swestypants (Jun 20, 2013)

wolfstraum said:


> Right now California is the last place I would send a pup due to the aggressive laws and the obscene overabundance of nice looking GSDs in shelters.....I know people are still breeding, but have you thought about working with a rescue?
> 
> Lee


I have, I've actually put a lot of thought into it, however I'm around a lot of small children and dogs and I am concerned that a rescue could have ticks and little problems that randomly show up or cause me to not be able to take it to family functions or out on the trail/to ranches. If i could somehow find the perfect dog for me already "built" that someone stuffed away in a rescue that would be one thing... but before I got Judah I tried getting a rescue and I was turned down because at the time I didnt have a fenced in yard...or the fact that I believe a well trained dog should be trusted off leash in the woods... I got tired of the obsessive rules - it felt like they lost focus on what was important..placing the dog in a good home. 

I work for a farm management company and the different things/people/dogs/equipment that I'm around makes me hesitant about getting a dog that I know nothing about as far as socialization and ticks goes. My dog comes to work with me, whether I'm at the office or out at a ranch.. 

Like i said, if i could find the perfect dog...but I almost have to be overly picky because of the delicate situations that I end up in.


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## swestypants (Jun 20, 2013)

(I did just fill out an application with Westside GSD Rescue out of LA)

I figure if I can get a young enough dog, that I will feel comfortable with my chances. We'll see how this goes.


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

swestypants said:


> Hey there!!
> Okay so at some point in the next 6-9 months I hope to be in the process of adding to my pack. I'm in search of a breeder with silver sables...
> 
> My hopes are to find a breeder that produces dogs with a straight back. Though I guess if I find the right dog I'm not to worried about how the hips look. I just want a sturdy dog for hiking and backpacking.


 You've already given two hot-button terms: "silver sable" and "straight back". Both those terms are terms that are used by backyard breeders to make their dogs sound special. 

There is no color called "silver sable". What you are probably referring to is a sable without much tan or reddish pigment in the tan areas, giving a gray or silvery appearance. This is what we call "washed out", and it isn't desirable. There's nothing necessarily wrong with a dog that happens to have less pigment, except that the standard prefers rich tan/reddish color in the tan areas. If a breeder proudly advertises this lack of pigment by calling it "silver sable", they may deliberately breeding *for* lack of pigment, either out of ignorance or because they don't care.

"Straight back"--I assume what you mean by this, is that you don't like the slope-backed appearance of show dogs. This slope actually has nothing to do with the back, it has to do with the angulation of the hindquarters; when the rear legs are in the show "stacked" position, one hind leg is placed forward and one is placed further back. This lowers the rear end of the dog and so makes the back appear to slant downward. Take this same dog and have him stand foursquare, and you probably will not see a slope. If you do, the dog is probably overangulated--most American show lines are. 

So you want to avoid American show lines. I think what you are looking for, according to your needs, is a working-line GSD. These dogs are bred to be physically and temperamentally strong; they tend to have a lot of drive, courage, and energy (backpacking all day should be no problem). 

Lastly, you said you're "not too worried about how the hips look". Good breeders will x-ray their breeding dogs to make sure the hips are healthy and that their dogs do not have hip dysplasia (which, incidentally, has nothing to do with whether the dog has a straight or sloped back). You cannot tell if the hips are good by looking at the dog--you need x-rays. So, if a breeder does not provide hip certification via OFA, "a stamp", PennHip, or at least an x-ray, run away.

Take a look at True Haus, they breed working lines and are located in Northern CA. I think this is probably the physical "type" you desire. They have "straight backs" (ie moderate angulation) and come in sable, with varying degrees of tan/reddish pigment.

German Shepherd Dog, True Haus Kennels


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## swestypants (Jun 20, 2013)

Yeah sorry my wording isn't up to breeder standard. When I say silver sable I mean when I look at photos of dogs, I like the look of those dogs...not that anyone specifically has put that word in my mouth - I'm a graphic designer, i describe things visually haha!

As for the straight back, yes, thats what I mean, and I know you can't 'look' at a dog and know how the hips will be... what i meant by that was i wasn't particularly too concerned with IF i found the right dog that whole "straight back" not sloped crap didnt matter... I guess all along I should have just said that I'm not looking for a show line..

guess i should study the terms/definitions before posting a question next time. 

& thanks, I'll take a look at True Haus.


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

swestypants said:


> Yeah sorry my wording isn't up to breeder standard. When I say silver sable I mean when I look at photos of dogs, I like the look of those dogs...not that anyone specifically has put that word in my mouth


 That's good, I was hoping that you hadn't been hearing those terms thrown around. If you had, I'd be worried that you'd come across the wrong type of breeders.




> guess i should study the terms/definitions before posting a question next time.


 Those weirdoes in the "dog world" almost speak a different language. I just wanted to make sure you didn't inadvertently say the wrong thing to the wrong people, know what I mean?


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## wolfstraum (May 2, 2003)

I looked through westsides pages in CA - there are lots of youngsters on there....

I knew what you meant....a lighter sable and not an extremely angulated ASL (American Show line) 

Lee


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## RubyTuesday (Jan 20, 2008)

> That's good, I was hoping that you hadn't been hearing those terms thrown around. If you had, I'd be worried that you'd come across the wrong type of breeders.


The GSD is a deeply troubled breed fraught with health, temperament & structural problems. One can find these problems occuring all too often among all 'types' of GSD, whether they're ASL, GSL, WL & companion or Old Fashioned lines. 

Truly, the _wrong type of breeder_ increases health, temperament & structural problems. The _wrong type of breeder_ sees nerve stength, versatilty, biddability & longevity declining. 

I'd recommend that anyone flee such breeders. I'd also recommend that they look verry closely before *assuming* anyone is a good breeder. When I did I got some unexpected info & some disturbing insights. 

Frankly, A LOT of the breeder recommendations I've seen, here & elsewhere, ignore a lot. Granted, most of em say the right stuff & none of em invoke dreaded terms like 'silver sable' & straight back. *shrug*The hard, cold, factual reality behind any terminology used, whether or not it's 'proper', means a lot more to me (& the dogs themselves ultimately).

Swestypants, when seeking a breeder, look very closely & critically at all of the criteria which are most important to you. Do not assume any one type or breeder meets those criteria until you've personally looked into it very thoroughly.


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## Vandal (Dec 22, 2000)

I doubt CA is significantly worse if you consider the population compared to other states. People seem to forget just how many people live in Los Angeles alone, in comparison to say, PA Lee. There are also other issues that affect the number of dogs in shelters, one being the number of puppies being smuggled over the border and sold from the back of trucks.
I always recommend people get the best dog possible, so it doesn't become a "rescue". GSDs need to be dogs that people can own and that is directly related to knowledgeable breeding. I own a boarding kennel and I can tell you there is rarely a GSD that boards here that has proper temperament and nerves. 
Telling people not to get a dog from a good breeder because there are so many bad ones, doesn't seem like the solution to me. Nowadays, everything seems to be skewed to help the most irresponsible, while people encourage others to shun those doing a good job of it. At the same time, they insist those breeders do everything right ....or else.
As for the laws, yep they started here but they are headed your way if not already there. Most people don't pay attention to what happens in their own backyard. 

Disclaimer: I don't have puppies, so not here selling anything.


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## RubyTuesday (Jan 20, 2008)

> I doubt CA is significantly worse if you consider the population compared to other states.


I could be wrong but I've long thought the Midwest & South were the worst for puppy mills. Bona fide byb (ignorant, clueless, utterly without breeding goals) are everywhere.

Rescues might be very different from one region to another. I do know that when I looked into local/regional GSD rescue organizations, the GSDs available were a hot mess...shy, spooky, fearful &/or inappropriately aggressive towards children & other dogs, rarely biddable & often with chronic health problems.

IMO, the best choice for most people seeking a GSD is a good breeder. All too often the term 'good breeder' is poorly defined & even misleading. Heartbreak follows when naive puppy seekers are beguiled by the GSD PC into seeking out breeders that are not producing structurally sound, temperamentally solid, long lived dogs of exemplary character & impeccable judgment. Dogs that are primarily bred to WIN competitive events & WIN big are too often lacking in other critically important areas such as health, structure, judgment, temperament & longevity. For myself, breeders who don't overwhelmingly produce GSDs with ALL of those characteristics aren't producing the GSD I want to share my life with, regardless of ribbons, awards & titles.


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## zetti (May 11, 2014)

swestypants said:


> Yeah sorry my wording isn't up to breeder standard. When I say silver sable I mean when I look at photos of dogs, I like the look of those dogs...not that anyone specifically has put that word in my mouth - I'm a graphic designer, i describe things visually haha!
> 
> As for the straight back, yes, thats what I mean, and I know you can't 'look' at a dog and know how the hips will be... what i meant by that was i wasn't particularly too concerned with IF i found the right dog that whole "straight back" not sloped crap didnt matter... I guess all along I should have just said that I'm not looking for a show line..
> 
> ...


Fwiw, I have a True Haus pup. He's only 11 wks, but I must say, they did deliver what I told them I wanted. He's quite social, which I want in my IPO dogs--low liability off the field; great drive, solid nerves; he's a total food pig, which makes ob a lot easier. Very eager to bond,& great ability to focus for such a young pup.

He'll do anything for food & loves to play tug. Nothing fazes him. Oh & he's gorgeous--black sable. He's out of the Esko/Gina litter.

We'll see how he matures. He is also extremely mouthy, which I expected.


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## Bear L (Feb 9, 2012)

Would you consider a border collie / cattle dog type dogs? There's a rescue in Paso Robles that foster those dogs. 

The rescues in CA these days usually come with a 2 weeks trial period. Ticks are usually easily resolved and the rescue dogs don't normally have those issues as the are resolved before it's adopted out - they put monthly preventatives on the dogs and have vet check ups. And since the dogs are fostered, they would be able to tell you how dog / people friendly the dogs are and the rescues I've worked with have been good at evaluating the dogs pretty accurately. Most breed specific rescues are particular about what kind of dogs they take in and due to limited resources and liabilities most times it is the best of the best that get pulled from shelter. 

Agree with you on the obsessive rules.


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