# Whats right for me?



## hvtopiwala (Jul 18, 2012)

I am looking to get another pup soon, right now i have a 10mo old Shiloh Shepherd and want to give him a good friend/companion. 

hes pretty well trained but is VERY neurotic and scared of everything, unless he is around dogs, which i think having another pup will help. 

anyways, i am having a hard time deciding between a working line or show line. i found 2 breeders in my area:

El Divo (showlines)
Tampa FL German Shepherd Breeder with Puppies For Sale | El Divo German Shepherds

and Little River Cainine (working lines)
LittleRiverCanine

My main goal with this dog is to be completely off leash trained, house pet, and just on-point. i do suffer from several medical conditions, and would love to be able to have him service trained as well as he can aid me while i am out. so not being a crazy animal in public would be great. 

I know El Dio has a trained pup around 10mo old right now, what do you think about those:
Trained Young Dogs If you are looking for an older puppy or young adult trained to your specific requirements please contact us. Trained puppies/dogs are priced $5000 and up. Please contact- Edward Apostolidis 813 679 6600 Currently Available- Beauti


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I'd go with Little River between the two you've posted.

I'd never, ever pay that much for a 'trained' puppy ~ $6 grand?!


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## hvtopiwala (Jul 18, 2012)

but would a working breed be "too much" of a dog to handle? like is that pup going to be wall-wall crazy and energetic or more calm and stable lol (my shiloh was very calm and not to crazy and nippy).


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

My working line is very balanced, has an off switch and is a very biddable dog/easy to train. And he was never a biter like I read about. If you get a good pedigree match you should have a great pup....if the breeder is just breeding 'champion' lines, then I'd be more concerned that the pedigrees are complimentary to each other.


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## hvtopiwala (Jul 18, 2012)

yeah i think i need to make a trip out to littlerivercanine and see their dogs. i think the owner is a board member on here too.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Yes she is, I'd much rather deal with Betty than someone charging 6 grand for a 10 month old 'trained' puppy!


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

Just a thought. Have you looked at local rescues? They often have wonderful dogs. 

If you are mainly looking for a pet and running partner, $6000 dollars is a ridiculous amount of money to spend. 


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## hvtopiwala (Jul 18, 2012)

yeah i have looked at a few local shelters and rescues but i kind of got turned off from rescues. im on my second rescue dog right now. my first was riddled with so many health problems, and was at the vet almost every 2 weeks..gave him a great life for a year and then he passed. this second rescue, was neglected and unsocialized and extremely neurotic..tried to socialize him and still do as much as possible, been to several behavioral specialist and nothing really changed, its just his nature to be scared. its tough to take him any place outside the house...so after 2 rescues, im pretty drained with some of the problems that come with them :/ i love them to death, and would love to rescue again, but its just too much on my place right now.

yeah that $6k was just for pretrained but i dont mind getting a normal pup and training him myself. I am mainly looking for off-leash obedience, willingness to please, houstrained (not destroying everything either).


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## Chris Wild (Dec 14, 2001)

Both types will produce dogs that are a good fit for you, and others that are not. It really comes down to the individual pup's temperament and finding one that is a good match.

One very important thing to consider is the behavior of your current dog. From your post it sounds like a major factor in you getting a second dog is for your current one to have a companion to lend him confidence. That might work. But it also may backfire and you may end up with 2 neurotic, frightened dogs. Puppies are very maleable and will learn a lot from the resident adult dogs both in terms of their outward behavior and in terms of their feelings about things. If your current dog is regularly modeling fearful behavior, the puppy is going to pick up on that and may well start acting the same way.

If you're going to add a second dog, I would recommend seriously considering getting a confident, self assured adult who is already more set in it's personality and behavior rather than a puppy who may end up being raised by your current dog to copy his undesireable behaviors and reactions.


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## hvtopiwala (Jul 18, 2012)

hmm, i wouldnt mind getting an older dog if i could get one from a reputable breeder, rather than a rescue and not know the dogs lineage and/or past health/medical problems.


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## hvtopiwala (Jul 18, 2012)

i shoudl also note that i would love to have the dog go thru some protection work.


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## hvtopiwala (Jul 18, 2012)

also, 1 more thing, should i be getting a male or a female? right now i have a male but ive been told having 2 males can somewhat be an issue, and im kinda reluctant to get a female cuz of the blood/heat issues.


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

Well the heat won't be an issue if you get her spayed! LOL

As for two males together, it depends on the dogs. I have kept makes together without issue. I have also kept females together without issue. 

I guess the best advice is a girl. But there is no hard fast rule. If your current boy were very dominant and drivey, then I would def go for a girl. If he is submissive and laid back, then another boy can work. If they are neutered. Not sure I would put two intact male or female dogs together. 


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## hvtopiwala (Jul 18, 2012)

my guy is neutured and not very dominant at all, and is pretty laid back cuz hes so scared all the time.

i would get her spayed but only after a year or so, not immediately.


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