# Help! Looking for a breeder



## starwave (Apr 10, 2006)

Hi, everyone. Finally I decided to get a GSD puppy as a pet~~~ so happy~~~ now I am looking for a reputable breeder. 
I am not going to dog shows or sports, so I don't care about the color, long/short hair very much. All I want is a healthy puppy with a good temper. I hope he/she will not suffer from the hip problem. That's the most important thing for me. Also I hope the dog is not hyper-energy type. 
I live in Iowa City. I prefer to pick my puppy instead of shipping. But if I can not find a good breeder close to me. I may choose shipping. The price I can handle is lower than 1300. 
Please give me some suggestions~ //bow


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## GunnerJones (Jul 30, 2005)

Rescues and SPCA


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## ituneyou (Dec 20, 2008)

Have you considered maybe looking at rescues if you want the puppy as a pet and not to compete in any sports or shows.
Just a thought you might want to think about, theres some beautiful dogs available at gsd rescues, and by the way welcome to the forum.

Steve


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## starwave (Apr 10, 2006)

yeah. I have thought about the rescues, saving a life and also a lot of money! But...my concern is: I want a puppy (maybe 2 to 3 months), not an adult dog. Usually I can't find a lot of infomation about the parents of the puppies in rescue places and I am worried about the temper and health situation of that puppy. I just feel that maybe it's safer to get one from the breeder. What do you think?


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## ituneyou (Dec 20, 2008)

Hey Maxgunner who is that dog in the photobucket, hes gorgeous.

Steve


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## Chris Wild (Dec 14, 2001)

> Originally Posted By: starwaveyeah. I have thought about the rescues, saving a life and also a lot of money! But...my concern is: I want a puppy (maybe 2 to 3 months), not an adult dog. Usually I can't find a lot of infomation about the parents of the puppies in rescue places and I am worried about the temper and health situation of that puppy. I just feel that maybe it's safer to get one from the breeder. What do you think?


If going with a puppy is what you want, a reputable breeder is the best way to go. Rescues often do have puppies available, but the problem with puppies is that you can only guess at their adult health and temperament, so the more that is known about their lineage and history the more accurate the guess.

But that said, while getting a puppy from a reputable breeder stacks the odds in favor of having good health and temperament, it is not a guarantee. Genetics are not fully predictable and even the best breeders will produce pups from time to time that have health or temperament issues.

The surest way to get a dog of good health and temperament is to get a young adult or full adult. The dog's temperament is fully developed at that stage, so it can be evaluated to see what is really there, not just guessing what will be there in a year or two as has to be done with puppies. Same goes for health. An older dog can be health tested, have it's hips and elbows x-rayed for dysplasia, plus the previous owners or, in the case of rescue, foster home can attest to any problems or sensitivities that the dog shows. 

So in terms of being able to truly evaluate the dog and make sure you get a well temperamented, healthy one, an older dog is a safer bet. In which case, rescue is a great way to go. For what you'd pay for a puppy from a good breeder, you could get a dog from rescue, have it's temperament evaluated by a very experienced trainer and subject it to every x-ray and health test imaginable to make sure it's healthy.

Nothing wrong of course with preferring a pup over an adult. Many people do. And if you really prefer a pup, you're on the right track in terms of asking for recommendations for good breeders. But if the main reason you're looking for a pup from a good breeder is to have better odds getting a dog of good health and temperament, you may want to put more serious consideration into getting a dog old enough to test and evaluate from a rescue.


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## sitstay (Jan 20, 2003)

> Originally Posted By: starwave I just feel that maybe it's safer to get one from the breeder. What do you think?


I think it can go either way. I have three wonderful dogs. Two German Shepherd Dogs and a Pug. My older GSD came to me with his litter-mate as 6 week old foster puppies. Back yard breeder, weaned pups at 5 weeks to get them sold quicker. The two pups she surrendered to the shelter I worked at were the two she had left after a week long ad in the newspaper. They had to go. She surrendered the Momma dog, too. But Momma dog was no longer nursing, so she went up for adoption. I took both pups to foster until they became adoptable at 8 weeks of age. I adopted the female out and kept the male.
He is now 5 years old and a total joy. He is good with everyone from cats to kids, not to mention all the foster dogs that have come through the my doors in the past 5 years. He has a cast iron stomach and is structurally solid.
My 2.5 year old GSD came from a well known breeder. I purchased him for a boat load of money. He has had health problems from the day he got off the plane from the breeder. He is also fear aggressive with most other dogs.
So, going to a breeder and paying for a puppy is not always a guarantee that the pup will grow up into a stable, healthy dog. And not all puppies in rescue are going to grow up to be nerve bags.
Often a rescue will have a really good idea of where the puppies they place came from.
It is true that you will probably have to wait longer if you were to adopt a puppy from a rescue. But they do show up. 
Sheilah


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## starwave (Apr 10, 2006)

Hi, Chris. Thank you for the suggestion.
Actually I've hesitated for a long time, for choosing an adult dog or a puppy. I've done some research and I know that an adult dog may be better for me, who concerns a lot about termper and health and without any dog-raising experience! 
To be honest, I don't know a lot about the dogs in rescues. I am worried that if they are still mentally healthy because of their experience... if they will still be loyal and close to me because they have had maybe more than one owner before... if they can still be trained to fit my life as they are old, etc... I just... don't know...


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## starwave (Apr 10, 2006)

> Originally Posted By: sit,stay
> He is now 5 years old and a total joy. He is good with everyone from cats to kids, not to mention all the foster dogs that have come through the my doors in the past 5 years. He has a cast iron stomach and is structurally solid.
> My 2.5 year old GSD came from a well known breeder. I purchased him for a boat load of money. He has had health problems from the day he got off the plane from the breeder. He is also fear aggressive with most other dogs.
> ...
> ...


yeah, you are right. Some dogs from good breeders have problems and some dogs from rescues are pretty good. I am a little curious about the chance though. 
And also the time problem... I want the dog in June or July. I feel I can't wait any more......


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## Chris Wild (Dec 14, 2001)

Dogs are amazingly resilient critters. The ones of good temperament can overcome most anything. Having a trainable, loyal, trustworthy dog.. even if it had 10 previous owners... isn't an issue. It's a myth that one must get a puppy in order for it to bond properly. Adult dogs will bond just fine. It's also a myth that rescue dogs have something wrong with them or they wouldn't be in rescue in the first place. Sure, some do, but most are there through no fault of their own, but rather stupidity and lack of responsible ownership on the parts of their owners.

If this is your first dog and you haven't had previous dog-raising experience, going with an older rescue may end up being an even better idea. This way you can get a dog who's already housebroken, crate trained, socialized, probably has some obedience training, has been evaluated by the rescue in a variety of different normal, family situations. Most of the hard work of the raising and training may already be done for you. It just comes down to finding a good rescue in your area, discussing what you're looking for in detail with them, and maybe waiting a bit for the right dog to come along if they don't already have a dog who's a good fit for you.


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## Chris Wild (Dec 14, 2001)

> Originally Posted By: starwave I want the dog in June or July. I feel I can't wait any more......


This is going to be a problem with reputable breeders too. Possibly a big problem. By locking yourself into a specific timeframe, you will be eliminating a large number of breeders from contention. This means you may very well be eliminating the best breeder for you.

When a breeder has puppies available is completely up to the timing of their female's heat cycles. Females only cycle twice a year. So if a female always cycles in May and November, she is NEVER going to have 8 week old puppies ready to go home in June or July. The breeder has no control over that. Now what if this breeder is the one that has the perfect dog for you, but in the wrong month? Do you want to compromise on quality in favor of timeframe?

Many of the better breeders also have very small kennels where they have only a few litters a year. Pups are not available year round. Honestly, I'd RUN from a breeder who did have pups available year round. And many good breeders also have long waiting lists for puppies too because their reputation means that their pups are highly sought after. Meaning that the chances of being able to show up a month or two before pups are ready to go home and get on the reservation list for that litter are pretty slim. You need to plan ahead, and be willing to wait for the right breeder, litter and puppy to come along.

So my suggestion there would be that you be willing to be flexible in your timeframe. This will be important to finding a dog who is the best fit for you, whether you go with a breeder or a rescue.


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## starwave (Apr 10, 2006)

Ah... I think I start to change my mind now... 



> Originally Posted By: Chris WildDogs are amazingly resilient critters. The ones of good temperament can overcome most anything. Having a trainable, loyal, trustworthy dog.. even if it had 10 previous owners... isn't an issue. It's a myth that one must get a puppy in order for it to bond properly. Adult dogs will bond just fine. It's also a myth that rescue dogs have something wrong with them or they wouldn't be in rescue in the first place. Sure, some do, but most are there through no fault of their own, but rather stupidity and lack of responsible ownership on the parts of their owners.
> 
> If this is your first dog and you haven't had previous dog-raising experience, going with an older rescue may end up being an even better idea. This way you can get a dog who's already housebroken, crate trained, socialized, probably has some obedience training, has been evaluated by the rescue in a variety of different normal, family situations. Most of the hard work of the raising and training may already be done for you. It just comes down to finding a good rescue in your area, discussing what you're looking for in detail with them, and maybe waiting a bit for the right dog to come along if they don't already have a dog who's a good fit for you.


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## starwave (Apr 10, 2006)

You are right...
I have to wait until I find the right one... 
Now I think I need to go to the rescue board to learn some tips about rescues...



> Originally Posted By: Chris Wild
> 
> 
> > Originally Posted By: starwave I want the dog in June or July. I feel I can't wait any more......
> ...


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## doggonefool (Apr 15, 2004)

I grew up believing that you had to have a dog from it's pup time in order to train it to be the dog that you want. I thought that rescues were dogs that were someone else's rejects and were given up for a reason.

9 rescues later.....

Just a quick note on rescues (well, maybe not so quick): My BSD was adopted at 2 years old after having been returned by the family that had him as a pup because he 'barked'! He was adopted out and returned twice in his second year. He is very loving and very loyal. He travels well and loves to be with me, wherever I go. We gather yearly with the people who adopted his siblings for their birthdays - he will be 8 in april.

My husky pups, siblings - a male and a female are the youngest dogs that we've adopted in many years, we adopted them at nine months. It may take a lot longer for my furniture, my yard, and my family room, to recover from the damage-they are mischievous, active, and destructive, but also very loving...more independent and less willing to please than the shepherds. And boy do they love to run. And jump. And climb. And fight.

We hav had my female GSD since December, when I failed again at fostering. We think that she's around 1 1/2 to 2. She is aggressive to outsiders, VERY protective of me and loving with my husband and myself. She is very smart, very well mannered and a total velcro dog. She was abandoned at 7 months, adopted and returned more than 3 times for inappropriate protectiveness and agression, abused and starved. I agreed to foster her to evaluate her as a family dog. Unfortunately (fortunately for me) I felt that her aggression is from abandonment and fear-and that she was too unpredictable to be with a family that wasn't strong in training and familiar with Shepherd Protectiveness. The rescue facility felt that she had made such improvements in socialization with me that we agreed to keep working with her. I am amazed at how far she has come and how loyal that she is in the three months that we've had her.

I would love to have a pup from a reputable breeder sometime, but my time is not now. I keep getting adopted by rescue dogs and that works well for us. They have been easy to house train, the older ones (18 months and up) have not been as destructive, and all very loving and loyal family friends. They are smart, stubborn, quirky, and sometimes a lot of work, as are most dogs worth the name. But the rewards are beyond measure!

Good Luck!


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## ituneyou (Dec 20, 2008)

I took the liberty to check out a gsd rescue in your area they have some nice looking dogs there heres the link you might want to check out.
http://www.gashepherd.org/shop.html

Steve


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## ltsgsd (Jan 31, 2009)

After reading many of the posts I would also recommend a rescue for you. A young adult would give you almost all you ask for. Contact your local rescues and shelters and let them know exactly what you are looking for. they can then give you a call when one comes in giving you first shot at adopting it.
Good luck


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## Keisha (Aug 1, 2008)

I went to that rescue site that Steve posted, and oh my. I heart Porter.


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## ituneyou (Dec 20, 2008)

Keisha i fell in love with Porter also he's such a handsome boy, i actually loved all of them, so many dogs so little room, i wish i had room for one more dog, my landlord told me 3 is the limit, actually he kinda went ballistic when he found out that i have 3 gsds lol.

Steve


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## GunnerJones (Jul 30, 2005)

> Originally Posted By: hairygsdHey Maxgunner who is that dog in the photobucket, hes gorgeous.
> 
> Steve


She is "Erika"


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## nh_greg (Jul 12, 2002)

starwave,

Have you considered an older dog from a breeder that may have been returned? My last dog was returned to the breeder, and she's a 100% winner. I got her when she was almost 1 yr. You may want to look into that, as all the puppy stuff is over with and you can get a fantastic dog. 

Check some of the breeders in your area for dogs such as this. Also, I don't know if this is an option for you, but an older dog that is being retired from the breeding program. You can really get some great dogs that way too.

Good luck.


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## rokanhaus (Mar 20, 2006)

Good point. I know a number of breeders who are getting more older puppies and adult dogs back due to the ecomony and people unable to keep them, more than usual. I was just having this discussion with a well known breeder in Texas, so it is across the country....


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## RubyTuesday (Jan 20, 2008)

Starwave, I've had pups & adults. I bonded as tightly with my adults as my pups. In fact my heart & soul guy was 4 yrs old when I got him. Sam, my female GSD, was a retired breeder & 8yrs old when I got her.

I adore adults. Pups are cute, but adults are deep. And very, very special.

I live in CR & work in IC! We're practically neighbors.


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## GSD07 (Feb 23, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: RubyTuesday
> I adore adults. Pups are cute, but adults are deep. And very, very special.


 I agree, that's the way I feel. I love my puppies but I can't wait when they become adults and become my partners in life, not my babies


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## GSD07 (Feb 23, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: doggonefoolI grew up believing that you had to have a dog from it's pup time in order to train it to be the dog that you want. I thought that rescues were dogs that were someone else's rejects and were given up for a reason.


 When I grew up I wouldn't even have a choice to have somebody else's dog. If the dog didn't work out for somebody it was eliminated, no shelters or second chances







Right now I am confident that my next dog (hopefully in a decade) will be a rescue adult dog. I love puppies a lot, I put lots of love and work into them but I do love being with adult dogs more. My only problem is that puppies are speutered so early that they stay puppies forever.


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