# About ready to give up!!



## Dakota Jerry (Mar 10, 2015)

Greetings everyone,

Let me start by saying I have wanted a German Shepherd since I was 5 years old. I am now nearing 40 and have a wonderful family of 6. We are ready for our first dog and really would like a GS.

I have contacted a hand full of breeders and have ended up with more questions than answers. Working, Show, DDR, American, Czech, West, East ect...This is one of the finest breeds available all I want is a breeder to trust. Especially since we will have the a dog for the next 15 years. There have to be hundreds of great GS puppies looking for a loving home all we want is one.

It seems everyone has an opinion good or bad about a certain breeder. If I find a breeder that seems to have it together there are no puppies available. I have been searching on and off for about 7 months. I live here in South Dakota and good luck finding a breeder within 3 hours to even go and meet and see the dogs.

Here is what I want..
1. Healthy, healthy, healthy ofa ect
2. Love and protect our family with excellent temperament and intelligence gentle with kids and our cat.
3. This will be a family companion that will also need the smarts to do other activities, basic guard, fun search and rescue. This dog needs to relax in the home and excel when playing/training outdoors.
4. I would prefer a female
5. Colors are kinda open, Red/blk/saddle, all black

I like the structure and size of the working line, but am afraid dog may be to driven for our family lifestyle. Please help me find a knowledgeable breeder I can trust and that excels with their dogs and actually get a puppy and not a list.

Thanks in advance


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## Kayos and Havoc (Oct 17, 2002)

Hi Jerry!!

You do live an area that has a smaller population so yeah probably fewer breeders. How far are you willing to travel?


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## Big Brown Eyes (Jan 11, 2015)

Hey,
There is no reason to give up. A GSD is a large investment... a good GSD is an asset, one with temperament problems is a huge liability. So you are doing the right thing.

1) temperament
2) health (OFA certified hips and joints)
3) Parents have schutzhund or some kind of training which highlights their temperament. Parents have good joints/hips/bone structure.

Go online, find a breeder you like. Talk to her about your expectations, listen to her. She should have several years experience in breeding dogs. Ask her questions like "Why did you breed these particular dogs". And listen to her answer. If she says "Because the puppies would be cute!" - then run away. If she says some thing like "Both parents have excellent health and temperament, and I wanted to mix the bloodlines because from my experience I feel it would produce a good puppy blah blah blah" and explains her decision, then she knows what she is talking about.

If you have to travel to a different city to buy the dog, do it. Its worth the effort. As you said, this is a 14 year investment, and a GSD is a family member. Period!

Things worth having, always need effort and patience.

Good luck.


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## scarfish (Apr 9, 2013)

we had both our puppies shipped to us. both turned out great. there's prolly 1000s of small operation BYBs on the internet. we skimmed through many and found one we liked. older really nice lady with a farm. both parents healthy AKC registered. received videos of the pups. both were bred from a working and a show line parent. so really no idea of temperament or drive, the lady did breed more for colors than temperament and drive. which is a big no no here but we didn't care. we can handle any temperament or drive. you cant choose those qualities when having a child and still always feel blessed by them. if the dog's purpose is just to be a family member you don't need to pay $2500 and get a specifically bred for a purpose dog. any dog will love you and you will love it.


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## Big Brown Eyes (Jan 11, 2015)

Lol. Very true.

We spent a fortune for our dog... close to the $10k mark. But he is only used as a cuddle toy and a vacuum cleaner. I can get away with dropping crumbs on the floor, because I have my furry vacuum cleaner always with me, ready to clean up after me. Wife can't object!!


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## Kayos and Havoc (Oct 17, 2002)

$!0,000? Yikes!


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## Dakota Jerry (Mar 10, 2015)

Thanks everyone just getting very frustrated. 

Every breeders dogs have excellent temperment right?? So asking them and truthfully having them understand our needs and their dogs is crucial. I am willing to have a dog shipped as we probably wont be able to see in person due to distances, that is where the breeder really needs to be on the stick.

I know everyone is super hesitant to recommend a breeder and a good dog is in the eye of the beholder, but I could really use some direction. I have been all over the internet, fancy web pages could mean alot or nothing, there are to many variables. If there are any good responsible breeders here or you know of one could you please pm me so we can start our journey with our new gs.


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## familydag5 (Jan 24, 2015)

Okay so I am pretty much looking for the same dog and have put a lot of time and effort into my search and I feel good about the direction I am headed! 
So I plan to get a German show line. Right energy and with great breeding it should have the right drive and health, too. 
For breeders I like Alta Tolhaus in Michigan, Vom Haus Miller in Wisconsin and Huerta Hof in Illinois. Now don't go taking my puppy from underneath me
Good luck!


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

I can recommend Carlos and Robin Huerta (Team Huerta Hof) and Bill Kulla & Jennifer Acevedo (vom Geistwasser), both near Chicago. They breed different lines, but I have had positive experiences with both and find them to be very knowledgeable and helpful, not people who are just trying to make a sale. They may be able to recommend people or kennels farther out your way, I am just not familiar with your area. I believe both will ship a puppy as well.


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## WateryTart (Sep 25, 2013)

I set a four-hour radius for myself because I felt I could reasonably drive that twice: Once to visit, and once to pick up the pup.

I would guess you aren't going to find anything unless you go east into Minnesota or Wisconsin. I like ASL myself, in which case I'd recommend looking at the Twin Cities breed club. I don't know working lines so can't give any opinions there. I did see Melissa McIntyre listed as a breeder on the GSD club of Minneapolis-St. Paul site, but I don't know exactly what her dogs are, I just have heard her name around and know her dogs aren't ASL.


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## RZZNSTR (Jan 24, 2015)

When it's right the right pup will appear... Ya gotta believe!


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

In my experience you can cross the "growling" off the list! In 8 years I have only heard my GSD growl twice! The first time told me... he had a "people issue" the second time was a charging dog situation where he wound up protecting me, after I slipped and fell,while shielding him!l


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## Dakota Jerry (Mar 10, 2015)

Thank you everyone, I have contacted a few of the breeders and now the wait begins.


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