# Advice on Breeder needed



## starburst (Jun 9, 2012)

We are getting our pup from Carissima Kennels in the fall and I really, really want to make sure we are getting a great pup from the right place.

We have young kids and are around many young families on a daily basis.

While we will absolutely not allow our kids to be rough with the dog( kids are 4 and 6) we need the dog to have great nerves and be very, very friendly.
From what I have read on here, the key to that is great temperament and socialization... am I right ?

German Shepherd Breeders Dufferin County | German Shepherd Breeders Ottawa | Canaada German Sheperd

I have read many posts about kennels not being what they appear to be and dogs who are fearful or very shy .

It is clear that most of you really know your stuff , so , I have a couple of questions for you.

#1-is the breeder we selected ok ? I am a little paranoid after all I read on here lol

#2-If the breeder is ok , does that pretty much guarentee a pup with good temperament ?

Thanks for your help 

I know a few people have said this is a great Breeder but I want to know if there is someone who feels differently.
I don't want any rules to be broken so please PM me if needed !


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## qbchottu (Jul 10, 2011)

#1: Yes. I would get a puppy from them 

#2: The odds are in your favor, but nothing is certain in breeding. Any breeding could produce a dud. This breeder has a guarantee so if something does turn out wrong, I think they will stand behind their dog. You will almost certainly get a pup that will be right for you imo.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

I think it's really more about the dogs and the lines. What led you to this breeder and were they able to demonstrate that their lines carry the temperament you are looking for? I don't know this breeder so I can't really comment on them or compare them to others. In general, if I'm looking for a specific temperament trait (or trying to avoid one) I don't just go based on what a breeder says about their dogs but I look for proof, so I look at the dogs themselves and how they act, I look at their progeny, their siblings. "Great temperament" means *very* different things to different people. With my young dog (Pan, 22 months) I was looking for a GSD that is more social, enjoys other people and kids. Normally I prefer a more aloof GSD but looking forward to having kids, having more nieces and nephews, moving to a little house on a little lot with lots of kids running around, I'd rather err on the side of having a dog that is "too friendly". I chose a dog based on his lines, the parents, what I gathered by observing a previous litter (he's from a repeat litter), and what I observed of the dogs myself. Naturally every breeder thinks very highly of their dogs but the proof is in the pudding. Pan's breeder hooked me up with other people that had their dogs. I'm not trying to push this breeder just saying that I really wanted to see what the dogs themselves were like and not just take the breeder's word for it, and the breeder was happy to connect me.


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## starburst (Jun 9, 2012)

Liesje:

I know of one other person on this forum that has a pup from that breeder but not the same sire and dam.
They are about 6 hours from us so I have not been there to see the kennel or the dogs myself.
That's why I was hoping to get more advice here... this whole breeder,temperament,lines,tittles thing is so new to me and quite overwhelming :crazy:

I found the breeder through the internet BUT I did read tons on here first and had already read the "What to look for in a responsible breeder" that I found on here.
They met the criteria and they were amazing at answering all my many, many questions very promptly.
They asked me a ton of questions as well about our family, etc .


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## zyppi (Jun 2, 2006)

Don't know this breeder, but, a good thing to do with any breeder is to ask if there are current owners of pups ( from their kennel ) that you might contact and ask about their dog(s).

I don't think any breeder can guarantee temperament, but they can tell you why they chose to breed the sire and dam and what they expect.

And then, there is how you raise the pup and how much time you put into training a puppy.

My Jack has been a solid, easy boy to raise.

Sofie, as much as we love her, would not have been good for a first time owner or someone not willing to spend a lot of time working with here.

You're right to do all the learning you can now. Don't let folks scare you off. Wonderful breed! I raised my children with GSDs as did many, many members of the forum.


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## *Lisa* (Nov 20, 2011)

I really have enjoyed speaking with Rob & Michelle at Carissima Kennels. They were very open when answering my questions, allowed us to tour their home and see how they raise the dogs, and have been great in regards to keeping in touch and answering any questions I've had.

We adore Jazmyn. As she's aging, she's becoming more and more of a pleasure to be around. She's extremely intelligent and is always willing to work hard & train for food. She's not much of a cuddler, although that is changing as she's aging as well. She LOVES being with "her people" and really is stuck to us, my husband especially.

That being said, if you've read some of my posts on the forum, Jazmyn does have one main challenge LOL. She is "reactive". On walks, she does great with the loose leash part of walking, but barks at people & dogs. We're learning how to manage this and working with a new trainer currently. This is likely part genetic and part environmental. When she was 15 weeks, she was nearly attacked (not touched) but terrified by a large off-leash rottweiler, and after that, the barking began.

She is catching on very quickly how to behave around my young nieces, and learning to tolerate the cats (her prey drive is high, so anything that moves is FUN FUN FUN!). At 7 months, she's definitely still a landshark, although this is now slowly subsiding.

Would I trade her for another dog? NEVER. She's become a huge part of our lives & our family, but she does need lots of time & energy to build our bond, learn focus and to hopefully reduce the reactivity over time. Rob & Michelle have been there each step to help suggest training techniques, and have offered for us to come up to the Scarborough Schutzhund Club so that they can help us out with delivering a proper correction when necessary.


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## starburst (Jun 9, 2012)

Phew !!
Thank you for all the advice as well as sharing your personal experiences with this breeder.

Now I think I can relax lol


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## bocron (Mar 15, 2009)

I don't know anything about the breeder as Showlines aren't my bailiwick so won't comment there. 
I will say that good temperament is genetically there (or not), but that is just the beginning of the story. I have seen dogs with questionable temperament at 8 weeks in the hands of a great owner/handler become confident, outgoing, personable dogs. And on the other end, I have seen owner/handlers take a pup who came out of the box a social butterfly and create a spastic, nervous mess.


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