# Help Importing GSD Puppy



## messdog (Aug 17, 2016)

Hi Guys, 

Been looking to import a working line GSD Puppy. 
I've read a few threads on this forum on this topic - sorry if I'm repeating the same questions as previous users, but those threads are a little outdated now, and thought there might be newer information. 

I don't have a lot of experience with working line GSD's - so it's very important to me that I can find someone who can guide me towards the right dog with the right temperament to suit our needs. 

As I lack the experience, I've talked to CPI Protection Dogs and Harrison K-9 over the past year about importing puppies for me as well. Not sure if that's the right path or not. If anyone has done it ... or have any feedback ... I'd really appreciate it! 

In general - would love any advice on how to import the right puppy to the US! 

Thanks a lot!


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## zetti (May 11, 2014)

Are you in the US?

If so, what made you decide to import? There are a lot of fine working line pups to be had in the US, out of imported parents if you so choose.

I've only imported a young adult, she was located for me via a breeder/trainer in the US in whom I have complete confidence. My breeder friend found the dog through her trusted contact in Europe. The dog was wonderful.

That said, I definitely would not consider buying an import from strangers. Too easy to get ripped off with no recourse.

It sounds like you have some trainer contacts. Will you be relying on them to find you a pup?


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

I read a complaint by a reputable breeder about being cheated with an imported dog that was not what they paid for. I know of a couple who imported two protection dogs that had hip dysplasia and were unable to work for them. You need a stronger background and experience in imports before taking that route. It's also expensive.


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## Nigel (Jul 10, 2012)

If you do some research you can most likely find the dog you want in the US or Canada. Without trusted connections you may be taking unnecessary risks (importing).


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## MineAreWorkingline (May 2, 2015)

I have one import and went through a trusted friend / breeder with contacts. I LOVE THIS DOG!!!! I would not hesitate to do it again and probably will in the future.


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## alexg (Mar 22, 2013)

Great story ... I guess. I'm just wondering how it answers the OP's question.


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## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

maybe he can share who he imported from-if I was importing would do it through the schutzhund club-if you visit one there may be people who have imported and had a good experience-would also go with someone who had a known reputation


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

MineAreWorkingline said:


> I have one import and went through a trusted friend / breeder with contacts. I LOVE THIS DOG!!!! I would not hesitate to do it again and probably will in the future.


That's the right way to do it. My breeder imports males and has beautiful dogs. I wanted to buy one of those, but he wasn't for sale. :crying:


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## wolfstraum (May 2, 2003)

I have imported several older dogs and puppies......good and bad experiences!!!

For a friend, I imported a pup from a big German kennel, pup was slightly nervy and ended up with terrible hips - replacement was given and 10x worse in nerves than the first - but ok hips! Highly respected kennel!!!

First one a friend set up through a broker and I got totally taken in some respects! Basically, the dog that arrived was the dog I was sold - but all the photos I was sent were of the brokers V rated female - not the one I bought! She kept the stud fee I paid and did not breed the dog to the male I picked, but to her own male, but the female was not pregnant, I was to get a puppy from one of her litters to pay me back for the stud fee but never did ....on and on.....and this was a friend of a friend!!! She was a nice enough female and well bred - but not what I was expecting...she did go to Sch3 and KKL.

Then I made a trip to Europe and made some contacts of people I had met online, visited clubs, met more people.....got the best female possible, Basha, and she produced well....and I imported a few of her pups after I owned her as well......that line has produced a ton of titled, hip/elbow certified dogs, and not a few at National and so far, one at world level competition....but I met the broker, met the sire of this dog and his owner, and had them on lookout for a dog from him for me for over a year! 

There are very very few people I would trust anyone to import a dog for me......I have seen too many poor quality dogs and dogs wiht issues and problems come over....especially puppies - I have a friend in a club that sees people regularly show up with imported puppies from major well known kennels......not a single one is stable and solid and drivy.....if you do NOT know people and have contacts you are taking a major risk of getting the worst pup in the litter.....

You are much much more likely to get a decent puppy here in the US!!! There are good breeders here who will not screw you.

Lee


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## MineAreWorkingline (May 2, 2015)

LuvShepherds said:


> That's the right way to do it. My breeder imports males and has beautiful dogs. I wanted to buy one of those, but he wasn't for sale. :crying:


Mine was a puppy. You can tell your contact what you are looking for and they will go through their contacts.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

MineAreWorkingline said:


> Mine was a puppy. You can tell your contact what you are looking for and they will go through their contacts.


How do you find a good contact? I've always heard not to go through brokers. The ones in the US don't have a good reputation among people I know.


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## MineAreWorkingline (May 2, 2015)

Will send you a PM.


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## messdog (Aug 17, 2016)

Hi Everyone. 

Thanks a lot for all the feedback!

I was looking into importing, as that's how I always thought you get the best GSDs?
I did look into a few US kennels that breed imported dogs, but the ones I found (and I don't know a lot of people in this world) were actually, more expensive than the quotes I was getting from other people! I must've been looking at the wrong place! 

I'm based in Manhattan. if anyone knows any good US breeders, contacts, or trustworthy brokers, I'd really appreciate it. 
Also - has anyone worked with CPI or K9? Would I be able to trust them in importing a puppy for us? 

I've heard nightmares of guys like me, who've tried to buy direct from european breeders! Apparently we always get stuck with the pups they can't sell in Europe.


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## cloudpump (Oct 20, 2015)

messdog said:


> Hi Everyone.
> 
> Thanks a lot for all the feedback!
> 
> ...


That would be a false statement. The best gsds come from reputable breeders, and brought out by good training and upbringing by good owners.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

messdog said:


> Hi Everyone.
> 
> Thanks a lot for all the feedback!
> 
> ...


That's how some breeders get quality breeding stock to enhance or improve their lines. They know what they are doing. If they use brokers, they use someone who has a personal relationship with the breeder or a close connection and know in advance what they are getting. 

People tend to repeat things they hear, so by the time you or I hear it, it's changed from the original intent of the statement. 

"Best GSDs" is an impossibility. Read the discussions here on lines and looks, and you'll find almost no consensus on what is best. We all have different ideas of what is best.


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## brookwoodgirl (May 5, 2016)

@*messdog*

You say you have no experience with working line, and also you are based in Manhattan. A high drive working line dog is going to need a lot of exercise, stimulation and attention that might not fit well with an inexperienced owner perhaps living in an apartment and working full time. Attending obedience classes, I tend to see a lot of working line GSDs who come to class literally bouncing off the walls trailed by frazzled owners, who hadn't fully considered that working all day themselves might be incompatible with a high drive working line dog. There are various levels of drive even in working line dogs and a good breeder will try and match a dog to your needs. But if you really have no experience with working line dogs (as you stated) perhaps what you want to do is attend a few trials or clubs and watch these dogs, talk to their owners, and decide what dog will best fit in with your lifestyle. You can still get a working line dog, but for your own sake, if not for the dog's, make sure you are ready to make the kind of personal and professional sacrifices (dogs eat into work and playtime) that a high drive working line GSD will need. If you have considered all this, forgive me for the unasked advice. I just have seen too many owners with buyers' regret. They love their dogs, but they just had no idea what they were getting into.


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## wolfstraum (May 2, 2003)

messdog said:


> Hi Everyone.
> 
> Thanks a lot for all the feedback!
> 
> ...



Once you add in shipping, customs brokers and fees, the prices are not all that different from a "regular breeder" here!!!! 

Are you looking for a showline pup? or working line??? (sorry I can't see the original post) 

Most of the big commercial places with fancy websites mark up their costs tremendously - to the point that people in the breed are astounded at the audacity....a brother in law of of one of my customers who is a pro athlete paid upwards of $20K for a 6 mo old "trained" puppy!!!! From a very fancy website.....I had to wear hipboots to just READ the website...!!!!! Of course, the pup was NOT trained and even though a trainer flew from CA to their home and stayed for several days, they returned the pup and still do not have a "replacement dog"........

The only way to import from Europe is to have a trusted contact here get you the dog....but again - you can get a pup here where you may be able to meet one or both parent, and have breeder support 


Lee


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## eddie1976E (Nov 7, 2010)

I have heard so many people talk about and get GSDs from Germany. One had serious temperament issues, the other had a hole in her heart and needed surgery at 9 months, the other had bad elbows and hips as a puppy and ended up having surgery. My point is, unless you are part of the elite click and have personal relationships with people in Germany, then you are better off finding a reputable breeder stateside. I doubt the Germans will send their best puppies to the US. More likely, they will send you a dog they couldn't sell there. 

Good luck.


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## zetti (May 11, 2014)

Some more experienced breeders I know fly to Europe themselves when it's time to add to their breeding stock. That way they can personally evaluate the dogs prior to purchase.

A working line pup may well be more dog than you're going to be able to handle. That said, in any given litter, there will be pups with less drive and energy than others that make fine, well bred pups. The most important issue is finding the right breeder who can match you up properly.

What are your plans for the dog? Obedience? IPO? SAR? Nose work? A working line GSD generally needs a job in order to be happy.

I'd suggest trying to readjust your thinking. Try not to focus on lines so much but instead put your energy into locating a good, dedicated, reputable breeder.

The first thing I always want to know from a breeder is why? Why do this breeding? A good breeder will always have a specific articulable reason for doing a breeding. And it will ALWAYS be about improving something, making specific contributions to the breed. Good breedings are never done for money. 

I would also broaden my search to include West German show line dogs. You may find it easier to find a less hectic dog. I'd avoid Czech or DDR (East German) dogs. Too much dog for apartment living and a bit too serious about work, generally speaking.

I can't speak to American show line dogs, as I only deal with European line dogs. 

Again, I think you will be much better off if you focus less on lines and more on finding a really good, responsible breeder.


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## RivaJam (Jul 26, 2016)

@messdog - I'll PM you a breeder that I know just imported some working ling dogs, I believe Czech dogs, and they are started in obedience. I don't think the price is bad, but I'm not sure of your budget.


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## mnm (Jan 9, 2006)

As others have said, importing can be a crap shoot. I have personally imported a puppy, but it came through a very good friend (who owned the female and she was still in Europe training and earning titles, and had a litter there), who knew the broker and person there that had the litter. She was everything that I wanted. I know of a female that was imported, supposed to be SchH3 titled, and was from a big name kennel, and three of her puppies were also imported. The titled female was scared of people, and could not perform a SchH1 routine. She had what we call midnight titles. Kennel owner was the judge and dog had been transferred into another person's name during the titling. Of the three puppies, one was pretty nice when young, one had floppy ears, and the other was so/so. One pup was sent back to Germany to title, and couldn't pass. 
I imported a IPO3 female, but was over there, had a personal friend that knew the owner and they were in the same training club, and I bought her and brought her back home with me. She's been wonderful. So, if you have personal contacts that you trust, then you will likely get a good dog, but if not, you are just rolling the dice and hoping you get something good. Many European's do not offer any warranties on puppies. You get what you get.
There are many good reputable breeders here in the US. 

There's been some good information on this thread for you. Good Luck.


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## astrovan2487 (May 29, 2014)

There's a bunch of guys from New York that come down to the club I train with that have really nice dogs, some are imported, some from the US, some breed their own dogs, most are working line but some are German show line. I think they are out of the New York Schutzhund and Police Dog club in Long Island, NY though I'm not 100% sure. Would be a good idea to see if you could watch them train sometime to see all the different dogs. Wether you choose to import or not I bet they would be able to steer you in the right direction. Another thing to think about is if you get a pup from a breeder fairly close by they will be able to help you out with training or finding a good trainer/club. Good Luck!


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## messdog (Aug 17, 2016)

Hi Guys, 

Again, really appreciate all the help and the information. It's been a huge help. 
Will keep digging to see what I can find. 

Will keep you posted on what we end up doing, and the outcome. 

And please - if you have any recommendations for great working line breeders in the NY area - please send them my way! 

After reading everything, It seems finding the right puppy in the US is the best solution for our family. 

Thanks a lot!


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