How does one go about finding a good German Shepherd? I have a friend who is dead set on the breed. She definitely does not need one of the super high-drive dogs bred for law enforcement or protection.
Are people in the US breeding dogs like this, or is it necessary to go to Europe?
I’d suggest contacting the GSD rescues and getting an adult. They will know the dog’s health and temperament which are the things about which you roll the dice when buying a GSD puppy of American stock.
A quick check of the GSD rescue in Houston showed this darling:
I have certainly suggested rescue as an option. Does any GSD rescue actually radiograph hips or elbows or do any of the genetic screening prior to placing dogs?
You’d have to ask the individual rescues. I doubt it though. Too expensive.
and if she buys a puppy, those things will not have been done either, as most are done after a dog is a year old.
I suppose you could pay to have a rescue dog checked before you committed to taking it.
I understand a young GSD purchased from a breeder would not have been tested, but I would expect the sire, dam and a good portion of the pedigree to have the appropriate screenings. I’d also expect the sire and dam to be proven worthy of breeding in some fashion, although I have no clue what to look for as the Shepherds in the show ring are such a perversion of the actual working dog, and she’s not looking for a protection type dog.
I’d think rescue for something like a GSD would be tough, as you’re looking at a lot of badly or indiscriminately bred dogs. Sure, you get to evaluate temperament, but without getting to look at all of the various health issues that seem to run rampant, I imagine one could spend a small fortune doing all the testing to find one that’s clear.
As a breeder of WL GSD’s it’s not impossible to find a pup litter that just won’t cut it for higher level work/sport, but would make an awesome active family companion.
I would look for a responsible breeder that does all the appropriate health testing & has their breeding stock proven through some type of training/titling.
You can occasionally find a GSD in a rescue that does come from good bloodlines. Responsible breeders will sometimes have an older pup or younger dog available. It never hurts to ask, when you find a breeder you like.
Regardless of where the pup/dog comes from, it would do best in a home where it gets regular exercise(not just turned out in the backyard) & some type of mental stimulation/training.
I have lived with the GSD breed all of my life. I currently own one 5.5 year old male and just lost my 8.5 year old male to a devastating tumor. I have also been actively involved in breed rescue for years and have lived with many, many foster GSDs.
My 5.5 year old is a west German showline dog. He came from a well known and reputable breeder. I paid almost as much for this dog as I did for my horse. His pedigree has nothing but titled and health tested dogs in it. He came to me as an 11 week old puppy. And he is a mess. He is very allergic to most common ingredients in dog food. So he needs a special, expensive brand of grain free food. He has IBD, and has unexplained bouts of diarrhea and vomiting. He is fear aggressive with other dogs and although he is a fantastic hobby herder, I can’t compete with him because the trial environment stressed him too much. Same with tracking.
Getting a puppy from impeccable lines, with all the right titles and health testing is no guarantee that the dog you live with for the next 12+ years will also be problem free. It makes it more likely, but not a sure thing.
I had in rescue an older female GSD that had been the top rated V1 schutzhund female in the U.S. She was everything the breed should be, but due to a chain of events that had nothing to do with her quality, she needed help. I have seen so many really, really nice dogs come through my door as fosters and I have seen some really, really nice dogs come out of breeding programs.
Here is a link to a breeder that is doing it the right way:
www.theishof.com
Have your friend contact Heidi and talk with her about what the breed needs and what a really good puppy will cost initially. This is NOT an easy breed and I don’t think they make good pets for most first time owners.
Sheilah
ETA: A good, “family-type” dog needs to come from the good breeders every bit as much as a working dog or a competition dog. Maybe even more so, since we ask so much of our companion dogs.
I think a rescue is going to be your best bet. At least in the Houston area it seems a lot of very nice dogs wind up in foster care. At least with a rescue you have an idea of termperment and get a dog with some training.
I’m biased because we ended up with a completely sweet “family friendly” GSD who was dumped as a stray. He does have a chronic health problem (hypothyroidism) but that’s easy enough to manage. I also suspect that hips might be an issue down the road for him - but I’ve met plenty of older mutts with hip problems as well - sometimes you take your chances.
I’m constantly amazed by how good this dog is - I never considered owning a GSD before and he is just an awesome pet.
Thanks for the link, Idaho Rider. I’d love to have more “breeders who are doing it right” to pass on. I’m sorry to hear of the problems with your dog–that has got to be frustrating 
I am right there with you that a “family-type” dog needs to come from a really stellar breeder. It sounds like you might also be involved with a rescue? I would love to pass on that info, too, if you would like to share.
Good to know, too, that washouts from protection type breeding could be a good fit, mommy peanut. I was unaware. Do you have any links to your website or other breeders you respect?
Rescue could be an absolute right fit here, too, but I think it is probably a good idea to at least talk to some really responsible breeders and hopefully develop a bit of a mentoring relationship to gain insight in the breed and have a good understanding of the various issues that might crop up. As I’m not the one looking for the dog, I’m really just trying to put together the best information I can about finding a good GSD, as I know there are a LOT of bad ones out there.
The problem is that the current breeders of GSD show dogs have about ruined the breed by breeding a crippled hindquarters. So, I’d not say these “reputable breeders” are the best ones from which to get a healthy family GSD. They seem to think the crippled dogs they are breeding are good quality.
That’s the reason I suggested obtaining a known entity from a rescue.
And for the record, I’ve ALWAYS owned GSDs and adore them. I am, though, horrified by what is currently being bred and have now European bred GSDs (that, while healthier, are not generally good family dogs due to their very high drive).
Seeing Eye.
Be prepared for quite a long wait, though.
I’m right there with you Sonesta, which is why I’m not giving my usual advice of “find a responsible show breeder and purchase a pet quality puppy.” What the show people have done to the breed is a crime.
But rescue is also fraught with risks regarding health and background.
This seems like a really tough breed to find a good dog, and like a LOT of knowledge is required to suss out something that’s sound physically and mentally. (Or just luck, I guess?) I’d really like to send my friend in the right direction, hence the question.
I’d be curious to hear your take on the breeder that Idaho Rider shared. It does not look like they’re showing AKC conformation:
http://www.theishof.com/TitleList.html
I see some Schutzhund titles, but I’m in the dark about the rest.
You need to find the right breeder.
Before telling them what YOU want, ask what they breed for: Show, Work or Companion. Dont tell them what you want, or they will say they breed for that.
You want someone that breeds for companion/pet and or Work. Show dogs can have a LOT of issues (physical and mental). Work dogs are usually a little higher strung but have a drive, and this could be used towards training. There are a few GSD breeders in our area that do breed for the sole purpose of companion dogs - and I tell ya, they are WONDERFUL dogs.
I would get a Shep hands down over any other breed IF I had a maid to clean up to constant shedding!
Also, require PennHip rads or OFA (less discriminitive) of the hips and potentially OFA of the elbows on BOTH sets of parents. I believe good responsible breeders will allow their breeding stock to be in the open optional database withPennHip to prove their breeding stock is of good quality!
In general, show dog breeders prefer the OFA because its much easier to get a pass (there is no distraction of the hips to show laxity, its a one shot test). Where as PennHip, several views are taken and measured…
I do prepurchases for police dog screenings. Most are sheps or malies. One european Shep we passed PennHip’d in the top 10 percentile. He came from Belgium (and was $15,000). We failed 4 that were North American bred. Its amazing how we have bred bad hips into these dogs. Sad
Heidi Theis breeds to the German SV standard. Although she has been known to mix some working lines in on occasion, for the most part her dogs are west German showlines. Which are not the same as American showlines.
I like her dogs because they are sound in body and mind. I have seen her dogs while training and while they are just being dogs out in the world. I was very impressed the first time I went out to train with her and discovered that her retired females live in the house, together. Heidi knows the breed.
Tim and Chris Wild have several good articles on their website that talk about the various lines and the pros and cons of each. Here is a link:
http://www.wildhauskennels.com/articles.htm
There are good and bad breeders producing dogs from all of the different lines. Going with any particular line is not a guarantee that the puppy from that line will be free of the problems that are so prevalent throughout the breed. It is much, much more important that you find the right breeder. Not all American showlines are crippled, not all working lines are too drivey to be pets and not all west German showlines are empty-headed dummies. And in any given litter there is going to be a range of type: pet, show, etc. Even the most carefully, specifically bred litter will have pups that aren’t drivey enough to work, or not put together well enough to show. That is just the way it goes.
Here is another breeder I like. Her dogs get out there and do things: agility, herding, obedience. Again, she produces mainly west German Showlines.
www.guardyan.net
I don’t have a foster dog right now, and I don’t personally know anyone that has a GSD foster available. Westside GSD rescue in Southern California has a good reputation and they do out of area adoptions. Their website is: www.sheprescue.org
Sheilah
[QUOTE=Sonesta;6370764]
A quick check of the GSD rescue in Houston showed this darling
http://www.ghgsdr.org/profile.php?id=446&page=YXZhaWxhYmxl[/QUOTE]
Aw Jeeze, Grethel is such a cute girl. I worked with Sheps in the Army, I love the breed. If you can find a rescue Shep you won’t have to worry about housetraining and what their personality will be like as an adult.
[QUOTE=Simkie;6371182]
I’m right there with you Sonesta, …
I’d be curious to hear your take on the breeder that Idaho Rider shared. It does not look like they’re showing AKC conformation:
http://www.theishof.com/TitleList.html
I see some Schutzhund titles, but I’m in the dark about the rest. [/QUOTE]
Don’t know this breeder. The website info looks impressive, but I’d be sure to check them out from third parties before believing anything on a website. If they check out, they are definitely worth a look.
I wish Ed Frawley of Leerburg was still breeding. While his dogs are Schutzhund bred and many would be too high drive for a family dog, he would be honest about telling you which of his puppies were low drive and family friendly. www.leerburg.com
I have a 17 month old GSD male. He is hands down the best dog I’ve ever owned. I got lucky! I would say to make sure you meet the breeders and BOTH parents (full siblings if possible-the breeder should have some names that wouldn’t mind showing you their dog). Get a feel for their personality, their drive, aggression or lack of, etc. There are still good family type dogs being produced but you need to search them out.
A good Shepherd makes one heck of a good dog.
I’m going to say something that is not popular, and take it exactly for what it is, the opinion of someone on the internet.
I’ve been active in rescue -dog, cat, and parrot. All my Rhodesian Ridgebacks were from rescue (my first was from a shelter). I believe in rescues, shelters, second chances, etc.
There are 2 breeds of dog that if I were pursuing I would be less likely to go rescue. Those 2 breeds are Rottweilers and German Shepherds. Why? Because American bred representatives of these breeds have been ruined IMO. You are hard pressed to find a sane and sound American German Shepherd dog IMO. You talk to American breeders of superior GSDs they went to Europe and started their lines from European dogs.
Like I said, it’s just my opinion.
Paula
[QUOTE=Simkie;6370724]
How does one go about finding a good German Shepherd? I have a friend who is dead set on the breed. She definitely does not need one of the super high-drive dogs bred for law enforcement or protection.
Are people in the US breeding dogs like this, or is it necessary to go to Europe?[/QUOTE]
Highly recommend http://www.crookedcreekranch1.com/
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