Hi All,

I'm currently looking around and doing some reading before purchasing my new family member to be - a German Shepherd Pup. I have contacted a couple of breeders, both very polite and helpful. I have also spoken to a few very helpful people on this site regarding dogs and family pets, as I own two very inquisitive parrots.

I have also read "The German Shepherd" - I actually read this front to back last night - got a bit engrossed!!! Very good book by the way, it's enjoyable to read and full of "Did you know" inserts. I think I've educated myself enough to purchase the puppy (well, in 3-5 weeks as just got Mortgage and waiting to move in).

Anyway, I'm trying to find out more on what to look for in the puppy. Ideally, the dog that I would most like would be a big dark coated dog, the longer the hair the better. I have looked at many pictures and photos, and in my opinion the darker dogs look gorgeous! The book I read mentioned looking for the darkest pigmentation in the toenails and nose, as this will reflect on the dog’s coat as he matures. Obviously this is true, but how practical is it looking for such pigment in pups? Also, is it possible to see any indication as to how it's coat will develop from such a young age? Just how fussy do I need to be? If there is anything that will help in choosing a pup that anyone can advise me on I would be most Grateful.

At the end of the day, I am looking for a family dog, no matter how he turns out he will be loved and cared for all the same.

Many Thanks,

Paul

Hi, As you are looking for a long haired GSD I presume you aren't thinking of showing, you just want a handsome, healthy pup, I got my very dark long haired GSD from a lady in stafford who breeds on English bloodlines, who breeds straight backed, black, black and tan, and sable dogs with superb temperaments, the pups wiegh up to 2 stone at 8 weeks.
Its no good having big pups unless they have the bone to carry it, and they do!

Beware of some adverts in newspapers and question all breeders thoroughly and check what sort of after sales support they will give if things go wrong.

If you want her number email me and I will send it to you.

HI

I spent lots of time with the breeder of my BSd bitch, (poor woman!!) and wanted a really rich red/black coated pup, but she said, in her opinion, it was difficult to choose on such criteria at that age.

In the end we just chose the pup we fell in love with, the strongest and most independent:rolleyes: LOL but she's brilliant :)

Banya will never have the rich red and black coats of my other Tervs, but somehow it doesn't matter so much anymore...

Good luck in your search :)

LIndsay

Thanks Shadow & Lindsey,

I think at the end of the day, the puppy we bring home will be the one that we fall in love with the most, rather than colour although colour would be a bonus. I've been reading loads of info, and from what I can gather from different sources - personnality is the biggest issue in young dogs.

Although I am enquiring about the differences in coat etc, this is just because I am a novice in the GSD world.

What sort of traits should I look for in the puppies when I go to see them. Is it easy to spot the nervous from the bold etc?

Cheers,

Paul

PS - Shadow, I've sent you a mail.

when we went to pick shadow there were only two dogs left, both looked almost identical and we couldn't make our minds up which one to choose, in the end I noticed that one was really friendly when given attention and when ignored lay down and went to sleep wheras the other one was contantly after attention.
Seeing as I knew the pup would have to spend some time alone, we chose the one that went to sleep when not played with.

We are made up with our decision as even now he is older, most of the time we are out he sleeps and when we are watching tv mostly he will lie at our feet quite contendedly.

As an occassional breeder of the gentle giant type long haired GSD's, my tips for you are as follows. (1) Temperament must be your first concern. A good temperament in the parents can give you a very good start, but you must not let the breeder down by not continueing with the puppies training & this includes socialisation. Find a local dog training club near you that offers puppy classes and is reward orientated towards the training aspects. Both of you will benifit greatly from this as GSD's are very intelligent and need more mental stimulation than physical exercise in the first few years. Basically, a GSD is rather a one family type dog, and can become very protective of the family and the property, so the more kind/loving people the puppy meets in the early stage of life the nicer the adult dog you will have.
(2) Colour: for a darkish type dog, look for the least tan when you veiw your prospective puppy arround 6/7 weeks old. A puppy is born very dark, almost all black and will lighten up as the weeks pass by. So a little tan on the feet up to the first joints and possible little tanned eyebrows will give you the darkish dog you are looking for. A puppy that has tan up to the shoulder by 7 weeks will be like the classic black & tan or even lighter.
(3) Coat: You need to take the breeders advice on this as he/she should know roughly how the coats should look in a few years time, especially if they have bred from the same lines for a number of years. we all make the occassinal mistakes though, as I have sold a couple of pups I personally would have called "heavy coated" rather than long haired, only to see the same puppies at 1 or 2 years old with fantastic long coats. Also please note, bitches and males are very different. An entire bitch can blow her coat 3 or 4 times a year and will blossom arround 6 years old. A male will blow his coat at spring time but will blossom from 2 years old and get better each year.
(4) Type: There are many types of GSD around at present, and each have a roll to play. The following are my own views and are not meant to anger other breeders, so sorry to anyone who takes offence. There's the "Show type" mostly from Germanic lines now as The KC has had a great influence in who judges the the shows so have pushed the English type show dog to the background. The Germanic lines have slopping backs. These puppies can be good house pets even though the show breeders sell some of their puppies because they feel they may not do well in the ring. This doesn't mean they are faulty or bad. The English type has a straight back & can be heavier set & in my opinion can be steadier. The large long haired from the right lines make ideal pets even though the show people say they are faulty and shouldn't be bred. If that were true I and others like me wouldn't have a waiting list for puppies, a lot of new friends who own our puppies because they want a good looking, well rounded and healthy dog. Each to their own, I say.
That now leaves the "working type" which is rather a broad name for a multitude of tasks the GSD can do. Take Obedience working, means a very intelligent dog, can make a fantastic pet if you have the energy and time to cultivate your dog. Boredom here can cause some very serious problems. Agility working, active dogs are on the go a lot more than normal, play hard and live life to the full. Could you keep up? Trials & Tracking,= a mixture of Obedience & Agility. If you are first time owners, I recommend you stay away from any breeders that breed from "guard dogs" or that type of work. These dogs need experience handlers and in the wrong hands they can become leathel weapons. As a trainer I have met quite a few people who got that cute bundle of fluff at 8 weeks old, only to desperatley seek help when the dog reaches 14+ months old.
Finally, you have to be hard hearted when veiwing puppies. Look for the happy to see you puppy that has been well turned out and looks healthy. Some breeders breed for the sake of money and the puppies may have a runny nose or bad eye or be untidy, shy, the list can go on. You feel you have to buy this puppy just to get it away from the breeder but this type can be a lot more expensive and very upsetting in the long run. Thankfully there are only a few breeders like this, as most will treat breeding as a hobby, care very deaply over their pups and worry that they are going to a good home. Get to know the breeder and what they have done in the past. Ask questions, the more the better as we love to talk about our dogs. Word of mouth is the best advertising but can be the most destructive, so ask around and don't be in a hurry to get that puppy. That puppy is for life and that can be up to 16 years.
Again sorry if I have offended anyone & excuse spelling, can't seem to get the checker working here.

Elmbridge

Hi Elmbridge,

Thank you very much for taking the time to write all that info. It's certainly helped me see 'the bigger picture'. My partner has already enquired about puppy behaviour and solialisation classes, she is also at night school doing her b-tech animal care which tends to concentrate on dogs. We are both devoted animal lovers and I'm sure the puppy we find will turn out just fine and dandy (well.... heres to hoping). I've gained loads knowledge from the freindly people on here - thank you all!

As soon as I get my little fella I'll be sure to post back and let you all know how I get on.

Many Thanks,

Paul

As usual Elmbridge, you sum up my thoughts entirely! I couldnt have put it better myself, well done.

Shadow,
Perhaps Banger's nutty Max was the one you left behind? (LOL) :D
:)

Thank god I chose shadow then, I think I would have had a nervous breakdown by now ( seriously though the other pup has gone to a really good home and they are thrilled to bits with him - each to their own)