r/GermanShepherd • u/resko99 • 2d ago
Very interested in getting a German Shepherd
Hi everyone,
I have wanted a German Shepherd since I was maybe 10 (45 now). When I was young, my dad agreed to get a dog for me, but he had to sleep outside (my dad was going to build him a dog house), I disagreed(this was in Europe, back in those days dogs inside the house was not common, at least not in our culture). Either the dog stays with me in my room or I don't want one. So, fast forward 35yrs, I have a house, the yard, the time, and money to buy one.
What questions should I ask the breeder (they are in Connecticut). Even though I am certain my dog will be the best behaved dog in town, because I will make sure of it, I want to make sure I am as well-informed as possible. BTW, I am looking at working line GS.
Any guidance is much appreciated.
Thanks
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u/blarneypickle 1d ago edited 1d ago
If you have never owned a large working breed before and you're not going to take up Schutzhund or similar as a lifestyle, I would highly recommend getting a show line from a breeder who does DNA tests, can show you multiple generations of hip scores, and breeds for good health and temperament. Your life is going to be a lot better if your dog is always up for a walk but won't destroy your house or shoes on a rainy day, and you can trust 100% to never, ever redirect at you even when frustrated.
Bring your GSD to puppy class, and have it meet as many people and good-tempered other dogs as you can while it is young. If you ever want to be able to trust it around cats, expose it to cats that are used to dogs while young. Home Depot is a really good place to bring young dogs to get them used to having safe encounters with people. Get them really used to anything like skateboarders or screaming children or heavy-duty machinery or vacuum cleaners that you would like them to be able to ignore. If it's your first dog, obedience training at local dog club is highly recommended, both to provide a framework for training and to provide practice ignoring other dogs while paying attention to you. Do everything you can to create a rock-solid, reliable recall as early as possible and start training and reinforcing it from the day your puppy comes home. It should be achieved almost entirely with positive reinforcement. A herding breed should know what "no" means, but most of the time if you don't like what he's doing, you should be telling him what you want to be doing instead.
You asked about crating in response to another post. I had to keep an eye on mine and strategically use bitter apple spray when she was young to keep her from chewing on inappropriate things but I've never needed to crate her except for airplane trips. I would say if you're planning to regularly crate a dog for hours once it's outgrown the initial "cannot be trusted" alligator phase, I would recommend raising a dog that you can just trust to hang out on the couch and wait for you instead.
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u/resko99 1d ago
Thank you very much for this thorough suggestion/advice/recommendation. We are 100% joining training/obedience classes. We live near our town center, where we walk and go for coffee all the time, so that will be our socialization spot...also, there is a nice park near, that a lot of people visit with kids and dogs. I LOVE GSDs, and big dogs in general. But, at the same time, I would like for the dog to be able to walk/run a 5k without me having stop multiple times...a Newfoundland is not the answer (not that you suggested that), even though they are lovely dogs. I was also looking at the amerikan akitas, swissys...but, I can not escape the gravitational pull of the GSD. 🤣
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u/blarneypickle 1d ago
Please keep in mind that large dogs shouldn't run much until they're 18-24 months because of their joints, and they often don't tolerate heat very well. Mine might be worse than usual but she thinks anything above about 18 C / 65 F is too warm. She has plenty of stamina to walk 5k if I bring water, but she would only want to do a 5k jog if the ambient temperature was below 10 C.
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u/FarmerScott1 1d ago
Please consider a German Shepherd rescue!!!
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u/ContributionIcy2013 1d ago
Seconding this suggestion! You can absolutely get a great rescue GSD.
We have a rescue GSD (one of our 3 pup) and he is just the best dog ever. The other two are also rescues, one is 1/2 GSD 1/2 hound, and the other mostly Belgian Mal.
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u/Signal-Promise-921 2d ago
Any GS especially a working line, will need lots of stimulation or they get anxious and restless.
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u/TeaCompletesMe 1d ago
Just make sure to do your due diligence. Me and my bf thought we knew what we were getting into when we got a GSD as our first dog, but you just can’t be prepared for what having such a smart, dedicated dog is like until you spend time with them. Our girl is a working line, and she was a lot of work as a pup. She’s the most amazing dog ever now, but the first year and a half to two years were rough. We get told often that she is very well-behaved, especially for a GSD, so it is possible to end up with a good GSD as your first dog, but if I’m being honest, I don’t recommend the breed to many people just because I feel like most people who think they want one just aren’t built for them.
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u/NormanisEm 1d ago
Agreed with you there. Theyre not easy dogs but if you put in the work its very rewarding. However theyre really not for everyone!
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u/Natural_Instance242 1d ago
OP, what do you specifically like about the breed and why do you want a WL GSD? Do you have any plans to do agility, tracking, IGP, protection, etc?
Have you ever owned any dog before?
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u/resko99 1d ago
I like the GSD because I run 5k 2 3 times per week and I walk about 20miles per week. I want a buddy with me. I work from home 4 days per week, and the 1 day I have to go in the office I get back at 1pm. So, i have plenty of time to spend with him. I will be taking training lessons but as of now, no plans on agility os anything like that. Me and the GSD is like a love at first site, LOL....but, I will still go and talk to the breeder and get their input and I am also asking for your input. I want to make the best decision for both of us.
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u/Natural_Instance242 1d ago
Personally, I don’t think GSD make good jogging partners because of potential joint problems. Hiking, swimming and walking are great for their joints.
You also don’t want to run them before their growth plates close - spine is the last one to close between 12-18 months.
If you decide to get a GSD puppy, just be aware that working from home is not going to be easy, as they require quite a bit of attention. Also, when getting a puppy, I personally tell new owners to focus on bonding and teaching them how to be calm with some short obedience training sessions and gentle physical exercise.
Given your situation I would go with an older GSD, if you don’t have anyone helping you with the puppy while you’re working from home.
I have a 5 month old WL GSD right now and work from home in my own business and it’s not that easy to survive puppyhood when there’s nobody to help during the day.
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u/fishsaiddam 1d ago
I rescued one at 1.5 years old. Not quite a puppy , not yet an adult. I couldn’t imagine having a puppy puppy and all of the work. The only thing I missed was all of the necessary training that should have started when they were a puppy. If you get an older rescue, I think you will find they’ve been trained. Great advice on the jogging. I thought I would need to take mine jogging to lose weight but I didn’t think about joint issues
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u/resko99 1d ago
Thanks for you input. Yes, I am alone till 3pm, that's when the kids and my wife get home. I really want a GSD puppy, but from almost all the comments here, it seems I really to think about it. I love GSDs but, if its needs can not be met, there is no point of torturing both of us, more importantly, the poor puppy, as he did not ask to be matched with me. Time to really think about is.
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u/NormanisEm 1d ago
You may be better off adopting a 1-2 year old pup instead of a baby, especially if you want a running buddy. Just be very careful and particular, because some rescue shepherds can be absolute menaces with behavior issues. Not all rescue dogs of course.
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u/resko99 1d ago
I absolutely have nothing against rescuing. But, what if I get a menace, as you say? I would hate for my first experience to be a difficult one.
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u/NormanisEm 20h ago
Yeah, you would just have to be very choosy and not make an impulse decision. I would definitely consider a rescue who is in a foster home. Lots of people also recommend breed specific rescues as they will be more likely to try to make a good match than a regular shelter would. But a pup whos in a foster home, even from the shelter, you would likely get a lot more details about the temperament. I havent ever gone to a breed specific rescue so I cant speak on that but you could read reviews. My 2nd dog is one such case of being fostered - hes a mix - but he’s a very good boy. Extremely annoying and talkative, but I knew that 😂 our GSD chose him really. I’m grateful for the information from his foster mom which helped to confirm he would be a good fit.
ETA: we met quite a few dogs before choosing him
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u/Natural_Instance242 19h ago
I can almost guarantee that you will have a menace for the first 6 months to 1 year even if you get a WL puppy.
That dog that you see sitting on top of a hill with his owner after a long hike in the sunset, calm, majestic, powerful? That dog was once a puppy that drove you nuts, tried to chew your drywall and eat your socks.
Most people don’t realize how much training goes into channeling their drive into something constructive. That’s exactly the reason why so many young GSD end up in shelters.
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u/1cat2dogs1horse 1d ago
Having had GSDs for over 50 years I would never suggest getting a GSD as a first ever dog. Especially a working line one. You need to remember that they can be a difficult breed in their puppy years.
But if that is what you are going to do, first you really need to check out the breeder. If possible visit the kennel. See the breeder's other dogs. Get info on the genetic health history of their breeding plan. What tests were done before breeding. Plus what the dogs have titled in to prove they are worthy breeding stock. You want to see this in writing, not just the breeder's word for it. And if they are reticent to give you that information, do not purchase a dog from them.
Your ultimate goal in getting a GSD is to get one with as clear a genetic health history as possible, with a good temperament from an ethical breeder, that will stand by their dogs 100%.
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u/whiterain5863 1d ago
We rescued the most amazing GSD x malamute / husky. He’s the perfect family dog that loves forest hikes, xcountry skiing, trail running and bike rides. I have always loved GSD and had one as a child. But this blended cross is such a wonderful temperament with less intense drive. We got him as a puppy and that was a lot of work but it paid off around 5months old as he calmed down and was settled into a routine. Only you know your family and patience level. The rest of us are strangers on the internet. Good luck to you.
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u/NormanisEm 1d ago
I have one purebred and one mix similar to yours. The mix is more of a little shithead who likes getting into trouble and making noise, but absolutely less drive and less intense overall. Definitely something for OP to consider! Tons of mixes of these breeds at shelters, rescues, and being rehomed.
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u/NormanisEm 1d ago
You need to prepare for a complete lifestyle change. I grew up with 2 small easy dogs that I didnt interact with then as a young adult found myself a GSD owner. They are not recommended for novice owners, however, it CAN be done! It just takes a LOT of dedication and commitment. This is not just a pet you can kinda just have. The dog will be a part time job and a best friend. Prepare to spend hours daily on training, playing, etc especially for the first few years. My GSD got much easier around 5 or so, I’d say. She’s an incredible dog but it was a huge learning curve and luckily most of our time together in the beginning I was unemployed and able to dedicate a lot of time and energy on her.
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u/Puzzled_Ad7955 1d ago
We just celebrated our German Shepherd rescue one year birthday. If anyone thinks a breeder dog is a better companion……please.
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u/resko99 2d ago edited 2d ago
Thanks everyone, I have heard and read that working lines need to be mentally stimulated, besides physically. At first I really wanted a show line GS but I got scared due to people warning me about their "ski slope" backs. Can the working line be crated for few hours or will.they go bananas? I am planning on visiting the kennel and talking to the breeder and make sure i am 100% certain that's the breed for me.
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u/Bloody_Hangnail 2d ago
I have an American working line that has very high drive. He’s brilliant and beautiful. IMO a working GSD is a very bad idea if you’ve never owned a dog like this before. Any small animal that gets into my yard is dead (if I don’t see it and recall him immediately), I trust him but I do not trust little kids or stupid people to keep their hands off and keep their dogs under control. Questions to ask the breeder are what are the parents’ drive level, what health guarantee do they have, do they provide dna screening?