Need help - Page 1

hey guys
First of all im quite new to GSD show business. I have had few GSDs in the past i did some local shows nothing big, but recently i have been thinking of buying some good blood line puppies. It seems impossible to find kennel websites or contact info for breeders (talking about German kennels). Most of them looks like they were made 20 years ago, no one updates them, what ever mail addresses or phone numbers i found were either fake or unused.
So i want to know is there place where i can find contact info for breeders if i want to buy puppy of find a stud dog for my female ?

thanks in advance

How about clicking on the 'Breeders' button here ? L/H column of page, penultimate box, above the one for 'Articles'.
Good luck. [Not sure where you've been finding all the out-of-date websites with fake tel numbers though; does not seem to be the majority of cases with German (or other) kennels, to me !] Although it is generally true that many people, in all walks of life, are crap at updating, once they have a website set up !

Hi Next welcome to the PDB and the gsd world. I have had GSDs for many decades and have done just about everything with them including showing. It's a great community (tho a bit tough sometimes) plus you get to share your life with the best dog there is.

I have a few suggestions for you b4 you go running off to contact German breeders. The Shepherd world is like all others esp the show world - it's connections, knowledge, politics. At this point you are an unknown. You will be asking a breeder to take a chance with you.

Now it appears you already have had some luck recently purchasing a young (5 mo) bitch from a line you admire (Omen). That she is young is good - it gives you time to learn & connect. She is from a kennel in Norway yes? May I ask what country you are in and also how you located this pup to purchase?

Your first and most important resource is her breeder. He will know his own lines and can make suggestions such as what age for what training, how to show train a dog (very very impt if the judge can not adequately see the dog you will get a lower rating), what judges it would be best to show her under and at what age (s) etc. Finally IF down the road she is deemed breed worthy (show ratings, koered, working titles, health clearances) he is the best one to advise you on complementary lines (that and the koer master).

As you can see there is an enormous amount of time and effort that goes into creating a successful show dog. For this reason I suggest you go slowly with any other acquisitions. Get this girl on the right track and also use the time to educate yourself on the inside and outs of the show world. GO to as many shows  AND trials as you can. Get there early, leave late. Watch , listen & learn ( and along the way HELP if you want shows to survive). Keep a little black book on the judges and what they like and don't like. Who they put up and why.

As you do this you will be meeting people- some of whom may have dogs/ lines that you like BUT again I advise slowness and patience. Do not be in a hurry to acquire several dogs. Dogs r exponential not linear (1+1 is >> than2 in terms or work, effort, problems). Your new acquaintances will not go away esp if they have been in the breed awhile. Down the road AFTER you have adult success with your bitch even if they don't  have what you want they will know who does and will help you get a dog - that you would not/ could not get as a newbie/ unknown.

There is a reason many successful breeders have a limited online presence - they prefer to deal with those they know.

Also keep in mind in most countries there are very nice successful homebred lines that are well worth having. Plus there is always the serendipity factor. Decades ago b4 this country was flooded w/ imports I was trying to find a German import stud for my bitch who was half German. I located several but none of them were really what I was looking for. Then I went out one night to pick up fish & chips and there right outside the shop in a Bronco was the dog I had been looking for. Walked in the shop and hollered out - who owns the GSD. Bruno had been bred by a German Dr who had emigrated to this country bringing his personal dogs with him. On that day fate smiled on me.

A very well known breeder/ importer said to me many decades ago that the German dog market was a meat market where the innocent got chewed up and spit out. Still true today - maybe even worse.

So let us know where you are and what your plans are. Oh and two old time sayings for you. 1. You should breed not for the next generation but for 5 generations from now (have a plan) 2. If the WORST dog of your last litter is no better than the worst dog of your first litter you have made no real progress.

Good luck and remember have fun and find what your dog is good at and wants to do.

Awesome advice from TIG.

Also, join a club (research first, then visit a couple, before picking/committing). This will be a big investment of time and money over the years. How successful you are, what opportunities present themselves, and how much you and your dogs enjoy it, will depend on your contacts, training, and experience.

Check out the website for the registration authority in your country, learn everything you can about the breed and rules for different competitions, breeding, genetics, and registration first. Learn who the major/most successful competitors, lines, clubs, etc. are, and why. Learn everything you can about hip, elbow, DM, DNA, etc. testing and grading.

Know your dog's lines inside and out, as far back as you can. What's strong? Weak/needs improvement? Quirks? Temperament? Do some things skip a generation or two? Where is there linebreeding, and did it strengthen good or bad traits? Where is there outbreeding? Again, did it improve anything? Are there any notable dogs in the lines (traits, titles, championships, heroism, celebrity, etc.) Talk to as many of the breeders and owners of the dogs in the lines that produced your dog as you can.

Good luck!