Priorities choosing titled dog - Page 1

I'm looking for a few opinions as to what would matter most to you if you were buying a titled dog. (This would most likely be an import that you can not see first.) Would it be pedigree?  SchH scores?  Conformation? Hips/elbows?  Koer? Age?  Reputation of the seller? Pictures/videos?  Price? Is he/she a kennel dog? Or would you just plain not risk importing a titled dog? My expectations are realistic that there's no such thing as the perfect dog, and if there was , it wouldn't be for sale  :-)

1.Reputation of seller

2.Ped

3. pics/vids

4.price

5. Hips/elbows/koer

The rest don't matter. I can see conformation with the pics/vids, Titles mean little, without seeing the dog work and liking that first and foremost. I really don't care if it was a kennel or house dog. If I bought an adult titled dog, it would be for breeding not a pet and would spend more time in a kennel than in my house. I have to trust and know a dog/bond before they spend any length of time inside, close to my family. A dog must earn his way inside. Age would be something I checked along with the pedigree.

Most important is what fits your needs, then your wants, somewhere in there your goals. If you want to live with the dog and not just keep it in a kennel as breeding stock then top pedigree, scores are not the ultimate priority here. If you are more concerned about performance you need to focus on that. If you are looking to bring specific bloodlines to your kennel then you need to look at that.
Everyone that will post an answer here will write from their own perspective, but none of them are you and cannot know what is really important to you. Only you do. They can only write about what is important to them. Hard to give advice on what is important to you without knowing that. 
The dog that is not perfect for someone else might be just perfect for you. Just like a 'second hand' spouse :o).
Lots of dogs get imported every year, the odd negative stories are usually the only ones that get a lot of publicity, not the stories from complacent and happy buyers. Several thousand GSD make it to the US every year, from pup to titled adults. Compare that to the handful of sad stories that you hear. The failure rate is not by far as high as the the doomsayers want you to believe. Or maybe Americans are all just suckers for punishment if it was indeed such a bad situation, the whole import thing I mean :o). People keep importing, so the experiences cannot be all that bad. On the contrary.
Best advice I can give is talk to the seller in person. That will give you an idea about the person selling the dog and you can discuss your issues and thoughts about the dog much better and detailed than you can put them in writing.

For me I wanted a dog suitable for PP.  We selected a reputable person to provide that type of dog.  Then we went through process of elimination based on what MY specific needs were which ranged from where the dog would live (in the house), to living with small children, had to be good with other animals or at least not aggressive, my handler capbailities and being a "novice", the dogs hips/elbows certified, his age being under 4 (just was my preference), pedigree and titles were less important to me since I did not have an interest in breeding and at the time was not intending to do sport.  But the pedigree and title was a bonus when we finally did match the right dog for us.  Now regardless of which way I ever decided to go with him there are endless possibilities.  We imported our dog sight really unseen.  We saw videos - but that only tells so much and anyone can take an impressive 2 minute clip to show you "yes, this dog got it", it was the reputation of the broker we placed our trust with in conjunction with what limited resources we had via video and it worked out that we were very happy with what we got.

D.H. said-

Most important is what fits your needs, then your wants, somewhere in there your goals.

This cannot be stressed enough. You need to be very specific in what your needs/desires/goals are for the dog.  Only then can you prioritize your requirements, IMO.

Theresa

Triodegirl,

your answer is overed by the response of DH, unbiased and full of knowledge, as we are used to of her input.

It is, and always will be, a very tough desicision to make on what you like & dislike in a dog. Even harder if you dont have the chance to see & exam the dog in person.

For me, it is most important to talk to the buyer/seller a couple of times, trying to find out why they are selling/ or buying the dog in question.

But thats just me.

Ulli Dresbach

Thanks to all for the advice/opinions. I posted a wanted ad and now that I've gotten a number of interesting responses, I'm nervous about making the wrong choice As much as Kraftwerk has been bashed around here, they do have their trained dogs on site where you can take them for a test drive. Not sure I could afford the window stick, tho.

Triodegirl, I had sent you an eMail. Did you get it by any chance? Had not heard back.

D.H. I did get your e-mail last night with links to Asta. Sorry for not responding sooner but have another offer of a female that looks interesting and that was the reason for my post. I do have a bad habit of not responding when I'm not sure what to do. The other female is younger and more to my liking at least appearance wise.

If you are able to go see the dog in person, take someone experienced with you. If the owner doesn't give them the opportunity to test the dog, go elsewhere.

If you can't see the dog in person, ask that they send you some video of the dog working. Ask that they show specific things geared toward your goals for the dog. If you want personal protection, ask to see the dog worked civil, without equipment and under environmental stress. If you are wanting to compete in sport, ask for video of the dog performing excercises performed in that particuar sport. Show these videos to as many experienced people as possible and ask for their opinion.

If someone is not willing to do this I would not buy from them. A titled GSD is not a small investment and you need to make sure the dog can be successful in whatever your hopes are for the dog.

If you are new to the game ( by posting this I am assuming you are) I can't stress enough to have someone who really knows what they are doing help you with your choice. They can also act as a buffer to avoid an "impulse" buy. Even if you are experienced it is always nice to have a second opinion. When you are making a purchase like this it is often something you are very excited about. I know a few people who were so excited to get a dog, they made a quick decision and ended up disappointed in the end.

The dog world is a rough place. It is always buyer beware.

Good luck to you.