Heading to Germany, Advice welcome : ) - Page 1

Hello Everyone,

Long story short, after Eon's of researching Old style German Shepherds, (Altdeutscher) I will be in Europe (Germany) for a bit and plan on checking out a few Breeders. Currently high on my list to visit are Vom Schattenwolf, Vom Jakobsberg, and Von Camelot.

I'm looking for an intelligent, social, balanced pup with potential for therapy work and/or search and rescue. I was wondering if anyone had any personal experience with the breeders listed, or if they had anyone they would like to recommend while I'm in the area.  

 

Picture is a lovely pup from Vom Jakobsberg (simply because I enjoy posts with Beautiful pups, feel free to share yours!)

Remember to do research on restrictions in Germany in connection with covid 19

Thanks,

Germany is indeed still on uber lockdown for at least 15 more days. I will be abiding by all the quarantine rules when entering the country and I don't plan on physically traveling to each of the breeder locations, until the restrictions have been lifted.

seeing the dogs first hand is absolutely the best chance of getting what you want and I have found money well spent in the long run.

if possible, try to get the dog away from their comfort zone, maybe a walk around if possible, with the owner out of sight. it's can be really revealing how some dogs can react.

Thanks Rik!

I am going for a puppy, rather than an established adult. Im not sure they would let me wander about with a puppy unsupervised, (understandable) but if possible with one of the parents, what would you be on the look out for?

Nervousness/Anxiety vs calm, aloofness, or just willingness to be handled by someone unfamiliar?

sang, there are folks here very experienced/expert. hopefully some of them will offer tips. and different people look for different things for different needs. I don't want high prey and that might be someone else's first priority.

as for me, it starts with the breeder. a good one will know the traits and likely outcome of the individual pups if raised correctly. tell them your hopes and expectations.

you probably won't see much nervousness/anxiety as long as they are in a pack on home ground. undoubtedly you will settle on the one/ones you want to see on an individual basis. maybe another room or part of the kennel property. this is when you can judge their reaction.

I really would not be interested in a pup that only wanted to get back to the pack or showed a lack of confidence being separated from the rest. not many pups are really strangers after a few minutes.

good luck and wear some thick clothing, sounds like you are in for some puppy mauling.

Rik

Make sure you know what you have to do/have to import/bring back a puppy with you before you leave. Both generally and for the specific point of re-entry. Print it out and double check that the Customs, USDA, etc. websites are up-to-date and the information is still current/good. An airline-approved crate may be cheaper in your home country vs Germany. And then there's always the issue of reserving a spot on the plane so the puppy's in the cabin. Be prepared for the puppy to be in the hold. Each airline is different, so you'll need to find out what you need in advance (water bottle, bowl, labeling, etc.). You may need to make a reservation even for the hold way in advance.

You may still need a broker, depending on requirements or availability (age, etc.) of the puppy.

If you buy a puppy to be shipped to you, make sure he or she is microchipped, you get the chip number and chip company info, and take lots of pix. Health guarantee and bill of sale. Puppy papers if at all possible. If you need a broker, your breeder may be able to help you with recommendation and arrangements.

If you're not fluent in German, get a translation app on your phone. Make sure words specific to dogs and purchasing are pre-loaded if they're not there already.

If you plan on paying with cc, find out rates of exchange and fees. Some banks are terrible, and others are free or very reasonable. Different cards from the same bank can be very different, as well. Consumer protections vary from country to country, and some cc have some extra consumer benefits.

If you have a rental car, be prepared to ensure no trace of the puppy before turning the car back in. This is easier if the puppy is in a crate from the get-go.

Talk to your vet before going and see if he or she has any advice and maybe set up a tentative appointment.

Hope you find the puppy of your dreams :-)

some very practical and useful advice from Cat. I always contact my CC company and let them know I will be traveling to whatever destination and the dates. never had an issue.

also, you may need to convert currency. I used the locations set up in most train stations. check out other options as well.

if you will be driving,a Map/GPS app for your phone should be available and very useful.

if you are not familiar with loops in place of red lights used in the U.S. you might want to do some research on that. (don't know what country you are in). the guy I traveled with was very familiar on navigating them, it seemed confusing to me though, but I'm easily confused anyway.

oh and stay in the right lane on the autobahn, the left can be very dangerous.

if some of this seems overly simple, I apologize.

Rik

When picking a dog be aware that therapy work and search and rescue are WORLDS apart and if you want to do one, you wouldn't want that dog for the other.

Personally I'd wait until COVID is not a factor, but that's just me. Not sure where you are from; if it's the USA be aware that most EU countries are not allowing Americans to enter.

Guten tag from Deutschland!

Thank you everyone for the tid-bits. They are much appreciated. I will be here for quite some time and do not intend on getting my pup until it's closer to the time for me to go home in a few months. I just wanted to talk with/ do some in person research with the local breeders, before making a final decision.

I do have a bit of ground work to do in return travel arrangements, but hopefully I will be able to take my new bundle of teeth n' fluff home on the same flight with me. If not I plan on putting Him/Her on the flight myself to be received by family.

Thanks again