WL or SL for me? - Page 1

I am looking to purchase a puppy in 6-8 months and was looking for opinions on which line of GSD would be best for me and my family.

First what i am looking for, and forgive any misuse of terms i have been trying to do my research but this is pretty new to me. As i have 2 small kids (5 and 3 yrs old by the time we get the dog) and a big extended family always coming over as well as play dates etc the dog MUST have a great temperament and solid nerves. Im not talking a super friendly dog that everyone play with etc but a dog that is indifferent to strangers, even tolerant of being petted as i cant always be sure a cousin or aunt etc coming over might not try and pet him or kids.

We also go outdoors frequently to local parks, lakes etc so i wouod like a dog that can be around noises, people other dogs or whatever without it being a problem. Again i dont mean him running up to play with strangers or what not just well behaved. As far as activity most days he would get lots of it but there may be days where its just a 30-45 min walk in the am and maybe some play in the afternoon. We live in just under two acres so also would have the opportunity to run around there.

I would like to do some schutzhund or agility if i can find a real good trainer in our area but not looking to set the world on fire or anything just something fun for me and the dog to do and while i would want him to excel at it its way down the list of things i need.

As far as protection its kind of a catch 22. I travel alot and the wife and kids are home alone so one of the main reasons my wife wants to get the dog is for "protection". While this would be nice for piece of mind im far more worried about the necessary agression for that being a problem with a visitor to my home or even worse my kids. We live in a fairly safe area and our house is fenced and gated and well as have a security system and we are armed, with both the wife and i knowing how to handle a weapon so i feel any protection would be perhaps as a deterent or to alert. Doing real PP would be a nice bonus but if it could lead to issues not worth it.

Why the worry? I have seen first hand the differences between a solid dog and not. I grew up with two gsd as a kid one my father got from a farm in colombia(where im from) no breeding just actual working dogs working on a farm. That pup was terrific i personally tested all his limits lol and he was great with us and nothing ever rattled him. He died and we got a nice looking pup with a pedigree in miami and had her trained in obedience at west point k9. She took to it well but was a nervous dog.

I later as an adult bought two gsd one again from a byb and he was very good with me and my wife (no kids at the time) but extremely aggressive with other dogs and would growl at anyone he didnt know. Had to put him up often with people in the house etc. The female was the opposite she loved everyone and wanted to be petted etc and was good with dogs IF kaiser wasnt with her. If they were together then she would seemingly back him up and growl and try to attack other dogs as he would. She had hip issues (ASL) and was not very healthy while he was a rock til i had to put him down last year at 12 years old.

So these experiences have taught me the value of a well bred dog. With kids now i NEED to make sure i make as wise a choice as possible. I am leaning towards a working line because i figure they are probably are hardier health wise as well as i would like the higher drive for schutzhund and fetch etc. The concern is having never owned one perhaps they are more prone to aggression and or more suspicious of people. Sorry for the long first post and thanks for any opinions/recommendations.

Buy an adult dog that does what you want or its just guesswork.

U should have no problems finding a young adult like that.

Lol yes that would be the surest way and im about to get flamed but that would take alot of the fun out of it for me and the kids. My daughter is excited for a puppy and really we all are :) . Nothing is fool proof just trying to maximize my chances of getting a good puppy.

You are describing the ultimate run tin tin dog, lots of people will try sell you one.

I don't think categorising by show or work is helpful to you, you need to look at lots of actual individual dogs with an open mind.

Please don't put all this expectation of rin tin tin on some poor puppy. Train your family first.

Good luck.

The only thing he needs to have is a solid calm demeanor. The rest describes what id ideally like to do with the dog but isnt a deal breaker. If he has no drive for schutzhund so be it. If he wouldnt bark or offer any type of protection oh well. So while i have alot of wants i have only one need.

Sounds reasonable, I would go to a breeder of proven working lines who has a history of health testing their own dogs and titles their own dogs and ask them for a balanced non hectic low drive puppy out of a high drive litter.

There is a lot to be said for what VK advises about asking the breeder to pick you a suitable pup with less pronounced drives. If you are not desparately looking for a "thing to win with" as far as any competition goes, IPO or otherwise, the less a puppy is likely to be frantic to work, the better it probably is around a young family. I'm cheered by the fact that you have already owned specimens of the breed and therefore have some experience with GSDs, so you do have some idea what you are looking for and how to deal with it once you find it.
Surprised though that you seem not to recognise that the "Protection" element is likely to (A) be something you get from any dog with which you have forged a great relationship; (B) comes far more from the deterrent that ownership of a GSD brings, than from the dog's ability to eat people.
A lot of what you will get out of this relationship is what you put into it: if you meet the pup's needs for the amount of exercise and training and distraction it requires, the better behaved and more reliable it should be.
As to the rest of the 'homework' pre purchase, take your time, find a breeder who has a good word-of-mouth reputation, both online and from your contacts, local Clubs etc, and with whom you feel comfortable. Take a good hard look at other stock that person is producing, not just the parents of the next litter on offer,(but study those carefully, too !) and get an idea of their temperament and drive levels. It isn't so much about Show or Working stock, as about sensible decision making on your part, and the reliability of the breeder.
Wishing you the very best of luck with your new dog when you find one.

I specifically said i would be ok with the dog just being a deterent or to alert us if someone was breaking in etc. Like you said a pomeranian can probably do that, so when i think of a "protection" gsd i think of a bit more then that but in my case i dont feel thats something i need. And yes that was some great advice from vk4gsd which i will follow.

Let me be clear...Puppies are the UNKNOWN...When buying a puppy you basically are buying "bloodlines"...Puppies are active...If you want a calm German Shepherd (as a puppy) then you won't be getting what you want when they become an adult...
Puppies are great...but they can and will also be a "pain in the butt"...they will jump on you...scratch you...bite you as they are testing their teeth/mouth out and more so when they're teething...
YOU are the only one that can decide if a puppy is right for you or maybe a young adult or adult will be a better fit...They all have upsides and downsides to them...
Since you have a good while before going to get a dog...You have time to go and visit some working clubs...like Schutzhund Clubs...See the different dogs and ask questions of the members...
Any GSD you get you want them to #1 have Good Temperament...This doesn't mean they won't protect or alert...It means they can be trusted not to just go out and bite someone or some child...
As far as finding a good breeder...Here too...do your homework and word of mouth is the best way to find what you want...
Even better is to find a mentor that can go with you when choosing a puppy/dog...

~Bob~