when looking for a dog.. - Page 2

Hi Em,

I haven't visited this site for a few days so I just saw your post.  You got some really good advice...hope it helps you!  Keep asking questions!    Let's set a goal of getting a really good picture of Rebel (Cain) this weekend at training...I'll help you with the stack.

For the board members, I just want to tell you how proud I am of Emily!  She is such a good natural trainer...really exceptional for her age (or any age, for that matter).  She has taken this very nice dog  from 8 weeks to BH totally on her own and she is well on her way to getting his 1 in the spring.  It's not the typical teenager who spends their weekends  'talking dog', but Emily really is soaking up everything she can get her hands on right now.

Thanks to those of you that have advanced her education by responding to her post!

Sandy

Emily, you are an inspiration to the newbies.  Your head is probably spinning off your shoulders with all the questions thrown at you right about now but I don't think they were intended to "grille" you persay but just give you something to keep in the back of your mind as time progresses and you get closer to being actually ready to put the 2 perfect dogs you select together.  I think it is easier when considering breeding when you are at the point you are in your life.  Some folks get overwhelmed with having many bitches they want to breed and too many litters off the ground at once that they do not take the extra time to really pick apart the pro's and con's.  If breeding becomes about financial gain rather than personal gratification and achievments then much goes out the window with the quality that is produced. JMO. 

When I suggested researching your own dogs parents, grandparents ect, this was something I found beneficial to me when I bought my first GSD and wanted to understand where he came from, what he was made of and where he got some of his qualities.  As I began to understand it more it made it easier for me to decide what I wanted my next dog to be out of.  Now I have 3- all nice dogs but each very different than the other.  I bought a bitch intending to breed with my male- she is titled, KK2 and very nice- she has a beautiful pedigree to compliment my titled male BUT I still am up in the air on if I feel she is good enough to breed to my male.  He's exceptional in every way and very special, he's produced well but I have to be comfortable with what I see in the bitches ability to perform not just how it looks on paper.  Since I've only had her a very short time we still have a series of bonding and training time to go through together before I can say "yes, she has it, she has something more to bring to the table than just her pedigree and title."  I was asked the very same questions VKFGSD asked by a few folks and I actually sat down and asked myself the questions, answered them to myself and discussed them with people that knew much more than I.  They were fair questions to ask and I did not look at it as asking for one's "blessing" to breed but rather thinking of it as in the end when it's all said and done you yourself are the only one you have to justify your breeding choices and if you can live with them with few or no regrets then you probably made the right choice.   Best of Luck to you and your dog.

Agar,

Great Post and thank you you got it exactly right my post was not meant to intimidate or restrict but rather to offer some means, methods, guideposts and alternatives to someone just starting out on the great adventure of their life - breeding German Shepherds.  I believe we owe it to ourselves and our dogs to do the best job we can. Sounds like Emily is headed in the right direction with a nice dog, a great support group and most of all the willingness to ask questions and learn.

Emily, Best of luck to you and if I can ever answer a question by all means email me.

VKFGSD. You did get me hyperventilating. hah. I hope I can sum up all of your questions at once. So lets start with this.

I don't intend to become a big time breeder for sometime. My family has been into breeding my whole life, but my dad bred pitbulls. He was into the sport with rotties sometime ago, and so I've learned quite a bit just from being around this my whole life. But, I learn more and more every day. I have high goals, and high expectations. I don't want to be "just another breeder". I'm breeding for my own personal gratification. Not for the money. I want to breed my boy because I have had him, trained him myself. I want to see what he can do. We do have the financial means to take care of any problems, should they arise. When my boy gets his Sch 1, I also plan on getting his koer. Unless he gets a KKL3, I will breed him atleast once just to see what he throws out, because I would like to keep one of his offspring to keep his lines alive. Although i'm decently new, I do have a knack for choosing what I like, and what I like is a very correct, nice structure, which is hard to find in working lines. I can spot temperament decently well, and I think for the little experience I do have, I can judge a dog well enough just by getting a good look at them and working with them for some time. IMO, I think Cain would make a good sire in the fact that he is a worker. He has very good drive, nice, full bites. I'm not worried about his protection work. His obedience is coming along very nicely. Cain is a hard dog, although he doesn't have so much civil drive as I would like, as he was raised out of it, me being in a family home. His structure is decent, and he has nice coloring. I think these are the better aspects of him.

I think I summed up all of your questions, though i'm not sure.

Agar. Thanks for the advice. I've been thinking this through as thoroughly as I can. I know I will definitely mature and learn so much more in these upcoming years, that's why i'm waiting so I can squeeze as much information into my head before I intend an actual breeding to occur. I've had so much help, that i'm sure i'll be a pretty good first breeder. With everyone at the club looking out for me, i'm hoping it'll be a piece of cake.

Thanks Sandy! Even though you forgot your camera today! Haha.

-emily.

Mygsdrebel-  I think you did a great job in answering the questions.  In fact you are a well spoken intelligent young lady.  I don't doubt that you will do just fine with whatever path you choose.  If I can be of any help in the future please feel free to drop me a line.

Maria

Thanks Maria. :D i'll definitely send you an email if I need any help. Thanks for helping me. :]

-emily.