Starting reseach, any help would be welcomed. - Page 2

If I were in Texas looking for a GSD, my first contact would be Shak Williams.

Don't have his info, will provide if no one else does.

Rik

Your in Texas talk to Jessie Gaberial or Rob Dunn.   

Shak contact info is willia05@aol.com or www.rikahhaus.com

a word about Shaks dogs,  most are not going to be your typical "showline" tempered dogs.  Shak breeds more working temperment and drives in his showlines.  I whelped a litter out of his Enschi/Ork , and though absolutely gorgeous,  they were little hellions.  I probably wouldn't have recommended them for common  everyday pets.  but if you will train them, and keep them mentally and physically happy,  you would do alright.

He does have some nice dogs,  and few males in this country are the quality of Ork

You might want to consider a rescued dog rather than a puppy.  You could visit the dog, find out what its drives are, talk to the rescue group to find out just what kind of GSD they have.  Lots of perfectly nice GSDs end up in shelters because the people didn't do their research or didn't have a clue as to how to handle a GSD.  I know of an 8yr old girl sitting in a shelter needing a home because her owners had to give her up due to financial problems.  I myself would cut off my own hand before I would part with my girl but I don't know their story so I can't judge them.  All I know is this girl is patiently waiting for them to come get her but they aren't coming back.  She isn't being listed as adoptable because of her age and the fact that she is soooo fat her hips are giving her problems.  I don't really think she is dysplastic just has a little arthritis.  They are hoping a rescue group will come get her.  If anyone wants a quiet, gentle girl contact me.  She is in Wichita Ks.  She won't make an agility dog.  I'm just using her as an example of what is sitting in the shelters.  No one thinks to look there.  Everyone wants a puppy.  If we hadn't already gotten our girl, she would be with us.  Good luck in your search for your GSD. 

Deb

Oki this is common misconception that working dogs don't make good pets, especially if you want to do some work with him/her, yes agility is work too.  They do need more work, but if the breeder was breeding for balance than the dog should be able to be both. People that claim that working dogs can't be pets are either people that have hectic uneven dog, or just don't know how to set rules and enforce them. I find many well bred working lines dogs to be a perfect pet if you want them to, they are more of work during first 2-3 years (they do need time to mature) but than they settle down easily. Dog is a creature of habits, if his habit is to be a couch potato that what he will be, if his habit is to be pray monster that exactly what he will be, it's up to you to decide which way you let him be. My dogs are pray monster when outside the house, but I let hem be that way, at the same time they are perfect in the house, because I don't allow infractions in my domain! It's my domain and I set the rules and I enforce them. My suggestion and recommendation is to get well balanced working dog. But don't get one from a breeder that tries to breed for top sport dogs. Sport dogs for me got more drives and brains, and they are not balance according to my standard. Max created this breed to be universal soldier, that means the dog should be able to do everything, work, and at the same companionship was placed at the core of the dogs goals, one should not exclude the other. Ask some people over her the ones that own working line, if they are not capable of being good pets? The only time I hear that come out of someone mouth is Show line folks, this is generalization nothing else. Just like show lines can't work according to some people.

FWIW my working line has never touched my cats, in fact if they approach her food bowl she lets them have it, if they jump on the arm of the couch, she gets off.  My show line...now that is another story!  I've split my house in two - cats and dogs - and never more the two shall meet!!  Get what line is right for you but don't be surprised if you always have issues between the dog and the smaller animals.

Uber Land I agree, Ork is a favorite of mine.

I wasn't really trying to discourage the original poster against working lines, but I do feel you really need to do your home work and some soul searching when considering one.  also make sure the breeder is producing what you want.  some breeders produce extremely high prey drive, animal aggressive dogs.  some who can not live in the house, and they tear their kennels to pieces.  I've def. had a couple of these and they came from very good lines.

look for a breeder who breeds for balance.  one person with excellent working lines who double as great pets is Rheinland.  I love the balance of her dogs.  there are several members of this forum who breed balanced working lines, Molly from Eichenluft is another one.

I have to add my voice to Snajper69, regarding working lines.

My girl is one of those "killer Czech" dogs anyone who looked at her pedigree on paper would probably expect her to be a typical working line prey monster and her drives are through the roof.

But as Snajper also said, she is very well bred, with a clear head and balanced drives.  I've had her since 12 weeks and the training that I put on her for in the house made it clear that there would be no cat chasing and she doesn't even bother the cat bowls on the floor.  She's never put her mouth on a smaller animal and I recently tested her for herding and not once did she put her mouth on the sheep, even when they ran and triggered her prey instincts.

And I've been able to put a Sch I on this dog at the age of 2 so, no problems with her drives out on the working field.

It's all in how much time, energy and comittement you are willing to put on the dog you get to work with their natural instincts and what sort of 'manners' you want from them.  You probably should add to your research not just whether to look at show line vs working line but at what sort of training you'll be doing.  What instincts you'll need to heighten for agility vs what level of self control you're going to ask of the dog when in the house and around your other animals, then have a game plan when the puppy comes into the house on how you're going to introduce these elements.