Help deciding which dog to get - Page 1

Hello!

My husband and I have been looking for a German Shepherd to buy.  We found a great guy in Belgium who is going to help us in our search but we need to tell him what we are looking for.  We know we want a bitch.  She needs to be great with kids (we have three) and with other dogs (we have a lab).  We would also prefer a slightly older dog that is already house trained and leash trained.  She would be the family pet and we wouldn't be breeding her or showing her but we want a dog that has a resonable amount of drive to keep up with our active lab and to go on runs with my husband and I, but she would also need to be calm around my young children.  Not asking for too much are we!!!! :-)

So what I need help with is deciding what age dog to go with?  We were thinking around 9 months old.  Also he wants to know our price range and I really have no clue!  We are willing to spend whatever we need to and it is important to us that she comes from a good line in terms of health and temperment.  What do you think our price range would be for a dog like that?

Thanks so much.  We are doggie people but are quite new to the world of German Shepherds and breeders our other babies have all been from animal shelters and we really want to get our Shepherd from a good breeder.

Louise

Britmum25....

I presume you are in the UK. If so WHY are you getting a dog from Belgium..???!!!! There are plenty of good dogs in the UK that fit your description. If you want an active, healthy, well adjusted, family protector, who can be tailor trained to suit your family then there are PLENTY of those on these shores. They won't have to go through the 9 month passport wait and you can really put the dog through its paces before you decide. Not to mention the cost. For the kind of money we are talking about you can get a truly outstanding local dog with some of the best bloodlines in the world.

Not knowing GSDs and then buying "blind" form overseas is normally a receipe for disaster.

Good luck!

Showline or working line?  I don't know anything much about showlines, I'm studying that arena right now for a purchase for my daughter.

For a working line dog less than one year, with a good foundation, but not necessarily special you can spend anywhere from 600 Euros (puppy price) to about 2000 Euros, is what I think.  You might get lucky and find one for less...the price is not necessarily a reflection of the value of the dog.  If I was you, I'd go with one who is over a year whose hips and elbows are already xrayed and SV certified.  She'll be of a higher value, but a dysplastic dog is an expensive dog, probably even if she was free.  Believe me, skip the grief, get a dog who is already certified in hips and elbows.  Regular Vets often (or even usually) cannot see mild elbow dysplasia in the xrays-- it takes an expert.  Veronica

I would buy locally.  It will give you a chance to really inspect the dog.  I also would want a dog a year or older who has hips done already.  Prices can vary dramatically.

Actually I'm not in England anymore...sorry for the confusion :-)  I'm originally from England but am currently living in Germany.  Are there any good kennels in Germany that people can recommend, we live in Bavaria.  I do not speak very good German though.

Thanks,

Louise

Hey you in the world of GSD :) you won't have a problem to find reputable breeder. :) I agree with the rest get older around 2 years, with hips done. Good luck.

Or look for an "older" female being retired.  Many need to sell their 4 to 6 year old females before then can get a younger one.  One that age would have many years of active life yet already be trained, hip/elbow ratings done, and a much better chance of being calm in the house with your family.  

Good luck and enjoy.

Okay thanks..what about price.  For $1000 could we get a great dog or should we be willing to go higher?

Britmum,

there are lots of Germans who care very much about placing their dogs in the right homes. But you won't find them here on the Pedigreedatabase. I also doubt that most people can give you an accurate price here on this board. If you just want a pet, you can find one quite reasonable. For example, there might have been the great puppy with super potential. This dog might have been raised with high hopes only to find out that there is a tooth missing or that she turned out to be oversized.

It is quite simple: If you go to a big breeder, you pay a lot more.  So, it would be better to contact others. You will either find them at the local Schutzhund club (every town usually has at least one) or go to a German discussion board.

The best ones:

http://www.dsh-biz.de for showline dogs

http://www.schaeferhund.net for workingline dogs.

If you register with both, they have an English speaking part where you can post your request. I am a member of both, if you need assistance in registering, please do not hesitate to contact me privately.

Good luck, Chris

Chris, thank you so muh for the links.

Do you think a working dog or a show dog would make the better pet?