Questions About Puppy Temperament and Drive - Page 2

I know of more than a few SAR GSD handlers in my state, but there aren't any SAR GSD breeders.  There is a SAR Belgian Tervuren breeder at http://www.bigmtnbelgians.com/  But with that particular breed you couldn't hope to crosstrain in schutzhund as you mentioned.  I would be VERY careful about presuming that a SAR handler is equally skilled and knowledgeable about breeding as they are in training and handling.

Picking a pup is a crap shoot to begin with.  Pups can have bad hips from parents who both have a1 hips. To be blunt if you are serious about doing S & R you are frankly not qualified to pick out a prospective pup.  Your best bet is to look for a young adult 8 months to 2 years old. Do more personal reseach on drives needed for S & R, which are the same and or very similiar to those drives sought in other working areas.

Kyle

Hi clc29, you should contact Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation, they breed, raise, & train GSD's for the blind. But many of their dogs also go into SAR / police if they don't make it as guide dogs. These dogs sometimes don't make simply because of size. I've seen many SAR teams use their dogs with great success. The best part is you'll get a well bred dog, better than average health, already highly socialized & trained. You can request a dog that did not make it into the program or a dog they are holding back due for their breeding program. Down side is the wait. http://www.fidelco.org/

If you don't have any luck with them, you can pm me & I'll help direct you else where.

Take care

Kyle, I agree with your assessment. I heard nothing in the description of the puppy that would lead me to beleive the dog couldn't do SAR.

just a reminder ... if you are doing SAR ... you need  number of evident intstincitve behavioral traits ...can't give a seminar here .. but , for example .. i want to see a pup that is engulfed interacting with me ... yet when i assess it ,  i want to see the pup leave me .. display exploratory behavior [ use it's scewnt/hearing /sightr capabilities ] then lift it's head and remember that it is away from me andwithout any encouragement to  decide to come back to me ..that is .. i want a dog that uses it's nose .. thinks ... that has a semblence of confidence and can stand on it's own four paws sort to speak and will display the capablitlity and willingness to return to indicate a find !! contemplate .. there is a qualitative as well as a quantative aspect to a behavioral trait and it's expression ..for SAR don't think of just one or two tratis ... you need to see everything the pup presents... .one nice things about pups ... they express who and what they are without predjudice !!