what to look for in a pup - Page 1

Ok I am new to the schutzhund world and Im looking for a female pup to start with and then possibly breed me a male to compete with when Im ready or just buy a male at some point. what drives should i look for in this female pup? thank you

sorry forgot to add she will be in the house with my kids. I am not looking for a protection dog. just a female to get me started in schutzhund.

You don't have the pup yet, and already talking about getting into breeding?  Hmmmm

read the breed standard carefully & thoroughly so you know what to look for is the place to start because if your goal is to possibly breed, the dog need to meets the standard. next make a list of what you want in a dog - temp, structure - perfection is always a goal but one that is virtually never met so knowing your priorities is important. then start talking to breeders about their breeding programs and what they breed for and find one who is breeding for the qualities you want. ask about the pedigree, titles, traits not only their breeding dogs but of the litters they have produced, any and all genetic testing that has been done on the dogs in the pedigree ... that sort of thing. this is a good place to find help to do this - a good place to ask very specific questions about both what to look for in an individual and a predigree and to have conversation regarding breeders & their programs and to get book recommendations for specific topics like schutzhund training & breeding.

if you are looking for a young pup it's much more challenging to know if she will be breeding quality because it's hard to know exactly what she'll become once she is full grown e.g. too young to ofa/penn hip so you won't know if her hips are good or not and you won't know for sure until she's 2 (though you can prelim her earlier to get an idea but no test results will be official until she is 2) so there's no way you can know for sure if she will be 'breedable' but you can "hedge your bets" if you will by developing a keen eye - e.g. spend time looking at lots of gsd at all different ages. also finding someone who has a good eye to learn from and to check out any littler, which has the pedigree & goals you favor, would be good if you can find them - maybe at the club you will be joining. choosing a quality breeding pup is not an easy task.

another issue to look at is a moral one: what happens if, even after doing everything 'right', the pup you choose isn't 'breedable - something unexpected happens - will you keep her or pass her on to someone else? this sort of thing is good to know before hand. basically the question to ask yourself is: which is more important to you the individual dog or it's breeding prospects. from the way you phrased your post i would think that breeding is 2nd, only a possibility if all goes well; and it's the individual dog that is important, but i may have miss read you. either way it makes life better if before you get your dog you are clear in your mind just what your priorities are and what you will do if you are disappointed.

if you do want to start with young a pup and try your hand at choosing a breeding quality dog you might want to check out bob & pat hastings http://www.dogfolk.com/thehastings.htm they don't specialize in gsds but have studied pups and breeding and worked with some knowledgeable people to developed what they call "the puppy puzzle". here's an article entitled "The Process Of Evaluating Puppies Using the Hastings Puppy Puzzle" http://www.geocities.com/fieldroselabs/Hastings_Puppy_Puzzle.html it covers how they evaluate a littler. the article is great but there's a video in which pat walks you thorough the same info as she evaluates a litter - so a great visual aid - so it might be worth getting if breeding it a goal.

there are far more knowledgeable people on this li

there are far more knowledgeable people on this list than me so if you aren't getting a reply just keep asking maybe asking more specific questions will get you the info you are seeking - hth and best of luck, susan

if you ask me...... COLOR   lol

 i had too!!!!!!! 

 it's a joke people!!!!! 

Justcurious,

Excellent post!!   A lot of people completely overlook the fact that the "wonderful" puppy may not be breedable for one reason, or another.   Some very good and well-meaning people have left themselves open to making some very bad, kennel-blind decisions because they did not take that factor into account from the beginning.  As a result, some dogs that should never have been bred because of poor nerves, family health histories, or temperament have been bred.    We have all seen the results.

If breeding is the actual goal, then get an adult bitch, complete with health screenings. work with her to learn the sport and spend some time learning about bloodlines, studying the dogs on the various fields, etc.

"sorry forgot to add she will be in the house with my kids. I am not looking for a protection dog. just a female to get me started in schutzhund."

There are three parts to ScH, obedience, tracking and protection. So are you saying that you plan to do obedience and tracking only?

If you do protection training, then you won't be housing a dog with your kids?

If breeding is the actual goal, then get an adult bitch, complete with health screenings. work with her to learn the sport and spend some time learning about bloodlines, studying the dogs on the various fields, etc.  - mystere

yes, if you don't want to 'roll the dice" with a puppy getting a full tested female who has been given the ok to breed - or  better yet one who has  produced a litter or 2 is the only real way to guarrentee breeding quality.

thank you for all the responses. When I say I dont want a dog for protection I mean thats not her job thats why we have gun ownership. she will be trained in a protection routine for schutzhund. I realize that buying a pup is a crap shoot for breeding. i have bred champion dogs in other breeds. Overall I want to thank everyone who is so friendly and full of wonderful advice compared to some other boards i visit or have been a member of.

thank you

james