It seems as though I recall, or perhaps I have a darn vivid imagination, that someone here on this board breeds GSD's.
(German Shepherd Dogs)
Anyone know?
(German Shepherd Dogs)
Anyone know?
Paging GSD Breeder
- Thread starter rickboone1
- Start date
I do not breed German Shepherd Dogs, but I have two. Buford, a black & tan male, and Bella a black female. I would not trade these loving, intelligent, loyal, regal, dogs for anything. We have had Buford for 3 years and Bella for just over a year. Both of my dogs were adopted from German Shepherd rescue groups. These wonderful people search all animal shelters for GSD's, rescue and foster them until they are adopted. With the state of the economy, the number of owner surrendered dogs is way up. Please consider this option. Both of my dogs bonded with our family quite quickly. They were house broken and out of the "puppy phase". If you have any questions PM me. Good luck.
Rick
Rick
I do not breed GSDs either, but I wanted to give a small bit of unsolicited advice. The breed has a real bad tendency towards hip displaysia. So if you do buy from a breeder please make sure both parents have OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) clearances of "Good" or "Excellent," and make sure you verify that on the OFA website: http://www.offa.org/search.html
My last dog was a lab that had severe hip dysplasia. Her breeder told us her parents were OFA'ed, but we didn't check. Turns out he was lying, and our girl had it bad. It got to the point where she was in constant pain that severely limited her activity and started to effect her personality (turned somewhat aggressive because of it). Thousands of dollars in vet bills and years of her living in pain culminated in my wife and I having to finally put her down at only 3 years old because nothing we did was enough. Please don't make the same mistake we did.
My last dog was a lab that had severe hip dysplasia. Her breeder told us her parents were OFA'ed, but we didn't check. Turns out he was lying, and our girl had it bad. It got to the point where she was in constant pain that severely limited her activity and started to effect her personality (turned somewhat aggressive because of it). Thousands of dollars in vet bills and years of her living in pain culminated in my wife and I having to finally put her down at only 3 years old because nothing we did was enough. Please don't make the same mistake we did.
- Thread starter
- #4
I have my female now suffering with hip issues. This always brings up mixed feelings to me. While the GSD's in the foster homes and rescues need permanent placement, if we would all use responsible breeders to begin with and take and get those certifications done it would save a lot of trouble. It is not so much that hip displaysia is a common problem, it is more so irreputable backyard breeders breed any two dogs for a quick buck.
Although, for me it will be many years before I'm in the market, but I will spend a lot of money getting a quality dog from a high standard breeder.
Am I putting down rescuse dogs? Hell no! Not in the least. Yes, they're awesome. I am looking from a health issue going through what I have for my own dog.
But, the information for the breeder is for my relative that is in the market. And, they are wanting from a reputable breeder for the same reasons.
Although, for me it will be many years before I'm in the market, but I will spend a lot of money getting a quality dog from a high standard breeder.
Am I putting down rescuse dogs? Hell no! Not in the least. Yes, they're awesome. I am looking from a health issue going through what I have for my own dog.
But, the information for the breeder is for my relative that is in the market. And, they are wanting from a reputable breeder for the same reasons.
- Thread starter
- #5
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I would imagine you can find reputable breeders through these organizations:
German Shepherd Dog Club of America
American Kennel Club (AKC)
There's Rescues too. Yes, you take some chances with health issues, but any good rescue organization will allow you to have your Vet give your potential pet a thorough examination, which can help identify some issues, but sadly not hip displasia.
(I am in no way discounting your experience Rickboone, going to a breeder vs a rescue is a very involved decision, with no "right" answer.)
I rescued "Tiber" 4 years ago when he was about a year old. He had already had 2 owners in that time. He's great with people, but unfortunately, because I suspect he wasn't raised correctly, he's very dog-aggressive. He's a great companion and extremely protective of my daughter and wife -- which is exactly what he should be. (Although he is in no way aggressive towards people, he just inserts himself between my wife/daughter and anything he doesn't trust.)
He's also is an excellent groundhog hunter, protecting my vegetable garden is his "job" in the summer! He got 3 this year --good boy!
Here he is visiting my work
German Shepherd Dog Club of America
American Kennel Club (AKC)
There's Rescues too. Yes, you take some chances with health issues, but any good rescue organization will allow you to have your Vet give your potential pet a thorough examination, which can help identify some issues, but sadly not hip displasia.
(I am in no way discounting your experience Rickboone, going to a breeder vs a rescue is a very involved decision, with no "right" answer.)
I rescued "Tiber" 4 years ago when he was about a year old. He had already had 2 owners in that time. He's great with people, but unfortunately, because I suspect he wasn't raised correctly, he's very dog-aggressive. He's a great companion and extremely protective of my daughter and wife -- which is exactly what he should be. (Although he is in no way aggressive towards people, he just inserts himself between my wife/daughter and anything he doesn't trust.)
He's also is an excellent groundhog hunter, protecting my vegetable garden is his "job" in the summer! He got 3 this year --good boy!
Here he is visiting my work
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Cute Pup langod. Anyway, you certainly can find reputable breeders through the GSD Club and the AKC, but membership in either organization is no guarantee that the breeder follows good breeding practices. See my post above about checking health clearances before buying from any breeder.
Also, please don't take my earlier post as at all criticizing rescues. As has already been shown rescues can be and usually are wonderful dogs. You certainly run some risk of health and temperament problems because you don't know much about the dog's background, but the payoff when you find a wonderful friend in need of a home is spectacular. And you can mitigate some of those risks by having the dog checked out by a vet and by going with an organization that fosters dogs in a home environment.
I grew up with two GSDs and they were both European Shepherds as opposed to American Shepherds. European shepherds tend to be a little smaller than their American counterparts, but are not as prone to hip displaysia. We got both dogs from a GSD breeder here in NJ that breeds a lot of police dogs. If you are looking for a quality dog from a high standard breeder, I cannot recommend a European German Shepherd breeder/dog enough.
This is a picture of our first European GSD, Cherokee:
I've owned GSDs in the past and served in UK Armed Forces in Bosnia as a Dog-handler using a Rotty, GSDs and Mallinois.
GSDs are very, very nice dogs.
My own dogs had CRUFTS champions on their pedigrees and both suffered with hip problems (one wasn't helped by the fact she was hit by a car as a pup though). In fact, the more you aim for pure-bred pedigree dogs, the greater the risk of getting a dog with genetic faults as a result of KC guidelines on what breed standards should be.
Like deafness in another favourite dog of mine - pure white bullies.
GSDs are very, very nice dogs.
My own dogs had CRUFTS champions on their pedigrees and both suffered with hip problems (one wasn't helped by the fact she was hit by a car as a pup though). In fact, the more you aim for pure-bred pedigree dogs, the greater the risk of getting a dog with genetic faults as a result of KC guidelines on what breed standards should be.
Like deafness in another favourite dog of mine - pure white bullies.
No criticism taken. I agree with you totally. I was suggesting those sites merely as a starting point.
So many people forget to "do their homework". They get so caught up in the excitement of playing with puppies and visiting the breeder or shelter that they forget the fact that when you acquire a dog, you are making a commitment to another living being for 10-15 years. (That's longer than many marriages last! )
PUNCH INTO GOOGLE: DDR GSD
(Deutsche Demokratische Republik German Shepherd Dog)
or you can go here:
http://www.vomdomburgerland.nl/forum/index.php
Read up on European GSD's, and the German method of rating hips. Please read and learn as much as you can. You are looking at a very long term investment and your new best friend. Don't cut corners here of all places. Realize that no dogs are perfect, only owners that think they are.
(Deutsche Demokratische Republik German Shepherd Dog)
or you can go here:
http://www.vomdomburgerland.nl/forum/index.php
Read up on European GSD's, and the German method of rating hips. Please read and learn as much as you can. You are looking at a very long term investment and your new best friend. Don't cut corners here of all places. Realize that no dogs are perfect, only owners that think they are.
