what should I look for in buying a german sheperd pup?

Question

my german sheperd dog 8 yrs of age died, i am not satisfied as to the circumstances of his death in the vets clinic, where he was for 7 days,my info was the vet was absent from the clinic for more than 1/2 of that time, however I need another dog,nothing except a GS, what must I look for or seek info as to what to ask or look for in purchasing a pup. I must admit that I am not so educated in raising dogs, but i am willing to learn, i started late to love dogs as pets and guards.

Answer 1

There are German Shepherd Rescue groups that have pure breed GSD's that need a home. The adoption fee is usually less than the price to purchase a puppy. And these dogs have been living in foster homes - so frequently they are already house broken and the foster parents can tell you about them (are they good with kids, cats in the house etc).

But if you want to purchase a puppy - the biggest concern are the hips. It is not uncommon for GSD's to be displastic (but you see this in a lot of big dogs). A responsible breeder will have the parents hips x-rayed and not breed an animal that shows signs of hip problems.

If you get a puppy - talk to your vet about having it's hips x-rayed. There is a surgery they can do in the first year that really helps a lot. I have a GSD/Lab mix - she started showing signs of hip problems after 2 years of age. So, I had her hips x-rayed and they were already in bad shape. And she is too old for the surgery they can do on puppies. If her hips continue to decline - the only options are a hip replacement (5000 per hip) or a salvage procedure that works better on small dogs. If I ever get a breed prone to hip problems - it will be worth it to me to spend the 200-400 to have the hips x-rayed in the first year.

Answer 2

First, learn to spell the breed. It is shepHERD as they herded sheep. Sorry, pet peeve. Look on http://www.petfinder.com (and http://www.echodogs.com if you like white German shepherds) and search by breed.

If you absolutely must have a pup from a breeder, they should be from working lines who does dog sport like Schutzhund, tracking, agility, etc, especially NOT American show lines. These crippled dogs couldn't track their way out of a paper bag. I wonder how they manage to prance around the show ring. An outstanding breeder will be able to guide you which should be best for your needs. Both parents (and grandparents if you can get them!) should be OFA good or excellent for hips and clear for elbows. THIS IS NOT OPTIONAL FOR THIS BREED. I cannot stress this enough! If the breeder doesn't do it or says "it's not in my lines," WALK AWAY. As MSAD said, spend a couple hundred dollars more for a puppy now for OFA/PennHip certified parents or spend 5 grand down the line for hip replacement. They should also be temperament tested by the American Temperament Test Society or have their AKC Canine Good Citizen.

Edit: Shiloh and "King" shepherds are oversized freaks. Max von Stephanitz, the creator of the German shepherd, would be rolling in his grave if he saw those things. German shepherds were never meant to be more than 80-90 lbs or so to be small enough to do the work. If a breeder breeds for size, WALK AWAY. Most working German shepherds are well under 100 lbs.

Answer 3

Why not adopt a lovely pup from a shelter or rescue?

Answer 4

Have you checked into these GSD's

http://www.shilohshepherds.org/zion/

http://www.solaceshilohs.com/

Nice dogs, not AKC registered, if that makes any difference to you.

Sorry to hear about your dogs passing...