Mom of 3 Children Seeks German Shepherd Breeder Recommendations

[Anonymous]

Hi OP, I considered a shepherd puppy, talked with at least four or five breeders and even visited a few before deciding to go in another direction. I am an obsessive researcher and the best resource I found on breeders was here: https://www.germanshepherds.com/forums/choosing-a-breeder.230/

The whole site is really helpful and filled with experienced owners.

I ultimately decided a GS was too much dog for me at this life stage (and I have owned many dogs). But everyone is different. If you are still here, I hope yo7 will take a look on the link I posted, I think you will find it very helpful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just do what we did and get a nice, goofy, fun lab! I walk him at night by myself and he's big enough that no one bothers us and loud enough that no one wants to come in, but he's fun and just wants a snack and a suggle.

Labs are dumb as a box of hair, but good family dogs for first time dog owners.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just do what we did and get a nice, goofy, fun lab! I walk him at night by myself and he's big enough that no one bothers us and loud enough that no one wants to come in, but he's fun and just wants a snack and a suggle.

Labs are dumb as a box of hair, but good family dogs for first time dog owners.

Labs are extremely intelligent and the most common breed for seeing eye dogs. Biddable isn't an insult when its comes to working dogs.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn’t say Labs are good for first time dog owners. Yes, they are easy to train and most friendly but they are very high energy and stay puppies for many years. We have one and she’s a full time job. Lots of people on my Lab FB pages complain that they bite and are always chewing and destroying their home. They obviously didn’t do their homework to know that this is par for the course and that’s why they need to be crate trained.

[Anonymous]

Are you looking for American GSD or German GSD lines? Show or working line?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Referencing this that it’s not meant to sound snarky:

Have you ever owned a dog? German shepherds are not good starter dogs. you know they require a lot of training but what you imagine times 10 is the reality. Will you be home or will they spend their days by themselves?

This!

They are so many videos out there from vets and dog trainer who will tell you that a German shepherd is not a dog for first time dog owners.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Referencing this that it’s not meant to sound snarky:

Have you ever owned a dog? German shepherds are not good starter dogs. you know they require a lot of training but what you imagine times 10 is the reality. Will you be home or will they spend their days by themselves?

This!

They are so many videos out there from vets and dog trainer who will tell you that a German shepherd is not a dog for first time dog owners.

They're first time owner dogs, but it's really the 3 kids that puts this over the edge for me. I can imagine some super committed DINK couple working with trainers and spending their weekends doing agility competitions, canine good citizen, going on long hikes, etc. maybe being ok. But in my experience, people with young kids are pretty crappy dog owners as a group, which means you probably shouldn't get a "zero-errors" breed of dog that requires a working life to be happy. I've trained and owned GSDs....to have a good one means a ton of commitment. This is not a "just let it out in the backyard" for exercise dog. I would never recommend it for parents of young children and DOUBLY so as first time owners! I know a few people who make it work with challenging dogs and young kids, but they are VERY experienced owners. Does someone with three young kids have 4+ hours a day to commit almost exclusively to the dog? Because it will need that at least for the first few years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Referencing this that it’s not meant to sound snarky:

Have you ever owned a dog? German shepherds are not good starter dogs. you know they require a lot of training but what you imagine times 10 is the reality. Will you be home or will they spend their days by themselves?

This!

They are so many videos out there from vets and dog trainer who will tell you that a German shepherd is not a dog for first time dog owners.

They're first time owner dogs, but it's really the 3 kids that puts this over the edge for me. I can imagine some super committed DINK couple working with trainers and spending their weekends doing agility competitions, canine good citizen, going on long hikes, etc. maybe being ok. But in my experience, people with young kids are pretty crappy dog owners as a group, which means you probably shouldn't get a "zero-errors" breed of dog that requires a working life to be happy. I've trained and owned GSDs....to have a good one means a ton of commitment. This is not a "just let it out in the backyard" for exercise dog. I would never recommend it for parents of young children and DOUBLY so as first time owners! I know a few people who make it work with challenging dogs and young kids, but they are VERY experienced owners. Does someone with three young kids have 4+ hours a day to commit almost exclusively to the dog? Because it will need that at least for the first few years.

True. i also think many parents think that once their kids are older/out of toddler phase they will have more time and energy, but I find the opposite to be true. As my kids got older I have even less time as their activities take up a lot time. From driving to practice to weekend games/meets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a GSD and our kids are 5 and 3. He is absolutely fantastic. He is so patient with the kids (they climb all over him, snuggle with him, play with him) and has the best temperament. We have had SO many people over the last 10 years tell us he is the best dog they've ever met. My Dh also travels for work so I feel better having our dog home with me and the kids. We adopted him- check your local shelters and set up some visits! There's many wonderful dogs looking for homes.

Please please please don't let your kids climb on the dog. I'm glad it's gone okay so far, but one day if your dog wakes up with stiff hips (age, weather, degeneration) or isn't feeling good, or didn't sleep well and is crabby for whatever reason, that puts everyone at huge risk of the dog reacting to pain and snapping. It's exceedingly dangerous.

It's also just not kind to the dog. You want to teach your kids that the dog is allowed to approach them, or they can encourage the dog to come to them, but they should never ever force the dog to accept attention. Think of it as asking for the animal's consent.

--trainer

Thank you for saying this. We have labs and we never let our children climb on them. Our labs have never shown one iota of aggression to a child (or any person), but it doesn't matter, it's not a good idea to let kids climb on them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I had a German Shepherd growing up and I have a German Shepherd now, so I’ve had a German Shepherd for 20 years of my life! We raised our first dog from 8 weeks and I was a little kid and given primary responsibility for him.

I do not recommend a GSD for a first time dog owner for several reasons:

1. They are very intelligent, but very stubborn dogs and this can make training for a first time owner difficult.

2. These are very large, strong, stubborn dogs. Hence they need an absolute ton of exercise to be healthy and happy and well behaved. This doesn’t quite fit for most busy families. They need to be properly socialized and trained as puppies by someone who knows what they are doing. You can’t wing it or you are going to end up with a large, frightening dog with resource guarding or reactivity or other behavior problems. German Shepherds are the second most common dog to bite people after pit bulls because people get more dog than they can handle.

3. They need space and quiet to be at their best. We have a quarter of an acre and my husband gives our dog tons of exercise but he is happiest at my moms house because she has a few fenced acres where he can just wander around in peace and quiet. He dislikes our busy suburb and having so many other dogs and people around, because he’s not trained as a working police dog or something with a job to do. He’s just a frustrated pet, and it makes sense because these dogs were bred to herd sheep in a wide open field. They need a job or peace and quiet.

4. They tend to have behavior issues anyway. This is the flip side of being so intelligent. Our dog hates other dogs, particularly small dogs. He is large and intimidating so we basically can’t take him anywhere.

+1

GSD owner and I largely agree with this. Ours does love walks and other outdoor activities however. Is very well trained to not bark or react to other dogs when on leash during a walk…however- she cannot be around other dogs off leash or unsupervised (especially small dogs). Has not ever harmed one or anything but I don’t fully trust her. Her play style with other dogs is far too rough and she wants to chase small dogs.

She is extremely sweet and wonderful with the family (us and DCs). Totally fantastic, couldn’t ask for better. Is well socialized, very neutral/aloof with all strangers outside the house. However- she doesn’t love having guests at the house, and- after a greeting- we usually put her away when any other children are over. Which is kind of a pain. She has not ever shown aggression to anyone but guests make her nervous- & many people find her intimidating and are likewise nervous around her.

And the shedding is next level.

OP, I would really rethink. A lot of GSDs have issues with prey drive and/or other dogs, and can be territorial about their home turf. An excellent (and $$$$) trainer is pretty much a requirement, and helps tremendously but the breed is what it is. They work well for certain lifestyles but for many busy families would really not be a good fit.

We have some GSDs in our neighborhood and they're the only dogs that only get walked and never play with the other dogs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are several good GSD rescues in the area. Because this is your first dog, I would recommend starting there with a young-adult dog. They are generally fostered, so you will have lots of information about how they do with dogs, cats, children, etc.

I used to volunteer with VGSR many years ago. Used to do home visits and help match dogs with adopters. Plenty of people live successfully with German Shepherds and children.

That is really good advice. I'd adopt a dog who's been in a foster home with kids - that'll give you a much better idea how they will be in your home, than anything else.

Thank you for this. From what I saw when I looked at rescues, adult GS and GS-mix dogs are typically not adopted out to families with children and without breed experience. And for good reasons, when you consider potential additional behavioral issues from neglect and whatever other history landed the pup in rescue to begin with. But I am in no rush, so your comment makes me think rescues are worth a second look. This extra level of screening through a foster does sound wonderful. I will give this another look.

And this didn't give you pause? A rescue, whose mission is to do the best thing they can for the breed they're working with, doesn't think people should have GSDs without prior experience. But hey, you're going to go to a breeder who will give you a dog since you're paying for it, so it must be ok.

FWIW, I have purebred dogs, so I'm not against breeders, and it's good that you're doing research. But as a lawyer (I am also one) your critical thinking skills are lacking here when many people, who own GSDs, are telling you not to get one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You should look up schutzhund competitions and find dogs that are well-respected and see what breed house they are from. The dogs are required to meet specific standards before being bred and taking into account breed standards. Haus Juris in Nova has good, albeit $$$, dogs. Megan used to run it (not sure if she still does), though you put your $ down and then she ends up picking dog for you. It’s a different world for sure with the high quality breeding of working line dogs.

But OP shouldn't get a working line dog...she wants a pet.

We have labs and specifically go to breeders that breed them as pets, not working dogs. Working labs are basically a different breed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are a first time dog owner, do not get a German shepherd. Get a lab or golden retriever.

No, I disagree. OP should get the type of dog that she wants. If she did get a Lab or Retriever, then what is she supposed to do, wait years for it to die before she gets something that she wanted in the first place?

You can’t be serious?!

You don’t learn to drive on a Ferrari even if you “want” one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are a first time dog owner, do not get a German shepherd. Get a lab or golden retriever.

No, I disagree. OP should get the type of dog that she wants. If she did get a Lab or Retriever, then what is she supposed to do, wait years for it to die before she gets something that she wanted in the first place?

You can’t be serious?!

You don’t learn to drive on a Ferrari even if you “want” one.

Someone who is attracted to GSD qualities is unlikely to be happy with a Lab or a GR. I'm that person that likes GSDs. You couldn't pay me money to have a Labs or GRs. GSD-lite is something like a Corgi, not a Lab. A person that goes into GSD ownership knowing full well what they're getting into, has the time and resources to raise one properly, and chooses a dog from a good breeder that only breeds temperamentally stable dogs, will be fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are a first time dog owner, do not get a German shepherd. Get a lab or golden retriever.

No, I disagree. OP should get the type of dog that she wants. If she did get a Lab or Retriever, then what is she supposed to do, wait years for it to die before she gets something that she wanted in the first place?

You can’t be serious?!

You don’t learn to drive on a Ferrari even if you “want” one.

Someone who is attracted to GSD qualities is unlikely to be happy with a Lab or a GR. I'm that person that likes GSDs. You couldn't pay me money to have a Labs or GRs. GSD-lite is something like a Corgi, not a Lab. A person that goes into GSD ownership knowing full well what they're getting into, has the time and resources to raise one properly, and chooses a dog from a good breeder that only breeds temperamentally stable dogs, will be fine.

Have you read any of the " rehoming stories?" You have no idea it is going to work out. Three kids and first time dog owners? That is a recipe for disaster. And when the op comes back and says its too much you all say " its just a dog..rehome it"

Who loses? The dog.