Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire German Shepherds: any opinions?

Hello all:

I know there is a wealth of knowledge on the 'fire.

My youngest daughter is within 10 days of turning 15. We are a 'dog' family. The time is now. She will be getting "her" dog this June. She wants a German Shepherd. I think this is a pretty good fit.

I would love to have the field narrowed down to three good breeders in the mid-Michigan area (within 100 miles of zipcode 48827). Let her play with the puppies and pick the one that has the best chemistry.

Does anybody have an opinion, informed or otherwise? Good health and stable temperaments are absolute requirements. PMs or responses to the thread are appreciated.

I had heard about these Shepherds years ago when I did quite a bit of business in Battle Creek- they are in Marshall, if that's anywhere near you.
Jim
http://www.24kgsd.com/

I'd reach out to Ingwe if I were you. He is the Grand Poobah about a lot of things, but canines are his specialty.

That, and chili w/beans, whiskey w/ice, everything .270Win, leopard print unmentionables, and the correct attitude of a pinky while drinking tea.

Ed

Just make sure the are tested for hip displasia, the most common affliction of the breed.

They are fine companion animals and can be very protective of their pack (family).

Make sure they have good hips, any breeder worth their salt should be able to confirm.

A lot of good rescues out there too.

German shepherd is one breed where I would absolutely do my homework before moving forward.

I second talking(pm'ing) Ingwe. Talk to people that have working dogs.

Show/conformation people would not be a source I'd consult.

A well bred GSD is one of the finest,trainable,good natured,and protective breeds man ever bred for work.
Unfortunately a poorly bred specimen will generally be over weight be breed design,have poor hips,and possibly a sharp-shy personality(fear biter).
Having owned several in years past that belonged to the better bred variety I must say what you can expect to pay for a good well bred GSD is a price that might stun you.

Just caught this so I'll chime in now..First off I know an excellent breeder in michigan...indeed I'm getting my next dog from them. That being said...not meaning to pop the OP's bubble...but an excellent breeder won't let you show up and pick out your own puppy...they select and place dogs according to temperament, personality of the dog plus the experience and skill level of the prospective owner..
That also being said these are working dogs...and while they make wonderful companions/pets...they also must have a "job"...or they will make you crazy....
I would be inclined to reccomend to the OP to find a breeder who specializes more in companion animals/pets in the GSD arena. It would make a better fit for his situation, and regrettably, I don't know the name of a breeder I could reccomend for that type of dog...
The other caveat I would mention about GSDs...but the OP might have this covered by saying his daughter is a "dog" person...GSDs are dogs for dog people....even the 'pet' variety are a whole 'nuther level of dog from the average breed. You need to "understand" them, make sure your body language and other communicative skills are in place, and be prepared for them to test you every step of the way...they like well defined boundaries but they like to probe those boundaries themselves

I would second most of the advice you've already been given. I would also place emphasis on two points, breeding and handling.

I was a K9 handler for my state Dept. of Corrections for 10 years. After working with and observing several breeds in that time I came to the conclusion that proper breeding of a GSD was more important than almost any of the other breeds. Not that its not important in any breed, but simply, that it was very easy to see the performance, health and ease of training that comes from starting with a well bred GSD. Also understand that within the breed you will find a wide range of temperament and responsible breeders will want to make sure that your family pet is best suited to your family needs.

Make sure your dog gets obedience training and that your daughter is consistent with it. My working dog was hard working, trainable and eager to please. I had him for fourteen years and continued obedience and search work with him after he retired because he loved it so much. Even after all those years together he would still check me to see who was in charge. Anyway, a great breed and wonderful family dog. Hope your daughter gets one she can love for a long time.

We had one growing up on the farm. Great dog. It had the run of a 400 acre dairy/crop farm and 5 kids to play with. 'Bout age 7 or 8 it got hip displasia or arthritis real bad. Then one day Prince just disappeared. We learned years later that my dad had taken it and had it put down. I guess the dog was in alot of pain. I have alot of fond memories of that dog.

What ingwe said. Esp. the part about training.

Not all shepherds are created equal, or even close to equal.

These make the grade

http://www.sapphireshepherds.com/

Brent: Odd you should mention Sapphire...they were my second pic for my next dog..excellent working GSDs...
Wouldnt neccesarily make a good family pet

ingwe, just sorta depends on which pup is picked. If one is honest with the breeder, I think even Sapphire will have a dog every so often. The Sapphire folks know what they are doing and most of their dogs are a bit more than most folks want or can handle (and I'll include myself in that group). That said, they can match people and pups better than most folks.

My wife is the shepherd person.

PS. Not really odd that you would think of Sapphire - you seem to know your way around dogs really well.

It all depends on the breeder and the line you buy. I had two growing up. They were great dogs, but the drawbacks that I observed were that they are highly suspicious of strangers by nature, and this is normal for the breed, since they are valued for that characteristic. My German Shepherds would take several hours of seeing that the family accepted a guest into the house before they'd relax with strangers in the house, i.e., they tend to decide on their own if someone's OK, and don't readily take cues to that effect from their human owners. They are also prone to hip dysplasia. Only one of ours developed that.

I'll third what Ingwe said, and toss the breeder of our females in the ring. Not in MI, but for a fee can be flown anywhere in the USA, we have done it twice.

This is Sascha (Penner/Pinta pairing)


This is Luna (Anchi/Quinta pairing)


http://www.sablerockkennels.com/

Yep...they can match them up...got a freind that runs a Sapphire in agility..great dog, and Ive messed with one in SAR...also a great dog. Beautiful dogs too, if you like that dark Sable Czech junkyard dog look.....I do


Case in point: the father of my next dog, doing a Bark & Hold...



He looks crazy enough, dontcha think?

Why does that shepard have long hair in its ears (BrentD's pic)? There sure seems to be a great deal of variation in the various bloodlines.

DOOOD! I LIKE that Black Sable!! I would abscond with her in a skinny minute!

There is considerable variation in the bloodlines. Difference between working lines, show lines, etc... That dog in Brent's pic is obviously breed for show.

Yeah, he looks a bit crazy. That's what would be an over-the-top dog for me I suspect. Ours is a titch lower keyed. She isn't to be trifled with however. She's better lookin' than most too, but I like the longer coats. Sapphire doesn't and they try to avoid them.