Choosing a breeder

[MD in SC]

My family is considering bring a new GSD into the mix. As of right now we have one 80lb Shepherd/lab mix who is 7. We had a Beagle but had to unfortunately put him down after 11 great years, which is something my wife and daughter took very hard. We have looked into GSD's due to their obedience, loyalty, and trainability. We are looking into using the breeder listed below and I was curious if anyone could give me some feedback on the breeder and/or pedigree. Only thing that worries me is they only offer a 1 year hip dysplasia warranty, whereas I though 18 months was the standard. Any advise, help, or input would be greatly appreciated.

Von der Casio German Shepherds/Home Page

Thanks so much,

Mike

[Liesje]

Looks like a working/show cross. I would ask the breeder why they chose this particular cross. Mixing lines like this can have very good or very bad results (or both) and it's more of a crapshoot than breeding within lines so I would want the breeder to explain in detail why this cross was chosen and what could be expected.

[MaggieRoseLee]

Make sure you've read up on all the links included on this site ---> Things to look for in a 'Responsible' Breeder

[codmaster]

Very cute puppies!

[bocron]

Don't see any rhyme, reason or goal for that breeding. Would love to know what the breeder's intentions were, other than selling puppies.
A 1 year hip guarantee is not wonderful so you are right to be concerned. GSDs don't physically mature until much later which is why the hip certifications can't be done until age 2. You can xray before then, but it isn't submissible because they aren't considered mature.
I believe this is a repeat breeding, so is there anyway to see or talk to the owners of the pups from the previous breeding? That would be about the only way I could think of to get an idea of what you might end up with. Like has been said, breeding working line to show line can go either way.
Annette

[carmspack]

They bought a female. They loved that female. Oh and let's breed her .
They buy a male . And they become hobby breeders .

Cliff , is Cliff in the house ?

There is no rhyme or reason to this breeding whatsoever. All I can see is requisite biological units (male) x (female) of the same breed = puppies with four legs and prick ears .

Clueless --- they have NO experience . Have never worked the dogs , may not know what ideal temperament is , if you run into a problem they can't help you because they don't know themselves.

Why is breeding a hobby .

Carmen
Carmspack Working German Shepherd Dogs

[carmspack]

Of course it is a repeat breeding . And in a year there will probably be another repeat breeding . How many do they intend to do ? Will they ever grow and look to another stud ? Will they get interested and do something with their dogs such as join a local training club , at the very very least go and watch some trials ?

Carmen
Carmspack Working German Shepherd Dogs

[dawnandjr]

I am curious as well what they were hoping to get from the pairing. Both dogs look good as individuals. But not sure about the pairing of them. Mike, are you looking for a breeder close to SC? What are your plans for your new addition (when you get one)?

[MD in SC]

Originally Posted by dawnandjr

I am curious as well what they were hoping to get from the pairing. Both dogs look good as individuals. But not sure about the pairing of them. Mike, are you looking for a breeder close to SC? What are your plans for your new addition (when you get one)?

Yes, I would be looking for a breeder close to SC. As far as goals for the dog, we would like a family pet that could be trained in tracking, obedience, and very moderate protection (if any on the protection side since I have a 7 and 4 year old).

This is a repeat breeding and there is one dog at the residence from the previous litter. I don't really know what they were trying to gain by mixing a working line w/ a show line. I am new to all of this pedigree stuff.

Thanks for all the input...

Mike

[wolfstraum]

NO! As every one else says, this is a mix breeding with no obvious goals or rationale other than the people own 2 dogs. I see a few very very red flags....I saw one of the grandsires a few times. A powerful working male, high drive - not a dog I would use to breed for the pet market...his character could have been invaluable if your goal was LE K9s or sport dogs, but not a dog I would sell pets out of....this is typical breeding of some who just wants to sell puppies and is not knowledgable or active in any aspect of proving or bettering the breed.

Look at the gsdca.org and germanshepherddog.com sites for breeders and litters. They list member's litters and there should be something in a west german show line litter suitable for pets....I believe Global haus is down that way....

Lee