GSD pup on East Coast

[skew12]

VA, NC, SC, GA, FL, WV, MD, DE, PA.

I’ve been poking around the breeder section for quite some time now and I’ve made some progress, but I’ve come to the conclusion that I need a little more guidance at this point in the journey. I don’t mind doing some traveling to find/pick up a new pup, though I’d like to keep it within a weekend driving trip. I’m located in southeastern VA, in Portsmouth, fifteen minutes from VA Beach.

The GSD puppy will be the 3rd addition to my family, as the wife and I already have a chocolate lab female (4yrs) and small yorkie male (6yrs). We currently live in a decent sized starter home with a likewise yard surrounded by a privacy fence. We’re in the process of preparing our home for sale and will be moving to a location where we can find a much bigger home on 2-3 acres.

We’re looking for a GSD primarily as a pet. However we both like the idea of having a GSD with the natural protection imbedded. But a dog that’s athletic, likes the water, playing fetch, and eventually runs (with age). We love taking the dogs to the beach and staying fairly active. My parents, my brother, and 2 good friends get the dogs together about once a week, so he’ll get plenty of socialization from a “pack” of lab’s, weimaraner’s, boxer’s, and bulldog’s.

We really want a traditional looking GSD! Nothing against a WL, we’re just not sure if that would be the right dog for us. From what I’ve read a WGSL will kind of meet the “best of both worlds,” being a pet, but also having a fair amount of drive. There will be no breeding, showing, or major competitions done with this dog. I will eventually get the dog involved in Schutzhund training, but it will take some time. Hopefully in the next few weeks we’ll be able to catch up with the local club and go watch some events/training to give my wife a better idea of what it’s really about. I believe the dog has to be trained to perform whatever the desired act is and one cannot just expect the dog to perform without real training. The typical puppy/adult obedience classes will precede this.

One of our primary concerns is getting a healthy dog. After seeing a friend’s dog (BYB) go through multiple surgeries, I can respect paying the money up front in getting a quality dog. Plus we want the dog to have a full, happy and long life.

If you feel I’m wrong in anything I listed, if another line is better suited, or more info is needed then just let me know. I’ve been having a feeling like we’re asking for too much, hence this thread.

Some breeders that we’re considering, through the help of this forum:
www.vomsilbersee.com
www.ohertannen.com
http://hausjuris.com/index.html
www.vom-pegasus.com
www.sander-haus.com
www.vondersauk.com
http://gspuppies.com/index.html 15 minutes from me but I haven’t found much info on them. I’d hate to ignore a good breeder in my own area.
Definitely open to more suggestions.


Puppy: Male
Line: WGSL, preferred but open to suggestions
Price: $2000 max
Temperament: family dog, but has decent drive and protection
Timeframe: Spring to Summer

Sorry for being so long winded. Anything else just let me know!

[skew12]

any help here?

[Doc]

send me a pm.

[skew12]

Originally Posted by Doc

send me a pm.

incoming.

[KB007]

I am FAR from being anywhere as knowledgeable as most of the regular posters here, but have certainly learned a lot regarding respectable breeding practices which produce quality dogs. Looking through your list of links it certainly seems like you have picked breeders which are not "byb" and actually test and title their dogs. Excellent starting point. Hopefully someone here will have some personal experience, but as you have your expectations and wants clearly defined I suspect you will find a suitable breeder with no problem!

[skew12]

Thanks. That's definitely the approach that we're taking. A quality dog is worth it.

[glb0902]

SKEW12, has anyone given you suggestions? I'm in a similar boat. I'd love to hear any feedback you may have received.

[Omar Little]

This is a decent thread glb: East Coast Working Line Breeders

I'm also in that same boat, still hunting

[WestCoastGSD]

Definitely Nadia at Oher Tannen, she is a wonderful human being and loves her dogs more than life! She is a top competitor and has her dogs best interests at heart. You can't go wrong with an Oher Tannen dog.