Philadelphia Area-Seeking Breeders

[evolutionx11]

Good morning everyone. First, I am brand new to the website. I am doing my due diligence in researching the GSD and the proper steps to finding the right breeder and puppy. A little background, I had a GSD as a young boy and now at 32 am looking to bring a new GSD into my young family, particularly for my 3 year old daughter who loves "big dogs" as she calls them. We have a lovely home with a large 6ft fenced in yard so a GSD would thrive. I myself am very active so the breed is perfect for my family. I also have trained 3 "Seeing Eye" dogs (all labs) so I love that GSD's are highly intelligent when it comes to training, something I love doing.
I live in the Philadelphia suburbs and am looking for any suggestions on breeders within a couple hours of me. That reaches to Lancaster west, Reading North, NJ east and MD, DE south. This will be a family dog with no future competition or breeding. I will be very active with the dog.
Any suggestions would be appreciated. I'm not the type to just run out to a pet store and buy a dog so time is on my side in finding the perfect breeder/dog for my family.
Thank You

[Rangers-mom]

Hi, sorry i can't help but i could not resist responding to you. I live in Bucks County and I have a GSD that my daughter was raising for the Seeing Eye. The GSD was dropped from the program at 8 months and we adopted him. We love Ranger and were happy to add him to our family, but we were so disappointed that he did not going to be a Seeing Eye dog.

[evolutionx11]

Glad to hear it all worked out for your family with Ranger. I actually kept my black lab just like you and one ended up doing service and one actually ended up passing away from worms after I gave her to the blind. I was really upset that he passed away and I suspected it was due to lack of vet care after I gave her away. I stopped after that. Seeing eye can be very fulfilling but also tough emotionally. I personally couldn't do it again.

[Rangers-mom]

That is really interesting. I decided to keep Ranger because I was a little nervous about him going to just anyone. I really wasn't looking for another dog, and since I used to foster dogs I know a couple of wonderful homes just waiting for a great dog like Ranger, but as you know the Seeing Eye either gives the dog to their donors or to the puppy raiser. I just had a bad feeling about that. Just a funky feeling in my stomach. So I kept him.

He is such a great dog. And he gets along great with my 11 year old dog. Well, as great as a puppy (ranger is almost 10 months) and an 11 year old dog can get along, LOL. I think Ranger is going to add years to Buzz's life because Buzz no longer sleeps in a corner all day - gotta know what that puppy is up to.