Choosing the right puppy

[gmen305]

My husband had German Shepherds growing up and he loves their characteristics. We currently have a Chocolate Lab who is the love of our life. He is twelve and is truly the sweetest, most gentle and mellow dog that we have ever met. Our children grew up with him and we adore this dog. We understand that German Shepherds are more protective and totally different than Labs. We are wondering if we should consider a Shepherd for our next pet, as our Lab won't be around forever. We don't want a show or working dog. We want a pet that is a friendly, good with children and a sweet companion. We love large dogs who like long walks and who are not loners. Any input would be appreciated. Also, is anyone familiar with the
following breeder? We live in Miami and saw that he advertises a lifetime guarantee on hips, elbows and temperament. Thanks.
VOM KIRSYS GERMAN SHEPHERDS

home of german shepherds

[Dainerra]

one thing I noticed is that the guarantee is only valid if you 1) feed a food approved by them - they prefer Orijen which is a great food but also one that they sell 2) if you can't provide ALL the receipts and UPC for all the food ever purchased it is also void.

it's in the contract that you will never give treats??
they don't want you to take him out in public until he is 6 months old??? from the site - I am aware that taking the German Shepherd puppy dog out before 6 months to street,parks and beaches is a serious risk as the immune system is not completely developed; Even on sidewalks there are millions of germs and diseases which the puppy might eat, or get attached to their paws, which the dog will later lick and or things they can swallow by mistake. If you live on a farm, wait till dog is older than 6 months before letting him run with other farm animals, and always monitored for weight loss and blood or white specs in feces.

not saying that they don't have great dogs or aren't good breeders. These are just a couple of things that jumped out as odd. waiting till 6 months to start socializing seems like a recipe for disaster to me....

[Tihannah]

This is my first time hearing of this breeder. Wow, what a contract!
VOM KIRSYS GERMAN SHEPHERDS

I would take my time, do some more research, and hang out around here a little more, to understand specifically what kind of GSD you are looking for. You said you don't want a show or working dog? GSD's usually fall into one of those two categories...but both sides can fall into your category of a "pet that is a friendly, good with children and a sweet companion". Besides the contract, which seems to leave many holes in escaping the "lifetime guarantee", I don't like the pricing structure based on how they perceive the pups at 7-8 weeks. Since they are all from the same litter and parents, what justifies one pup costing more than the next? Just my thoughts.

[Tihannah]

Originally Posted by Dainerra

one thing I noticed is that the guarantee is only valid if you 1) feed a food approved by them - they prefer Orijen which is a great food but also one that they sell 2) if you can't provide ALL the receipts and UPC for all the food ever purchased it is also void.

it's in the contract that you will never give treats??
they don't want you to take him out in public until he is 6 months old??? from the site - I am aware that taking the German Shepherd puppy dog out before 6 months to street,parks and beaches is a serious risk as the immune system is not completely developed; Even on sidewalks there are millions of germs and diseases which the puppy might eat, or get attached to their paws, which the dog will later lick and or things they can swallow by mistake. If you live on a farm, wait till dog is older than 6 months before letting him run with other farm animals, and always monitored for weight loss and blood or white specs in feces.

not saying that they don't have great dogs or aren't good breeders. These are just a couple of things that jumped out as odd. waiting till 6 months to start socializing seems like a recipe for disaster to me....

I agree. The contract was just odd to me as well...

[Emoore]

There was a very long thread about Vom Kirsys, but it got deleted. People were saying the same things they said in this thread, then the kennel owner showed up. Things got ugly, the thread disappeared.

That said. . . .
welcome gmen! You can certainly find a fabulous pet and companion from either show or working lines of German Shepherds. I'm glad you're doing your homework and researching breeders of quality GSDs (whatever you think of their contract, Kirsys has some nice show lines) instead of buying a puppy off Craigslist.

[Dainerra]

Originally Posted by Tihannah

I don't like the pricing structure based on how they perceive the pups at 7-8 weeks. Since they are all from the same litter and parents, what justifies one pup costing more than the next? Just my thoughts.

this isn't uncommon, though I didn't check out how they price specifically. A breeder will often charge more for a dog that is a show prospect or a working prospect. That means that this particular puppy, at that period of time, is the most fit out of the litter to be shown (or worked). Often if there is a genetic issue that comes up later (such as testicles don't drop) that makes the dog unsuitable for showing, the breeder will refund the difference between show and pet price.

agree that any GSD that is well-bred will fit all their criteria. 1 have one that is a show/working cross and he is a total love. The new pup is a Czech working line dog, well on his way to being a loving companion!

[Dainerra]

Emoore, I agree that they have some great looking dogs! Only the contract is a turn-off to me.

[JakodaCD OA]

Can you post your general location? We may be able to point you to someone within your area

[Dainerra]

they said they are in Miami

[JakodaCD OA]

duh, missed that

How about Betty @ Little River Canine?