Hi all,
I'm new to this board, but I've been following the great posts for the past year or so. I've never owned a dog, but have always wanted one, and now I'm finally in a work/financial position to do so. I was searching for a pet/companion dog with protective instincts and then came across media discussions that criminalized a few dog breeds -- like the GSD, Rottweiler, Doberman, Pitbull, etc. I also saw how Insurance companies make folks pay more for owning certain breeds and certain towns, provinces, and countries have banned certain breeds altogether. I was shocked.
But one thing I have learned from my research is that the owner matters a whole lot more than the breed in whether a dog is a danger to the public. So as a university researcher, I've become interested in researching "dangerous" dog breeds and their owners and how dog bans and restrictions may be potentially misguided. And to do the research properly, I need to own one of the so-called dangerous dog breeds. My wife grew up with a GSD and highly recommends that I get one. I also believe that the GSD is the best choice since it's super intelligent, loyal, and attentive -- which is important for someone who's never owned a dog.
I want to purchase a GSD from a breeder in the Ontario area. I also prefer a dog from a working line breed since I plan to train it for protection, etc. (though I definitely don't want it to be an "attack" dog). I also plan to take the dog with me everywhere, especially to my research sites, where I do research in gang and crime-ridden neighborhoods. Except for one day a week, I'll be spending time with the dog every day since I mostly work from home.
However, as a new dog owner, I would prefer a low to low/medium energy dog. I also prefer to skip the house training stage since I'm currently living in an apartment (I can't even begin to imagine running into the hall, then into an elevator, then outside with a puppy for up to 8 to 10 times a day). My fear in getting an adult GSD from a rescue is that I wouldn't know (at least, I think) whether the dog was conceived through a "backyard breeder," whether it's a pure GSD, and whether it experienced previous traumas and eventually have psychological pop up.
I'm asking the board for help in directing me to an appropriate breeder in Ontario. Also, I want to know whether breeders practice holding a pup until 12 to 16 weeks to begin teaching it house training (I'd be willing to pay a higher pup price for this service).
Thank you in advance.
I'm new to this board, but I've been following the great posts for the past year or so. I've never owned a dog, but have always wanted one, and now I'm finally in a work/financial position to do so. I was searching for a pet/companion dog with protective instincts and then came across media discussions that criminalized a few dog breeds -- like the GSD, Rottweiler, Doberman, Pitbull, etc. I also saw how Insurance companies make folks pay more for owning certain breeds and certain towns, provinces, and countries have banned certain breeds altogether. I was shocked.
But one thing I have learned from my research is that the owner matters a whole lot more than the breed in whether a dog is a danger to the public. So as a university researcher, I've become interested in researching "dangerous" dog breeds and their owners and how dog bans and restrictions may be potentially misguided. And to do the research properly, I need to own one of the so-called dangerous dog breeds. My wife grew up with a GSD and highly recommends that I get one. I also believe that the GSD is the best choice since it's super intelligent, loyal, and attentive -- which is important for someone who's never owned a dog.
I want to purchase a GSD from a breeder in the Ontario area. I also prefer a dog from a working line breed since I plan to train it for protection, etc. (though I definitely don't want it to be an "attack" dog). I also plan to take the dog with me everywhere, especially to my research sites, where I do research in gang and crime-ridden neighborhoods. Except for one day a week, I'll be spending time with the dog every day since I mostly work from home.
However, as a new dog owner, I would prefer a low to low/medium energy dog. I also prefer to skip the house training stage since I'm currently living in an apartment (I can't even begin to imagine running into the hall, then into an elevator, then outside with a puppy for up to 8 to 10 times a day). My fear in getting an adult GSD from a rescue is that I wouldn't know (at least, I think) whether the dog was conceived through a "backyard breeder," whether it's a pure GSD, and whether it experienced previous traumas and eventually have psychological pop up.
I'm asking the board for help in directing me to an appropriate breeder in Ontario. Also, I want to know whether breeders practice holding a pup until 12 to 16 weeks to begin teaching it house training (I'd be willing to pay a higher pup price for this service).
Thank you in advance.