Hello from San Diego

[keith_germansheperd]

Greetings,
I am from San diego and I am planning to get a German Sheperd male pup soon. I was supposed to get a pup couple of months ago, but I was surpised to find out my current apartment and lots of others had GSD in their restricted breed list. Finally I am moving to Oceanside for a different reason and I came across a property that allows GSD and it has a decent sized fenced yard. I am so delighted to be back again in the process of getting my dream dog.

This is a bit of my introduction so that I may get better advice. I am 32 yrs, I go for an hour long jog every morning and I and my wife go for an hour walk in the evenings. I generally remain outdoors on weekends hiking, trekking, camping etc. I need a GSD as a companion and friend. I will definitely take him to obedience training and maybe some more trainings.

I am looking for a German Line GSD. My questions are:
1. Should I go for a Working or a Show line ? I will take my pup out during lunch, but as he grows he will have to be alone for more times, eventually being alone from 9 to 5.

2. Please help me find some breeders around San Diego area. I am willing to go to LA for this as well.

3. What I am going to look for in a dog is his temperament and his health. Am I correct in my approach?

4. I might later get interested in professional training like Shutzhund or tracking etc.. depending upon how I gow with him and how much time I have in mind. Do I have to look for some traits for this as well or any GSD can perform well if trained properly?

5. Lastly, does color have any bearing on temperament? I like the traditional tan/black or even black/red ( oh they are gorgeous! )colors.

Please advice.

Thanks in advance.

[Jessiewessie99]

Hi and welcome from So Cal! I would say by what you described probably a Working line, and possibly a Show line or even a GSD from a rescue.

I suggest using this to help find breeders in your area:
German Shepherd dog breeders in North America - German shepherd dog

They have some people listed near the San Diego area. Here is a working line breeder in California:
GERMAN SHEPHERD PUPPIES FOR SALE - PERSONAL PROTECTION DOGS FOR SALE - FAMILY PROTECTION DOGS FOR SALE - POLICE DOGS FOR SALE - GERMAN SHEPHERDS FOR SALE

I also suggest rescues or shelters there are many in So Cal such as:
Coastal German Shepherd Rescue
Southern California German Shepherd Rescue (SCGSR) - SoCal Rescue

Rescues and Shelters do have puppies.=)

Good luck in your search for your new best friend!

[jimmyhasadog]

Heya welcome to the forums!

[LARHAGE]

If your looking for West German lines, Lundborg Land German Shepherds are gorgeous, though not cheap. The kennel is in Riverside/Lake Matthews.