To those that want to start breeding (long)

[vat]

I would like to share my story.

Many years ago when we got our first GSD we bought her from the local pet store. She was a pretty girl but that pretty girl had some issues. As a pup she started showing fear aggression but at the time I had no idea that is what it was. She was taking to training and she was socialized so that was not the problem.

By the time she was a year old or so she bit her first victim. Out of no where just reached out and took a taste of a friend. After that it was a few other friends that got nipped, luckily none were real bad to require medical care. From that point forward our lives changed. No one wanted to come to visit and if they did she had to be leashed or put away. It was awful!

Luckily she was fairly healthy but she was not normal, as my husband would say. She is a GSD in clothing only! Kaycee lived with us until almost 13 years old. Our lives were never our own. When we went on vacation we had to take her, she could not stay with anyone. It was a life of growls and being locked up when company came.

Since Kaycee we had decided that we would get our next GSD from a good breeder, we have 2 now and they are prefect!

Why do I tell this story? Because we did not know better, we bought a pup from a store (aka BYB or puppy mill). Kaycee was lucky she had us, we were devoted to her. Most people would have dumped her at a shelter or put her down. It was not her fault she was what she was, it was some irresponsible breeder!

Please, if you love the breed and truly want to become a breeder do your homework! Learn from a mentor, any good breeder will want to share what they know. Maybe you can offer to help them out so you can learn. Buy good dogs and breed for the love not money, or my friend wants a puppy.

This post is not meant to hurt anyone but if I can open even a few eyes and stop the bad breeding then I have done a wonderful thing. There are many of us on this forum that have had or currently have badly bred dogs. But lucky for them they have people that will stick with them no matter what. The rest...well just look at the rescue posts, many end up there

So again PLEASE do it for the right reason and help get the breed back to where it belongs and help educate those against buying from BYB or puppy mills.

Thanks for reading...

[GSD Fan]

I'd love to become a breeder someday, but when I do I will make sure I am in the right situation and that everything is right.

[Castlemaid]

Great post Valerie!! Thanks for sharing your story!

[Lauri & The Gang]

I was lucky. I found my first GSD through a newspaper ad. The breeder turned out to be an AWESOME mentor and remains a very good friend.

My first attempt at breeding ended up with an emergency c-section and a singleton pup that died in my arms after only a few hours. Very costly - both in terms of $$$ and emotions.

I have bred 5 litters so far - that's in 20 years of owning dogs. Three German Shepherd litters and two Chinese Cresteds.

Every time I learn something new and improve my breeding skills and knowledge.

Breeding is not just taking a male and a female and throwing them together to make puppies ... not if you want to do it RIGHT.

[vat]

I would also like to add that my family and friends...Kaycee was the only GSD they knew. Of course they thought all GSD were that way. When we got our next pup my mom was like "why are you getting another one of those?" Everyone soon learned that is not how GSD are. My mom now loves our dogs and they adore her but you can see how breed bans get started! One bad seed is all it takes sometimes!

[Castlemaid]

Originally Posted by vat

I would also like to add that my family and friends...Kaycee was the only GSD they knew. Of course they thought all GSD were that way. When we got our next pup my mom was like "why are you getting another one of those?" Everyone soon learned that is not how GSD are. My mom now loves our dogs and they adore her but you can see how breed bans get started! One bad seed is all it takes sometimes!

EXACTLY!!! That is one reason I just absolutely HATE all the posts and stories here where people find it funny that their big bad GSD barked or lunged at someone and scared them. Have they any idea how that attitude is harming their own right to own a GSD? Kudos for working against that negative stereotype and being a good example out there!

[Minnieski]

Thank you Val, for sharing this. I know from experience exactly what you mean.

[onyx'girl]

I also know, Onyx is much like Kaycee, though never has bitten. But I have to manage her carefully so she won't. Children are her downfall.
And you are right when you posted about others seeing your crazy GSD and think that is the breed trait, not a great representation.
My mom was fearful of the breed(my stepdad had two as watchdogs, so that was her exposure to them until mine came along), until she met Karlo, she now knows good breeding can make all the difference.