German Shepherds Forum banner

Does this look like a true GSD?

1K views 4 replies 3 participants last post by  LRP 
#1 ·
Just wanting some knowledgeable minds to look at this please....

Tell me if I'm nuts too?

I had a German Shepherd for 13 years. She was adopted. I think I lucked out on finding her. She had an excellent temperament. Good with children, cats, small animals, on and on. She wasn't entirely docile, but safe for sure. No resource guarding, no worries. Great with other dogs of all sizes. Sociable, friendly and absolutely no health problems, as in always excellent blood test results, with exception to senior age arthritis. Sadly that's why she had to be sent over the Rainbow Bridge. She had that straight back + substantial build. Sable color.

I have no pedigree on her so her exact history is all unknown to me.


Instead of wisely going through a reputable breeder, I have made a curious error of searching my local Craigslist. Well, I've found a dog that seems alright to take a look at which is a true rehome for the owner. I refuse to buy any dog from anyone that posts on Craigslist. Really, I could easily wait to get one from a breeder. I can take my time, do my research, and be patient. That way I highly likely will get a healthy dog with the right temperament. I surely don't want to deal with hip dysplasia, or elbow dysplasia, or other avoidable health issues that reputable breeders do their best to avoid.


Maybe this is stupid, and I should stop. I have done some research. A good GSD puppy costs about $2,000.00. That seems reasonable to me if the breeder takes health seriously. I don't just look at the price and assume that means the dog is great. I'll scrutinize the breeder to see if that price means that the person studies their dogs + ensures health screenings to create a healthy GSD a sound temperament. I want to see some investment in those dogs. I don't need a puppy but I kind of like shaping a dog's experiences absolutely right from day one. That way, I know the dog is socialized well. I know the dog's history, and I've got health screenings to rule out a few common disorders.


Anyways, can you all take a look at him and tell me what you think here. That looks like a GSD to me. Of course I like him in the pic, or I wouldn't ask about him. He's got a confident look in the eye. Sounds like he's been socialized all right in his current circumstances. Owner says he's kid and dog friendly. As far as health stats go, it's all risk. He's 9 months old. Not neutered yet. Okay, any dog is an emotion-driven choice for me, lol. Those big feet are adorable!!! He's 67lbs at 9 months, according to the owner. Anyone think he will reach 90 pounds?

Ive looked at several other Craigslist find GSD's in my area that have all had aggression issues. That's a zero, no go for me. I could deal with it, but eh, I prefer skipping that mess.

What do you think? The owner is a nice lady that has done routine vaccines/heartworm prevention. She says she did get him from someone where both parents were to her knowledge, German Shepherds.
Just seeking second opinions here.


Ah he is cute!
 

Attachments

See less See more
4
#2 ·
You have posted this same message quite a few times... I just want to say that in the end the dogs temperament is more important then how much GSD it is but he does look full GSD to me and he is beautiful.
 
#4 ·
Oops, I was a bit impatient with posting here. I posted this same question possibly three different times. My bad.
Nonetheless, thanks for the feedback.
I'm just not sure what on earth GSD puppies look like along their first year.
I'm just thinking of all of the massive health risks of possibly obtaining a BYB casually bred dog even if he's all fantastic at the moment. I'm a bit too familiar with hearing stories of hip dysplasia, and particularly pannus.

I lucked out by having a GSD (sable color) that lived 13+ years with few health issues other than arthritis at the later part of her life. She looked so healthy at 13. Blood work was excellent. It was devastating to have to have her pts and then my Lab followed her a month later. I'm so familiar with diagnostic imaging you have no idea! I didn't have to spring for the MRI which actually would have been slightly complicated given that my Lab had a titanium crown on his front left canine tooth. His issue was arthritis too. But these two dogs were unbelievably easy keepers and super healthy for most of their life. Fantastic luck I had there! Then again, I don't feed dogs crappy food, annual blood work is always done. I vaccinate, but I taper off some vaccines depending on risk, on and on.

This dog in the pic is in fact a true rehome. The owner isn't the breeder but she told me that he's from two GSD's. Obviously no registration here. Seems like some sort of casual breeding here. The owner doesn't seem to indicate that she knows too much about GSD's but she's been keeping up with vaccines, heartworm test/prevention, fairly good socialization, and all that jazz, from what I've been told, and well he's got a good eye there. I'm seeing a fairly confident, likely well-adjusted dog. Quite possibly. Just have to check him out in person.
 
#5 ·
I understand,
Both my dogs are BYB - yes I understand you take risks when getting a dog this way but literally anything can happen to any dog - even the full papered, carefully bred dogs.
You can not always plan for the health risks but if you are concerned yes, getting it from a reputable breeder is the best decision.

The other option is there is a dog that is already here and needs a loving family... He is beautiful - a good dog does not have to cost a penny! I personally would never pay $2,000 for a dog but that is me.

My husband and I both agreed we would do anything we could sanely do to take care of our dogs but if either of them got to the point where there day to day life was compromised by a health issue, we would humanly put them down. So we take a chance on having a fantastic BYB dog for 1 year or 15 years... because they were already here and came into our life how they did. We hope for the longest amount of time and just try to take the best care of them as we can.

I hope the best for you and for this dog - whichever way you choose.
 
  • Like
Reactions: AlphaHunter
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top