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It's Almost Time

822 views 5 replies 5 participants last post by  Judy Untamed 
#1 ·
Hello all,

My name is Judy and I'm just about ready to start looking for a new pup.

We had a few dogs when I was a child, back in the 70's and early 80's, but those were always my parents' responsibility. I enjoyed playing with them, but knew and learned nothing of training or rearing a dog properly. As an adult, I've had one dog. I got her as a puppy and raised her through potty training, teething, obedience training, and agility training. We had her for ten years before she was taken rather abruptly and unexpectedly last June by bloat.

A little about me and my family. I'm married to a terrific man. He's just retired after 28 years of active duty service in the Air Force. We have three great kids, the youngest of which is 16. There are NO grandchildren in my immediate or near future, as my older kids are still single and showing no signs of settling into families of their own at this time. (And I'm in no hurry for them to!)

We've just moved back to San Antonio, TX...our "home base" off and on for many years throughout our AF career. We plan to settle here for the foreseeable future, but are still young enough to know life may yet take us in unexpected directions.

My "one dog" was a Doberman named Mira. I researched the heck out of many breeds before settling on a Dobie, then researched the heck out of Dobermans in particular. She came from a long line of working cadaver dogs. I thought, at the time, that I'd found a "reputable breeder". She was AKC registered and her lineage looked good. Found out later, the person was really just a casual back-yard breeder who happened to have a working dog. Even so...I truly believe Mira and I, and our family, were meant to be. She was a perfect fit for our young, growing family and we loved her dearly. Even after months, I'm still near tears writing about her.

My husband's favorite breed is German Shepherd. He had one for most of his life growing up. I love GSDs as well, and am happy to let him have his "choice" for breeds when we start looking for a new pup. I've been lurking and reading up on the breed here and other places for the last couple of months.

I work from home. We own our house and have a large, fenced yard. No other mammal pets in the home at this time. Maybe...maaayyybe, someday there will be a second dog or a cat. But those are distant considerations. We've got some work to do on the home yet...and a new fence will be going up to replace the old one that is currently there. But I'm thinking that we will be ready to bring a new puppy into the home within the next 6-8 months. I loved raising and training Mira, and am very much looking forward to applying all that I learned (from both successes and failures) to raise a new family dog.

I hope that I can learn here how to find a proper breeder and get to know them well before we get to that point where we really want a dog "right now." I'm looking forward to learning what I can here!
 

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#6 ·
Thank you! Dobies are really great dogs and Mira was the best. Our new puppy will have some big paws to fill, but I know he or she will steal our hearts just as surely as Mira did.

Hi Judy & WELCOME!!! :greet:

We had Dobes for over 22 years and then switched to GSD's for the past 23 years! You need to "be ready" for a GSD and all that goes with it. Land Sharking comes to mind b/c we have a new pup and I'd forgotten how intense it can be! LOL

We had a couple of border collies when I was a kid. I remember the herding behavior very well! Since we don't have small kids in the house, I'm not too worried about Land Sharking. The teething phase was the hardest for me because you never know what they'll find to chew on, so keeping up with them is very much like having a crazy-brave-curious toddler in the house. But that's just all part of the deal and helps build a strong bond over time.

It sounds like you have a great plan in place!

There are many qualified people here to assist you!

A little more info will help folks point you in the right direction!

*Which "TYPE" of German Shepherd are you looking for?
-American Show Line
-West German Show Line
-Working Line

(see this page for description of "Types": (Types of German Shepherds, by Wildhaus Kennels )

*What is your price range? (usual is $1,600 to $3,000)

Here are some good reading materials!
Things to look for in a 'Responsible' Breeder
(German Shepherd and Schutzhund Articles, by Wildhaus Kennels )
https://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/choosing-breeder/



Best of luck!

Moms:)
Thanks for all the great info! I'm pretty sure we're looking for a working-line dog. Medium or slower drive would be my preference. When the time comes, I should be able to spend $1000-$2000, but am hoping for the lower end of that range since this will be a pet-quality dog that won't be bred.

Welcome! What a beautiful Dobie girl <3 Sorry for your loss. Looking forward to seeing with your new pup in the future :)
Thank you!

I would visit some working dog clubs in the area. Even though you are not looking to work a dog, at least for now, in a dog sport, I feel you will get a great idea of what the working GSDs are. And most breeders have multiple pups in the litter that would be perfect for an active family. Checking that the breeder checks hips,elbow and DM for sure. Cardio and eyes can also be issues genetically. The temperament testing to be a successful competition dog is great. Yes, there are edgy nervy dogs that compete in the working dog sports. But a good breeder will be honest. There is no such thing as "every dog in this litter is......" fill in any blank. Unless they are all batsh*t crazy.
A great breeder will take the time to answer your questions, find out what you need and you expectations for your new pup. They will quiz you as much as you need to quiz them. And I am sure t here are great breeders in the show line worlds. I am just familiar with the working lines. And though Melodee Middleton in the Dallas area is a little further away, and not cheap, had I had the funds this is where my latest pup would have come from. The foundation she puts on her pups is amazing. Kennel name Germelhaus.
If anyone has any recommendations for clubs in the San Antonio area, I'm all ears. I'll start googling in the meantime.

I'll check out Germelhaus. Thanks! We've got lots of close relatives in the Dallas area and that's not a "long" drive for me by any stretch. In fact, we got Mira from the Dallas area during one of our previous stays in San Antonio. That's plenty close enough for me to go on pre-visits to meet the breeder and the dogs before picking up the puppy, if that option becomes available. I'd be willing to drive up to 8-10 hours for pre-visits and 16+ hours (if necessary) to pick up a puppy rather than have it shipped.

I'm really looking forward to reaching out and getting to know some breeders!
 
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#3 ·
Hi Judy & WELCOME!!! :greet:

We had Dobes for over 22 years and then switched to GSD's for the past 23 years! You need to "be ready" for a GSD and all that goes with it. Land Sharking comes to mind b/c we have a new pup and I'd forgotten how intense it can be! LOL

It sounds like you have a great plan in place!

There are many qualified people here to assist you!

A little more info will help folks point you in the right direction!

*Which "TYPE" of German Shepherd are you looking for?
-American Show Line
-West German Show Line
-Working Line

(see this page for description of "Types": (Types of German Shepherds, by Wildhaus Kennels )

*What is your price range? (usual is $1,600 to $3,000)

Here are some good reading materials!
Things to look for in a 'Responsible' Breeder
(German Shepherd and Schutzhund Articles, by Wildhaus Kennels )
https://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/choosing-breeder/



Best of luck!

Moms:)
 
#5 ·
I would visit some working dog clubs in the area. Even though you are not looking to work a dog, at least for now, in a dog sport, I feel you will get a great idea of what the working GSDs are. And most breeders have multiple pups in the litter that would be perfect for an active family. Checking that the breeder checks hips,elbow and DM for sure. Cardio and eyes can also be issues genetically. The temperament testing to be a successful competition dog is great. Yes, there are edgy nervy dogs that compete in the working dog sports. But a good breeder will be honest. There is no such thing as "every dog in this litter is......" fill in any blank. Unless they are all batsh*t crazy.
A great breeder will take the time to answer your questions, find out what you need and you expectations for your new pup. They will quiz you as much as you need to quiz them. And I am sure t here are great breeders in the show line worlds. I am just familiar with the working lines. And though Melodee Middleton in the Dallas area is a little further away, and not cheap, had I had the funds this is where my latest pup would have come from. The foundation she puts on her pups is amazing. Kennel name Germelhaus.
 
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