Just be forewarned that good breeding cannot guarantee you a healthy pup. No breeder on the face of the earth of any animal can hand you an 8 week old and tell you that this pup will never be sick a day in its life and never have a single issue and will be a perfect pet. These are dogs, not wind-up toys! But going with a good breeder who health-clears and temperament-tests breeding stock with REAL tests (not a herding cert, not a CGC, not a TT but schutzhund, tracking, herding *title,* higher obedience levels, etc) and knows the lineage and knows the good and bad of the pedigrees can stack the odds in your favor and give you the best pup for your money. Also, don't think that a high price tag is an indicator of quality, but be aware that a good GSD puppy is *rarely* less than $800 from any lines. The norm for working lines is $1000-$2000, German showline pups tend to start around $2000. That's just the beginning! This is not a cheap breed. Visit the health section for testament to that.
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I guess I'm the bubble-burster here. The reality of the GSD breed is not all sunshine and happiness but if you do your homework, the rewards make the effort and time and money completely worth it. A good GSD will be active without being hyper, very intelligent, biddable, easy to train (if done right), easily motivated, good protective instinct without being overly fearful and defensive, versatile, polite with strangers but very loving and fun with its family and close friends. You shouldn't have to worry about a fearful, aggressive dog, one that is not trustworthy around people and bad with kids. You want a lifetime companion, not a lifetime burden.
If you feel overwhelmed, you can request breeder recommendations in your area, or if you're willing to ship, breeder recommendations in general! In the "Choosing a Breeder" section, post your location, how far you are willing to go, whether you would be willing to ship in a pup, and as many details as possible on what you're looking for in a GSD, what your ideal GSD is, what you plan to do with the pup, what activities you may want to participate in, your experience level, what you DON'T want or what you would not be comfortable with, and anything else you'd feel relevant. A lot of people say they don't want a show or working dog as if to say that they don't care if the parents work or show or do anything, but that is a CRUCIAL part in helping to determine the qualities (or lack thereof) of the litter. Parents that work and show will likely produce puppies with ability and brains to work and the beauty of a good GSD. If Mom was breeder/handler/owner trained in schutzhund and Dad is an urban search and rescue dog with major disaster deployments under his belt (er.. collar?), chances are you will have some very well adjusted, excellent representatives of the breed as opposed to A) Nice dad and B) Mom's good with kids.
