[Mike.D30]

I found the breeder from somewhere online I don't even remember anymore, but she lived in New Jersey but close to my home in upstate NY.

She was a first time breeder, however there was another woman there who helped her with the litter who has been breeding for over 30 years. The father was a champion and the female show quality. Both parents were OFA certified excellent, I can't remember the entire code but I know it had breed, E for excellent, and 26 for the age for the Dad, and 24 for the Mom. Both dogs are registered with AKC.

I saw the Mom, but not with the puppies together, this seemed normal to me since any Mom wouldn't want people grabbing her pups.

The breeder has a one year guarantee on the dog for any health issues.

As for picking the puppy I'll admit we just picked the one we liked the best, one came up and licked my son and fell asleep on his shoes so we picked him. He's a sable coat GS pup.

I think I covered all my bases, but if there's any other advice you folks have I would appreciate it. I want to make sure I do this right, thanks.

 

[Castlemaid]

Hi Michael, welcome to the board, and congratulations on your new puppy.

Well, you picked your breeder, and you picked your puppy, so I'm not sure what further advice you are looking for.

How old is your puppy now? When is he going home with you?

Tell us more about your decision process, why you went with this breeder, and what you are looking for in a pup. What plans do you have for him? Do you know what lines you puppy is from?

And good choice on the sable! My favorite colour for sure.

 

[Kayla's Dad]

Michael and congratulations. Since you have picked and gotten your new addition, there are a couple of suggestions I have:

PICTURES!! We love pictures here and would love to see your new family member.

Make sure to spend a lot of time going through the puppy section here as there is a lot of threads that can help you. Post your questionsas there are no dumb questions.

Make sure to get preliminary hip and elbow x-rays before your one year guarantee runs out.

 

[Timber1]

My best to you and the new pup. To have both mom and dad certified OFA Excellent is rare. Perhaps I am wrong but only about 1 in 100 pups have both parents certified OFA Excellent.

 

[WiscTiger]

Glad you found your puppy.

Now you can shift focus and prepar for puppyhood. Visit some of the great information in the puppy section.

 

[Mike.D30]

Thanks for the repsonses, I literally had just put the deposit down and then I started freaking out that maybe I didn't do something right. But I think I feel pretty good about it, the pup looks awesome. I'm getting the yard enclosed it was fenced but about ten feet by the driveway was open, I already got a crate, collar, leash, a few toys, cheap sheepskin to lay on. The breeder is giving me a bad of food to go with us, we have a vet up the street we'll have to take him to, other than that I think I'm all set.

 

[WiscTiger]

Fenced yards are good, but I never leave my young pups outside alone. While potty training that is all done on a leash with commands, comes in handy down the line when you want to go some where or are showing that the dog goes potty on command.

 

[BowWowMeow]

Yes, be sure to supervise the pup when s/he is young because they are like vacuum cleaners and suck everything up in their path! My Chama had a thing for cigarette butts and I know lots of people whose puppies have eaten toxic stuff. So be sure to keep a good eye out in and out of the house!

 

[Cooper&me]

The biggest mistake my sister made in housetraing her dog was just letting him out unsupervised to potty and "assuming buisness was complete.

I am only slightlyy ahead of you as I have had my bundle of joy less than a week.
I am sleep deprived but delirously happy.

 

[JAguirre]

Originally Posted By: Wisc.Tiger...Now you can shift focus and prepar for puppyhood. Visit some of the great information in the puppy section.

Good advice. And ... buy Neosporin - not for you but for your hands and arms. You're gonna need it LOL.

 

[DHau]

I wish somebody had told me that earlier. I have a few scars for life now. lol.

 

[JAguirre]

Well ... I meant to say, not for your dog, but ... for your hands and arms. Gotta love those puppy teeth.

 

[kbigge]

Michael-

Congratulations! It's so exciting to get a new pup. My GSD Kodee is almost 6 mos old now, and he is definitely a member of our family already, not just a pet.

My best advice for you is to pick a good, high quality dog food from the start, or even feed raw. Science Diet, Iams, Eukanuba, stuff like that are NOT good foods, regardless of what they try to portray. Go w/something all-natural, meat-based, preferably w/human grade meats. Kodee eats Orijen Adult formula - I switched him from puppy formula at 5 mos. It contains 70% human grade meat, is all-natural, and grain free. (There are some other good foods out there, as well). He is doing great on Orijen, and he also gets some raw and The Honest Kitchen as well.

Good luck!

 

[shepherdbydesign]

That is so funny but very true. Our pups are like gators when they are young. Good luck with you new pup

 

[germanshepherdcentral]

Congrats, Michael! How exciting. If you haven't already, start looking for a good puppy kindergarten class, preferably one where the puppies spend the bulk of the time in supervised play. Check with friends who have great relationships with their dogs and find out where they train... but always check it out for yourself first. If in doubt, don't!

Good luck, can't wait to see pics.