Breed advice please

AgileGSD

A lot of owner's puppy problems is poor management.

I agree, all puppies chew and when left running around they have the tendency to get into stuff.......I am actually responsible for some of the chewing that took place in the past......up until Rumour I never crated a dog and was not a fan of crates.......so, I am speaking with a more free spirited attitude of having puppies running around......I have friends that never had a problem with a puppy.....their puppies lived in crates when there was no time for them.......

Is there a specific GSD board? Or should I just search google?

I'll check out that Kennel in Idaho. I wouldn't mind making the trip out there if I do decide on a GSD. Although all this talk about them is starting to get me really interested in them.. Lol. 

Liesje

oranges81

snownose

and I am not kidding when I say it takes these dogs a few years to calm down.......

 

So they are like Lab's in that sense? I'm used to that. I've owned Lab's all my life.  

 

They are kinda the same size, so yeah.  GSDs take about 2 years to fully mature, both physically and mentally.  If you are thinking of doing agility and rally, you'd definitely want to do rally first and not start actual agility (full sized obstacles) until the dog is 1-1.5 yrs.  The destructiveness totally depends on the dog/lines/breeding  and also the training, socialization, and boundaries you've set for the dog though.  When they are adolescents they often go through a fear stage and/or a stage of being really annoying and trying to test all the boundaries!  If you are prepared for this and expect the energy level, then it can pass without incident.  I know plenty of people who don't have complaints about their GSD puppies and adolescents.

If you decide to seriously consider the breed, join the GSD board.  There are some of the best and most reputable working line breeders that post there daily (no, they do not advertise their own dogs). 

I wouldn't start full agility till atleast 2 years of age. I'd rather a dog listen to me first rather then chasing the dog around the course. Lol.

Thank you for all the advice! It's helped me a lot. And I think I'm going to research the Aussie and GSD a lot more now.  

oranges81

Is there a specific GSD board? Or should I just search google?

I'll check out that Kennel in Idaho. I wouldn't mind making the trip out there if I do decide on a GSD. Although all this talk about them is starting to get me really interested in them.. Lol. 

This is the one I go to.  I actually like iDog a lot better as far as nutrition, training, and behavior advice, but for finding specific breeders and just general knowledge about the breed, I'd check it out... Some great American working breeders like Eichenluft, Wildhaus, Triton, Wolfstraum, Adler Stein post here and they have a lot of firsthand knowledge and dealings with plenty of other breeders so they are a great wealth of info about choosing a dog.  If you go into the Breeding section and start a thread saying where you are located and what you are looking for in a dog, they can give you some good choices and probably some closer to you. 

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/ubbthreads.php 

Sweet! Another forum I can get addicted to. Lol. Thanks! 

Another good working dog breeder to check out that I know personally - awesome dogs and Val is a very dedicated breeder. http://www.vomhausweinbrand.com/

  I started Jora in intro agility class at 12 weeks old on the advice of some experienced agility people and she was exposed to equipment as early as 8 weeks. She was the best dog in class at 10 weeks old - caught on to everything right away, paid great attanetion and was very into it. I strongly suggest starting agility as early as possible, if it interests you. You have to use common sense such no high jumps, no upright weaves but puppies can learn to do most everything in an intro classes. There are also some great foundation training programs out there that you can start very young puppies on. Puppies learn so fast and are so happy to "do stuff" that it is IMO a shame to wait to really train them until they are adults.

Really? I guess the tunnel and such wouldn't hurt the puppies.. I never thought about it before as I was always told not to do anything like that until at least a year. I'll have to ask the local trainer here on their standing on it..

Thanks for the link! I'll check it out! 

I second Val!  <3 Brat! 

Lol! What is the average price for a puppy? Or does it vary breeder to breeder? 

It varies between breeders AND lines.  The working lines seem to go for 800-1200 depending.  I've seen a COUPLE (literally...two) selling for $1400-1800, because the lines were valuable (the puppies WERE worth that much) 

 Wow! Those are some expensive puppies! Good thing I'm getting the pup for at least another year..

*chokes on her ice* 10,000$ on a dog?! Geez!! I know I won't be getting a dog from those lines. 

oranges81

Really? I guess the tunnel and such wouldn't hurt the puppies.. I never thought about it before as I was always told not to do anything like that until at least a year. I'll have to ask the local trainer here on their standing on it..

Thanks for the link! I'll check it out! 

Oh you can do it with puppies, just no jumping or doing the contacts at sharp angles.  Competition venues have minimum age requirements.  With puppies, you basically want them getting used to obstacles, learning hind end awareness, learning to focus on you, and making it fun.  Puppies use different obstacles, but it gets them used to the right concepts.

As for price, west German high lines will be $2500+, working lines cheaper, Am lines I have no clue.  Often you can find an older, "green" (untitled) pup, a retired adult, or a pup with a fault like a long coat for much cheaper.  Kenya had her hips and elbows examined, her eyes CERFed, and had her UKC conformation champion title (plus 2 legs towards grand champ) and I did not pay a cent for her b/c she is/was priceless to her breeder (her pet, basically) and I wanted to find a breeder I could have a relationship with, not just buy a pup and be done. 

Since coat type really doesn't concern me at all! Lol. I'm more interested in their ability to work.

How would I start to build a relationship with a breeder once I found one?