The German Shepherd Dog Breed – Where to Find and How to Choose a German Shepherd Puppy – Part I

Article by The Dog Breed Expert

Since my prior post a couple of months ago I have been getting more and more inquiries from many of my friends about where to find and how to choose the perfect German Shepherd puppy. The difficulty is; these are very hard questions to be answered in a couple of sentences. So, I made the decision to answer their questions in this article and that way communicate my thoughts on this topic with everybody who reads it. This will probably take more than one article, but I will try to answer most of the questions I have received associated to finding and choosing the right German Shepherd puppy.

Before helping you to find the right puppy there are a couple of things you have to be sure about. First, you want to make sure that you are ready for the responsibility. There are too many dogs in dog pounds or shelters, and in rescues. You don't want your wonderful German Shepherd puppy to end up in a rescue a few months or a few years after you bring him home. By then, you will love your dog, but most crucially he will love you and you will be the being he loves the most in the complete world. That cute puppy could become your worst type of nightmare though; either because you didn't educate him correctly or because you chose the inappropriate GSD for you. You could lose your job; have to move to a smaller place, etc. Like a good friend of mine always says; "hope for the best, be prepared for the worst". If you take a German Shepherd puppy into your home, he will almost certainly be a part of your life for the next ten to fourteen years or more. Make sure you understand that before you make a decision.

The second thing you have to be sure about is that this breed is the right breed for you. based on which organization or club, or clubs' acknowledgement you are going by there are anywhere from nearly 330 to around 500 breeds in the world today, not including the various breeds that have been recently created, re-created, are experimental or under development. So why a German Shepherd? Is it because you like the way they look, because of the many stories about how fantastic this dogs are, or because you have done some serious analysis about the other breed choices available and the specific features of this breed? If your answer is anything other than the last option, you are not ready for a German Shepherd puppy yet.

On a preceding post where I wrote about German and American lines I list the ten breed groups acknowledged by the FCI; check it out. At least study a little about the characteristics of each group and make sure the German Shepherd dog breed is in the right group for you. Size and activity level are very important too. If you chose the right group, see what other breeds are in the same group and if you find one you like as much, find out a little more about it. Examine your lifestyle, what modifications you are open to make and your family's needs. Make sure you are choosing the right breed.

If you decide that you are prepared for a dog and that that dog will be a German Shepherd puppy, then congratulations! From now on it's just a matter of adhering to the right steps and I will guide you along the way. On my following post I will give you explicit steps to finding that German Shepherd puppy you have been dreaming of.

About the Author

The author's website features original articles about the German Shepherd dog breed.