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

Article by The Dog Breed Expert

At this time you are all set to choose your German Shepherd puppy, while there is one more thing we haven’t considered yet and you have to decide before you pick your new puppy. Do you want a male or a female? That’s genuinely a big decision and many people choose one or the other for the wrong reasons. There is a lot to say about this matter and I don’t want to digress from the topic at hand, so I will very likely write about this on my next post. For now, let’s focus on understanding how to pick out the ideal puppy whether it’s a male or a female. The first thing you should check out is for the puppy to be the most ideal age. Some breeders may possibly want you to take your puppy at 6 weeks of age, but you shouldn’t. The puppy should be physically and emotionally capable to be separated from his mother and littermates by the time you take him home. Usually you shouldn’t separate a German Shepherd puppy from his mother any earlier than at 8 weeks of age; for the most part between 8 and 12 weeks old.

Something that is extremely critical in this process is to meet the parents of the puppies and the littermates. Examine the parent’s temperament; how they interact with you and if they are too shy or too aggressive. Many times puppies inherit the parents’ behavior. The puppy you choose must be well socialized too. He should be playful and friendly. Remember; physical characteristics are very important, but temperament is equally crucial.

Make sure the puppies are maintained in a clean area. The puppy you end up choosing should have the adequate weight. He shouldn’t be too overweight or too thin. His eyes should be clear and the ears should be clean. He should have a full coat, with healthy looking hair and skin, and he shouldn’t scratch too much. It is also important to confirm that the puppy you have picked is a healthy one. Take him to the veterinarian for a complete exam within just the first couple of days of your purchase.

Umbilical hernias are the most typical hernias in canines. Hernias can have severe and even fatal complications, and often require surgery. Ensure you touch his belly near the navel and check for an outward bulging in the area around the belly button.

Considering you are deciding on a show quality German Shepherd puppy, you have to check for disqualifying faults such as coat length, color, bite faults and any defects that would not change with age.

The only right coat is the medium smooth. Puppies’ coats change as they grow, but even as puppies the coat needs to be short on the ears, the front of the legs, the feet and the toes.

Although the final color of a puppy is determined when the outer coat completely develops, he shouldn’t have fading pigmentation and he must be one of the colors outlined in the standard of the breed.

The puppy should not have an overbite, an underbite, or any other flaws of dentition.

Monorchism and Cryptorchidism are faults, but since testicles in male dogs do not drop until a few months later, there is no need to examine the puppy for missing testicles or testicles that have failed to descend into the scrotum.

The way German Shepherd dogs are shown in the show ring is very distinctive and the way they are stacked is entirely different from any other breed. The stack, which is the way the dog stands, is a very important component in showing off the dog’s physical structure. In order to choose the appropriate show quality German Shepherd puppy you must stack the puppy and see how closely he looks like the ideal described in the standard. Dogs change with age, but doing this will give you a pretty good idea of the dog’s future structure.

Refining this procedure takes a little practice, but for now you should do ok with the essentials. Pick up the puppy’s front feet and set them down squarely under the shoulders. The front legs should be perpendicular to the ground, with the feet flat and the toes pointing straight forward. Now stack your puppy’s hind legs. Begin with the interior hind leg first. Pick up your puppy’s foot and pull the leg up and forward under the body. The hock should be close to the ground. Now take the exterior hind leg, slide it back lightly until the hock is perpendicular to the ground and make sure the puppy’s foot is flat against the ground. The puppy should have the correct topline, proper angles, strong bones and the masculinity of the male or femininity of the female must be evident.

Ahead are a few pictures of German Shepherd puppies owned by some friends. These puppies range from 40 days to three and a half months old and show the correct conformation for a German Shepherd puppy.

In addition to that, remember to ask the breeder for some kind of guarantee, registration papers and the pedigree. Lastly, ask him about shots, dewormings and any other exams the puppies may have had.

If everything works out right and you find a puppy you feel at ease about taking home; go ahead and do it! You just found your new German Shepherd puppy.

About the Author

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

More Dog Breeds Articles

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

Article by The Dog Breed Expert

By now you know that you don't only desire a dog, but that you can have one and that it will be a German Shepherd puppy. Now what? Well, first you have to find out what you are looking for in your German Shepherd puppy. I'm presuming that if you are reading this article you are looking for either a pet or a show dog.

Let's start by examining the show dog possibility. Bear in mind that if you are an experienced breeder, owner, or have shown GSDs previously, this article is not designed for you. I'm writing it to assist people who are new at this and who still need a little assistance. If you are looking for a show quality German Shepherd puppy you will have to determine first what kind of GSD you desire. Basically, you can choose from American lines and German lines. If you don't know the variance, you can read my articles on the; "The German Shepherd Dog Breed- Which Are Better; German Lines or American Lines" and "The German Shepherd Dog Breed- Difference Between German Lines or American Lines". You will get a very good idea of the predominant differences if you read these articles.

If you opt for American lines I can only assist you with the first part of the procedure, since I'm not as familiar with them as I am with German lines. Either way, in both circumstances there are a number of usual steps you should take in your purchasing process, but when it comes to choosing a quality German Shepherd of American lines, I'm not skilled to tell you what physical attributes you should look for.

The first thing you should realize is that the only way to get a puppy of show quality is to purchase it from a reputable breeder. Pet stores don't sell show quality dogs, regardless of what they say. Furthermore, no one will give you a show quality puppy for free, unless you agree to some kind of co-ownership or it's a very close friend or family member and even then, the odds of getting it for free are lean. Reputable breeders are not in this for the money, but for their admiration of the breed. Nevertheless, they need to cover some of their expenses and they do so by selling their puppies to people they believe in. Most importantly, they want to make sure that their show quality German Shepherd puppy goes to the appropriate person; someone who will show their dog and is open to their recommendations.

So how can you find the right breeder? Well, I would start by getting in contact with my local club and getting a list of breeders and the schedule for the following few specialty conformation shows. When you do, make sure the club you are contacting is the right club. If you are looking for a German Shepherd puppy of American lines it should be a local club, member of the American Kennel Club and if you are looking for a German Shepherd puppy of German lines your best bet would likely be to contact the United Schutzhund Clubs of America if you live in the United States or locate your local German Shepherd club if you live somewhere else.

The next step; go to a few shows, familiarize yourself with the regulations and talk to the people visiting the show. Make friends. Ask questions. investigate as much as you can. If you like a specific dog, talk to his owner or to his breeder. People love talking about their dogs. Find out what others think of that breeder or that specific dog. Find out who has fresh litters and which breeder has litters intended for the near future. Schedule visits to their kennels. Once you have narrowed it down to two or three dogs or kennels, you need to find out as much information as you can about the probable litters. Examine the stud and the bitch. Which dogs are in their pedigrees? What particular genetic conditions do their lines carry? Make sure the breeder you choose has all breeding stock tested and cleared for frequent genetic concerns in GSDs, like hip dysplasia.

Now it's time to choose the right German Shepherd puppy for you and I will clarify what you have to look for on my next article.

About the Author

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

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

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