Hi i'm doing some research..i was thinking of getting my first dog...i really like the german sheppherd. Any idea on when breeders start selling puppies? How many months are they? And at what age do you think german sheppherds get full size?
Welcome to Dogsey Papibaby! Most breeders will sell their pups when they're 8 weeks old. Much earlier than that they are too young to be seperated from their mum and siblings and may grow up to have psychological issues. I would think they'd reach full size between a year and 18 months, someone will correct me if I'm wrong I'm sure GSDs are a fantastic breed, but they are very intelligent, need a lot of early and ongoing socialisation and as puppies are very boisterous (so I've found). I'm not sure if others would recommend them as a first time breed, I couldn't say myself as I've never owned one, but I've certainly met 'easier' puppies! There are also a lot of unscrupulous breeders out there who will sell you an unhealthy pup and once they have your money won't want to know. If you get in contact with the GSD breed society they'll be able to give you a list of reputable breeders. A good breeder will want to know a lot about you so they can see if your circumstances would suit one of their dogs; they may have quite a long waiting list for a puppy, but it's well worth it. sorry, this turned into a bit of an essay...
I suggest you get a decent book/s on GSD's, sorry but I do not feel that a GSD is right for you given your pure lack of knowlage of dogs full stop. I don't mean to be rude, it is just my view... if you came to me for a pup I would not sell a pup to you, sorry.
I to agree that a GSD is a great breed, but not necessarily for someone as their first dog. However, if you do the research and find that you can really give a GSD an excellent home, please visit [mod edit/no links to dog forums please] They are basically a rescue site for GSD's and they also have pups on there, so not all full grown dogs. If you have any questions on the breed, please feel free to ask people on there and they will do their best to help you. I have a rescue GSD and she has been a lot of work as she wasn't socialised as a pup, but if you have one from a pup, and do your research on how to best develop your GSD, you should be ok in my opinion. Good luck with your search
Hi and welcome to Dogsey. I think you need to do some more research and find and speak to breeders. I got my first pup at approx 5.5 weeks which was way too young and my second pup Monty when he was 7 weeks which is about normal for gsds. How about a rescue gsd - you can also get youngsters and pups that have been abandoned - KCJACK is fostering some - maybe she would be able to assist if you are near her? (i think i've got the right person and the right breeds, lol) If you use a breeder - do your research on them and ask loads of questions - this forum will help you loads with that As a first time dog then as long as you go to training, enjoy your pup/dog and do loads of research i don't see why not - they are very intelligent though and you need to be willing to put the time in with them Good luck with your search.
If you want a GSD then please research carefully, there are so many BYB that are in it for the money and not the breeds welfare, plus so many end up in rescues as they have been sold to people with little knowledge of what they require and when they get to the 8-10mth stage the owners cant cope. Please also research the lines carefully, some are known for weak temperments, health issues etc. A decent breeder will not let the pups go before they are 8 weeks old, at this stage they are likely to be tattooed and had first vacination. The dam and sire should be hip and elbow scored, with a low hip score and 0 elbows, the sire should aswell be heamophillia tested clear. They will be adult size in height by approx 10mths old but will not fill out and develop physically and mentaly untill they are 18mths -2 yrs dependent on lines.
My mum had a gsd as her first dog and she was a single mother with 3 children under the age of 10 and he was a cracking dog and she coped fine granted she did have chow chows after that but anyway she researched and did well. Any decent breeder will ask 100's and 100's of questions to make sure the puppy owner is right so even if you are turned down for a pup dont get upset over it just do a bit more research and try again. I personally dont read dog books i prefer to get first hand experiences either from owners or breeders or both, some books leave a lot to be desired. Whatever answers you get on here ultimatly it is your choice and if you think you can offer a gsd a home and the breeder/rescue centre agrees then good luck hun xx
Everyone has to start somewhere instead of turning people away the best thing you could do was to give advice otherwise how do they learn?
I would recommend looking into a rescue group, they could help you find a GSD that has a good personality to match you. If you are dead set on a puppy, I would suggest going through an official club to find a reputable breeder. You want to make sure that both parents of the puppies have been health checked (ask for proof). Some people are worried that going through a reputable breeder just means you are getting a pet for more money....but trust me, its worth it! If you look at backyard breeders or others who have not health tested, the puppies may be cheaper at first, but you WILL pay for it in the end...little genetic illnesses and other random health problems always pop up...especially with this cold weather, any puppy you are looking at should be kept in a warm, insulated place. I had to learn this the hard way, and my brother wouldn't listen to me...so now we both have dogs that seem to visit the vet more than the park. And don't worry about what others say for a "first dog"...as long as you are committed to training and socializing your dog from the very beginning, he/she will grow up balanced. My first dog is a husky (we were also told off to not get a husky as a first). It was hard at the beginning, but with consistent and constant training, we have a dog that has manners better than any other pet I have met (not that I am biased ) You just need to be committed to your dog and it will work out.
I've had GSDs since I was 8 years old when I bought my first dog(but not my family's first dog) You need to be very careful when choosing a GSD, the parents & the rest of the pedigree must be hip scored under the breed BMS(Breed Mean Score), all the males must be Haemophilia tested normal, all the most recent dogs(parents & G parents at least)should be elbow scored 0(dogs with 1 or higher should not be bred from as it shows a degree of Elbow Displasia). You need to know what type of GSD you like & will suit your life style. A visit to Discover Dogs @ Crufts on Pastoral day will give you the chance to get "hands on"in the DD area as well as seeing the dogs in the ring. In the words of one of the top German GSD judges of his time "No GSD can be too friendly, a friendly GSD is a pleasure to live with & own" No GSD should be bred for coat length or colour, they should be bred to the breed & standard & if a Long Coated puppy appears then whilst not acceptable in the showring, it will have been bred to be"Fit for purpose"rather than the length/colour of it's coat. There are no"rare"colours in GSDs, simply standard & non standard colorurs. Do not pay more for a Long coat or white/blue etc & please do not buy from anyone who does not health test. There are no GSDs that are free from HD etc They can be clinically clear(ie have 0:0=0 hips)but as the mode of inheritance of HD is very complaex.
