Looking for Love in All the Right Places: Breeders and Shelters

 

In this chapter

• Knowing where to look for a good German Shepherd
• Distinguishing good breeders from bad breeders
• Telling the difference between American and European Shepherds
• Understanding the meaning of pet, show, and breeding quality

Why should you care if you get a good German Shepherd if you want a dog only as a pet? To a certain degree, you’re right: You don’t have to be as meticulously choosy as someone in search of a show or working Shepherd. But consider what traits draw you to the GSD in the first place: probably its renowned temperament and its striking appearance. You want to make sure that the GSD you get acts and looks like a GSD. Equally important, you want to make sure that the dog you get will live a long and healthy life. If you want a GSD as a working or competition dog, you want all these traits — and more.

Some things in life should not be easy. Buying a dog is one of them. Impulse puppy buying too often ends in impulse puppy dumping. Nonetheless, it’s hard to resist big puppy dog eyes pleading to go home with you. I suggest that you don’t go to look at puppies until you have decided that you’re ready to get a dog and have narrowed down your sources ahead of time. If you shop before you’ve done your research, you will likely leave with a very cute puppy whom you will love dearly but who may not be the wisest choice. You’ve already chosen the best breed in the world — take your time to find a breeder and a pup who can do the breed justice.

Finding Reliable Sources of GSDs

Where you get your dog can make a huge difference in the quality of the dog you end up with. Good breeders raise their dogs with loving care, nurturing each pup and the mother to ensure good health and socialization. Some breeders, though, breed dogs merely to make money — and when they find that breeding is more expensive than they realized, they take shortcuts that can detract from the puppies’ health. Or maybe you have a more charitable act in mind: You want to take in a dog who has been abandoned and might otherwise be euthanized. The following sections discuss a few of the common places to find sources of dogs and the pros and cons of each.

Newspaper classified ads

One way to find a new dog is to look in the local paper. Consider these ads to be about as reliable as those in the personals section, however: You never know what you’re getting.

Warning!

Most newspaper ads are placed by what are known as backyard breeders — novice breeders who usually breed their pets out of naivete or false hopes of making money. Some backyard breeders breed their dogs as often as possible to bring in a little extra income, which is very hard on the dams, or mothers.

Others breed their dogs so that the family can experience the miracle of birth, without having considered the miracle of death that the resulting pups may face because they didn’t find homes for them in advance. Still others breed so that they can get a dog just like their beloved mother dog, again without considering that they may get ten dogs (none of which, incidentally, is like the dam).

Some breeders who advertise in the classifieds are quite reputable and knowledgeable, however. Just because their pups are bounding around the backyard doesn’t put them in the category of backyard breeder. Here’s where your knowledge of what questions to ask and what danger signs to look for come into play. See the section “Telling the Good Breeders from the Bad” for more information.

Remember

Be just as careful in evaluating your friends, coworkers, and neighbors as you would any stranger you contact through the classifieds. They may be nice folks, but they aren’t necessarily qualified to breed your next family member!

DECIPHERING THE ADS

Reading advertisements for German Shepherds can be like reading a foreign language. That’s because a lot of the information is in a foreign language: German. Much of the text is filled with a jumble of letters that seem impressive, but what exactly they mean is not obvious. Most of the letters denote titles, with the ones you’d see most often in ads including the following: “a” normal: German certification of normal hips. AD: German endurance test. CACIB: Award toward an International Championship offered by the Federation Cynologique Internacionale (the world’s largest dog governing organization). CD, CDX, UD, UDX, OTCH: Increasing levels of AKC obedience degrees. Ch: Champion, usually indicating an American (Am Ch, or AKC) or sometimes Canadian (Can Ch, or CKC) conformation championship. FH, TD, TDX, VST: Tracking degrees. G, SG, V, VA: German (SV) ratings of conformation, from good to best. These titles are often followed by a number, indicating placement in a particular class of competition. Grand Victor, Grand Victrix: Best male and female at the German Shepherd Dog Club of America National Specialty Show each year. KKL-II, KKL-I: Dogs recommended for breeding by the SV, with KKL-I being better than KKL-II. OFA: Orthopedic Foundation for Animals rating, most often for hip or elbow dysplasia. Hips can also be rated by PennHip. OV: Obedience Victor (male) or Victrix (female) — the top obedience dog at the National Specialty Show. The dog must have no disqualifying faults and must earn the top combined score in the trial. ROM, ROMC: Register of merit awarded to sires and dams based on achievements of offspring (ROM is based on AKC; ROMC is based on CKC). SchH1, SchH2, SchH3: Increasing levels of Schutzhund degrees combining protection, obedience, and tracking. (See Chapter Showing Off Your Dog for more on Schutzhund.) Seiger, Seigerin: Best male and female at the SV Seiger show each year. vWD normal: Rating of test for von Willebrand’s disease.

Ads in dog magazines and on the Internet

Breeders who place advertisements in all-breed dog magazines or who have Web sites may or may not be reliable sources. GSD magazines such as The German Shepherd Dog Review, The German Shepherd Times, The German Shepherd Quarterly, and The German Shepherd Today are better choices for finding reliable breeders. For German dogs, try the USA (United Schutzhund Club of America) magazine; Shepherd Sports covers Schutzhund. You can find contact information for these and other organizations in Appendix B.

Even with magazine advertisements and Web sites, not all GSD breeders have the best interests of the breed at heart. Once again, look to the section “Telling the Good Breeders from the Bad” for information that can help you evaluate breeders.

Tip

Join an Internet discussion list on German Shepherds, such as GSD-L or showgsd-l, for more information and leads.

Dog-care professionals and dog clubs

Dog-care professionals such as veterinarians, groomers, and boarding kennel personnel often know the reputable breeders in town and can be good sources for puppy leads. They are not infallible, however, so you must approach even the breeders they recommend with the same caution that you would a breeder from a newspaper ad.

Serious GSD fanciers have local clubs throughout the country. The American Kennel Club (AKC) and national clubs such as the German Shepherd Dog Club of America (GSDCA) can give you the name of the GSD or all-breed club contact closest to you. Club members can, in turn, steer you toward local breeders. Appendix B lists contact information for both of these organizations. The AKC Web site (www.akc.org) also lists breed contacts.

Tip

A good place to meet a lot of breeders and their dogs in one place is at a dog show or other competitive event, such as obedience, herding, or Schutzhund trials. (See Chapter Showing Off Your Dog for more about these events.) These people tend to be serious about their dogs, and they’re there to prove their dogs’ merits; as such, they may be too nervous biting their nails or too busy cutting their dogs’ nails to talk before going into the ring. If you ask to talk after they’re through, you’ll probably get more coherent information about their dogs and the puppies they have available.

Shelters and rescue homes

Some of the happiest relationships have sprouted because an unclaimed, bedraggled dog showed up on the doorstep or was abandoned by his former owner. Sometimes these dogs end up in animal shelters or in German Shepherd rescue foster homes, where they wait for homes to call their own. Although you can’t bring each and every dog home with you, you do have the power to save a life. If you can find room in your home and heart, consider adopting a rescue GSD.

Take heed of a few warnings first, however. Most German Shepherds in rescue are there through no fault of their own, except allowing themselves to have been owned by irresponsible people. Some, however, have been through such bad experiences that they may have special needs that a first-time Shepherd owner is not prepared to provide. Others may have traits that make them unsuitable for all but the most experienced GSD owner, which is probably why their former owners gave up on them.

Before adopting a rescue dog, find out as much as you can about his background; the reason he was given up; how he relates to men, women, children, and other pets; and any temperament or health problems he may have. You may feel guilty looking at a dog in need with a critical eye, but you’re doing that dog no favors by adopting him if you can’t cope with him any better than his former owners could. Good rescue groups carefully match prospective adoptees with new homes, increasing their chances of finding homes for life.

Contact the German Shepherd Dog Club of America at 916-791-5642 or on the Web at www.gsdca.org for information about rescue dogs. You can also try www.userhome.com/shwogsd, which has a large rescue page of links to local rescues.

Dummies Approved

COMING TO THE RESCUE

Please support German Shepherd rescue. Even if you can’t add a new permanent member, by volunteering as a foster home you can help nurse a homeless GSD back to physical or emotional health while he awaits a new permanent family. If you’ve reached your dog or emotional limit, you can still do your part with financial contributions or by joining the network of hardworking people who match dogs and people or who canvass animal shelters for German Shepherds. Even if you’re not up to a full-fledged commitment, you can at least register with your local animal shelter and ask to be contacted whenever a GSD comes through its door.

Telling the Good Breeders from the Bad

The best way to get a good GSD is to find a good breeder. The problem is that virtually everyone who lets two dogs of the same breed mate considers himself or herself to be an expert dog breeder. Your job is to separate these backyard breeders from committed breeders. Beware of breeders who

• Sell cheap puppies. Good German Shepherds are not cheap. You can expect to pay from $600 to $1,500 for a good pet-quality GSD and $1,000 and up for a competition-quality dog. Raising healthy puppies takes a lot of resources, and cheap pups probably are cheap because the breeder has cut corners by neglecting proper nutrition and health care, as well as by getting the cheapest possible breeding stock.

Warning!

In general, you should also be wary of a breeder whose dogs are priced well over the average price. Some breeders charge outlandish prices for pups because they claim that their dogs are the salvation of the breed. The “chance of a lifetime” litter, puppy, or dog doesn’t exist — although chances are, whatever dog you choose will be a once-in-a-lifetime friend.

• Use incorrect terms such as thoroughbred, full-blooded (instead of pure-bred), spaded (instead of spayed), or papered (instead of registered) or boast of a “long pedigree” (the length of the pedigree depends only on how large a sheet of paper you have). These terms tip you off that this breeder is no dog expert!
• Can’t compare their dogs to the German Shepherd standard (see Appendix C), don’t know the standard, or scoff at the standard.
• Are unfamiliar with GSD health concerns, contend that hip and elbow ratings are meaningless, or insist that they don’t have to screen because their dogs are free from problems. (See Chapter Dealing with GSD Hereditary Health Problems for details about common health problems in German Shepherds.)
• Have no photos or videotapes of both parents and other relatives. Good breeders know every dog in their pedigrees and will have you running for the door as they go to retrieve yet another album or videotape.
• Have no pedigree on hand, or have unregistered stock. Good breeders will have these documents ready for your inspection.
• Breed several different breeds of dogs. Most dedicated breeders spend years studying one breed and could never have the resources to do justice to several breeds. Multibreed breeders too often are small-scale puppy mills.
• Breed their bitches at every season. Such breeders are demonstrating that they put puppy production over the welfare of their adults. Most breeders will not breed a bitch more than three or four times in her life, and no more often than once a year.

Warning!

WHY YOU SHOULDN’T BREED DOGS YOURSELF

Most dog breed books contain a chapter about breeding. This one does not, and for a very good reason. In 1999, 19,005 German Shepherd litters, resulting in 57,256 GSDs, were registered with the AKC. Do you really think that 57,256 good new homes were waiting for these puppies? How many do you think are still in whatever homes they found? How many do you think are still alive? This doesn’t even count the German Shepherds who were registered with other organizations or not registered at all. Unfortunately, people seem to take the term litter seriously and treat breeding with about as much thought as producing any other household litter. Keep the following in mind if you’re thinking of breeding dogs: Being a popular breed does not mean that good homes are waiting for every puppy. Many more good German Shepherds are born than there are good homes available. The puppy you sell to a less-than-perfect home may end up neglected, abused, discarded, or returned. Unless your dog has proven himself by earning titles and awards in competitions, or by being an outstanding working dog, you may have a difficult time finding buyers. The average litter size for German Shepherds is seven puppies. Breeding so that you can keep one pup ignores the fact that six others may not get good homes — or may be ransacking your home for the next 12 years. Selling puppies will not come close to reimbursing you for the stud fee, prenatal care, whelping complications, caesarian sections, supplemental feeding, puppy food, vaccinations, advertising, and a staggering investment of time and energy. Whelping a litter causes the bitch definite discomfort and some danger. Watching a litter being born is not a good way to teach children the miracle of life; too many things can go wrong. Responsible breeders spend years researching genetics and the breed, breed only the best specimens, and screen for hereditary defects to obtain superior puppies. Unless you have done the same, you are doing yourself, your dog, the puppies, any buyers, and the breed a great disservice. If you must breed your German Shepherd, please invest in a book about the mechanics of breeding. Too many uninformed breeders allow their dogs to suffer and even die because they don’t have proper information.

• Ask you no questions. Good breeders consider placing a puppy no less a responsibility than arranging adoption for a baby.
• Think that German Shepherds are ideal for everyone. They’re not! But breeders in search of a buck would have you think so. Good breeders will discuss the good and bad points of the breed.
• Tell you that you can make your money back by breeding your German Shepherd. Does the breeder look rich? Good breeders breed for love of the breed, and most of them lose money with every litter.
• Will not take the dog back at any time in his life if you’re not able to keep him. Good breeders care about the welfare of every dog for his entire life, not just until he walks out the door. They often include a contract stating that you must contact them first if you can’t keep the dog.

Expect more of good breeders. Their dogs should boast titles in conformation, obedience, or working competitions. They should have extensive health certifications and even more extensive knowledge of health problems in the breed. They do so because they take pride in their dogs and in the breed. These are the breeders who have the best chance of producing a puppy whom you all can be proud of.

Telling the Difference between an American GSD and a German GSD

A great way to start an argument among German Shepherd breeders is to ask them whether American or European (usually German) GSDs are better. As a potential GSD buyer, you may be wondering the same thing.

The pages of popular dog magazines are crowded with more ads for European German Shepherds than for dogs from American lines. Part of the reason is the implied prestige that comes with owning a dog who either was imported directly or traces immediately back to his country of origin. The appeal of foreign GSDs obviously involves more than that, however, because you don’t see a similar flood of people importing other breeds.

Many people feel that the continued control of the SV, the organization that created this incredible breed, continues to ensure that the best GSDs come from Europe. With its system of Breed Wardens and surveys, it’s unlikely that some of the poor and unhealthy dogs routinely bred in America would pass muster there. In fact, though, most of the poor specimens bred in the U.S. do not pass muster here, either; they seldom have earned Championship titles or other awards.

Unfortunately, the average GSD pet buyer is unaware of the meanings of titles, awards, and health clearances. One advantage of the German system is that the breed wardens and surveys do much of the work for you. German GSDs are not approved for breeding unless they have passed certain conformation, temperament, training, and health requirements — meaning that SV registration, unlike AKC registration, carries with it a seal of approval.

Even the best American and German GSDs differ, however, and your choice of lines will depend on just what your want your GSD to do. Each type has its admirers, but keep in mind that they’re all German Shepherds, members of one of the best breeds around, no matter where they’re from.

If you have your heart set on showing in AKC shows, by all means get an American-bred ­ GSD. American GSDs have been selected for generations for exquisite type, showy attitude, and the most fluid, powerful movement known in the world of dogs. They tend to have more refined heads, yet be a bit larger overall. Perhaps the most noticeable difference is the more extreme angulation (bend) of the hind legs, accompanied by a greater slope of the torso from front to rear.

Detractors of American GSDs claim that they are exaggerated, have lost their working ability, and tend to lack courage. Admirers strongly disagree!

European GSDs tend to act and look a bit different. Because of the emphasis on working ability, you’ll have a better chance with a GSD from German lines if you want a GSD for protection. These dogs tend to have thicker, stronger heads; less angulation of the hind legs; and less slope from front to rear. Their bodies tend to be slightly shorter and thicker, and their topline (the line of the back between the withers and the croup) often has a noticeable arch, often referred to as a roached back.

Detractors of European GSDs claim that they are bred with little regard for looks and may be overactive with too high a prey drive for the average owner. They agree that they’re great for protection work but claim that they are impractical for people who need quieter, more easygoing companions.

A disadvantage of buying a dog directly from Europe is that you aren’t able to visit the kennel or meet the dog beforehand (although it does give you a good excuse to fly off to Europe!). You should be able to see pictures and a video of the dog, however, and also be able to check the importer’s references. Make sure that you have a signed contract before you part with your money.

Tip

Many American breeders have GSDs from European lines, so if you decide on a German GSD, you need not get a dog directly from overseas. You can find their advertisements in dog magazines and on Web sites. Start your search at USA Schutzhund (www.germanshepherddog.com).

Remember that the differences in conformation between the European and American ­ dogs means that a big winner in SV shows will not necessarily be any kind of a winner in AKC shows (and vice versa). If you plan to show your dog, decide up front which type of shows you want to compete in.

Quality Quandaries: Deciding among Pet Quality, Competition Quality, and Breeding Quality

Experienced breeders rate their dogs as pet quality, competition quality, or breeding quality.

• Pet quality: A pet-quality dog is generally the least costly because he has a trait that would prevent him from winning in conformation (or sometimes other) competitions. This trait could be one of those listed as faults in the standard, such as an ear that doesn’t stand up, faded coloration, or missing teeth. It should not be a flaw in temperament or health; dogs with these types of flaws are obviously not ideal pets and usually are not available for sale. Being a pet is one of the most important roles a dog can fulfill, and pet quality is an essential trait of every good GSD.
• Competition quality: Competition-quality dogs (usually Schutzhund or show, but also obedience or herding prospects) should have good temperament and health. Those dogs destined for the show ring also should possess the attributes that the breed standard calls for. The GSDCA distinguishes between showable and show quality, such that a showable dog is one who is free of disqualifying faults and embodies the basic breed standard, with acceptable temperament and structure. He is of sufficient quality to compete in the show ring but may not win. A show-quality dog goes beyond that; he could reasonably be expected to win in the ring. Dogs destined for Schutzhund or obedience competition or for working should have especially stable temperaments.

Remember

Be cautious if a breeder contends that he or she never has anything less than competition-quality dogs. Even the best breeders produce many pet-quality dogs; denying this fact suggests that the breeder has an unrealistic idea of his or her dogs’ quality.

• Breeding quality: Breeding-quality dogs come from impeccable backgrounds and should be of even higher quality than competition-quality dogs. These dogs must pass a battery of health clearances and be of sound temperament and excellent conformation. Being of breeding quality means more than being able to impregnate or conceive, but far too often these are the only criteria that owners apply to prospective parents.

Be extremely wary if a breeder claims that all the pups in a litter are of breeding quality. Picking a competition-quality puppy at an early age is difficult; picking a breeding-quality puppy is impossible. If your goal is to have a breeding-quality dog, you’re better off buying an adult.

Decide well ahead of time what your intentions are for your new dog. A lot of hard feelings have arisen because of misunderstandings regarding quality. Don’t get a pet-quality dog with plans of showing or breeding him. A reputable breeder has reasons for labeling a pup as pet quality; if you showed up in the ring with that pup, the breeder may be very embarrassed because other breeders might assume that you were duped into thinking that a pet-quality dog was of show quality. Don’t get a pet-quality pup with plans of breeding him, either — again, the breeder has good reasons to believe that this dog should not be bred.

To keep their pet-quality dogs from being bred, many ethical breeders sell the dogs with Limited Registration privileges. Limited Registration is a type of AKC registration that certifies a dog to be purebred but does not allow him to be shown in conformation, and also prohibits his progeny from being AKC registered. Only the breeder can apply to change a Limited Registration to regular registration status if the dog later turns out to be of exceptional quality. Other breeders will give you the full ownership of the dog only upon proof that you have had the dog spayed or neutered as a means of discouraging breeding. Some buyers accuse these breeders of making these demands so that they won’t have competition in the puppy market, and although this claim may be true occasionally, such non-breeding clauses are more often signs of a responsible breeder.

By the same token, don’t get a show-quality German Shepherd and then never show him unless you clear this plan ahead of time with the breeder. Good breeders lose money with every pup they sell. Their compensation comes in part with the pride of seeing the dogs they so carefully produced represent them in the show ring. When you promise to show that dog and then never do so, you cheat the breeder.

Tip

If you want a competition-quality dog, or especially if you want a breeding-quality dog, paying someone who’s knowledgeable in the breed to go with you to the breeder and give you an educated opinion is worthwhile.

The better quality you demand, the longer your search will take. A couple of months is a reasonable amount of time to look for a pet puppy; a couple of years is realistic for a breeding-quality dog. Begin your search for a high-quality GSD by seeing as many GSDs as possible, talking to GSD breeders, attending GSD competitions, reading every available GSD publication, and joining GSD discussion groups on the Internet. (See Appendix B for a host of German Shepherd resources.)

by D. Caroline Coile, PhD