How to Buy a German Shepherd Puppy

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By eHow Contributing Writer

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German shepherds make good pets. They are athletic, energetic and bond well with their owners. They are highly trainable as search and rescue dogs and are used in police services. When choosing a German shepherd puppy there are some health considerations and breed standards to consider. Read on to learn how to buy a German shepherd puppy.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Step 1

Set up an initial meeting to view your perspective puppy before you buy. Watch his reaction to your voice and your touch. Notice if he is affectionate and eager to make friends. German shepherds have a tendency toward aggression later in life. If untrained, it's important to choose a puppy with a good temperament to start.
Step 2

Inquire about the puppy's socialization training. Since early socializing is very important to this breed, the methods employed by the former owners are crucial. Puppies must be held early and often and interact with other dogs and humans every day.
Step 3

Request to see both parents of the puppy. Pay attention to the way they interact with you, a stranger. Look for signs of unwarranted aggression. The temperament of the parents passes on to the litter. Also watch to see if they move easily, unencumbered.
Step 4

Ask to see the puppy's parents' Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) certification. The OFA maintains medical records on registered canines. They issue a rating based on x-rays of the dog's bone structure. German shepherds, being large working class dogs are prone to hip dysplasia. This genetic predisposition passes on to subsequent litters and dogs that present with dysplasia should not be bred.
Step 5

Look your prospective puppy over carefully before you buy him. Make sure his eyes are clear and alert, his gums pink and healthy looking and his ears free from matter. He should be playful but not overly energetic.
Step 6

Determine the puppy's lineage. American Kennel Club puppies will have family charts that show who their parents and ancestors were for several generations. A qualified breeder will have a copy of this family tree for you to view.

Comments

thewhisperer said

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on 6/6/2009 Sadly, this article shows lack of real knowledge of the breed and breeders. Seeing both parents of a puppy is often impossible because quite often the sire of a litter is owned by someone else other than the owner of the mother and litter. At the age when most pups are sold (8-10 weeks), the mother has shed undercoat and also may be thin from raising a litter and doesn't look her best.Ask the breeder to tell you about dogs in your puppy's pedigree. Just seeing a pedigree is worthless if you know nothing about the dogs in it.It's important to complete your puppy's series of shots. It's also important to make sure your puppy is put on heartworm preventative

on 6/6/2009 Whites are recognized by UKC as a separate breed and can earn UKC conformation championships. Politics as well as lack of understanding of genetics were factors that led to the SV making white a disqualification, AKC followed (monkey see, monkey do). Blues became a disqualification in both SV and AKC due to politics, livers became a disqualification in the AKC standard too, because of politics. For FACTUAL INFO ON GSD COLORS/PATTERNS, see: http://www.geocities.com/sahiela2/colors.html http://www.angelfire.com/wi/birkenbaum/

lampegirl said

on 4/16/2009 I think you are off base regarding white shepherds. I personally am owned by 3 GSD's one of which is white. If they were albino they would not have pigment and big brown eyes. Also, having owned more than one white, they do not have hearing problems any more than any other older dog. I think if you are going to write, you should have your facts straight before claiming to be an expert.