Comments for German Shepherd Breeders

Comment on How and Where to Socialize My German Shepherd Puppy? by Perelandra Kennels

Perelandra Kennels — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 07:44:59 +0000

Hey! Aren’t German Shepherd puppies the greatest? Whats her name?

It’s great that you’re concerned about this, and you’re definitely right to be. The socialization process should be continuous starting now until she is at least four months old. It’s a little bit of a tricky issue because, as others have said, the most important socialization time comes before the puppy has had all her shots. I usually recommend that people take puppies out in public as much as possible, but not in areas where dogs relieve themselves, or around dogs who are not vaccinated. For example, skip the dog park but go to an outdoor mall instead and just walk around. You could take her to friends’ houses, which is an especially good idea if they have vaccinated pets. Also, at 8 weeks old, she’s still small enough for you to carry her around new places; she’ll get the experience of new things without touching anything contagious. I guarantee that it’s worth the effort to socialize now, but it will certainly be easier to continue after the shots are done! Good luck and enjoy your puppy!
References :
~18 years experience with German Shepherds
http://www.perelandrakennels.com/

Comment on How and Where to Socialize My German Shepherd Puppy? by Labman

Labman — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 07:38:59 +0000

Don’t wait. Typically the last shot comes after puppies quit accepting new things. And then it is still a week or 2 before it is safe. The period between 6-12 weeks is a dangerous time. One sniff where a sick dog relieved itself in the last 6 months can bring on parvo or another life threatening disease. Fail to expose it to strangers, including men, women, children, noise, etc. and you could end up with a misfit you can’t take out in public. They also need continuing contact with other dogs, but it must be limited to ones you know are getting good care. The dangers of infection continue after 12 weeks, but the best time for socialization is ending.

http://www.avma.org/onlnews/javma/oct08/081001c.asp

http://www.apdt.com/veterinary/assets/pdf/Silvani_JF05.pdf

http://www.akc.org/enewsletter/akc_breeder/2008/winter/puppy.cfm
References :

Comment on How and Where to Socialize My German Shepherd Puppy? by joe boy

joe boy — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 07:22:59 +0000

Once the puppy is fully vaccinated go ahead, when socialising with other dogs it's best to find someone who's dog you can trust, you don't want to end up with a traumatised puppy at such a fragile age.
References :

Comment on How and Where to Socialize My German Shepherd Puppy? by Gail

Gail — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 06:50:59 +0000

As soon as she's had her shots take her out anywhere and everywhere. If she gets nervous act positive, don't try to reassure her this will reinforce her behaviour but most Shepherds I know are very sociable with people and other dogs.
References :

Comment on Does Anybody in Nashville, TN Have German Shepherd Puppies They Are Selling at a Reasonable Price? by spidermilk666

spidermilk666 — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 04:43:59 +0000

German Shepherds are high energy dogs similar to Black Labs and Boxers, but I would say that they have even more energy than those two breeds. They were not bred to retrieve or guard, but to trot around a herd of sheep ALL DAY LONG. They were bred to be moving and thinking all day. So they need a lot of exercise and stimulation (thinking).

Furthermore, there is *no* guarantee that any two dogs will get along. I have a German Shepherd and he absolutely loves to play with my friend’s lab, but German Shepherds can also be very rough players (especially when puppies) and might play too roughly for other dogs. You should always supervise their play and intervene if any dog is getting too rough.

Also, since they are partially guard dogs so it is important that they are unafraid and well-socialized so they are not fear-aggressive to strange dogs or visitors to your home. Sadly, this is a common problem with GSDs. Good breeding, early socialization, lots of training and exercise, and puppy and adult dog classes can prevent this problem.

German Shepherd Rescues:
http://germanshepherd.rescueme.org/Tennessee
http://www.saveourshepherds.org/

If you aren’t willing to pay 800+ and wait on a waiting list then please do not get a puppy from a breeder. Dogs from bad breeders are more likely to have health problems, personality problems, plus by buying one you are supporting the bad breeder and encouraging them to breed more dogs in bad conditions only trying to make money.
Breeders in your area I found that look okay (but you should do more investigation and visit them, learn about their dogs, learn about what type of German Shepherd you want if one is even right for you):
http://k9imports.com/index.html -please note that these are working line dogs and will have a TON of energy and ‘drive’, but the breeder can help you find the lower drive or more appropriate dog for you in a litter
http://hillview-kennels.com/ -also working line, you can see their dogs are doing protection work in most of the photos
References :
Please do a lot of research, visit some German Shepherd Clubs and talk to some owners before you buy/adopt one. They are great dogs, but a lot of people don’t realize how much energy a dog can have…

Comment on Does Anybody in Nashville, TN Have German Shepherd Puppies They Are Selling at a Reasonable Price? by Kristal Marshall

Kristal Marshall — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 04:09:59 +0000

google german shepherd breeders in your area. will cost upwards of $1000 from a reputable breeder dont get sucked into a cheap one from a scummy byb itll cost thousands in vet bills. or you could get one from spca that way itll be fixed, up to date on shots etc.
References :

Comment on How Do I Make a German Shepherd Happy in an Apartment? by Bellejcrazy

Bellejcrazy — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 07:09:59 +0000

Yes, I think he would be happy as long as you walk him at least once a day everyday, take him to the park often to play, at least 2 or 3 days a week. Also the beach is a wonderful idea for exercise and getting his energy out. As long as you take him for walks, exercise him, brush him, and feed him proper food amounts and the right kind for him; he should be very happy.
References :

Comment on How Do I Make a German Shepherd Happy in an Apartment? by Bonzie12

Bonzie12 — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 06:51:59 +0000

sure, as long as he gets enough exercise and mental stimulation he should be fine. i'd be jogging with him every day as well as letting him socialize with the other dogs on a daily basis. as they age, they tend to need less exercise as well.
References :

Comment on How Do I Make a German Shepherd Happy in an Apartment? by Susan

Susan — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 06:08:59 +0000

Hi
While under a year, you should walk it everyday for only 40minutes. But spread the 40 minutes into 4 ten minute walks. Even if you walk your dog everyday and play with it in the living room, it still needs to run freely; german shepherds never ever seem to get tired when older so a place where he/she can roam free is essential. Roaming inside an apartment isnt ideal; you should find an enclosed isolated field for him/her to run free everyday.
Also, when older. he’ll need vigorous workouts if he’s going to live in an apartment.
Walking is a MUST when you have a gsd. Along with walks, he/she needs room to stretch and run.
When they hit a year, that’s when you need to start walking him/her more everyday. For example, when a puppy it’s fine to keep the walks short (10-15 minutes) because of the chance of hip dysplasia, but after a year, they should start walking at least 3 hours (one hr in the morning and one in the evening)
Of course, don’t just start walking him her for 40 minutes then all of a sudden jump to three hours, but build up it’s stamina.

If you want a sane gsd, you need to give him lots of exercise and training.
So yes, it is possible to keep a gsd in a apartment but it’s not easy work bc you need to find a good place where he can just run and play fetch.
References :

Comment on How Do I Make a German Shepherd Happy in an Apartment? by Jojo

Jojo — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 05:37:59 +0000

A fully grown German Shepherd dog needs at least 2 hours exercise EVERY day especially if kept in an apartment.
I hour of that should be off lead. They need mental stimulation as well like training basic exercises.
If the dog is from working lines it will need more mental stimulation than if it is from show or pet line breeding. SO try to find out the breeding if you plan getting a gsd.
Over all it depends on the basic nature of the gsd as to whether it will be "happy" living in an apartment.
If you plan on getting a fully grown gsd it will be wise to ensure it is used to kids before trusting it to "play" with them.
Also check that it is well socialised with other dogs before expecting it to meet other dogs at the park.
Not sure if you are are thinking of getting a pup or an adult so my answer is based on the assumption that you are getting an adult.
References :
Gsd owner for over 45 years.