GSDmom

I just would like to say that my last pup (my first GSD) I let the breeder pic him for me. I told her what I wanted him for and how much experience I had previously with dogs. She knew the pups better than I did and picked the right one for me. It worked out great, though I had my reservations about it at first. She told me if I was not satisfied I could get another pup but we didn't have a problem. I would deffinatly do this again. One thing, this would not work if the breeder was not trustworthy. Also, I had a specific job in mind and was looking for certain traits.

I'm not saying linebreeding is the ONLY way to go, only just that it is the best when starting out. That way you can have a better idea what you are going to get (there still might be surprises). :wink: When you do a total outcross, You really don't have too much of an idea what you will get unless you know that the 2 lines have been crossed before and saw the results. Having a mentor who is experienced in the breed and produces what you want to produce is the BEST way to learn about breeding and the breed like working koolie said. They can help you study lines and give a more objective opinion on the pedigree to help you make the best decision for your girl. Good Luck! :D

Rottie, I don't think anyone disagrees with you except working koolie. Most of us are all for linebreeding. If you study your dogs, know what they have produced (not just your dog, but as many siblings and relatives as possible) know the good and bad then you have the best chance of producing good dogs with concistancy and can plan future breedings as well if everything goes as planned. :wink:

In those cases hopefully you are dealing with honest people who can assess the dog for you. Talk to the breeders if possible, references, owners of other related dogs in the line. You can never know enough about the pedigree IMHO! You not only want to find out about the dogs, but their siblings and other progeny. Which lines did they cross well with, which ones not so well with. Are there ANY poor temperments (from experience, temperment can skip at least 6 generations). ANY health problems, exc. At least with linebreedings, you can expect a little more consistancy than with outcrosses. Too bad sometimes it's the bad things that are consistant! My advise with linebreeding is to study dogs in your dogs pedigree, good and bad traits and decide which traits you want to reproduce. Then find the line that reproduces it and linebreed on a dog at least 3 generations back. So it would be something like 3,3 on the pups. Make sure the bitch has a strong motherline known for reproducing quality. Hope I didn't go into too much here, sorry if I did :wink:

Carol, that is really neat! Sounds like you guys enjoy all sorts of activites! Are you going to do competition tracking? I started my GSD in tracking, but switched to trailing and airscenting. I have a friend who has a Belgian Turv, they are related to the BSD right? Really neat dogs! Do any of your dogs have titles? Pumpkin, that sounds like alot of fun! Do you live in Alaska? How many dogs do you have on a team? Do you have any for back-up? How long does it take to train a dog?

If you are going to breed, then research and linebreeding is the safest way to go. Plus, MAKE SURE YOU KNOW YOUR PEDIGREES!!!!! I can not emphasize this enough. It takes someone who really knows what they are doing to outcross or inbreed.

It's really sad when dogs are bred for their look alone. I realize that with many breeds it's no longer feasable for them to do the job they were bred for, but with breeds like huskies, malamutes, GSD's and others it's a crime. Do you have any pics of your dogs you could post? Have you ever run the Iditerod(? spelling)? I had a bf who had a purebred husky. His goal was to have a team, but he could only afford them one at a time. Don't know if he ever did it though! That dog was something else! One time he got loose (you could never catch him) and went running through mud (it was spring) then proceded to run throught the open doors of a church on sunday morning shaking mud everywhere with my bf and his dad right behind LOL!

They do need exercise, but in moderation. Too much running and jumping around and they can injure their joints and bones, especially while they are growing. Any dog needs exercise.

Danes are big couch poatatoes! They think they are lap dogs and most like to lean! Mine had the habit of sitting on the couch and having their front feet on the floor and watching TV like that! It's so cute. Danes ususally do very well in apt, any size house, town or country. They require moderate exercise. Too much is not good for them because of their big frame. The biggest problems you have to watch out for are HD and bloat. No exercise after eating or drinking. In my lines I also had a problem with bladder infections in young bitches, never after 2 years old. They are not a big deal and easily cured. Temperment in my lines was very laid back, mellow, good with kids, very outgoing. Danes are not the smartest dogs, but are trainable. I did obedience with mine. I have a friend that has a Dane/rottie mix. She is tall like a dane with the rottie head and frame. She has the best temperment. Of coarse when I show up in my truck the dog greets me with her head at my belly level and I have a big truck! BTW, my daughter used to walk my dane when she was 2 years old in the yard. She also did obedience with her when she was able to say the words clear enough so pepper could understand her. Plus, a friend of mine had her girl in 4H with a dane who was the same size as she was. The dog would sit next to her and their heads were level! She was the littlest girl with the biggest dog!

Roo, what lines, colors were your dogs? I used to have blacks, harls.

I don't have one right now either, but I used to raise and train them for shows. Our dogs lifespan averaged about 10 years. Some bloodlines have shorter lifespans than others. They are awesome dogs, especially good with kids. As soon as I have the room, I'm going to get another!

LuvsGSD, GSD's seem to be naturals at it don't they!? Glad to hear he is doing well. Are you airscenting, trailing or tracking? I do airscenting and trailing with my boy. He's doing good, but he's not mentally mature enough to certify yet. Have to wait until that adolecent stage passes lol!

Wow! Really COOL! My hubby thinks it would be fun to have a team of huskies and do sledding. The closest I have ever gotten to that is hitch my great dane to the wagon and go for a ride LOL! Are there working line huskies and show line huskies like GSD's or can you get both in the same dog?

You are right, dog breeds do change when they come to america. I have a German line GSD who is fairly nice according to SV standards (I think) and a European bred Dalmatian who everyone thinks is crossed with a pit, or rottie because he is talller and stockier with a bigger head than any dal around here. No cross though, just a well bred working dalmatian.

There are schools here too for grooming or you can find a local groomer (make sure they are good) and if they are willing to teach you learn from them. That's what I did. I found a groomer who was getting out of it and she taught me how, sold me her equipment and I got her customers.

Try going to the Onofrio dog shows website. They host shows all over the US and should be able to let you know when and where the shows are held.

Oh, how terrible. I think it sounds like a neo too. Neo's can be very aggressive. I have a friend that raises them and her dogs are fine with other large dogs, but anything small and they attack it. Also, they are great with people during the day but one time they left the farm at night and let 2 neo's loose to guard while they were gone (house, barn, pasture for horses and cows, kennels all fenced) and when they came home the dogs turned viscious on them and it took lots of convincing before the dogs would let them in the house. They have not turned the dogs loose at night since then and have not had a problem.

This may sound cruel, but what about crating in the house while you are gone. That way, if she does bark, the neighbors probably would not hear her. You can put toys in the crate for her.

Good luck with whatever you decide. Sounds like she is a nice pup. BTW, you are not very far from me, about 1 hour. I live between Ft. Dodge and Carroll. If you want, I know of 2 reputable lab breeders near Ft Dodge and several in Mn that have nice hunting dogs (trial and field dogs).

Ahhhhhh, swimming sounds like a plan! Flyball sounds really fun. I have never tried it, but a friend told me she used to do it and the dogs really enjoyed it. What exactly do they have to do for that anyway? Just chase the ball and bring it back in the fastest time?

As far as I know Diamond is for all sizes of dogs. I get it at a local feed store called JRG supply. I had heard bad things about it a few years ago, but find it to be a good food for my dogs. I have found that some dogs do better on certain foods and others need a different type. Diamond does make different formulas too.

When I first got my shepherd, I was feeding purina but had to switch for him because it did not agree with him. I then fed pedigree for a little over a year and it worked well. I switched to Diamond a few months ago because that is what my breeder recommended and I found it finally. It is working out the best. The dogs are in excellent condition, they eat less and poop less too. I will not switch again.

They lots of times do run in the 2 or 3 thousand dollar range, but if you look hard enough you can find breeders out there who have great dogs but they are just starting out and their name may not be out there yet so they can not charge the big bucks. JMO

Sounds really cute! Bet she has lots of fun! We don't have dog parks around here and I have never been to one.

Sorry to take so long to reply. Schutzund tracking is where they have to track exact footsteps with their nose on the ground the whole time. The track is aged I think for 24-48 hrs, but I'm not for sure. More likely what your dog is doing is trailing where he has his nose down but still may follow air currents if he finds them. Therefore he may not follow the exact path, but may take a shorter route. I would try your local obedience club for tracking lessons or even a SAR group. And yes, anybreed may try for a FH (german tracking title). For that, try your local schutzhund club. You can look for clubs in your area at United Schutzhund Club of America. I'm not sure of the URL, but if you type that in you should find it easily.