Suitability / Purpose

What Do You Want A Companion For?

You might want to ask yourself a few questions and know what you want before you start visiting breeders / kennels.  Once you see that litter of sweet fuzzy little friends your heart strings can easily win out over common sense and we've heard many  heart breaking stories of the "love / hate" relationships that people develop with those new family members because they did not go prepared or informed on how to be selective of what they were looking for in a GSD.

Wrong personality matches often lead to dogs being sold or going to the shelter before their 1st birthday, only to discover that there was nothing wrong with the dog or owner.  It was just a bad match!

After you have carefully thought the questions in the left column over and know what is important for your new companion, don't allow yourself or the breeder to rush the placement process.  There is a good match out there for you that you'll be able to enjoy for years to come.

Be selective and leave the heart strings at home as you look for that perfect pet.

Questions to Ask Yourself

  1. What sex do I want and why?
  2. What personality in a dog would fit best with my families personality and lifestyle?
  3. What personality would do best if I have toddlers or young children?
  4. Do I want a dog for companion, sport, show, work, or more than one of these?
  5. Am I looking for a breeding standard dog and do I totally understand the responsibilities, time and commitment ahead for a top notch breeding program?
  6. What history, care and socialization did these pups have during the critical periods of pup development?  (4 to 7 weeks of age)
  7. Can I meet the parents?  That is who I'm really buying.  Do their personalities line up with the ideal match for our family?  Will I be able to find out?  What kind of history the ancestors have?
  8. How important is personality, conformation, pedigree, price, color and breeder reputation in my selection?