Seeking some German Shephard Advice

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Chloejaneparker

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Good Afternoon Everyone,

I hope you are all well. After waiting for about 4 years to be a dog owner, I am very excited to say me and my partner are now in a position to buy our very first German Shepherd. I have grown up with GS's however I haven't had one for about 14 years and they were always acquired from my dad who is sadly no longer with us and his knowledge and contacts.

Josh and I now own our own home with a garden big enough for our GS and have cleared our life schedules ready for the classes and training of our potential puppy. However we have no knowledge of reputable breeders or what lines of dogs to be wary of for potential temperament issues. We are prepared to put the work in to train and bring on a well mannered pup however want to go in with our eyes wide open to potential issues.

We unfortunately are not in a position to take on any rescue GS as we have a cat, very young nieces and nephews and we have other rescue dogs in our family that the dog will need to be socialised with. We also don't have children yet (not planning on having any for another 4/5 years) but you never know and have found that most of the GS rescues are not suitable for homes with cats or young children.

I was wondering is there is any knowledgeable owners on this forum that could point me in the right direction or advise please? Im very wary to just start googling kennel club breeders etc as I would like some real life advise not what a marketing expert has written on a website.

Thanks for reading.

Many Thanks
Chloe
 
Depends where you live, but Margaret Nyrvana Jones of Nyrvana Kennels Baldock has been breeding GSDs for a VERY long while about 40 yrs)and really knows her stuff. Mainly working lines, but bred for looks and temperament.
 
stormox said:
Depends where you live, but Margaret Nyrvana Jones of Nyrvana Kennels Baldock has been breeding GSDs for a VERY long while about 40 yrs)and really knows her stuff. Mainly working lines, but bred for looks and temperament.
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My working line dog is from Margaret and I would highly recommend her. She breeds mainly working lines, but also has some longcoated show lines too and what she doesn't know about GSDs isn't worth knowing.

You should spend a little bit of time deciding which type of GSD ticks your boxes and what you are looking for in a dog - for example are you wanting to show, work or have an active pet? Do you have a particular colour or coat length that you prefer?

Most importantly you should look for breeders who health test.

Hip score : (the lower the total score indicates the better hip conformation. Each hip can score from 0 (best) to a maximum of 53 (worst) and the hip score is the total of each hip added together. Therefore the best possible score is 0:0 and the worst 53:53. The average hip score for the German Shepherd is at present a total of 18. The sire and dam of the litter should have hip scores of less than the breed average)

Elbow score : Elbow dysplasia is a common condition affecting many large breeds including the German Shepherd and elbow scoring schemes exist to assess the degree of abnormality present, which enables breeders to ensure their breeding stock is free from the condition. It is similar to the hip scoring scheme, although the range of scores in the UK is 0-3, with 0 being the best (free from any dysplasia) and 3 being the most severe. It is not mandatory to have the elbows scored in the UK, but it is highly recommended. As with hip dysplasia it is not a simple inherited condition, but is influenced by several genetic factors known as a polygenic trait.
eye screened.

Haemophilia A

The sire should be screened for Haemophilia A : This is a sex-linked inherited condition (the same as in humans) affecting German Shepherd males, whereby the blood is unable to clot causing uncontrollable bleeding. All male Shepherds should be therefore be tested and certified clear of the condition prior to being used at stud. This condition is now extremely rare.
 
Thanks for all this info it's very helpful. We were aware of the hip and elbow scores and heamophollia but we were just researching it in detail.

We aren't looking for a working or show dog. Just a very active family dog that will keep up with Josh and I. We want a short haired Black and Tan dog. We have been on champ dog website but again are wary. X
 
Hi Chloe, could you clear your private message inbox please :)

To add to above, if looking at German health tests:
A1 is normal (recommended for breeding)
A2 is fast normal (ok for breeding)
A3 is NZ 'still ok'.

BVA scores are a list of numbers ending in a total at the bottom of a table on a white or yellow sheet, German results are stamped direct onto the pedigree in a triangle.
 
Personally, having lost a GSD to the condition, I would want both parents tested for the degenerative myelopathy gene. I really struggled to find a French breeder who would test but I think British breeders are more responsible.
 
Booboos said:
Personally, having lost a GSD to the condition, I would want both parents tested for the degenerative myelopathy gene. I really struggled to find a French breeder who would test but I think British breeders are more responsible.
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Unfortunately there are question marks over the accuracy of the DM test.
 
Chloejaneparker said:
Thanks for all this info it's very helpful. We were aware of the hip and elbow scores and heamophollia but we were just researching it in detail.

We aren't looking for a working or show dog. Just a very active family dog that will keep up with Josh and I. We want a short haired Black and Tan dog. We have been on champ dog website but again are wary. X
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The right working lines might suit you if it is an active companion you are looking for. Contact Margaret at Nyrvana (01462 730464 or mobile: 07936 187255/07922 476558 email kaffirdog@yahoo.com) and she will be able to tell you if she has any litters planned that would suit you or will know of other breeders in the area with litters due.
 
I know I did suggest not to go for pure working, but I agree that Margarets lines may well suit as they are often combined with show lines.
 
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MurphysMinder said:
I know I did suggest not to go for pure working, I agree that Margarets lines may well suit as they are often combined with show lines.
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As far as I know Margaret's working lines are either pure working lines, or with show lines quite far back in the pedigrees (1980s) but she does breed for a more balanced working dog that can live happily in an active companion home (as well as having dogs in sport and working homes). She also has a longcoated show line stud dog.

Linern combine working and show lines (and extensively health test), so are also worth a look.
 
Haha, 80s is quite recent in my mind as that's when I was last in the show ring :) .Some of her bitches certainly carry more recent show lines (from last 10 years or so ) and as you say her imported l/c is show lines so she does still seem to be combining the two.
 
Depending on how active your home is, and how long you are prepared to wait for a puppy, my working dog is to be used at stud next summer to a cracking bitch (both with superb temperaments and full health testing). The pups will however be born at the bitch's home in Denmark and so won't be able to travel to the UK until they are just under 4 months old. However, the breeder does extensive socialisation, begins foundation training etc and you can follow their progress on her FB page. I will be travelling to Denmark to collect my own puppy and so, for a donation towards the travel costs, I could bring another pup back with me.

Just something else to think about.

Obviously though, at this stage, it is all in the planning - so very much depends on your timeline and what kind of pup you want. As both parents are sables though I think the pups with be either sable or black. There may be some bicolour or melanistic black and tan, but would have to check about that. Any experts in colour genetics here??

If you are interested, just send me a PM and I can tell you much more.
 
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