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- The first thing I do is judge the home is it clean? Smelly? What do the other dogs look like? Are they well groomed? This is a basic aide to preventing a lot of diseases that develop from less than
sanitary conditions.
- Next I ask to see Mom and Dad. Are they polite? Friendly? Nervous or overly protective that I am here? What have they done or what is their job? Are they trained in verious events? Then I look at the
pedigree to see what their ancestors have accomplished. Is it a pink slip (for dogs registered in Germany) or AKC registered. Is the paperwork limited or do you have breeding rights.
- Next, have the dogs been evaluated by someone other than the breeder? Why are they breeding? Do they know about the breed? You would be surprised how many back yard breeders don't know how the breed
started, why and what the standard in Germany and or the AKC is.
- Next I check for OFA (hip x-ray) perhaps an elbow x ray as well. This lets me know the bloodline better. In Germany the A stamp is approved for breeding and the hips have passed. In the USA we send
our results to OFA and they are rated. As I mentioned before it is good but nothing is perfect.
- Next we move on to the pup. Temperament is the most important. Color is second along with coat type. I first watch the litter. There is always three, the alpha, bully, and the passive pup. Depending on the
needs of my client we do a temper test. This is a series of teststhat help me evaluate the dog to the person. Then I will narrow it down to two and the pup generally picks the owner. Make sure the
pup is active, with no watery eyes or sniffles. You want a good healthy bouncy pup.
You don't know how to test? General rules of thumb don't get the most aggressive nor the most timid. Somewhere in the middle is a good compromise for most GSD work. Be friends with your
breeder. Don't call for every little thing but feel confident that she or he will give you an honest opinion of what works and doesn't for them. Don't be offended if they ask you questions. They are placing
their pups in your care and they love dogs otherwise they wouldn't have bred to begin with.
Congratulations and may you have many years together in friendship and love. Lee Svec :)
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