Where To Find German Shepherd Breeders

November 26th, 2008 by Jan Ryan

by Jan Ryan

The German Shepherd dog has a relatively short history though it is a well-loved and well-worked dog today. The breed began in Germany in 1899 and was registered with the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 1911. Briefly renamed the Alsatian Wolf Dog due to anti-German sentiment surrounding World War II, the German Shepherd regained popularity so much that over 48,000 German Shepherds were enlisted into the German army. The intelligent and hard-working breed can be trained in a variety of areas.

The German Shepherd dog is wolfish in appearance and has been bred to retain its lupine beauty, intelligence and utility. This breed is one of the most popular dogs in the world. It was renamed the Alsatian Wolf Dog briefly in the 1900s due to anti-German sentiment surrounding World War II. Though this breed is classified by the American Kennel Club (AKC) as part of the herding group, German Shepherds perform many other functions. Though other breeds may be able to defeat the German Shepherd in specific tasks, the Shepherd is one of the best-rounded dogs and is capable of being trained to do many tasks. German Shepherd breeders may often train these dogs. The breed is commonly used in police work, as guides for the blind, and as security for many families and businesses.

German Shepherds have been bred to retain both their intelligence and utility. Stephanitz also bred the Shepherd to retain its wolf-like appearance. The breed has many strengths including fierce loyalty, trainability, and ability to multi-task. German Shepherd breeders may specialize in training this breed in any of the above areas. German Shepherd breeders will provide not only evidence of pedigree and certification of ancestry (preferably American Kennel Club registered) but also medical records showing evidence of all health evaluations and immunizations. These documents are necessary to determine whether the dog is a purebred, healthy German Shepherd.

Good German Shepherd breeders will also have registration papers or some form of pedigree for each Shepherd they sell, preferably from the American Kennel Club. German Shepherd breeders will also provide medical records and offer a guarantee against the dog developing hip dysplasia at least within the first year.

Good breeders have their own kennels, and dogs should receive daily socialization as well as being well fed and groomed. Unfortunately, there are many German Shepherd breeders who may attempt to sell Shepherds with false registration papers. They may also sell unhealthy German Shepherds. It is important to know how to avoid bad German shepherd breeders.

How does a buyer avoid bad or illicit German Shepherd breeders? There are some obvious signs by which to recognize bad breeders. Unlike good breeders, bad breeders often do not have their own kennels, or if they do they refuse to allow buyers to visit. This is a clue that the breeder does not want the buyer to see the environment in which the German Shepherd has been raised or that the breeder does not have a kennel at all. Some so called breeders are actually brokers who take a fee for finding buyers for German Shepherd breeders.

Bad breeders also cannot provide adequate registration or certification paperwork, cannot provide medical record information or refer you to only their” veterinarian, and they don’t ask the buyer questions about their household. They do not care where their puppies are going.

Good German Shepherd breeders have the opposite qualities of the above. Additionally, they are affiliated with other agencies and rescue centers that help promote and care for the breed. Most importantly, good breeders love the breed they raise!

About the Author:

Jan Ryan is an avid lover of the German Shepherd and has a popular website where you’ll discover how to have a happy, healthy and well behaved German Shepherd. Among other topics there, you can also learn all about German Shepherd Breeder Information plus a whole lot more.