Choosing Your
German Shepherd Puppy

When you go to the dog breeder of your choice, you will normally get to see both parents of the German Shepherd puppies available which at about 8 weeks of age, are ready to leave their mothers protection and leave their brothers and sisters of the German Shepherd litter.

They should all be clean and free from infection - a vets certificate should be provided together with all Kennel Club documentation. Although color is not critical in German Shepherd Dogs, white or cream is not desirable, black, black and tan, gold or sable is the usual preferred choice.Soft brown eyes are preferable, without flecks or any other noticeable imperfections, and a German Shepherd should be alert at all times, even as a young German Shepherd puppy they are quick to notice any sudden movement.

Notice that when the German Shepherd puppies are all playing together, they have their tails up, a curl or hook in the tail is not desirable. All the puppies should be confident, alert and very playful at this early stage, a puppy with its tail between its legs should be avoided as this may mean it has a nervous disposition, and may have to be coaxed into making friends - you need to choose a confident puppy - note, an 'over-boisterous' puppy that tends to push all the other puppies out of the way - is going to be a handful - a battle of wills that is better left to an experienced German Shepherd Dog owner or dog handler.

A point to remember when choosing your German Shepherd puppy - both their ears only become erect when the teething period is over, and it's not unusual for one of the puppy's ears to become erect before the other one does - so don't be alarmed if only one ear becomes erect at first, this is quite normal.

Dew claws on the hind legs should have been removed after about 5 days, puppies should be clean with no dirty coats or unpleasant smells, German Shepherds will not foul their beds if they are given the opportunity of using some other options. They should have been treated for worms, all paperwork should be in order, and Kennel Club registration formalities taken care of (note both parents should be registered with the Kennel Club for pedigree history) - all of this is routine for most well run kennels.

Tsara- when she was a puppy

check this out for tips and help with house training your new puppy
The Ultimate House Training Guide

The German Shepherd Breeder guards their reputation at all costs, a good registered breeder will do all they can to help you if for some reason you may have a problem with your dog - be it behavior wise or a possible health issue, so never be afraid to ask them for advice. They care about their dogs just as much as you do and they would rather take the dog back if you had a problem that could not be resolved.

This is where it pays to look around before buying your German Shepherd.

Check out the breeder, what sort of reputation have they got?

Do they get recommendations or testimonials etc?

Have a look at their dogs, their site, where the dogs are kept

Are they in good condition? - the list is endless-

But never forget that it is the people behind the set-up that count.

Go and inspect the kennels, talk to them, look at their dogs and then ......

Ask yourself the following:

Does the breeder love their dogs?

Do they care about you as a potential owner and offer you any advice about having one of their dogs?
Having seen their dogs - would you like to buy a dog from them and do you feel comfortable with the back-up service that they can provide you with?

If you go to a dog breeder or anywhere else for that matter, and you get the impression that they just want to sell you a dog .... then RUN don't Walk!

A good German Shepherd Dog Breeder will care where their dogs go and will want to make sure that you will be a good, responsible dog owner and offer their dog a safe and secure home and look after him.

Choosing Your German Shepherd Puppy

Choosing Your
German Shepherd Puppy