How to Select a German Shepherd
If you are planning on adding a German Shepard to your family, you may be wondering how to choose the best for your family. There are certain health conditions that you will need to look out for as well as signs of dominance so that you get an all-around friendly German Shepard that has a pleasant disposition.
- Locate a breed-specific rescue or reputable breeder in your area to purchase your German Shepard from. If you want to purchase a puppy, you should choose a breeder due to the fact that resource groups usually have older dogs.
- Visit the websites of the different rescue organizations in your area that adopt out German Shepard’s that are in need of homes. You can often view pictures of the dogs that are available for adoption online so that you can see if they have what you are looking for.
- Call local breeders in your area to see if they have puppies currently available. See if they can send you pictures of the puppies that they currently have available so you can see what your choices are.
- Visit the breeder or dog rescue that you are interested in to observe and meet with the dogs or puppies that they have available.
- Observe the dogs with other dogs and people to see how they interact with others. You want to choose a dog that is social and well behaved with both people and other animals.
- Watch for signs of dominance in puppies by observing the way that they interact with their littermates. If the puppy is picking on the other puppies or excessively barking these may be signs of dominance that will not go away with age.