Going to look at this today - does everything look ok?

justaskin likeyakno

I got my first GSd from an ad in the famers journal. Disaster phycho dog.

Bought my second from a reputable breeder, Disaster no.2 but at least he took him back.

DD, I spent ages trying to find what I thought was a good one at the time, got a dog with breed specific problems and not only that but there's another litter up on DD again. That said the dogs personality is the best i've ever seen.

It'll be rescue dogs forever more for me, I have learnt my lesson, unless you can afford the E2500 tag attached to a properly bred dog stay away from the back yard breeders.

And don't even get me started on sending him 'away' for training, especially if you're thinking of a place up the country that would be on TOP of all the other DOG training places.

maggiepip

Stheno wrote: »

My first gsd whilst not of the best pedigree, had a slopey back, we did schutzhund for a while, and the "purists" there thought he was stunning example of his breed.

My current one is called fatarse, as he is longhaired and has a straight back, so compared to my first dog, his rear end looks wider and higher up, health wise, my first lad dropped dead of a heart attack when he was seven and a bit, fatarse is as healthy as the day is long.

Fatarse is a rescue his mum and dad came and mum then had pups.

Dad was a white GS Mum the traditional shorthaired black and tan.

Do you have a special way to pronounce his name:D ???

DBB

maggiepip wrote: »

Do you have a special way to pronounce his name:D ???

I'm also curious to know... when he's a distance away from you in a public place and you have to call him, what sort of reactions do you get from passers-by?

Stheno

maggiepip wrote: »

Do you have a special way to pronounce his name:D ???

Ah now I don't call him that often, he's a few other names, and of course a proper name, but when I'm annoyed I'll shout "Oi Fat Arse!" and he'll turn around and grin at me Sometimes I'll call him fatty, and he rolls over on his tummy for a cuddle, he's a very soft GSD.

You think that's bad, my first lad was a "true" worky shepherd, had the guarding instinct, the herding instinct, just a lovely lovely dog.

At the same time I'd a red setter, who on off-lead walks, would become deaf.

I'd have to stand there going "First lad, fetch deaf boy", and sure enough off he'd go, find the deaf one, give him a nip on the backside, and herd him back. I'm sure I looked quite stupid if anyone was watching/listening, as I asked a dog to do something I couldn't

Saved me having to teach an infamously selectively deaf breed recall

Stheno

DBB wrote: »

I'm also curious to know... when he's a distance away from you in a public place and you have to call him, what sort of reactions do you get from passers-by?

He is never ever off lead around other dogs, fatarse's one flaw is that he's a mouthy twat around other dogs, does the big lad act, then when they come up he turns into a blob of jelly :rolleyes:

I use his proper name when he does the big lad act on the lead :pac:

Magenta

justaskin likeyakno wrote: »

I got my first GSd from an ad in the famers journal. Disaster phycho dog.

Bought my second from a reputable breeder, Disaster no.2 but at least he took him back.

DD, I spent ages trying to find what I thought was a good one at the time, got a dog with breed specific problems and not only that but there's another litter up on DD again. That said the dogs personality is the best i've ever seen.

It'll be rescue dogs forever more for me, I have learnt my lesson, unless you can afford the E2500 tag attached to a properly bred dog stay away from the back yard breeders.

And don't even get me started on sending him 'away' for training, especially if you're thinking of a place up the country that would be on TOP of all the other DOG training places.

Rescue dogs are not some sort of super-species who are immune to health or behavioural problems, and many of them have come from back yard breeders, coupled with a lack of training which is often the owner's reason for giving them up in the first place.

chefontour

Have had GSDs for 20 years+ first was a rescue we had a great 11 years. then a well bred puppy PTS sleep at 7 years old throat tumor, then 3 year old max spleen cancer took him from us. sleeping at my feet now i have a 3 1/2 year old spayed bitch and a two year year old (thinks hes still a 6 month old puppy) entire male. at this time we have no health issue's, so i think you can see we are a GSD family i think you can not do enough homework when researching GSD pups be very careful OP. get as much paperwork as you can, check against GSD database hip scores, elbow scores, then cross your fingers you dog will stay in good health. find a vet who handles GSD (talk to breeders) it could save you a lot of heartbreak and worry

euser1984

Sorry DBB, I must not have looked at the other thread to see your post regarding not posting info on dd ad's.

To everyone else, I did take a long time looking through all the shelters but nothing ever cropped up that I like. Originally I wanted a gsd because of their guard dog abilities and intelligence but I didn't realise a springer would be as much work.

I decided to go with the gsd as we have agreed to look after her as a whole within my family. I am determined to read and learn as much as I can to bring out the best in my little pup!

ISDW

euser1984 wrote: »

Sorry DBB, I must not have looked at the other thread to see your post regarding not posting info on dd ad's.

To everyone else, I did take a long time looking through all the shelters but nothing ever cropped up that I like. Originally I wanted a gsd because of their guard dog abilities and intelligence but I didn't realise a springer would be as much work.

I decided to go with the gsd as we have agreed to look after her as a whole within my family. I am determined to read and learn as much as I can to bring out the best in my little pup!

So did you buy a pup from that ad? What were the parents' hip scores?

euser1984

jimf wrote: »

euser1984

did you not post a similar question here recently re springer spaniel with virtually the same details only this time its german shepard what kind of clarification are you expecting from posters on this forum

i replied the last time when you asked did the add look ok and in hindsight i should not have it looks to me as if you dont have the confidence in yourself to make a decision on what type of a dog you are looking for if its an indoor/outdoor dog please take time to reflect you are jumping around too much i mean from a springer to a german shepard that to me is not somebody who knows what they want sorry if this looks a bit of a rant but we are talking a decision for the next 10 years so please take your time and dont rush in you may just regret it

ISDW wrote: »

So did you buy a pup from that ad? What were the parents' hip scores?

Well I met the parents and the guy was really nice - he had a lot of dogs himself and the pup is lovely. He feeds them really good meat that he cooks himself - he was cooking it when I arrived out in the shed. I did ask him about hip scores but tbh I don't think he has the hip scores done - I'd say it's because he's breeding from a very good line. tbh, I just went with my intuitiveness....we were discussing some of the people that are breeding dogs on done deal and how it's a disgrace. He also took a dog off someone he knew that had been hit and explained that it was the reason he had taken him off here as he wanted to put her down.

All the other gsd's seemed to be really happy.

Rommie

euser1984 wrote: »

Well I met the parents and the guy was really nice - he had a lot of dogs himself and the pup is lovely. He feeds them really good meat that he cooks himself - he was cooking it when I arrived out in the shed. I did ask him about hip scores but tbh I don't think he has the hip scores done - I'd say it's because he's breeding from a very good line. tbh, I just went with my intuitiveness....we were discussing some of the people that are breeding dogs on done deal and how it's a disgrace. He also took a dog off someone he knew that had been hit and explained that it was the reason he had taken him off here as he wanted to put her down.

All the other gsd's seemed to be really happy.

Lines don't matter. He should have had the dogs hipscored before even considering breeding them. Hips are a HUGE problem in GSDs, enough people said that here to warn you.

andreac

Are you serious?? You bought a pup from a guy who's selling on donedeal and has no hip scores for his dogs, with a breed who have huge problems with their hips and you think that's ok?? Just because he seemed ok and he said his lines were good and because he was cooking his own meat for his dogs?
You were warned to make sure that you insist in seeing the hip scores of the parents and you still didn't do it. Why bother coming on looking for advice of you are going to ignore it.
There are no words, there really aren't....
Well actually there are but I'd prob get in a lot of trouble if I said how I truly feel...

ISDW

euser1984 wrote: »

Well I met the parents and the guy was really nice - he had a lot of dogs himself and the pup is lovely. He feeds them really good meat that he cooks himself - he was cooking it when I arrived out in the shed. I did ask him about hip scores but tbh I don't think he has the hip scores done - I'd say it's because he's breeding from a very good line. tbh, I just went with my intuitiveness....we were discussing some of the people that are breeding dogs on done deal and how it's a disgrace. He also took a dog off someone he knew that had been hit and explained that it was the reason he had taken him off here as he wanted to put her down.

All the other gsd's seemed to be really happy.

he doesn't hip score because he's breeding from really good lines? How do you know he is breeding from good lines without genetic testing? He has a lot of dogs, does no health testing, and you think he's a good breeder?

Why do people bother asking for advice, and then ignoring everybody that tells them the same thing?

justaskin likeyakno

Magenta wrote: »

Rescue dogs are not some sort of super-species who are immune to health or behavioural problems, and many of them have come from back yard breeders, coupled with a lack of training which is often the owner's reason for giving them up in the first place.

I never said they were, I just meant that after spending money on what I thought were well bred dogs, and buying from from other sources, there wasn't much differnce in any of them. However one dog was taken back by the breeder, but not before I had spent 18 months trying to be a good owner. In the end, GSDs are not for me, or I am not for them. Another breeder offered to put the dog I had to sleep and give me another from the next litter. I declined, said mutt is mine for life, however long or short that may be.

Lesson learned the hard way.

As I can't afford a properly( as I am now aware of) bred dog, I will get any future pets from the pound. Dog charitys don't make it easy to adopt either which is why some people go for donedeal. One charity would not give me an older pup as I already had a dog, which is why I went elsewhere.

The only super species of dogs are Jack russells, when an asteroid takes us all out, i'm heading in thier direction, they're invincible.

Bullseye1

I wonder if good GSDs existed before X-rays existed. Some people have forgotten that most dogs do not naturally exist in nature but have in fact been developed by man over hundreds of years with some as little as 50 years.

Unfortunately show GSDs have become an abomination but if you want a good straight back working dog they exist. Breeders of these dogs are not interested in showing.

While people are rightly concerned about health issues with certain breeds GSDs and King Charles, there is no guarantee that a dog from a shelter or rescue is from a healthy line.

OP did the breeder give any assurance that he would take the pup back if there was health issues in the future? Have you seen and of his previous pups that have grown up? How did the parents look?

Bullseye1

Hip scores from GSD show lines mean nothing. The lines are dreadful. How can anyone say that a deformed back leg is okay just because the hip score is okay? They are kidding themselves.

Wibbs

Even if the back legs aren't of the freak of nature type. I had a GSD 20 odd years ago. Full pedigree that came from "very good stock". Fathers line was working dog show winners in Germany, mothers similar from the UK. Slight slope to back but nothing like some of the poor freaks of today. I remember talk of hip scores and how good they were(pre web so I didn't have a clue TBH). Poor divil died at 7 from heart problems and his back end had already started to go with hip weakness and arthritis.

Year later I found his pedigree sheet and hip scores of him and his relatives. Yep as promised all those years back considered "good" for GSD's. That's the problem right there. Considered good is better, but still crap. I saw this most clearly when I fell upon a site about the Australian Dingo in captivity in some zoo/research place or other and they had hip scores from them. Pretty much zero scores across the board. No hip dysplasia to speak of. The wolves in the same place were again zero for HD. One line stood out. Apparently there has never been a case of HD observed in wild canids of any type. Here's a different page* after a quick search. Now look at the average scores for various breeds http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hip_score Scary.

Personally speaking I'd not touch a GSD with a bargepole, unless it was from an exclusively working line going way back and the parents had way lower than average hip scores. Too risky these days sadly. Helluva way for one of the most fantastic breeds ever created to end up. And I blame the breeders and the buyers near equally for pushing this mutant look. Most of all I blame the morons in the show world for this and other dog breed traits.

Have a google for early photos/paintings of common breeds. They look like dogs, not severely inbred mutants. The changes in the British Bulldog are nothing short of bloody disgraceful. From a strong and attractive workdog, to a stiff legged flat faced freak that can barely walk nor breath and often needs surgical intervention to whelp. Or some of the toy spaniels whose heads are so small they face a lifetime of agonizing headaches. Criminal and some of these "breeders" have the gall to point the finger at backyard breeders firing out mutts? GTFO.


*interestingly that page seem to reckon it's mostly down to developmental and dietary stuff

kylith

euser1984 wrote: »

Well I met the parents and the guy was really nice - he had a lot of dogs himself and the pup is lovely. He feeds them really good meat that he cooks himself - he was cooking it when I arrived out in the shed. I did ask him about hip scores but tbh I don't think he has the hip scores done - I'd say it's because he's breeding from a very good line. tbh, I just went with my intuitiveness....we were discussing some of the people that are breeding dogs on done deal and how it's a disgrace. He also took a dog off someone he knew that had been hit and explained that it was the reason he had taken him off here as he wanted to put her down.

All the other gsd's seemed to be really happy.

`Lots of dogs + no health testing = PUPPY FARM

Tranceypoo

euser1984 wrote: »

Well I met the parents and the guy was really nice - he had a lot of dogs himself and the pup is lovely. He feeds them really good meat that he cooks himself - he was cooking it when I arrived out in the shed. I did ask him about hip scores but tbh I don't think he has the hip scores done - I'd say it's because he's breeding from a very good line. tbh, I just went with my intuitiveness....we were discussing some of the people that are breeding dogs on done deal and how it's a disgrace. He also took a dog off someone he knew that had been hit and explained that it was the reason he had taken him off here as he wanted to put her down.

All the other gsd's seemed to be really happy.

He has a lot of dogs himself
They live in a shed
He's 'breeding from good lines' but doesn't have hip scores (so how do you know he's breeding from good lines?), so you asked him outright but you still aren't sure if he has hip scored them? That's a 'yes' or 'no' answer so if he hummed and hawed and skirted around the issue, I would say it's a no
Yes, some of the people breeding dogs are a disgrace and it sounds like he's one of them
The original owner of a dog he has wanted to put her down but he took her - so he could breed from her? And she'd been in an accident?
The dogs seemed happy? The guy was cooking meat in front of them for goodness sakes, (which I'm sure he does every single day for them right?!)

Honestly OP, this is the dumbest post I've read, why on earth did you come on here asking for advice, I mean you have ignored every single piece of advice on here from people who actually have lots of experience and knowledge about dogs in general and GS in particular.

Out of interest I would love to know how much you paid for this dog from a very good line?

Magenta

We had a very similar thread before from someone looking for a Labrador. Despite numerous warnings, they insisted on going to a breeder who didn't have the relevant health tests done, and boasted that the breeder had a lake for the dogs and that these were "real Labradors" or words to that effect.

Not too long later, the OP is back, the dog is riddled with hip problems and their breeder's response to the OP telling them of the dog's condition was less than satisfactory, the breeder continued to advertise their dogs as coming from healthy lines.

**Vai**

Yet another case of someone wanting their new toy asap. Very childish way to do things.

doubter

..and yet another gorgeous gsd dies in the pound because someone preferred to buy of a BYB. :mad:

DBB

doubter wrote: »

..and yet another gorgeous gsd dies in the pound because someone preferred to buy of a BYB. :mad:

Ok folks, steady on now. Whilst i appreciate that people are annoyed at what happened here, I think accusing the OP of causing the death of another dog is going a step too far.
This is not a rescue forum, it's a general pets forum, and whilst comments such as this might be considered acceptable on a specialist rescue forum, this is not the forum for pushing a rescue agenda, unless an OP specifically invites it.
Do not reply to this post on thread.
Thanks,
DBB