German Shepherd dog ownership is not something to be entered into lightly. Owning a German Shepherd dog is a long-term emotional and financial commitment. Before deciding that a German Shepherd Dog is right for you, you must make an honest assessment as to whether your home is right for any dog. If you get a German Shepherd dog, he (or she) will become a part of your life. You need to make sure that he's suited for your lifestyle. For example, German Shepherds require training and physical activity and they are a large, strong breed. All aspects of your family's life - hobbies, activities, personalities, schedules - should be evaluated before you get a German Shepherd dog. Based on your evaluation, determine what qualities you want in a dog. Consider size, energy level, grooming needs, trainability and temperament. Do you want a guard dog or a lap dog? Is it important that your dog get along with children? If you rent your home, are there restrictions on height, weight or breed? Answer these questions now - once you bring a German Shepherd dog home, it can be heartbreaking to realize that you made the wrong choice. Once you have made your list of ideal characteristics, do some research to find if a German Shepherd dog fits that profile? Gather the information you require to make an educated decision.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What price can I expect to pay for a German Shepherd puppy?

This is a difficult question to answer. What price you pay can depend on the breeding (bloodlines) of the sire and dam, whether the pup is I.K.C. registered and comes with its papers and what services the breeder is willing to offer prospective buyers. The average price of a German Shepherd pup tends to be between €500 and €600, but pups can be found more or less expensive. Reputable breeders take into account the bloodlines of their female and the bloodlines of the dog they are mating her to (as well, breeders pay between €500-€1000 for stud fees when mating their female and some travel to other countries, such as Germany, so these expenses need to be taken into account when pricing their pups). Reputable breeders also register, vaccinate, de-worm and microchip their pups, which means that once you receive your pup it should be healthy and you can transfer the title of ownership into your name; the microchip is a form of identification incase your pup becomes lost or stolen. All of these things tend to bring the price of pups up to the €500 to €700 price range. What any prospective buyer should ask a breeder is what services they will offer if you buy one of their pups. For example, some breeders will give you different guarantees regarding health checks and hip scores. Some breeders are more helpful than others if you have a problem with your pup after you have purchased it and are willing to take your phone calls and answer your e-mails; other breeders will take your money and give you no help or guarantees. You might be tempted to buy a pup from an advertisement you have seen on a website for €200-€250; you should be aware that you may get what you are paying for (although not always the case!) and that if you are seeking quality, you can usually expect to pay for it. Alternatively, if you are paying €800 or more for a pup, you should definitely make sure the breeder is willing to provide you with a contract of sale, outlining their guarantees to you.

2. I have been looking for a "Show Quality Pup"; how can I be sure that what I am buying is show quality?

No breeder selling a pup to you can guarantee that the pup you are buying is show quality. Even breeders get it "wrong" when they run pups on as prospective show pups; puppies change a lot as they grow and the pup that seems great at 8 weeks old may not develop the way you expect him/ her to. If a breeder tells you that the pup you want to buy is a "show" pup, you need to examine what the breeder is saying as no reputable breeder will ever guarantee this. Also, do not be fooled; if a breeder tells you the pup you are interested in is a "show quality pup" and demands a higher price based on this, you need to question the breeders motives. The best thing you can do if you want to buy a show pup, is take along someone who has experience in breeding and showing; sometimes their trained eye might catch something that yours has missed. These people should also have a good idea about a dog's pigment, conformation, breeding, etc. One final note on this subject: always make sure you ask to see both the sire and dam, if possible. When buying a young pup, it is always best to see the parents, especially the dam, so you have an idea of their looks, character, temperament, etc.

3. I have heard that German Shepherd dogs have problems with their hips. Can you tell me more about this?

All breeds of dogs have an associated health problem that seems to be more dominant in their breed than in others; however, responsible breeders try their very best to choose bloodlines that are "free" from the more debilitating diseases. Responsible breeders are aware of hip dysplasia in German Shepherd dogs and will stay clear of using dogs who have these problems, either themselves, or in their bloodlines. When buying a pup from a breeder, you should always ask if both the sire and the dam have been "hip-scored"; this is a system where a dog's hips are x-rayed, examined by qualified Veterinarians and given a score or a grade. A hip score is a way to know whether a dog's hips are "good" or "bad" and likely to give the dog problems in the future. There are two systems of hip scores that you will hear breeders talking about. The first is the BVA system which gives the dog a total score from 0 to 106; the lower the score, the better. Each hip is given a score from 0 to 53. 0:0 is the best score a dog can have. 53:53 is the worst score a dog can have. It is recommended that hips not be scored more than 25 in total and it is better if the opposing scores are fairly even, rather than one hip having a low score and the other hip having a high score. The second system is the SV or German Grading system in which a dog is given a grade rather than a score. The grades, in best to worst order, are A Stamp Normal, A1, A2, A3, Fast Normal and finally Noch Zugelassen. Ideally you want to have a dog with a "A Stamp Normal" hips under the German system. However, rather than being black and white, hips can be a very grey area. Two pups can be born to parents with excellent hip scores/ grades; one of those pups can receive an excellent hip score while the other pup could have terrible hips. All breeders can do is try their best when choosing a sire and dam and hope to avoid future hip problems in the pups they sell. If this is a concern of yours, ask the breeder whether he/ she is willing to guarantee your pups hips. At the age of 12 months you can have your pups hips scored; this is especially recommended should you want to breed from your own dogs at a later stage. Also, please note that when buying a pup his or her hips will not be scored if under 12 months of age and the breeder will have no way of offering any guarantee that there will not be a problem with your pups hips as he or she ages. 

4. I have a female German Shepherd dog that I would like to mate. How old does she have to be before I can mate her?

Female German Shepherd dogs have what are called "seasons", or what is known as being "in heat", which means that during this time they can become pregnant if mated. A female will usually have her first season between 7 and 10 months of age. All females are different, but most females will come into season approximately every 6 months. The I.K.C. will not recognise females who have been mated prior to being 12 months of age and it is certainly not responsible breeding to mate a female prior to 12 months of age as she, herself, has not finished developing. The general rule many responsible breeders follow is that a female should not be mated prior to her third season or, ideally, until she is 2 years of age.

5. What will my German Shepherd pup look like when it's an adult?

Breeders will not be able to tell prospective buyers whether or not a pup will grow to have good pigment, dark eyes, be of correct conformation and/ or size, have correct teeth, etc. Responsible breeders are always trying to pair the best possible sire and dam available to them in order to produce whatever they're looking for (which includes pigment, conformation, temperament and, most importantly, healthy pups) but no breeder will know what the pups are going to look like when they're adults. The sire and dam can be a good guideline for what the pups can potentially look like, but all pups develop differently as they grow and some will have flaws that others won't have. Also, just because a sire and dam have dark pigment, dark eyes, correct conformation, correct teeth, etc., doesn't mean that their progeny will. It comes down to the luck of the draw. Keep in mind if breeders knew how pups were going to turn out, they probably wouldn't offer prospective buyers a choice! Also, when purchasing a pup around 8-10 weeks of age it isn't always evident whether the pup will have a long coat or a correct coat (and there is no such thing as a "short coat" - shorter hair on German Shepherd dogs is known as a correct coat). 

6. Why am I having trouble finding a long-coat German Shepherd dog?

Long-coat German Shepherd dogs are not currently permitted to be shown and, as a result, the vast majority of "Show breeders" have tried to breed the long-coat gene out of their kennels (because most Show breeders usually breed for themselves and take the "pick" of the litter they don't want to have their choice made more difficult by the possibility of long-coat pups in their litters). This is the reason why it is difficult to find long-coat German Shepherd dogs. Also, most people you will contact, especially Show Secretaries, will usually only recommend Show breeders, usually Members of their own Clubs, because they know their Members adhere to their own Club's Code of Ethics of Responsible Breeding. If you are certain you want a long-coat German Shepherd dog you must be patient. Also, keep in mind that not all long-coat German Shepherd dogs are as well equipped to deal with the elements, such as extreme cold, due to the fact that some lack the undercoat, which helps to keep them warm.