How to choose a puppy German shepherd

The German Shepherd is rightfully considered one of the popular dog breeds. As they say, there is always a supply to demand, so there should be no difficulty in finding breeders. However, not all nurseries faithfully treat animals and their future owners. In order not to stumble upon scammers, you must have sufficient knowledge about the choice of a puppy. Experienced dog experts brought out a number of effective recommendations that will help you become the proud owner of a purebred friend.

For what purpose is a puppy purchased?

There are several basic directions for which a puppy is purchased. This includes breeding and home breeding, exhibition purposes. Consider each aspect in order.

1. Puppies for exhibitions. In most cases, this type of puppy belongs to the class "luxury".After the purchase, the owner registers the pet in the club, while the control by the breeder remains. Sheepdogs must meet the highest international standards. The dog has the right to participate in competitions up to 5 years, after this time it acquires the status of "pet". Approximately 2-3 years after the start of the exhibition work, you can write your pet into a breeding group. The dog will be able to give offspring with a good pedigree. If the animal has repeatedly won in exhibitions, the price of puppies will be exorbitant.
2. Puppies for breeding. Tribal direction - one of the most popular. Many breeders keep girls for these purposes if the bitches meet basic standards (setting legs, bite, pelvic direction, etc.). The cost of a puppy for breeding is significantly lower than in the case of the exhibition direction. It is not necessary to give a pet under the control of the club or kennel. The main difference of breeding dogs from other groups is excellent exterior qualities, good health (physical, psychological), easy adaptation.
3. Home puppies. The most common direction for the acquisition of a puppy. Many people prefer to start a sheepdog as a companion and protector of the family. This category of dogs is not inferior in quality characteristics to breeding specimens, but the offspring will be imperfect. This does not apply to general health, we are talking about exterior characteristics. Pricing is quite reasonable, shepherd dogs as a pet in the purse of an average family.

Practical recommendations

1. Do not blindly believe the breeders, check all the documents. The nursery in which the puppy is purchased must be recognized as a canine center of international standard. This is indicated by the corresponding seal on the face of the certificate. Important! Color printer and printing are the main allies of scammers. They can print the pedigree of each dog, but these pets will not be registered in the cynological center.
2. Sheepdogs are prone to various kinds of diseases. For this reason, it is recommended to study the documents of parents (manufacturers) of a particular puppy.Ask the breeder for help on the state of his psychological and physical health, certified by seals. It is important that the pet has no ophthalmologic diseases and no tendency to dysplasia. In addition, the documents should contain information about the exterior assessment, passing a test for courage and endurance to the dog. This applies not only to animals that are producers of "service" puppies. Ask the breeder for an inspection report of the litter to identify the marriage. It is made at the first examination of puppies.
3. After studying the documents you should pay attention to other important aspects. In cases where a bitch and a dog live in the same city, the breeder should freely introduce you to two producers. Mother should behave calmly, but not wary. The maximum allowable number of puppies in one litter usually does not exceed 10 babies. If the bitch is smaller, the number is reduced to 8 puppies. Important! It is mandatory to inspect all puppies from one litter (condition - if they are not sold yet). When the breeder shows only a part of the offspring, it is worth thinking, perhaps the others have congenital diseases or other characteristics for a serious marriage.
4. Females give offspring at intervals of 1 year to 2 years.If the litter was born earlier, think about the quality of puppies. Babies at the age of 2-2.5 months should already have a stigma. If it is not, it indicates the absence of a positive assessment obtained during the tribal examination. The optimal age for buying a puppy is 2.5 months. After this time, the pet begins to grow actively, so it is not recommended to take a more adult dog.

How to choose a German Shepherd puppy

After inspecting the documents do not rush to buy the first favorite pet. Carefully study the physiology and psychology of the animal, and then make a decision.

Animal psychology
Sheepdogs are quiet temperament, restraint. Two-month babies can become fearful if they are often taken out for a walk without proper supervision. Pay attention to the behavior of the pet when he is among his fellows. Curiosity and playfulness must be present.

If the puppy has apathy and lethargy, it is quite possible that upon reaching adulthood he will become fearful and lazy. At this time, overly active babies can develop into an aggressive dog.Prefer puppy, which is moderately playful and calm.

Animal physiology

1. The main indicator of health, of course, is the appearance of a puppy. It should be well-fed, strong, whipped. Feel free to ask the breeder to show you each of the babies in order to appreciate them.
2. The hair of the animal should be clean, uniform, short. The lines in the ear area and the tassels themselves appear by three months old. Another option (lack of scab) indicates a possible pathology. Make sure that the puppy's hair is smooth, smooth, shiny, without curls.
3. Look at the ears of the animal, they smell good in a healthy dog. If you feel stuffy, stench - it is quite possible that a puppy has ear pincers. Bring them yourself is impossible, you will need regular monitoring by a doctor and a course of antibiotics. To check whether the pet hears or not, clap your hands. The puppy should respond instantly.
4. If you want to buy a dog, inspect the genitals of the animal. The testicles descend into the scrotum when the pet reaches 1.5 months.Otherwise, you risk to buy a puppy, which in the future will not be able to produce offspring (infertility).
5. Particular attention should be paid to the eyes. In shepherd dogs, they are almond-shaped, dark brown, dry (not watering), not protruding. In the area of ​​the pupils should not be interspersions of a foreign color. If you observe white or yellow spots, it is possible that the animal has previously undergone an operation. Initially, puppies can be born with blue eyes, but later this shade will change to kareem.
6. Inspect the dog's paws, front legs significantly thicker than the hind. They have bulging knotted joints that are clearly visible. Paw setting should also be appropriate: in a healthy puppy, they do not disperse, the pet moves confidently, it does not whine. Sheep paw pads are rather large, oval, claws - black or dark brown.
7. Unlike other dog breeds, shepherd dogs have a scabbard bite. Open the mouth of the animal, make sure that the upper jaw 0.5-0.7 cm. Protrudes above the bottom. In some cases, the rate may be greater. The distance between the incisors usually does not exceed the mark of 2 mm., The teeth should not be accrete.
8. A wide muzzle indicates good dog health; in no case should it be narrow. Examine the head of the puppy, you will notice a smooth transition from the non-pointed face to the rather wide forehead.
9. A serious defect can be tilted down croup. When the pet grows up, it will begin to throw up its hind legs in different directions, provoking the curvature of the spine. In the end, the animal will be tormented, will not be able to move actively. Choose a puppy with a slightly sloping pelvis. When he grows up, his back will be flat.
10. Healthy German Shepherd puppies have rather wide thighs and shoulders (shoulder blade area), short loin and back, an elongated and straight neck, strong limbs with a long bend in the knees (legs do not weaken).
11. Put your puppy on a flat surface, bring it to a comfortable state. When the animal becomes more or less playful, evaluate the tail. In no case should it be wrapped with a hook or arc, the correct position is completely straight tail with no tassels at the tip. As a rule, small puppies drag him above the ground, not throwing him on his back.
12. Many people think that two-month-old puppies should have ears, but this error is extremely erroneous. They usually get up by 5 months. If the ears are set high, they will rise much faster. There are cases when one of the cartilage is weaker than the other, respectively, the ears stand alternately.
13. Turn the baby belly up, assess the condition of the skin. On the surface there should be no redness, small pimples, ulcers. An even pinkish tint of the skin without dark spots indicates a strong health of the baby. If you notice subcutaneous bumps, the lymph node is most likely inflamed in a puppy.
14. It is worth paying attention to the size of the puppy, it should not be larger than its fellows (if we are talking about one litter). No need to choose the biggest pet, which stands out from the rest. Such specimens usually lag behind in development both psychologically and physiologically.
15. Ask your breeder for a veterinary passport and puppy registration information. Carefully examine the presence of vaccinations, as a rule, at the age of two months, puppies have already been vaccinated against the plague of carnivores (rabies vaccination is done in 3 months).Also in the passport should be marked on deworming (running worms), then it is performed every six months.

To date, not all breeders are faithful to the health of four-legged wards. For this reason, future owners have a headache associated with the choice of a puppy. It is necessary to study a lot of information, get acquainted with the physiology and psychology of the German Shepherd. Only a sober mind and memory will help to get a healthy animal.

Video: how to put the ears of a puppy German shepherd