about pupies

Question
Hi...

i know that every pupy has a different character...i mean , if we buy our gsd puppy from a registered breeder , can they help us to find out which pupy is the most suitable one for our life style?...i know that it is not wise to buy a "working-line" gsd if we are living in an apartment...but i also know that there are high energy level "showline" dogs which are not too much suitable to be a family dog...i hope to find the right puppy from the right breeder...i can make exercise and daily walks , but is it important that which pupy i buy?...the character?...

Answer
Breeders have too much self interest to give completely objective answers.  While they might give good advice on which puppy out of a given litter would be best for you, too many of them would be slow to tell you the puppies they breed are wrong for you.  Oh, by the way, don't let anybody tell you German Shepherds aren't right for apartments.  They have a long, successful history as dog guides, most of which live in an apartment.  of course, they have a job to do and seldom are left alone.  

Finding a good breeder and purchasing a puppy that will make a good pet is very difficult.  Almost nobody is intentionally breeding dogs to be nice pets.  Most of your so called reputable breeders are breeding for show or something.  They may say the puppies they don't keep for their purpose make great pets, but the truth is that the parents were selected for other than health and temperament.  Often they keep the puppies in the kennel too long and they miss the important early socialization puppies need to live in the house with people.

Next are the disreputable breeders.  Puppy mills breed any 2 registered dogs they can lay a hold of looking only at the money they can make selling them to pet stores.  Pet store puppies are easy to find, but difficult to socialize into nice pets, perhaps difficult to even keep alive.  You will not get what you pay for at a pet store.

Backyard breeders are only slightly better.  At least there, most of the breeding stock is acceptable to live in somebody's home as a pet.  Unfortunately many of them know nothing about what it takes to produce quality puppies.  Some of them are breeding for the selfish pleasure of vicarious motherhood, and others the same greed as puppy mills. If you don't get good answers to questions about allergies or OFA and CERF certification, go elsewhere.  

Avoid puppies forced to live in their filth or that saw little outside their kennel between 6-12 weeks.  At 7-8 weeks, a puppy is quick to adjust to its new home, new people, and new things.  Past 12 weeks, it may never adjust to its new life as well.  Even some of the better breeders hold puppies too long without proper socilization.   

One of the best sources for dogs with a predictable personality is the rescue dogs.  These are dogs that lost their home, but were taken into a foster home to be retrained as necessary and placed in the right home for them.  You may find a rescue near you starting at http://www.akc.org/breeds/rescue.cfm  The rescues charge a fee to help cover their expenses, but is much less than the price of a puppy plus all its medical expenses the first year.

One of the keys to housebreaking a puppy is promptly taking it out when it needs to go.  How quickly can you reach the nearest grass?  How likely is it that poorly cared for dogs may be spreading their diseases there?  Even a carefully selected puppy may not turn out to be right for you.  They are very time consuming and vulnerable to life threatening diseases.  You really should look at the rescue dogs.  

If you do get a puppy, come back for help with it.