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The German Shepherd DogGerman Shepherds, officially known as German Shepherd Dogs from their German name, Deutsche Schaferhunde, have been a very popular breed in the US for decades. The breed's history goes back, rightly enough, to Germany just before 1900. The man credited with starting the breed is Capt. Max von Stephanitz, who found a native sheepdog he liked so much that he began breeding it and its offspring, defining and shaping the lineage that would lead to the classic German Shepherd. As its name suggest, the dog was originally a working dog for sheep herders, but given its temperment, intelligence, and bravery, the German Shepherd expanded its working roll into guard work, police work, rescue work, and military work. Since then the German Shepherd has also been put to work as seeing eye dogs, bomb and drug sniffing dogs, and much more. And outside of their working rolls, the dogs have continued to be popular family pets, commonly appearing in the top 5 or 10 most popular breeds in the US every year. Interestingly enough, after World War I, the dog was called the Alsatian Wolf Dog in much of England, since no one wanted a dog with the word "German" in it! But as the breed expanded out of Germany and into the West, it became officially recognized by the AKC in 1918. In this guide we will take a look at some of breed definition, and get information on how and where to find German Shepherd breeders if you are looking for a German Shepherd puppy.
AKC German Shepherd Breed Information and DefinitionsThe American Kennel Club, AKC, is the official body in charge of maintaining and defining dog breed standards, pedigree information, and judging criteria. Their official German Shepherd page is here. Their appearance standards of course include things like alert, well-muscled, body longer than tall, with a look of nobility, ears should be erect. The temperment should be fearless and confident, yet still approachable. The ideal height is abuot 25 inches at the shoulder for males, 23 for females. When it comes to coloration, most of recognize the classic brown and black look most shepherds have, but the mix and darkness of those colors can vary - some German Shepherds are all black, though all white ones are no longer considered part of the breed. They have a thick double coat. The AKC site also has useful information like a puppy buying sheet, help on finding German Shepherd breeders, and what to look for both in breeders and determining if a German Shepherd is the right dog for you. From their site, you can find a list of local club breeders - we found more than 10 listed nearby in our state. They also have a section devoted to German Shepherd breeders classified ads.German Shepherd Puppies For Sale - Finding a German Shepherd BreederThough you can save and adopt grown dogs from the SPCA or local pound, most people like to start their dog owning adventure by buying a puppy. When buying a purebred Golden Shepherd puppy from a breeder, you want to find someone who is dedicated to the breed and an AKC member. We've all heard stories about puppy mills with dogs kept and bred in unsanitary conditions - not what you want. Ideally, you will find a local breeder who breeds a single dog or two in their own home, and hand raises puppies in a clean, family, home environment. Do some shopping around, visit a few breeders and talk to them about their love for the breed and for the animals they raise -- you can get a pretty good feeling about who you can trust. Ask for referrals as well from recent and past owners who have purchased puppies from, make sure they are pleased with the long term health and performance of the dog. So apart from starting at the AKC website listed above and following their links for German Shepherd breeders, there are few other places you can get started in your puppy search. One site is PupCity.com, which basically runs classified ads for all breeds of puppies. None of the breeders here are specifically recommended or investigated, and a free site membership is required to contact any of the breeders listed there. In our search, we saw more than 40 pages of German Shepherd breeders listed -- of course not all offer puppies at any given time, but you can at least get into contact with some near you for when you are both ready to buy a German Shepherd puppy. This is a good site for pictures of German Shepherd dogs as well, since most breeders have photos posted of their dogs, giving you a good chance to see a variety of German Shepherd colorings, sizes, and shapes.Also check out GSDOnline.com - and online magazine devoted to German Shepherds. They have a preferred breeder list state by state to help you find someone reputable near you. Check out their classified section as well for adult dogs and puppies for sales, as well as stud service, etc. We saw German Shepherd pups here listed for $500 and up, with some going for $1200-$1800 on the higher end. If you do a search for "German Shepherd puppies", you'll likely find a number of ads from reputable local breeders. Some we found were OldFarmKennels.com, located in Connecticut, which offers championship German Shepherds bred from true Eastern European stock, and they will fly your puppy to you. Or take a look at HiddenHaus.com, German Shepherd breeders located in Washington state. They again focus on top pedigree dogs straight from Germany. How much do German Shepherds cost? Prices depend on pedigree of dog and any advanced training they have received. You could pay $5000 or more for a grown dog trained for protection. Their prices for German Shepherd puppies start at $2000.
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