Long haired german shepherd breeders

I am looking for a long haired german shepherd for my parents. I live in Louisiana and it is like they do not exist in the south. If anyone knows a GOOD breeder in the south please help me out.
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What kind of GSD other than longhaired? Working, showline, pet?

My mother wants something pretty to look at and my father wants a dog to guard the house when he's gone. They just had to put their 12 year old Aussie mix to sleep (cancer) and all of the children have moved out. My mother stays at home all day. She needs a companion and something to protect her. They have 3 small grandsons... so the dog has to do well around children.

If she wants protection, a dog isn't the answer. An alarm system or a gun is. A working dog is going to be a lot to handle, and there's no guarantee he'll protect anyone. Protection dogs take training, a dog that will bark at strangers is another story, most dogs will bark at strangers.

Honestly, they'd do about as good going to a GSD rescue so they could pick a dog fitted to their activity level that won't be too much dog. At least there they can be tested with children, cats, etc. Some rescues won't adopt a GSD out to a family that has small children living at home though, just some food for thought. That's not to say that the dogs they have are kooky, but it's more of a liability issue I believe.

You might find some difficulty finding a good breeder that breeds specifically for longhairs...for showing AKC/SV(German) it's a fault like white dogs are. I'd do a search online and look for dogs that are health tested and preferably titled...but health testing, IMO being the more important factor there when considering a pet. I'd avoid anything that says "oversized" because then they aren't breeding to standard - with dogs running up to 100+ lbs - which you can find in reputable breeders but they don't flaunt it as "old style" or "oversized".

One I looked at gives a 2 year on hips and 5 year on health guarantee...which is less than preferable. Being that dogs can't be x-rayed until 2 (other than preliminaries) for hip dysplasia that seems shady. If health guarantees don't matter to you, then a rescue is a better bet...and it's more likely that you'll find a longcoated dog for a better price.

Sorry I can't point you in a direction but I don't know anyone that breeds specifically for a coated GSD.

Just my opinion on it though.

Thanks for the help. I breed rough collies myself, so I know about contracts and health guarantees. Collies have many of the same health problems as german shepherds. They both can have CEA, PRA, Micropthalmia, hip dysplasia,etc. My mother's favorite breed is a german shepherd and long haired is her thing. She was raised around them. She's stuck on it, there is no shaking her from it. I should have made myself more clear. My mother is not looking for dog to protect her... my parents just want a dog that will look protective lol. My dad wants something that will bark when someone is there... that's about it. They do not want an attack dog or anything of the sort.

A rescue would be a good place to start looking. The only people I know of that had long coated GSDs was a SAR litter my aunt bred, they got three long coats. She had a very hard time selling them as most SAR people don't want long fur to get caught in everything. Curly, the last one though was very mellow and made a good pet.

Maybe just e-mail around to different breeders and tell them what your mom is hoping for. Ask if it ever crops up in their lines because if so you know of a loving pet home, or if they know of anyone else who gets an occasional long coat oops cropping up now and then since they want a well bred dog and not a health and temperament disaster.

Has she thought of a Golden Retriever ???

I have looked at many local shelters and I have found 3 adult long haired. She wants a puppy to grow up around her grandchildren though. I have found a breeder called Ayers or something like that. I do have some questions. Why is long haired considered a fault? With collies there is a smooth and a rough coat version, both accepted by all kennel clubs. Are plush coats accepted? Most breeders I have found with long haired have imports from Germany which definitely ups the price.

The standard was originally drawn up for the ultimate working dog. A long coat takes more grooming (burrs, snowballs, shedding) and offers nothing more towards working ability. Personally, I think it detracts from the intimidation factor, but that is JMO. Also, some long coats are "stock" (w/ undercoat), some aren't, and those without are obviously unsuited to cold weather work and rainy climates (apparently they part down the middle?). I suppose that has something to do with it being a fault, although I don't think it should be in American lines.

ETA you might want to check out this link: germanshepherds.com: Breeding A Long-Haired Shepherd?

This looks pretty good at a quick quick glance- they have some Sch dogs and some S&R and hip ratings.

Welcome to Candle Hill Shepherds

Just like a white GSD, they can be registered but not shown in conformation (though whites have their own showing group outside of AKC) The German registry doesn't accept them or whites either for conformation.

I think Xandra hit the nail on the head, the GSD is a working dog...originally bred for herding and such, having a lot of upkeep on a coat isn't something you want out of a working type dog that you'll be picking brush, stickers, etc out of.

Try not to be overcome by the word "import" an import is only as good as it's breeder, though if they've had their hips done that's much better - it depends on the age they were imported though.

Even a good rescued dog will probably do well. I got Lacey at 8 months old and she's very good with my children (not a rescue but had never been around kids) who are 1, 3, and 6 years old. It depends on the dog and the temperament, just as it will depend on a puppies temperament on how they will do with kids.

I agree with ACampbell. Dogs are family members first, who happen to have perks that come with them.

IMHO, if you want a dog that's a good alarm system, usually the "little" dogs are the best at sounding the alarm.