Need help Picking out a new german shepherd puppy

Hi everyone I'm a new member (first post) I have 2 dogs right now, A pure overweight Weimeraner that is 4 and a half and a black lab mix that I think is around 2. And I'm going to be getting a german shepherd puppy in a month or so.

So can anyone give me some some usefull tips when getting a puppy? Like what kind of breeders to avoid. Or what kind of personality to look for, how it interacts with the parents and siblings. How it should stand and run. Ext. Thanks alot for any responses or just for introdusing yourselfs .

A good start is reading the Responsible Breeder Checklist that's stickied at the top of the General Dog Chat forum. That will give you the groundrules you need to be able to check out a breeder.

When I'm looking at a puppy, or a dog for that matter, I always end up choosing the one who chooses me; the pup or dog that separates itself from the other dogs or pups and comes over and looks at me. I like the pup that isn't afraid of exploring something new and approaches fearlessly and curiously - not defensively.

I like to watch how the pup moves; the legs should be sturdy not be cow-hocked - not bowed in or out, particularly the back legs. In a German Shepherd pup I look for "tight" toes - not splayed.

Hope that helps! I'm sure you'll get lots more good advice. You'll have a lot in common with BigDog2191 after you get your new pup (we've given him the name BigDoggyDaddy since he's had Rocky, his new German Shepherd pup, lol).

Thanks alot, That checklist gave me lots of new info. I've been looking around and found lots of things like pics of a good sit and a sloppy sit, and not to get the bully or runt, ext.

I'm also thinking of breeding her with a friend of mines dog, but only when I think she is ready to become a mom. Any tips? I'll be giving plenty of pros and cons on the breed and I'll always check to see if they have a fenced yard and will give them plenty of work outs. Cuz I'd hate thinking to myself about a little puppy just sitting there waiting for someone to play with them

1 more thing, I'm wondering if I should get a bed or crate (leaning towards the bed) and most likely be sleeping on the other side of my room. Will it constantly wake me up every night?

I'd say crate, with the bed inside it. That way, your new furkid won't be getting in trouble when you aren't watching. I was keeping mine kenneled in my hallway, and since moving them into my room, I'm waking up to chewed things every morning.

Puppies will cetainly wake you up at night for the first week or longer since they don't have enough bladder control to hold it all night. Also when they are first taken from mom they usually have a day or two where they cry at night from being lonley. So expect to lose some sleep. I recommend getting your puppy on the weekend or other days you don't work so that you have time to bond and learn the puppies schedule, then you can take a nap too from all the night wakings!
Good luck with picking a puppy, I have a four-month-old German Shepherd puppy and he is just great! A really fast learner and already completely potty trained for about a month now.

For a breed like a GSD, I'd definitely nix the crating. They need to be able to move freely for those bones, joints and muscles to develop properly. Straight up - I've never crated a dog in my life. It's fine for some dogs, but for these larger breeds it can really cause physical problems later on. Get your pup a good bed that will be large enough for him/her when full grown.

I hope you'll read some of the many threads here about breeding before you even consider it! But that's a long, long way off.

I'm going to be getting her at the very first of summer break (still in high school) so I don't really have to wake up for anything if she does wake me up, and I'll be able to spend 85% of my time with her.

I've also decided on the bed, no way would I endanger my dogs future.