Dree

Wow, some very interesting responses here, especially regarding strong nerves and socialisation. Thank you all. The breed in question is a German Shepherd, so technically not an LGD (?). This is probably too specific a question, but does anyone know if the Breed Survey – specifically, the gun test, the crowd test and the individual approach – is a good assessment of nerves? I’ve been reading some horror stories, albeit on a predominantly American forum (http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/), about show line breeders buying Schutzhund/IPO titles for their dogs, and breeding GSDs with weak nerves but impeccable conformation.

Thanks everyone for the great tips on what to look out for when I visit the breeder and for sharing your firsthand experiences. Thank you, in particular, to the breeders - Dasha and Steve - for taking the time to write such informative and detailed posts. Anyone would be lucky to have a puppy from either of you. I asked the breeder about toilet training in an e-mail. They said that the puppies aren’t crated whilst they’re with them, but the outbuilding is large enough for them to have a very distinct/separate area to eliminate in. This will be my first puppy from a registered breeder - my previous dogs were adult rescues - so I've been going a little overboard on researching where to get a puppy, who to get a puppy from, how to know if someone is a good breeder, etc., and taking things (e.g. Dunbar's comments) too literally. There's so much information out there on how to raise the 'perfect' puppy that it's hard not to get caught up in all of the advice and feel like a monster for deviating from it, even slightly. Thanks again for all of your help. :)

Thank you all for your feedback. I guess the only way that I'll know for certain is to visit the breeder myself, meet their dogs, meet the puppies, check out their kennel set up, ask them lots of questions, etc.

LizT, your experience is similar to my friend's, albeit she has a Great Dane instead of a CKCS. Mixeduppup, the breeders breed show line GSDs.

Thanks for the quick replies. :) I choose this breeder (a husband and wife team) because of their dogs’ low hip and elbow scores (they’ve received some medals for their achievements) and their lines. They’ve also been breeding for a few decades and have been a pleasure to deal with. Although we’re only spoken on the phone and corresponded via e-mail, they seem like good people who love and care for their dogs. I don’t know anyone with dogs from this breeder, but, at the risk of coming across as a stalker, there is someone on this forum with a dog from them. No, I haven’t met the breeder or their dogs. At the moment, we’re still in the correspondence stage. I’m just looking for a pet/companion dog who will be both an inside and outside dog. My main concern is that the puppy won’t have sufficient exposure to all of the smells, sounds and sights of a typical household. E.g. people coming and going, pots banging, the kettle boiling, the doorbell ringing, people thumping around upstairs, doors slamming. Here’s what Dunbar has to say (the bolded part worries me): ‘There is not much point in choosing a puppy that has been raised in the relative social isolation of a backyard, basement, barn, garage, or kennel, where there is precious little opportunity for interaction with people and where a puppy has become accustomed to soiling her living area and yapping a lot. Puppies raised in physical seclusion and partial social isolation are hardly prepared for household living, and they are certainly not prepared for encounters with children or men. Backyard and kennel-raised puppies are certainly not pet-quality dogs; they are livestock on par with veal calves and battery hens. Look elsewhere! Look for litters born and raised indoors—in a kitchen or living room.’

Hi all, In several months' time, I'm thinking about getting a puppy from a breeder who raises the litter outside of the family home, in an outbuilding. Given that the puppy will be from a guardian breed, which generally require more socialisation (particularly with humans) than, for example, gundog breeds, is this an unwise decision? I've read Ian Dunbar and Gwen Bailey's books on raising a well-behaved and well-adjusted dog. Both, particularly Dunbar, caution against getting a puppy that was raised exclusively in an outbuilding, kennel, etc. The breeder did mention that the puppies will receive lots of handling, and will be socialised by meeting visitors and being exposed to their adult dogs. Thanks in advance for your thoughts. :)