My main goal in writing this article is to ensure that our puppies are placed in the best homes possible. As a prospective puppy owner, you need to know what to expect--the good, bad and ugly. You should be well prepared, and there should be no surprises.

Let me give you a little background. Genetics drive the looks, personality and temperament of your puppy. There is no doubt that socialization plays a major role in what kind of dog your puppy will ultimately become, but genetics are supremely key in this development.

We breed puppies from 100% German/European bloodlines. These are the bloodlines that produce protection, police, search and rescue, herding, service and sport dogs for Schutzhund, agility and obedience. What this means for you is that these dogs are bred to work, so they must have the intelligence and drives that are necessary for training and service work. These puppies will not be couch potatoes. If this is not the dog for you or your life style, we suggest you consider another breed.

Many of our requests for puppies come from people who have recently lost an older dog. These folks are use to a quiet, calm and undemanding companion who could almost read their mind. It may have been years since they had a young puppy and do not remember puppy behavior and antics. Also, many of these older dogs had formal training or were so use to the family routine that they knew exactly what to expect and what behavior was appropriate.

Puppies do not have a clue and have to be patiently and gently taught the rules. As the puppy matures, he will settle down and be your companion and best friend, but the following behaviors are entirely normal for a young GSD puppy:

Nothing in your household is sacred to your puppy. If you don't want it destroyed, move it. This includes clothing, furniture, and electrical wires. This is the reason we insist on a crate for your house and a securely fenced yard and better yet, a nice sized dog run for your yard.

Good drive for food makes a puppy real easy to train, so this is a big plus. If your puppy's appetite is down, something is wrong. Have him checked by a vet.

Your puppy will learn bad behaviors as easily as good behaviors so be careful in what behaviors you reward. Puppies and dogs do what they find successful. We ask that all of our puppies be enrolled in a good quality dog training class. If this type of class is not available in your area, we will recommend books and videos for training.

This includes fingers, arms, legs, and your favorite clothes. Those little puppy teeth are sharp. They hurt and can easily draw blood. And expect this behavior to get worse when they start to cut adult teeth at about 4 months. They will want to put everything in their mouths. Puppies will be especially attracted to moving objects. They will have good strong prey drive that is entirely nature, normal and desirable. This drive is what makes them easy to train, but it must be properly directed. Please see our Puppy Primer for guidance in directing this behavior.

All puppies will differ on when they start barking from inside their perimeter, but it can be as early as 5 weeks of age. These dogs will be naturally protective so there is no need to do any type of special training. The most important activity for you is to socialize your puppy extensively with adults, children and the environment. You want a confident secure dog that will provide warning but will not be a liability. Please see the discussion on socialization in our Puppy Primer.

These wonderful little creatures need their share of your valuable time. They need to be loved, socialized, and trained to become the wonderful canine citizen that you want.

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