White German Shepherd Dog Alliance of Victoria

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Determining Breeding Potential of an adult - By B Taylor

There are many differing opinions as to what makes a dog worthy of breeding. There are certainly plenty of German Shepherds in the world, as shown by the large numbers of dogs in shelters, and the fact that the German Shepherd is one of the highest registered dog breeds. We need to carefully consider what a particular dog brings into a breeding program and into the breed itself. This is an ethical issue, and there are no cut-and-dry rules to follow - it is a decision that should be made from the head and not the heart.

A dog should only be bred if he or she has something very special to offer the breed. There are many average German Shepherds, so there should be something special that a dog has to offer to warrant producing yet another litter of German Shepherd puppies.

Why breed?

A reputable breeder breeds a litter for something new to show for himself, or to continue on with in their own breeding program. If a breeder is not keeping a puppy from a litter or keeping co-ownerships, one would question why the breeding was done in the first place. Responsible breeding only costs money, it does not make any. Careful rearing, feeding, testing, showing, training, and medically maintaining a German Shepherd is generally extremely expensive.

A reputable breeder loses money when breeding, if you look at the big picture of what it took to get to that point. It is cheaper and much easier to just buy a new puppy from a reputable breeder rather than breeding a litter yourself if you want a new puppy.

You have determined that you have the time, energy and money to breed your bitch. There are a few things to consider before jumping into the breeding world.

Is she a good representative of the breed? Structure-wise and temperament-wise?

Have you had opinions from experienced breeders as to just how good she is?

What are her faults? (There is no such thing as a perfect dog). Things to look at include forequarter angulation, hindquarter angulation, topline, tail set and carriage. Then the more minor issues such as eye colour, ear set, type, movement and other small cosmetic issues. Any deviation from the Breed Standard is considered faulty.

Are her hip and elbow scores good enough to pass on to future generations?

What issues does her line carry and how will you do the best to ensure problems will not surface in the puppies?

What breeding recommendation was made by the club after assessing her temperament, conformation and health?

Have you investigated her linegage to the point where you are aware of their strengths and also faults and genetic diseases found in the line?

Try and find out about the parents, grandparents, and so on, with both the bitch and the dog being considered. Find the depth of testing, so you know how far back genetic soundness goes on both sides of the pedigree. Keep in mind that many breeders did very little testing, even just a few years ago, so don't be surprised to find little testing results listed on the pedigree. If one or the other had very little testing in its pedigree, it would be wise to go to a pedigree with lots of testing....it increases your chances of producing fewer genetic defects in the long run. The same applies for all aspects of the dog, physical, mental, everything. A good amount of research should go into a potential breeding, and even so, disaster can occur in spite of best intentions. Most reputable breeders guarantee their show quality stock against genetic defects, and a poor choice, or just plain bad luck, can have repercussions for many years.

Breeding quality dogs is an art and a science. It may be very rewarding, or it can be disasterous. Making wise and careful breeding decisions at every level can help it be a better experience for the breeder, the dogs involved, and the breed as a whole.

Determining Breeding Potential of a puppy - By B Taylor

As a responsible breeder, you will try your very best to choose the best puppies in a litter to ensure the quality in your breeding program is assured.

Many amateur breeders will determinine the best puppies in a litter by their size, colour and pigment. All these are the icing on the cake and purely cosmetic and should not be a reason for choosing the pick of the litter. Although is is desirable to have strong pigment, this should be chosen after assessing for temperament and conformation.

When assessing your litter, you will need to consider the following:

Temperament (a good way to test for this is Volhards Puppy Aptitude Test) Confident and stable pups are something the breed needs.

Conformation (How does your pup’s conformation compare the Breed Standard?) The Illustrated Standard of the German Shepherd Dog by Linda Shaw is an excellent reference for new or even knowledgable breeders.

When you have produced a couple of litters and track how each of your pups have matured, you will learn to pick what type of puppies will be the better ones to chose for your future breeding program.

Be aware, that the majority of so-called breeders producing whites do not have the first clue about conformation and will continue to produce puppies solely for fun and money, whilst not caring about producing a structurally sound dog. Conformation faults are not only fault in the Breed Standard, but deviations outside the structural blue print of how the dog should look can lead to orthapaedic and joint problems.

If you need to learn about what qualities to look for in your puppies who you can to introduce into the next generation, please consult experienced breeders. Most breeders are more than happy to help you out.

Amortentia Secret Relations: lovely solid topline & nice length of thigh.