Do well bred German Shepherds exist anymore?

[TheLegendOfTheRent]

German Shepherds are my “heart” breed. I grew up with them, each one was my best friend. The definition of the perfect dog. Stable temperament, walked off lead, incredibly loyal, smart, loving and affectionate. 100% trustworthy.

When I was an adult I ended up fostering a Rottweiler. Not a breed I’d get again. I then got a Dobermann who was a beautiful but tortured soul - scared of her own shadow, constant state of anxiety - a nervous wreck but my god I loved her - she was my best friend and definitely up there with how I felt with the GSDs but the anxiety and the fact that she trusted nobody but me … She needed daily constant training for years and it was exhausting.

Id love to go back to GSDs but the breed appears to have changed so much over the years. Every one I’ve met in recent years has been reactive and nervous. Do the well bred ones even exist anymore? 😢

I think this is one of those circumstances where you need to contact the breed club and go to some of their events and get to know the dogs and breeders. They do seem to be pretty rare nowadays and the ones that spring to mind for me are all older (and the youngsters I know just seem a bit neurotic-and it’s not that they will calm with age)
im sure there’s some out there, but I’d want to know mum and dad and breeder very well.

Yes but not easy to come by! I think as a general rule the working lines are healthier but need far more experienced handlers, show line are a bit calmer but bloody deformed these days

I hope they do. We had a working lines bitch when I was younger and her temperament was perfection. She appointed herself foster mother of the new puppy. Her back didn't look particularly slanted but her hips still collapsed at 9 😢

They are around, but unfortunately are pretty rare these days.

I see two regularly on my walks. One is reactive to male dogs but otherwise has a lovely temperament with females and people - he's well trained with good recall and his owners always put him on a lead around other dogs. The other is very poorly trained, reactive and pulls his owner all over the place. I'm not sure if his behaviour is purely down to lack of training or whether he's neurotic/reactive and therefore difficult to manage, iyswim.

There's a lovely one in our local park, probably about 18 months now and great temperament. A friendly, happy soul, we were there the first day she came to the park and she played chase with DDog and kept falling on her chin because her legs couldn't go fast enough 😄. But I look at her slanted back and low/bent back legs and wonder about how healthy they are 😕

I know a working line one local to me - I suspect that she was the least work-inclined of the litter as she's very chill. She's nicely put together and has a very stable temperament around people and other dogs.

They're out there. Maybe approach a protection sports club (eg Mondioring) and make some enquiries that way. They might know of some GSD litters, though mostly they use use Malinois these days.

They do exists however only from registered breeders. You need full health checks and pedigree and meet the parents. Personally I prefer working lines straight backed. There are too many back street breeders ruining the breed. A well bred GSD is a lovely dog.

You need to do your research, there are plenty of good breeders, but likewise there are a lot of backyard breeders. Stay away from Pets4homes/gumtree type sellers. Make sure parents are healthchecked, you can look up the dogs on Kennel club. Look at grandparents and previous generations, research their temperaments.
My GSD is from health tested parents, and all ancestors have completed Igp trials etc, lots of VA1 champs in his bloodline.
He is very stable, trainable, but highly driven. I do a lot of work with him. He is from working lines.
Even GSDs from showlines can be high drive, so you need to talk to a breeder.

Also being described as "straight backed" is meaningless. Dogs are stood in a stack, with legs positioned in a way that makes the back slope. The back looks "straight" when the dog is not stacked.
What is important is the structure, the confirmation of the dog, how it moves. When choosing a puppy, make sure it isn't nervous, that you see it with the rest of the litter, and the dam. It's not necessary to see both parents, and you are unlikely to. The breeder is likely to have mated their bitch with a carefully chosen stud from another breeder.
If anyone says it is an accidental breeding, run.

Yes. Guide Dogs for the Blind use German Shepherds you can apply to have one that needs re-homing although they may still have issues.

Also, when I choose a puppy, I look for a mother who is gentle with her litter. IME this makes a big difference to the pup's nature.

OP you say that your Doberman was exhausting for you because it needed training all the time, are you sure you can cope with a GsD? They need constant training, even if you bought a showlines GSd it will be more high drive than a Go.den retriever. You won't get away with not training it. It will get bored and frustrated and become destructive.
Perhaps you should get a Goldie

I'm sorry, but I love the breed, and it is heartbreaking how many end up in rescues, just because owners didn't feel like train8ng it properly, or just wanted the dream GSD that would be a beautiful companion, magically well behaved, etc. so after they've created a nervous wreck of a dog because they didn't get one for the right reasons, or didn't think about their own lifestyle, they then dump it at a rescue, and the poor dog gets blamed and labelled difficult.
Don't get a GSD if you couldn't cope with a Doberman or a Rottie. Just don't.

People look at mine, and tell me how they wish their dog was as good as mine. I get stopped 9n walks and asked about my boy.
What no one sees is the hours of patient training, the time spent socialising, structuring his day, fitting things around my dog. I go nowhere, do nothing, without considering what he needs. Some might say it is exhausting, others (mad people) would say it's amazing. From the moment I wake, until the moment I sleep, I think about my dog. I love the exhaustion

I would also look at White Swiss Shepherds. They are white German Shepherds that have been bred for a good pet temperament. They have straight backs. The longer hair seems to be trendy, but you should be able to find one with the shorter stock coat.