Finding the right breeder...

[MollyMoon]

Hello!

I am new to this breed and I am in the process of researching different breeders with the hope of purchasing a dutch shepherd puppy at some point in the future.
I would love to hear about anyone's positive (or negative) experiences working with ds breeders, so that hopefully I can make an educated choice when picking a breeder.
I am looking for a dog who will be a great companion. A dog with a loyal and affectionate personality who loves to be with and around people. I plan on doing basic agility and obedience with my dog and also going on hikes. I am not looking for a dog with high drive or that is super high energy. I don't plan on competing or showing.
I would really appreciate any recommendations for helpful and reliable breeders who produce healthy dogs with even/well-rounded temperaments.

Thank you so much for the help!

[dogbyte]

make sure they do OFA's for sure...don't fall for the "dutchies don't have bad hips"....some of us have learned that lesson the hard way...watch for breeders that very closely in-breed..My dutch is a Craigslist find...her breeder is advertising a litter that her dad (and my dog has crap hips) was bred to it's 1/2 sister.....a good breeder of any breed takes back their dogs if it is ever needed, offers to answer lots of questions, works their dogs, and try their best to match the puppies with the buyers.....Rossi is very OCD on her spinning, reactive and unfriendly to strangers...but the smartest dog i've ever worked with...makes me want another, but better bred, some day

[Raven]

There's other threads about this, if you care to look.

Seven Pines Kennel in TX (Judith) and Northwoods in TN (Christie).

Why does a DS interest you if you are looking for a dog without high drives? Plenty of other breeds, including mixes, make great agility and family companions--and often with less work. (A DS is LOTS of work.)

You could contact NADSR (North American Dutch Shepherd Rescue). The dogs are fostered and assessed. Occasionally, there might be a lower drive dog.

[MollyMoon]

I will look into those breeders, thank you for the recommendation!
One of the reasons that I am looking into getting a Dutch shepherd, is because I want a dog who has natural protection instincts. I live alone, and would like a dog that can provide me with a sense of security.
Because I am new to the breed, my thought is that a dog with less drive would be somewhat easier to work with. I may be wrong in this assumption, but the impression that I have gotten is that low drive dogs typically have a little less energy and may fit what I am looking for better. In addition, I do have cats, poultry, and other small animals, so I need a dog who I can trust around them, (low prey drive).
I am in the process of reading as much as I can about this breed to make sure they are a good fit for what I am looking for.

Thank you for the help!

[Stacy_R]

I am not looking for a dog with high drive or that is super high energy.

Can I ask a question? If you are not looking for a high drive, high energy dog, then why Dutch Shepherds? I understand the desire for a dog who has a natural protection instinct, but other than that...what led you to this breed? High drive and high energy are 2 of the major characteristics of the DS...

[Mobil]

Dutch shepherds do not have a low prey drive.

I've got two who are somewhat low drive (for Dutches). We have cats, and they are "fine" with them and will lay down with them. Until the second they move like prey, then it's ON. I've already had to forcibly extract a cat from the jaws of my male. I don't know that of have them around poultry!
Also, my low drive Dutches have drives higher than any of my German shepherds had.

You have no idea what you're getting into if you think a lower drive DSD means anything but a dog with a drive higher than you've experienced. That's been my experience, anyway, and my dogs might not be full DSD, since I don't know their parentage.

I Would suggest a LOT more research.

[Raven]

You know the saying "Be careful what you wish for...?" When you say you want a "protection" dog, you're actually meaning breeds of dogs who are meant to protect because of their breeding...which means they require specific--knowledgeable--guidance and training. A LOT of it. And on-going.

Often, people think they want a protection breed when really a dog, most any dog, will do the trick since dogs are a good, general deterrence. Not all, but many dogs including mixed breeds, have a protective instinct once they bond with you (which will sometimes with some dogs need to be curbed).

Another thing is this: when you own a protection breed it can up the ante in regard to liability. All dogs need training, but this breed would require more from you than you may realize or care to invest of yourself. I can't stress this enough.

A DS wants to work, have jobs, rock-and-roll, move, move, move. They also want to be the boss, and they'll run rough-shot over you if you don't know how to handle them (though with respect and fairness).

Some folks on here have cats, and while their DSs may get along with them, it took work, and still requires supervision. But like others have said, let that cat move like prey....And that's the way it is with other critters and children, too. Loud noises and movement kick in their prey drive. It can be channeled, with work, and that part of the training is another thing for you to consider.

They're great dogs for many reasons, but what makes them so unbelievably great are the very things that make them such a BIG commitment. They aren't easy.

And they take A LOT of your time. Every day. Every. Day. Especially the first few years.

[Stacy_R]

I ditto everything Sharon just said. Everything.

[Owned-By-Hendrix]

I agree with everyone here, especially about the protection. These guys do protection like they do everything in life: high, high, high, go, go, go, go. It's never a matter of turning them on for protection it's a matter of turning them off, which never stays off.

A dog with a loyal and affectionate personality who loves to be with and around people.

DS are naturally aloof. They do not "love" to be with people. They love to be with their people/person. Only them. My dude tolerates other people existing in his space when we're out but if someone were to make a wrong move it's on like Donkey Kong. Again, the protection instincts kicking in.

Not trying to make these guys sound like Kujo or super aggressive, but they are certainly a breed unlike anything anyone has owned. Owning a DS is a 110% dedication to the sheer amount of time training and dedication this breed takes (count hours of training and walks multiple times a day, as well as constantly learning yourself how to teach them), that they are basically a limited people dog/one person dog, and can have insanely strong protection instincts that you will always have to address through fair and consistent training.

[Stacy_R]

It's never a matter of turning them on for protection it's a matter of turning them off, which never stays off.... constantly learning yourself how to teach them),

Yes.

[cordeliandemon]

my guy demon may be only 4 months old but i definitely agree with everything being said here, and personally all i can say is just dont. a dutch shepherd is not what youre looking for here.
a low drive dutch shepherd is a high drive anything else, and all your cats/poultry whatever will be painting the walls. i used to think my malamute was high drive, ive seen her parading a very large and very dead fox around the garden like a chew toy and im literally the only person in this world who can control her. i dont trust her around the cats but she gets the basic idea that they belong to me and shes not aloud within 3 feet of them.
as for my dutch shepherd the cats are a no go, all he wants to do is eat them and i dont have any expectations of that ever changing. now that i have him the malamute just looks like a big calm potato of a dog (and malamutes are not a dog for everyone either).
theyre not lazy or low energy, they want to hunt and kill anything small and preylike. i love him but hes exactly what i expected and what i like in a dog, our journey is just starting and its no easy road.

if you want a low energy cat/bird friendly dog find a breed that fits those criteria, it isnt this one.
thinking of the welfare of you, your pets and the prospective dog when i say all this.

[LyonsFamily]

Why not consider a rough haired or long haired FCI Dutch? They're quite a bit more geared toward pet dogs and very few have working/bite work backgrounds, so the drives would be lower. I really don't think a traditional working line dog sounds like it would fit into your lifestyle and plans for it. While the FCI dogs in the other varieties will still need plenty of exercise and things to do, they would probably be easier to get to settle in the home and tend to be more people social, rather than aloof.

The new AKC breed club mainly has members with non-working dogs and might be a good source for a litter that won't make a good bite sport candidate, but would likely fit into an active pet home much better. http://www.americandutchshepherdassoc.org/

[dogbyte]

When you wake up to a Dutch in the morning, who needs caffeine?

[MollyMoon]

I appreciate all the advice and info! I will look into the long haired and rough varieties, I wasn't aware that they typically have lower drive. I have read several posts where people talk about their DS and cats getting along fine, is this uncommon? I happened to find a breeder quite close by, my hope is to meet a few young and adult Dutch Shepherds so that I can have an experience with the breed and get a feel for what their personalities and energy levels are like. I have a lot more research to do before I make any decisions, and I am looking into other breeds too. Thanks for all the help!

[Mobil]

When you wake up to a Dutch in the morning, who needs caffeine?

ME. I need caffeine. LOL