Breeder, Shelter, Rescue?

[ladyjubilee]

Did you get your dog from a breeder, a shelter or a rescue? Did you really know what you were getting into?

If breeder, why did you pick that line? Is what you expected?

If a shelter or rescue, did you know what kind of dog it was? And if a shelter or rescue, is your dog a mix? Were you prepared for the dog you got?

And if you are a breeder what do you do try to ensure people who get your dogs are prepared? What do you do to keep dogs from your kennels out shelters? What happens to you dogs that are not "perfect"?

[Tim91118]

Nothing in life is predictable. All we can do is be ready and up for the challenge.

[centrop67]

Radar's story is here in other threads. He came from Miami-Dade Animal Services where he was listed as a "Shepherd" mix. That's not entirely false - based on DNA, he's 50% DS, and ~25% GSD and ~25% Mal.

On his first visit to the vet (same day we rescued him) the vet suggested possible Malinois. I picked up a Malinois book, and there was a couple of pages on Dutch Shepherds. Bingo.

I would not have chosen this breed, but I became too attached to Radar from the beginning. I made it a mission to understand the breed and do my best to fulfill his needs. No regrets.

[ladyjubilee]

I'll answer my own questions. Shelter. Wow, she's a whole lot of dog. Had I known then, I might have held out for the dog I was slated to adopt. I'd never even heard of a Dutch shepherd and thought the shelter made it up. But would have missed out on a great dog who is far more than we could have hoped for. I think she's a mix, but have spent $$ on training instead of DNA testing

[Susannah]

Jedi is from breeder. I have had dutch shepherds before, have taken them all like Take or we kill it-type. Dogs with very bad behaviour proplem, mostly reactivity+bad nerves+and bad handlers. One was like afraid of Everything, but it was really bad. She heard rollerblade sound from afar- didnt Come from under the bed until next day. And aggressive going dog with stranger issue, but She went fine after long term positive training, and She was like killing straight, all people and animals Who just looked afar.

Jedi is cross, rare u would say. Pure breed dutch and fci registered. But he is half longhaired and half shorthaired.
So u would say he is 50showline and 50 knvp line.
Dunno if there are longhaired In outside eu at all, but here they are More popular than shorthaired, because they are not as drivey as shorthaired, and long fur is oh so beautiful so there are many competing In international dog shows. Sadly, their health is going under, cause so little of genepool, so there are lot of proplem with nerves cause people valuate fur over personality.

Yeah, i wanted dutch cause i really like their personality traits, very different from gsd or pure mal. I like their ability To calm down at home and be themselves.

So, i said To breeder i want the most calm and hardheaded puppy from them. And thats what i got really

[ladyjubilee]

I think it's definitely a lot harder to get a puppy or a dog from a shelter, especially not knowing the backstory or what you're possibly getting into and I really admire people who put in the time, effort and determination to make it work. For a first time DS owner I think that would be especially hard.

I at least had Dals, Parson terrier and Rat terrier mixes, so the energy level wasn't a shock. Then intensity was definitely an eye opener, though. Without this forum we would have really been up a creek, because I've never taken a dog to a trainer before. I can't imagine being used to Labs or other milder dogs and discovering you have a DS.

Of course, my kid would bond with a DS, while being terrified of Pomeranians and Poodles.