# Looking at a puppy tomorrow - some advice?



## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

Would be my next cadaver dog. Grim is 8 this year so time to start training the next one.

Pup is 5 months old. Czech lines - dont want tied up in the papers too much. I figure by the age I take him, WYSIWYG. 

Taking a teammate so I don't walk away with a puppy (Breeder knows I am waiting for a dog to be about one year old before I 'jump') but may put a deposit....not sure how that works.

At THIS age what shoudl I be looking at?

I was figuring toy throws, tugging, seeing if we can take him off the property (even if breeder goes with) and check on slick floors, open metal stairs, etc., startles......How hard it too hard to push at that age? I want to be fair with the puppy but get the best picture I can.


----------



## Jennifer Michelson (Sep 20, 2006)

bring 'stuff' and see if he likes it!!

try to get pup on any agility type stuff that is around (there were sections of chain link fence lying around when I last looked at puppies, plus a tunnel type item-basically some junk).

Good luck!


----------



## mike suttle (Feb 19, 2008)

At 5 months you may not see much in the way of hunt drive unless the breeder has been developing it along the way, but for sure the agility, environmental nerves, and super possesiveness of all objects should be very pronounced.


----------



## mike suttle (Feb 19, 2008)

I know it may be too late if your going tomorrow, but I can get some video of some of our puppies in that age range for you to see what I look for.


----------



## Gerry Grimwood (Apr 2, 2007)

mike suttle said:


> I know it may be too late if your going tomorrow, but I can get some video of some of our puppies in that age range for you to see what I look for.


Do it.


----------



## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

Mike it would be good to see anyway! 

If it looks promising, I was planning on taking another team member for a 2nd eval in a few more weeks. I don't think two short visits is too much before making a preliminary decision; there is going to be the right dog "out there" so no worry about that.

They are only an hour from me so I hope to be able to check in as we go. I am also going to find out what they *do* with their pups to condition them for work. But I also don't plan on running her ragged without a commitment....that if the dog meets the stated requirements I would take him.

---

Breeder said she threw a toy in the briars and he fought them for 10 minutes to get to the toy. If I can confirm that, that would be pretty impressive.


----------



## Anna Kasho (Jan 16, 2008)

Nancy Jocoy said:


> Breeder said she threw a toy in the briars and he fought them for 10 minutes to get to the toy. If I can confirm that, that would be pretty impressive.


Did he get the toy?

If he didn't get the toy, is he quicker to give up or frustrated and trying to get to it longer on the second go-round?

I probably wouldn't be setting a 5mth old up to fail... But I am curious what happened...


----------



## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

I do not know.....I will have to see what she says.

But I will definitely be doing throws in all kinds of places......And finding out what they do with the pups.


----------



## Sarah Atlas (Dec 15, 2008)

Nancy
what are the parents hip and elbow ratings? be careful with a young pup. Consider if they have or have not t had early exposure to different environmental stimuli, people, kids, ahility. 
good luck


----------



## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

Would definitely not make final committment until it was a 1 year old with hip and elbow and back x-rays and bloodwork. I do NOT want to take home a young puppy. I don't mind risking a deposit.

Father was OFA Fair x Normal at 48 mos
Mother WAS OFA Good x Normal at 57 mos

Only Two offspring of father listed on OFFA were good x normal

Do plan on finding out what they do to socialize the pups. They are doing dogsport as well - says she has not updated the webpage completely. I can check on scorebook. 

I figure they are only an hour drive so worth checking out. 

http://www.workingdogforum.com/vBul...me-advice-19815/www.vomrongermanshepherds.com


Pup is out of Ajsa and Body....To be honest, I don't know enough about the bitework videos on teh two dogs to know what I am looking at....but then again ...pup still a crapshoot anyway.


----------



## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

What about pack drive.....

I have two dogs

Female is West German Working LInes to which I am nothing more than a food/ball dispenser and she has needed prong collars and corrections all along. Very headstrong very independant.

Male is Czech/DDR - lives to please me. Still will range out and work well but is not as independant. Has better drive for toy than the female. Never has needed a prong or a leash correction. I definitely have more of a bond with this dog.

There is kind of a balance there and I don't know how to assess. Want that pack drive but not so much that the dog is handler dependant. I had to fine tune ME with the male becaues I can talk him into a false alert. ....

Can you assess that level of pack drive/ (genetic obedience?) when selecting or do you simply adjust to what you have. What would YOU desire? While I want a dog easy to work with, it is imporant to have a dog who can blow me off if I call them off source.


----------



## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

I look at a willingness to retrieve as the similar to pack drive. 
Thunder has been a natural retriever from the get go but his hunt drive is strong enough that when he's got his head in a search he's totally focused on it.
Trooper has no natural retrieve and he's more apt to be independent when we're walking in the woods. More apt to go off and see if the grass is greener "over there".
On two occasions my gate has been left open (grandkids ](*,)) Thunder goes around to the front and chills on the porch. Trooper wants to see the world. He's not a runner, just not a stay at home kinda dog if he's out unless I'm there to give a "HEY" to get his head back with me.
If they see a squirrel or rabbit Thunder will stare at the last place he saw it for a long time. Trooper is off chasing Leprechauns and butterflies almost as soon as the critter is out of sight.


----------



## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

Well, still not sure. Pups had been out all day but I did not see what I wanted to see in terms of hunt drive. Pup was social and bold, nice ball drive, brought the ball back but a bit distracted for hunting for it out of sight. .......... I will probably go back for a second look in a month or two.


----------



## Jennifer Coulter (Sep 18, 2007)

I know mals and gsds often mature at different rates, but the link below has some little hunt drive tests I did with my pup as she matured in and around the ages you are looking at. I have some indoor hunt vid I tried once with her at 8 months to check drives and her reaction to different environment and surfaces since she was outdoor raised. Pm me if you want a link to that.

It sounds like you know what you are looking for, I'm sure you will find the right dog soon.

http://www.workingdogforum.com/vBulletin/f23/some-vid-16346/index3.html


----------

