Reputable breeders in or around Texas.

[yardbird]

Howdy! First post here. Been on the hunt for a Dutch Shepherd but want to make sure I get the right one for me. Specifically, a DS not bred for sport/performance or K9 duty. Non KNPV lines I suppose. I'm in Texas and unfortunately Google has only provided me with so much. I found a breeder in Michigan (cher car kennels) that breeds for what I'm looking forward, but that's a bit out of the way.

So, with that in mind, any breeder recommendations around Texas that breed for the temperament I'm looking for? Willing to leave the state. Michigan too if I have to.

Thank you!

[LyonsFamily]

What do you want in the dog? Cher Car breeds for sport and performance and has KNPV dogs in their pedigrees. Yes, they have conformation titles, but most if not all of those dogs also do some sort of sport work.

If you're looking for more of a "pet", why not looking into rescue for one with lower drives and has proven its temperament in a foster home? DS require a lot of work, especially when getting a puppy. If you don't want to do any sport or performance, you have to make sure you're giving a good outlet and still doing some sort of training constantly or you're going to end up with a problem dog.

Most of the Longhaired and rough coated breeders in the US don't do a lot of competition things with their dogs besides a few that do conformation and agility. You might try contacting the parent club for AKC to get some references. Personally, I'm not sure why you'd want a watered down dog and look for a Dutch Shepherd that's a WORKING dog.

[yardbird]

I'm certainly not looking for a "watered down" dog... I'm just not interested in a dog bred entirely around one specific trait or characteristic. I want a more well rounded dog, which is exactly what Cher Car seems to be providing.

From their site:

In searching for a Dutch Shepherd, you will find a variety of breeders, most of whom are breeding strictly for performance. Thus, the dogs that they produce, while “striped” on the outside, are much more like a Malinois on the inside! ...

I feel that the Dutch Shepherd should be a good, medium between the high intensity of the Malinois, and the strong work ethic of a German Shepherd. The typical Dutch Shepherd should work all day, and then snuggle with you on the couch that night. These dogs should be able to fit into whatever situation they find themselves in, and will not require a gifted handler.

Consider one of our Dutch Shepherds if you have enjoyed a German Shepherd in the past, like what you hear about Malinois but are concerned about their “neediness”, or would like a very versatile pet. A Dutch Shepherd can fulfill as many different spots in your life as they have stripes!

In looking for a dog, I was attracted to the DS because of my own lifestyle. I own my company and work from home. I have all the daily freedom in the world, and on most days that means 4 to 6 hours of outdoor activities from cycling, running or hiking. I'm often in Colorado with my friends hiking at altitude. I want a companion that will thrive in that kind active environment, and the Dutch sounds more than capable. Not only that, but I fell in love with GSDs at an early age. Previous to this I've own three German Shepherds and an Akita.

So that's what I want in a dog. If anyone has breeder suggestions that would be great.

[LyonsFamily]

There are going to be a lot of breeders then that fit that description. I don't know of any in Texas though. Even though one breeds for sports dogs, there are dogs available in litters that are better suited for active families.

Christie Meyer in Tn is very knowledgeable about her litters and could set you up with a good match. While she has dogs doing bite work, many puppies are in family settings including her own. She's on here occasionally, but is best found on facebook on the group Northwoods and Thunderhawk Canine Dutch Shepherds. I met 2 dogs bred by her last year at a show owned by Samantha Hanna, she's on that group too along with many other puppy buyers and they are very well rounded dogs. Christie has her adults certified as therapy dogs.

Les Flores in California breeds FCI registered short hairs. There are a few people on here with his puppies that don't do any bite work.

Asheley Winters in Utah has dogs as well. I've only met 1 dog from her breeding, but he was pretty well rounded and fairly social.

Those would be the main ones I recommend outside of Cher Car. Cheryl has nice dogs too. I see A LOT of her dogs and offspring at local obedience and conformation trials and she bred Cash who is huge in dock diving. All of these breeders can recommend someone for you as well.

[Owned-By-Hendrix]

There was a guy who just posted in the Rescue form about a DS mix that may fit, he's in Corpus Christi. There's also a few on NADSR too.

I don't think there's any breeders in TX besides backyard breeders, not from my searches when I was looking.

Whichever route you decide to go down, I hope you find the right pup for you!

[LyonsFamily]

Texas is a hotbed for rescue DS and malinois, especially puppies. Unfortunately, NADSR doesn't have too many foster homes in Texas, so you don't see a lot of them as available. If you submit a foster app to NADSR, you could very well be placed with the perfect dog that isn't listed. Even if you don't adopt that one, fostering the breed before buying will give you a better idea about what you're getting into and what to look for in a future puppy. I have two DS found through NADSR's courtesy postings (and my mal obsessed friend Karin who likes to see me drink and talk me into crazy dogs). I understand wanting a puppy from a good breeder, my next will be from a breeder, but taking taking care of an older dog will teach you a lot about this breed and there are still a lot of purebred puppies coming in through rescue.

[Owned-By-Hendrix]

I take back what I said about no breeders in TX, for some reason all I could remember was craigslist ads from people who didn't look/sound legit. I think Seven Pines is in TX somewhere. And they are by no means a backyard breeder - very awesome dogs but I think mainly KNPV.

My PSA club has a breeder of GSDs and she was talking about the difference of her DS and her two GSDs. She said she was not expecting the different energy levels between the two; her DS was much more drive-y and energetic than her GSD. And her DS is considered "lower energy" then some of the working dogs in the club. There are of course exeptions to every saying. But fostering is a fantastic way to get a feel for the breed and you may just find the perfect companion. I would love to adopt my next dog from NADSR and will be fostering some once my current puppy doesn't require my constant all seeing eyes every minute.

Plus, and I mean this with all the love in the world, but DS puppies are hellians. I think there's a YouTube video from Leerburg that's called "so you want a high drive puppy" or something. Just footage of a mal puppy doing it's thing. Pretty close to what a DS pup does, in my opinion.

There's some threads on here about our DS pups. You should take a look through them too. I know when I was making the decision of getting an older versus younger DS, those helped me a lot.

[johninny]

for example, the humane society in paris, TX, is very good about keeping track of DS pups that show up in their area pounds and give them special attention if needed. are you anywhere near there [ if you would want to consider that route ] ? my Xander came from there as a 10-12 week old stray and exceeded any expectations i could possibly have had. i will be glad to make inquiry to the right people if interested.

attached pics are Xander at 6 to 8 months old

[icvanstra]

Judith in Texas hasn't done a breeding that I know of in a long time. But you could ask her if she knows of anyone else in Texas.

I recommend you reach out to Christie - she generally has a good idea of who is doing a breeding.

Judith isn't online as much as she used to be and Christies spends more time on facebook now.

[yardbird]

Thanks for all the information everyone! I've been in contact with Seven Pines, but doesn't sound like there are any puppies planned.

I'll definitely contact Christie next.