New from Illinois

[Illegal Regal]

Great forum, been reading posts for weeks now
. Although I don't have a DS yet I think I've found a breeder with an upcoming litter I'll get a pup from. Through all of my research it seems they'll be from a stout bloodline...Zeva from Jett land of oz bloodline and Timo from Vandalia. I haven't found much on the breeder, emerald wolf kennels, maybe I can get some insight from you guys? From my little conversations so far I feel pretty confident with choosing them.

Before I settle should I be asking them for any specifics or request anything?

Thanks
Aaron

[Schlussdibusti]

Hello Aaron:

Welcome to the forum!

I do not know any DS breeders beside the ones active on this forum. But I went to Emerald Wolf Kennels website http://www.covert-k9.com. They list the OFA Hip and Elbow ratings which is a good sign. The only odd thing that struck me was that they call KNPV a Belgium's Police K9 program not Dutch.

Based on paper, the litter sounds very promising. What are your plans for the pup ?

[Illegal Regal]

Family pet first and foremost and down the road we'd like to get into dock diving and myself I like schutzhund.

[Schlussdibusti]

oops I think I got the web address wrong http://www.emeraldwolfk9.com/

[Schlussdibusti]

Okay, I don' know how to say it nicely without offending you.........

BUT..........

Why do you want a DS out of KNPV lines as a pet and dock diving (foremost) and Schutzhund (may be)?

Here is a link to a recent posting on this forum from someone who got a puppy out of similar lines as a pet:

http://www.dutchshepherdforum.com/viewt ... 768#p29768

Here is what KNPV line dogs LOVE to do: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPXL33bufn0

Here is a video of a DS puppy litter http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1j_-T2a5G-M

Don't bother with cute chew toys, get a bite pillow and bite sleeve These prey drives need an outlet! Is your family ready for a this?

Just a well meaning post, even if it doesn't sound like it.

AND..........

if you get the puppy anyway, please don't have it neutered. If it turns out to be too much to handle and you need to look for a new owner, at least it has a chance within the working dog community.

ok, I got it off my chest

[Illegal Regal]

Their needs don't scare me off any bit, and I would never allow neutered or spayed.
I mention dock diving as it looks fun for both dog and family or family members to do. We've looked at many breeds and we want an intelligent agile fun dog and a DS fits the bill. I would love to get it involved in as much as possible.

[johninny]

but Eva was addressing your choice of the most extreme line of DS. there can be a huge difference among these dogs - from tear-your-hair-out barely manageable to OMG, i have no idea how to control this dog!
the issue raised is not whether your breed choice was well-considered, but whether going for the over-the-top segment of an over-the-top breed is wise. if you have children or a job, it may well be more than you can cope with. you have not mentioned details of your life and how you would deal 24 hours a day with a breed that wants our attention 24 hours a day, but i gather you have done your in-depth research on the breed and read all the nightmarish stuff that is interspersed with the general adoration of DS that you will find here. but i will say that even a run-of-the-mill DS is a full-time job; they are relentless - so if you do not handle them perfectly, you have a real problem. of the 6 ''run-of-the-mill'' DS i have had, 3 have been so relentlessly energetic that, among many other things, when they run [ including especially in the house] they plant their running legs on the walls - and i mean completely off the floor - as they curve or turn with such speed and force that they can defy gravity for about 7 running feet of wall or 4 paws 3 feet up the wall for a turn. and this is when they are not using that energy in a pointedly obnoxious way! i know it does sound great, though the potential for accident-type danger is very high [ as i am sure we can all attest]. i think Eva's question - but at lease my question - is why would you want to multiply all that energy up to the point where the difficulties and dangers jump by orders of magnitude and are truly daunting unless you are an experienced professional devoting your full time to the dog.

[Illegal Regal]

So you're saying I should shy away from this bloodline?

[johninny]

you will get agility, [power], [athleticism], intelligence, and hopefully fun [ if you put in the time, respect, and love ] in spades with any DS. i think Eva and i are saying, why push your luck unless there is a specific reason for it AND you are professionally capable of handling it. the post Eva put up there was from a member of this forum who already had 2 DS, but found a dog from the working line that interests you a shock/ exceeding their capabilities and as a result having to part ways with that DS, despite that dog getting along with the other DSs in the family. unless you have had a full-on experience raising a DS, it is difficult to appreciate how high the baseline of energy, intelligence, and difficulty is with this breed never mind then how very much higher it can go. [ and btw, energy + intelligence = difficulty - by the rules of dogdom ]

[LyonsFamily]

I am in agreement with Eva. Some lines of Dutch Shepherds may be perfect for you, but I wouldn't settle for one out of this litter solely because of puppy availability, cost, location, etc. Have you talked to the breeder in extent about their lines and your realistic goals with the dog including how often you plan to train and how serious you are about Shutzhund? Also, do you have a dock diving location near you to train? We got into dock diving a while back, but there's not a whole lot around to make training multiple times a week (what a working DS would need) possible.

When I was looking for my second DS, I did contact a breeder and told her about my plans and was told very honest opinions about her dogs. The female she had available would not have been happy in our situation and I found a much better suited one after a little effort. Nobody knows their dogs better than the breeder. No reputable breeder wants to get their dogs back because it doesn't work out, so if the breeder doesn't ask you in depth what your training plans are and makes sure the dog is suitable for it before taking your deposit, that would be a big red flag for me.

Have you checked out Cher Car Kennels? If you're big into dock diving, they produced Cash, one of the top ranked dogs in Ultimate Air Dogs right now. I just went and watched him jump this weekend and have seen him around in a few local dog shows. I think that temperament would be more your style. Depending on where you are in Illinois, Cher Car isn't too far.

[johninny]

re Stephanie's comment, my 4-month old from CherCar has wings.

[asheleylane]

Well, ONE of the parents has OFA done :/