By Abhai Kaul.
Parameters to look into when breed selecting a puppy; right age to start training with a GSD:
When selecting a puppy I am looking for harmony and balance in movement. I am looking for puppies that are straight limbed, that are firm, that love to eat, that love to explore, that are engaging and curious. I test my puppies by taking them to areas that they’re unfamiliar with and observe how they act, and like pups that are engaging and don’t skip a beat when their environment is changed. Those are the dogs that will be unfazed when presented with challenges in their life down the road. Being cautious is natural, but recovering and adapting is the sign of a sound character. The puppies that reach their baseline in new situations are the type of puppies I like.
In the United States the earliest the puppies leave the breeder is 8 weeks. I like to hold on to the puppies for a few weeks longer because I want to observe them as they grow a bit further. This is all extremely interesting to me, how their drives shift, how their hierarchies change, how they interact with their environment is all of key importance to me to inform me when they have their children so I can create patterns and continue existing patterns that I have established.
