Selecting your german shepherd
 

Choose a puppy that appears healthy and substantial   NEVER CHOOSE A GERMAN SHEPHERD PUPPY FOR COLOR - the most important aspect of a dog is it's trainability factor, health, hardiness and physical soundness.  Dogs bred for a certain color alone have poor genetics in the important areas.  This can be a tremendous problem later.   Always check the pedigrees to make sure that there is no inbreeding.  Inbreeding can be a real problem with health issues as the dog grows.   German Dogs direct from Germany offer the best information regarding health, and trainability.  Due to the strict breeding standards there should be no inbreeding and no dogs bred without having earned their working titles and Breed Survey.  These are tools to help breeders know which dogs are worthy of being in the gene pool.   Stay as far away from the backyard breeders and cheap dogs as you can, these dogs will not embody the qualities a top notch well bred German Shepherd.   These dogs can actually be unpredictable, unstable and untrainable and a real liability not only to you but to the breed.  Do not support people who breed dogs with little or no knowledge of this great breed.   Once you choose your breeder go often to the breeder and play with the puppies.  If the breeder has mastered the breeding of German Shepherds the puppies should all look like they came out of the same 'cookie cutter'.   Temperaments and trainability should be consistent throughout the litter.  Males usually are larger and females smaller.  There should be no runts.  Visiting often you can see which puppy you gravitate to or vice versa.    If you are not able to go to the breeders most good breeders are excellent at picking a puppy for your needs.  Be specific regarding your requirements i.e. house and pet companion, show dog, breeding dog, or a dog for work.   Don't rule out a puppy that is apathetic the first time you visit, or one that is shy.  They could just be having a bad day.  If for some reason a puppy consistently shows this behavior I would stay away from him.   Look for happy fun loving puppy - you can't go wrong.   GOOD LUCK