When is it Appropriate to Start Visiting Breeders? - Page 2

I think 3 years would be more realistic, however, I put 5 years so I wasn't disappointed if it took longer than 3 years. I know I was quite upset when I guesstimated it'd be about a year until I got my GSD, and still don't have one. 

There should be a SchH trial sometime in February around here. It was supposed to be on the 3rd and 4th of this month, but was cancelled due to the judge being ill. They expect to hold the trial in Feb. 

There is a team member on my flyball team with a WL female who is SUPER fast - something I'm looking for, given I plan to do agility and/or flyball with my future GSD. I have only seen her once and only got to watch her do a few practice runs, but I'll shoot her a message or talk to her next time I see her. 

When I first started to look I was working full time so the first thing I did was to become a member of the Canine Council and the German Shepherd Dog League, then I started going to German Shepherd Specialty Shows, talked to lots of breeders, watched what was happening in the ring and looked at the dogs and finaly decided what I liked in a dog and why.
Finally I chose a breeder whose dogs I liked and waited and waited for almost 2 years until she bred a litter and had a puppy for me. During that 2 years I continued going to shows and in that time I learned a great deal more about the breed.

Good Luck with your search.

I agree totally with Molly. Breeders should be happy to show you their dogs, I know I LOVE showing off my girls to anybody that will watch them work. LOL  The only time I may ask people to hold off is when I have a new litter on the ground and I want the puppies to be at least 3-4 weeks old. I have family and friends that help me socialize the puppies during that time, but I am speaking of just visitors coming in and handling the babies.

They can always come and see the adult dogs any time but I just like to make sure people don't bring anything into the babies. However I keep germX in the whelping room and ask that they clean their hands before handling the babies.  I usually use outside stud dogs and they may be far away, but my females are ALWAYS available for people to meet.

Cynthia Tidmore

To me it depends on whether you are picking a breeder or a dog.  If you are picking a breeder, it can't hurt to start looking now if you think you can resist the puppies.  If you are picking a dog, might as well spend the time and effort watching training, going to trials, talking to people that train and work dogs rather than visiting breeders because even if the breeders are still around they may not be breeding any of the same dogs in five years.

There is one breeder whose dogs I'm in love with. (Online, anyway). This is a breeder I hope to go visit before very long. Resisting puppies wouldn't be too hard, given the fact that I'm in no position to bring one home right now. (However, if I COULD, I believe it would be much, much more difficult). lol 

I don't know if some of her dogs will still be breeding when the time comes for me to look, but I do also like the young, upcoming prospects they have. Overall, I like their dogs. Their progeny is also impressive, and at the rate they're going, I hope that I can get a puppy from them. If they appeal to me in person as much as they do online, of course. ;)

As long as you are clear about your intentions I don't think it's EVER too soon to start.  I started looking 6 years before I actually purchased my WL male. Had a number of phone conversations about the breeder's dogs, pedigrees traits of different dogs they had, or were looking at to breed to down the line.  A family emergency delayed my actually getting a pup for years, but when I was ready one of the 1st "pups" I'd fallen in love with was just due to have her 1st litter.  I'd also talked to the owners of the sire a couple times over the intervening years and was quite sure what I wanted to be able to do, and what kind of personality I wanted from my pup to be even if I wasn't able to train in Schutzhund which had been my dream.
   Ikon is now 2 1/2 years old, a very high drive dog, with boundless energy. But thanks to my time spent talking I also made sure to look for a dog with very balanced temperament (what they refer to as 'clear headed').  If you contact a breeder and find that they're impatient with your taking up their precious time, but not getting a pup from an immediately upcoming litter... then make some more calls and find one who will be a friend and guide as well as just a breeder.  I am glad to call Ike and Demi's breeders as friends, and have confidence they won't blow me off the first issue that might arise regarding the dogs they bred, and we all love.