This page is all about our German Shepherd Mixed Breed Dog, Rex. We like to call him our German Shepherd though, due to his loyalty to us, his high intelligence, and of course his good looks. He was advertised as a "handsome male GSD puppy" by the ASPCA. When we went to look at him, he was in a small kennel with the ugliest dog we had ever seen! He was so happy to go home with us, after Herman made the decision to keep him!
Rex WAS with us 14 years. He was the most enjoyable companion dog. He was approx. 9 mths. old, according to the Vet, when we picked him up. It took one time to house train him! As you can see - he was very handsome. His temperament - outstanding! He would never pick a fight, but he wouldn't back down if another dog picked one with him. He lived in the house with us. Rex was the easiest dog to train either of us have ever had. His good manners and obedience is rubbing off on our purebred German Shepherds now. We were so fortunate to have Rex. It goes to show that a person can find a great dog at a shelter. Herman made the decision to keep Rex.
Again - you have to do your homework and know what you're dealing with when you get a puppy because it is a lifetime commitment! Herman knew what to look for and checked Rex out thoroughly before making that commitment.
It is the same with purebred dogs, except you have the advantage of knowing what a purebred dog was bred for. Another advantage is that you can study the pedigree to see what kind of history that particular purebred dog has in it's background whether it be champions or health information.
With a "mixed breed" - or even a purebred German Shepherd Rescue or Shelter dog - you are taking the chance that it won't work out due to the fact that you don't know anything about the dog's history. A mixed breed puppy may or may not turn out what you think it will be when it grows up. You may or may not want to keep the dog. Then what? Do you take that dog to the pound or drop it off at someone's doorstep, as some do? That is why there are so many dogs in pounds and shelters. People are not breeding dogs responsibly when there is a litter of unwanted "mixed-breed" puppies. They end up at the pound and are either adopted "lucky" - or put down.
We believe that responsible breeders should only breed purebred dogs that are healthy and have a pedigree. A puppy's history for the person making a decision to have a life long commitment to a puppy is very important information to have! With a purebred dog, you pretty much know what the dog will grow up to look like and become.
You can go to www.akc.org to see what each and every breed was bred for originally. I encourage you to read about the breed standard to see if the particular breed you're interested in is the right one for you and your family. Don't forget - your family is going to have to live with that dog too! You are not as likely to end up taking a purebred dog (that you've done your homework on) to the pound or somewhere else if you or a family member decide that you just can't live with that dog!
When getting a purebred, and using the information you need to make an informed decision - you may just end up with a wonderful loyal companion for life - and that is the true happiness we and our dogs share with each other!
Where Excellent GSD Breed Standard is our Goal
