[Trickyroo]

I can tell you with much experience that any dog is capable of killing or harassing animals , regardless of breeding or lineage.
We recently had a young shepherd ( our own breeding ) chase down our sheep and really scare the heck out of them. She never hurt them , but you never know if we for some reason weren't there what she would/could have done. But with that said , she was one of the younger dogs not socialized with the goats or the sheep at all. She was in training for someone else , so she wasn't one of our own dogs.
I do want to say that to label a breed a killer like that is just wrong on so many levels I don't know where to start with that one…..
I know of a very experienced person who has a huge flock of sheep and well trained GSDs who help tend them. He is a awesome trainer and someone who raises sheep for a living. His name is Ulf Kinzel and his farm is called White Clover Sheep Farm ( I think ) I forgot exactly , but Im pretty certain thats the name. It all comes down to how you train the dog from a pup. But genetics do play a role as well. You do want a pup from breed surveyed parents , at least I would if I were looking for a GSD. I have a Border Collie who has very high prey drive and can't control himself around the ducks, geese and chickens. He cannot be trusted. But I do have other BCs that I would trust completely. But again , would I take a chance and leave the dog in the pen with my goats , no , I wouldn't . Dogs are dogs , you can take that out of them.
Unless we are talking dogs who are livestock breeds , thats a whole other topic

 

[Trickyroo]

BTW , my husband has been breeding GSDs for well over twenty years.

 

[Trickyroo]

Well , we had baby bunnies , all kinds of critters in the spring around here and none of the GSDs killed them , they we always called off and left them alone . One of my husbands PO dogs ,while on the job, was attacked by a cat , he didn't kill it , just shook it off and kept on the scent/search. He could have killed it , but didn't. Not saying they wouldn't kill something , its always possible , especially when a animal flees from them , its going to be game on , thats just being a dog. Later we found out that this cat was the neighborhood crazy cat and loved to attack dogs , lol.. I haven't seen our dogs set out to kill something , ever. But that one dog in training was a first. The danger is always there.They are more curious then anything , but when a animal flees , it awakens their natural chase instinct. Some dogs have a stronger will to chase and destroy then others do. If I were you , I would look for a breed that doesn't have the higher prey drive , like hounds and Pointers. GSDs since they are one of the herding breeds need the right training and socialization. Any breed/mix can be dangerous , I know , but avoiding the main ones might be a good start. Getting a mix breed can be good or bad , you just never know.
Anyways , I don't know of any breeders in your surrounding areas , but you can go to the AKC website and take a look there. They can tell you the closest ones to you . But just remember , if you can't see and meet the parents , being breed surveyed is a major plus , opt to go someplace else. JMHO.

 

[Trickyroo]

But heck , even a Maltese can be a killer , well , OK , maybe not
But you get th drift , adding a dog to a farm family is tricky to say the least. But if you don't plan on letting it mingle with the animals and just be a house dog , then your choices are wide open. Bottom line , if the dog is trained and completely understands its boundaries , and you don't invite dangerous situations , you should be just fine. But what i always tell people , NEVER expect your dog not to go after , chase or hurt/kill another animal if the chance arises , since you can NEVER guarantee it won't happen. A friends dog was considered so laid back , it could be mistaken for dead sometimes , it did attack a chicken and kill it.
I will never forget that , i was mortified after seeing that happen , but i was a young teenager in the horse world. First animal I ever saw killed and it stuck with me till this day. It happened in a millisecond. What caused this laid back family dog to do that ? Who knows , but it just goes to show they are animals , its in them.

 

[Trickyroo]

We have many people come back to add another pup to their family again and again . A lot of them have other animals , horses , you name it and none of their dogs have killed any animals. I don't and won't ever label a breed as a killer . They are all individuals , like ourselves.You can't bring a puppy home and expect it to figure things out for itself. Its not the training per say , its the socialization in the beginning that shapes the dog and helps it better understand what is expected. I don't want to get into a discussion about GSDs being killers or any breed. I apologize to the OP for the direction your thread has gone. If you are hesitant about a certain breed , then by all means look into another one , listen to your instincts. JMO
Good luck with your search !

 

[Trickyroo]

I totally agree about Ulf Kintzel , he is a very good friend of my husband for many , many years. My husband can't say enough about the lamb dinner he and a friend had there We bought the most beautiful Dorpers this year from him. Ulf's dogs handle hundreds of sheep daily , its a sight to see , just beautiful ! He trains a few of our friends as well. Both working lines and show line GSDs. Both had tremendous work ethic and are the the most loyal , gentle family dogs as well.

All GSDs aren't born "Schutzund" dogs and all those Schutzhund dogs aren't "born killers". Just like all Pit Bulls aren't killers. The build of the dog and the power they possess doesn't label them all killers.
The chance is there with all dogs , no matter the training or the breed.
I prefer Border Collies myself , but I live with many GSDs. Having packs here , you cannot trust them , at all , any of them , this includes the BCs. There are ones I wouldn't trust with the animals , but some I do. I know that dog will hit the ground if I tell it to. Others , the attraction to chase is too strong. But they aren't all killers. Personally there is no dog I would trust whole heartedly.

 

[Trickyroo]

I would like to thank every one for your replies

I went to the link, and read all of his site. I have never seen them actually used to herd, I think it's great that he is using them for what they are originally bred for. I don't think I would train one to actually herd because there isn't much need around here for them to herd, although I might look into it, since we do have cattle that need to be moved from time to time.

I am still really interested in getting a puppy. I know any breed of dog can kill, but this is the breed I want, I have researched for a long time and I like the qualities of the breed. I need to find a good breeder some where close to me, I looked on the AKC site and I think they where all show lines, but I will check again.

Thank you for sharing you thoughts and stories with me

Just a word about show lines. They are awesome workers , that's what we breed , train and show.
Good luck with your search and have fun picking a pup !
And post pictures please :snowbounce: