When looking for that special Alsatian pup make sure you handle all the pups in the litter and when you pick that special
pup up, ask yourself these questions. Does the puppy squirm and cry and bite to get down? If it does it cannot be an Alsatian
Shepalute!
Does it grab a hold of your neck with both front legs? You may think this is a sign of love, but it is not. It is a sign
of fear of falling down or uncertainty.
If a pup shows that clutching sign, he may be a bit insecure and should be trained accordingly. Proper training can and
will give the dog a more stable personality. Just note that your pup was that way and if you intend to breed him, don't! This
type of pup will bond quickly and will heel automatically.
The perfect personality in an Alsatian Shepalute is a pup that is comfortable with you picking him up and wants to lick
your face and wags his tail. Even one who just accepts it and is loose and comfortable is fine. As a matter of fact, I would
choose that laid back pup myself.
If the dogs you go to see are kennel dogs they are pretty close to a pack formation and they are in their element both
dominant and recessive. Ask to see the dog’s parents outside the kennel and on a leash so you can see how your pup might
be as an adult. If the leash is dropped what will the dog do? Does the dog run off? Does he bark and run and jump around or
does he settle down when talked to? He may just be excited so take your time and just watch. Sit down and observe the dogs,
all of them. How does he approach you or does he? He should be unconcerned with you. He may sniff the air or sniff your jeans
to find out who you are. You may kneel down or sit and he will come off his guard of you. If he is growling at you or barking
at you it may be his training. Of course you do not want to see the parents then. That doesn't mean the pups will be that
way. A barking dog is a shy dog. He is frightened and will usually run away. Remember I am talking about a raw dog, one that
is not trained. My dogs are not allowed to bark at you when I am around. And they usually don’t. They are comfortable
in who they are and they are not afraid of you. Don’t forget you are a stranger. If I let my dogs out of the kennel
they would pay you no mind. If you sat and called them over they would come easily to be petted, but their sole interest would
be in me and what it was we were going to do. The puppies on the other hand love to get out of the kennels and run busily
around getting into trouble, sniffing things and checking stuff out. They would be excited for about ten minutes then they
would sit in your lap. Where are the hot dogs? Shepalutes are not hyper when petted. They will sit there quietly. They will
not squirm, cry, bite, or jump all over you. That is the quality of a dog that is easy to train and easy to control. That
is a dog that will fit nicely into any family situation.
The next thing you do is to ask for a business card and the names and prices of the pups. Take notes, then go home. Think
about it. Go visit other breeds and other pups. Pick them up and feel the difference. Read the standards of the breed and
be realistic about the size and weight of the adult dogs as they would fit into your family’s situation. Get business
cards from all the places you visit and make notes, then go home and think about it!
Please whatever you do, do not judge the pups from the attitude of the humans or the environment where the pups were brought
up. Nor judge the litter by the house keeping of the owners or their hospitality! Judge the pups by the parents and grandparents
and the information the breeder has. Many a good pup may be overlooked, as a pup’s total being is not that of the breeder
or the breeder’s beliefs or lifestyles. If the breeder is a farmer and the pups are in the stable muddy, fat and lively,
it is ok. The most important fact is that the owners know about their animals. If they do not know the grandparents or great
grandparents of the pups, and the parents of the pups are not visible, run do not walk to your car. You do not need to get
a business card. Do not buy that pup or even take it free!
Male or female?
With all the dogs that have gone through my hands as a groomer, trainer and breeder, I feel that I can tell you with certainty,
that the best dog in the world is a neutered male! That is based on the lifestyles of the everyday families of today with
most families living in the city. Let’s examine both sexes:
Females: They do not roam the neighborhood as a male would, they return home and don't go so far. They do mark there
territory but in a different way than a male. They mark the territory to invite male dogs over and to spread the news that
they are ready to breed when they come into season. They are the most docile of their breed in their puppy stage until...
they come in heat, or somebody takes what's theirs. They are possessive and moody.
What if you spay them? #1. Half of their insides have to come out and God put all that stuff in there for a reason. I don't
care how good a veterinarian your vet. is, I believe it is harmful and wrong to put a bitch through that. I will state that
of the thousands of dogs that came through my shop once a year that 90% of the spayed females were touch sensitive on their
bellies. In my opinion, it was because part of them had been removed. It is what I have seen. Some females who had been operated
on twice had to wear muzzles or take sedatives to get through the grooming process. Yes, I said operated on twice! Why you
ask? Because these were pound puppies that no one bothered to transfer records on. Being spayed twice dramatically changed
their behaviors to where no one could pick them up or approach them.
Let’s go on. Females make better guard dogs. They call them bitches for a reason.
Female Shepalutes come into there first heat cycle at around 12 months of age. Female Shepalutes will have a strong desire
to mark their territory and to round up and tease the males just as female dogs do of all breeds. Female Alsatian Shepalutes
coming into heat will fight off any dogs coming into their territory male or female, as this is the place where they will
dig their dens and protect their litters. They are very protective of their territory. Let’s say you do spay your female
Alsatian. The personality of your dog will change a bit depending on the age the dog was when it came under the knife. If
you spay a female at around five months of age, the personality change will be slight. The dog will never be a bitch. She
will not be dog aggressive. She will be friendlier. If you spay late in life your female dog will settle down within a couple
of months. She won’t have a desire to fight off other dogs any longer. She won’t wander at all. She will still
understand marking territory but she will be more like that neutered male only with 1/2 of her insides gone.
Males: Male dogs lift their legs. Male dogs mark their territory to let all dogs know that they have arrived and that
this is their turf! They have male parts that do unsheathe themselves when they get excited. They also lick their private
parts more than a female does unless the female is in heat.
Male dogs have a strong natural desire to roam great distances to find the right females to breed with and they
do not care where they have to go to find one. They will dig, jump or bust out to get to a female down the street. I once
had a female Rottwieler who when in heat and broke down a six-foot wooden gate to get out to tease my stud Alsatian Shepalute.
At around fourteen months of age and in the Spring season, males may become restless. They may whine or howl. They are
masculine and larger than female counterparts of the breed. They look more mature, poised and alert. Male dogs can get more
aggressive with other male dogs than with females only because males won’t fight females most of the time because they
want to be friends when the time is right. But know that a female dog is more aggressive to strange dogs than a male dog is.
The male’s just let the females run them for a while, especially if the male dog is not neutered as it is part of his
make-up. A male dog is curious and wants the strange dog to check him out or come over so he can see if the stranger can be
mounted. A female dog doesn't care about that, unless she's in heat. She doesn't really care for the strange dog and will
act tough. If confronted she may turn and run, unless she is on her own turf. The strongest and meanest male wins. That's
just the way it is, but here’s the secret. Neuter a male pup before his testosterone kicks in and he never knows he
is a male! Doesn't care either. His private parts stay in more and he doesn’t have to lick himself as much.
A neutered male is good looking and sweet. The real secret is the timing of the neutering! Neutered males don’t roam
as un-neutered males do. Some neutered males don't roam at all. Neutered males do settle down more than if they weren't neutered.
A neutered male bonds closer to a human family than an un-neutered male. The un-neutered male longs for that call of the wild,
the neutered male doesn’t ever hear it.
If you have a premonition that your male pup will bite strangers and you do not wish for that character, neutering an Alsatian
Shepalute early will absolutely slow that characteristic down. Mellow the dog out and make him friendlier. I have seen it.
They don't care to leave the family or to pick a fight.
I personally like that stallion like animal. In a large dog, like a Shepalute, I myself would wait till about two years
old before I would neuter him. Now if he is macho or on the mean side, I’d neuter him at eleven months, but know that
I can handle an abusive tough dog. I also live in the country.
Neutering keeps them mentally in a puppy stage, so to speak. They haven't even started lifting their leg up to urinate
until the age of eleven months or so. (Remember, I am talking about Alsatian Shepalutes. Little breeds come into adulthood
much sooner. I am a witness to a male Chihuahua breeding a female at 5 months of age.)
Perhaps I am a little prejudice. Male or female, it is ultimately up to you. I must include in this paragraph that as of
this writing I have never neutered any of my dogs, I do not believe in it as a religious preference. I give you unprejudiced
information so that you can make an educated choice.