The most important thing to remember to bring with you when you go to pick up your shepherd is a crate in which to bring her home. New owners often forget to bring a secure way of transporting the German shepherd. This can cause several problems.

With puppies, the ride home is possibly their first ride in a moving car. Puppies are known to have sensitive stomachs, and it doesn't take much motion to make them vomit. If the new puppy is in your lap when this happens, it can be a bit messy. If the puppy is in a crate, on the other hand, this is relatively easy to clean up.

Puppies can also be quite nervous and squirmy during the car ride and have been known to get themselves and their drivers in trouble. Accidents (and near accidents) have occurred when puppies have wriggled underneath the brake pedal, inadvertently hit the automatic window button, or knocked the gear-shift into neutral.

Adult dogs should be brought home in a carrier for all the same reasons: ease of cleaning up after any accidents, limited distracting movements, and safety for the dog in case of a sudden stop or accident. But there's one more reason: Adult dogs have been known to act in unusual ways when in a strange car. In fact, perfectly well-tempered dogs have been known to panic to the point of biting the driver or a passenger in their rush to get out of the car. Play it safe, and keep the shepherd contained during the ride.