Well, my girlfriend and I have been looking for a German Shepherd puppy lately and I have been learning about the breed. Recently, we went up to an All Breed AKC Dog Show and met some great people who own German Shepherds. Of course, we all know that the German Shepherd is great for protection and yet is not breed for attack (like a doberman), but rather for herding and protection. In addition, they are excellent in tracking with some 20 milllion scent receptors in their nose. We saw a few get put through their paces during an agility competition and they performed well. However, most the people we talked to wanted a GREAT DEAL of money for puppies some were asking for more than a $1,000 while the least expensive was $600. We plan on going to a few more dog shows in the area before we commit and hope to find a decent price. SO WHY AM I POSTING THIS? Because I thought maybe, just maybe someone on this forum has a German Shepherd or knows of a good breeder who doesn't charge a fortune. I would really be greatful if anyone on here could help me out in finding a puppy. THANKS STEYR BROS.
don't get me wrong here... I like the shepherds too....but if i were you, i might look for a shepherd mix....much less expensive than a purebred, and mutts tend to have less health issues....sometimes purebreds are a bit overbred/inbred (of course this is not the case with really good breeders...but how do you really know?)....I like a good mutt....but that is personaly preference... good luck in your search! G
Yep, mutts are definitely the way to go. They usually can avoid the chronic breed specific medical problems. Mutts also tend to have better personalities and temperments. Then there is the cost, significantly less than a purebred. Matches
Re: don't get me wrong here... Agreed my parents helped put my brother through college on breeding white labs (very rare UK stock). For my poor paycheck-to-paycheck self a lab sheperd mix w/ vet records and both parents on premise at $187 (cost of vet check-ups and shots basicly) is a hell of a great dog. She's now 9 months old and 80lbs and a hell of a dog, can definitely see both the lab and shepard in her features. And of course you know about sheperds and hip displacia. please spay or neuter unless your specificly breeding purebreads (all of you)! Check your local spca shelter and newspaper classifieds. hell if i had that kind of money disposable it would mean a mutt and a fn57 :lol:
Personally, I will never "buy" a pet. Go to the animal shelter and adopt. Not only will you very likely get a better companion, you'll be saving its life. If you are dead-set on a purebreed Shep with papers and all that, I wish you luck in your search. But papers don't make a dog a good pet. Just a pretty one. </rant> Oh, and BTW - $600 is a reasonable price for most purebred dogs.
Yeah, I'm starting to think that the $600 was a great price for a purebread American/German bloodline German Sherpherd. I also like Mutts alot, but I can't get a Mutt AKC certified in anything because they only certify purebread with papers or that are clearly a purebread from photos (and thats hard). I found a younger German Shepherd at a pound and wanted to take him home bad, but then I knew that I would never be able to get him tracking dog certified or even basic obidence certified. Most importantly, without the dog being a registered AKC breed you can't do the agility training which I really want to get into. I'm thinking serously about being involved in my county's search and rescue program and I'd need a dog with full certifications to be involved.
try a dog rescue opperation there are Dog rescue web sites....often dog are given up when an owner can no longer take care of them....don't know if you'll find one with papers, but have a look. http://www.gsdrescue1.org/ Greg
Hello all. I purchased a pure bred all black German Shepherd 2 1/2 years ago. He is absloutely the best $800 I have ever spent. We had a G.S. growing up so I have always has a preference for them. He is incredibly intelligent & obedient...extremely easy to train. I also have a deaf, white pitbull that I rescued as a pup...now she is a different story! There is a great book for anyone looking for proper training techniques..by the Monks of New Skete called "The Art of Raising a Puppy", or when the dog get older for more advanced training.."How to be Your Dogs Best Friend." The Monks of New Skete breed & train some of the most highly sought after German Shepherds in the world. Trying to buy one from them is like the equivelent to trying to adopt a child. Not easy. Both are great books and although the Monks specifically train German Shepherds...their techniques can be used on any dog. good luck!
Its great to see another German Shepherd fan on this website! If you are really interested in learning everything there is to know about German Shepherds you can visit http://www.leerburg.com. The above website has a TON of information on training German Shepherds as service dogs, search and rescue, and Schutzhund along with alot of DVDs and VHS tapes. Good website just check out whether you're looking for a family pet or a working dog.
Two days before Thanksgiving 2004, I found a GSD that had been run over. Called the local animal shelter and they were able to fix the injuries, but it didn't have tags, a chip, a tattoo, or any other identification. He was neglected, malnourished, and had to have a high calorie/protein diet. I ended up adopting him and he is the best dog I have ever had. Never owned a GSD before this one. Please strongly consider a GSD rescue organization. There are lots of young, middle aged, and older dogs available for adoption. Many have papers. Some owners have died, moved away, have new children, lost their jobs, can't deal with the attention and activity that a GSD needs, etc. Check the local animal control shelters or humane societies as they may have a dog like mine for adoption. If you use a breeder, be VERY careful. Insist on meeting both sire and dam and inspect their papers. Look for hip function and symmetry. Many GSDs are overbred and lack proper femoral/pelvic development. This WILL lead to expensive surgery later and misery for the dog and you. Look at the breeding location. Is it clean and orderly? Are the dogs cared for or ignored? GSDs are very emotional dogs and don't do well with neglect. Ask for customer referrals. Puppies should be free from disease and pests like flea, mites, and ticks. I highly recommend the book: German Shepherds for Dummies. Lots of information and references. My vet endorsed it for me as a new owner. Remember, they are highly intelligent and will do things to test you. Mine decided he didn't get enough physical activity and I had to take up running again to keep him exercised and from getting into mischief. His favorite trick is to lay the garbage all over the kitchen floor in a pattern. Once I started exercising him, that stopped. Good luck with a search. Make certain you deserve his loyalty, they deserve nothing less as a noble breed.
yeah I don't think I could have a german shepard because I had a Friend who had a pure bred and it was the most depressing thing in the world when she started getting hip displacia. you could tell that she was in so much pain but she always kept trying to make you happy buy bring ing you toys to play fetch with. You could tell she didn't want to do it but thought she had to. Very depressing.
Hip Dysplasia is hereditary defect that causes the ball of the femur (thigh bone) to not fit properly in the socket of the pelvic bone. The best way to ensure that a German Shepherd or any large breed dog will be free from hip dyslpasia is to take a puppy only when the Sire (father) and Dame (mother) have ORTHOPEDIC FOUNDATION for ANIMALS (OFA). The certification simply means that the animal has been X-rayed and examined by a Vet at it full mature age and weighed for joint problems. A good OFA will look like this GSD432345G24MT. GSD = German Shepherd Dog 432345= The number of that Dog to receive an OFA certification G = stands for good (E for excellent and F for fair) 24 = stand for the dogs age in months (most dogs are examined at around 24 months as that is when they are fully mature). M= male T= tattooed (M microchipped) The best advice I can give any new large breed dog owner is to avoid over exercising your puppy and forget about competition jumps until the dog is fully mature.
The Breeder is just as important I can't stress enough how important the breeder is in this situation. Just make sure the breeder you get your dog from will stand behind the dog. This means that they will take back the dog and give you a cash refund if the dog has problems. This does not include the 1 or 2 year guarantee. Unless you pay for X rays after 1 year you wont recognize hip displasia until its too late. If you go thru the process of putting a dog down because of some inheritance problems the last thing you should want is another dog from the same bloodlines so IMHO the breeder replacing a defective dog is useless. I'm not sure of other states but I know in pennsylvania dogs are covered by the consumer protection act, which basically says the breeder is responsible for the dog for life. this makes PA one of the best states to buy a dog. I know $1200 seems a lot for a dog but realize your going to have him/her around for 12-14 years, so price should be one of the last things to be considered. if you have any other questions feel free to ask, I have 2 setters BTW. B.J.
Nice, I love English pointers amazing how their pointing ability is natural instinct and what amazing bird dogs they make. On a personal note I just got back from watching my first Schutzhund trial and while I missed the tracking test of the trial I did get to watch the obedience and protection tests. WOW, when you see a 90 lbs German Shepherd of pure muscle taking down the "bad guy" you can't help but be impressed. Amazing how intelligent some dogs are and these dogs were the cream of the crop. Been trying to get a training field for the local departments to train on with their dogs, but have been running into alot of opposition from local city councils. The "not in my backyard" folks have made it hard for local department to train anywhere without a million complaints.
