Pretty sure most of us said that we would NOT buy a GSD from show dogs, but hey dont read the thread BEFORE you comment, just spew some verbal diarrhea. We did say that health was most important.


Again I want to know why people looking for "just a pet" always want low quality dogs, why should pets not be from health tested parents?

I think the most important things are having some sort of an application for potential owners to fill out. You can try your best to find out anything you want to know about them by adding those questions to the application. In our rescue a typical pup adoption fee is $300. I have heard people say the same as you about taking care of what they pay for in a better manner.
I have paid between $45 to Hmm about $300 for dogs. All very well taken care of. Main thing is interveiw, and do vet checks, referances.

Also keep close watch on her with your vet. With her being 7 yrs old and this being her first litter. Most times a female being bred for the first time at 7y can/will have difficulties when it comes to the labor/delivery area.

Make sure your vet keeps a close eye on her during her pregnancy and you read up and ask to know exactly what to watch for. be aware of come delivery time so you can act fast if trouble occurs.

I bought my little Freddie chihuahua from a little old lady in a nearby small town. She raised these three little puppies in the heart of her home, the kitchen. You could see the love and devotion she had for the mom and these babes. She told me she would get up several times during the night to supplement the pups because she was worried they were not getting enough milk from mom. She did interview me, asking what other pets I owned and if I had a fenced yard. I have kept in touch with her, sending pictures of Freddie as he grew and of him with my other dogs. He is very healthy, although he has only one testicle!! The other has not fallen!! He has no papers. I never intended to breed him, I just wanted to experience life with the world's smallest breed. Freddie is a good boy, not aggressive towards other dogs or kids or strangers, as some chis are. Maybe because of his good start with a little old lady in her kitchen.

The moral of my story is to say--I would rather buy a dog from someone who keeps the parents as family members, in the home, on her lap. I do not like the idea of big breeders keeping their charges in kennels out back. I do not care how clean the facility is, how state of the art the care is. Where is the bond, the shared life? I talked to one breeder of Pug Dogs that was actually proud of the fact that her kennel had automatic feeders and waterers. My God, this woman was not even sharing feeding time with these poor dogs.

I agree, the parents should be health tested and checked for genetic faults. But I don't think you must show the dog before breeding it.

Having their dogs in kennels makes people breeders, WTF does that mean?? I know MANY great breeders who health test, trail and show and keep all their dogs as house pets. The only time they are kept apart is when a bitch is in season, or if particular dogs fight. Besides that I will also add that anyone who has had show dogs and went on to trial them would know how much time is spent with each dog. These dogs have to be more than "not aggressive" they have to be tolerant, friendly, out going willing to accept and investigate new situations, hell most show dogs i have met are the most well rounded, loving cared for PETS I have ever seen.

Ya I guess I am just foolish to want a dog that will grow up and look like the breed I paid for, how stupid of me.

Your asinine comments just proves how little you know about true breeders.

I have to agree with Ruffian. I got both of my girls from breeders. Both breeders do health tests (and shared the results with me) and show all their dogs. Mine come from pedigrees that have dual champions-not just show, but hunt trials and field trials, as well.

I was also at both of their homes and saw how the dogs were raised. They were raised as PETS-not a kennel in sight. I saw the dog beds in the house and the furniture covered with hair, lol!

I don't show and I don't breed. What I wanted was a HEALTHY dog-not a dog from someone who has a brittany and their brother has a brittany so they decided to have a litter. For all I know, one of their dogs has dysplasia.

If you're not showing your dogs and you're not health testing your dogs...why are you breeding? The ONLY answer that comes to me is, for the money.

Gosh, Ruffian, chill. I am not breeding any dogs at this time in my life. I raised Pugs for about five years several years back. I loved every minute of it. The adults were all vet checked and good looking dogs. I never had any one complain or a puppy get sick. I had a waiting list for the puppies and people would refer others. I did not advertise after about two years. All of the dogs were house pets and still are nearing the age of 11.

You do not need to get all mean and cuss and stuff. I am just voicing my opinion and stating I feel dogs should be included in the family household, not kept in a kennel. I have never owned hunting dogs or trial dogs. So, please, keep your cool. I don't want your blood pressure going up. I love all my dogs, even if they could never win a dog show! They are my faithful companions, part of my family.

umm where did I "cuss"???

Razz, your boy needs to be neutered ASAP! Dogs that retain one or both or their testicles are prone to cancer.

Ruff---wtf--i think i know what that means!

Rott--he just turned 6 months and he will be neutered very soon. He is still so very tiny, just a little bitty guy, so I worry about him going under for the procedure and I know it will be more than a cut and snip for him, since they will have to dig for the other one. Poor bugger, the one he has is only the size of a pea. I love him to pieces, he is so darn cute!

My Pugs are all spayed now. We lost Dudley the studly boy two years ago. My little Griff is spayed. I would like to breed Stella, my Mastiff. I had such fun with the Pug puppies and it enriched my life. I have several albums filled with pictures and cards from people that bought puppies from me. I still get a box of chocolates from one person every Valentine's, 8 years now!! I still get calls, people looking for Pugs and it has been several years now since I had puppies. I wish I carried on my line, but I started working more hours and felt I did not have the time to devote to them. And it is a big job, keeping them all clean and socializing them. I miss the puppies. Oh my God, were they ever sweet and cute, fat and sassy. The only problem I had with them was an occasional umbilical hernia. I have heard some Pugs need a procedure where they widen the nares, a nose job. Only one of my pups had that done, and I think the owner should have gotten a second opinion. All their knees were sound--no luxating patellas.

Anyway--Stella will have her hips certified before I breed her and an ok from my vet. The pups will be raised in my house with me hovering over them like a mother hen!!

You I think every person out there looks for something different in a breeder... here's the thing... when something goes wrong, most people, regardless of whether they paid $50 or $1000 want to blame the breeder... that's where all the breeder legislation stems from. Disatisfied customers who ideally want something for as little as possible.

To the OP - you've gotten some great advice. Since this is an "oops" I would also recommend looking at your expenses for the litter and dividing that by the number of puppies - THEN I would add in the price of the spay for the dam and neuter for the sire... and that would be a reasonable price. If it ends up being less than $100... maybe ask $100-150 a puppy with money back when you get proof of spay/neuter on the pups from their new owners.

My biggest reason for recommending spaying on the female is that as she gets older, her risk of a pyometra increases... it would be in her best interest to be spayed. And with the male... now that he's got the breeding thing figured out, he'll be out looking for his next girlfriend and could become a neighborhood nightmare.

Oops litters happen. Spaying and neutering is a personal choice (I do require it on my puppies - but I'm up front with buyer's about this so they know before choosing to use me as a breeder). I appreciate that the OP hasn't ONCE stated they want to repeat the breeding or are interested in making money. They just want to be responsible.

I'm not saying that pet owners shouldn't breed - I'm saying very few do it well. They don't test. They don't know if their dogs are sound or have good structure. They think if the vet says they are healthy that is sufficient. This is fine until you breed a whole litter of puppies with hip displaysia. BYB's usually have very well socialized puppies. I agree. Very rarely do they have good quality, genetically sound dogs.

It's not about showing... it's about knowing your breed. With MOST breeds, being knowledgeable needs to include showing...

I can understand the "oops" litter. Been there myself. But mine was because i didnt know that they can still be fertile for up to 60-90 days after they are neutered. I did not want to breed. Especially having a breed that is prone to so many whelping problems. Money was not an issue. Good homes were my only concern. Frenchies go from anywhere from 1500 on up. I kept a pup and sold the other two at half of that. My vet bills were more than i recieved for the pups. I just wanted to place them with people i know and trust. I wanted to be able to see them grow and be a part of their lives. With Shepherds having larger litters, you will probably not be as lucky as me in being able to place them with a family members and friends. Just be very choosy. When we are searching breeders, we ask questions. ALOT of questions. You need to be just as diligent in seeking out prospective homes. Ask ask ask ! lol Also stipulate that you be allowed a home visit. If the prospective buyers wont allow one, then that would be a red flag to me. Good luck with your babies and hopefully you will post some pics.

Dusty--I like the idea of the breeder asking potential buyers to allow a home visit. Good one!