<p>I see the parent cafe more as of a miscellaneous section of this forum, so that is why I am posting here, however:</p>
<p>Recently I have been trying to get a puppy. We looked in a newspaper ad and saw a white german shepard pup for $375 and decided to go for it. We were suppose to pick it up today, but after further research we called off. Apparently, its extremely bad to buy a puppy off a newspaper ad, since the owner cannot be trusted. In addition, the puppy may have diseases, or may not have been a pure bred causing for many future veterinary trips meaning more money. Also, the puppy was only six weeks old and I read that you should wait until ten weeks before taking a puppy from its mother. Can anyone confirm this? Is buying a puppy this difficult, should you only buy from a well known breeder? Any help would be appreciated, please and thank you.</p>
<p>I’m not the best expert in the world, as I’ve only had 3 dogs in my life because each of them lived about 15 years. But I go to dog shows, etc.</p>
<p>What kind of dog do you want? How much research have you done? </p>
<p>Normally I pick out my puppy when they’re about 6 weeks, then bring them home when they’re about 8 weeks. As far as newspaper ads, I disagree that such owners “cannot be trusted”. A lot of good reputable breeders breed for show dogs, but most puppies aren’t show quality; so these breeders have to sell their pet quality puppies some how, and they sometimes put ads in the paper.</p>
<p>Some dog breeds are prone to certain conditions, and good breeders take care to deal with that. You do have to watch those breeds to make sure the puppies (e.g., hip displasia in german shepherds) have been screened.</p>
<p>The only hard and fast rule I’d follow is don’t buy from a pet store.</p>
<p>A german shepard is the dog desired, color is not too big of a deal. I will be honest and say I have not done much research, maybe an hour or two at most. How can I know if this guy is a reputable breeder? To be honest I do not even know if he is a breeder, or if hes just trying to sell puppies his female dog had, is this a bad thing? Should I just try to get a veterinary check on the dog first to see if it has any problems, how much would that cost? Could I then return the dog if it does seem to have nothing? I have never had a dog before, so as you can see I am clueless. Thanks for the response though and help.</p>
<p>If you’re really concerned, you could ask for a copy of the pup’s pedigree (which is sometimes good to have anyway, and is fun to look at).</p>
<p>If you’re not set on a pure-bred, you could look at your local shelter. A lot of the time, when you pick out the dog you want (you can often find puppies or at least younger dogs at shelters), they’ll give the dog the shots and spay/neuter them for a highly reduced cost.</p>
<p>Nothing wrong with buying puppies his dog had, like I said, if you’re heart-set on buying a pure-bred you just want to check that out.</p>
<p>Generally, once you buy a dog you can’t really “return” it. And for most people that never even comes up…you’ll be surprised how attached you get to it pretty much as soon as you know it’s the dog for you.</p>
<p>Our pure bred mini-poodle came from a rescue organization. Just because they are rescue or shelter dogs does not mean they can’t be purebred. There may even be a German Shepard rescue group near you. The rescue group also allowed a trial period. </p>
<p>If it is an original owner and not a group I would definitely make the ownership contingent on a vet clearing the dog. There are too many things that can be wrong that will only cause heartbreak and expense. Check with vets around you to see what they would charge for a checkup and blood tests.</p>
<p>What? IIRC, purebreds are actually more likely to have problems. </p>
<p>Sorry, I’m hugely against breeders. Thousands of dogs are put down every day because people want a designer dog rather than a shelter/rescue dog. Go to a shelter/rescue and adopt a puppy. They will love you just the same as any bred dog. Unless you’re doing it to show or something, but I doubt you’d be looking in a newspaper for show dogs…</p>
<p>My purebred also came from a rescue. Great dog.</p>
<p>An hour or two of research is not adequate, in my opinion. You are making a 10-15 year commitment. Are you really prepared to do that? Can you afford not only the purchase price but veterinary care, neutering, food and supplies, training, boarding/daycare/dogwalkers, on an ongoing basis? Have you ever had a dog? If not, it’s often a good idea to dogsit for a friend’s dog for a weekend so that you can see what the commitment is like, both time and energy. Research the breed you are interested in and if you’re looking for a purebred dog, be sure to get references and check them. Visit the facility and see how well-cared for the pups are. Ask how many litters/year they have. Get the information on both parents of the pups. Usually, you would visit at ~ 6 weeks and most reputable breeders would not allow the pups to go home before 8 weeks, at the earliest. The breeder should be able to provide you with evidence of the veterinary care that the pups have had. Choose a good vet and when you bring the pup home, make an appointment to have the pup checked within a day or two. Confirm with the breeder prior to buying a pup what the policy is for return for any reason.</p>
<p>If you’re not set on a purebred from a breeder, consider adopting a pup/dog from your local humane society or a rescue group. There are other issues to be aware of in this circumstance, but it’s a nice thing to be able to give a rescue dog a home. Go into this with the thought of a longterm commitment, and be very sure before you do it. Getting a dog is not something to be entered into lightly or without a lot of thought. Definitely not a spur of the moment decision.</p>
<p>I must of have mislead on the purebred, I thought everyone wanted purebreds just because it meant they were going to be more healthier and such, I did not want one for the namesake of it. I have been checking out websites of the local animal rescue leagues and human societies, but none have the dogs we are looking for. My dad is keen on getting a male german shepard, in fact I think adoption a pet from the shelter would be best seeing it would most likely cover the initial shots and neutered costs. </p>
<p>alwaysamom-what do you mean there are other problems with adopting a pet, could you explain?</p>
<p>Also getting a dog is something that has been in the works for a while, with everyone going to college, my parents feel like they needed a companion and such, so a dog seemed like the ideal candidate. Thanks for all the help guys though, appreciate it. Will continue researching, just learned the fact that a dog is an extra $1000 a year basically and that a puppy can cost $2000 in just shots and neutered costs.</p>
<p>Also, many many many rescue orgs will try their best to transport dogs to you if it means they’re going to a good home. I’ve been part of a rescue transportation line before.</p>
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<p>This is included in the adoption fee at most organizations like the Humane Society like you said.</p>
<p>Sometimes when you choose to adopt the place will want to check out your living situation and want everything but a blood sample to make sure you’re going to be able to handle the commitment.</p>
<p>Please please PLEASE take your dog to obedience school. It’s good for you and the pup. Dogs need mental stimulation or they will go crazy, and you will think it’s a behavioral problem. This is ESPECIALLY true with a “working” breed like Shepherds.</p>
<p>Purebred dogs are quite likely to have health issues. German Shepherds, in particular have lots of hip issues. Any breeder worth their salt is going to have genetic testing done on both parents and films of the hips, and maybe some other joints. The dogs should have on-line information available in a registry like CHIC.</p>
<p>If you want to avoid lots of health issues and heartbreak down the road, I would stay away from backyard breeders. Unfortunately to do all of that testing, breeders need to charge quite a bit more than backyard breeders, often $1000-2000 dollars.</p>
<p>In fact, many of the healthiest dogs around are pound puppies. If you do not have your heart set on a specific breed, you can probably pick up a lovely puppy at your local shelter.</p>
<p>HGFM is absolutely right. Have your parents ever had a dog before? If not, a German Shepherd is probably not your best bet. Without proper socialization, they can be very aggressive towards strangers. They are high energy and need to be exercised and mentally stimulated every day. </p>
<p>My last dog was a German Shepherd/Rottweiler mix. They are great dogs, but not for beginners. Especially with only a few hours of research. </p>
<p>Another reason why my parents are looking for a dog is because we are moving to a house in the middle of no where, and my parents are looking for some added protection, therefore they thought a German Shepard was the best option. Also my dad grew up with a German Shepard, but did not treat it very well apparently, so he really doesnt know how to handle a pet either. Should I reconsider a German Shepard then? Maybe a Golden Retreiver or a Lab, is there a thing such as a beginner dog? Also another question that might be dumb, but once a dog name is chosen is it there forever, so the dog name a shelter has listed is that dogs name? Thanks again for the help, trying to look as much stuff as possible right now. That petfinder website is great, looking a bunch of options right now.</p>
Ditto - the purchase cost of the dog will likely be substantially less than other costs you may end up with. It’s very easy to spend more than $1K in vet costs for any dog (or cat).</p>
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This is not correct - a purebred is more prone to diseases, etc. because of the inbreeding used to create the breed, especially among unscrupulous breeders who’ll breed ‘within the family’. </p>
<p>I think most people buy purebred dogs because they like either the looks or the behavior or both.</p>
<p>My current dog is a purebred and is from a rescue org. We got him when he was around 3 y/o and he’s a fantastic dog. He was already past the chewing/destructive puppyhood, was well behaved, and may have already been past any potential health issues since he was full grown. I recommend to anyone, especially someone who has never had a dog, to consider a rescue or shelter dog, however, I think they also need to be discerning and really check the dog for behavior before getting it to make sure it’s not aggressive or fearful (which results in biting).</p>
<p>As far as breeds go - mine’s a Boxer. Boxers are a fantastic breed - not too big, not too small, protective but not overly aggressive, intimidating enough to keep bad guys thinking twice before doing anything, yet cute and lovable - and they really are good with kids.</p>
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Then he shouldn’t even think about getting a dog. It’s not fair to a dog for someone to mistreat it. If he’s going to get a dog anyway then he really needs to take the dog, and mostly take himself, to a good trainer so he can learn how to treat a dog properly (it’s the dog owner who needs to learn the most - not the dog). He should consider the dog as a member of the family - not just a thing.</p>
<p>We got our dog when she was 6 months. Called “Trina” for 6 months. Adjusted within two weeks to a brand new name. (Now she only goes by her nick name though, not her name given to her by us.) </p>
<p>A German Shepherd can be fine AS LONG AS they are properly trained, socialized, etc. They can pay for a private trainer or go to puppy school like suggested up thread. </p>
<p>Are you going off to college, too? If so, your parents are really the ones that are going to be taking care of the dog and they’re really the ones that should be doing the research and such.</p>
<p>It’s definitely possible to train a dog to answer to a different name; just make sure you are consistent. In shelters and such people don’t call it by name very often, so it will learn what you call it fairly quickly.</p>
<p>Labs/Goldens are more of a “beginner” dog than a German, I would say. They’re bred to flush out the hunt and then bring them back, so they do still need exercise and stimulation, but not as much as a Shepherd.</p>
<p>If it’s at all possible, buy two dogs at the same time. They’ll exercise each other (especially if there’s any kind of yard for them to run in) and it’s great socialization; they’ll be best friends.</p>
<p>Most importantly, remember that dogs are pack animals. They will do anything to feel like part of your “pack”. Neglecting/mistreating a dog is the worst thing you can do. This is also why obedience school is good; it helps you learn how to properly discipline a dog. Otherwise it can be very confusing and hurtful to the dog. People say dogs don’t feel human emotion, but you can very easily tell when the dog is hurt or confused by something. They’ll do anything to please you and are sad when they know they haven’t.</p>
<p>Also, I’m trying to find the one I want, but if you do some light Googling you can find “dog breed matchers” that ask you several questions and suggest good breeds of dogs for you.</p>
<p>I personally disagree that good breeders of purebreds produce puppies that are unhealthy. I tend to think it’s more that we know which conditions “dog” which breeds, but no one keeps records on mixed breeds to any great extent.</p>
<p>I prefer purebred dogs because all breeds have personalities, and I prefer certain personalities over others. There’s a reason why groups like the Seeing Eye don’t go to the local pound for their candidates. In fact, I suggest you look up the breed characteristics and see which traits you find most attractive. Do you like a dog that’s playful/super energetic? A dog that’s independent and stubborn, or a dog that listens to you and is quieter? How a breed looks is the single least important factor. If you find what you want at the pound, that’s terrific. But I don’t see that supporting breeders is a problem.</p>
<p>Regardless, the OP should do a little more research. Dog training, feeding, veterinarian care - these aren’t things to research when the puppy is already in your home.</p>
<p>I second HisGraceFillsMe’s suggestion of dog obedience. Nothing bonds a dog and owner together better than obedience training - and nothing helps you understand and live with each other better either. </p>
<p>German shepherds are great dogs. They’re assertive, and can be protective. (The Seeing Eye started using labs for this reason even though most of their shepherds were wonderful.) Do you have little kids around? Make sure you’re stern in training the dog not to be too protective of you and your family; and make sure you protect your puppy from children.</p>
<p>GladGradDad-I totally understand what you mean by not treating the dog like a thing, it was just in my dad’s culture a dog is just treated as a guard and just fed scraps. No worries, this will not happen at all with any dog coming in. My mom would never allow it to happen. </p>
<p>Yes, I will be going off for college, I plan on teaching my parents everything I know, and I will have two siblings home that will help take care of the dog as well. I am really leaning towards animal shelter, hopefully have a success story like gladgraddad did.</p>
<p>Do not buy a puppy from a newspaper ad. Good breeders do not breed until they have sold all of the potential puppies in the litter. Good breeders do not sell to people they have just met off the street through a newspaper ad (or off the internet).</p>
<p>There are good breeders and there are bad breeders. Good breeders will want to place their puppies in the best homes possible. The purchaser will have to sign a contract that stipulates the care of the puppy. The best contracts also call for the puppy to be returned to the breeder if the buyer can’t keep it for any reason. Good breeders can tell you all about the genetic health issues that are commonly found in their breed. They can tell you who runs good training classes. A good breeder is a resource for the life of your puppy. </p>
<p>If you really want a German Shepherd, you should check out the resources available at the German Shepherd Dog Club of America’s website: [The</a> GSDCA provides Information and resources for owners of German Shepherd Dogs and German Shepherd Puppies](<a href=“http://gsdca.org/]The”>http://gsdca.org/) </p>
<p>I will also note that white German Shepherds are concerned undesirable by most breeders.</p>