when picking a German Shepherd everyone says use a good breeder how do you know good from bad??

Answer 1

Forgive me for just copying and pasting but I went over this and it is correct. (Info in these is my comment)

The first thing to do is ask your veterinarian, groomers, boarding kennels, and other pet owners who the reputable breeders are in your area. You could also try the local kennel club.

By all means, Turner says, do your homework. Know something about the breed you're interested in.

Visit the breeder's home or kennel. The premises should be clean and smell good. Avoid breeders who have large numbers of dogs and puppies kept in kennels or runs. This could be a puppy mill masquerading as a breeder. (A good breeder will have 1 or at MOST 2 different breeds of dog)

Ask to see the whole litter and at least one of the parents. The animals should look healthy and well-fed, with no runny eyes or noses. The puppies or kittens should be sociable and outgoing. They shouldn't appear to be afraid of the breeder.

Ask lots of questions.

Turner says a good breeder should:
Be very knowledgable about the breed. The breeder should know all the standards of the breed, the temperament of the breed, and should patiently answer all your questions.


Ask you several questions about yourself, your lifestyle, and your family situation. The breeder may ask to meet your entire family. Good breeders want to make sure their animals are placed in loving, responsible homes. They will go to great lengths to ensure this.


Be concerned about the animal for a lifetime. They may ask you to sign a contract, specifying your responsibility in taking good care of your new dog. Expect a good breeder to follow up on how the animal is doing, even after you've taken the pet home. Answer questions, even after you've taken the pet home.


Keep puppies or kittens until they're at least 6 weeks old. (Actually, 8 to 12 weeks is preferable.)


Provide references. A good breeder will provide as many references as you ask for, willingly. It's also a good idea to ask for a veterinary reference, too.


Provide lots of information. They should provide all the needed information to register your dog with a breed club like the American Kennel Club or Cat Fancier's Association. Plus, they should provide information about raising, training, feeding and proper veterinary care.
Here's what you should ask.
What is the breeder's history and experience? You want to know how long the breeder has been breeding this particular breed. And is the breeder a member of a breed club? (They should be)


Health history of the puppies and parents. Ask whether the parents been screened for typical diseases associated with their breed. Also ask what genetic diseases are prevalent in the breed. Plus, are the parents registered with the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA)? Have the puppies/kittens had their first round of vaccinations? Which ones? De-worming?


The temperament and characteristics of the breed. The breeder should be able to rattle off the typical characteristics of the breed, what type of family situation is best for this breed, whether the breed is good with small children, the elderly, etc.


Return/refund policies. The breeder should be willing to replace the puppy or kitten, or refund your money if any genetically-linked illness occurs at any time during the animal's life, or if the animal gets sick and dies soon after coming home with you. If, for any reason, you are not able to keep your pet, a good breeder will gladly take the pet back or help you find a new owner.

Turner also points out that purebred "papers" do not guarantee the health and longevity of the animal. This should not be the only standard you use to pick a dog.

Answer 2

A good breeder is a responsible breeder.

A responsible breeder will want to know about YOU, and will want to make sure you will give the dog a good home. They will have done health testing on the parents to make sure that they are healthy. This does NOT mean that a vet looked at them and said they are healthy, in German Shepherds it means that the parents and hopefully grandparents had their hips tested either by PennHip or OFA. (for OFA you want both parents to have rated fair or excellent) they should probably have had their eyes CERF checked as well but in German Shepherds the hips are the main issue.

If they are truly a responsible breeder and you do not plan to show they should have a sale contract that includes a spay/neuter clause and a guarantee. They should also have a return policy that says if ever you can not keep the dog they will take it back. Most will also want you to let them know if you ever move so they can keep track of the dogs they produce.

A breeder who puts this much effort into producing healthy dogs and making sure they have great homes for their entire lives is a GOOD breeder and one you should be able to buy from and feel safe dealing with.

Answer 3

I would not nessacarally consider that the dogs a breeder produces be show champians f or him to be considered a "good breeder" - there are good breeders who concentrate on producing dogs that excell in protection work, agility, obedience ect nad don't show much (the show ring In GSD's asks for extream enough dogs that some breeders prefer not to follow that trend) , but a good breeder should have dogs that do something (other than just pets). Heath testing should be done - Hips, either OFA or penn hip, always..... One top thing is that the good breeder will often ask for YOUR references, he may want picture of your yard or to actually visit, will ask so many questions you think your trying to adopt a baby, and may have a conrtact were you promise a variety of things (often but not always spay/neuter). THe final test - a good breeder ALWAYS takes back a pup that doesn't work out - in fact one thng commonly in puppy contract may be a requirement that the breeder get first refusal if the dog ever leaves you. Little caution on that question- it can seem dicey if day one your already asking about sending a pup back, word that carefully.
Oh yah RED ALERT bad sign - "I take credit cards" - Unless the breeder just happens to own a business thats a sign he's probably a puppy mill

Answer 4

If you are able to visit the breeder that would help. You can tell a lot about a breeder by the way they care for their dogs,
I.E. was there fresh water and food out for the dogs, were they in a run or a yard and was it large enough for the dogs to be able to run and play. Was the area clean of poop, were the bedding areas clean. Did you notice any fleas.
Was the nursery area clean and supplied with water and food.
These are things that have to be done daily and any good breeder will have a clean environment for their dogs.
If you are unable to see the facilities, ask for references WITH phone numbers. Ask for the number of their vet, if they raise dogs believe me they will be on a first name basis with their vet.
The vet wont tell you to buy her dogs or such as that, but they will be able to tell you if they bring their dogs and puppies in for regular check-ups and required shots. A lot of breeder administer their own shots, but as I said they will still be on a first name basis with their vet so he will be able to vouch that they are real and not in Cancoon running a SCAM.
Not all breeders are able to show their dogs, and having Champions in the pedigree is no guarantee you will ever have anything but a big baby.
Most breeder will have both set of parents and it is common for the grandparents to be around also.
Any good breeder will have a health guarantee, you will need to check on the problem areas that are common with this breed and make sure the health guarantee covers those specific faults.
When you are checking references (as in more than one) make sure you talk to the ones that have had their dogs for a long time. That will give you a background history, it is very common for a breeder to remain in contact with the buyer for life.
A GOOD breeder will be more than happy to spend the time with you needed to gather all this information. After all, the next reference she needs may very well come from YOU.

Answer 5

Also, call their local animal control. Ask if they know anything about this person, if they have ever been in trouble. Most of the really good breeders want you to sign a contract. They want you to agree to certain things, like a vet well puppy check, a special brand of food, agreement to spay/neuter or not. My breeder says that my guy's hips are garrenteed until 2 yrs. If I have his hips x-rayed at 2 yrs, then she will garrentee them until 5 years. You will also want to ask for the pedigree on both parents. I had a bad experience once, now I look to make sure that the parents are not related.

Answer 6

you dont, just make sure that they come from a good background meaning a long one with a lot of champions. you will never know how the breader treats the pups but a good rule of thumb is to not purchase the puppy that hides from men or women. Also since shepherds always have hip problems make sure you buy from a breeder that has they're pups xrayed for the hip problems.

Answer 7

Reputation and references. Also, a good breeder will offer a guarantee on the puppies - at least 2 years - to replace the puppy if it develops a congenital problem like hip displasia or heart issues.

Answer 8

my aunt breeds German shepherds,and when she sells her puppies,she gives out references of other people that have bought her dogs,and they come with vet slips stating they were thurley checked over(from the vet) and they usually come with some type of contract.. good breeders are hard to come by...call all references,ans if they don't give you any,i would go to another breeder!!! my aunt breeds her dogs for our local police for bomb and drug dogs..

Answer 9

good breeders know a lot about the animal their breeding, if you can see their facilities, do it. make sure the dogs have a lot of room and look happy

Answer 10

Check their allegations. Have their dogs been shown? Have they won or placed on a regular basis? Get the names of people who have purchased their dogs and contact them and see how well they are pleased. Do they make guarantees on hips? Are their hips OFA certified and xrayed?