I know plenty about dog breeders...but wanted to know what people thought of this one?

Question

http://www.schafferhundshepherds.com/index.html

I am interested in a German Shepherd...NOT FOR THE HOLIDAYS

I love to look on petfinder too, but it would be nice to get a great purebred German Shepherd.

ginbark, you had some good ideas but

"Her German pedigree is full of champion and titled dogs. She is a very sensitive and loving dog with anyone, yet full of protection. She is OFA certified"

the dogs are OFA certified...

proveme.wrong I like to think the best of people. Long haired German Shepherds did sound a bit odd, but these dogs did not have the sloping backs that other breeders had, and I figured I would ask for some advice. My specialty is NOT in German Shepherds. I have owned and loved these dogs, but I know more about my other dogs, Portuguese Water Dogs. I was simply looking to integrate another fantastic breed into my furry family. I am NOT looking for insults!

Answer 1

Well they had 2 litters just days apart, this points to someone who is breeding a lot and not giving the pups one on one attention that they need.

The sire on the first litter has no OFA or CERF checks, the dam only has elbow checks which means that she failed hips because nobody tests elbows without doing hips.

They claim to have Champion lines but neither pedigree that I saw had a single Champion in it. There were a few working titles from Germany listed a couple of generations back but honestly I'm not sure how truth full those titles are because some of the titles they listed do not exist, sorry I didn't have time to check of the titles that do exist to see if the dogs have them or not.

They brag about breeding for long coated GSD and long coat is a DQ in the breed. Good breeders do not breed for dogs with DQs.

Good breeders also want to know the people who are getting their puppies. They want to make sure that the puppy and person are going to be a good match for each other and don't sell them to the first person who has the money.

Personally I would recommend that you keep looking until you are find a breeder so actually does health checks on their dogs and breeds according to the standard.

BTW if you want to check the health certifications for yourself you can do so at http://www.offa.org .

Added: I know how to read European pedigrees, heck I've been doing it for a few decades, and neither the sire nor the dam on the first litter had a single Champion in the pedigree. Like I said there are some working titles (and some of the ones they listed don't exist) but not a single Champion.

Answer 2

I, personally, would not go with this breeder. I think the dogs are beautiful, but the site doesn't seem to show that all dogs have OFA. They also only give a 1 year guarantee. Most genetic problems don't show up until 2 years of age.

If I were looking for a breeder, a guarantee of at the very least 2 years is a MUST for me. If a breeder is not willing to stand behind their puppies until at least 2 years, I don't feel they really care about their dogs.

On the site, it shows "champion pedigrees". Those pedigrees may contain champions, but it does NOT mean the dogs they breed are champions. It just means they have champions in their background. That breeder does not show their dogs, so how can they be sure the dogs are up to breed standards?

I do, however, like that her dogs work and seem to enjoy it, but I would not go with this breeder.

Of course, you can always talk to the breeder and visit them at their home. If you like the conditions the puppies are kept in and trust this breeder, no one can stop you from purchasing a puppy from them.

Answer 3

For as the litters close together some true breeders will breed two at the same time so if something happens to one of the Moms like no milk or not enough the other Mom can care for the pups people can do a good job at hand feeding pups but a Moms milk is better for them than can puppy milk also as for getting them to pee and there bowels to move again a Mom can do it better.And as for as the deposit a lot of people are using pay-pal these days it is safer then taking fake checks and money orders and having to lose money where you have to pick them up and not ever good breeder can show some are disable and cant do all that driving from show to show so these things dont always make a bad breeder

Answer 4

Whatever else you may say about this breeder, this is very clearly NOT a puppy mill. The person who said that is being ridiculous.

I don't think this looks too bad at all - the dogs appear of quality and well cared for - they seem to have been brought up in the home and properly socialised. They are clearly pets as well as working dogs - very clearly NOT just breeding machines.

There are, as people have pointed out, a few things to be wary of here - a one year guarantee isn't that great, and I think the 'buy now' button is of concern too - although I haven't pressed it, for all I know the breeders could request a visit before taking any payment.

There is always something slightly dodgy about puppies being advertised for sale - really I think breeders should only use websites for advertising people to come and see their pups, not for the actual transaction to take place online.

You should NEVER buy pups without visiting the home and viewing both them, the dam and the breeders first. But I think these pups may be worth a visit, it's the only way you'd be able to make up your own mind.

By the way, I would not consider the advert of long-hairs a bad thing - although long hair is considered undesirable by the American Kennel Club, it's not so with other organisations - England and other countries have proper, registered breeders of long-haired GSDs. If you wanted to show the dog it might be a problem, but it certainly isn't a problem for a pet, for health or for temperament.

Vital to view the hip scoring of the dam and sire with GSDs, as they should not have been bred from with a score over a certain level (can't remember what number it should be below)

Chalice

Answer 5

If you really want a unique GSD, go to www.rintintin.com. These folks are breeding from the original Rin Tin Tin lineage.
If you go to the past litters page you will see pics from the June 23rd, 2007 litter. The pics at 4 weeks were taken by John Hnath. His wife and I belong to the same training club here in Tulsa. They got a male puppy from that litter.
Please beware though. All the things that were taught to previous dogs that were used in movies, etc. are ingrained in these dogs.
When Debra got her pup home she put it in an enclosure in the back yard to give it some fresh air. Her husband looked out to see the 8 week old pup scaling the fence.
They took the pup down and put it back in the kennel. They watched and sure enough, the pup started climbing the fence again. She has a pic of it several feet up the fence.
The breeder told her that for adults, a 12 foot fence is no problem.
The breeder is in northern Texas.

Answer 6

I don’t like the fact that the breeder offers a “buy now” button on their site about putting a deposit on the pups. Do they care at all about who is going to buy their pups or do they just want them sold?

Their pedigrees say champion, champion, champion, but I don’t see anywhere if they show their dog. It appears they put hefty prices on the pups with a $200 deposit which usually means a dog over $600.

I think for your money you can find better. Do they OFA test? Do they show? Do they at least work their dogs?

"Click on the paypal or credit card button at the top of the page to place your $200 deposit on the
german shepherd puppy of your choice, this will hold it until it is ready to go home. They will be
current on their shots and wormings and will be started in potty training. Please contact us for
more pricing information."
They should ask possible buyers questions. Talk about the breed, what they know and what I do and why they breed.

Answer 7

Their dogs look nice but there is no mention of OFA or any certification of health such as hips, elbows etc plus LONG haired GSDs are a fault and no reputable breeder breeds them on purpose. A reputable breeder will have a better guarantee as well. Try GSD Rescue, there are chapters all over the USA and many times a titled dog gets turned in plus many with CH. pedigrees. I did only look at the first female who is NOT OFA'd, you can verify certification with OFA's database. And their stud dog is NOT OFA'd either.

Answer 8

I'm going to have agree. The puppy mil feeling is there with me also.. You mentioned petfinder...keep searching... ALOT of the dog ont here are purebred. and there are alot of pupps there also. Plus wth pet finder you know the pup will be healthy. Most of those pets are from rescues...some breed specific. You can also type in GS then the state you are in into your search engine and find a GS rescue around you( thats how I found my Dobie rescue and both my dobes) Plus you'll have the added bonus of NOT promoting the pupplymill problem withyour purchase. IMO Any "Breeder" that has a paypal accoun on thier site to purchase puppies..is DEFINATLLY a puppy mil!!!!!!

Answer 9

Seriously, you should consider VISITING the kennels that you are buying your dog from and NOT rely on "pretty" pictures shown over the internet. Even if it is to far away, ring them and say you would like to inspect their kennels just so as to see if they will actually let you see their kennels. If the breeders do not let people on their premises, then that in itself is warning enough to stay away from that breeder.

Also, as other people have said, you want to make sure that both parents have been hip and elbow x-rayed, and have been checked for hemophilia. Long haired shepherds are considered a fault, but make wonderful pets. Reputable breeders do NOT BREED long haired shepherds ON PURPOSE.

Answer 10

I'm sorry I don't do sites from Answers. What a wonderful personality GS have, intelligent, loyal, and naturally protective.

European GS have a lower incidence of hip dysplasia, as they are somewhat more discriminate in their breeding choices. There is over 75% dysplasia prevalent in American GS. That's over 3 out of 4 that have it in some degree or another.

That's a miserable life sentence for dog and owner.

So check out European GS breeders, if your heart is set on a purebred, and really research the pedigree of your selection. Check out photos of both dam and sire. Compare bodies. Especially avoid matings that included large to small boned, taller to shorter, stockier to slender, even back as far as great grand sire and dams. Also check for 'in-breeding', where one champion is bred over and over in your line or where a pup was bred back to it's parent or grand-parent. Then you get the heightened propensity for dysplasia. This is also vital to consider if you plan on breeding your dog, if you don't want to perpetuate the dysplastic condition. You say you know plenty about dog breeders, so I won't go into detail on the dysplasia.

Good luck with your new 'best friend'.

Just my opinion from over 35 years experience in this field.