# Is my puppy a purebred?



## Divyam Dixit (Jul 9, 2018)

Hi guys,
I have a friend who has a German Shepherd who ended up mating with another German Shepherd. 

He claims that they are both purebred and I am interested in buying one of the puppies.

Could someone kindly comment and give their critique whether they feel that the parent is a purebred and whether the puppies also look purebred.

Could someone also give me a recommendation on whether I should get the white puppy or the normal black and tan puppy as I am mainly aiming to get the German Shepherd as working dog.

I am a student and really cannot afford to get a pedigree dog from a proper breeder, hence I am buying one from my friend.

Thank you for all the help!


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## Nurse Bishop (Nov 20, 2016)

The pretty yellow puppy with white feet, I would say not purebred. The others who knows? Bitches can be bred by more than one male and have different fathered puppies in the same litter. Pick the one who calls to your heart.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

Divyam Dixit said:


> Hi guys,
> I have a friend who has a German Shepherd who ended up mating with another German Shepherd.
> 
> He claims that they are both purebred and I am interested in buying one of the puppies.
> ...




You are a student who cannot afford a well bred pup. Can you afford a dog? I am not trying to be mean and these may be lovely puppies, certainly deserving of good homes. BUT they could also be riddled with health problems or behavioral issues that could cost THOUSANDS. Someone on this forum bought a pup and 3 days later managed to run up a $6500 vet bill fighting parvo. Food allergies can drastically increase food bills, and trainers are expensive if the puppy develops temperament issues. Hip replacements aren't cheap either. 

Also consider that any puppy but especially a German Shepherd is time consuming. I don't know what you are a student of but most degrees get progressively more demanding. Will your schedule over the next few years allow time for the care of a young, demanding dog? 
Mom appears to be purebred but not well bred, she is pretty. Pups? Who knows. Looks to be shepherd there but how much will not be evident until they are grown and even then only DNA will tell you.


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## Mareesey (Aug 25, 2016)

The white puppy could very well be a pure bred I've seen ones that are considered white and a very muddy white in color and I've seen some really beautiful bright whites. Though Sabis mom brings up good points my last GSD was a craigslist buy. I loved her dearly but we spent our time managing the specific issues she had with people and other dogs. She had quite a few food allergies as well as environmental allergies. Spaying and neutering is a cost you need to consider if you want them fixed. What I've been told by pretty much everyone is regardless of how much you pay for the puppy you should have at least double that or more set aside because vet bills can be expensive. I would also want to meet the dad. Regardless of who you get the puppy from they should be willing to let you meet both parents.


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## McGloomy (Mar 13, 2018)

It could be a white shepherd. Parents look purebred. I too was a student when I got my puppy he was 7 1/2 weeks. It is A LOT of work and your life would most likely revolve around this puppy. At that time, I only had 3 classes a week, so I didn't have any problem with scheduling. But I'm telling you, you gotta wake up really early for at least 2 months because puppies have TINY bladder. Have to take them out every 2-3 hours during the day. Be prepared for accidents in the house and cleaning all that multiple times. Housebreaking, training, physical exercise. But dammit, GSDs R the best dogs. If you think you can devote a couple months for your pup's well being, yeah sure go get one.


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

Are the two cream colored pups the same dog? In the first pic the coat appears fairly long, in the second the coat looks shorter and all four paws are white? Is that right?


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Y0u keep saying you want one for a working dog. What does that mean? The chances of a backyard, possibly mixed breed litter, being a working dog is slim. If that's your goal then save your money any wait.


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## McGloomy (Mar 13, 2018)

Plus if you're a student and you have limited budget, you can always adopt. I had just moved from England at that time, knew nothing about dog adoption/shelters. One of the reasons why I bought one instead of rescued ome.


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## rockhead (Jul 8, 2007)

NOT trying to sound condescending, but if you (A) Are only interested in a purebreed AND (B) cannot afford to pay top-dollar for a known pedigree, AND (C) the pack is drinking filthy water with dead insects and possibly even insect larvae in it, I'd advise you to be very careful and consider all the costs of dog ownership, especially proper veterinary treatment. I see dead mosquitoes in that nasty water bucket - heartworm treatment can cost thousands. 

Please reconsider your resources and needs.


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## clipke (Nov 14, 2017)

If your friend claims they were both purebred parents, he should have papers for them. Regardless of if the breeding was an accident or intentional, if he claims they're purebred they should have papers. I wouldn't trust even my friend's word if there isn't papers. If the dogs were free, I'd take one regardless of pedigree but I wouldn't spend more than $100 on a dog without a pedigree. My rottie mix was $40, probably could have been sold to the right person for several hundred if they knew his temperament, size, etc. Main difference between him and a regular rottie is the color of his markings, but he's only 10-20lbs off the average rotties size and still has a few months to grow. I would have personally paid $500-$1000 for him if I knew he'd turn out the way he did, especially compared to his much smaller siblings, but you obviously don't know what a pup will be like as an adult without any screening of the parents prior to breeding. You're better off looking on craigslist for someone rehoming a GSD with papers. I paid $200 for my GSD, when he was originally sold for just under $2000 from his breeder. The family I got him from could not afford basic needs for him.


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## cliffson1 (Sep 2, 2006)

If you are getting the dog for companionship and to train and enjoy, I see no problem. Some or all the pups may not be purebred( could have multiple sires or the dam could appear to be purebred but have other blood) but even so, the good thing is that crossbreeds are usually much healthier than many of the extremely popular purebred dogs these days. So if you get one, enjoy your pup for what the pup is and not for what it is supposed to be.


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## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

I got my first dog as a student. He was 2 yo when I got him from a friend who was going to take him to the pound. I had him for 14 years, through numerous moves, many occasioned so that I could have the dog. He was pretty healthy overall. It can be done but it is not easy. Please do not become one of the students who dumps their dog at the end of the school year. 



If you want one of these dogs, if the parents are healthy (maybe ask your friend about their health clearances after you research what those should be), good natured and you like them, choose the pup whose behavior and attitude you like best - never mind if it is green or pink.


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## GandalfTheShepherd (May 1, 2017)

Wait until you can afford a dog. In that photo they are what looks to be drinking outside dirty water, you risk the potential for diseases like giardia. A backyard breeder also likely has not done any health testing, what if you get a sick puppy? Have they seen a vet yet? 
My puppy came home with giardia and it completely messed him up, we have spent thousands in his first year of life on treatment and now he can only eat special food which costs $400-$500 a month. Can you really afford a dog?

If you are a student what kind of work are you expecting your dog to do? Shepherds are smart but even mine can't do differential equations .


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## GandalfTheShepherd (May 1, 2017)

rockhead said:


> NOT trying to sound condescending, but if you (A) Are only interested in a purebreed AND (B) cannot afford to pay top-dollar for a known pedigree, AND (C) the pack is drinking filthy water with dead insects and possibly even insect larvae in it, I'd advise you to be very careful and consider all the costs of dog ownership, especially proper veterinary treatment. I see dead mosquitoes in that nasty water bucket - heartworm treatment can cost thousands.
> 
> Please reconsider your resources and needs.


This ^


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## Misha111 (Oct 31, 2016)

You say you can't afford a pedigree dog and then ask if you friends BYB is purebred.There is a reason why pedigree dogs are expensive, You know where they came from and they have health tests. My rescue girl was 5 mths when we got her. 'She walks the walk, talks the talk' as a GSD. But she has no papers, god knows what health issues she may have in the future but I was willing to take the risk. 

And I can afford to take that risk. As a student, please be aware that this breed can throw some very expensive costs your way. They look like sweet puppies but you get what you pay for, you might be lucky but be prepared if you aren't .


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## Nurse Bishop (Nov 20, 2016)

The OP posted this over 5 weeks ago.


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