# How do I know if I'm overpaying for a GSD



## Goofdunk (Jul 22, 2019)

Hello Friends,

I was just wondering what are the signs that you are paying too much for a GSD. For example I am looking at one that will cost $2200. *Male* is - BH, AD Hips A1 / ED Normal DM Clear, MDR1 Clear,100 % East German DDR Pedigree *Female* is OFA Hips Normal / Ed Normal. 

Pure East German Litter.

Thank You!


----------



## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

Part of what you pay for is breeder knowledge and support, so the dogs are only a part of it.
The individual dogs still need to combine in a complimentary manner and that is where breeder knowledge comes in. 
I know of breeders I would absolutely buy from who's pups may be a bit less, and breeders who I would not take a free puppy from who are charging more.

In general that price is in the ballpark for solid WL puppy, but buyer beware.


----------



## BigOzzy2018 (Jan 27, 2018)

Over priced imo. For that price you would expect both parents to be fully titled. I know a great breeder that charges 1500 and both parents fully titled IPO 3 health tested for 1500. Just my opinion


----------



## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

If you hesitate about the price, it will be too much for you. With my first GSD I had a budget in mind. When I met the breeder and the pups they were $500 over my budget. I thought about it and asked myself if I would let him go for that $500.00. I immediately knew the answer and took him.
The purchase price is nothing compared the cost of raising a GSD IMO.


----------



## Goofdunk (Jul 22, 2019)

wolfy dog said:


> If you hesitate about the price, it will be too much for you. With my first GSD I had a budget in mind. When I met the breeder and the pups they were $500 over my budget. I thought about it and asked myself if I would let him go for that $500.00. I immediately knew the answer and took him.
> The purchase price is nothing compared the cost of raising a GSD IMO.


 For sure, I am able to afford that price but I would also like to purchase that is something fair priced right  So I can spend more money else where!


----------



## sebrench (Dec 2, 2014)

Perhaps, you could post the breeder's website or the pedigree? In general, I'd say $1800-$3000 seems to be the going rate for GSDs from a professional/reputable breeder. I usually prefer to look for breeders that prove their dogs either in sport/show or real world accomplishments. For $2200, you could most likely get a pup from a breeder who has put higher titles on their dogs than a BH (not that titles are everything). What attracts you to this pairing?


----------



## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

I guess what stands out for me is that the sire has a BH but nothing more and the bitch apparently doesn't even have a BH. No help in predicting what the pup will do performance wise. So yeah, no, I wouldn't, more like a 400$ dog.


----------



## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

I don’t think anyone could give an opinion without seeing the pedigree.

That being said, the initial cost of the dog is just a drop in the bucket. If your GSD runs into medical problems, the costs over the lifetime of the dog are going to be astronomical.

I don’t even want to add up the thousands upon thousands of dollars my dog has cost me in the seven years I have had him. This year alone, every 3 months I have paid $550 for shots, a couple of hundred for appointments and prescriptions from the veterinary ophthalmologist, and don’t even get me started on the cost of his food because he can’t eat anything but cooked grass fed beef.

Hans cost $1800. Czech working line pedigree. I went all the way to Canada to try and get a healthy dog, and he ended up having just about everything a GSD could get, except for DM.
Hindsight is 20/20. I should have purchased health insurance. Then again, they might have kicked me off the plan.

What I am trying to say is, don’t fret about the initial cost of the dog, but do diligent research on the health of the lines. It is worth to pay more for a dog that will be healthy in the long run.


----------



## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Goofdunk said:


> Hello Friends,
> 
> I was just wondering what are the signs that you are paying too much for a GSD. For example I am looking at one that will cost $2200. *Male* is - BH, AD Hips A1 / ED Normal DM Clear, MDR1 Clear,100 % East German DDR Pedigree *Female* is OFA Hips Normal / Ed Normal.
> 
> ...


Overpriced. You can buy a puppy from a litter where the dam and sire are titled (BH is not a title. it's the temperament test the dog has to pass before it can be titled) and still have all the same testing done for the same price or even $1800.

And what is the fascination with 'pure' DDR dogs lately?


----------



## WIBackpacker (Jan 9, 2014)

The female's hip rating has to be different than what's posted - OFA passes hips with Excellent, Good, or Fair. Not "normal".

If they were done through SV, as it appears the male was, there's a different rating system.


----------



## huntergreen (Jun 28, 2012)

Goofdunk said:


> Hello Friends,
> 
> I was just wondering what are the signs that you are paying too much for a GSD. For example I am looking at one that will cost $2200. *Male* is - BH, AD Hips A1 / ED Normal DM Clear, MDR1 Clear,100 % East German DDR Pedigree *Female* is OFA Hips Normal / Ed Normal.
> 
> ...


My 2 cents, if you know what you want and happen to find that one in a million pup, price becomes irrelevant, within reason.


----------



## Goofdunk (Jul 22, 2019)

WIBackpacker said:


> The female's hip rating has to be different than what's posted - OFA passes hips with Excellent, Good, or Fair. Not "normal".
> 
> If they were done through SV, as it appears the male was, there's a different rating system.


Thank you! I will definitely clarify with the breeder!


----------



## wolfstraum (May 2, 2003)

It depends on the breeder - their track record, their ethics....many people jump on the bandwagon and ask top prices for pups because that is what they see others selling for.

I know of 2 breeders selling pups for $2000 - the one is selling pups out of a mix of titled and health tested dogs and non titled/tested...one is using stock bought from the other - having litters out of a 3 year old female and her 15 month old daughter at the same time....one male they were using had NOTHING, was 16 months old, and had at least 25% BYpet bloodlines - but they got $2000 for pups as well.....one in my club - actually can work ok, but ???? on temperament - neither of these people does ANYTHING with their dogs - but jumped on that Czech/DDR bandwagon and have enticing websites.


Get someone who knows something to look at the breeder's website.


Lee


----------



## tc68 (May 31, 2006)

Sunflowers said:


> I don’t think anyone could give an opinion without seeing the pedigree.
> 
> That being said, the initial cost of the dog is just a drop in the bucket. If your GSD runs into medical problems, the costs over the lifetime of the dog are going to be astronomical.
> 
> ...


Yeah, exactly. I did an estimation of what I spent on my first dog throughout its life...ballpark figure of somewhere between $40k to $50k. The initial cost of that dog was $1200 (he was from a BYB) and at that time I even thought that was a lot. So yeah, the initial cost is just a tiny percentage of the whole thing.

The current pup cost $2K. (I was willing to go up to $2500 for the right dog.) Knock on wood, he's been healthy. And I've used a lot of the old dog's things for this one...hand-me-downs (he's already destroyed most of it all). So hopefully, I won't be spending another 40 to 50 grand on this dog.


----------



## Clare (Feb 6, 2005)

tc68 said:


> Yeah, exactly. I did an estimation of what I spent on my first dog throughout its life...ballpark figure of somewhere between $40k to $50k. The initial cost of that dog was $1200 (he was from a BYB) and at that time I even thought that was a lot. So yeah, the initial cost is just a tiny percentage of the whole thing.
> 
> The current pup cost $2K. (I was willing to go up to $2500 for the right dog.) Knock on wood, he's been healthy. And I've used a lot of the old dog's things for this one...hand-me-downs (he's already destroyed most of it all). So hopefully, I won't be spending another 40 to 50 grand on this dog.


I wouldn't even want to know how much we spent on Wolfgang... I'd say at least around 40K total. He came from a reputable breeder but man if he didn't get every GSD ailment out there. When we got our current puppy we went back to the breeder we got Sasha from. Sasha is less than 2 months away from 15 years old. Her health bills are probably around 5k lifetime... With that in his bloodlines I have a fighting chance... and I got pet insurance this time.


----------



## tc68 (May 31, 2006)

Clare said:


> I wouldn't even want to know how much we spent on Wolfgang... I'd say at least around 40K total. He came from a reputable breeder but man if he didn't get every GSD ailment out there. When we got our current puppy we went back to the breeder we got Sasha from. Sasha is less than 2 months away from 15 years old. Her health bills are probably around 5k lifetime... With that in his bloodlines I have a fighting chance... and I got pet insurance this time.


Cool name, btw. My current pup's name is also Wolfgang. Actually that's his official AKC kennel name because he comes from a "W" litter, so that's what we named him. But I never use Wolfgang. His everyday name is completely different.


----------



## Saco (Oct 23, 2018)

Most important is knowledge and support of the breeder. The breeder I got my youngest pup from is very consistent in what she produces - even though she doesn't do repeat breedings, and for this litter housed the female for the whelping. She knows the bloodlines and knows the dogs in the line and what they produce. She raises the pups with superior socialization, and it shows in the dogs from her kennel. Excellent, top breeder.

So I'd be far more interested in the breeder's background and what she has produced than anything else. 

Health tests are a must, and I prefer to see the stud titled, but I'm fine with the dam being untitled as long as she has been tested and worked and is social, high drive, and healthy. Again, this is where the breeder discernment comes into play again. 

I wouldn't pay much more than $2000 for a quality working pup. I would spend my time researching quality breeders and seeing their dogs not just work but in different environments.


----------



## CometDog (Aug 22, 2017)

If I were you I'd post the breeding in the pedigree section. There are a lot of knowledgeable people here on that topic. 2200 is not grossly overpriced for a WL new pup. I'd expect 1500 to 2000. A little more if it is an older well started pup. 

The 100% DDR gives me pause. From what I have learned it seems to be more of a marketing thing than a real thing..since the real old DDR lines are not extremely common. They are around, sure...but...best to ask some opinions here on the actual pedigree. What do you plan on doing with your little prospect? IGP? If so your local club would be a good place to go for opinions. Unless they have their own breeding program..then their dogs will be what they recommend


----------



## crittersitter (Mar 31, 2011)

You can find some good dogs from reputable breeders in the $1500 - $1800 range. It just depends on what you are looking for.


----------

