# Breeders South Texas



## saam55 (May 7, 2013)

My wife and I are considering a new pup. We want a female and I have visited one breeder here in south Texas. I wanted to see if anyone had any thoughts on this breeder: TEXAS BIG GERMAN SHEPHERDS - Home. Her dogs are straight backed and large. We are looking for a pet not a show dog. Her kennels are well run and clean. Thoughts?


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## saam55 (May 7, 2013)

Thought I should offer a little more info to my post. We have five acres for the dog to live and play. We have three dogs now, 60lb. pointer, 20lb. jack russell, and 10 lb. small mixed breed, all males. Mom will be home with pup all day. We both are active outside with dogs.


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## Rallhaus (May 17, 2011)

german shepherds are not supposed to be "big".
males are approx. 85 lbs and females 72 lbs.

the extra size is not healthy as it takes a toll on structure and internals. 

please look for a breeder that breeds within the standard that certifies hips and elbows, that is active is some type of dog activities (obedience, rally, sar, schutzhund/ipo), and has breeding stock that has some type of working title.


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## Anitsisqua (Mar 25, 2012)

PLEASE do not consider a breeder so unfamiliar with hip dysplasia that he cannot spell it correctly on his website's front page.


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

I would avoid this breeder. There's several spelling errors just on the first page of the website. If they don't care enough to make sure everything is spelled correctly for what they hope will appear reputable to others, I can't believe they care enough about good breeding practices. Maybe that's just me though. If I'm spending that kind of money, I want to feel confident in my purchase and judging by the home page, I would stay far away from them.

ETA: lack of knowledge and inability to spell extends well beyond the main page. Working lines. WHAT working lines exactly? And then you throw in his dogs know who is right and wrong instinctively. He's making it sound like they're born with that knowledge. Getting the dog out there and experienced with people helps instill that knowledge.


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## DJ BEN (Apr 29, 2013)

I have visited with this breeder before and she seems very knowledgeable about the breed. There are other reputable breeders out there that breed larger German Shepherds besides this lady. The weight class you find that is within the breed standard is set by the AKC. There are many working lines out there that are both above and below the breed standard (weight) set by the AKC. You should look for a breeder that is concerned with OFA ratings. We are starting our breeding business, and the first and foremost part of getting our dogs ready is to see if they are cleared of hip and elbow dysplasia (and other health clearances) before we even begin breeding them. You might need to head north east from where you are at to find some good breeders. If you need any recommendations let me know, and I will be more than happy to point you in the right direction. Also, even though you said you are not looking for a show dog, are you interested in working lines or showlines German Shepherds? Showlines GS make great pets, and you do not have to show them. The drive in working lines GS dogs can be a bit crazy, and require a good amount of exercise daily just to keep them calm. This is even after obedience training. Both lines make great pets just make sure you know what you are going for before you decide, even though you probably have already done your research.


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## mnm (Jan 9, 2006)

Most reputable breeders who breed with the standard, are not breeding to AKC's standard, but to the German (SV) standard - where the GSD originated. There is a reason to keep within the standard, one big reason that has already be pointed out... health concerns - they are not ment to be a large, heavy dog.


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## Shade (Feb 20, 2012)

DJ BEN said:


> I have visited with this breeder before and she seems very knowledgeable about the breed. There are other reputable breeders out there that breed larger German Shepherds besides this lady. The weight class you find that is within the breed standard is set by the AKC. There are many working lines out there that are both above and below the breed standard (weight) set by the AKC. You should look for a breeder that is concerned with OFA ratings. We are starting our breeding business, and the first and foremost part of getting our dogs ready is to see if they are cleared of hip and elbow dysplasia (and other health clearances) before we even begin breeding them. You might need to head north east from where you are at to find some good breeders. If you need any recommendations let me know, and I will be more than happy to point you in the right direction. Also, even though you said you are not looking for a show dog, are you interested in working lines or showlines German Shepherds? Showlines GS make great pets, and you do not have to show them. The drive in working lines GS dogs can be a bit crazy, and require a good amount of exercise daily just to keep them calm. This is even after obedience training. Both lines make great pets just make sure you know what you are going for before you decide, even though you probably have already done your research.


 
There are many things wrong in your post

Firstly, if the breeder truly is knowledgeable then their website shouldn't have several simple spelling errors on it. There's no excuse for that. 

Secondly, the standard is set by the SV as already stated, not the AKC. As the GSD was originally bred in Germany, they take pride in keeping the genetics as close to the original standard as possible. 

Also, breeding needs a lot more than a simple OFA rating and health tests, that's just the tip of the iceberg. Titles which prove the worthiness and temperaments are just as important, otherwise all you're breeding is a physically healthy dog that could easily be a genetic mess and bringing more of them into the world 

Also as a person who actually owns a working line GSD, I know a properly bred WL has an off switch and can settle in the house just fine. There are good WL breeders out there just as there are good SL breeders, look to the individual breeder and what they produce and choose from there.

A GSD is a working dog; they require training and exercise. Regardless of lines, whether SL, WL, or BYB as long as they're getting attention and their needs met they shouldn't *need* hours of exercise to be able to settle in the house. Most GSD are perfectly happy in active households. They’re not meant to be and shouldn’t be bred to be couch potato dogs that laze around 24/7. If that’s what you want, then don’t look to the GSD

Talk to the breeder honestly about your needs, they should be able to tell you whether they have a dog that matches those needs.

If the OP truly wants a larger GSD that's out of standard, then I'm not going to shake my head at them. I simply urge caution and make sure that proper titling, health certification, and temperament are met just the same as any other dog. Caution is needed when out of standard because there are fewer reputable breeders that will deliberately breed out of standard and a smaller genetic pool is always a risk

 Sorry OP, I can't help you in pointing out a specific breeder but I couldn't let this post go unanswered.


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## DJ BEN (Apr 29, 2013)

saam 55 the one lady who said my post had incorrect information is right about some of the things that I had mentioned. However, I only wanted to brief you on health concerns and not elaborate too much in my post so that if you replied to me, we could talk more and I could point you in the right direction towards breeder's dogs that meet these qualifications. There is so much to discuss that typing it all out would just slow us down from actually visiting more about this, so that's why I only touched on OFA. Temperaments and titles are important as well, but you might find that some breeder's dogs have titles in their pedigree's, but the dog that is actually being bred has not earned a title. To many this matters, but for some, as long as the parents have been titled or grandparents than it is enough for them. As far exercise goes, one of the things again that I did not elaborate on is that they do require exercise daily. A person that is not active regularly will have to, at least, make time for this breed because they do require it, and if you are not active you will at least need to keep them active. Not everyone obedience trains there dogs (unfortunately) so this on and off switch can only be accessed through obedience training, otherwise, you will have your hands full, Therefore, imagine a dog with a higher drive that does not know that "no" means stop. Again saam55 if you need assistance finding a reputable breeder in the TX area just let me know, as I have visited with many of them, and we own 2 male boys from a breeder in the East TX area.


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## smwaco (Jun 5, 2013)

I'm new to this forum and signed up so that I could warn you about this breeder. We got our sweet Lucy last August from Texas Big German Shepherds. I found her online. She had two females left in the litter. I trusted her and paid $1500 for the puppy. I was told that she would be a big dog. The breeder was looking at her at the time. We had a driver take the money and pick her up because she was 5 hours away and we weren't able to make the trip. When I took her to the vet, the vet told me she would not get that big.... Well, a year later and she is between 60-70 pounds. She looks very small. She is a beautiful dog but at 9 months old was diagnosed with hip dysplasia. Our trainer noticed how she sat funny and would lay down often. She encouraged me to have her x-rayed. I informed the breeder who took the mother out of breeding at that time. She must have had other problems as well. She ended up selling the mother for $500. She claimed this was her first puppy with hip dysplasia..... She still claims that her dogs are hip dysplasia free on her website.... I approached her about giving us $1000 back but she wants Lucy back and will give us another puppy. She will not give us any money back. We are attached to this one and cannot do that. Lucy also had ticks on her when we got her and smelled of tick spray. 
I would not trade Lucy. We love her and will deal with her hip dysplasia. I, too, questioned the terrible spelling on the website. If I had gone with my gut on that, we would not have our precious fur baby. 
Please beware. I doubt this is the first one with hip dysplasia. Is there a way to let AKA know????


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## Kayos and Havoc (Oct 17, 2002)

This breeder is one I personally would not take another look at. I think if you are going to breed and sell GSD's you should be able to spell the breed name. 

I make typos all the time. my fingers fly fast over the keyboard, but when I am writing something of a professional nature I make heavy use of spell and grammar check. Obviously this person did not. 

You might take a look up around tha Dallas area. 

I would also probably stay away from the Heidleburg folk, also breeding oversize dogs.


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## LeoRose (Jan 10, 2013)

DJ BEN said:


> I have visited with this breeder before andshe seems very knowledgeable about the breed. There are other reputable breeders out there that breed larger German Shepherds besides this lady. The weight class you find that is within the breed standard is set by the AKC. There are many working lines out there that are both above and below the breed standard (weight) set by the AKC. *You should look for a breeder that is concerned with OFA ratings.* We are starting our breeding business, and the first and foremost part of getting our dogs ready is to see if they are cleared of hip and elbow dysplasia (and other health clearances) before we even begin breeding them. You might need to head north east from where you are at to find some good breeders. If you need any recommendations let me know, and I will be more than happy to point you in the right direction. Also, even though you said you are not looking for a show dog, are you interested in working lines or showlines German Shepherds? Showlines GS make great pets, and you do not have to show them. The drive in working lines GS dogs can be a bit crazy, and require a good amount of exercise daily just to keep them calm. This is even after obedience training. Both lines make great pets just make sure you know what you are going for before you decide, even though you probably have already done your research.


Funny you should mention OFA. I decided to take a quick peek at the website (www.offa.org), and tried looking up her dogs. Well, none of the ones I tried looking up seemed to be on there.


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## JackandMattie (Feb 4, 2013)

saam55 said:


> My wife and I are considering a new pup. We want a female and I have visited one breeder here in south Texas. I wanted to see if anyone had any thoughts on this breeder: TEXAS BIG GERMAN SHEPHERDS - Home. Her dogs are straight backed and large. *We are looking for a pet not a show dog*. Her kennels are well run and clean. Thoughts?


Hi saam55 

Welcome to the forum. This is a great place to start your research.

With GSDs, you want to shop for health and temperament. It doesn't matter whether you will show the dog or compete in sports with the dog or keep him as a pet. All three need to be equally well bred. A well bred GSD that you can show/compete with will be equally successful as a pet. A GSD that was bred _only _to be a pet is ironically far less likely to have the stable temperament you want in a family pet...because all the traits that are required of show and competition dogs are _exactly_ the traits you want a _pet_ dog to have. 

That might not make sense now, but when you're looking at a 75-lb bundle of nerves and teeth a year from now, it will make all the sense in the world. Genetics play a huge role. Stick with a breeder who tests and titles their dogs, and you will know they considered temperament in their decisions.

Advice from a serial rescuer, who takes in the dogs that don't work for other people. I have one of those 75-lb bundles of nerves at home right now. Love him to death, but he's a perfect example of a "pet" breeding program that resulted in a genetic mess temperament-wise


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## LeoRose (Jan 10, 2013)

Here's a good read. I don’t want a show dog; I just want a pet.Ruffly Speaking | Ruffly Speaking


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## JackandMattie (Feb 4, 2013)

Oh...and the good news is, you can get a dog with an excellent pedigree for about those same prices as the ones you asked about.


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## GSDAlphaMom (Jul 20, 2010)

I just opened this thread, read the first page, opened the website and was SHOCKED TO SEE A PICTURE OF MY DOGS ON THE WEBSITE! The homepage picture of the 3 dogs together is my picture/my dogs. I do not know this person and certainly never gave permission for the use of my picture. I just called and left a voicemail for it to be removed. UNBELIEVABLE!

If they are going to steal pictures, then I would certainly question their breeding tactics.


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## JackandMattie (Feb 4, 2013)

GSDAlphaMom said:


> I just opened this thread, read the first page, opened the website and was SHOCKED TO SEE A PICTURE OF MY DOGS ON THE WEBSITE! The homepage picture of the 3 dogs together is my picture/my dogs. I do not know this person and certainly never gave permission for the use of my picture. I just called and left a voicemail for it to be removed. UNBELIEVABLE!
> 
> If they are going to steal pictures, then I would certainly question their breeding tactics.


If this is true, and it hasn't been removed yet please save a screen shot or print it out. You may decide to speak with an attorney. I would have made that phone call first, honestly. Keep us posted please. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## GSDAlphaMom (Jul 20, 2010)

Good idea on the screenshot. I left a message and sent an email. I told her to have it down within 48 hrs. I have that photo shoot on a cd so it wouldn't be hard to prove...not to mention I have the dogs! For those of us with dogs, we know they all look different, just like kids.


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## GSDAlphaMom (Jul 20, 2010)

I'm reading through the site now. Priceless:


"I breed only dogs with superior inteligence"
"I'm retaired now with my personal" 
" ' UNPREDICKTABLE TIME" 

There's more but that makes the point.


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## GSDAlphaMom (Jul 20, 2010)

She took it down, first claimed it came from a shared picture site, then claimed it looked like her dogs. She went on say she is selling all her dogs. I think I saw 2 of the for sale. My dogs are off her site so I'm out of it now.


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## JackandMattie (Feb 4, 2013)

Sometimes you can only say... Wow. Glad your dogs are off of there. 


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## saam55 (May 7, 2013)

I have been talking to breeders around Texas and other states. Thanks for the info that has been posted. We are taking our time choosing a breeder. We are long time dog owners and have five acres for our new addition to play and grow. There are alot of very good breeders around and we hope to find the right one for us.


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## Longfisher (Feb 28, 2013)

I have known Sonia for some time and she's a delightfully nolegible (misspelling intentional) breeder with some exceptionally beautiful dogs.

Give her a break on the spelling. She's not from here and English is not her native language.

Her husband is an incredible guy and is perhaps one of the most reasonable and involved "side-kick" I've ever known for any business, but especially for the business of dog breeding.

The last time I saw Sonia she indicated that health problems might cause here to leave the business. OK. That's the way it is. And, it's too bad.

But give the lady a break. She's as dedicated as anyone I know to the breed. 

LAY OFF!

LF


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## GSDAlphaMom (Jul 20, 2010)

She took my picture down so I give her credit for doing that, but it should have NEVER been on her site in the first place.


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## Longfisher (Feb 28, 2013)

GSDAlphaMom said:


> She took my picture down so I give her credit for doing that, but it should have NEVER been on her site in the first place.


Agreed. I was surprised to hear that as she has absolutely no reason to steal pictures because her dogs are spectacular all by themselves.

Look past it. Some of her recently imported European males are astonishingly well-pedigreed and she plans breeding a half decade in advance.

If she's getting out of the business it's a shame.

LF


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## smwaco (Jun 5, 2013)

Longfisher, since you know Sonia so well and think she is so dedicated, I would like you to find out why she tried to convince me that I should bring Lucy back to her after we have loved her for 7 months and she would give us another puppy. What would she end up doing to Lucy? She does no tests on the breeding dogs' hips and claims the dogs will be big and will not have hip dysplasia. I paid $1500 for this dog and am facing having to pay another $5000 to have her hip replaced. She ended up selling the mom for $500. Was it too much for me to ask to get $1000 back? She talks about how much she loves those dogs, but my puppy was infested with ticks! Our Lucy is not what was represented and I don't know how a good person could rip someone off like that. This dog is SMALL, very SMALL. She is now just a year old and we were in obedience training last night with a FIVE month old German Shepherd puppy that was a little larger than Lucy. I suggested that she give me $1000 back because another breeder told me she should. She cut off all communication at that time. My husband is really upset and we will probably get our attorney involved. We don't want another puppy. We love this one. We want to help this one. What would Sonia do with her if I returned her???? I'm sure I know what she would do because she said I shouldn't put her "through that"..... If she really cared, she would do the right thing so that I could have her fixed! 
Now that I see her using photos of other dogs, that makes me REALLY suspicious. No wonder Lucy didn't look like the photo she passed off as her! No wonder we kept seeing the photo of "Lucy" advertising other pups. It makes me sick.


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## Bonjovi (Nov 17, 2013)

I would love to hear about a reputable breeder in the east Texas area!


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## FelixTheGSD (Apr 29, 2014)

I know this thread isn't active, but I wanted to add my comment. We decided to buy a pup from Sonia (he was born 3 days ago ), and despite this thread being very discouraging, we are still pursuing the puppy. He will come home in 8 weeks. We have talked with her on the phone multiple times and are visiting her in a few days (If anyone answers this comment, I can answer any other questions after we visit), and decided that she is the perfect breeder for the family type GSD we want. 

I just wanted to help clear her reputation a little bit, because reading this on her other website (where she sells her art) rebuilt my hope that we had chosen a good breeder:

"Always proud of her Ukrainian, Russian, and Polish roots. She can read and write several languages, she did not speak English until she was fifteen, and still now, under pressure will revert back to Ukrainian."

So, yup, I just wanted to say, she may be a really great breeder but just not a native English speaker! And that's my 2 cents


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## Longfisher (Feb 28, 2013)

*Corsicana*



Bonjovi said:


> I would love to hear about a reputable breeder in the east Texas area!


Don't know about East Texas but if you're willing to take a couple hours drive GiantGermanShepherds.com is run by a pretty dedicated lady, Brinda.

Tell her David of Zeus fame sent you.

LF


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