# How much/need advice



## Nick&Vic (Mar 9, 2011)

Hello everyone,

I am sad to say my puppy Khloe had to leave this earth a couple of weeks ago because she got distemper. Her pics are linked to my profile. We only had her for 3 weeks. Very sure she contracted the disease at the shelter we picked her up from.

Soon I will be looking for a GSD puppy. They are such amazing dogs that I can't wait for one to join my family. I will be in the Houston area. I'm not really looking for a show dog but one more for companionship. I just want to make sure it comes from a reputable breeder. what is a reasonable price i should expect?

thanks


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

i'm sorry for your loss. 

as far as a reasonable price from a breeder, it depends on the breeder really but on average, you can expect to spend anywhere from $1200-$2500 from a reputable breeder. depends on the lines you go with. showlines or working.


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## boeselager (Feb 26, 2008)

You have my deepest sympathy for your loss :-(


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## lisgje (Sep 3, 2010)

If you are not going to breed or show and are going to have the dog "fixed", not sure I would pay upwards of $2,500. If you are looking for a companion dog, have you checked into rescue organizations? you can sometimes find great purebred puppies that way. Just a thought.


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## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

So sorry you lost your pup. There are a few recent threads asking the same questions about breeders in TX- you'll have to look for it, there are several good suggestions


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

lisgje said:


> If you are not going to breed or show and are going to have the dog "fixed", not sure I would pay upwards of $2,500. If you are looking for a companion dog, have you checked into rescue organizations? you can sometimes find great purebred puppies that way. Just a thought.


If I had just brought a pup home from the shelter and had it die of distemper that it probably caught at the shelter, I would have a hard time emotionally bringing home another rescue pup right now.


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## lisgje (Sep 3, 2010)

Not from a shelter, but from a reputable rescue organization. Unfortunately, shelters do not always have the funds or resources like they should. I got a puppy from a shelter once that had a major heart condition. They never checked. I still would not pay $2,500 for a dog I was not going to breed or show. Just a thought, but since the dog had distemper, a refund should have been warranted, granted, does not make up for the emotional loss at all and the dog should have been checked for that prior to adoption. My heart goes out to the OP for your loss. It is so hard to bring a puppy home and find out they have issues like that. So sorry.


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## 1sttimeforgsd (Jul 29, 2010)

Sorry for the loss of your little Khloe, she was a beautiful little girl. Run free baby girl.


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## Nick&Vic (Mar 9, 2011)

lisgje said:


> If you are not going to breed or show and are going to have the dog "fixed", not sure I would pay upwards of $2,500. If you are looking for a companion dog, have you checked into rescue organizations? you can sometimes find great purebred puppies that way. Just a thought.



I do not plan to breed or show one...at least not for my first pure bred GSD. Im glad you mentioned rescue organizations and I will check into them. I just want to avoid running into any immediate health problems. I am willing to spend a little more for a breeder that takes good care of the animals.


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## Nick&Vic (Mar 9, 2011)

Emoore said:


> If I had just brought a pup home from the shelter and had it die of distemper that it probably caught at the shelter, I would have a hard time emotionally bringing home another rescue pup right now.


Yes, it is difficult...especially since it was the first dog my gf and I have ever had. Im in the middle of research mode right now. The earliest I see myself getting a GSD is four months from now because I'm about to move to Houston most likely


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## JustMeLeslie (Sep 15, 2010)

I am so sorry you lost Khloe. She was a very cute puppy. 

Good luck on your search for your new family member. Btw, I would like to welcome you to the forum and once again so sorry for your loss.


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## MicheleMarie (Mar 29, 2011)

That just made me teary eyed  so sorry.

Although I love when people adopt dogs from shelters and rescues when I wanted my purebred GSD I refused to do that. With dogs like GSDs it's important (for me anyway) to know the breeder and the lines. GSDs have so many health issues that it was critical I know the person is a responsible breeder. Researching my first purebred pup (we just brought him home last week!) I discovered many things to look for  I looked at prices and lines (both show and work and mix) and breeders and dogs from $1200-$2800. The $1200 dogs were show lines bred by some very nice people who had nice jobs. Although their animals were well cared for and they seemed knowledgeable, when I went to visit them I found out that they do it out of their home (which is completely fine) however I hated the fact that they bred the females and then sent them out to foster homes until they were ready to whelp. That made me uncomfortable. The dogs that were $2800 were also show line dogs and I saw no difference in their confirmation, Temperament, Drive, Personality etc. then the dogs I looked at for $1200 except that the facilities where nicer/newer. I X'd those two pretty quickly. The ones I looked at that were $1500-$2000 were actually Working Lined dogs. They did Shutzhund, French Ring, Search and Rescue, Agility and SWAT dogs (!!). I met a very nice breeder who actually invited me to a Shutzhund training session and it opened my eyes!! Many people told me to stay away from entire "working lined" dogs unless I was actually going to do something like that with them. And when I went to a training session i fell in love. You don't have to be professional at any of the above activities. It's a club you are in involved with and do it for fun! and it IS fun. I ended up getting a puppy from a very impressive west german dog and the mom is Czechoslovakia. The lady that breeds them also trains them and has been doing it since the 1970s. Her dogs both young and old get fed a complete raw diet. She shows in Shutzhund as well. The puppy is starting basic obedience this week and then will move on to Personal Protection training. It's not super expensive either and it's just 30 minutes a week. It's actually fun to do and your dog will appreciate it. Agility is another option that's extremely fun and can be just a hobby. The puppy I got was originally set at $1800 but after i met with the breeder a few times and will be participating in clubs with her she dropped it down to $1300. Even though I am 99.9% sure I will not be breeding him I most likely will not have him neutered. I would be weary of dogs that are less than $1000 and unless you're doing serious activities like Showing, SAR and Police Work PROFESSIONALLY (and there are breeders that only breed for that) I wouldn't spend over $2000.
Searching is half the fun!!!


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## DharmasMom (Jul 4, 2010)

I am so sorry for your loss. If you are looking for a dog that will be a companion only and not be shown or working, please, please consider a rescue. Go through a reputable rescue and you will be able to find a great dog that will meet all of your requirements. There are so many dogs dying in shelters that need great, loving forever homes.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I am sorry for your loss of Khloe.

Please scroll down to the breeder section and look at the signs of a good breeder. Please apply them to a rescue as well if you do decide to go that route. A rescue might be different in some respects, but the dogs in their care should be clean and in a good environment. Some may need to gain weight or have skin problems, or injuries, but they should give the impression that they are being well-tended.


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