# Finding a New Puppy



## drdexter33 (Nov 1, 2011)

Hello.

My beloved German Shepherd of almost 11 years passed away of lymphoma on June 20th.

Since I am single with no girlfriend, kids or family members close by, I've been thinking about getting another puppy and was wondering if there were any recommendations on finding a good breeder. 

I've found breeders that have pups ranging anywhere from $800 - $3500 and I guess the higher priced dogs generally indicate a better bloodline and possibly better testing against things like degenerative myelopathy (my boy had this), hip dysplasia and other issues that seem to be a problem with this breed.

At any rate, I would appreciate any advice.

Thanks in advance.

God Bless.

PS: Here's my best friend in the whole world at his favorite place in the whole world.

He loved the beach.

Your daddy loves you buddy and hope to see you again one fine day.


----------



## Bearshandler (Aug 29, 2019)

Finding the right puppy is tough. Price is both an indicator of quality and not one. There is a typical range of 1500-3500 for working lines. Outside if that range gives me pause for concern. The top of that range is for special cases like AI breedings. I know of a liter that was just born that could be awesome but I’d complicated. You need to figure out what you want in the dog to get solid recommendations.


----------



## Rosebud99 (9 mo ago)

drdexter33 said:


> My beloved German Shepherd of almost 11 years passed away of lymphoma on June 20th.


So sorry for your loss. It always breaks our heart to lose a dear friend. Your boy was very handsome.

I lost my almost 13 yr-old Jack Russell/BC mix to Lymphoma in January. I asked her to find me a dog. Five weeks later I found my GSD pup Frankie. He'll be 8 months next week.


----------



## Buckelke (Sep 4, 2019)

I'm sorry for your loss. He looks like he was a happy fellow which says a lot about you. I have no breeder suggestions, all our GS are shelter dogs. But I have learned that diseases like DM (we lost our Ellie to it) can be predicted with a genetic test. Even though ours are just shelter dogs it was comforting to get Elke's test results and see that she does not have the gene for DM. (she is purebred, just not well bred) . What I'm trying to say is whatever pup you get you should also get his or her genetic profile including health info. I would think a quality breeder would give you the results and guarantee the pup doesn't have at least those genetic faults. I hope you find a great companion.


----------



## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Very sorry to hear about your boy. He was beautiful.
Glad you are looking for a good breeder. They are the keepers of this wonderful breed.
If you post what you are looking for, as well as a little more about your lifestyle, I’m sure members here can point you in the right direction.


----------



## Hopps (Dec 5, 2021)

Sorry for your loss. I highly recommend finding a quality breeder. I've slowly been looking for breeders and talked to some. Like Sunflowers said, these quality breeders are truly the keepers of the breed. The amount of love and care they have for not just their dogs but the breed as a whole is incredible. They truly care about providing the healthiest and most stable dogs. The GSD is such a beautiful breed and we deserve more time with our dogs. Stack the deck in your favor, that's what I'll be doing in two years.


----------



## drdexter33 (Nov 1, 2011)

Thanks everyone for your responses.


Sunflowers said:


> Very sorry to hear about your boy. He was beautiful.
> Glad you are looking for a good breeder. They are the keepers of this wonderful breed.
> If you post what you are looking for, as well as a little more about your lifestyle, I’m sure members here can point you in the right direction.


Thank you for your kind words. 

Yeah my life pretty much revolved around him and I wouldn't have had it any other way.

I've worked from home since Covid and even before he was in day care three days a week and I worked from home two. 

I took him everywhere with me and he was never kenneled. When I went to PA for Christmas, he went with me and was part of the family. If I could have taken him to Church with me I would have. 

We spent the weekends at the beach.

I am single with no kids and no girlfriend so I spend all of my free time with my dog.

Are there certain questions I should be asking breeders?

The one breeder that I spoke with (her males were around $3000) mentioned something about an OFA test.

Thanks again everyone for sharing and for your advice.


----------



## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

I would read some of these links first.








Things to look for in a 'Responsible' Breeder


Please be advised, the links in this thread are in the process of being updated - 8/23/20 The more you know and read up on these, the better the questions you'll be able to ask. As well as your ability to figure out truth from evasion in the answers you may get in response. With getting a puppy...




www.germanshepherds.com


----------



## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Price is an indication of a reputable breeder but bad breeders will charge that much as well. You also want to look for documentation of hip/elbow/back evaluations either thru OFA or SV. Look for DM testing of both parents. And look at what they are doing with their dogs. Are they just pets that they are throwing together? Are there red flag words like "straightbacked" and bragging about how large their dogs are? Or are they working their dogs in some venue? IGP? Conformation if it's show line?

I see you PA and it looks like you have a show line. Beth Dillenbeck in Clarks Summit has nice show lines. Both American and WG. If you want working line, there are several clubs you can visit to watch the dogs and find the ones with qualities you like. Not every dog is everyone's flavor. Let us know where you are and we can suggest clubs in your vicinity or breeders to talk to.


----------



## drdexter33 (Nov 1, 2011)

Jax08 said:


> Price is an indication of a reputable breeder but bad breeders will charge that much as well. You also want to look for documentation of hip/elbow/back evaluations either thru OFA or SV. Look for DM testing of both parents. And look at what they are doing with their dogs. Are they just pets that they are throwing together? Are there red flag words like "straightbacked" and bragging about how large their dogs are? Or are they working their dogs in some venue? IGP? Conformation if it's show line?
> 
> I see you PA and it looks like you have a show line. Beth Dillenbeck in Clarks Summit has nice show lines. Both American and WG. If you want working line, there are several clubs you can visit to watch the dogs and find the ones with qualities you like. Not every dog is everyone's flavor. Let us know where you are and we can suggest clubs in your vicinity or breeders to talk to.


Thanks.

I am in Wilmington,NC

Have family in Western PA

Thanks again


----------



## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

If you're open to rescue, Char-Wills in PA is a top-notch breed rescue. They're pulling a lot of the best-of-the-best dogs from shelters in my area -- paying for transport and outstanding vetting. They're so loved that some the best, healthiest GSDs are going on transport to them, from several shelters I know in the New Orleans area.


----------



## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

I reached out to an e-friend who lives in Wilmington. She says they have a large GSD club, so that would be a good place to start. She also said there's a police academy next to the Empie dog park, and she suggests talking to Tom, one of the officers there. You also might meet one of their dog patrol officers if you go to Long Leaf dog park. The dog's name is Bane. She doesn't know the officer's name. 🤣

Gee, ya think she might be a REAL dog person??

She says there's a bulletin board at the park that might help put you in touch with people who have upcoming litters.
Oh, and Bane has his own FB page! You'll probably find the officer's name there! 😁
Okay, FB won't let me post that. Look up Bane New Hannover on FB and you'll find him. He looks to be part bloodhound, but not purebred.






Log into Facebook


Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.




www.facebook.com


----------



## gogo (Sep 7, 2008)

drdexter33 said:


> Hello.
> 
> My beloved German Shepherd of almost 11 years passed away of lymphoma on June 20th.
> 
> ...


So very sorry I know how you feel, miss my guy after a year, he died from squamous cell carcinoma in his mouth


----------



## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

Puppies are a gamble. When I got my first registered GSD, I was in touch with a woman who got a pup from an AKC approved breeder, who was also a licensed judge for the GSDs. The pup was an absolute MESS, and never had a healthy day in his life. The breeder ripped a strip off her for asking for help for the dog on an internet message board. (This was pre-facebook.) When she called him about the dog's problems, he was very unhelpful and eventually stopped returning her phone calls or replying to her e-mails. 😥 Oh, and he REPEATED the breeding that produced this pup, even though some of his issues were hereditary, and as she found out later, her pup wasn't the only one with problems! 

Word of mouth is your best bet, but make sure the person is experienced with the breed, and not just a first time pet owner who might not have enough knowledge to give you good advice.


----------



## drdexter33 (Nov 1, 2011)

Sunsilver said:


> I reached out to an e-friend who lives in Wilmington. She says they have a large GSD club, so that would be a good place to start. She also said there's a police academy next to the Empie dog park, and she suggests talking to Tom, one of the officers there. You also might meet one of their dog patrol officers if you go to Long Leaf dog park. The dog's name is Bane. She doesn't know the officer's name. 🤣
> 
> Gee, ya think she might be a REAL dog person??
> 
> ...


Thank you so much for this.

I reached out to Bane on FB

God Bless..


----------

