# Right price for a puppy?



## Jwrobinett (Aug 3, 2013)

I have been in love with German shepherds since about 8 years old! My father was in the police force and I always saw the k9 and I was in love. I am now 19 and in college, since then I have researched these dogs for about a year now and know it would be a perfect fit! I am very athletic and I get attached to the things I love so I want something to love me back equally! My only question is if it is worth the money to buy a 1000 puppy if I don't really plan on entering it in competition.. I just want a dog to love I want to train him just for fun but I don't want to get to serious. I also don't want to get a cheaper puppy and them have them suffer from hip problems! Just looking for advice.


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## dioworld (Feb 1, 2012)

Are you looking for showline or working line?


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

finding a well bred puppy from healthy proven parents for $1000 is decent. I paid $1500 for my pup. I wanted health, good breeding, basically, I wanted a dog from solid proven parents. When you think about it, the cost you put into the initial purchase on a well bred puppy is nothing compared to what the breeder spends in training and care for their dogs including vet visits for checkups for the pregnant female and testing and everything else. 

Basically, when I got my pup, I wanted to stack the odds in my favor for health and temperament. That's what I paid for and at 5 months old, my pup is already showing how great he is. Showing a ton of potential in anything I want to do with him. 

Make sure you research lines and what you can handle because some lines are more work than others. Make sure you research reputable breeders (this is a good forum to do that as well) and are very up front and honest with the breeder on what you're looking for. Color should be the last on your list, temperament should be first.


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## boomer11 (Jun 9, 2013)

yeah its worth it. with a breed thats born with natural aggression, having one that is unstable and nervy is not fun. the price doesnt really matter, the breeder does. find a reputable one and meet their dogs. finding a dog with a solid temperment is super important (especially with this breed)


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

Being 19 and busy with college life.. are you sure this is the best time to bring home a puppy and commit to owning and caring for a dog for the next 10+ years? Keep in mind it's not easy to find housing that will allow dogs, let alone german shepherds. Just throwing that out there.

To answer your question, you absolutely should be ready to spend $1000+ for a puppy even if he's just for a pet. Make sure to do your homework about picking the right breeder.


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## Jwrobinett (Aug 3, 2013)

Yeah I'm not thinking of getting one anytime soon! I won't bring one home until I'm absolutely sure I can care for it.. I'm working as a personal trainer so I may actually be able to work with my dog. I'm talking at lease a year before I get my pup! And I have no idea where to start when looking for good breeders! I'm not really worried about price as long as I'm not spending over 2k I have an account specifically set up for my dog 


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

Jwrobinett said:


> Yeah I'm not thinking of getting one anytime soon! I won't bring one home until I'm absolutely sure I can care for it.. I'm working as a personal trainer so I may actually be able to work with my dog. I'm talking at lease a year before I get my pup! And I have no idea where to start when looking for good breeders! I'm not really worried about price as long as I'm not spending over 2k I have an account specifically set up for my dog
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


 
well like I said, this is a good forum to start researching breeders. There are several breeders who are members here.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

1 >>>>> whether it's a competitor, pet/companion or couch
potato you want a well bred dog if your paying for a dog.
paying a $1,000.00 is reasonable.

2 >>>>> if you're not going to be serious about the dog
don't get a dog. there's no "to serious".

you're in college. make sure you can afford a dog and you
have the time to train and socialize and give general care
to the dog.



Jwrobinett said:


> I have been in love with German shepherds since about 8 years old! My father was in the police force and I always saw the k9 and I was in love. I am now 19 and in college, since then I have researched these dogs for about a year now and know it would be a perfect fit! I am very athletic and I get attached to the things I love so I want something to love me back equally!
> 
> My only question
> 
> ...


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

didn't see this when i posted. save more than a $1,000.00 for the pup.
the first few months and the last months are the most expensive
when you have a dog. in your savings include Vet care, bowls, toys,
leash, collar, crate, grooming tools, puppy class, trainer, advanced
classes, food, etc. you may want to up the $1,000.00 for a pup.



Jwrobinett said:


> >>>>> Yeah I'm not thinking of getting one anytime soon! I won't bring one home until I'm absolutely sure I can care for it.. <<<<<
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## battleborn (Jan 23, 2013)

I'd second what everyone else said, for the most part. When I was researching breeders, I saw several litters available for $100 to $300. Inevitably when you looked closer the difference between these random breedings and the litters from truly dedicated breeders were really obvious. It was critical to me that I have a healthy dog with a good temperament, and although there's no way to 100% guarantee this you can stack the odds in your favor if you have a good breeder and good bloodline.

There's many different price levels for good dogs. From my own experience, I will say that I was ready to spend up to $1500 and ended up getting my boy for just less than $1000. There's amazing dogs that cost a lot more...but I think a $1500 budget is a good range to work in if you're looking for a good pet.

And then, of course, I promptly spent the remaining money and more on dog food, crate, shots, registration, a camper shell for the truck so he could travel more easily, a ton of chew toys, a dog run, and so on.


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## battleborn (Jan 23, 2013)

Also...you mentioned being concerned about hips. I was too. If you're looking at pups from a reputable breeder, ask for copies of the parent's pedigrees and look for OFA certifications in both parents (and hopefully more of the bloodline). This is a thorough hip certification. 

Also, I really recommend getting in touch with your local chapter of the GSDCA. They taught me so much while I was getting my dog, including putting me in touch with amazing breeders and telling me about things like the OFA cert.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

The initial purchase price of a good pup can start at $1000 which is very reasonable. But it is just the beginning. health care and other thing mentioned before will add up considerably. So make sure you have plenty of money set aside.


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## Kaimeju (Feb 2, 2013)

I know a breeder near me who sells pups for $800 who does all the OFA and health checks, has decent lines with working and show titles scattered around the pedigree, etc. I still wouldn't buy a puppy from her. If I'm going to get a German shepherd from a breeder, I want it to be as close to my ideal as possible. So, I would really want to see some specific titles on the parents to PROVE they have good abilities and not just take the breeder's word for it. A difference of $200-500 sounds like a lot up front, but you're living with this dog every day for the rest of its life. 


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## NTexFoster (Jul 18, 2013)

Check with your local GSD rescues before blowing the money on a breeder. Sorry to screw with their business but I just saw 9 beautiful GSDs, several purebred, who need homes. In my case I adopted a purebred GSD that was surrendered b/c the owner was having severe allergic reactions (had to be hospitalized twice) to him. I'm not sure why Keiser was not returned to the breeder, but he is mine now.

So for $300 I have a GSD that already has all the vet stuff taken care of, he's been neutered, microchipped and I get to skip the joy of house breaking him. I get to enjoy all the cool stuff like teaching him how to drive the car and write javascript.

The lady who we did the adoption with said she had fostered a GSD that a lady had bought for $10K, imported from Germany. She got rid of her dog because her fiancé didn't like dogs. Personally, I would have taken the fiancé to the rescue and kept the dog, but that's just me.

Anyway - please check the rescues. You might strike out, in which case talk to the breeders. On the other hand you might luck out like I did and bring home a winning lottery ticket.


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## GsdLoverr729 (Jun 20, 2010)

NTexFoster said:


> Check with your local GSD rescues before blowing the money on a breeder. Sorry to screw with their business but I just saw 9 beautiful GSDs, several purebred, who need homes. In my case I adopted a purebred GSD that was surrendered b/c the owner was having severe allergic reactions (had to be hospitalized twice) to him. I'm not sure why Keiser was not returned to the breeder, but he is mine now.
> 
> So for $300 I have a GSD that already has all the vet stuff taken care of, he's been neutered, microchipped and I get to skip the joy of house breaking him. I get to enjoy all the cool stuff like teaching him how to drive the car and write javascript.
> 
> ...


 :rofl: I completely agree with the bolded! LOL! 

Rescues are a good idea, particularly if you're concerned about the initial cost. They can be, however, ridiculously difficult to adopt from lol. 
Really, I suggest looking into rescues AND researching breeders. Get a feel for which would fit best with you, and which one YOU would be a better owner for.


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## acook0910 (Apr 7, 2013)

Definitely look into a rescue first. A lot of them are already "fixed" and trained. My father in law got a purebred gsd from our local shelter and they are best friends. If your don't plan on breeding it or showing it then a rescue would be great, you can save a life.


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