# Money saving tip-Buy a "Used" puppy ?



## bocron

This was in a financial piece on Yahoo news today. 


*Pets 
Buying a puppy from a breeder will cost at least $600 in addition to vet bills. And that number only goes up for more specialized breeds. Instead, adopt a previously owned puppy or dog from your local shelter. The total cost will be less than $200 and you'll be saving an animal in the process!
*

Here's the link to the full article-
What Not to Buy New | Financially Fit - Yahoo! Shine


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## KZoppa

yeah i read that yesterday.


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## Stosh

Geez...in our paper there was an ad for the classified section and it showed a car, a tennis racket and a dog and the caption said "Get rid of your unwanted items". Nice


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN

Boy, talk about missing the point completely about both buying from a knowledgeable breeder AND adopting a dog.


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## bocron

Stosh said:


> Geez...in our paper there was an ad for the classified section and it showed a car, a tennis racket and a dog and the caption said "Get rid of your unwanted items". Nice




Someone didn't think that through.


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## bocron

JeanKBBMMMAAN said:


> Boy, talk about missing the point completely about both buying from a knowledgeable breeder AND adopting a dog.



Agreed. I was just amazed at how they managed to offend everyone equally :laugh:.


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## Scarlettsmom

We tease my husband's boss about their purchase of a 'designer puppy'. They got a GoldenDoodle puppy and paid $1600 for it. We say we got a "used" dog for $250. Scarlett is a VGSR rescue and the best money we ever spent! <3

About the pictures on the article, did anyone look at it and say "Hmmm, unwanted items...a dog...really???" Obviously not....we're circling the drain...


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## Courtney

hogwash

It's kind of weird but I have been asked by a few different people (mainly co-workers) what shelter or rescue did I get my dog from? When I say breeder there's an obvious disappointment on their face, like breeder is a bad word.

I agree with JeanKBBMMMAAN knowledgeable breeder and adopting are both great options.


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## Narny

Courtney said:


> hogwash
> 
> It's kind of weird but I have been asked by a few different people (mainly co-workers) what shelter or rescue did I get my dog from? When I say breeder there's an obvious disappointment on their face, like breeder is a bad word.
> 
> I agree with JeanKBBMMMAAN knowledgeable breeder and adopting are both great options.


Similar thing happens to us when we say we are looking for a German Shepherd. People ask which rescue we are going with and we say none, we are looking for a good breeder. Their faces change like some how I am pond scum. I have prepared myself that IF we tell someone that we are looking for a good gsd from a breeder that I am prepared to nicely argue the reasons we arent looking into shelter dogs. Though, dont tell my husband but I do secretly look on pet finder. 

The local GSD rescues have some GREAT looking dogs.

We even had a thread about it on my saltwater fish forum in the lounge. Someone was looking for a pure bred gsd and the first couple of people come out and say why not go to the shelter and there is nothing wrong with shelter dogs (sometimes this is true but not always)... I was the first person to say that shelter dogs arent always the best choice. After that it seemed like more people understood and even agreed that while there are fine dogs at rescues and shelters, shelter dogs have been traumatized and unless you can risk that (kids elderly people, other dogs/cats etc) then doing your homework and finding a RESPONSIBLE breeder is the best way to go. 

It seems like people just dont hear the word responsible or even know what that word means anymore.


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## Anitsisqua

I'm going through the same thing right now. I keep getting people guilt-tripping me for wanting to get a puppy from a breeder instead of a shelter or rescue, and I really wish I knew what to say to them! I do think adopting/rescuing is a great thing to do, but the truth is, I'm scared about the unknown background of shelter dogs, both behavioral and medical.

My last dog developed epilepsy at one year, and the rest of his life was miserable for both me and him. I understand that this can happen to any dog, but it's so much less likely when the dog is well bred. The peace of mind is worth paying more to me.


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## Emoore

I think your explanations are off. 

Don't make your dog-buying decisions out of fear. Don't say, "Well, I'm going to a breeder because I'm afraid that with a shelter dog. . ." or "because some shelter dogs are" or "because I don't want to deal with. . "

Don't choose to buy a breeder pup because of what they are NOT, choose one because of what they ARE. 

"I was looking for specific bloodlines." or "I want to know my dog's family tree," etc. Not, "I'm going to a breeder because at least they aren't shelter dogs!"


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## msvette2u

Well it pisses me off to no end that people think shelter dogs ought to be free or "cheap" because "nobody else wanted them" or they are "rejects" of some sort.

I've even had people write to ask why a particular puppy was "left over", as in "why didn't anyone else adopt her!?" Um. One _had_ to be left over, right...??


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## Anitsisqua

Well, it's not like, "Oh, those awful shelter pups..." I wanted a GSD and I wanted the assurance that comes with knowing his genetic background, especially when it came to his health.


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## Emoore

Anitsisqua said:


> Well, it's not like, "Oh, those awful shelter pups..." I wanted a GSD and I wanted the assurance that comes with knowing his genetic background, especially when it came to his health.


I know, but that's what people hear when you say, "I didn't want a shelter dog because. . ."


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## msvette2u

Anitsisqua said:


> I'm going through the same thing right now. I keep getting people guilt-tripping me for wanting to get a puppy from a breeder instead of a shelter or rescue, and I really wish I knew what to say to them! I do think adopting/rescuing is a great thing to do, but the truth is, I'm scared about the unknown background of shelter dogs, both behavioral and medical.
> 
> My last dog developed epilepsy at one year, and the rest of his life was miserable for both me and him. I understand that this can happen to any dog, but it's so much less likely when the dog is well bred. The peace of mind is worth paying more to me.


Why not meet some dogs in rescues, not necessarily straight from the pound? Dogs that have lived in foster homes are a very good choice for someone either on a budget or with fears about potential health/behavioral issues.


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## Anitsisqua

Emoore, I definitely get where you're coming from, I just felt the need to clarify.


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## Emoore

Anitsisqua said:


> I definitely get where you're coming from, I just felt the need to clarify.


Yup. I learned this the hard way when I bought a puppy after 10 years in rescue. People didn't like hearing the negatives of a shelter/rescue dog; it made them feel like I was judging or looking down on their dog. Instead I learned to just say, "there were specific things I wanted to do with this dog, and I knew these parents had the genetics to produce what I wanted." End of story.


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## Narny

Emoore said:


> I think your explanations are off.
> 
> Don't make your dog-buying decisions out of fear. Don't say, "Well, I'm going to a breeder because I'm afraid that with a shelter dog. . ." or "because some shelter dogs are" or "because I don't want to deal with. . "
> 
> Don't choose to buy a breeder pup because of what they are NOT, choose one because of what they ARE.
> 
> "I was looking for specific bloodlines." or "I want to know my dog's family tree," etc. Not, "I'm going to a breeder because at least they aren't shelter dogs!"





Emoore said:


> that's what people hear when you say, "I didn't want a shelter dog because. . ."


I think this is a valid point. 

I always try to make it sound in a way that isnt putting down rescues or shelters. Most of the time I say something like, I want to know the history of the dog and where its comes from. I also what to know what I am "likely" to get out of this dog. Not a guarantee of course no one could really offer that, I simply want the STANDARD as best we can get. 

I have looked into shelters and rescues. I have even contacted a few when I saw a special dog that I would really like to have in our family. My husband is dead set on a puppy though and there is NO changing his mind on that one. 



msvette2u said:


> Well it pisses me off to no end that people think shelter dogs ought to be free or "cheap" because "nobody else wanted them" or they are "rejects" of some sort.
> 
> I've even had people write to ask why a particular puppy was "left over", as in "why didn't anyone else adopt her!?" Um. One _had_ to be left over, right...??


I dont see why people should think this way even though I know they do. Its insane... What you think that micro chip and spay was FREE for the rescue?? Dream on! Not to mention time training and preparing them for being in someones home and feeding them. This is love and dedication... nothing else.



msvette2u said:


> Why not meet some dogs in rescues, not necessarily straight from the pound? Dogs that have lived in foster homes are a very good choice for someone either on a budget or with fears about potential health/behavioral issues.


I have pointed this out to my husband. He REALLY wants a puppy even though I will be the one who lets the puppy out at 2 in the morning, trains, feeds, and basically taking the dog everywhere I go.

And who knows, maybe we will find that one special dog for us at a rescue. Its a long shot but its not impossible.


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## Narny

Emoore said:


> Yup. I learned this the hard way when I bought a puppy after 10 years in rescue. People didn't like hearing the negatives of a shelter/rescue dog; it made them feel like I was judging or looking down on their dog. Instead I learned to just say, "there were specific things I wanted to do with this dog, and I knew these parents had the genetics to produce what I wanted." End of story.


Yep


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## OriginalWacky

As somebody who has always rescued, buying a purebred from a breeder this time was not a 'dis' on shelter/rescue dogs at all. For us it was about stacking the deck in our favor for a healthy dog that had the right temperament to do the job. Knowing what he would look like as an adult, about how big he would get, and having the support of the breeder all factored in. Add in the fact that I'm interested in possibly showing a dog, and a responsible breeder is exactly what we needed. 

In the future, we're sure to rescue again, and will continue to help out when and where we can (transports, donations, maybe fostering). I'll highly encourage anybody looking for a dog to go with rescue, the exception being when somebody is interested in showing a dog and needs a purebred. Then I'll be happy to help them look for a breeder.


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## Courtney

Actually, my husband and I have talked about adopting a senior GSD in the future from a rescue. It's not a good time for us now, one dog is enough. I know with a senior you don't have as many years, they are out of their prime and may have $$ health issues to deal with, but I really have a soft spot for them and think we could provide a loving & caring home to live out his/her golden years


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## RocketDog

Scarlettsmom said:


> *We tease my husband's boss about their purchase of a 'designer puppy'. They got a GoldenDoodle puppy and paid $1600 for it. We say we got a "used" dog for $250. Scarlett is a VGSR rescue and the best money we ever spent!* <3
> 
> About the pictures on the article, did anyone look at it and say "Hmmm, unwanted items...a dog...really???" Obviously not....we're circling the drain...



Please don't take this offensively, as I'm only using this as an example, not as a direct comment towards you personally.

This kind of comment is what perpetuates animosity between people who are only rescue advocates and people who would only buy from reputable breeders. It's a sly poke that somehow, the rescuer was "smarter" and didn't get taken for a fool like the person that spent the money on a breeder. (Not using a goldendoodle as example would've been better, but hey...) Also, it doesn't matter if you got your dog from a shelter or a breeder, whatever dog you bring home, is always "the best money we've ever spent" because you BOND with and LOVE the dog you have, regardless of where it came from. 

Someone earlier, Emoore? said it best--that sometimes people want to stack the deck in their favor, or are looking for specific traits. Obviously someone who wanted to do agility or herding would not be able to have as much success if they went and adopted a basset hound from a shelter.


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## Scarlettsmom

No offense taken...

If you knew this couple, you would truly roll your eyes. They did not want a dog who sheds, barks, misbehaves, etc. NO dog would have fit their requirements. Obviously, I left that bit out. My bad. I should have elaborated.

I didn't get a puppy because I don't have the time for one. I desired dog who was already through the landshark phase. If a breeder would hold a dog that long for me, I would have considered one. That's not the case, so rescues work for me.


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## Pepper311

bocron said:


> This was in a financial piece on Yahoo news today.
> 
> 
> *Pets
> Buying a puppy from a breeder will cost at least $600 in addition to vet bills. And that number only goes up for more specialized breeds. Instead, adopt a previously owned puppy or dog from your local shelter. The total cost will be less than $200 and you'll be saving an animal in the process!
> *
> 
> Here's the link to the full article-
> What Not to Buy New | Financially Fit - Yahoo! Shine


Kind of weird how this was about saving money. Nothing about keeping pets is smart financially. They cost so much over the years pound pup or not.

But I like how they are just kind of giving a little reminder that so many great dogs need homes why not save a life. 

The housing crash has really effected dogs a lot. As owners lose homes dog lose their family. Some People leave the dogs at the foreclosed home alone.


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## Castlemaid

A lot of these "tip" sheets you find on yahoo, msm, and other news/gossip pages are not written by experts in anything - they are written by writers trying to come up with new content on a daily basis. The information is often superficial, useless, and at worse, completely wrong. 

But off course, it masquerades as news, and it's on the internet, so it must be true!


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## Narny

Castlemaid said:


> A lot of these "tip" sheets you find on yahoo, msm, and other news/gossip pages are not written by experts in anything - they are written by writers trying to come up with new content on a daily basis. The information is often superficial, useless, and at worse, completely wrong.
> 
> But off course, it masquerades as news, and it's on the internet, so it must be true!


Yep...

A few months ago there was a NEWS article about how to save $10,000 in one summer .

The whole thing went on about how instead of having someone come in and painting their house EVERY YEAR, this year they will do it themselves, someone needed a head check. 

Most of these people are "out there" in their own way and they dont consider much other than the extreme "money" motivator. 

Like castlemaid said, its a daily writing content thing, they need to fill the gap.


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## msvette2u

RocketDog said:


> Please don't take this offensively, as I'm only using this as an example, not as a direct comment towards you personally.
> 
> This kind of comment is what perpetuates animosity between people who are only rescue advocates and people who would only buy from reputable breeders. *It's a sly poke that somehow, the rescuer was "smarter" and didn't get taken for a fool like the person that spent the money on a breeder. * (Not using a goldendoodle as example would've been better, but hey...) Also, it doesn't matter if you got your dog from a shelter or a breeder, whatever dog you bring home, is always "the best money we've ever spent" because you BOND with and LOVE the dog you have, regardless of where it came from.
> 
> Someone earlier, Emoore? said it best--that sometimes people want to stack the deck in their favor, or are looking for specific traits. Obviously someone who wanted to do agility or herding would not be able to have as much success if they went and adopted a basset hound from a shelter.


Good post Rocket :thumbup:

We'd never discourage people from breeders - but only responsible breeders, not backyard style ones. Because if you wanna do a total crapshoot and go with a byb dog, then invest in a dog or pup from a shelter, pound or rescue/foster home. This is what we tell people. If you cannot afford a well-bred dog, get a rescue.
Purebred puppies do wind up in rescues but not as much as 8 mos. + pups and dogs.

I find also that people buy from BYBs because they don't like doing applications or are afraid they'll be turned down, or have been turned down, or else don't like the commitment (binding legal agreement) that often comes with a rescued pet. These same people will troll craigslist for free or very cheap dogs, so that if it doesn't work out, they can then put it back on craigslist. I call some of these dogs revolving door dogs, and at times we've had a chance to snag it before it's rehomed yet again, usually for the horrific crime of digging in the yard or OOPS, pottying in the house or chewing something up


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## guitarest

Except for 3 dogs that I purchased as puppies all my other fur babies have always been rescues. I honestly believe the rescued babies know you rescued them. In the video below is Willie (collie mix) and Sarge (husky mix) both are rescues. I have saved lives before and will continue to save shelter dogs for as long as I can. I love my little BlueLight defective puppies..... lol


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## chelle

guitarest said:


> Except for 3 dogs that I purchased as puppies all my other fur babies have always been rescues. I honestly believe the rescued babies know you rescued them. In the video below is Willie (collie mix) and Sarge (husky mix) both are rescues. I have saved lives before and will continue to save shelter dogs for as long as I can. I love my little BlueLight defective puppies..... lol
> 
> 
> My daughter with my other babies, featuring a very young Dia - YouTube


BlueLight defective puppies, lol! Well, they sure look like wonderful babies to me! Nice vid. :wub:

I like what you say about the rescues knowing they'd been rescued. I have one in my house and I like to believe that, too. He's so happy.


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## guitarest

chelle said:


> BlueLight defective puppies, lol! Well, they sure look like wonderful babies to me! Nice vid. :wub:
> 
> I like what you say about the rescues knowing they'd been rescued. I have one in my house and I like to believe that, too. He's so happy.


Oh they are nice dogs for sure. Sarge is a Katrina rescue who's owner left him behind as a very young puppy to fend for himself during the storm. He was rescued after Katrina somewhere in Long beach or Gulfport Ms and was a estimated 1-2 months old and had a broken jaw and a broken tail. He has been with my family since he was deemed as a adoptable puppy. We had so many issues with him as a puppy and thankfully its all resolved now. Willie was adopted just before Katrina and was around 10-12 weeks old and was found on the street. This is really hard to believe since he is as prissy as they come. Refuses to lay on a floor; has to sleep on a pillow or his head on a pillow; very spoiled. 

Even our premium DDR GSD is defective, he has a outie belly button. I dont remember what my daughter said about her pup Dia but she has a defect also....... lol

Yup if I ever had a perfect non-defective dog I would not know what to do with him or how to act since I'm just as defective............. :wild:


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## KennyFrench

We adopted Bella about 7 weeks ago from a GSD rescue organization in our area. When we first told people we were thinking about adopting a dog, I guess they thought we were adopting or buying from an individual because everyone told us not to. One friend even said "Don't do that! Go to a shelter instead!" I had to explain that the organization we were working with rescues GSDs *from shelters*. 

I didn't go to a breeder because, the way I saw it, a lot of breeders base their pricing on the awards and titles of the sire and dam and I wasn't looking for a show dog. 

However, adopting a rescue dog has plenty of challenges, especially if you adopt an older dog. The vet has estimated Bella's age at around 4 or 5 years old. Not knowing anything about her background has been a huge obstacle to overcome: How was she trained? Did she have any obedience training? Was she trained in English, German, or Esperanto? Both of her canines look like they were broken off and medically repaired, but we have no idea what happened. Was she raised in a normal household with a mother and father and kids? I know GSDs are very aloof by nature, but Bella seems much more friendly with my wife and step-daughter than she is with me and my step-son even though I’m the only one who feeds hers. Did she spend most of her life with the same owner? Or, has she been bounced around from owner to owner? The woman who fostered her (for about 2 months) said when she found her sitting next to a country road, it didn’t look like she had been without a collar for long or even on her own for long. She seems to be house-broken – she’ll either come find one of us or go to the backdoor when she needs to go out, but she doesn’t bark/whine/talk to let us know, she just stands there. So, I’m wondering if she was trained to use a doggy door. I hung a bell on the knob of the backdoor and have tried to train her to nudge it, but she’s been a little slow to learn that one. She definitely seems to be an inside dog though. 

She doesn’t want to seem to play and doesn’t seem to have much energy in general. The woman who fostered her took her to the vet to make sure she was up-to-date on her shots, and her heartworm test was a “light” positive and she’s on Heartgard Plus for 2 more months. Both could explain the sedentary lifestyle and lack of energy.


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## msvette2u

How long have you had her?


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN

KennyFrench said:


> We adopted Bella about 7 weeks ago from a GSD rescue organization in our area. When we first told people we were thinking about adopting a dog, I guess they thought we were adopting or buying from an individual because everyone told us not to. One friend even said "Don't do that! Go to a shelter instead!" I had to explain that the organization we were working with rescues GSDs *from shelters*.
> 
> I didn't go to a breeder because, the way I saw it, a lot of breeders base their pricing on the awards and titles of the sire and dam and I wasn't looking for a show dog.
> 
> However, adopting a rescue dog has plenty of challenges, especially if you adopt an older dog. The vet has estimated Bella's age at around 4 or 5 years old. Not knowing anything about her background has been a huge obstacle to overcome: How was she trained? Did she have any obedience training? Was she trained in English, German, or Esperanto? Both of her canines look like they were broken off and medically repaired, but we have no idea what happened. Was she raised in a normal household with a mother and father and kids? I know GSDs are very aloof by nature, but Bella seems much more friendly with my wife and step-daughter than she is with me and my step-son even though I’m the only one who feeds hers. Did she spend most of her life with the same owner? Or, has she been bounced around from owner to owner? The woman who fostered her (for about 2 months) said when she found her sitting next to a country road, it didn’t look like she had been without a collar for long or even on her own for long. She seems to be house-broken – she’ll either come find one of us or go to the backdoor when she needs to go out, but she doesn’t bark/whine/talk to let us know, she just stands there. So, I’m wondering if she was trained to use a doggy door. I hung a bell on the knob of the backdoor and have tried to train her to nudge it, but she’s been a little slow to learn that one. She definitely seems to be an inside dog though.
> 
> She doesn’t want to seem to play and doesn’t seem to have much energy in general. The woman who fostered her took her to the vet to make sure she was up-to-date on her shots, *and her heartworm test was a “light” positive and she’s on Heartgard Plus for 2 more months. Both could explain the sedentary lifestyle and lack of energy.*


GOODGOODGOODGOOD! Please read: www.germanshepherds.com/forum/follow-up/168423-denton-tx-bandit-longhair-sable-male-adopted.html Keep her quiet. Welcome to the forum and thank you for adopting her! 

Also, FYI re light positive for anyone reading: http://www.idexx.com/view/xhtml/en_us/smallanimal/inhouse/snap/4dx.jsf?SSOTOKEN=0

From the Idexx 4DX FAQ:
Question: I ran the SNAP 4Dx Test and received a light positive on the (heartworm, E. canis, or Lyme) spot. Does the color intensity of the spot mean anything? 

Answer: Any color development in any of the sample spots indicates a positive result. The amount of antigen or antibody produced by individual dogs differs. So it’s not possible to correlate the color intensity of the sample spot and the level of infection. Keep in mind that every dog is different.


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## msvette2u

guitarest said:


> Except for 3 dogs that I purchased as puppies all my other fur babies have always been rescues. I honestly believe the rescued babies know you rescued them. In the video below is Willie (collie mix) and Sarge (husky mix) both are rescues. I have saved lives before and will continue to save shelter dogs for as long as I can. I love my little BlueLight defective puppies..... lol
> 
> 
> My daughter with my other babies, featuring a very young Dia - YouTube


I know just what you mean. 
Most of our personal pets were free to us. And they are truly priceless


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## WendyDsMom

I have rescued, fostered, purchased from breeder, and now I can say I have purchased from a pet store. I said I would never buy from a pet store, but I guess their profit went waaaaay down with this sale.

And I am glad I did. The puppy (A Miniature Pinscher) is 6 months old. She was priced down from $1299 to $399 and I have watched her grow in that crate since she was 2 months old. Broke my heart each time I watched her pacing back and forth in her kennel.

2 weeks into our new puppy, she has housebreaking issues - but sits and downs like my GSD Wendy. She dances and does high fives! She is affectionate and a very stable little dog (after a bit of work from the whole family and 2 hours of personal training with our trainer). I think she is just so happy to be free of that place (even though the staff fawned over her) she is an adorkable (yes, that is how we say it) little girl.

I prefer a rescue and I sort of consider her a rescue - from kennel **** - but I think if I would have waited her out a little more, she would have been transferred to another store and ended up in a worse situation.

All dog acquisitions are situational - my husband searched with breeders all over MD, PA and VA looking for a sable female for me to fill the HUGE void left by my RESCUE Kayla after she passed. I was looking at rescues - he was more successful than I!

I applaud the people who rescue and foster - I did it for years - I am a retired foster (with 3 dogs the inn is full) and I will just mull over my little funky bunch for a good long time.

Wendy (GSD) and Gidget (Min Pin) will both go into Agility training in August... and they are the bestest of friends! I call them the Frauleins.... riding in my VW Cabrio with the top down has been tons of fun.


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## KennyFrench

msvette2u said:


> How long have you had her?



If that question was directed at me, we brought her home March 29th. 

And, something I totally forgot to mention earlier... With all the challenges we've had with her, I would not have changed anything. We had been looking at several different dogs to adopt - including some from Good Shepherd Rescue - and decided to rescue Bella. Her foster had two other dogs - a giant Schnauzer and a Doberman - who were constantly beating up on her. Granted, her foster did a good job of keeping her separated from the other two dogs so there were no serious injuries other then the tip of one ear missing. I guess you could say I sorta rescued her from someone who rescued her.


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## KennyFrench

JeanKBBMMMAAN said:


> GOODGOODGOODGOOD! Please read: www.germanshepherds.com/forum/follow-up/168423-denton-tx-bandit-longhair-sable-male-adopted.html Keep her quiet. Welcome to the forum and thank you for adopting her!


 My vet and the vet her foster took her to (the one who did the initial heartworm test and said she was “light” positive) said that short walks would be okay, but Bella doesn't like to walk much except to go out to the front yard and sniff around. She VERY rarely runs except the short distance from the backyard to the backdoor after she’s done her business. She mostly lays around. I hadn’t heard anything about a Doxycycline treatment, but I’ll go back and re-read what the original vet faxed me. The original vet prescribe 6 months of Heartgard Plus Chewables and said to retest this August – my vet concurred.


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## katieliz

just had to say, "chances of health issues goes down with well bred shepherds"...that's not accurate. have no statistics to back this up, but i suspect chances of health issues goes up.


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## iferrn

Enjoying reading all of the posts. We are just so blessed to have had such sweet GSDs in our life. We got our first from a "back yard breader" when we were starting out, then adopted one from a shelter. 2 weeks ago we adopted one off petfinder.com - the couple had to get rid of a beautiful black and red, 6 mo, trained in german, AKC, pedigree, blah blah... She is just a doll and we couldn't be happier. She is the perfect fit to our family and she seems very happy to be with us. so.... we "rescued" a dog with a pedigree, lol. a $3000 dog for $300. This was not our goal, we were just looking for a good match for dog and us and this is what we fell into, we just laugh at the irony. And we just love her to bits and pieces!


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## Jo_in_TX

I've gotten that look when asked about Teddy. "Why didn't you rescue a dog?"

If the question was asked nicely, I'll generally say that a GSD is "a lot of dog" and that I wanted to start with a puppy since this is my first GSD, but that I'd seriously look into a rescue for my next, which is the truth.

Some of the best dogs at the dog park are rescues, and my absolute favorite is a rescued sable GSD with a beautiful temperament and manners.


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## LARHAGE

The irony is I was turned down by 2 rescues, evidently I'm a crappy owner according to rescues, however, good breeders didn't agree as I've had dogs from pretty top notch kennels who pretty much grilled me, go figure.


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