# What's the first question you ask(ed)?



## Konotashi (Jan 11, 2010)

I was just wondering what some of the first questions, or the very first question, you asked a breeder when looking for a dog.

The first one I ask is the price range of their puppies, simply because I want to see if their puppies are in the price range I'm willing to pay. I don't want to waste their time or my time by asking a ton of questions, only to find out that their puppies are more than I'm willing to pay for a companion.


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## Jessiewessie99 (Mar 6, 2009)

I would ask if they have the dog I am looking for after I explain what I am looking for.

I have never got a dog from a breeder......yet.lol


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## emjworks05 (May 30, 2008)

The first thing I asked my breeder was if she had any upcoming litters, I explained to her what I was looking for and expected and we went from there.


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

The first thing I asked the BYB I got Sin from was "Is their a different price for males and females"

I should have asked her "Are you a POS breeder that doesnt give a hoot about one of your puppies when they get older and develope a problem?

Because thats exactly what she is


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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

I would not ask about price first off the bat. I think that would be a turn-off for many breeders. Good breeders who breed for the love of the dog price their dogs reasonably (though I understand that reasonably priced, and average prices may still be too high for you).

I suggest that you decide on the type of GSD you are looking for (there can be quite a price difference between show vs. working line, and breeders who work and title their own dogs as opposed to breeders who buy already titled, or non-titled dogs to breed, and breed them, for example), planning ahead, and saving up like mad. 

When I first contacted breeders I was considering, I gave them a short paragraph of why I liked their dogs, my goals and aims and past dog experience, and expressed my interest in their breeding program, my time-frame in the future when I felt I would be ready to get a puppy, and inquired about their future breeding goals and puppy availability. 

The breeders I contacted had their price listed on their website, so I knew what they were asking. I think it is fine to ask about price, but I wouldn't bring that out as my very first question. Won't do any harm to establish a positive impression by introducing yourself (use your real name if contacting breeders by email - anonymous inquiries and asking about price does not show real seriousness) - you don't have to initiallly contact breeders with pages and pages of questions, a short intro and few questions to see if they are the type of breeder that you are interested in can go a long way to start you off on the right foot.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I asked if I could be put on the reserve list for an upcoming breeding that I saw on the website. Most of my initial questions were answered by all the information provided on the website.
I let the breeder know what I was looking for in my next companion in the first communication.


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## Dainerra (Nov 14, 2003)

mine was very simple. "Tell me about your dogs"

ETA: I had met several people who had her dogs. And the obedience instructor I was using for my other dog knew her and her dogs very well. So I had an idea of what she was breeding (Amer. show and Chezh working mixes). I liked what I saw, but wanted to hear from her the reasoning behind it.


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## Jason L (Mar 20, 2009)

Castlemaid said:


> When I first contacted breeders I was considering, I gave them a short paragraph of why I liked their dogs, my goals and aims and past dog experience, and expressed my interest in their breeding program, my time-frame in the future when I felt I would be ready to get a puppy, and inquired about their future breeding goals and puppy availability.


Same here. I told him a little bit about myself, how I came to find him (referral) and what I was looking for in general terms.


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## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

I have had 4 and my questions differed from first to last. With my first dog I am not sure that I asked a lot of questions but it was a while ago so I don't remember. What I do remember is that the breeder spent time educating me about the breed the different types and schutzhund and also located a schutzhund club in my area...we didn't do schutzhund for very long. Its funny because years later I went to train with him for a while and it was like no time had passed. With my second I asked about her background because she was a rescue. With my third I didn't ask many she was a gift and the breeder lived close by. And the last I just provided a description of my dogs and what I was doing


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## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

Oh and I think that you should ask the questions that you want to ask even if that is the price its a reasonable question and if it turns the breeder off...well...


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

Same here, I told them about my lifestyle, what I was looking for , and asked if they would have a puppy that would fit . By this time I have pretty much done my homework so know what kind of breeder and their dogs I"m dealing with..

I NEVER ask price first, price doesn't even come into the equation until I am at the point where I am definately serious about a puppy from the breeder and they are serious about placing one with me

Certainly not a millionaire here, but if I can't afford it, well I"m going to have to move on. I generally have a pretty good idea of the going price when looking for a puppy (working lines).


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

LaRen616 said:


> The first thing I asked the BYB I got Sin from was "Is their a different price for males and females"
> 
> I should have asked her "Are you a POS breeder that doesnt give a hoot about one of your puppies when they get older and develope a problem?
> 
> Because thats exactly what she is


 
*I wanted to explain.....*

*Sinister was the first dog I ever purchased from a breeder. I had no idea what to ask. If I knew then what I know now, I would have asked different questions. I did get lucky though, Sinister was exactly what I was looking for. *


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

I doubt your alone in your first dog experience, the majority of us have been there done that)

With the dogs I've had, since I've had good luck with all of them (knock on wood) I tend to like a certain type/line and go from there


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

If you knew then what you know now, you would have known what the breeder was about! Hindsight is 20/20...
With Onyx, my DH surprised us and did absolutely no research, just found out about a litter from a co-worker's whose niece was breeding her first one. 
So I went into it blind and seeing RED! When we went to pick up the surprise, I asked all sorts of questions, but I knew that my DH would be crushed if I said no way, which I would have otherwise.
Onyx is healthy except for allergies and has an bit of unsteady temperament. 
At least her hips are ok(my first question to the "breeder")


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

I didn't really have one burning question since I already knew the breeder pretty well and knew the dam. I supposed I mostly asked questions about the sire since he is/was in Germany.


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## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

When I look back on it I just think it was a process and my first dog was a good first dog for me so I wouldn't have done anything differently. Also I just think that when you get a dog even if the breeder has done everything right there may be health problems


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## GSD MOM (Apr 21, 2010)

LaRen616 said:


> The first thing I asked the BYB I got Sin from was "Is their a different price for males and females"
> 
> I should have asked her "Are you a POS breeder that doesnt give a hoot about one of your puppies when they get older and develope a problem?
> 
> Because thats exactly what she is


WOW.... took the words right out of my mouth. I would say the same thing to the person we got our 1st GSD from. :hammer: if we only knew then what we know now.... 

I would ask them if you could come and see all their dogs. Take a look at evertything and where they are kept.


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## JKlatsky (Apr 21, 2007)

First question- When can I come by?

I have not purchased a dog outside of driving distance yet. I'm not much into the talking and prefer to do my own research and draw my own conclusions. At this point I've seen a lot of puppies, not as many as some of the experienced breeders, but I know what I want to see and what I like. I like to ask about their impressions of the litter and of certain pups because their daily experience cannot be discounted and if what they say doesn't match up to what I see, it usually makes me take a closer look at that puppy.

I also prefer to listen. Most breeders like to talk about their dogs. If they don't, well, that's concerning to me. I like to take what I hear and what I see, and make decisions from that. I have found that most breeders have a pretty strong bias towards their dogs and while maybe not intentional, through ignorance, inexperience, or marketing needs many misrepresent their dogs. (An example that comes to mind is an Amline breeder advertising a puppy as a top SchH/working prospect because the puppy was excitable and a little drivey, great compared to the rest of the litter but not really much compared to some workingline pups. This breeder recognized the dog needed more, but didn't really have any experience in working so was inaccurate. It was not a top working prospect although it would probably excel in AKC venues )


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

My first question was, "Can you tell me a little bit about your dogs?"

My number 1 rule when purchasing an animal is to keep my mouth shut. You can learn alot about a breeder by letting them do all the talking.


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## Dainerra (Nov 14, 2003)

Lilie, I agree completely. I have yet to meet a passionate dog person who doesn't want to talk about their dogs! 
Rayden's breeder was more than happy to do that as well as asking a LOT of questions of her own. We both learned a lot about each other in that first phone call. Then she invited me by to visit - her only stipulation was that she didn't get off work until 4....


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## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

I started off by telling my breeder who I was (just a brief introduction on myself, my lifestyle, etc..) then I told her what I wanted in a dog, what my goals were for the dog, and such. Then she started to tell me about her dogs, lines, past breedings, titles, what she thought I should look into more, what she would recommend, and then she told me to come out and meet her dogs. It wasn't really a "question answer" type thing until later. The first coversation was just a "get to know you and what you want" type of thing to see if we as potential buyer and breeder "matched".

The formal questions came when I went to meet her and her dogs. Such as contracts, price, upcoming litters, etc..


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

Breeders not having a price (or a price range) of their pups/litters on their website is a MAJOR pet peeve of mine and causes me to immediately scratch them off of my "list".

However, if someone is interested in a pup from someone that does NOT have the price on their website, I don't feel it should be an issue if price is the first thing a potential buyer asks. IMO there is no point in wasting someones time grilling them for an hour about their dogs and pups only to find out that they are WAY out of your price range. If this is a "turn off" to the breeder, too bad. 


Maybe this stems from dealing with horse buyers. I REALLY hate it when someone grills me about a horse, asks for 8475489 pictures, and THEN says they only have so much money. (Which is always at least several hundred dollars less than the sale price, which I *ALWAYS* list on the ad.) 

I would MUCH rather someone ask up front if the price is negotiable. That way they aren't wasting my time or theirs asking all about a horse they they can't aford.


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## Vinnie (Sep 4, 2001)

I’ve been looking for so long that I really haven’t had to ask the breeder questions other than do they think they might have a dog for me? And if so, could my name be on their list? (To which I was met with a 7 page application .)

I still haven’t asked what their prices are. LOL – guess I should ask that at some point.



BlackGSD said:


> Breeders not having a price (or a price range) of their pups/litters on their website is a MAJOR pet peeve of mine and causes me to immediately scratch them off of my "list".


Really? You're going to miss out on some GOOD breeders if you "immediately scratch them off" for that reason. Price is NOT the most important thing when looking for a future dog and IMO should never be the focus of your search. Sure it should be discussed but just because it's not on their website is no reason to write them off.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Some don't list a price because it totally depends on the buyer. You might get an awesome dog for little or for free depending on your relationship with the breeder and what you plan on doing with the dog. Maybe there are co-ownership options. There *are* breeders do believe that placing their dogs in the best possible home and showing what the breed can do is more important than their price point.


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## Vandal (Dec 22, 2000)

I didn't ask any questions. I had already been training, (and listening) , in a SchH group with the dog my family bought and was then looking to get another one to train. I already saw the breeder's dogs at the club, so, I was pretty confident I was getting something similar. I also worked at her kennel and could see everything, including pups and dogs from other litters. 

I think the problem with the questions that most people ask is that they do not "really" know what they are looking for and do not know the answers to their own questions. Many read about what they should be asking on boards such as this one but it is very obvious, ( to me anyway), when I am talking to someone who just has no idea what they are looking for other than a dog with pointy ears. The " tell me about your dogs" question is simply too vague. Tell you WHAT about the dogs? What do you want to know? Before you call a breeder you should at least ask yourself what you want to know or have an idea in your head what kind of dog you are looking for. There are different types of temperament. Some dogs grow up to be protective, ( they all should actually but that's another topic), and amazingly, a huge number of people do not want their GSD to protect them. Oh sure, they SAY they do but once the dog barks at someone it's a whole different ball game. The lack of understanding about dogs like this is pretty widespread and it can be quite difficult when you have owners who over-react about protective behavior. Certainly there are other considerations as well and some people do not seem to understand just how much THEY will have to do with what the pup develops into. Yes, genetics play a big role but the owner has to understand about proper handling and how to socialize. Huge numbers of people have no idea how to socialize a GSD and the things they allow to happen to their pups can be pretty disturbing.

Yes, you can ask about OFAs etc and those are simple answers but when you get into temperament and the types of dogs people are breeding, trying to explain that in words can be really rather difficult. Especially to someone who doesn't really know what they are looking for or have seen the type of dog the breeder is trying to explain. There are differences in temperament types and you have to SEE this to really understand it and even then, lots of people are not equipped to own a GSD. Like say 80% of them . Like I said, I can tell right away who I am talking to. I don't get offended by someone asking about price especially if they explain what the OP just said. If they are honest and say, "I am only willing to pay this much", well, fine, at least they have thought that part through. The trick for the breeder is to determine if they have thought the rest of it through. The ones who call and when you answer they barely say hello and then ask, " How much are your puppies?". You know right away these are not serious buyers. 

I have had people call me and ask me to tell them why they should buy one of my puppies over some other breeders pups. I ended the conversation within 30 seconds after that. I am not a used car dealer looking to convince people to buy my dogs. If you want to hear what the dogs are like and if you think you can handle a GSD, then I will talk for quite a while. If you have a list of questions that you got off the internet, I am not interested in selling you a dog. If you have to ask for questions to ask, you do not know enough about the breed to own one.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

I never said price is the most important thing. BUT if I am only willing, or able, to spend $1800(for instance) and the breeder charges $2500 I want to know FIRST THING so I can move on. What is the point in spending countless hours getting info, then getting all worked up and excited about a potential breeder/litter/pup, only to find out at the last minute that you can't or won't spend that much money? 

I think we need to be realistic here. Price is an "issue" for the vast majority of people. (No matter WHAT they are buying, be it a dog, horse, car or house.) Why is it that so many folks don't list a price or price range on their website? (This goes for dog AND horse breeders/sellers.) What is the big secret?


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## Vinnie (Sep 4, 2001)

BlackGSD said:


> I never said price is the most important thing. BUT if I am only willing, or able, to spend $1800(for instance) and the breeder charges $2500 I want to know FIRST THING so I can move on. What is the point in spending countless hours getting info, then getting all worked up and excited about a potential breeder/litter/pup, only to find out at the last minute that you can't or won't spend that much money?
> 
> I think we need to be realistic here. Price is an "issue" for the vast majority of people. (No matter WHAT they are buying, be it a dog, horse, car or house.) Why is it that so many folks don't list a price or price range on their website? (This goes for dog AND horse breeders/sellers.) What is the big secret?


Never said you said price was the most important thing. I just think it's a bad idea to write off a breeder because they may not list their prices on their website which you said you would do. To me that's placing too much importance on price over other more important things.

As for why some breeders don't post prices on their websites, I think Lies gave some pretty good examples.



Liesje said:


> Some don't list a price because it totally depends on the buyer. You might get an awesome dog for little or for free depending on your relationship with the breeder and what you plan on doing with the dog. Maybe there are co-ownership options. There *are* breeders do believe that placing their dogs in the best possible home and showing what the breed can do is more important than their price point.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

I'd like to know a price up front as well. I feel a little suspicious when the pup/ horse I choose happens to be the one that is the most expensive.


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

Price is important to me, sorry, but it is.

I wouldn't dream of spending more than $1500 on a puppy

By the time you get the dog and get it's shots and toys and whatever else your at about $2000 or more.

I need money for emergencys, whether that emergency has to do with the puppy, my car or my house

You can buy a perfectly good GSD puppy for $900 to $1200


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## Vandal (Dec 22, 2000)

As for price. I have listed the prices before and then just didn't. Not lots of thought has gone into it like trying to keep it " a secret". I figure the people who are seriously looking for a dog will either call or ask in an e-mail. Not lots of effort goes into asking and I sure don't have a problem telling people. For a while there, I listed price ranges to deter the non-serious, "I want a $200.00 dog" types from calling me. I have reasons for doing certain things and for asking certain questions of the buyer. I won't be explaining those reasons here but I can assure you they are all designed so that I find out as much as I can about the buyer. The questions may seem simple but the answers can be quite revealing. 
I do not see very many web sites that list prices. Most of the ones that do are the sites where the dogs are ridiculously priced and they are looking to impress people with the value of the dogs. Believe it or not, there are lots of people who buy dogs for ridiculous prices because they want to brag about how much their dog is worth. Not interested in selling to those types, they don't want a dog, they want a status symbol. There is a little more to this than you might think and you really do have to experience the different types of people that a breeder deals with to fully understand it.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

LaRen616 said:


> Price is important to me, sorry, but it is.
> 
> I wouldn't dream of spending more than $1500 on a puppy
> 
> ...


I agree! When I bought Hondo I was looking for an AKC registered dog so I could show him through AKC. I wasn't looking for just a companion animal, or I would have gone to a rescue. I had a reason for my madness. I made a grave mistake when I purchased a dog with missing toes. I gambled, and lost the ability to show through AKC (because he has an irregular gait). The breeder tried to discourage the purchase - but I thought it was worth the gamble. Now we have to change our course and find something else to do. But Hondo and I are both up to the challenge.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

I was thinking along the lines of what Anne is saying. If price is a deal-breaker, it doesn't take but one call or e-mail to find out. When I see prices advertised right up front or listed under the dogs, it just seems like I'm supposed to either be impressed or think I'm getting some awesome deal which for me it does neither. Also I am not interested in bartering over a dog; I will not buy it because it's some fantastic price nor will I look at a ridiculously high price and talk about the dog like I'm bartering for an antique rocking chair. I once contacted a breeder quite close to me and asked some specific yes/no questions about a certain litter and all I got in response was "I've got one left, will sell for $1400". The issue with that response was not the price, but the lack of answering questions that are important to me and trying to offer me a steal price for a puppy I know nothing about. I know the price ranges charged by the breeders of the types of dogs I'm interested in and there is not really that much fluctuation.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

Vinnie said:


> Never said you said price was the most important thing. I just think it's a bad idea to write off a breeder because they may not list their prices on their website which you said you would do. To me that's placing too much importance on price over other more important things.
> 
> As for why some breeders don't post prices on their websites, I think Lies gave some pretty good examples.


Lies was posting the same time I was. She is just faster than I am.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and beliefs. I have never had trouble finding exactly what I was looking for be it dogs or horses. And I have NEVER bothered with someone that hasn't listed their asking price UP FRONT. (Or "price range" for puppies. I have seen plenty of sites that say their litters are priced from $___ to $---.) I just see it like if you can't bother to tell me your price, I can't be bothered to ask. 

Be it right, wrong, or indifferent and I know for a fact that I am NOT the only one that feels this way. There are plenty of breeders/litters/puppies to "go around". Everyone has to start somehwere with the "narrowing down" process and that is one place where I start. (After the other "OBVIOUS" very important things.) 

I don't want to have to "jump thru hoops" in order for someone to figure out how much to charge me. I also will NOT do a "co-ownership".


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## GSD07 (Feb 23, 2007)

Liesje said:


> Some don't list a price because it totally depends on the buyer. You might get an awesome dog for little or for free depending on your relationship with the breeder and what you plan on doing with the dog. Maybe there are co-ownership options. There *are* breeders do believe that placing their dogs in the best possible home and showing what the breed can do is more important than their price point.


 I don't care if the breeder lists prices or not but I would sure want him or her to have a developed pricing system that is not depending on a particular buyer and the time of the day the buyer placed the call.

I want an equal opportunity breeder, so to speak, that evaluates me objectively and doesn't charge me twice as much as other person just because we haven't trained in the same club, or we didn't have a bbq together. You might get an awesome dog for free but another buyer has to make up for that 'free', and I would not want to be that another buyer.

Kinda reminds me the health care system we have that no one seems to be thrilled with.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

Vandal said:


> Believe it or not, there are lots of people who buy dogs for ridiculous prices because they want to brag about how much their dog is worth. .


I know all about "those types" they are rampant in the horse world. MANY people would rather spent $10,000 on an ill built, ill temepered horse than spend $2500 for one with better breeding, better conformation, and a great temperment because the price it "too low".

I know a lot of folks that have had a horse advertised and haven't been able to sell it, then as strange as it is, when they RAISE the price, the same horse sells immediately!

People can get too wrapped up in the old "you get what you pay for". And as we all know, that is NOT necessarily the case!


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## GSD07 (Feb 23, 2007)

Anne, what is your approach re first time GSD owners or even first time dog owners? They do not really know what to ask yet, but it doesn't mean they would not make a very good home for the puppy. I would really want to see more first time owners to start with a super nice dog from a good kennel then with the BYB production that really needs a very experienced person to raise the dogs without completely messing them up in the process.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

Liesje said:


> When I see prices advertised right up front or listed under the dogs, it just seems like I'm supposed to either be impressed or think I'm getting some awesome deal which for me it does neither.


This is something I don't understand. (I'm not trying to be a smart "rear", I am serious.)

What differnece does it make if the price is LISTED under the dog, or you call or email and are told the SAME PRICE?


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

GSD07 said:


> I don't care if the breeder lists prices or not but I would sure want him or her to have a developed pricing system that is not depending on a particular buyer and the time of the day the buyer placed the call.


That's not what I meant. Breeders will put dogs in the best homes possible, price is secondary. I've never heard of a breeder giving away a dog and charging the next person twice as much, perhaps it happens but that would be odd to me.

If a breeder's goal is to enhance their program with the dog's they've bred, I do not see it as unfair or far-fetched to place dogs "close to home" with friends. I don't think a breeding program can be successful with just a single person behind it, it takes a team of people to make sure all the dogs get enough attention and training, especially if it's a breeder who is not selling or adopting out "retired" dogs but keeping them in the home. The dogs are not being bred to recoup a price, they're being bred to be trained/titled/shown/etc (pick your poison) and hopefully a few of the dogs will add value to the breeding program as adults as far as what they can produce.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

BlackGSD said:


> This is something I don't understand. (I'm not trying to be a smart "rear", I am serious.)
> 
> What difference does it make if the price is LISTED under the dog, or you call or email and are told the SAME PRICE?


I don't know, I can't really explain it it just looks too much like an advertisement to me. I guess I have a better feeling with litters being announced or kept on the page so you can see what breedings were done in the past and how those dogs turned out, rather than being an advertisement. I would not write off a breeder immediately just because a litter price or range is given on the site, it depends on the overall vibe, if that makes sense.

Like you though I will not do co-ownership. My dogs are mine, all mine, lol. I pay full price for full registration. I think paying full price protects me too b/c then I do not feel any obligation. However a lot of people have other arrangement and it seems to work out well so I don't have a problem with it, I just won't do it.


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## Vandal (Dec 22, 2000)

> Anne, what is your approach re first time GSD owners or even first time dog owners? They do not really know what to ask yet, but it doesn't mean they would not make a very good home for the puppy. I would really want to see more first time owners to start with a super nice dog from a good kennel then with the BYB production that really needs a very experienced person to raise the dogs without completely messing them up in the process.


Don't misunderstand, it is not really as much about first time buyers as it is about who the first time buyer is. I have talked to people who had GSDs previously and they were not as suited, or actually understood less about GSDs, than some of the first timers.
I am just saying, if you are looking for a GSD, you have to know what you are looking for and completely understand the breed. More important is to ask yourself what you are capable of dealing with and to be honest with yourself about your own limitations. To be a successful owner, you have to be aware of who you, (yourself), are almost more than who the dog is. An amazing number of people simply are not in touch with their own limitations or abilities.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

Liesje said:


> it depends on the overall vibe, if that makes sense.
> 
> :thumbup:
> 
> ...


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

Vandal said:


> Don't misunderstand, it is not really as much about first time buyers as it is about who the first time buyer is. I have talked to people who had GSDs previously and they were not as suited, or actually understood less about GSDs, than some of the first timers.
> I am just saying, if you are looking for a GSD, you have to know what you are looking for and completely understand the breed. More important is to ask yourself what you are capable of dealing with and to be honest with yourself about your own limitations. To be a successful owner, you have to be aware of who you, (yourself), are almost more than who the dog is. An amazing number of people simply are not in touch with their own limitations or abilities.


:thumbup::toasting::toasting:


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## GSD07 (Feb 23, 2007)

Anne, thank you for your reply! I'm glad you don't discriminate solely on first/not first time basis  and do try to be objective.

I also agree on the necessity for the GSD owners to be honest about their own needs, desires, abilities and limitations. I discovered that when I started choosing, raising and training my dog in tune with myself and my own personality in mind vs desperately trying to follow numerous advice from everywhere, I started getting great results. I guess I finally took full responsibility for everything related to my dog, and it made me happy 

Re the original question, my first question was about the expected size of the dogs from this breeding. I do not like oversized dogs.


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

I don't remember what I asked the first time I was looking for a puppy. I had done a lot of research and had guidance from the OB people with whom I was training my family's dog. There was no internet and emails so I had to call and talk to these breeders in person. Maybe I am one of the lucky people, but I got exactly what I was looking for from my first breeder. Told her what I wanted and what I was doing at the time. We went up to visit her and spent 5 hours talking dogs. She was always there when I had questions. No complaints at all. 

Now, I look for specific litters from breeders who breed the sort of dog I want to own. I am very particular about a lot of things. If I find the right litter then I find the money some how. Working litters fall into a fairly basic price range so I am rarely surprised (I haven't had to buy a puppy in awhile, but do have to price them). Funny, those breeders out there charging extreme amounts are not breeders I would buy from anyhow. 

As a breeder I want buyers that are interested in what I am producing. I don't list my prices because they can change depending on the litter (though they vary little). If someone is really interested and not just window shopping they will ask and I have always been open about price. I do delete any emails that state, "what do you want for your Shepard puppies?". Most people ask specific questions and I also have a questionnaire. Other than that I follow a lot of what Anne wrote.


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## sitstay (Jan 20, 2003)

I asked her what kind of personality spread she expected from her next breeding. It was a repeat and she would have had a pretty good idea of what they would produce.
Sheilah


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## robinhuerta (Apr 21, 2007)

The first thing that I ask any "other" breeder, when I am interested about any of their dogs/puppies or studs is:
"Tell me about your dogs and the pedigree(s) behind them"...
Even though...I already know most of the dogs in the pedigree (_because that's my job to research first_)....I want to hear how much the person I am considering dogs from knows....?!
If that first conversation does not give me a "solid 1st impression"....I don't go any farther.
All breeders should know about their dogs, AND the lineage in the pedigrees.....JMO.


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