[Err317]

Hello I came across someone trying to sell a half short/half long haired German Shepherd puppies for $700. They’ve been dewormed but no shots. Puppies are 9 weeks old. This seems fishy to me. Is that a normal price and situation?

 

[LeoRose]

Sounds like a typical backyard breeder. People who breed with no thought beyond "boy dog + girl dog = puppies to sell" frequently take shortcuts, like not registering and tilting their breeding dogs, not doing the recommended health testing on their breeding dogs, and not fully vaccinating/deworming litters.

As well bred GSD puppy from a good breeder typically runs between $1500 to $5000 or so, depending on the lines and the dogs being bred.

 

[Err317]

Sounds like a typical backyard breeder. People who breed with no thought beyond "boy dog + girl dog = puppies to sell" frequently take shortcuts, like not registering and tilting their breeding dogs, not doing the recommended health testing on their breeding dogs, and not fully vaccinating/deworming litters.

As well bred GSD puppy from a good breeder typically runs between $1500 to $5000 or so, depending on the lines and the dogs being bred.

So should I report them? And if yes how do I go about that

 

[LeoRose]

Unless they are actually breaking the law, there really isn't anything you can do. If the dogs are being neglected and/or abused (skinny, living in dirty conditions, untreated medical conditions, lack of food and/or shelter), then yes, you can report them to your local animal control/welfare agency. Just being a not-so-great breeder isn't a crime, though.

This is a good place to ask for breeder recommendations. German Shepherds Forum

 

[3GSD4IPO]

No, do not report them. Just do not buy from them.
If you want to purchase a German Shepherd (GSD) puppy, make sure both parents have had hip and elbow xrays and are in the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) registry with the "score." An alternative to that is to see the parent dog's pedigree stamped with the German Rating from the German registry. Look for an "A" stamp. "Noch Zugelessen" stamp is roughly equivalent to "OFA "fair" rating. Another genetic test you can check for on both parents is for Degenerative Myelopathy (DM). If one parent is a DM carrier, the other parent must be double clear or clear by parentage. Carriers do not exhibit disease.

I would also want to know the parents have titled in something. Agility or IGP/IPO/Schutzhund or HGH herding as titles support a decent temperament. AKC Champion or German Show rating is not enough. Parents should at least have an IGP/IPO/Schutzhund 1 OR an American Schutzhund 1.

A well bred GSD with all of the above will cost a lot more money. At 8 weeks old the puppy will not be less than $1500... and most will be more.. even over $3000. It costs a great deal of money to title parent dogs so the price of puppies reflects that

 

[DaySleepers]

This post is a year old and the original poster hasn't been around in nearly as long, so I'm closing this to further replies. Feel free to join in any of our current discussions or to start a thread of your own!