Looking for a puppy...
#61351 - 03/02/2003 04:09 PM |
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Hi,
I live in North Carolina about 40 miles north of Charlotte. I am looking for a nice Black and Tan female GSD to have as a companion to Algazar, my 6 month old GSD, and possibly for future breeding. I was wondering if any of you have any thoughts on what age would be the best to get in this situation, and if you know where I might be able to find a decent breeder in my area. I would love to have a Leerburg puppy, but my finances will not allow it. $500 to $800 is more in my league.. I may not breed for some time. He needs a friend to keep him company....Thanks for your thoughts!
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Re: Looking for a puppy...
[Re: John Lindley_dup1 ]
#61352 - 03/02/2003 06:48 PM |
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If that's all you can spare then I am guessing that you don't have thousands of dollars to prepare a dog for breeding. It's not that it is impossible to find a nice pup in that range, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. Xrays, training, bloodwork, etc. costs a lot. Nothing personal, just find a nice pet and spay her since it is much easier to find a pet. You don't want to learn the hard way, trust me.
There's a SchH club in the area, why not start by visiting it?
If you are looking for a good companion for a young male, then get an older female from a rescue (2 years or up is probably about the right range, but it really depends on the dogs). It's very difficult to have 2 puppies at the same time, and a rescue dog is well within your price range.
"Dog breeding must always be done by a dog lover, it can not be a profession." -Max v Stephanitz |
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Re: Looking for a puppy...
[Re: John Lindley_dup1 ]
#61353 - 03/02/2003 07:10 PM |
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Excellent advice, Lauren!
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Re: Looking for a puppy...
[Re: John Lindley_dup1 ]
#61354 - 03/03/2003 02:42 AM |
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Hi Lauren,
Thanks for your reply. I don't know where you live, but here the cost of having puppies is not in the thousands of dollars. My Vet is also my brother.
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Re: Looking for a puppy...
[Re: John Lindley_dup1 ]
#61355 - 03/03/2003 03:47 AM |
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Dear John,
I am with you, I live in a small town in Missouri, and for the most part things are a lot more reasonable in small towns.
There are dogs out there in your price range and "OH MY " even for less. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />
John, check your PM.
Sincerely, Joyce M. Burrows
Blessings,
Joyce |
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Re: Looking for a puppy...
[Re: John Lindley_dup1 ]
#61356 - 03/03/2003 04:59 AM |
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Yes, there are dogs out there for less. But the point Lauren was TRYING to make, that you missed is that we shouldn't be aiming to breed PETS. Enough of those breeding ventures die in shelters every day.
John, your pup is 6 months old, how do you know he is breed worthy? The AKC papers?
If you REALLY want to breed, you would be best suited to look for a female with a complimentary pedigree. From the little ad you listed, no one can help you with that.
I have a pup that is close to the same age as yours. Will I breed him? Who the heck knows. But right now, I am not betting on it. Not that there is anything wrong with him physically or tempermentally, but there is a long road ahead to proving he has something to contribute.
Having a brother that is a vet will help with the emergency care should your bitch have problems when whelping, but is he going to help you take care of and find GOOD homes for 8 puppies? just something to think about.
So, again, if you WANT to BREED. You would be better off buying an older bitch that has hip certification and some titles. Otherwise, you may end up with two pups and neither one breedable due to hip problems, or temperment problems. Otherwise, there are plenty of "companion" dogs in your local paper.
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Re: Looking for a puppy...
[Re: John Lindley_dup1 ]
#61357 - 03/03/2003 07:22 AM |
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I live in Charlotte. Yes, you can get cheaper dogs in the area. I did. I have lost track of how many of thousands of dollars I have spent on vet bills, special food, and medications. She will probably have to be on at least 2 medications the rest of her life (which might not be long, who knows). She's only 4 years old at this point. She came from a breeder in the Charlotte area that was trying to produce nice pets. I've worked for a vet, and while most dogs aren't this bad it is probably because they are turned into the shelter to be euthanized when they have problems. She also has weak nerves.
The shelters are full of pets. Had I known more about the breed I would have just gotten a pet from the shelter. To really have the vaguest notion of what the puppies might be like, the breeder really has to be involved in training their dogs and active in the dog world to see what relatives of their dogs are producing. Anything less is asking to produce dogs with all kinds of health and temperment problems. If you can or want to knowingly breed puppies without doing everything possible to prevent them from having to suffer from health or temperment problems, then I do not know how you sleep at night.
There are 2 kind of "people" that breed for pets. The people that don't know any better, and the spineless little critters that I am ashamed to be in the same species as them. If you want pets, start a rescue group.
"Dog breeding must always be done by a dog lover, it can not be a profession." -Max v Stephanitz |
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Re: Looking for a puppy...
[Re: John Lindley_dup1 ]
#61358 - 03/03/2003 09:21 AM |
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If your dog needs a pet, check out the shelters & German Shepherd rescue groups. Lots of nice dogs being killed every day for a lack of good homes.
If you have a real interest in breeding, spend some time in dog activities like schutzhund, SAR, or agility. Learn what it takes to make a really nice shepherd. Spend some time on the web board at germanshepherds.com and watch the endless parade of messages trying to place dogs from pounds before they are killed.
There are already lots of nice pets out there waiting for good homes. An older, spayed female would be a good match for your pup. A friend who does therapy work with Port. Water Dogs noted that the older dog will help calm the younger dog and the young dog helps keep the older dog engaged & active.
Want to see a real nice dog from a shelter? Get Leerburg's "Basic Obedience" tape. The beautiful black long-haired shepherd is one Ed pulled from a pound in Germany. Ed & Casper eventually titled as Sch I, CDX, and TD.
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Re: Looking for a puppy...
[Re: John Lindley_dup1 ]
#61359 - 03/03/2003 03:18 PM |
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I completely agree. My GSD is from a rescue, and is well on his way to becoming an excellent, well-trained companion. I also do volunteer work in the city pound in Chicago, where over 30,000 dogs are processed each year. Well over half that number don't make it, mainly because there is always someone out there who wants to breed pets. What you want is a companion-a companion for a companion, at that.
If you want a highly trainable companion, like the one I've got, the process is just like training the dog-time consuming. You don't just make one trip and pick something that expresses predictable enthusiasm for your attention. Make several trips. Temperament test the dog. Consult someone who knows how to do this properly.
Think about what you really want, and whether you have the time and want to spend the effort on developing the dog, which will likely come with a substantial amount of baggage (although much of it is good, like already being housebroken). Also, keep in mind that many dogs in the pound come from homes that weren't equipped to train a dog with the drive that makes training fun and easy.
If the answer to that question is no, then you should definitely NOT be breeding. Remember that the cost of the bitch pales in comparison to the cost of keeping her, keeping the pups, training the bitch and the sire, and the endless other things that whittle away at your time and budget. While having a vet for a brother will help, it won't help much. He's probably a little too busy to come over for 6-10 hours a day to handle, socialize and monitor your pups every day for 8+ weeks.
Seriously, get a rescue dog. Better still, spend your time training the dog you have. Do this for a year, while saving a little money each month to get a Leerburg pup if you want one at that time. If your male turns out to be something special, worthy of breeding, you will have no trouble finding someone with a quality bitch who is eager to have her bred to a good stud dog. If not, you'll know alot more about training and breeding, you'll have the money for a top-flight pup, and will be less interested in price than quality.
Good luck.
My posts reflect my own opinions, and not those of the Marine Corps or the United States. |
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Re: Looking for a puppy...
[Re: John Lindley_dup1 ]
#61360 - 03/03/2003 03:30 PM |
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Unless you enjoy raising pups(some of us do and others don't) do as the other board members suggest. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />
Or save your money and get a titled dog, with the bloodline you want. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> It takes out alot of the worry and trouble of raisiing a pup only to be disapointed with the outcome.
To others reading this POST:
Not everyone wants or cares for Shelter Dogs, I do agree that most RESCUE GROUPS have above average dogs that need good caring homes.
If everyone went to the Shelter where would the GSD be today?? Just a simple question for a MONDAY.
Butch Crabtree
kennel vom Avoyelles |
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