I hope this isn't considered a highjack but given we're talking about expense....

I remember 2 years ago when I first started learning about and researching GSDs and breeders I came upon a site that was selling trained GSDs for $25,000-$45,000! These dogs were "Level 3/ Executive Protection/Super-Commandos-Operating-in-Stealth-Mode" who apparently do everything BUT smoke a cigarette after defense of property and owner is finished.

I can totally appreciate the training and dedication that goes into producing a good protection dog but...Wow! Even now, 2 years later, I still can't quite believe it.

Will,
Isn't Fetz worth double that????

 Quote: sarah_morris

I remember 2 years ago when I first started learning about and researching GSDs and breeders I came upon a site that was selling trained GSDs for $25,000-$45,000! These dogs were "Level 3/ Executive Protection/Super-Commandos-Operating-in-Stealth-Mode" who apparently do everything BUT smoke a cigarette after defense of property and owner is finished.

I can totally appreciate the training and dedication that goes into producing a good protection dog but...Wow! Even now, 2 years later, I still can't quite believe it.

I have seen similar as well Sarah! Legitimately though, to the members that know about ppd; how much is a fair price for a "fully trained dog" or SchIII/equivalent dog? Assuming, untrained would be a $1500 pup.

Hi
The Original Question was for price of Pups weaned off from the mother,I expect you can have Six Pups which are good in every way But from that Dam or Sire Champions do not come at Six a time whether it be in the Show Ring or working, Champion Qualites in any living thing is Rare that is why they are Champions, Be it Dogs, Humans, or Birds
In my family we were 10 Children, 5 went on to do well for themselves three others did okay, Two did not so good. i was one of those Two who did not, But i got by, doing everything the way is should be in Living without hurting others but i did not apply or could not apply myself to do what my brothers and sisters did. Now full credit to my Parents Born of Ordinary Working Class Stock.
No fancy Pedigrees, But look back on my previous article. They were the Two Yearlings which Paired together, and bred Champions, But although more than average, not though in every nest
To finish off you would expect to pay a huge amount of Money for a highly trained Dog, But the circle comes round again, will he pass those qualities onto his own Progeny, He may or will in some but not in all.

This is somewhat speculation on my part, but could it be simple supply and demand? I have a cousin who lived in Europe for several years. He told me the Europeans seem to be more serious about good breeding and training in general than we are over here. He said every town he went to had at least one dog club and breeding, training and showing were much more popular than in the US.

Could it be that a well bred GSD in Belgium is less expensive than in the US because good breeding is more common over there, and the supply is better balanced with the demand than here in the US?

Think about it, on this board, at least, the most highly sought after GSDs are from European lines. Do Europeans import and sell GSDs from American lines?

Well let's look at the real picture.The Germans like the Dutch and the Czech KNOW they can get $6000 from a person in the USA then he ever will from a European! HELLO, ask any big breeder in the USA if they get calls from European breeders or brokers saying"hey I got an executive here who wants a German Shepherd that is fully trained and will also protect if asked, do you have any SChtuz3 I can sell him?" Sorry that only happens here , because in Germany they are a bit more educated on the breed than the executives that want to buy here.They have absolutely no clue and the fact that they "think" a shepherd coming from Germany is far superior then the ones that are already here in the USA tells you the whole flippin story.Believe me we hear that comment all the time "my dog came straight from Germany ,he was NOT born here,nahnahnahnahnah" ( first thing out of their mouth)
And I say "ya, well mine was born in Oklahoma and he will beat yours on the field any day"

Unfortunately the reputation of the American bred (American Show Shepherd)is well deserved & precedes the dogs. The americans who are breeding correctly are using european lines and some are breeding dogs equal to their european cousins, but those good breeders are by far the minority. So I think what Rich says is very true.

 Quote: susan tuck

The Americans who are breeding correctly are using European lines and some are breeding dogs equal to their European cousins, .

My point exactly, and yes I agree too, but so many people here in the USA do not understand that, we have as good if not better dogs HERE! They think just because it's imported from Germany it's superior to whats here! I am not talking about the "American line being better" but dogs that are born here from European lines. We still will have people here in the USA that DO NOT understand that.They think that if it's born here it's an American line...get my point? ( I mean that in a nice way)Being that I am the one that responds to our email from our club ,you would be shocked at all the questions I get from people looking for dogs and people that bought dogs.
I think you have tons of buyers here in the USA that are willing to pay tons of $$$$ for a dog that IS imported as supposed to a dog that is here...simple.
I had a guy that came to look at my pups a while back and thought they were the best looking pups etc...then he says, well "I saw some on the web from Germany that were more $$$ but they were imported,that's really what I wanted,one from Germany"
At that point I didn't care where he bought but I felt the need to educate him on that, and I did.But think how many others out there think the same.He was willing to go send some $2000 overseas to get (most likely a show line, AND A PET QUALITY FOR SURE) then get a choice to choose from my litter...CRAZY!

I understand what Angelique is saying and I completely agree. There are a lot of good working line dogs here in the States that can smoke a dog from Europe. Of course there is more education in Europe, which can equal to a higher amount of serious, working dog breeders. That's why a lot of people here in the States think that anything that comes from Europe is better. That's not always the case. The problem we make for ourselves in the States is we have a "I want it now" attitude, and don't take the time to LEARN before we buy. Hence, paying ton's of money for dogs that aren't worth that much and even more money for the ones that are worth paying for.

Angelique, I agree 100% & that's exactly why I bought from USA breeder instead of importing this time around. There is a growing number of USA breeders of dogs equal in quality AND I think the proof is out there on the schutzhund field. Originally I intended to get another Tiekerhook dog. As everyone knows, Koos breeds top schutzhund prospects & truth be told, it's a little easier on the bank account to import. The "guarantees" mean nothing compared to the knowledge of the breeder & I would never let the lack of a written guarantee stop me from importing a dog from quality breeders. Every top breeder I know on either continent stands behind their puppies regardless of what's on the paper.