Thoughts on WGSD Breeder - AL

[jbe_tjh]

Hi Everyone -

I have done what I consider to be a large amount of research regarding what breed would fit my family's lifestyle, and I feel very confident that a GSD fits the bill.
I do, however, have concerns about picking the right breeder. I understand the importance surrounding hip certification, bloodlines, etc., but a lot of what I have read still seems to be fairly subjective based on personal opinion. This is an extremely important decision for my family, and I am trying to gather outsider / experienced opinions on the following breeder: Bella Shepherds, Pets, Alabaster, AL 35007 - index

They are close to where we live (AL), which is important as I just don't feel comfortable flying a young puppy across the country. I am worried though that they may lean too much towards the BYB rather than an established well-known and respected breeder. It is important to note that we do have younger children in our family, and would like to have a WGSD.

Please feel free to send me a private message as well. I appreciate any comments that can help me make an informed decision.

- Jenn

[Emoore]

I would never ever EVER buy from a breeder that lets you pick your puppy and pay for him via paypal. A good breeder will have as many questions for you as you have for him before they even think about selling you a puppy. A good breeder will want to make sure the pup in question is a good match for your family, as far as temperament and energy level.

Look for a breeder that proudly displays their dogs' accomplishments in obedience, agility, herding, tracking, or the breed ring etc. Look for a breeder whose dogs have OFA (or similar) certified hips and elbows. Look for a breeder who doesn't sell "pick" in order of deposit received, but instead carefully matches each puppy with each family on the basis of temperament.

[GSDAlphaMom]

Poor Patra, they are breeding that poor girl in back to back heats. They had a full litter in the fall and are planning another in the spring. There site only shows one dam so logic says it's the same one being bred again.

[jbe_tjh]

I know... I think I knew my answer before I asked.. Something about hearing it from others that really helps drive the point. Too good to be true I suppose.

I do feel bad as they seem like a nice family, and I don't want to bring negative attention to negate any nice things they do have.

[longhairshepmom]

She had a litter in the Spring 2011, another one coming up for Fall 2011 and they are already accepting deposits for Spring 2012.
What I absolutely CANNOT stand are breeders that ask a different amount of money based on whether or not the new owner wants full registration or a health guarantee !
Is that how they stand behind their dogs health ? If you pay more for a pup, they guarantee its health, if not, well they don't. Wow.
Not giving full registration should ONLY be done if the seller feels that this particular puppy shouldn't be bred for whichever reason. Not because the buyer wants to pay less. Money should NEVER be the deciding factor in a health guarantee or registration. That alone is a gigantic red flag.

[LaRen616]

Next!

[carmspack]

emoore "I would never ever EVER buy from a breeder that lets you pick your puppy and pay for him via paypal. A good breeder will have as many questions for you as you have for him before they even think about selling you a puppy"
that happens all the time from some "big" breeders. They use cute shots of the pups almost from the time they are born . Tie a colour identifying ribbon on them. Every week there are updates . Later there are pictures of the pups taking first steps , antics, mouthing each other etc.
The prospective buyer "falls in love" with a particular one and "bonds" at a distance by being allowed to participate in the animals development.
They reserve one of them , by colour ribbon, and seal the deal with a paypal payment.
Not once is there any assessment on the pup other than 'this is a cuddler' this one 'is the adventurer' etc.
Pups are selected at 4 weeks of age , long before either party has a clue about the dynamics and suitability of the dog.

The pressure is then on for the breeder , (thinking of self here) who spends volumes of time with the pups in different situations , both active and observer only interaction, who does not post pictures of the pups until later - when it is close to selection time for the respective new owners.


Carmen
Carmspack Working German Shepherd Dogs

[holland]

You know I don't get it if you are happy with how you do it-what does it matter how someone else does it. There is this box about what is a good breeder and what is a bad breeder and if you do it a certain way you are a good breeder and if you fall outside that box you are a bad breeder-sorry don't buy it...lol of course I am not looking for a puupy

[GermanShepherds6800]

Because it is not good to put money in the pocket of bad breeders that do not take proper care to do it right and only procreate male and female dogs for profit. There is an art and a knowledge that must be obtained before someone takes responsibility for creating more dogs when our country kills billions each day.

side note: I would not purchase from this breeder but all these posts are opinions not even facts and to me sounds like breeder bashing which I had been told was not allowed.

[Emoore]

Originally Posted by holland

You know I don't get it if you are happy with how you do it-what does it matter how someone else does it. There is this box about what is a good breeder and what is a bad breeder and if you do it a certain way you are a good breeder and if you fall outside that box you are a bad breeder-sorry don't buy it...lol of course I am not looking for a puupy

I'm sorry, I just don't think you should be able to buy a puppy online like you'd buy a pair of shoes on Zappos. If the shoes don't fit you can return them for a larger or smaller size. If the puppy's temperament doesn't match your family. . . what then? And selling a dog without getting at least a basic understanding of what the family wants in a dog? I can be flexible on other things, but buying and shipping a puppy based on a photo at 3 or 4 weeks old can't be good.

Originally Posted by GermanShepherds6800

side note: I would not purchase from this breeder but all these posts are opinions not even facts and to me sounds like breeder bashing which I had been told was not allowed.

You're allowed to point out a directly observable fact from the website and give an objective opinion about that fact. "XYZ breeder state they breed primarily for oversized dogs. I disagree with this because. . ." "ABC breeder allows you to pick a puppy based on a photo and pay via paypal. I disagree with this because. . ." You can't say, "This is a bad breeder" or "This is a puppymill" or "This is a backyard breeder." You can say, "Based on the information presented on their website, I like or dislike this certain thing."