Looking for a breeder in East-Middle TN

[lucasbroderick]

I am not very educated on the different types of German Shepherds, I've seen "show line" and "work line" thrown around on here a little. I'm looking for a GSD that has lots of energy, and is extremely smart. I have lots of free time to train the dog and exercise him, and plan to do so a lot. Money is an issue, so I would much rather go for a cheaper breeder if it's possible...student budget and whatnot.

Anyways, thanks for the help! I'm going to be lurking around on here a bit to educate myself on the breed some more before I make my purchase in the Spring.

[lucasbroderick]

I was told by a lot of people that a German Shepherd in that price range wasn't possible without it being a rescue, but I've found a great resource for newborn GS pups and older adoptable GS's.

Oodle.com

It pulls up classified ads in your selected area within your selected range. I was able to find about 5 different breeders ranging from $350-$550 for newborns and found the dog I am going to get. Great resource for people who just want a pet on a budget.

[Emoore]

Originally Posted by lucasbroderick

I was told by a lot of people that a German Shepherd in that price range wasn't possible without it being a rescue,

Um, what price range? The person didn't mention a price range.

[onyx'girl]

Instead of looking at the price of a pup, look at what the breeder is breeding. Do you want to live with a puppy that may have health or temperament issues because the breeder takes shortcuts?
Save your $ and you can get a really nice working line for about $1200-1500(maybe a bit less). Show lines are around $2000 and go up.
While you save, do a bit more research to be certain the line(pedigree) is what you want.

I knew what I wanted, and saved while searching, then changed my mind after learning more about the one I thought I wanted, and went with another line. Had I rushed, I may not have been as satisfied with my choice.

Support a good breeder, not the ones that breed without doing right by the breed. That takes $ and the breeder should be compensated for their time/effort/knowledge.
Here is a good link to see whether or not the breeder you've chosen worthy: Things to look for in a 'Responsible' Breeder

[lucasbroderick]

Originally Posted by Emoore

Um, what price range? The person didn't mention a price range.

I wasn't referring to this site, I had asked around on a few sites and had gotten some feedback. The price range that I was looking for was around $500.

[lucasbroderick]

Originally Posted by onyx'girl

Instead of looking at the price of a pup, look at what the breeder is breeding. Do you want to live with a puppy that may have health or temperament issues because the breeder takes shortcuts?
Save your $ and you can get a really nice working line for about $1200-1500(maybe a bit less). Show lines are around $2000 and go up.
While you save, do a bit more research to be certain the line(pedigree) is what you want.

I knew what I wanted, and saved while searching, then changed my mind after learning more about the one I thought I wanted, and went with another line. Had I rushed, I may not have been as satisfied with my choice.

Support a good breeder, not the ones that breed without doing right by the breed. That takes $ and the breeder should be compensated for their time/effort/knowledge.
Here is a good link to see whether or not the breeder you've chosen worthy: Things to look for in a 'Responsible' Breeder

I felt quite good about the breeder that I ended up finding local. I'm still going to hold them to a high standard and do my research before making the deal final, but I'm not trying to buy a show dog.

[onyx'girl]

Well, I wish you the best...please read through the link above so you go in with eyes wide open.
Buying a show dog has nothing to do with supporting a good responsible breeder that does health testing and knows exactly which dogs they are putting together to get good pedigree matches.
As I posted above, this is an investment on the breeders end, and they don't give pups away for less than $500 after all they've done to make their program what it is.
If you don't want to spend more than $500 consider supporting a rescue instead? You can find really nice GSD's in rescues(and they have been health and temperament eval'd if older than a puppy)....you usually know exactly what you are getting.

[huntergreen]

the old saying still holds true, "you get what you pay for". save your 500.00, you will most likely spend more than you can handle on future vet bills. you would be doing your self and a dog a favor by going through a rescue. you will have plenty of time to get a quality pup after school when you have the time and resources to manage and care for a young dog.

[Jrnabors]

I would recommend a rescue as well if you can't go above the price range you have set. There are reputable breeders in TN, but I would caution you--they are mostly working dogs, which means energy out the wazoo, prey drive, pull like a mule, and stubborn. It sounds like that is what you want, so if you saved up to 1500 you'd have several choices of breeders. My GSD is smart, but I wouldn't say "extremely". She learned basic commands fairly quick, but then plateaued out. I don't think she'll ever be trusted off leash.

[lucasbroderick]

I considered a rescue, but I have a few problems with doing that option. Number one is lack of background. There is no assurance that the Shepherd's parents were even GSD's, let alone purebred. Also, it's hard to get a puppy at 8 weeks old, which is when I want it. So I could spend $250 on an adoption fee for a dog that might not be a GS, might have health issues, etc...or I could spend $450 like what I found, where both parents are on site and have ancestors that were imported, are AKC registered, parents were screened for hip displacea, etc.