Hey everyone!
Long-time lurker, first-time member and poster here. Amazingly, my wife and I haven't gotten a GSD yet, but we're getting really, really close. It's been a few months now of researching and prepping the house, and I think we're just about there.
I've been reading a lot on the forums about how to choose a puppy and the importance of avoiding backyard breeders and puppy mills (duh!), but my Better Half is still not exactly sold on the idea of spending a couple thousand on a dog. Personally, I don't think you can necessarily put a price on a companion animal, but after tallying up the cost of our wedding... lol
Anyway, any suggestions for breeders in our area? I already know to stay away from Puppies-R-Us type places, but there's a breeder I've met with at her farm in Woodbine, MD who seems... soooorta on the level. Certainly not as prestigious as Applejack K-9 or JohnsonHaus, but very few are that I've seen. I'm not sure if she has OFA paperwork, but otherwise she seems legit.
And before anyone gets worried, we've been visiting our local shelters (PG Animal Shelter and the Washington Animal Rescue League) with mixed results, and I have my heart set on a puppy or a young adult.
Any advice or suggestions for reputable breeders in the area would be very much appreciated. Also, thanks for reading - I tend to be a tad long-winded online.
Long-time lurker, first-time member and poster here. Amazingly, my wife and I haven't gotten a GSD yet, but we're getting really, really close. It's been a few months now of researching and prepping the house, and I think we're just about there.
I've been reading a lot on the forums about how to choose a puppy and the importance of avoiding backyard breeders and puppy mills (duh!), but my Better Half is still not exactly sold on the idea of spending a couple thousand on a dog. Personally, I don't think you can necessarily put a price on a companion animal, but after tallying up the cost of our wedding... lol
Anyway, any suggestions for breeders in our area? I already know to stay away from Puppies-R-Us type places, but there's a breeder I've met with at her farm in Woodbine, MD who seems... soooorta on the level. Certainly not as prestigious as Applejack K-9 or JohnsonHaus, but very few are that I've seen. I'm not sure if she has OFA paperwork, but otherwise she seems legit.
And before anyone gets worried, we've been visiting our local shelters (PG Animal Shelter and the Washington Animal Rescue League) with mixed results, and I have my heart set on a puppy or a young adult.
Any advice or suggestions for reputable breeders in the area would be very much appreciated. Also, thanks for reading - I tend to be a tad long-winded online.