Great idea! I think the same should apply to all "helpful" posts.

 

I completely agree!! I've made the mistake of recommending breeders that had a great reputation, but never actually met them or any of their dogs, or talked to anyone that had dogs from them. Then later find out that they fake paperwork, don't take back dogs, blame the owners for causing health issues that are genetic (like, how does a person cause their dog to have EPI?), pressure people to take two pups at once, etc, etc. (not all from one breeder, above examples from a couple of different breeders).

And then there are people who are trying to be helpful, google breeders in the area that the person lives in, and post links to the kennels. No matter how amazing a website looks, how many accomplishments the breeding dogs seem to have, a website is NOT the only thing someone should use to make a decision on buying a dog. For example, I've seen a dog from a breeder with a really nice looking website, showing happy, engaged dogs doing protection work and being active, solid pets, slink through their BH with head down and tail between their legs. This dog was sold to someone as a SchH I ready breeding prospect.

If you saw their website, you'd think, WOW!!! NICE!!!, but how can the breeders be ethical selling a dog like that making those claims?

 

I completely agree!! I've made the mistake of recommending breeders that had a great reputation, but never actually met them or any of their dogs, or talked to anyone that had dogs from them. Then later find out that they fake paperwork, don't take back dogs, blame the owners for causing health issues that are genetic (like, how does a person cause their dog to have EPI?), pressure people to take two pups at once, etc, etc. (not all from one breeder, above examples from a couple of different breeders).

And then there are people who are trying to be helpful, google breeders in the area that the person lives in, and post links to the kennels. No matter how amazing a website looks, how many accomplishments the breeding dogs seem to have, a website is NOT the only thing someone should use to make a decision on buying a dog. For example, I've seen a dog from a breeder with a really nice looking website, showing happy, engaged dogs doing protection work and being active, solid pets, slink through their BH with head down and tail between their legs. This dog was sold to someone as a SchH I ready breeding prospect.

If you saw their website, you'd think, WOW!!! NICE!!!, but how can the breeders be ethical selling a dog like that making those claims?

Hi, that sounds like someone I know. We were badly stung with the purchase of a really nice looking dark sable male with nice working pedigree. When the dog arrived from Czech he was underweight , badly lame in his hind legs, soft ears that bobbed up and down when he moved and spent his time insanely walking around in tight circles. When we complained I was told to "give him a pain killer" and a refusal to take the dog back. We spent hundreds of Euro in vets fees to determine the cause of his lameness to no avail. We ended up having him castrated by the recommendation of my vet and placing him in a pet home. Our last dog purchase from well known Czech kennel who seem to advertising every kind of German Shepherd now and rely on their successful history in the breed. Their dogs are nothing like they were as most are dogs from all over Eastern Europe. There are some excellent Shepherd kennels in Czech Republic that care about the dog they will provide for you and keep in touch re the dogs progress. Research is important, and we agree with above comment on websites. Dogs can look wonderful on a website but in reality they can be the total opposite.

 

I try to recommend breeders I "know", either because I know them personally (and thus know the dogs and/or many of the progeny even if I don't own one myself) or breeders I've got dogs from in the past. Sometimes if a breeder looks really good to me, I'll say something like "I've never dealt with this breeder, but it would be one I would look into." Hopefully that is not misleading. I try to not assume that because I like someone and/or like their dog and what they've done with it means that they would recommend those lines or that breeder. At any rate, I don't think a recommendation should be interpreted as "you should get a dog from...", IMO they are meant to be a jumping off point, call the breeder up and learn more about them and their dogs.

 

Sometimes if a breeder looks really good to me, I'll say something like "I've never dealt with this breeder, but it would be one I would look into."

I did exactly that a week or two ago, when I got a FB message from someone in my area asking if I knew anything about a local breeder. I know Laurie from a yahoo email training list and met her at a couple of workshops a few years ago. She has dalmatians, and someone she knows is looking for a GSD.

In this case the breeder was someone I only heard of recently so I really know nothing about her, but she does OFA hips and elbows, thyroid, cardiac, brucellosis and CERF tests on all her dogs. She also works with a couple of breeders that are very highly recommended here and elsewhere, and uses those dogs from those breeders in her program (sires from vom Gildaf and Schraderhaus). I liked everything I saw, so I told Laurie that although I don't know the breeder and have never met her dogs, I didn't see any red flags, and this was a breeder I would personally consider getting a dog from.

 

I agree personal experience is extremely relivant in making a recommendation but the person choosing really needs to make their own decision. While I adore my dogs fully, they wouldn't be a good fit for just anyone. I think true honesty and pointing out strengths and weaknesses can help a new person make a more information decision. There's no such thing as a perfect dog

I think having great breeders on the forum helps put into perspective what we need to look for, there are good breeders and bad breeders out there. In watching their posts and seeing the information they share it does give you a decent idea of the type of people they are just the same as e-mails or phone calls. There are some I've been truly impressed by and some I've been disappinted in.

Personally I think the biggest compliment a breeder can get is repeat business. It's one thing to take one dog, it's another to come back again and get a second or even third dog. It shows confidence in their program

 

Jean :thumbup:

Personally I think the biggest compliment a breeder can get is repeat business. It's one thing to take one dog, it's another to come back again and get a second or even third dog. It shows confidence in their program

This is nice if it works out but it doesn't always for several different reasons. Timing probably being the biggest one.

Absolutely, the only breeder I ever discuss is the one I got my dog from. And TBH, I feel like I only have limited knowledge of her breeding practices since it is based on one dog.

Love this thought process. This is what I started doing a little bit ago. I now only recommend 2 breeders. I actually believe there are more than 2 good breeders out there. I have met and personally know more then 2 breeders. I've met dogs from a number of different kennels and I thought those dogs were very nice dogs but I don't recommend those breeders.

The reason I only recommend the 2 breeders? They are the breeders I have purchased my dogs from and I've been very happy with these 2 dogs. I have grown to really respect these 2 breeders for many different reasons. One I see on a weekly basis and we've had many conversations about dogs. One I seldom see in person but frequently email. I've know her for maybe 12 years now and followed her breeding program for about as long. Again – many, many dog conversations. Other breeders that I like and might also recommend have their own puppy owners with personal experience who do actively recommend them.

Funny Jean, I wanted to start a thread on this same topic. It's amost become a peev of mine that people sort of blindly follow and recommend people based on internet experience only.
.......

This has LONG been a peev of mine. :crazy:

how do you know the person you're recommending to the breeder
is sound and has a good temperament?

If I don't know the person personally, I leave that up to the breeder to figure out.

 

Some people are very good about being cautious in their posts, when people post several links to breeders websites I have seen members state something along the lines of "Well I have no personal experience with the breeder, but looking at the pedigree I think......".

I think it's best to be very clear in stating on what you are making your recommendation. For example, if anyone asks about the breeder I got my pup from I would certainly recommend based on my experience, but they would need to know that this is my first WL pup and I may not have the same expectations training wise that they do,

 

After lots of reading and recommendations on here I did my own research and I found that Robin(Huerta Hof) is who I will go through. She has been nothing but helpful and I feel that the recommendations were good enough for me to get going and find out for myself. I think any recommendations should be researched, because after all they are just recommendations, it would be up to the person to figure out if that recommendation fits them.

 

Great idea! I always try and see what the person is looking for before I recommend a breeder. The problem is I rarely make it that far. It seems a lot of people don't really know what they are looking for. At least when it comes to their first one.

 

Absolutely, the only breeder I ever discuss is the one I got my dog from. And TBH, I feel like I only have limited knowledge of her breeding practices since it is based on one dog.

 

Funny Jean, I wanted to start a thread on this same topic. It's amost become a peev of mine that people sort of blindly follow and recommend people based on internet experience only. My favorite is is when people will say something like "so and so from this board has the most AMAZING dog ever and I love him/her....I would absolutely recommend X breeder." Um, ok. You really only know this dog and like this dog because the poster is presenting the dog in a positive light, not because you ACTUALLY know anything about this dog. Sam with a breeder themselves. Just because they can talk a good game on the internet doesn't mean their breeding program meets those words.

It's one thing saying "this person might be worth checking out" and qualifying with what you do or don't know about (I've done that) them versus straight up doling out a "recommended" list based on no actual real-life experience with this breeder and/or their dogs. Now, this isn't to say that people are not responsible for themselves. I totally agree that you should never go buy a dog based on strangers' recommendations on the internet and that's their own fault if they end up in an unsavory spot.

As a bit of a spinoff of this, I also wonder about how the recommendee sometimes feels about getting dragged into the threads. I've seen a lot of instances where people basically say "that breeder is horrible........THIS is what a responsible and good breeder is" and will post the breeder of their choice instead. Not to say that the poster isn't correct, but now that breeder is associated with what generally turns into a nasty thread. I can't help but think they are often sitting behind their computer screen cringing.

 

Funny Jean, I wanted to start a thread on this same topic. It's amost become a peev of mine that people sort of blindly follow and recommend people based on internet experience only. My favorite is is when people will say something like "so and so from this board has the most AMAZING dog ever and I love him/her....I would absolutely recommend X breeder." Um, ok. You really only know this dog and like this dog because the poster is presenting the dog in a positive light, not because you ACTUALLY know anything about this dog. Same with a breeder themselves. Just because they can talk a good game on the internet doesn't mean their breeding program meets those words.

It's one thing saying "this person might be worth checking out" and qualifying with what you do or don't know about (I've done that) them versus straight up doling out a "recommended" list based on no actual real-life experience with this breeder and/or their dogs. Now, this isn't to say that people are not responsible for themselves. I totally agree that you should never go buy a dog based on strangers' recommendations on the internet and that's their own fault if they end up in an unsavory spot.

As a bit of a spinoff of this, I also wonder about how the recommendee sometimes feels about getting dragged into the threads. I've seen a lot of instances where people basically say "that breeder is horrible........THIS is what a responsible and good breeder is" and will post the breeder of their choice instead. Not to say that the poster isn't correct, but now that breeder is associated with what generally turns into a nasty thread. I can't help but think they are often sitting behind their computer screen cringing.

:thumbup: I so agree with everything you post!
There are a couple dogs that people ooh and ahh over on the boards or on fb and don't even know the dog,but the owner will constantly promote the dog so everyone thinks the dog is all that....when in reality it is no different than any other good dog.
I almost think recommending a good breeder by naming names should be as forbidden as bashing. People should research a bit by going out and seeing dogs in training, not just go by what is posted on a forum by complete strangers.
Though I am guilty of suggesting breeders that I know of... I wonder why it would matter to people who don't know me/ my opinion is just that.

 

I think being able to qualify a recommendation with the reason why you're making the recommendation would be a great idea.

I was PM'ed a few months ago by someone who had recommended a breeder and I had later come in on the same thread and posted that I was sending the OP a PM about that breeder.

I responded with a detailed explanation of my personal experience with the breeder in question, and I asked the person how they had come to recommend the breeder in the first place. Their response was that they had seen the breeder mentioned on another forum and had visited their website a lot. They had never seen the breeder's dogs in person, had never been in contact with the breeder or anyone who had purchased a puppy from the breeder. They were basing their recommendation on a flashy website, dogs that "looked good" and regional proximity to the person who was asking for recommendations.

I think it would make it a lot easier for the average person coming on here and asking for recommendations to wade through the replies they get if they can see at a glance what the various recommendations are based on.
Sheilah

 

how do you know the person you're recommending to the breeder
is sound and has a good temperament?

 

exactly doggiedad!

 

Good thread.

I have only purchased GSD's from 5 different breeders. One was actually a BYB, another is no longer in business. The other three are still breeding. Of those three I would only recommend one, maybe two - it depends. My other GSD's were rescues from shelter.

I purchased one dog based on recomendations here several years ago. The breeder was regional to me and I was able to pick up my puppy and met them. Although the dog is now a pretty good dog, it did not come without supreme effort and many issues with health. I do not recommend this breeder.

Another dog I purchased from a friend. I know her integrity personally. I do recommend har as often as possible. Not because the dogs are nice. They are, but she will stand behind what she says and will not make her dogs out to be something they are not.

I always qualify recommendations. If I do not know the breeder personally or done business with htem, I say so.

 

Good thread.

I have only purchased GSD's from 5 different breeders. One was actually a BYB, another is no longer in business. The other three are still breeding. Of those three I would only recommend one, maybe two - it depends. My other GSD's were rescues from shelter.

I purchased one dog based on recomendations here several years ago. The breeder was regional to me and I was able to pick up my puppy and met them. Although the dog is now a pretty good dog, it did not come without supreme effort and many issues with health. I do not recommend this breeder.

Another dog I purchased from a friend. I know her integrity personally. I do recommend har as often as possible. Not because the dogs are nice. They are, but she will stand behind what she says and will not make her dogs out to be something they are not.

I always qualify recommendations. If I do not know the breeder personally or done business with htem, I say so.

what is the name of the breeder and location willing to go

 

Recommending Breeders

As a fairly new German shepherd owner and purchaser I think this Post is fabulous...For me coming here and asking for suggestions on Good breeders has opened the door to further my search. As someone with little experience with the breed and breeders....Receiving names and information here has provided me with options. I have continued to read suggestions and educate myself about careful selections of breeders...What to look for and what to avoid. For me I have tried to take all of this in and simply learn. Positive or negative recommendations provides me with a small step towards contacting the breeder, asking questions and possibly scheduling a time to go out to meet them in person and see their program and meet their dogs.

When you are looking for breeders and really have no personal references from trusted sources or names of Quality breeders sometimes seeking opinions and suggestions on line offers more information. I am thankful for those who have offered this to me. It is now up to me to take the time with suggestions and carefully do more homework....I do think that if a buyer has an idea of what they are looking for and a breeder and their dogs are recommended by several different buyers this recommendation warrants consideration. That being said...From personal experience I myself would never recommend purchasing any dog without seeing it first and meeting the breeder in person. I also believe that many Quality breeders out there would have a long list of questions to ask the buyer and might want to meet them as well. This to me shows that they are careful about whom they sell their puppies to. Just my take on things.

I think many individuals lack the resources to really find a wide variety of breeders to start with. For me....This forum has provided me with more options to look in to.

 

This is a good thread. It helps to remind me that when I give advice, I need to point out my novice status. I do try to do that..."Not an expert, this worked for me." And I have stopped myself before, as well, reminding myself I'm probably better off not "helping" in a certain situation.

As far as recommending breeders, I don't, because I have no personal experience. The extent of my experience as a rescuer is understanding that the dogs I own would not be the right dogs for most people, and that genetics play a huge role in that. And I just try to throw that concept out there occasionally...the whole idea that just because you only want a "pet" dog, doesn't mean you shouldn't do your homework and examine the breeding program.

Thought provoking thread. Thank you

 

Choosing a GSD Breeder

I would like to give some useful information to those people who are looking for a good German Shepherd breeder. Because the GSD breeders in my area do not have the looks and temperment I desired, I turned to the internet and conducted exhaustive research trying to figure out which breeder to pick for a solid GSD - family pet.

The most important thought I can share is to ask the breeder and references what support is provided when there is a problem after the check has been cashed. Everyone thinks their breeder is the best when everything goes right....the real test is how the breeder responds when a problem arises, which may be attributed to the breeding or genetics. Not everything is the fault of the breeder but there are enough "gray area" issues like temperment which the breeder should provide some help with.

I purchased my 2nd GSD from **** kennel name removed due to board policy. ADMIN**. I have owned several different breeds of dogs over 40+ years. Soon before the dog reached maturity, I began noticing aggression problems toward my young children. When I first turned to the breeder for help, I was told "I can't see the dog and it's behavior so I can't really help." The suggestion was to go hire a dog behaviorist. My disappointment centered on - if you can sell a dog over the internet, then why can't you offer some help right away...rather than attempt to wash your hands of the problem.

It was only after I had to approach the breeder again, did I get any cooperation along with the comment "why do I only hear from you when there is a problem with your dog". At 1 year of age, I had sent a DVD showing where the dog lived, the walks he took, and how he loved to chase balls. Sadly, after 4 years of continued attempts at correction, I had to euthanize the dog because of several nipping incidents with family members. I emailed the breeder of my decision and have never received ANY reply. Tells you all you need to know.

 

This is a great topic. I have 2 more weeks until I'm able to get my girl. I wasn't referred to the breeder by anyone and he's a trainer who trains in schutzhund. I'm going more by what I see of his dogs and kennel and the lack of BS that other breeders have tried to feed me. I asked him if he ever has had a problem with aggression in any of his pups. Most breeders would not admit to this. He proceeds to tell me a story of a guy who called him a little over a year after purchasing a pup from him complaining that the dog was aggressive he agreed to take the dog back. The dog was having some aggression issues but the bottom line was that there were never any boundaries set for this dog as a puppy he train the dog and sold him for police work. The fact that he admitted to this issue and admitted that he took the dog back brought
me great peace


Sent from Petguide.com Free App

 

I would like to add that people who recommend breeders, please back it up by giving the searching party a way to contact one or two owners who have purchased a dog from the kennel referred. Passing a name along because you read it on a forum or from one person doesn't guarantee the breeder is a good one. That one person may have been lucky! Websites do not give the whole story how a breeder operates as well. Contact and visit the breeder in person if you can. Interact with the dogs onsite to learn about their personalities and who did the training. If you can, watch the breeder's website for about a year to see how the kennel is run. Research, research, research! You will have to live with your purchase for over 10 years.

 

I've never had a dog and plan to get my first this spring. Luckily I have a family member who is very familiar with breeders in general and gave great tips. I personally wanted to find one within a reasonable drive. If I ever have trouble/questions I wanted to be able to go to them for help, and want them to be willing to help. I started with emails, then phone calls then from those picked a few to visit. They were all great. I met mult generations of their dogs, the older ones doing very well into their old ages. I know the gsd can have an alouf vibe and I saw that in many dogs. HHowever I plan to do therapy dog training so I'd like less aloof if possible. I met a few wonderful dogs, of the same line and they were very social. Many of her dogs are therapy dogs. Very well behaved. No jumping, minimal alert barking. Turns out they are breeding her this winter. Timing worked out great. However if they weren't breeding her until later in the year I probably would have waited. Added bonus they are of darker coloring which is also the look I like.
For a newbie like me lots of reading up talking to dog owners and going in person to meet breeders was the best combo for me.

 

Great post

 

For a newbie like me lots of reading up talking to dog owners and going in person to meet breeders was the best combo for me.

That is THE best way of researching and learning about the breed and breeders - kudos to you!

One can't always visit in person, but I know one member here that spent a YEAR visiting different breeders, going to GSD events, and meeting all types of dogs from all types of lines to learn about them. This allowed her to get a good feel of what she liked and didn't like, get a clear idea of which lines she wanted to with, and give her the experience and insight to pick out a good responsible breeder from the crowd. Ended up going with a shipped puppy from a breeder she never got to meet, but her year of hand-on research gave the the knowledge to make an educated, confident choice.

 

This is just the way I like to do research. Right there, up close and personal. Not on websites. The time it takes is not as important as the results.

 

Thanks for the compliments guys. I like to think I'm on the right track. I look forward to Being able to post pictures of my puppy and share some stories myself!

 

Breeders

*** Removed by ADMIN - no breeder bashing allowed ***.

 

Trying to find a Puppy in Texas

Any recommendations for breeders in Dallas/Fort-Worth area in Texas?

 

You might want to start a new thread-and there have been recent threads about breeders in Texas