puppies from same litter, different prices.

I agree, pass on that breeder. I think most of us know who that is.

With showlines, for me it would NOT be a red flag if some puppies were cheaper than others such as long coats or pups with obvious conformation faults, dogs that can never be in the show ring (unless the standard changes). Long coats, dilutes, monorchid, etc. Otherwise "normal" puppies really should be priced the same because it's very hard to tell what puppies at 8 weeks old will mature into at adulthood. The star of the litter may peter out and the so-so puppy may grow to be the showstopper. Same deal for working lines.

German showline pups do tend to be higher priced than working lines. I would not pay $2500 for a working line GSD, but $2500 is about the low end of the spectrum when it comes to German showline, at least from what I've seen.

When researching online, it is very easy to be wowed by flashy websites, beautiful photos, miles of titles and all the right words. Some of these operations are marketing geniuses. In reality, that's all they may be. I like a breeder who has a goal for their program that does NOT include breeding to the best names and taking two high titles together without regard for the actual genetic/pedigree combination. I want to know WHY the dogs are a good match, how they expect the two pedigrees to come together, what types of pups are they hoping for, what are they looking to improve on, what the faults are, what are they hoping to keep strong, a true plan. You'll run into many breeders who throw around "VA this" and "Champion Ultra Uber Select" that or will parade a certain stud's name up and down the block or breed to the Fad of the Year dog, and that really doesn't do the breed (or the buyer) any good.

Oh, if a breeder tells you there are no faults, smile and nod as you walk away. EVERY dog has faults and you should be made aware of them and also inquire about them regarding the breeding. Maybe the outside stud dog has really good shoulders but the shoulders of the bitch they own are not so good and this is what the breeding is for- they love the temperament of both dogs but they want to improve the shoulders and are hoping to keep a pup back from the litter. This shows thought and planning and a working breeding program rather than just pumping out puppies from big name dogs.

Quote:There were 4 black and silver's in his litter which were $450.00 just because of their color.

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Bad Sign #1- Breeder charges MORE for coloration considered poor per the breed standard. This is a big red flag. Anytime you have breeders saying things like "rare blues," or "rare silvers" and/or putting higher prices on colors which actually are either a disqualification or very poor color, that's a good sign that the breeder is a BYB. Any breeder that charges more just because a puppy is a certain color is one to steer clear from. I would not mind if a breeder charged more for a pup that was outstanding in most ways- color included- such that it would be a great show potential or good looking and great working potential, but to decide the "quality" or cost of a litter by color? No way. Again, this is marketing. Most people see "RARE" and they immediately think this is some amazing gem that they must have. While blues and livers are drop dead gorgeous in my opinion, they are not really rare and they are not deserving of a higher price tag.

Unfortunately, it's very common across all breeds to sell "rare colors" at a higher price tag. This form of marketing works all too well.