Why are purebred dogs so expensive?

[skysthelimit]

That is awful. Dogs on dirt is a no no. My dogs are in 6x12, and I consider that too small, could not put a mother and her litter in that small a space.

 

[Wheels]

yuk - I'm glad you went and visited.

I 'know' this lady (joan) from an online community while I have never met her in person myself I have no doubts to her stewardship to the breed. She is not currently breeding but she may know someone she could recommend in your area. I've watched her raise pups via internet and have always been impressed.

http://www.framheimshepherds.com/home

 

[DogCatMom]

When we find that RIGHT pup, I will DEFINITELY be posting pictures!

I am so glad we went to see the breeder in the next county over, because it was an absolute junk pit. The enclosures we fairly clean, but there were about 50 dogs on dirt floor. I couldn't tell if we were inside or outside to be honest. The house was made of plywood... no kidding. Two new litters were in with their mother in a 5x5' enclosure each on the porch. Several dogs had gooey eyes. The "breeder" also spent a half hour talking about how she was 10-months behind on her mortgage and needed what ever we were willing to pay to feed all her animals. All that after saying that she was planning to keep two or three pups from the litter we were looking at.

Needless to say, we will not be buying a pup from her. It was a classic case of "looks great online, not so much in person". Still on the hunt!

Nothing like an in-person visit, either for a Potential Puppy Owner (PPO) to look at the breeder's set-up or for the breeder to check out the PPO's arrangements for puppy safety and training. Anyone can make a site look good on the Internet; just take photos somewhere ELSE!

Ya dodged a big bullet there, lady. *whew* Sounds like the kind of place where you want to throw your clothes into the wash and yourself into the shower the minute you get back home.... *shudder*

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Eww.

Glad you went to check the place out before committing yourself.

I had a similar experience with a buyer. They had come up to our area to look at a litter of pups- and it turned out they were being raised in an abandoned mobile home, with no people resident on the property. The lady was very VERY wary to come up to our house, so I sent her pictures of our house. :roll:

DCMom has a good point- not only launder your clothes, but bleach the soles of your shoes. If there was any disease present, you don't want to jeopardize another breeder's dogs by tracking anything onto their property.

 

[tailwagging]

I would be worry of anyone that would let a buyer come out to their place!
just like we won't let someone in our rabbitry dog breeders shouldn't either.
who knows who else,with what else,has been there.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I have always had buyers of both rabbits and dogs come to my home. However, before anyone has even the slightest opportunity of buying one of my animals I have already spent a lot of time communicating with them first by email and then by phone.

Once they are here I take as much time with them as they are willing to spend. I want to teach them as much as I can about care, handling, and training as I possibly can in the hope that the animals I have bred and cared for with such love and dedication will have the best possible homes.

My pre-screening process has worked so far... no weirdos, and we have even made quite a few new friends.

***Disclaimer***

We live out in the middle of nowhere so you would have to be pretty determined to bother making the drive once, let alone TWICE.

 

[skysthelimit]

I would be worry of anyone that would let a buyer come out to their place!
just like we won't let someone in our rabbitry dog breeders shouldn't either.
who knows who else,with what else,has been there.

For puppies, it's kind of impossible for me to take a litter of 10, plus sire and dam to a public place. Mainly because I don't allow unvaccinated puppies to go anywhere until they are at least 4 mos old, anywhere where they will have to touch the ground. It's easier for me to control the environment with the puppies here.

Leave a boot tray with bleach at the front gate for them to rinse their shoes, and have sanitizer on hand. But they never go past the porch anyway.

A couple months ago someone here took a puppy while to breeder went into the house for something. I always make sure the adults are out and close, I never have more than two pups out at one time, and if I go in the house/barn, I take the pups with me.

 

[tailwagging]

that is why I take video clips. they can see and pick the pup that they like out of the pups that are offered to them. they can also see the parents this way too.
then i meet them in a public place and use an x-pen with a show/rv washable ground mat.

the health of my animals comes before a sale.

 

[skysthelimit]

Another point to agree to disagree.
I prefer not to to let people into my barn, but on the property is not so bad, as I have many enclosed places they can be and not contaminate anything. Being in the city, I cannot really control who comes up close enough to the house on a day to day basis anyway, anyone from the paper dude, people with petitions, religious groups, utility workers, postal delivery people, etc. Nor do I always wash my feet and clothes everytime I go in and out from the store, work, sheep herding, dog shows, etc, though I probably should (not to mention the adults that go with me.) I am a big fan of bleach and Odorban.

I have learned from showing that videos and pictures are not the same. It also means I limit people who don't have access to viewing videos by email. Considering my clientele base, that would be quite a few people, as I rely on acquaintances and word of mouth, and some don't own computers or have internet access besides libraries.

You can't judge temperament of parents from video. I rely heavily on how much the people love a certain dog to sell pups. They need to see how this dog relates to me, and to them as well. I sell family pets, they watch my nieces interact with the dogs, and if they have small children, I allow them to pet the dog. I'm not going to drag my nieces out with me, but since they live next door, they can be here when visitors come.

Videos and pictures of show pups are ok, but there is nothing like putting your hands on the dog itself. And a show pup needs space to gait properly to be judged. X pen won't do. If it were possible, I'd like to put a herding dog out with the flock, but I don't have any here so they'd have to take my word for it.

It also means driving out after work, wasting time with no shows, instead of continuing on in the comfort of my own home, whether they show or not.

Either way they still have to touch the puppies, right?

I still contend is safer to have them watch puppies run around my front yard from the fence than to take them out to where ever I can meet people in public. They still see the whole litter or whatever I have left. Then it's narrowed down to available pups, then down by gender, till they are down to one or two they are looking at, and only then are the allowed to touch those pups. Pups that have been handled do not go back into the same kennel/crate as the others, and if need be, I can register a sale and the pup on line at my house.

It's a matter of convenience, a selling point due to my set up, the promise of looking and acting like the adult they see before them, and a way to control the cleanliness of the environment due to the urban area I live in. No public place could be a clean or safe as my own property.

 

[tailwagging]

i use to have people come to my house too, i am not ashamed of how i care for my animals BUT no longer will i risk the safety and health of myself or my animals.
the new parvo is more deadly and i don't need that on my land for years. the ARs are more active. and dog thrift is very much on the rise, all they need to know is where you live. they don't even care if you are at home.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/2004/12/19 ... etus-case/
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=8e7_1172887104
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8l3Drm9NvI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgnyze19gLw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETMAGfLAmDA

 

[squidpop]

Another point to agree to disagree.
I prefer not to to let people into my barn, but on the property is not so bad, as I have many enclosed places they can be and not contaminate anything. Being in the city, I cannot really control who comes up close enough to the house on a day to day basis anyway, anyone from the paper dude, people with petitions, religious groups, utility workers, postal delivery people, etc. Nor do I always wash my feet and clothes everytime I go in and out from the store, work, sheep herding, dog shows, etc, though I probably should (not to mention the adults that go with me.) I am a big fan of bleach and Odorban.

I have learned from showing that videos and pictures are not the same. It also means I limit people who don't have access to viewing videos by email. Considering my clientele base, that would be quite a few people, as I rely on acquaintances and word of mouth, and some don't own computers or have internet access besides libraries.

You can't judge temperament of parents from video. I rely heavily on how much the people love a certain dog to sell pups. They need to see how this dog relates to me, and to them as well. I sell family pets, they watch my nieces interact with the dogs, and if they have small children, I allow them to pet the dog. I'm not going to drag my nieces out with me, but since they live next door, they can be here when visitors come.

Videos and pictures of show pups are ok, but there is nothing like putting your hands on the dog itself. And a show pup needs space to gait properly to be judged. X pen won't do. If it were possible, I'd like to put a herding dog out with the flock, but I don't have any here so they'd have to take my word for it.

It also means driving out after work, wasting time with no shows, instead of continuing on in the comfort of my own home, whether they show or not.

Either way they still have to touch the puppies, right?

I still contend is safer to have them watch puppies run around my front yard from the fence than to take them out to where ever I can meet people in public. They still see the whole litter or whatever I have left. Then it's narrowed down to available pups, then down by gender, till they are down to one or two they are looking at, and only then are the allowed to touch those pups. Pups that have been handled do not go back into the same kennel/crate as the others, and if need be, I can register a sale and the pup on line at my house.

It's a matter of convenience, a selling point due to my set up, the promise of looking and acting like the adult they see before them, and a way to control the cleanliness of the environment due to the urban area I live in. No public place could be a clean or safe as my own property.

Sky it sounds like you are really an expert on the german shepherd breed and training- are you ever going to have puppies again? Also, if you where looking for a puppy from another breeder where would you go?