For one reason or another people decide they want to add a German Shepherd to their home. It is very important with this breed and with any breed that the purchaser research first!! When most people decide they want a dog, they want it yesterday, and do not take the time to research. When they see a puppy that is available NOW, they may ignore their better judgment because the puppy can go home NOW. IF a breeder WILL NOT let you go to their facility and see the breeding dogs and the environment the pups come from, then you should just continue your search for that special pup. Make sure you get a signed contract BEFORE money is exchanged!! Read the contract thoroughly and ask questions. The only dumb question is one that isn't asked. Don't be bowled over by fast talking self-designated experts (if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck...). What looks good on a web site may not be reality, and this is why we stress that you view the facility and dogs for yourself. There is an excellent saying "Knowledge without experience is just information" Mark Twain... The Kennel may have an impressive thorough questionnaire but, this does not mean that they practice what they preach. Remember a contract is only as honest as the breeder that drew it up. We have learned about the so called "binding contract". Make sure that the breeder is prepared with or can provide good references. If the breeder has been breeding for a while, this should not be hard for the breeder to provide. Most reputable breeders have a "Testimonial Page". If the pups are older than twelve weeks, the breeder should already have the AKC registration application available with the signed contract, and for pups six-months and older the breeder should have a registration. AKC starts penalizing people that register pups that are older than fifteen months when they are being registered with an initial application instead of a proper transfer from a registration, meaning the pup has been registered and the registration only needs to be transferred from the breeder to you. The AKC fee jumps from $15 to $65 for a pup that has gone unregistered fifteen months or longer. If you do not catch this, you may be stuck with the $65 charge. Unless the litter is a special litter (meaning one or both parents are imports) the breeder has had ample time to acquire this very important document from AKC. You can and should check with AKC to see if the litter has even been registered!!! The phone number for AKC is 919-233-9767 and the site address is www.akc.org All you need to obtain this information is the dam's name, sire's name registration numbers and whelp date. This is public record. If a breeder only shows that a sire or dam is OFA'd but does not show the rating, then this is also public record via AKC and OFA. As a pup gets older and approaches young adulthood, the question of socialization and proof of vaccinations (that are required in your geographical area) and OFA prelims are extremely important. I have been told by more than one breeder when looking at a potential dog for our kennel that "I didn't send them to OFA because I have seen enough x'ray's to know what is good or not", and that is fine if the breeder is planning to keep this dog but if they decide they are selling the dog, those x-rays should be sent to OFA for an official report, so they have this to provide to the purchaser. Remember "all necessary inoculations" can be very misleading if left up to your interpretation. If you don't know if the puppies are truly vaccinated then ask.. If it is the breeder's opinion that they do not give puppies shots until nine-weeks-of-age, you may be getting a pup that has only been dewarmed, has received NO vaccinations, and may never have even been seen by a vet.. If you receive no shot records than you must assume that the pup has had no shots. If you decide to purchase a pup, getting it to your vet as soon as you get the pup is important for establishing that the pup is in good health, especially if you went ahead and bought the pup without documentation of a recent vet check. OFA prelims are a must if the pup is twelve months or older. If the breeder requires the purchaser to OFA prelim a pup's hips and elbows at twelve months but is selling young adults that are over a year of age and have not been prelimed, you have to wonder "what is wrong with this picture?" Do not just take the breeders word. Ask for documentation in the form of vet check records and OFA prelim report. One thing about a prelim or OFA report, is the owner /breeder has the prerogative to check mark that they do not want the results to be public record. Why wouldn't they?? The breeder should be able to provide a record of regular vet checks that document the dog's maintained weight and shots. Do not accept, "I will get these for you later". If the breeder knows that he or she is going to sell the dog or pup, these should have already been gathered. You can offer that you will pick up and pay for the pup/dog when those documents are available. Once money has changed hands, there becomes little incentive for the dishonest breeder to hold up their end of the bargain. In this day and age of the Internet, AKC has taken great strides in making registering your dog so much faster. Now this is seeming to become overwhelming, but there are a few things you can do. You can check with your local German Shepherd Rescue, Local Animal Control, and Local Human Society (the links that we have included are of our area) to see if they have had good or negative experiences with this breeder. Chances are if the breeder has been breeding for long, one or the other has occurred. Buying a puppy is not like buying a car. This is a living creature and long term commitment. If the potential puppy owner is willing to pay for a puppy but not willing to research, the uneducated puppy owner may learn the hard way, and in most cases the puppy suffers. Not every dog/breed is for everyone, so being self-educated is very important.
Author: Ginger Rex
