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The best way to contact us is via email-
admin@truelovegsd.com
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Over the years I have devised the “top ten” tips for buying a puppy.
1. “I just want a family pet not a dog to breed.” Regardless of your intent, you want your family to have a good quality
dog. Your dog will be a member of your family. A poor quality puppy can lead to thousands in vet bills (and sometimes
death), which an emotional and financial nightmare.
2. Dogs are like anything else, you get what you pay for. We are not the most expensive or the cheapest. Too many people
focus on price, location of the breeder, how fast they can get a puppy, and the coloring of the puppy. These are the
worst criteria for picking a puppy.
3. An ethical breeder should educate you about their dogs and the selection process. Be weary of someone who just wants
to sell you a dog.
4. Buying a dog is a long term investment which has many components, not just price. (An extra $400 on the purchase price
works out to about $30 a year over a dog’s life).
5. Do your research; buying a dog should never be an impulse decision. The more research you do the better decision you
will make.
6. It is all about genetics. The puppy is a direct reflection of its parents. To get a dog with good hips (and to avoid hip
dysplasia), you must make sure you are buying from a pedigree (background) of good hips (OFA lines – learn more at
offa.org). Think of it as the equivalent of doing a carfax. Remember the commercial? Do not buy a car without a
carfax, don’t buy a dog without the pedigree information. Good genetics helps to avoid expensive health issues or the
shortened life of a puppy.
7. Do not be lured by “cute puppy” pictures, ever poor quality puppies are cute.
8. Buy from a reputable hobby breeder. You want someone who knows what they are doing. Most people would not let their
mechanic do their taxes. Look for a hobby breeder who has several years of breeding experience and a high level of
knowledge of the breed, and who has a health warranty.
9. Do not buy from a backyard breeder who has 2-3 dogs and lives in a subdivision; or is selling dogs out of a parking lot or
a flea market. To be blunt there are too many backyard breeders whose desire to make a quick buck and lack of
experience; can unintentionally result in a poor quality dog. The problem is that many people falsely believe that all
AKC German Shepherds are of the same quality…they are not.
10. “I am on a tight budget.” Plan on expenses before making a decision. Like most things in life you can pay a little more
now, or a lot more later. Like babies all puppies (purebred or not) go to the vet numerous times during their first year.
You should budget for about $400 for the basic vet bills in the puppy’s first year.
Other Information
We want to make sure you make the best decision, even if you do not purchase your next family member from us. Below we
provide links to third party sources for your convenience, and to ensure you are able to make an educated (unbiased) decision.
We have been breeding quality German Shepherds for a LONG time. The mistakes that many inexperienced buyers make, is
buying on:
1) Price-like anything else you get what you pay for.
2) Location-how close the breeder is to your home.
3) Availability-how quickly you can get a puppy (most quality breeders have a waiting list).
Step 1 - Choose between German/European (working) lines or American lines.
A dog will do what it is genetically programmed to do, nature (genetics) always triumphs over nurture (environment).
Most breeders specialize in only one type and have disdain for the other type. We have actually dealt and trained with both;
each have pros and cons. Our preference is the American lines because we do not want (or need) a super high drive animal-
one that requires intense exercise.
American Line German Shepherds are bred to the AKC standard (http://www.akc.org/breeds/german_shepherd_dog/). The
dog is angulated (rear end is lower than the front end) so it covers more ground making it a more efficient herder. The
angulation has nothing to do with the quality of the hips (more info in the health section).
German (European- many dogs come from other parts of Europe) lines are bred for bite work and prey drive (ball work).
European GSD's are bred for military and police applications, and to compete in Schutzhund (http://en.wikipedia.
org/wiki/Schutzhund). I have actually trained in Schutzhund and do not see a reason that a family pet needs this level of training.
Step 2 - Health
Hip dysplasia is the most common problem in GSD's. The ONLY way to prevent it is to screen for it. Only buy from OFA (US)
http://offa.org/, or A-stamped (Europe) lines. This information should be on the pedigree and a reputable breeder should have
no problems providing this in advance of a visit and/or purchase.
Step 3 - Chose a reputable breeder
Only buy from a breeder that specializes in one breed. Many times if a breeder has numerous different breeds they may be a
puppy mill. As mentioned above, normally GSD breeders will specialize in either American or German (European) lines. You
want to choose a devoted hobby breeder that has years of experience...not some goof ball "backyard breeder" that has a few
dogs and sees breeding as a way to make a few bucks. The German Shepherd Dog Club of America (GSDCA) does a better
job of explaining this than we do - http://gsdca.org/german-shepherd-dogs/choosing-a-puppy/types-of-breeders. A backyard
breeder's lack of knowledge and experience can cause environmental and genetic (including hip dysplasia) problems that
causes: (i) thousands in vet bills, (ii) dogs in shelters, (iii) sometimes dogs having to put a dog down, and (iv) heartbreak for the
family.
Any reputable breeder has an informative organized website. A backyard breeder will simply list an ad in the paper or sell dogs
at the local Wal-Mart or flea market.
Reputable breeders keep in contact with buyers and can provide testimonials.
Step 4 - Visit the breeder
Visit the breeder and look for the following:
- Permanent facilities; this shows the breeder is in this for the long haul.
- Cleanliness; clean puppies = healthy puppies.
- Temperament of other dogs; the other dogs should be approachable (not aggressive) when you are with the breeder.
- Diet; quality breeders only use quality food.
- Parent(s) on site;many times a stud dog is used but you should be able to see the mother (unless she is nursing puppies).
The puppy will look like its parents. Do not rely on misleading cute puppy pictures; all puppies are cute.
- Knowledgeable; the breeder should have an excellent understanding of the breed
- Open communication; the breeder should give you all the information you need, not just sell you a puppy - avoid the hard
sell.
Step 5 - Male vs. Female
This is a personal decision, we generally prefer females as a family pet. The main difference may be size. On average males
will weigh 70-95 lbs and females tend to be on average 5-10 pounds lighter.
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