So, a neighbor of mine is selling a litter of 7 week old German Shepard puppies. I told her that I am interested in one (particular) female puppy but I'm not sure what I should ask about the litter. I know that they are APR registered (is that a good register?), have their first set of shots and are wormed. She has around 4-5 females dogs and just the one male dog. She seems to constantly have puppies available for sale! I have always loved the breed but as I already have a 9 year old Greyhound and a 4 year old St. Bernard, I haven't thought of getting another dog until lately. What should I ask about this litter and how do I pick out a healthy puppy? I want a specific girl but I want to make sure her personality and temperament will suit mine. She said that any dog would be good for me but that doesn't give me a clear idea. Also, should I be worried that she used a shock collar on the mom of this litter for the first 6 weeks of her pregnancy and could it effect my puppy?
Answers:
You should be commended, not condemned, for wanting to take a puppy from this woman. Garauntee you it will have a better life with you than with her.
To check temperment of the pup you want, pick the pup up, lay her on her back in your arms, and watch her reaction. The pup you want will not squirm or stare at you but will be calm and attentive.
As for health, check their ears for dirt, check her weight, and tent her skin to check for dehydration. Check for fleas and ticks and ask to contact the vet she has taken them to. Ask the vet about the general health of the pups. Make sure the contract you sign to buy her doesn't have any breeding stipulations and has a clause in there that has something to do with a health garauntee. Ask to see both parents and check their health and temperment. Ask to see pedigrees for both parents. Ask to see vet records for both parents. She has both dogs so she should have all these records. APR is not a good registry so I wouldn't buy from this particular woman. Ask about the parents accomplishments in obedience, tracking, agility, herding, Shutzhund, search and rescue and/or conformation. If they don't have any, don't buy. You don't want a mediocre dog.
As for the shock collar issue - it shouldn't have an affect on the pups. The current is so low that it won't affect the fetuses.
she is a backyard breed and is running a puppy mill!
she obviously is doing it for the money and doesnt care much for the dogs. anyone who knew anything about dogs would never need to use a shock collar and would not breed them continuously like this.
no, shock collars are NOT normal, and NO, no good breeder would interbreed their dogs - this causes all sorts of genetic problems.
the best thing you can do is NOT take a pup.
if she doesnt have anyone who will buy her pups, she will have to stop.
you might want to report her to any local animal organisations so they can put a warning out on her and ask local animal enforcement agencies if there is anything they can do.
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Well its sounds as if she breeds her dog for the money, that should be 1 red flag. Before you take the pup it is in your best interest to have the puppy looked at by a vet. German Shepards tend to have some genetic problems, and for profit breeders just keep these problems going. Ask her also if you can take the puppy home for a few hours to see how things are with your other dogs. There should be no ill effect from shock collar but it does seem very cruel to use it on a pregnant animal.
if she's had to use a shock collar on the dame, make extra sure that both of the parents are of sound mind, and dont have any problems, that would be a red flag to me. i would think that if she was breeding the dogs for quality that she wouldnt need to resort to a shock collar, do you know why she has to wear the collar? call your vet and ask about sideffects from being inside the mother when this was going on. if the breeder is selling healthy dogs they she will have a healthy dog contract that guarantees health for first year or two. if you check into all of the above and decide it's a go, ask her if you can take the pup home or take your greyhound and bernard over and see what they think of the little girl. like a trial run. i hope things go good for you and it all works out!!
Sounds like is she usualy ends up with pups at the shelter, you should be able to get one for free. I would think of it more as rescuing it than buying it if I were you. All dogs need good owners, no matter how irresponsible the breeder is.
I would ask what their hip certifications are, if she shows the parents and how they do. If she has a pedigree, what she feeds them, who her vet is..
All good things to know. You might not get the "best" cause she doesnt sound like the best breeder... But either way, a german shepherd is a loving dog, and needs a loving owner. They do usualy play well with other dogs, especialy if intoroduced to them at a young age.
I wonder why she is still breeding if many of her pups end up in shelters?
It is also somewhat common for some breeders to do some linebreeding. If she is trying to preserve certain traits, (which many still dont aprove of) But all dogs have been linebred at some point in their history to make them what they are. But if done by an inexperienced breeder, it could turn out bad.
German shepherds are not good dogs for shock collars. They respond best to positive re-enforcement and if you do get one, be sure to reward her instead of punishing her.. Do that and she will be good to you. she will play with you, listen to you, and protect you.
This woman is sick!!! never, ever buy a dog from a backyard breeder. From what you write the chances are excellent that all of her pups are defective and will cost you money and heartache in the future. If I were you I would run, not walk away from her and then report her horrendous abuse of her animals to the local authorities.
If I were you, I would not give this woman a cent. You would just be rewarding her for mistreating her animals. The best thing you can do is report her to your county鈥檚 animal care and control. You can do it anonymously so she鈥檒l never know it was you who called. I don鈥檛 like people who sell animals for profit. They are too lazy to get a job and are content to live off the money they make by selling animals. It鈥檚 easy money to them.
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