Looking to buy a German Shepherd puppy but had an odd experience with a breeder

[MyGrain]

It doesn't have to be show quality or champion bloodline or anything like that but we do want pedigree (non-negotiable)

So, some puppies were advertised in the paper last night and I text the woman who said I could go around and view them. I asked if both parents were available to see and she said no, just the woman as the bloke lives a bit further away. Ok .... so i ask if she has a copy of the blokes papers (as she advertised that the bloke was kc reg) and said she doesn't have any papers as she doesn't need them as she knows he was 100% German Shepherd ok - but shouldn't he still have pedigree papers at least if she couldn't prove he was kc reg?

So anyway, I asked if she had any other details about the bloke at all and she got a bit stroppy and said "if you don't want one, that's ok". Odd - so I left it.

This morning I got a text off the seller saying she'd been thinking and she was now willing to knock £50 off the price of a puppy

What do you reckon is going on here? like I said, we're not bothered about show quality or anything like that, it's just a pet but we do want to make sure the puppy is 110% pedigree GS.

Don't know what's going on but does it matter hugely? Whatever the reasons behind it, she's obviously not a reputable responsible breeder so move on.

I'd move on. Theres plenty of pups out there.

GSDs have a few fairly serious health issues...that's what you need to be asking about.

They should have a hip score under the breed average which is 19 for GSDs, 0/0 scored hips and certificates saying that. They should have clear eye tests (which are current, they only last a year) and a clear hemophilia test.

There are other health tests, but they're the minimum - if they haven't had those done then I wouldn't consider them. I'd also want to know that the lines on both sides are clear of CDRM.

I'd find another breeder. The fact that she has not interviewed at length to determine if you are suitable even chatted to you on the phone and is already knocking money off would make me run in the opposite direction.

Sounds like a really rubbish 'breeder', you've had a lucky escape.

GSDs are wonderful dogs, but there are many different lines bred for different purposes. Find a responsible breeder, someone who choses their dogs for temperament, does health screening (as mentioned they should have paperwork on hip scores, eyes and hemophilia. I would also ask about CDRM although the test for this is contentious) and brings them up in an environment similar to the one you have, e.g. if you have children, then a breeder who has the pups in the house, around children, etc. You should be able to view the mum and pups and get information on the dad.

Breeders like this usually have pre-sold their litters and you will have to be on a waiting list for a litter but it is well worth the wait. Having a dog with the right temperament is the most important thing in a family dog, especially a large dog (not that a small dog should not have a lovely temperament, but it is easier for small dogs to get away with some bad behaviours than their larger counterparts).

Run away!

Regardless of you wanting 100% gsd the broader should be happy for you to meet both the parents and provide full info of their bloodlines. No responsible breader would refuse to discuss this or answer any questions you might have because they want the best for the puppies because they love the breed

Stay away...sounds very dodgy. If you want a KC reg pedigree puppy then they should have registration papers and pedigrees available to view as well as the mother. Often the father is not available to view as if the breeder has tried to mate their dog with the best match for their bitch they'll have travelled to a dog wherever it lived. The bitch should always be available to view though.
A high priority for GSD's is making sure that both parents and the puppies have had all the appropriate tests. The Kennel Club or GSD club websites should have details of these.

I'd look for a reputable breeder if I were you. Such a person is unlikely to be advertising their puppies for sale in a newspaper either. Instead, they'll have a waiting list.

We have a pure bred cocker, which we found via the spaniel club in this country. You might be able to find breeders via the GSD club.

We didn't meet the male dog, as he lives in the Netherlands, and is not owned by the woman who owns the mum-dog. I personally don't see the need for meeting both parent dogs, but I would in no way buy a puppy if the mum-dog wasn't living with the puppies.

We talked to the breeder for a long time, and talked about all paperwork. Naturally, I now have contracts, the official family tree from the kennel club (which includes hip and eye test results for all of the dogs), passport and all that stuff. I wouldn't have bought the dog without getting all of that.

I would stay away from breeders that are offering discounts and who are getting an attitude when asking decent questions.