importing pups from europe - Page 2

We have imported one puppy from Germany to the US. The people we bought her made it a very easy transaction for us. It was a first for both sides, first export for them, first import for us. The SV papers came in a timely manner, including the letter we needed for AKC registration. We still trade emails with them as we feel a friendship has developed. They kept a sister to ours so we trade stories and pictures as they grow and learn.

In my case I will get my imported GSD from a local importer. It is the safest option if you will not go personally to Germany or anywhere in Europe . Or wait for somebody to import a pregnant dam if you want a puppy.

Alabama, sorry to hear that you had so much problems with that SPECIFIC breeder. I do not know details on the deal you guys had, so i will not comment on it. Problem is of course the long distance between the US and Europe. What i will say is that there are bad apples anywhere in the entire world. I bet you that there are good deals done more frequent than deals gone wrong. Good to know that there are breeders out there, here in Germany as well as in the rest of the world that stand behind their word. I cannot agree with you more ..... do your homework, check pedigrees, ask questions etc.... the more you know about a dogs history the better it will be, regardless if you buy on my side of the pond or yours ! Even better if you have somebody like your friend Johnny. Animules, nice that everything went well for you guys. I wish you and your puppy a lot of fun together. Regards Ulli Dresbach

RYKen1 Very good idea the paperwork will still take some time but you will have a better chance at a good puppy this way for a decent price. Good point! I am not bashing all European breeders do not get me wrong but I have have learned a lot the hard way. I even sold for this breeder in Belgium thru here same thing when a issue come up he did nothing like I was the breeder so never again. I sort puppies out here as best as possible and some go to pets homes amd some working homes this is why we try and match the puppy with what we see at the early age to get the most suitable home for him/her and it still is a gamble. Someone called me for a top sport puppy out of a eight week old litter and I have to laugh, no one call tell at eight weeks if this puppy will do top sport. There are two may variables and even when buying a potenial top sport puppy you still have no guarantees even if the drives are super at ten months it still is a gamble maybe not quite as big but still a gamble to see as the dog matures. The main thing we look for is solid nerves first, second ball and food drive and still a gamble down the road. I am not a trainer, I have a in-house trainer but what I am saying is if you give me the best puppy you could find I myself would make it no more than a yard dog myself.

Alabama, you are right, any pup ia a crapshot at best...BUT...( it seems like there is always a BUT !!) Chances that you get a pup with sound nerves, we call it "clear in the head", are higher when it comes out of parents with a pedigree. no one can predict what will be the outcome on a 8 week old pup. Mate parents with perfect hips & ellbows, even the grandparents and great grandparents have perfect hips ..... not garantiéd that all the pups out of that litter will have perfect hips !But the chances that they will be ok is much higher. Thats why doing a proper research is so important. I sold a pup to a college of mine, saw the pup at 2,5 month and thought to myself .... what have you sold him, darn that little pup looked totally messed up ! He was more than happy with the pup, sound nerves everything fine, he said !Saw the pup again yesterday, man, if the pup keeps developing as it has the last 2 month it for sure will be able to obtain V-rating in show ! Wasn¿t there a guy who said : Life is like a box of choclate - you never know what youre gonna get !! Regards Ulli Dresbach

Alabama, you are right, any pup ia a crapshot at best...BUT...( it seems like there is always a BUT !!) Chances that you get a pup with sound nerves, we call it "clear in the head", are higher when it comes out of parents with a pedigree. no one can predict what will be the outcome on a 8 week old pup. Mate parents with perfect hips & ellbows, even the grandparents and great grandparents have perfect hips ..... not garantiéd that all the pups out of that litter will have perfect hips !But the chances that they will be ok is much higher. Thats why doing a proper research is so important. I sold a pup to a college of mine, saw the pup at 2,5 month and thought to myself .... what have you sold him, darn that little pup looked totally messed up ! He was more than happy with the pup, sound nerves everything fine, he said !Saw the pup again yesterday, man, if the pup keeps developing as it has the last 2 month it for sure will be able to obtain V-rating in show ! Wasn¿t there a guy who said : Life is like a box of choclate - you never know what youre gonna get !! Regards Ulli Dresbach

thanks all, ziegenfarm, you mentioned specifically importing pups from belgium and germany. how long does it take from Belgium. I know of a case where someone bought a pup from belgium and after over a year the pedigree hasn't arrived in the u.s. is the paperwork take that long? doesn't the litter get registered with the akc equivalent as soon as it is born? thank you kosta

in both cases, i agreed to buy the pup before it was ever born. in one case, before the breeding was done. i believe it does make a difference if the puppy is initially registered in the breeders name and then must be transferred to the buyer as opposed to being registered to the buyer right away. in both cases the papers i received listed me as the owner and showed no transfer. if the paperwork has to be transferred from orignal owner or breeder to the buyer, i am thinking that is what takes up additional time. i don't feel that waiting 3-4 months is any big deal. i have never waited a year for paperwork. i guess if i had, i might have a different opinion. good luck with yours. pjp

I haven't imported a pup myself (my little girl is US-born from imported parents) but probably will at some point. My question would be, how difficult would it be to fly to the country in question, find the pup you want, and fly it back home? I know that it would be important to make some good contacts before going, but past that, it seems to me that you could ensure you get something closer to what you want and reduce the risk of something unexpected happening... plus you can get a nice vacation out of the deal.

I have imported probably 100 puppies from Germany and elsewhere in Europe; most wonderful, a few truly awful (as in replacement at my own expense, as Europeans do NOT guarentee anything more than that the puppy will get out the kennel gate on it's own power and Good Luck!) I used to do it for my living, and may again sometime in future when I've had enough of my "real" job in advertising sales. I cannot agree with the "cheaper in America" concept. I can't believe how much some people are getting for pups I can buy for $700-800. apiece from my friends across the pond. Even with the trans-Atlantic shipping I'm still ahead 50%. I've never been able to bring myself to charge what most people do for a working line puppy. My husband hopes I'll get over that conscience-thing with the next litter. (My, what? 20-somethingth? God, I must be getting old.) My best advice, which probably came a cost of tens of thousands of dollars over the last two decades, is to KNOW the breeder, or at least know someone you know you can trust from past experience to reccommend the breeder/seller. Sure, it costs a lot of time and $ to travel overseas and visit the breeders who have produce dogs you admire, but not near as much as it costs in headaches and heartbreak when you get screwed. You're at the mercy of the seller when your new pride and joy steps (or slithers on its belly, or has to be dragged) out of the crate with hair coming out of its hair, (funny, I didn't see that in the pictures they sent me) one testicle, and about half the size of most pups at that age. An off-season airline ticket, rental car and a few rooms in a Landgasthaus or two aren't going to seem like much when (IF) the Annentafel finally arrives in the mail... with a kennel name you've never heard of and a pedigree to match that you can hang up on your wall next to the vet bills because the poor little beggar arrived loaded with whipworms and you didn't figure it out till ALL your dogs had them. (Care to guess what it costs to rent agricultural burner and hot-pressure washer? Say goodbye to your landscaping: it will all have to go!) ... and the veterinary teaching hospital is STILL trying to identify that skin condition... But he's a sweet little beggar, when you can coax him into coming to you with soothing kissey words and you bonded for life when he finally agreed to eat on his own even though the best diet available went right through him like shit through a goose. Such a darling, pathetic, sick little face. So nice to be needed. Maybe he'll be okay... someday. You could never be parted from him now, (if he lives, that is) But NEXT TIME... Candid (bent?) as ever, Shelley ;)