Grrrrr.... Some people!! - Page 2

The BYBs? Sure, and it still comes out to $3K for an average litter. Not a bad little cottage industry.

Don't know what oyu're trying to say in that second sentence. The price of puppies is declining? In 6 -8 months from now the market will only bear $100 per pup?

Ohhhh . . . you mean the ones they didn't sell go for $100. That's one hell of a good deal for the likes of the Michigan beginning breeder then, isn't it?

A tad sweeping, Aqua? In reality, how many Breeders do in fact “produce puppies in order to advance and further The Breed”? Many I know produce litter after litter, advertising almost continuously, using whatever renowned stud sells pups the best at the time. The whole thing variously resembles, to me anyway, full-time farming! Like innumerable others, and brought up with GSD’s, I fancy them for their own sake but strictly as a hobby (all I’ve time for, and certainly don’t need to make money through selling ruddy pups?), and don’t even categorize myself as a ‘Breeder’. And if I said I strove to further ‘The Breed’ in any general sense (what, for the good of mankind!), I’d be a hypocrite – I do it in order to see what I can achieve in that direction for myself – out of selfish personal satisfaction if you like (as applies to most of folks’ past-times, if not most of other activities as well?) Not to put too fine a point on it, if I could figure out a way to produce just one good pup from each coupling, or two at the most, I’d jump at it; what bliss to avoid strangers tramping in and out, and the time wasted in telephone calls and compiling paperwork. The ‘motherhood’ thing is rather incidental, if not a tad tongue in cheek, but you know, I’m very attached to my bitches (no males, and maybe a few too many already), and do love to see them surrounded by their own pups at least once. Is it not great how we’re all different, Aqua!

Howdy,

couldn't help it, but aparently Aqua has a found the egg of the Columbus ! Hurray !

Now comes the trick ....... would you please share your knowledge with me, on how that 2nd & third litter is producing that profit for me ? If I am doing my math, and rest assured my wife sets me straight about it, because I always like to forget to ad 1 or 2 things to make it look better, I will be around my L - M litter before beeing even with my investments (that is , that there will be no desasters, like C-section, Kennel caugh in the entire litter etc)..... maybe I am doing something wrong ? Oh yes, avarge of 6 pups a litter - wait one, acording to my newest numbers it is an avarage of 5 Pups. Hm, maybe I need to talk to my bitch about this.........

Ah, now I know, I should cut down on my driving around on behalf of my dogs, at about 6 $ a Gallon here in Germany, maybe that will do the trick, naw, I rather would stop smoking !

Hm, how about the progetorone tests ........ maybe I should take more risks, when driving 400 - 500 km to get to that stud ? Rather not.

Oh, yep, I found it ....... no manufactured Kennels anymore, I will just get some Plywood and nail it together and call it a kennel ! And by god, do these dogs need to eat on a daily basis.........in the wild they wont get something every day .... so from now on they will only get food every 2-3 days, and you are right " Ol Roy" crap will do just fine !

I really do not wish to sound like a jerk, but if one does everything acourding to the standarts of the SV, and takes pride in what he /she is doing, breeding is not something that will make you rich. Unless you start with 7-8 bitches & your own stud and have 8-10 litters a year, and off course find also the peopel that will buy them. The 1500$ sound like they could be right for the US, here probably around 1000 $ & 1300 $. Some may take more some may take less.

Sorry, I did hijeck this thread, I apologize. Shannan, it does bug me when peopel do this sort of things. Sadly enough, this same crap happens here too, and that I as a breedwarden have to play along sometimes, just brings me sleepless nights. Peopel, that dont love this breed, yet think they do by breeding whatever they can find, ruin it for the ones that do everything acording to the book.

I can do whatever I wish, because I can ! Screw the rules, screw the standart, afterall ..... they are all shepherds ! Not a biggi to have a little Mali in there or poodle ....... who cares ? Well, I do, and even to the risk that some might step on my toes, I will always cringe in disgust and point my finger if I see wrondoing with our breed.

UUUPs, now I vented myself...... sorry.

Regards Ulli Dresbach

True enough, Speaknow. A bit sweeping. I tend to see things black or white; it's a temperamnt fault  :) And yes, it's great how we're all different with different takes and views on all manner of issues.

Oskar, the expenses you cite, driving to training and shows, kennels, food, veterinarians, etc., are the same expenses all of us have. They are part of owning dogs and aren't unique to breeders. The C-sections and ultrasound and hormone tests are expenses you take on by choice when you decide to make a litter, as are the hassles of client contact and puppy placement. If it's so much work and so expensive, why do you breed? It's an honest question, I truly am interested.

And we really did hijack Shannan's thread, not very nice of us.

That's ok everyone...

 

It made me Angry that I have worked my tail off for nearly thirteen years breeding dogs, reading about genetics, having dogs OFA'd, Elbow and Cardiac certified, Titled, Imprinting, feeding, cleaning up, to have someone say all these things don't matter.... "They are breeding because they love the Shepherd"!!  I have a six month old pet quality pup available because the people couldn't afford it after they put down a deposit!  This gal is putting pups on the ground because she thinks there is a "TON" of money in breeding because her friend does it.... Yikes.  I'm sure we all could write a book on the stupidity of some of the people we have come across the years.

I should have hired a therapist a long, long time ago!!

 

Shannan

Hey Aqua,

yup, you are right...... it was my decision to breed. And for me the right decision made. So here is my question...... where did you get your dog from, I guess from a breeder, hopefully. The expenses for an "ordinary" dog owner, are overall much.much less than for a breeder. The dog owner may or may not attend a show, a breeder, if he wants to stay updated can just not do that, he has to go in order to stay on top of things. With all due respect, you do expect from a responsible breeder to have all that work done that comes with breeding, but expect him to do it for free, no, even to put money on top ? On one hand you wish to get the best Quality in dogs, on the other you think all that comes for free!! I am not saying, that eventually that there will be no profit, but most certainly not the way you describe. For me personally, I am not in it to make a profit, but you bet, I will have an eye on it that I break even at a certain point. I know exactly what happens then....... I will spend it again on dog related things......... if the wife lets me !

You asked why I bother to breed to beginn with ....... hm, reasonable question. Hopefully I will be able to answer with my limited english. My grandfather used to breed GSD'S, maybe it was put into my cradle ! No, honestly, I have been around GSD's & dogs my entire life. I have had my own dogs, trained other peopels dogs, been a helper. I was a paramedic for a long time and got sick, had to stop doing what I loved to do. Had a hardtime to recoupe with this new stage of my life. At some point, a good friend & breeder took me by my hand and showed me one of his litters and straight forward told me that I will go down the drain if I do not turn around and get onto my feet. He felt that I should not only be around dogs, but also should consider the breeding aspect. Not really happy with what that friend told me, also not really unhappy, but astonished that he could get that blunt, I started thinking. Now I dugged into that whole breeding thing, found out it can be rewarding in beeing part of the group that preserves this breed. So I read a lot & and became a breedwarden and registered my Kennel name.

Not really exciting isn't it ? Annother aspect why I breed is, that it is, for me one of the most rewarding things to be with my bitch from the point of mating to the whelping, to see the pups grow & help them with their first meal ! And if I then see the shiny eyes of a 12 year old when picking up her pup ..... I dont know if one could put a pricetag on that. I cant.

Once again, I did not mean to sound like a jerk, I truely do not believe that most small, reponsible breeders are in this for greed or profit. But then again........ maybe I breed the next world champion ......... getting all these nice studfees, left & right.... , nice that we are still allowed to dream !!

Regards Ulli

Ulli

I thought all Germans were blunt.

Do Corleone,

yep, we definetly have a tendency for that ! When I was a driver for Roehl Transport and was fueling at a truckstop, the clerk always asked me how I was doing. It was always funny to watch the faces when I replied : ""Fairly close to horses...t !"" I then was informed that I was not beeing polite, duh, should I have lied ?? After all you could ask an american on his deathbed how he is doing, the answer is going to be "Just great", with his last breath ! I am beeing sarcastic ! I did enjoy, and I am thankfull that I had the opportunity to be in the US for 4 years. I guess every country has its own ways of doing things or acting in certain ways.

Regards Ulli

Sorry, I meant DON CORLEONE,

dont want to get into the middle of an vendetta !

Ulli

That's funny.  The US is so big that regions have their own personalities.  I grew up in the midwest, spent a few years in the south, a couple in California and came back to the midwest.    Going from the laid-back south to 24 hr fitness in California was a culture shock.