Can I trust this vendor? - Page 1

I've been looking to get a GSD puppy and a pet shop in town notified me of a new puppy they just received a week ago. She is supposedly has parents of good pedigree and the guy told me that her parents are of very high quality and it is very rare to be able to buy puppies from that bloodline. This raised some concern because, if the breeder does not usually sell, then why is he selling now? And selling through a pet shop?

Still, having met the puppy, I really like her a lot. My siblings and I planned to buy a GSD pup for my dad as his birthday gift. He loves GSD and this puppy seemed to like him a lot!

I'm not sure if I should make the purchase. Do you have any advice what I can do to make sure she has no defects? Our previous GSD had hip dysplasia and it was a painful experience for the dog and my parents.

dont do it........
buy from a good breeder who health tests etc etc etc

I would never buy any dog from a pet store. Find a quality breeder who cares about their dogs instead of treating them like merchandise. Hip dysplasia is common in the breed and a quality breeder will test their dogs before breeding. Many even give health guarantees. A quality breeder will be able to answer your questions and should be committed to help you raise your pup long after the money has exchanged hands. Buying from pet stores only encourages the backyard breeders to crank out more litters for profit.

If you are looking for a reputable breeder,I would contact Tom Trainor at Vom Ausland kennels. He is extremely knowlegable and is very well respected in Europe. he's located in Wisconsin and has some pups available. I just purchased a a female puppy from him last week.And a male pup back in June. I have purchased other dogs from him in the past.
phone: (608)333-7528        Good luck to you!

Hi Jay

I wouldn't recommend buying from a pet shop, but you sound like you have already talked yourself into buying this pup so all I can suggest is asking the shop what guarantees they are prepared to make in writing, clarify whether the guarantees are conditional to you giving the pup back if it is "faulty" since they will be pretty sure you won't want to do that and decide from there if you want to take that chance with a gift for someone special, 

Margaret N-J

Also, pet shops will give you some silly pet registry which is not the AKC registry you think you have.

I would not buy from a pet store, first of all they are great to tell you the puppy comes from a reputable breeder and don't really know anything about the breeder at all. A GOOD reputable breeder would NEVER place a puppy in a pet store. Pet stores usually have specific puppy mills which they buy from that follow their guidlines. Petland is a prime example of this. Most of the dogs from these puppy mills never see the outside of a pole barn kennel and some do not even have the luxury to walk on the ground but instead are walking on metal grates that allow the urine and poop to go through to make keeping the kennel clean easier. Most of these kind of breeders won't even let you visit their facility because of the way the animals are kept.
So please try to find yourself a reputable breeder that will stand behind you throughout the life of the puppy even when it becomes an adult.

NEVER buy from a pet store - the "reputable breeder" is probably a puppy mill owner in Missouri, or Amish country, since these are two of the worst places for this type of activity. It is hard to walk away from a cute litle guy (or girl) such as you describe, but for every one purchased another will take its place, and the cycle goes on. If you want to see where this puppy really came from, Google Puppy Mills in the U.S. and see what comes up - it's heartbreaking and disgusting.  If the puppy later becomes sick, or has genetic defects, you are basically on your own - check that "guarantee" - if given - very carefully.

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