When purchasing a purebred German Shepherd, a great deal of research must be performed in advance of buying. Key questions a potential buyer must ask include the following. What is the history of the German Shepherd? What is the breed standard and what are potential health concerns of this breed? Where do I find a reputable German Shepherd breeder? How do I care for a German Shepherd? What should I look for as far as a warranty or guarantee for my purebred German Shepherd? What other German shepherd information is available to me?

Additionally, buyers should ask themselves why they want a German Shepherd. Some may desire this breed for its utilitarian nature. Others may want a dog that is a good protector. Others may just want a household companion. If the dog is to be used as a working dog, buyers will need to buy from specific breeders that handle dogs with a family history of training in relevant tasks.
Because German Shepherds are large dogs with unlimited intelligence and trainability, it is important that they begin life in optimum conditions. German Shepherd breeders specialize in this breed and know its history, characteristics and potential medical problems. German Shepherds can be trained to work in a variety of tasks. Many are guides for the blind and members of the police force. This makes it doubly important that a buyer purchases a German Shepherd from an appropriate breeder.

The only place to buy a purebred German Shepherd is from a certified, reputable German Shepherd breeder. They will have thorough German Shepherd information and will actually care for the dogs they are selling. German Shepherd breeders will provide evidence of pedigree and certification of ancestry (preferably AKC certified) and also medical records information. All other sellers of purebred German Shepherds cannot or will not provide this information. Good German Shepherd breeders do not sell to pet stores. They do not use brokers to deal puppies. Rescue centers are the only other appropriate place to purchase a German Shepherd because they are usually run by or affiliated with ethical breeders.
A badGerman Shepherd breeder only breeds dogs for cold hard cash and nothing more. They see the puppies and the parents as merchandise, not as living creatures. The term puppy mill or backyard breeder is the name given to these illicit breeders. The females are bred each and every season leading to shorter life spans and ill health. They are confined to very small cages and have no socialization of any kind. The puppies are kept in the same kind of conditions, which can lead to physically and emotionally unhealthy litters. These are the kind of puppies found at pet stores.

The best advice is to find a reputable German Sherperd breeder that really cares about the puppies they produce. This kind of breeder will ask questions of potential buyers to ensure the well being of the puppy in it's new home. They will have all the appropriate paperwork such as American Kennel Club registration and veterinarian health reports as well as plenty of care information to pass on to the new family.

One main difference between good and badGerman Shepherd breeders is that a good German Shepherd breeder will never sell puppies to a pet store.German Shepherd information about locating a reputable German Shepherd breeder is provided in this article.