The Cost of Responsible Breeding

Responsible breeding is very costly. Many good breeders lose money on their litters if they are not careful.

The facts are, it costs a lot of money to properly care for and breed a dog.

1. You need several acres of land – without this land you will end up with problems with neighbors, animal control, family member and have overweight and unhealthy dogs.
2. The bitch needs care at least 2 years before you can breed her, she needs health test so you minimize your chance of spreading hereditary diseases. All of this costs thousands of dollars and I didn’t even mention the purchase price of the bitch, or what do you do when she retires, you have to care for her through her old age. You most likely will not be able to rehome her in her old age –vet bills are highest at this stage in life. I won’t even mention the atrocities I have witnessed on how unethical breeders solve this problem.
3. With the sire you have three options, artificial insemination, hiring a stud or purchasing and raising him. All of these options are over a thousand dollars to do them ethically.
4. You need TIME. You need time for a relationship with your bitch and maybe the sire. The German Shepherd is a loyal and social being, it needs love and attention on a daily basis. Once the litter is on the ground, it is very important you learn how to imprint your puppies for success at their new homes. This takes 100’s of hours over a minimum of 8 weeks.

Quality dogs that conform to breed standards in health, temperament and structure cost money. An ethical breeder is losing money on any German Shepherd puppy that costs less than $1000.  You really need to be very careful to avoid a lot of heartache with your new companion. With proper care, love and communication you will have a companion who enhances every aspect of your life for on average 12 years (for the German Shepherd Dog).  This is a 10-15 year relationship you are committing to, it is more than a Christmas or Birthday present, it is a living relationship and needs careful consideration as such.

The fact is,  breeding is not unlike any profession or trade, there are ethics that need to be followed to ensure equitable transactions. However, breeders unlike many professions/trades lack a credible governance body that certifies a breeder is ethical.   

As an idea and an example, a breeder of a litter of 6 German Shepherd pups may have paid:

• $450.00 for an OFA/OVC/SV screening and evaluation per dog
• $30.00 for the yearly CERF screen
• $80.00 for a cardiac exam
• $85.00 for a brucellosis screening and pre-breeding exam
• $1500.00 for a stud fee
• $600.00 for shipping the bitch to the stud and boarding the bitch, then shipping the bitch back
• $100.00 for pre-whelping vet visits
• $200.00 for extra food and supplements during and after the bitch's pregnancy
• $150.00 for a whelping box
• $100.00 for needed supplies for the delivery
• $50.00 for an after-birth checkup
• $300.00 for puppy food
• $300.00 for puppy checkups, shots and wormings
• $30.00 to register the litter with AKC
• $100.00 for miscellaneous puppy supplies

Thus the breeder has spent over $3000.00 on this litter. This doesn't count any medical emergencies, such as a caesarian delivery. It doesn't count the 100's of hours of imprinting. It also doesn't count the cost or raising the bitch until she's two. This can easily cost several more thousand dollars per litter.

If you are buying a German Shepherd Dog for under $1000 you are most likely not buying from a responsible breeder and you are taking a huge risk that your dog will have heriditary issues like hip displasia, diodemic mange, eye, thyroid problems or unpredictable behaviour. These issues that can cause many of thousands of dollars later, not to meantion heartache and a lot of time.

The German Shepherd dog is more often then not a product of irresponsible breeding and there are many many issues that we run into every single day most likely caused by bad breeding. Please help us promote the breed by not supporting bad breeding.