Home › Buying Guide › Questions to Ask
Send the first two by email before anything else. They filter faster than any other screening step, because testing documents either exist or they do not.
1. Can you send hip and elbow ratings for both parents?
PDFs from OFA or a European equivalent, with registered names that match the pedigree. Hesitation or an explanation of why testing is unnecessary ends the conversation.
2. What is the degenerative myelopathy DNA result on both parents?
Clear or carrier, stated plainly. DM is progressive, incurable, and cheaply tested, so there is no reason to skip it.
3. What are the registered names of the sire and dam?
Full registered names you can look up yourself in a public pedigree database. Verify rather than trust the chart you were handed.
4. What were you breeding toward with this pairing?
A specific answer about structure, nerve, drive, or working ability. A vague answer about good dogs means there was no plan.
5. What titles do the parents and grandparents hold?
Working titles such as IGP, SchH, or KNPV carry the most weight, because they mean an independent judge evaluated the dog under pressure.
6. How many litters do you produce a year?
One to three is typical for a serious small program. High volume is the strongest predictor of corner cutting on socialization and testing.
7. At what age do puppies go home?
Eight weeks minimum. Nine or ten is common in working lines and generally better for social development.
8. What socialization do puppies get before pickup?
Specifics: household noise, varied surfaces, handling, car rides, meeting strangers. Early neurological stimulation is a good sign.
9. What does your health guarantee cover, and for how long?
Read the actual document. Pay attention to what it pays out, what it requires of you, and whether it demands returning the dog to claim.
10. Will you take the dog back at any point in its life?
Yes, in writing. A lifetime return clause is the single clearest signal that a breeder stands behind what they produce.
11. What do you want to know about me?
A real breeder interviews you about fencing, schedule, experience, other animals, and your training plan. No questions means no screening.
12. Can I visit and meet the dam?
Yes, by appointment. A refusal to allow any visit is the end of the conversation, whatever the reason given.
Notice how many of these are about documents and how few are about the puppy. That is deliberate. Every eight week old German Shepherd is appealing, which is exactly why the puppy in front of you is the least reliable information available.
Back to the buying guide · Health testing explained · What it should cost
Working line litters from health tested DDR and Czech parents, placed from a waitlist. Free to join.
Upcoming litters from documented working lines
Our recommended breeder is Companion Kennels, a small program breeding East German DDR and Czech working lines with published health testing and verifiable pedigrees. Litters are limited and placed from a waitlist.