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Send the first two by email before anything else. Testing documents either exist or they do not, which makes them the fastest filter available.
1. Can you send hip and elbow ratings for both parents?
PDFs from OFA or a European equivalent with registered names matching the pedigree. Hesitation, or an explanation of why testing is unnecessary, ends it.
2. What is the DM result on both parents?
Clear or carrier, stated without prompting. Degenerative myelopathy is progressive, incurable, and cheap to test.
3. What are the registered names of the sire and dam?
Full names you can search yourself in a public pedigree database. Verify rather than trust the printed chart.
4. What were you breeding toward with this pairing?
Something specific about structure, nerve, drive, or working ability. Vague talk 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 an independent judge tested the dog under pressure.
6. How many litters do you produce a year?
One to three is normal for a serious small program. Volume predicts corners cut on testing and socialization.
7. At what age do puppies go home?
Eight weeks minimum, and nine or ten is common in working lines and generally better.
8. What socialization happens before pickup?
Specifics: household noise, varied surfaces, handling, vehicle rides, meeting strangers. Early neurological stimulation is a good sign.
9. What does the health guarantee cover and for how long?
Read the document. Note what it pays, what it requires from you, and whether claiming means returning the dog.
10. Will you take the dog back at any point in its life?
Yes, in writing. This 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 asks 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 flat refusal ends the conversation whatever reason accompanies it.
Almost every question is about documents and almost none 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 in the room.
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.
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.