CollineRosso

Before you start reading, here is a warning: SKIP TO THE SUMMARY AT THE BOTTOM IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ EVERYTHING. My sob story/inner turmoil is a bit long, so if you are in the middle of wrestling an alligator, or your wife has recently gone into labor, I suggest you save this for another time.
Hello! I am fairly new to this website, but I've visited it many times before I actually registered. Which was a few minutes ago. So, somehow I got my parents to agree on getting me a Doberman when we move, which will be during the summer of 2013. My parents are from Asia and Europe, so they aren't fully accustomed to the language we know as English. That means I get to do all the research and important things for our family. Even though they are foreigners, they do know what good quality is-whether it be in grocery items, or dogs. However, our budget is limited. We wish to buy from a breeder in Southern California, so we can drive to their place. Also, for now, my mother's maximum price is $1,200.00. I've done some research and I have read about Back Yard Breeders, hereditary diseases, AKC Registration, etc. I am frightened that we'll buy a unhealthy puppy. I am terrified. We also hope the fee will include vaccinations, deworming, dewclawing, AKC Registration, tail docking, and ear cropping. I've checked the DPCA website, but most emails were not replied to yet. So far, I've found one SEEMINGLY reliable breeder on Facebook who includes all this(victorydobermanssandiego.com),but in his emails, he keeps saying he "will do health tests soon." When I asked him for the name of the vet he crops his puppies' ears at, he replied by saying that the vet was now retired and he was looking for a new one. That made me very suspicious.
Please help a Doberman-wanting little girl.
Summary:
-Looking for: REPUTABLE (vWD, wobbler's,etc.), affordable (1,200 more or less) breeder in SoCal
-Fee includes vaccinations, deworming, dewclawing, AKC Registration, tail docking, and ear cropping
-I know I have a full 6-7 months, but excitement keeps nagging at me to get started on finding a breeder.
-Our family is NOT a first time large dog owner. But this will be our first Doberman.
-Has anyone heard of Victory Doberman Kennels? (victorydobermanssandiego.com)

Anton-Caesar

i think you are going too need to spend a little more if you want the works.

we dont crop in UK but over in US i believe its a good $500 minimum?? (someone will have to verify)

Its good you are planning well in advance becaue i think you will need to save a few hundred more than your budget

I know nothing about that kennel but your suspicions are similar to what mine would be with this delayed testing, new vet stuff!

You will get plently of help on here but be prepared to spend a bit more is all i can say

just looked at website, they have a good one but the champions stop suddenly and most of the dogs are just registered they do say that you have to "bring the pup back at 10 weeks for a crop" so you get the pup at 8 weeks then it goes back 2 weeks later might aswell just wait for the crop surely??? im not sure i dont know a great deal about breeders and cropping, over in the UK its far more straightforward as there is no cropping and there isnt such a vast amount of breeders

Sinister

It's not unheard of to find a puppy for $1200, I just don't know where to tell you. Good luck in your search, though!
(Also, I'm 17 and Juno, my bitch, is my first dog. I wouldn't trade her for the world.)

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Anton-Caesar

oh i know you could get a puppy for under a bag of sand but its likely to have untested parents and you arent going to get much from the breeder in terms of help or care.

Im not saying you wont get a good dog by any means, but in terms of quality of breeding and longevity and lineage you are going to be spending a little more there is a thread about the cost of breeding and its not cheap, that is reflected in the price of the pup if its a cheap pup it was probably cheaply bred ie. no health tests, only bred for the profit not for the breed

SGranger Ph.D

Some breeders will put you on a waiting list- if someone falls through or they end up with a puppy the can't sale, and will cut you a deal- not cheap but save you a little bit ahrens ears cost me $450 and are beautiful it depends on your area there is a vet that does them for $200 but I wasn't chancing it. Also if you have them fixed, limited registration you might be looking at less. Explain your situation and ask for advice from the breeder and they might either point you in the right direction or give you some suggestions. good luck


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Adobe4two

$1,200 for a pet quality pup isn't unheard of at all. But you may have to wait a while on a waiting list and / or you may have to consider a breeder a bit further away. And even a breeder that prices higher, *may* be willing to accept a bit less for a pet home that seems like a responsible, good fit for one of their pups. But I would not ASK for a discount, just be up front with your pricing limitations and they'll decide from there.

Actually, I'm impressed... You've done more research before hand than many adults do before getting a dog. And you seem to have your wits about you about listening to your gut and noticing red flags with breeders you've looked at. I'd think that, should everything go well with the breeder speaking with your parents and if your parents are on the same page with you about expectations and such... That will probably work in your favor.

As for Victory Doberman Kennel... I personally would not buy a dog from them. Their website touts "Champion Lines" but it sounds as though they personally are just breeding for profit and the only Champions in the ONE pedigree they show are many generations back with nothing of note in the recent generations and nothing to note about the particular dogs they're breeding. They keep telling you they're "going to" get testing done, but are already producing litters without having done so already? The only points about their dogs that they share are that they have a few champions further back in the pedigree (means nothing), they're AKC registered (so are many puppy mill dogs) and supposedly well cared for. Not worth it.

Be patient with the other breeders, they have other things to tend to and may be busy training, showing or competing with their dogs or tending to daily life things. So it may take a while for them to get back to you. Generally if I message a breeder it often takes a couple weeks before I hear back.

Good luck! And keep up with the research!

VZ-Doberman

Have you thought about rescue? I see you have other dogs and dobes are notorious for same sex aggression so are you looking for a male or female?

Burns

Yes, thank you for doing your research, OP! It nice to hear from someone who isn't totally in the dark, which is more than I can say for many adults that come here.

Here is a thread to start with, though I'm not sure if there are any SoCal breeders listed: Recommended Breeders!.

And don't be discouraged by the lack of responses from email. I found a lot of breeders either didn't check their email very often or were very slow about replying. You might be better off calling them - though I know I'd rather email people - but some breeders may not think someone is serious if they don't make the effort to pick up the phone and call. Remember, some of them are a different generation than you and think of email as being impersonal and may not think its worth pouring time into for someone who just copy/pasted emails to 10 different breeders (not saying you did, but I'm sure a lot of people do).

Good luck in your search, and don't settle for less quality due to cost! Do you have a job that if worse came to worse, you could pitch in some cash to help your parents if a puppy ended up costing a few hundred more? It may not be necessary, but it never hurts

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Gorrmae's Fantasy Red XIII CD RE CGC TDI
DOB 2/17/07, red/rust, male neutered Doberman

HarvestMoon

Hi and Thanks for doing your research up front! A few breeders in SoCal to check out would be Montwood / Arista (two breeders but they tend to co-breed a lot) and Aldercrest. Aldercrest I believe is more working lines whereas the other two more show lines. Also check out Lisa Buroff (Winmar) and Penny Lane both in Las Vegas. These are some that come to mind. Make sure to continue to do your research and ask the breeders lots of questions.

I personally think it will be tough to bet a puppy from a reputable breeder for $1200 and suspect $1500-$1800 is more realistic for pet quality. However as others have suggested maybe you can save up so you have a larger fund.

If you can, you should go to the Indio dog show in Palm Springs from Jan 3-6 as it's a huge show and there will be lots of breeders there showing their dogs and hopefully you have a chance to meet and talk to them and see some of their dogs.

I did not check out the breeder website you asked about, but I live in SoCal, have never heard of them and their response about health testing would be enough to turn me away. I have also never heard of returning the pup for cropping. Cropping is often done around 7 1/2 weeks and some breeders will keep the puppy until the edges of the ears heal, then pup goes home around 9 weeks old.

If you come by other possible breeders, DT is a great place to get input because there is such a great collective mass of experience on here. If you decide to go the Rescue route, check out Aztec Doberman research.

Good luck!

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Lori Z

My boy's sire is owned by Winmar, Lisa Burnoff. The show in Palm Springs is a fun show, it is huge too. I have gone several times.


s UOTE=HarvestMoon;1212330]

If you can, you should go to the Indio dog show in Palm Springs from Jan 3-6 as it's a huge show and there will be lots of breeders there showing their dogs and hopefully you have a chance to meet and talk to them and see some of their dogs.

I did not check out the breeder website you asked about, but I live in SoCal, have never heard of them and their response about health testing would be enough to turn me away. I have also never heard of returning the pup for cropping. Cropping is often done around 7 1/2 weeks and some breeders will keep the puppy until the edges of the ears heal, then pup goes home around 9 weeks old.

If you come by other possible breeders, DT is a great place to get input because there is such a great collective mass of experience on here. If you decide to go the Rescue route, check out Aztec Doberman research.

Good luck![/quote]

Nynaeve

I have a Pennylane dog, and a Winmar bitch, I can recommend them both. And Las Vegas isn't too far of a drive from So Cal.

I also second the suggestion of trying to save up money yourself to add to what your parents have. Even if it's just a little bit, it will bring you closer to getting a well bred dog.

Going to the shows in Indio/Palm Springs is a good suggestion. You can meet some of the breeders local to that area. I know Lisa (Winmar) will be there showing her dogs.

CollineRosso

I am looking for a male, but I want to get a female after.

StarlightDobe

Not true .. every vet I checked prior to getting my girl done was around $350.00 Some were less but I did not find any one higher than that. The vet also included posting in the price and I could bring her back weekly for as long as it took for the ears to stand.

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There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face. - Bernard Williams

R.I.P. Mysti 1/25/02-10/21/10