Originally Posted by SGranger Ph.D

I find it hard to believe you can't get a decent doberman for under a grand- with just the requirements female, parents akc, black and rust, health test..

Originally Posted by SGranger Ph.D

I find it hard to believe you can't get a decent doberman for under a grand-

Originally Posted by SGranger Ph.D

Right- however if they don't meet my requirements there is no point in me having them out to meet myself, my vet and Ahren or trading conversation if I'm not interested in their pup on my end- I don't like my time wasted and try not to waste other people's.
What about that attitude will make them want to waste their time talking to you?

I do believe its possible to get a good doberman for under 1k who's parents had health testing- granted if I was in a rush I would agree to expect to pay about half of what I did for Ahren for a pet grade doberman (one without show lines or care of parents titles) since time is on my side I firmly believe one will come around for 1k or less- naturally that doesn't include ears or any puppy vet maintenance strictly the puppy.
You might find someone who has done minimal testing for that amount, but from fully tested and titled parents, well, maybe, but not as likely. Also, a good show-line breeder won't let them go uncropped and the ears are included in the price of the puppy, not tacked on as an "extra". A working-line breeder might be more willing to let a pup go un-cropped, but that will likely be with the expectation that the dog will stay uncropped.

And as I stated I don't mind if the puppy doesn't come with papers or breeding rights- she will be fixed regardless.
Then definitely look into getting a rescue.

There are a few good breeders with $1200 puppies all health testing ect (with show quality lines and parents) I just don't have time to fly out and get the puppy and they don't want to fly with the puppy- I would hate to make it fly alone :-/ I find it hard to believe you can't get a decent doberman for under a grand- with just the requirements female, parents akc, black and rust, health test..
A breeder might think you don't have time to devote to the puppy if you can't take a day or two off to go get your puppy.


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Originally Posted by SGranger Ph.D

Rescues are sweet but I do not have the time to work with a puppy to fix whatever someone else screwed up.

Originally Posted by jdd

If u plan to crop the puppy u will pay another four to five hundred for that. Why not pay the $1500 to $2000 up front and u will get a well pews puppy who's parents are health tested and the ears will be cropped and healed before u bring her home.

Originally Posted by SGranger Ph.D

Rescues won't accept my "farm" as I refuse to chain link 90 acres when my only neighbor is the vet... No I don't want an older dog I've had several rescue dobermans and this is a gift, I want a good mentally sound, no problems female doberman. Rescues are sweet but I do not have the time to work with a puppy to fix whatever someone else screwed up. I can afford to go get another from ahrens breeder- I have no desire to spend that much money on a dog right now when it's not needed there are plenty of pups for $250-$300 akc and meet my requirements except some if the test I can have run myself- if I can't find one for under a grand from a recommended kennel before valentines day.

Originally Posted by Ruffly Speaking - "I don't want a show dog, I just want a pet"

This is one of the most pervasive statements that puppy buyers, especially families, express when they're looking for a dog. What they really mean, of course, is that they don't want a show BREEDER- don't want to pay the high price they think show breeders charge, don't want to go through the often invasive interview process, and think that they can get a better deal because they can get a Lab for $150 or a Shepherd for $300.

I want you to change your mind. I want you to not only realize the benefits of buying a show-bred dog, I want you to INSIST on a show bred dog. And I want you to realize the cheap dog is really the one that's the rip-off. And then I want you to go be obnoxious, and when your co-worker says she's getting a puppy because her neighbor, who raises them, will give her one for free, or when your brother-in-law announces that he's buying a goldendoodle for the kids, I want you to launch yourself in to your solar plexus and steal their wallets and their car keys.

Here's why:

If I ask you why you want a German Shepherd, or a Maltese, or a Labrador, or a Leonberger, would bet you're not going to talk about how much you like their color. You're going to tell me things about personality, ability (to perform a specific task), relationship with other animals or humans, size, coat, temperament, and so on. You'll describe playing ball, or how affectionate and intelligent you've heard they are, or how well they get along with kids.

The things you will be looking for aren't the things that describe just "dog", they'll be the things that make this particular breed unique and unlike other breeds.

That's where people have made the right initial decision- they've taken the time and made the effort to understand that there are differences between breeds, and that they should get one that at least comes close to matching their picture of what they want a dog to be.

The next step, tragically, is that they go out and find a dog of that breed for as little money and with as much ease as possible.

You need to realize that when you do this, you're going to the used car dealership, WATCHING them pry the "Audi" plate off of a new car, observing them as they use bondo to stick it on a '98 Corolla, then writing them a check and feeling smug that you got an Audi for so little.

It's no bargain.

Those things that distinguish the breed you want from the generic world of "dog" are only there because someone worked really hard to get them there. And as soon as that work ceases, the dog, no matter how purebred, begins to revert to the generic. That doesn't mean you won't get a good dog- the magic and the blessing of dogs is that they are so hard to mess up, in their good souls and minds, that even the most hideously bred one can still be a great dog- but it will not be a great Shepherd, or a great Puli, or a great Corgi. You will not get the specialized abilities, tendencies, or talents of the breed.

If you don't NEED those specialized abilities or the predictability of a particular breed, you shouldn't be buying a dog at all. You should go rescue one. That way you are saving a life and not putting money in pockets where it doesn't belong.

If you want a purebred and know that a rescue is not going to fit the bill, the absolute WORST thing you can do is assume that a name equals anything. They really are nothing more than name plates on cars. What matters is whether the engineering and design and service department back up the name plate, so you have some expectation that you're walking away with more than a label.

Keeping a group of dogs looking and acting like their breed is hard, HARD work. If you do not get the impression that the breeder you are looking at is working that hard, is that dedicated to the breed, is struggling to produce dogs that are more than just a breed name, you are getting no bargain, you are only getting ripped off.

Originally Posted by PatchworkRobot

No reputable breeder that I've ever talked to, of any breed, would sell a "gift" puppy. These breeders won't sell a puppy to a household unless everybody in the family, including the person that the puppy was for, was on board. Since you've not mentioned your SO or anybody else I can only assume that this is a surprise gift.

I'm glad you're here as you have a lot to learn but I worry about who/what your money will end up supporting and the dogs that could suffer because of it.

Originally Posted by Burns

You can, but it will not be a well-bred puppy and will be from a backyard breeder who doesn't take health, conformation or longevity into consideration because they are too busy breeding anything with 4 legs to make a profit.

You seem like a smart guy, PhD username guy... Don't you want a family member who will be around for (hopefully) 10+ years have a solid pedigree of health and longevity? When you buy from a BYB, you are basically taking a gamble. We're not taking about a simple vet visit and general labwork. We're talking cardiac testing, hips and elbows, thyroid, vWD, temperament testing, etc. All these things cost a breeder a lot of money, and are done to ensure the line doesn't have any serious defects that will be passed down to your puppy. Personally, I don't wouldn't want to half-ass it and cheap out only to have a dog with temperament problems or die of cardio disease at the age of 4.

Buying from a good breeder doesn't mean you're getting a show dog. There are pet quality dogs in every good breeder's litter (I have one myself, click on my sig for my YouTube channel for an example of a pet quality dog from a good breeder). It just means you will get a well-bred animal whose line has been proven conformationally sound and is as healthy as possible given the long list of problems associated with this breed.

I personally don't know of any good breeders in Texas, though I'm sure there are some, so its unlikely you'll need to worry about hopping a plane or anything like that. You could start with this thread: Recommended Breeders!, and also visit the DPCA site for a listing of breeders in your state.

Good luck, and please stick around. There's a wealth of information here