I've decided I want a dog and was pretty set on a German Shepard. That is until I realized they are a good $1500 or more from a breeder. I'm looking for a smart and athletic dog and when I looked into the cheaper alternatives to breeders I got scared from reading about bad hips and whatnot. My brother got a mutt that is a really great dog and I think it has some shepard in him so maybe I can go that route but it seems like a crapshoot. What do you guys think? Is a good quality dog from a breeder a must? Or do they turn out to more trouble and cost than they are worth?? When I was young we had an akc English mastiff that was a great dog and them my parents got a cheap chihuahua and its been a great dog but that's not the route I want to go.

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1984 300SD Orient Red/ Palomino
1989 560SEC
2016 Mazda 6 6 speed manual
1995 Ford F-150 reg cab 4.9 5speed manual

Hybrid vigor. Mutts are often good dogs because of hybrid vigor.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

pound puppies can be some of the best. it was worth it to pay a breeder for loudog.

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have no worries.....President Obama swears "If you like your gun, you can keep it

I'd rather go with a mixed breed/mutt. Pure breds are very prone to health issues due to inbreeding. Plus you can get some very interesting dogs, you know you want a Schnoodle or a dorkie.

I have a Schnorkie (mini schnauzer and Yorkshire terrier mix), she has the build of a schnauzer and the temperament as well as the drive to stalk squirrels. But she also has some of the coloring and markings of a Yorkshire and some of the personality. Plus she's a pretty chill dog.

If you plan to show and breed yourself, yes
If you want a dog as a fashion accessory or for other bragging rights, yes (even though you're a heartless inconsiderate douchebag if that's your reason).

If you want a deserving, loyal friend for life with no inbred health issues and are willing and have the time and money to train and care for your new pal for 10 or 15 years, an emphatic NO. Expensive purebreds are not worth it.

Go spend a day volunteering at your local shelter. They need your help, trust me. You'll wonder why you'd ever even think about buying a dog from a breeder.

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You're a daisy if you do.
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84 Euro 240D 4spd. 220.5k sold
04 Honda Element AWD
1985 F150 XLT 4x4, 351W with 270k miles, hay hauler
1997 Suzuki Sidekick 4x4
1993 Toyota 4wd Pickup 226K and counting

If you do for some reason decide to buy a G. Shepherd from a breeder, insist on xrays and proof the dog is hip dysplasia negative. Any breeder that won't allow that is a crook. Most purebred breeds these days have congenital defects of some sort due to years of line and inbreeding for specific traits. If you decide on another breed, do your homework online, talk to a trusted vet, find out what that breed's issues are and insist on a guarantee from the breeder. The guy on the corner with a cage full of puppies is not a breeder BTW.

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You're a daisy if you do.
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84 Euro 240D 4spd. 220.5k sold
04 Honda Element AWD
1985 F150 XLT 4x4, 351W with 270k miles, hay hauler
1997 Suzuki Sidekick 4x4
1993 Toyota 4wd Pickup 226K and counting

We had a dog when I was about 8 that was half dobie and half Dalmatian. Looked like a miniature dobie. Dang that dog could run and was tough as nails. I know a lady with an aging whippet, first one I'd ever seen in the flesh. She really likes the breed but would like one slightly bigger to be a better watch dog (near rough neighborhoods in Oakland). I was thinking a Doberman/whippet mix but it would be hard to pull off.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

My family has always gotten West Highland White Terriers of the purest breeds and they have always come out as dumb as rocks.

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[GONE] - 1995 Mercedes E300 Diesel - 130k miles - Smoke Silver (702) over Mushroom leather (265) - Bladder blasting, coast-to-coast work machine.

Totally agree!

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-Evan


Benz Fleet:
1968 UNIMOG 404.114
1998 E300
2008 E63


Non-Benz Fleet:
1992 Aerostar
1993 MR2
2000 F250

I also!

Only dog we ever had was half irish setter/cocker spaniel.

My parents got him as a rescued (and believed to have been an abused neighbor's dog) in their neighborhood, a very young dog back in 1941- the year they got married. No shelter was involved, the dog just adopted THEM and nobody minded. Had him to 1958 when he finally died.

.

Best pet a kid could have ever asked for when growing up.

If I ever get another dog the bar was set VERY high by this dog, Brownie.

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

X3
We have 2 dogs at the moment. A border collie & a border collie retriever cross. Both were free to a good home.
In the last 40 years we have never paid for a dog & we have had a few. A case of some of the best things in life are free.
I would always recommend getting a pup, especially if you have children. Have a good look at the pups parents & owners. The pup will grow up loyal & protective of the children.
Bragging rights about dog pedigree are for those who lack something, a bit like small mans syndrome.

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Grumpy Old Diesel Owners Club group

I no longer question authority, I annoy authority. More effect, less effort....

1967 230-6 auto parts car. rust bucket.
1980 300D now parts car 800k miles
1984 300D 500k miles
1987 250td 160k miles English import
2001 jeep turbo diesel 130k miles
1998 jeep tdi ~ followed me home. Needs a turbo.
1968 Ford F750 truck. 6-354 diesel conversion.
Other toys ~J.D.,Cat & GM ~ mainly earth moving

There are tons of dogs at your local shelter or rescue. Not all of them are right for everyone, but if you are not dead set on a specific breed and spend a little bit of time looking around, you will find a great dog for hardly any money. You will also feel good about saving a previously unwanted or abused dog from being put down.

I would note that if you are getting your first dog, I would talk to people (the SPCA and shelter staff are especially good if you don't have anyone else to turn to) about how to find the right dog for you and your lifestyle.

The good thing about a purebred is predictability. For health issues, you can have a better indicator of what is going on. For instance, with Shar Peis, you know that they have eyelid issues and Familial Shar Pei Fever. The first sign of problem, you have some trends to follow. With a mutt, it doesn't lend itself to predictions as easily.

With a responsible breeder, you can look at the history and see what that dog's ancestors had or didn't have to some extent

Also, you have prediction of how their temperament will be. With Peis, for instance, you know that they tend to be more aloof and will be there when you need them but not when you want them.

Back in 96, we paid about $800 for a pet quality pei. She was healthy and caused little problems at the vet. Was it worth it? You bet.

Like everything else, for the most part, you won't get good for cheap. Vet bills can eat you alive so if you can get some sort of handle on that initially, it is worth the investment. Are you talking about a pet quality or show quality dog?

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

Mutts are good dogs, but it depends on what you want it for. If you want a dog that has an imposing look and bark, the German Shepard is great, a Rottweiler fits the bill, and so does a Boxer (American standard or German standard).

I've had Great Danes, German Shepards, Boxers (both varieties), Alaskan Malamute, Siberian Husky, all were full-blooded, registered show dogs. I've also had mutts, and loved them just as much.

A mutt won't generate an income if you decide to breed it, unless it's a designer mutt, like a Peekapoo, or a Jackapoo. People pay big money for those mutts, mainly because they think the name is cute.

Decide first what you want in a dog. Size, temperment, level of care, etc., and go from there. Rule out breeds you don't want, and make sure that breed isn't part of the mutt, if you can.

If you decide that a full blood is what you want, look first at the rescue places. There are rescues for just about any breed you can think of. Be prepared to work with the rescue, gaining it's trust and training it as you go. Our youngest Boxer is a rescue that was almost sent back to where we got him from due to his uncanny ability to chew up everything we owned. It wasn't until I broke my leg in 2009 that he and I really bonded, and his destructive path was ended.

Out of our three Boxers, the youngest is the least likely to know that he's a dog now, and has grown into one of the best friends I've ever had. It took a lot of work to get him there...constant training, calm but stern voice, and a lack of fear from me to hold him down and bite him on the neck to show him who the lead Dog was. Yes...I bit my dog. He was nipping at me and growling at my wife, so I grabbed hold of him, put him on his back and bit his neck at his throat until he became submissive. He laid there for about half an hour before I started talking to him. He never growled or nipped in anger again.

One story my wife likes to tell is how she came home from work one day to see all three dogs with their noses in the corner. She asked me about it and the oldest turned around. I pointed my finger at the corner and told him he had another 5 minutes to serve...he sat back down and huffed like a 3 year old, then put his nose back in the corner. That was their punishment for leaving the yard and venturing off. Once they served their time, I had all three of them sit in front of me as I talked to them like they were my kids, telling them that they were to never do it again...and they haven't. That was over 2 years ago.

Crap...I went off topic again.

Anyway, decide for certain what you want, then look at a rescue first...you'd be surprised at what you'll find for next to nothing in cost compared to a puppy price in the 4 digit level. My rescue dog cost me the visit to the vet that the rescue had invested in him...$175. And he came with papers spelling out over 8 generations of his family.

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1987 560SL
85,000 miles

I'm old enough that I've had a number of different dogs in my life. Probably half or so were registered, well bred dogs and the other half were cross breeds. I've had great dogs in both categories. The two VERY best of them were cross breeds; one a Brittany Spaniel/Pointer the other unknown, but apparantly something like Australian Shepherd/German Shepherd.

Hope this helps.

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2001 SLK 320 six speed manual
2014 Porsche Cayenne six speed manual

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