| All About Us |
| BREEDING |
| In Search for a reputable breeder.... |
| We are not a puppy mill that breeds for the sake of doing it or to make a few bucks. Breeding and Hunting GSP's is our hobby! We spend most of our time training our German Shorthair Pointers and our Weims. If it's not our adults that we are training then it's our puppies. We have a strong passion for GSP's and Weim's. Because of this, we plan to continue serving you with OUTSTANDING GSP and WEIM PUPPIES for many more years to come!! Before a breeding takes place, we give careful consideration to the bloodlines, the parents and the overall quality of the pups they will produce. We breed to Improve, Preserve and Enhance the characteristics that make the German Shorthaired Pointers so unique. These characteristics are excellent temperament, confirmation, intelligence, trainability and natural hunting ability. Our dogs also compete in AKC hunt test and have been proven to be great hunters. We have been with German Shorthair Pointers for over 6 years and have learned so much about the breed...What an amazing breed of dogs. Researching and learning all we can about the breed is an ongoing process for us as we want our dogs and pups to have the best and to be their best. As far as the Weims go. We are new to them as of August 2008 but we have research and learned all we could about them before we decided that this breed was for us. We have been very careful about the dogs we have chosen for our breeding program as we want to make sure we better the breed with every breeding. Our Sires and Dams must have an amazing temperament, great confirmation, health clearances, must have the bloodline to back the dog up and most importantly...must have the natural desire to hunt as that is the main desire of the German Shorthair Pointer. We do not do LINE BREEDING as it is a form of INTERBREEDING and we DO NOT INTERBREED OUR DOGS. Some irresponsible breeders will say it's NOT interbreeding, but if you research line breeding from a reliable source, you will find that all line breeding is interbreeding! It's not that we don't agree with it, it's just not for us. We love our dogs like family and we wouldn't interbreed our family members so therefore, we don't interbreed our dogs. We like to see our pups go to hunting homes but, due to the great characteristics of the German Shorthaired Pointer, we also sell to non-hunting homes. The GSP breed, when bred correctly, is known to be one of the TOP family oriented breeds. Another reason why we sell to pet homes, we sell our pups to approved homes only! We do not sell to agents, brokers, back yard breeders, puppy mills or pet shops. We only place our pups in homes where they are loved like a family member. If we have any extra money left after a litter is raised and has gone home, we put it back into our dogs....as you will see as you explore through our site. Some of the things we use the money for is....make sure that all our dogs have top of the line vet care, top of the line living conditions - where they have AC in the summer( for when the temp is to hot) and heating in the winter (for when the temp is to cold), quality dog food, quality training tools and equipment which makes for better training. Here at SOS kennels, we ALWAYS have beeper collars on our dogs to locate the dog when they wonder into thick cover. We do own an e-collar. The e-collar is used for SAFETY REASONS ONLY - not discipline!! As you can see, we have been working hard at proving each and everyone of our GSP's. In order to run a dog at a AKC hunt test, you can't have your dog trained to an e-collar as you are NOT ALLOWED to have an e-collar on your dog while your dog is being judged. Our satisfaction rating, thus far, is 100% and we intend on keeping it that way. We guarantee our dogs with a written 3 year health guarantee and do whatever we can to satisfy our new puppy owners. We are always here to help in anyway we can. Not just for a few weeks after the pup goes home but, for the life of it. Please check out or "References" page to see for yourself. Please explore through our site and learn even more about us and our dogs. If you are looking to get a pup from us, contact us on the availability of our pups as you might want to reserve a puppy early. We start receiving deposits, for most litters, 6 to 12 months in advance. We have a large list of satisfied clients and a list of people wishing to join them. If you look at the love we have for our dogs, the time we put into our dogs, look at the pedigrees(as we have some of the best in the country), come meet us and meet our dogs....you will see why we are one of the few breeders who have a waiting list!! To view our week by week process of raising our pups, check out our "Puppies" page. |
| First we would like to thank you for your interest in learning more about us and our dogs. Our family consist of Jeremy, myself(Rachel) and our 4 children. For years Jeremy had been talking about getting a German Shorthaired Pointer. Because the breed wasn't very popular at that time, I wasn't sure what it was. So, Jeremy and I started our research. After about a full year of reading and planning, we got our first GSP. Never even thought about breeding at that point. Then once Jeremy trained him for hunting, they were always out hunting. I became very lonely without my boy beside me like he always was while he was in the house. I thought nothing would come between me and my boy but he ALWAYS picked hunting over me. At first it bothered me but then I realized....DUH, he is a hunting breed....lol. I then talked to Jeremy about getting another one. We decided that the time was right so we started looking for a female(I thought I was going to be smart and get a female, who wouldn't hunt....the joke was on me). We drove to Virginia and we couldn't decide between 2 females.....so, we took them both!(only to find out later that having 2 females from the same litter wasn't good as they always competed with each other for alfa....hard lesson we had to learn). It wasn't long till we noticed them pointing flies, butterflies, tweetie birds and even leaves as they blew across the yard. We knew, they had the drive to hunt. So, hunt they did! Jeremy trained all 3 to hunt together. I then realized that if I couldn't live without them...I would join them. So, the next trip out to the field, I tagged along. To my surprise, I LOVED IT!! I knew this was going to be the start to a long life with the GSP's! At home they were our "Couch Potatoes", and in the field they were our "Bird Finding Machines". Our friends and family soon realized that every free minute we had, we were in the field with our dogs. They also decided to join us. It didn't take much for them to get hooked. As time went by, I thought about breeding. Between working and kids, I wasn't sure this was possible. Jeremy and I then decided that I could work part time as a nurse and we would have 1 litter for our friends and family. So, back to researching we went. We read and read. Learning all we could. After another year of reading, learning, hunt test and saving for the vet care that the parents needed before breeding, while pregnant, after the pups were born, the weaning process and then all the training supplies and vet bills for the pups, we tried it. The delivery was such a blessing as every puppy came out healthy and momma had no trouble. Everything seemed to be going great with the kids, pups and the parents until it was time to let the pups go. It WAS SO HARD! I never knew it was going to be that hard! I guess I forgot about that part. The kids were heart broken! But in time we all learned not to get so attached to them. You can love them the same but go into it knowing they aren't going to stay forever. Everything was such a success so we decided to try it again and then again. We had people calling us for pups and we weren't even listed anywhere as breeders.....word traveled fast through mouth and through our pups impressing those who had seen them work. Even though we had so many people interested in our pups, we still screened our buyers and turned some away that were not fit for a pup from us. . Now, 6(almost 7)years later, we are still growing and becoming bigger. A local breeder has seen us come out of the wood work and she got scared......she is now proving her dogs!! That's all we could have asked for. We are not by any means trying to become the TOP breeder of the GSP's. We just want to do it as a "Hobby" as we have such a strong passion for this breed. We also have a similar passion for the weimaraners and we just recently decided to add them to our program. We figured since they are part Shorthair they had to be simular and after many months of researching, we found out that it is true! They are not as hyper but still alot like the GSP! We look forward to producing some OUTSTANDING weim pups in the future along with our OUTSTANDING GSP PUPS!! |
| MY INTRODUCTION! Finding a good breeder seems like an impossible task. Not only is it hard to start out with a new breed, now you need to start looking for a reputable breeder. You might want to ask yourself....... who can I trust, is this the right breed for me, how do I get a reputable breeder to sell a puppy to me. These are some of the questions we will go over as you read on. My purpose for writing this is to protect those who are about to buy from a PET SHOP, a BROKER, an AGENT, a BACK YARD breeder, a FAKE breeder, a er-reputable breeder or a PUPPY MILL. I will help you on your way to find a reputable breeder who stands behind their dogs. This was written based off on my experiences when looking for a reputable breeder and it's what I practice when considering to breed each and every litter. WHAT DO I LOOK FOR IN A REPUTABLE BREEDER? 1. How many years have they been breeding? 2. Are they very informative about the breed? 3. What is their goal in breeding? 4. What do they plan on "Improving" upon in their current breeding? 5. Do they have the Sire and Dam Health checked and clearances done? 6. Are they helping you to decide if this is the correct breed for your lifestyle? 7. Are they just trying to sell you a puppy to make money? 8. Do they offer a Health Guarantee? 9. Do they have a contract? 10. Does the contract benefit the puppy or the breeder? 11. Are references available? 12. Is the breeder active in their puppies lives? 13. Will they be available for you for the entire life of your pup? 14. If you are unable to keep the pup for ANY reason throughout the pups life, are they willing to take it back? A good breeder should be very reluctant to sell a pup the anyone they have suspicions about. They should really care about what sort of home the dog is going to, the available yard for the dog and what the person expects from their dog. They should ask you numerous questions about your lifestyle, your method of training, and the way you plan on treating your dog(putting it outside or letting it live in the house, etc.) They should NOT BE WILLING TO SELL A DOG ON FULL REGISTRATION unless it is going to be shown, then they should co-own the dog with you. This prevents Puppy Mills! FULL REGISTRATION VERSES LIMITED REGISTRATION? The American Kennel Club (AKC) provides two types of registration. Full and Limited. With full registration you are allowed to breed your dog, with limited you can not. If you are not planning on breeding or showing your dog, Limited registration has no negative affects. You should then have your dog spayed or neutered to help prevent health problems later in your dogs life. If you plan on showing your dog, you NEED FULL registration. In this case a reputable breeder would co-own the dog with you. Then when you are done showing, your breeder will sign off. At that time your breeder and you can decide if breeding is right for you. NO REPUTABLE breeder would sell their pups with FULL registration without stipulations. They would want to protect their bloodlines. HOW MUCH SHOULD A PUPPY COST? Not to be forgotten about as most people have a budget. In most cases, you get what you pay for. If you find a reputable breeder, their pups are a little more expensive as there was more time, love, training and money pup into the breeding then what a back yard breeder would do. Back yard breeders are out for the QUICK BUCK. If you call a breeder and the very first thing out of your mouth is "How much are your puppies", do not be surprised if they hang up on you. The initial cost of your dog is very minimal when compared to the cost throughout their life. What you are paying for when buying a quality dog is the years of dedication of the breeder to improve their lines, a healthy dog with some kind of health guarantee and the expertise of the breeder through out your dogs entire life. WHAT SHOULD BE IN THE CONTRACT? First lets determine the difference between a Health Guarantee and a Contract. A Health Guarantee- is a written document that states the dogs health is guaranteed for a period of time. The longer, the better. A reputable breeder who has been breeding for years knows their bloodlines and can offer a longer guarantee. A Contract- is a legal binding between the breeder and the buyer. The breeder is looking for the buyer to take the best care of their pup. So, the contract should be all about what the breeder expects from the buyer when it comes to raising their pup. Be careful that the contract is about the pup and not to protect the breeder or the buyer. The Health Guarantee it to protect the buyer and the contract is to protect the pup. WHERE DO I BEGIN LOOKING FOR A REPUTABLE BREEDER? I would have to direct you to the AKC website. www.akc.org Look at the breeder classified added. When there, you can click into the add and it will tell you a lot about that litter and the parents. It will tell you if the parents were DNA tested and also if they were OFA tested. A reputable breeder will have their dogs health clearances done before breeding. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO REQUEST SEEING THESE FORMS as some breeders will say they have them even though they don't. Also, check the pedigree out. If your not concerned with proven dogs, you should still make sure the pups and the parents aren't interbred. It is very important that you understand that LINE-BREEDING IS INTERBREEDING! The PROPPER line breeding is done as follows: The Sire's Sire(which is the pups grandfather on it's dad's side) is also the same dog as the Dam's grandfather(which is the pups great grandfather on the dam's side). Making it interbreeding. Some others will try breeding closer together and they also call it line-breeding...... BE CAREFUL and research line-breeding if you are going to buy a pup that was "LINE BRED". WE DO NOT LINE BREED NOR DO WE INTERBREED IN ANYWAY! IN CLOSING I WOULD LIKE TO STATE.... There is NO perfect dog. A dog may meet our expectations or surpass our expectations. What's good for one person may not be good for another. With that said. We suggest that you go meet the breeder, the kennel, the parents and the puppies before purchasing a pup. If you can't make the drive because you are looking at having your pup delivered to you), then with a reputable breeder, you can get references from others who had to do the same thing. I hope this information becomes very useful to you as you continue your journey to fine your life partner. Good Luck! We wish you the best! |
| PICKING YOUR PUPPY |
| Once your breed and breeder have been selected, it's time to pick your puppy. There are a few more decisions that you need to make. 1. Which sex do you prefer. Females are usually smaller then the males. 2. Decide what temperament is more to your liking. For examples, a quiet one, and submissive one, a dominate. Even though temperament, size and level of activity is consistent in the breed, there is plenty room for individual differences. 3. Rely on the breeder. By this point, you have picked a reputable breeder that you can trust so ask their opinion. They have watched the puppies grow and can pick out the pup that is dominate(which will be a handful), shy(which will need gentle handling) and which ones are more quizitive(and may get into more mischief). 4. Check out the puppies. Sit or kneel down on the ground and call the puppies to you. Get the puppies attention by snapping your fingers, patting the ground, whistle or make a strange noise. If the puppy comes quickly, it might have a strong attachment to people. If it stops to smell the flowers along the way, it may have a independent streak. If it doesn't come at all, it may have difficulty bonding with people. Because it is so hard to tell by doing this test just one time, you should as the breeder for their advise. By following these 4 steps, you should be sure to get the puppy that best fits your lifestyle. If non of the pups in that particular litter seem right for you, then we suggest you wait for the next litter. Remember, this decision will be with you for the next 12-14+ years, so you want to make sure you get the "BEST" pup for you. A puppy that is good for one family may not be fit for another, so just because there might only be 1 or 2 pups available, it doesn't mean that the "BEST" pup has already been picked. For those of you who are not able to go pick a pup out, make sure you have a reputable breeder who will help you get the pup that is best suited for your lifestyle. Some breeders might try putting you with a puppy that is shy because they are afraid that will be the last one available and they might feel as if they would be stuck with it if they don't push it on you. That's why IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO FIND A REPUTABLE BREEDER when looking for a pup!! |
| TAKING YOUR PUPPY HOME |
| THE CAR RIDE HOME Many people worry that this is a traumatic time for the puppy, but it's not as bad as you might think. Try to keep this ride from being a terrifying experience for the puppy. The main problem dogs have with car ride usually not what humans refer to as motion sickness, but simple anxiety about the vibrations, sounds, and to a lesser degree, the motion. Many dogs that have developed problem with car rides get nervous or nauseous before the vehicle is even started. It is very important that this first trip not be a bad experience that regresses into a repetitious behavior problem. Should this occur, you will have trouble getting your pup to the vet for it's yearly check-ups. Before leaving the kennel, let the pup go to the bathroom this will help the pup feel more comfortable during the ride home. For this ride home, we found that it is easier if someone, other than the driver, to hold the pup. Remember, they are small and easy to hold. The puppy should be rapped in a blanket or towel that has momma's scent on it. Someone holding the pup will be a comforting support for the pup on the ride home and the scent will help keep them relaxed. If you have a long ride and you need to stop to let the puppy releave themself, do not stop at a highway rest area. You can't trust that everyone else who stoped there had their dogs vacinated. The ground could be contaminated with organisms that causes dogs to get different kinds of diseases. Some deadly. BEING WITH SOMEONE THE FIRST DAY HOME 1. Seperation anxiety... Leaving the mother and littermates will probably bring about some form of seperation anxiety. Seperation anxiety is a behavioral condition in which the pet becomes anxious when seperated from the owner. However, this can be greatly diminished if you plan your schedule so that you are with the puppy for the first 3-4 days. Plan for this introductory period by keeping the puppy involved with plenty of attention from children and other family members through every one of the pups waking moments. If the children are young or not familiar with how to handle puppies, you should spend some time with them during these first few days explaining common sence rules on how to play with the pup. 2. The pups "spot"... Make sure the pup has a "spot" to call it's own. This should be a place it can go where it won't be disterbed by you, children, other pets or visitors. This can be a crate, a purchased dog bed or a blanket in the corner. Once it's in this spot, it should not be picked up or removed by anyone. It should remove it's self by it's choice everytime. Bring a blanket or towel home from the breeders place and put it in the pups "spot" along with a towel or blanket from your house. Dogs have a strong sence of smell therefore familiar smells will make the pup feel more comfortable. 3. Pups first health check... Find out from your breeder when you need to take your puppy back to the vet. When it's time to take your puppy to your vet, your puppy will get it's initial puppy examination. German Shorthaired Puppy Breeder | PA German Shorthaired Pointer Dogs |German Shorthaired Dog Breeder This section is still under construction! Will be completed soon! Still to come......getting a health checkup, feeding & house breaking. |