What determines the price of puppies?

Breeding excellent quality German Shepherds is not a money making business. We do it because we love the breed and we enjoy producing beautiful puppies. It's expensive to breed if done correctly. Purchasing titled parents is not the only expense, we also incur the costs of hip x-rays, vaccinations, breeding tests, fecal exams, heart worm preventative, flea and tick preventative, dewormers, registration fees, X-rays before delivery, C-sections when needed, trips to the emergency vet at 2 a.m. on a Sunday morning, etc., etc., etc. not to forget about the fact that we feed some of the best quality dog food on the market. We are not a backyard breeder that breeds 2 AKC dogs together and sells the pups (cutting all corners) to make a profit. Here are a couple of the determining factors of the prices of our puppies. Keep in mind that there are breeders out there that are selling pups of equal or lesser value for 2X, 3X or even 4X the price of ours. The prices of our puppies are most likely a quite a bit lower than similar lines/qualities.

• Titles: The SVV1 at the end of Akim and Zora's names are working titles in Slovakia. These prove their workability in obedience, tracking and protection. These titles are very similar to SchH titles, but more difficult to earn.
  
• Hip Ratings: Both Zora and Akim are 0/0 hip ratings and clear of elbow dysplasia. This does not guarantee that they will not produce offspring with hip or elbow dysplasia, but the chances are significantly reduced. Both dogs were hip certified in Slovakia.
  
• Show Ratings: Every "V" before a dog's name in the pedigree means that he/she has excellent conformation, and each "VA" before a dog's name in the pedigree mean he/she has Very Excellent conformation. Their pedigrees are littered with V and VA show ratings.
  
• Pedigree: A European pedigree with the number of exceptional dogs as Akim and Zora's pedigree has says incredible things about the potential of their offspring. The number of "V" and "VA" show ratings and the number of SVV1, SVV2, SchH1, 2, & 3, IPO1, 2, 3, FH, AD, etc working titles is incredible.
  
• Pigmintation: Dark red pigment in Zora and Akim make our dogs very sought after for the SV style conformation ring. Mia has the more common black and tan.

Lines:

Akim Vitmajk SVV1 (92-92-89) (Slovak Import) — STUD
Akim has an exceptional pedigree with beautiful conformation and gorgeous dark red pigment. Akim has a wonderful disposition and excellent with kids, cats and other dogs. He's a serious protection dog and is ready to escort and uninvited guests out the door. He is titled with his SVV1 title with awesome scores. He's available for stud to approved females.

SG Zora Dlha Roven SVV1 (Slovak Import)
was imported from Slovakia, is from show lines and is SG rated, but has her SVV1 title which is more difficult than the SchH1 title to achieve to prove her working ability. Her temperment, obedience training, tracking, protection, ball drive, structure and overall nature is a perfect fit for any family. She's a complete German Shepherd to us. She's a gorgeous red and black and is a fabulous addition to our breeding program. We are so very excited to have her in our home.

Mia vom Ausland is from very strong Belgium working lines and her mother is a top protection dog. Mia is a puppy that everyone falls in love with instantly! She is sweet, feminine, a fabulous ball drive, cute as a bugs ear with a twinkle in her eyes. Yet when she enters the house, she's calm and wonderful to be around. She's a blast to have in our family. Come out and see her for yourself.

Here's a breakdown of the differences in our prices of our litters.

	Cat's Litters	Irana's Litters
Titles (working)	AD (Endurance)	SVV1
Hip Rating	OFA GOOD	B Hips and Elbows clear (Slovakia)
Show Ratings	VP2	V (Excellent)
Pedigree	German Showline	Excellent Show Line
Color & Pigmentation	Black and Red w/light pigmentation	Black and Red
Potential	Conformation showring (SV, Style, UKC or IABCA) Schutzhund Companion Protection Sport Tracking Obedience Agility	Conformation showring (SV Style, UKC or IABCA) Schutzhund Companion Protection Sport Tracking Obedience Agility
Sire Bred to	Black and Red Showline import w/working titles, V-rated Conformation Title	Black and Red Showline import w/working titles, UKC Grand Champion Conformation Title
Price	$1,000	$1,400 to $1,800