# Selecting a new puppy.



## Drew Peterson (May 16, 2009)

Hi everybody,

I'm new to this board. Anyways, I'm looking into getting a puppy sometime in the next few months and figured I'd ask for some opinions. I currently have a 10 yr old amstaff-best dog I've ever had- and I wouldn't mind getting another staff. I'd love to find a good American bulldog or a Presa but I'm picky abt looks with in comes to an AB and I keep hearing lately how hard it is to find a good pp dog in either breed. I plan on doing some protection training (bite work) with a local trainer who also trains many dogs for law enforcement. I really like the look, personality, and short coat of the bulldog breeds over traditional (European) working breeds. Also, I can only afford to spend under a grand on a pup...and hopefully well under that, but I'm patient and not going to rush this.

Also, I know it's better to get a pup from proven working lines but I'm curious if I could get good results using personality tests on pups that might not be from proven lines or if only one parent is ( I'd want to do personality tests on any pup even from proven lines.)

Thanks for any input,
Drew 
;-)


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## Dwyras Brown (Nov 21, 2008)

Welcome to the forum Drew. Where are you from?


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## Drew Peterson (May 16, 2009)

Dwyras Brown said:


> Welcome to the forum Drew. Where are you from?


Thanks. Daytona Beach area.


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## todd pavlus (Apr 30, 2008)

You won't find any good working dogs under a $1000, more along the lines of $2000


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

Drew welcome! Todd there are lots of great dogs out there for under $1,000. All you need to do is find breeders whose goal isn't being a K-9 pimp and using Fluffy as their meal ticket. I know several GSD folks who breed solid working lines for about $900-1,000.00


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

Ever go to the Baja Beach Club ?? I do not even think it is still open.


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## todd pavlus (Apr 30, 2008)

Howard Gaines III said:


> Drew welcome! Todd there are lots of great dogs out there for under $1,000. All you need to do is find breeders whose goal isn't being a K-9 pimp and using Fluffy as their meal ticket. I know several GSD folks who breed solid working lines for about $900-1,000.00


I would say between $1500 - $2000 is more of the going price


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

JMHO: There are good (and bad) dogs in every price range. The less you pay, the harder/longer you look and more risk you accept.

If you're looking at Presa's (or want some information/opinions on APBT in PPD) check out Red Star Kennel near Hudson, WI. Good people!


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

There are proven working lines in pits and AB's ??? Shut up, there is nothing out there like that......but then again, with what those people consider work......:roll: :roll: :roll:


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## Drew Peterson (May 16, 2009)

Jeff Oehlsen said:


> Ever go to the Baja Beach Club ?? I do not even think it is still open.


Never been there and I'm not even sure where it's located-or was located. I know I've heard of it before though.


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## Drew Peterson (May 16, 2009)

todd pavlus said:


> I would say between $1500 - $2000 is more of the going price


 
You're probably right on the going price. I purchased my champion sired amstaff for $300 from a reponsible breed when the going price was around 1K and he's got great conformation and has been an awesome dog. Also, when I lived on the other coast the guy who had the toughest PP dog I'd seen at the time got him for free- owner couldn't handle him. And I've seen plenty of insanely priced pups online for 2 or 3k that have no credentials, health guarantees, impressive or working bloodlines and don't even look anything like the breed standard. I'd like to think if I'm patient and continue to do a boatload of homework I'll be able to find what I want without selling a kidney


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## Drew Peterson (May 16, 2009)

Anne Vaini said:


> JMHO: There are good (and bad) dogs in every price range. The less you pay, the harder/longer you look and more risk you accept.
> 
> If you're looking at Presa's (or want some information/opinions on APBT in PPD) check out Red Star Kennel near Hudson, WI. Good people!


Thanks, I already have. I liked their website and it actually seemed really honest regarding PP and their pups.


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## Drew Peterson (May 16, 2009)

Jeff Oehlsen said:


> There are proven working lines in pits and AB's ??? Shut up, there is nothing out there like that......but then again, with what those people consider work......:roll: :roll: :roll:


Land of the Giants has proven working line pits...or at least they used to. I'm not sure if they are still around. Some try to say their dogs aren't real pits, though.

I'm not so sure about AB's but many have claimed have solid working lines of them.


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## kristin tresidder (Oct 23, 2008)

Drew Peterson said:


> Land of the Giants has proven working line pits..



ugh - didn't you say you wanted a pitbull? there's no such thing as a 120 pound pitbull...


out of curiosity, who did you get your amstaff from?


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## Drew Peterson (May 16, 2009)

kristin tresidder said:


> ugh - didn't you say you wanted a pitbull? there's no such thing as a 120 pound pitbull...
> 
> 
> out of curiosity, who did you get your amstaff from?


No I never said I wanted a pitbull. I said I like another amstaff or a AB if I could find a good one  I think it's easier to find a well bred staff then apbt and it's easier to tell folks I own an amsaff than a "pitbull" even though they are different versions of the same breed in my opinion, but that's debatable I suppose.

If a line of pitbulls is bred for size and bitework isn't it still a pibull even though it's been bred larger than the breed stand-assuming it hasn't been mixed with mastiff or something? My amstaff is 15 pounds too heavy to be shown but he's still an amstaff right? 

ttyl,
Drew


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

No Drew a pit is not a pit if you cross it with something else. Land of giants has working dogs ??

I wish you luck, and if that is the sort that you want, go with the Dogo. You have the same shitty chance that the dog will work, and they are pretty cool dogs. If anyone says anything, you just show them the cool foreign paperwork and before they know it, you are gone. LOL


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Jeff Oehlsen said:


> No Drew a pit is not a pit if you cross it with something else. Land of giants has working dogs ??
> 
> I wish you luck, and if that is the sort that you want, go with the Dogo. You have the same shitty chance that the dog will work, and they are pretty cool dogs. If anyone says anything, you just show them the cool foreign paperwork and before they know it, you are gone. LOL


Ain't them Dogos them giant, white pitbulls from Southern Merica? :-k


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## Drew Peterson (May 16, 2009)

kristin tresidder said:


> ugh - didn't you say you wanted a pitbull? there's no such thing as a 120 pound pitbull...
> 
> 
> out of curiosity, who did you get your amstaff from?


Got him in the Brandon FL area. Breeders last name was Haynes and was a friend of a friend but had excelent prices to everyone. He used a ch stud from another location which I also visited. The breeder only had 4 or 5 females at the time. The breeder told me he never sold a pup for more than $450...all pups were championed sired. I saw several adult pups from previous litters including 2 from the same sire and dam as my staff...all were very impressive.


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## Drew Peterson (May 16, 2009)

Jeff Oehlsen said:


> No Drew a pit is not a pit if you cross it with something else. Land of giants has working dogs ??
> 
> I wish you luck, and if that is the sort that you want, go with the Dogo. You have the same shitty chance that the dog will work, and they are pretty cool dogs. If anyone says anything, you just show them the cool foreign paperwork and before they know it, you are gone. LOL


 
Ha! That cracked me up! lol

But you misread my post. I said "assuming it hasn't been mixed with mastiff or something else. Of course it's not a real pit if you cross it with something else and would obviously be a hybrid. I'm not sure if they bred with other breeds or not...if they haven't then their dogs are just big a$$ pits!  And I'd heard from multiple sources some years back their dogs definatly delivered on their breeders promise of being manstoppers and had what it takes for PP. Again, I'm not %100 that they are full blooded pits but they were sold as such with papers.


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

Anne Vaini said:


> JMHO: There are good (and bad) dogs in every price range. The less you pay, the harder/longer you look and more risk you accept...


Anne I agree as in my area the lower the price, the less the "breeders" seem to know about lines and genetic working applications. A great example is the never ending German Shepherd ads:"Big boned beauty, lots of color and size, parents are real dogs and full blooded." Stuff to this example. I see very few AB, Dobermans, Bouviers, or Boxers...Again, the more rare the working breed and the quality, the higher your fee to play the game.

So *full blooded dogs*...do they leak out a little blood to make them less "full blooded?" :-k :twisted: :mrgreen:


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## Julie Ann Alvarez (Aug 4, 2007)

Drew Peterson said:


> You're probably right on the going price. I purchased my champion sired amstaff for $300 from a reponsible breed when the going price was around 1K and he's got great conformation and has been an awesome dog. Also, when I lived on the other coast the guy who had the toughest PP dog I'd seen at the time got him for free- owner couldn't handle him. And I've seen plenty of insanely priced pups online for 2 or 3k that have no credentials, health guarantees, impressive or working bloodlines and don't even look anything like the breed standard. I'd like to think if I'm patient and continue to do a boatload of homework I'll be able to find what I want without selling a kidney


I agree 100% if you are patient and not in a rush.

Julie


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