A dog to share your life with.
You don’t have to want a show dog to appreciate a well-bred one. Most families come to us looking for a dog to live with, laugh with, train with, and love for years to come.
Our companion placements bring the care behind our breeding program into your home—with a thoughtful match and a relationship with us that continues after your puppy leaves.
Pricing & What’s IncludedHow We Place Our PuppiesA family home is an important home.
A companion puppy is placed to be part of your family, without a breeding or conformation-show commitment. Many of the qualities we value in our show prospects—their appearance, structure, and ability to accept handling—are qualities families appreciate, too.
Companion placement describes the agreement and intended home. It does not mean less attention to raising the puppy, less support for your family, or a different level of commitment from us.
If you enjoy training, we welcome that interest. Tell us about your goals for obedience, rally, agility, scent work, or other activities so we can discuss the kind of puppy that may suit you.
Know what you’re bringing home.
Doberman Companions
Our standard Doberman companion puppy price, with the inclusions outlined below.
Ask us about current discounts and payment arrangements. Any agreed discount, deposit credit, and remaining balance will be recorded in your agreement.
Great Dane Companions
We breed fewer Great Dane litters than Doberman litters, but we have some Dane breedings in mind that we’re excited to pursue. We’re building a Great Dane waitlist so we can get to know interested families and plan those breedings as that list develops.
If you’re interested in a Draggin Great Dane, please complete our Great Dane questionnaire and talk with us about joining the waitlist. Your interest helps us plan what comes next. We’ll discuss timing, pricing, and what is included before you commit.
Show prospects, breeding partnerships, and other special arrangements are discussed separately.
More than the day you pick them up.
Both Breeds
- Six-year health guarantee under the terms of our written puppy agreement.
- Microchip for identification, with registration details provided for your puppy.
- Limited AKC registration for a companion placement.
- Lifetime breeder support for questions and guidance as your dog grows.
- A home-raised start around the everyday activity of our household.
Doberman Inclusions
- Ear cropping.
- Tail docking.
- Dewclaw removal.
- Prepaid limited AKC registration.
- Ear / puppy kit and guidance for continuing ear care at home.
Please ask what supplies are in the current kit and what ongoing posting and aftercare will involve.
The written agreement confirms the inclusions for your specific puppy. We will also discuss feeding, care, and the transition home with you.
What are we actually looking for in a show puppy?
When we evaluate a litter, we’re looking closely at details most puppy buyers would never think to compare: the relative lengths of bones, the angles they form, body proportions, how a puppy moves, and how the teeth meet. We’re comparing the whole dog to the breed standard—the description of the structure, appearance, movement, and temperament that make a Doberman a Doberman or a Great Dane a Great Dane.
Often, the differences between littermates are small. We might prefer one puppy’s shoulder assembly, another’s head, or the balance of a third. We’re selecting the puppy we believe comes closest to the standard and best fits what we want to preserve or improve in our next generation.
That doesn’t mean the other puppies are unattractive or couldn’t have a future in the ring. A puppy we place as a companion may have plenty of show potential. We may simply prefer a particular sibling for our own breeding plans.
Our pick is an educated prediction.
Puppies change. The puppy with less substance at eight weeks may be the one we admire most at two years. Bodies mature, proportions change, and different strengths become more apparent. Even with experience, we cannot know exactly how every puppy will develop.
Choosing one puppy for our program is our best judgment at that stage—not a guarantee that it will grow up to be the best dog in the litter.
What does that mean for your companion?
You may bring home a beautiful dog whose differences from our pick puppy are things you would never notice unless we pointed them out. Those details can matter to a breeding decision or a judge’s comparison without changing what you love about living with that dog.
If a puppy has a known issue that affects health or everyday function, that is a separate conversation. We will discuss it with you; it is not something we would dismiss as an unimportant show-ring detail.
We may retain puppies or reserve them for suitable show, working, or breeding partnerships before finalizing companion matches. For companion placements, we consider your household, the puppy’s temperament and energy, your plans, and your preferences for breed, sex, color, and litter.
If showing interests you, tell us. Some puppies considered for companion homes may also be suitable show prospects, but conformation showing requires the appropriate registration and a separate agreement with us. A companion placement on limited registration does not include breeding rights or eligibility for AKC conformation competition.
Explore the standards: Doberman Pinscher Club of America · AKC Great Dane standard.
A show dog has to be comfortable being handled.
A judge needs to examine our dogs, check their mouths and teeth, and put hands on their bodies. They also have to work around other dogs, unfamiliar people, and the activity of a dog show. We need dogs that can handle those situations with confidence and composure.
We cannot take a dog into the ring expecting a judge to tolerate aggression. The Doberman standard calls for dismissal of shy or vicious dogs, and the Great Dane standard calls for a friendly, dependable temperament.
That influences what we select for. We value dogs that can accept handling, build trust with people, and settle into life with a family. In our program, we want an approachable, manageable temperament alongside the structure and appearance we are breeding toward.
Different breeding goals emphasize different traits.
A breeder selecting for a particular working role may place greater emphasis on intensity, persistence, drive, or responses needed for that job. We may prefer a less intense dog for the homes we place with. Breeders focused primarily on companion placements may also weigh fine structural distinctions differently than someone choosing their next conformation prospect.
Those are differences in priorities. A strong working temperament does not mean uncontrolled aggression, and a show background alone does not make every puppy an easy family fit. We look at the individual puppy and the home. Training, socialization, and responsible handling still matter.
Let’s start with your family.
- Complete the questionnaire. Tell us about your home, experience, daily routine, and what you hope for in your next dog.
- Talk with us. We’ll discuss fit, your preferences, timing, and the questions you have about living with either breed.
- Join the waitlist under the written agreement. Our waitlist fee is $500 and is credited toward your puppy’s purchase price.
- Let the right match develop. Your overall position is considered alongside your preferences, puppy availability, and previously committed show or breeding placements.
- Prepare for homecoming. Once a match is agreed, we’ll review the puppy agreement, payment schedule, care needs, and pickup plans.
A waitlist position does not promise a specific puppy, sex, color, litter, or go-home date. Deposit and refund terms are governed by your written agreement.
Six years of written coverage.
Our health guarantee is part of the commitment we make to our puppy families. Please read the agreement for the conditions covered, documentation requirements, and how a claim is handled.
A guarantee is not a promise that a dog will never become ill. We will discuss available health information and answer questions about the puppy and its parents before placement.
You can keep calling us.
Bringing a puppy home is the beginning of your relationship with us. Ask about settling in, feeding, training, ear care, or concerns that come up as your dog matures.
If your circumstances change and you can no longer keep your dog, contact us. We want to be involved in helping our dogs find their way back to a suitable home.
A Few Common Questions
Can I choose my puppy?
We want you involved in the decision. We discuss the companion puppies available to you and how they fit your home and preferences. We do not promise every puppy in a litter will be available for companion selection.
Could a companion puppy have show potential?
Yes. We may see show potential in more puppies than we keep or place in show homes. Our selection also reflects our breeding goals and our best prediction of how a puppy will mature. If you want to show, talk with us before placement so we can discuss suitability, registration, and the agreement. Show potential is not a promise of future wins or a championship.
Does limited registration mean my puppy is not purebred?
No. Limited AKC registration is the registration arrangement used for our companion placements. It does not include breeding rights. Ask us if you want to pursue showing, sports, or another activity so we can discuss the appropriate placement.
Does the puppy price include training?
The listed inclusions do not include a separate formal training package. We provide breeder guidance and encourage you to plan for ongoing training and socialization.
Are cropping and docking included for Great Danes?
The cropping, docking, and ear-kit inclusions above apply to our Doberman companion puppies. Great Dane inclusions are confirmed separately for the puppy and litter you are considering.
Do you offer discounts?
Please ask about current offers and eligibility. Any discount and how it combines with other offers must be confirmed with us and reflected in your agreement.
Where do I find current or upcoming litters?
Visit our Doberman litter page or Great Dane litter page, and contact us to confirm availability and timing.
Tell us about the home you have to offer.
You don’t need show-ring ambitions. A thoughtful, committed family home is a wonderful future for one of our puppies.
Doberman QuestionnaireGreat Dane QuestionnaireEric & Courtney Leffler
info@draggin.net · 832-477-0033