My guess is that the buyer only talked them on the phone and talked a good game. Probably had more $ than brains and wanted the “best German Shepard” he could afford. Not really for the family to but to impress his friends.
Go to the Kraftwerk German Shepherds webpage https://kraftwerkk9.com/ I’m sure they do talk to the people, but this is a business selling Shutzhund trained GSD’s for protection and advanced agility. Most of their dogs come from East German and Russian lines. That means they are really really working dogs. Anyone who approaches them should know what they are getting.
The people didn’t buy a puppy rather a fully trained protection dog. My daughter and her husband have GSD’s I showed her the web page and while she really liked the looks of the dogs her comments were these guys aren’t pets and unless you really wanted a protection dogs and knew how to handle them these were a loaded gun given to a small child.
Yeah, I didn’t read far enough, now I get it. Still, sounds like they’ve been doing this long enough to have screened better. But there are the occasional buyers who can pull the wool over your eyes. I’ve had a few thru the years.