Puppies

The Authentic German Shepherd?

In the United States

• There is NO Governing Body or Organization to monitor the reproduction of dogs.
• ANY person can assume the position of Breeder, ANY person can say they are a trainer.
• There are NO boundaries or restrictions for breeders in the US.
• So-called ‘training certificates’ come very easily with a fee in the US and not much else.
• ANY dog can be registered as a German Shepherd dog.
• Unlike European Registries, most dog registeries in America are simply record keeping services – All Breed Registries, nothing more than paper companies and after ever penny they can get, thus promoting puppy mills and the demise of the German Shepherd Dog.
• Of the approximate 50,000 so called German Shepherd Breeders in the United States, there are less than 10 that are breeding True Authentic German Shepherds. Less than 10 are qualified to do so, who are doing so to improve the breed and take it forward.

Evaluating Breeders & Kennels

Even imported dogs are often NOT Breed quality, they are simply dogs that were Unwanted in Europe. Unless an American is willing to spend big $ and has excellent contacts in Europe, an American is NOT going to acquire a true European quality German Shepherd Dog. The Europeans simply do NOT send their good dogs to the United States.

You might be thinking- “I only want a Companion, a Family Dog” – The so called German Shepherd that you acquire will be a Member of your Family and Household for 12-15 years, so unless you want behavior and Health issues, unless you want a watered down very distant cousin of the True German Shepherd, then you need to follow these details on how to quickly evaluate a kennel and Breeder.

Puppies for Sale

ANYTIME, and we will repeat- ANYTIME a so called Breeder has LIVE puppies for sale, these are NOT Authentic European Quality German Shepherds, and there is something amiss within the so called Kennel or breeding operation.The True Authentic German Shepherd is the MOST sought after Mammal on this Planet, and there are approximately 8 Billion People on the Planet. Breeders with Authentic German Shepherds simply cannot meet the demand for their dogs, and maintain a WAITING LIST for them.  The Millions of so called German Shepherd Breeders who always or frequently have live puppies for sale- they are available because they are NOT true Authentic European quality German Shepherds, but only the inferior American Version of the breed. People who are Educated about the German Shepherd Dog will NOT accept these inferior dogs.

The Millions of so called German Shepherd Breeders who have live puppies for sale — they just produce puppies and hope somebody comes along to buy them. Their production outweighs the demand for their dogs!! Furthermore, when a Breeder binds Authentic German Shepherds with true warranties, true Service after the sale, true Expertise on the Breed which is shared with their dog Owners, such Breeders simply cannot meet the demand for their dogs! Live puppies for sale are a Red Flag for a lack of quality and incompetence in some or many regards! Producing Authentic German Shepherds is a process, and the pre-arranged new Owners reap the benefits of the process by acquiring a True European German Shepherd.

The Legendary kennels in Germany which are the foundation of the German Shepherd Breed, such as Arminius, Wildsteiger Land, Wienerau, Noricum, Rottumstrand, Kisselschlucht, Osnabrucker Land, Kirschental and Alexyro Land, some of these kennels have been in business for over 80 years and they have NEVER had live German Shepherd puppies for sale.

Speaking with a Breeder

There is much information on the Internet regarding “How to choose a Breeder”. You will “Choose” from the Inferior Breeders with Inferior Dogs! Quality Breeders with AUTHENTIC German Shepherds will Choose you! We will add here that such Breeders are NOT arrogant and are NOT egotistical, they are people who have dedicated their lives to this Breed and are working very hard for the German Shepherd Dog. Breeders with Authentic German Shepherds are overwhelmed with request for puppies and dogs, therefore they are in a position in which they can and will be EXTREMELY SELECTIVE as to where their dogs and puppies go!

When speaking with a so called Breeder, aside from the Live puppy issue, here is a list of questions that will quickly inform you at to whether you are dealing with a professional, or someone with inferior dogs who needs your money for bills, lottery tickets, a vacation etc:

1. “Reproducing Authentic German Shepherds is a science, so what qualifies you to do so with a mammal that the Europeans have been scientifically re-producing for 120 years?”The Breeder should be able to mention people in Germany and Europe that they have learned from, in addition to YEARS of research they have done on the German Shepherd Dog.
2. “Why are you a Breeder, what are your Goals?”The so called Breeder should be able to elaborate on how and why they are improving the breed and taking it forward. Specifically- Ask a so called Breeder to elaborate on the following- The Genetic Bio-Mechanics of the Breed- In Crossing and Out crossing within their Genetics- Genetic Expression within their dogs- How each dog within their Breeding program is reproducing through their X and Y chromosome. You probably don’t know what these terms mean, but a Person breeding and re-producing Authentic German Shepherds will be able to elaborate extensively on each of these subjects in detail.
3. A person breeding and producing Authentic German Shepherds will be Importing dogs from Europe, specifically Germany, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Italy, or Holland, so ask a so called Breeder from where and whom in Europe they are getting their dogs. Write down the information, then do your research.
4. Ask a so-called breeder to tell you about the dogs in EUROPE that they are line breeding on and why.
5. A True German Shepherd Breeder will be working extensively against the Worldwide Exploitation of the German Shepherd Dog, so ask them to explain the exploitation to you.
6. More importantly, say “Tell me how you and your kennel are working against the Exploitation of the German Shepherd dog? What specifically are you doing to fight the demise of the breed? What organizations are you working with to fight the exploitation of the German Shepherd Dog?”
7. Any Breeder should also be a Trainer, so ask, “What type of training have you done, or do you do?”The Breeder should state that they have trained many dogs for Schutzhund or for real work in Protection, Tracking or Narcotics.

So why ask these questions? Because there is NO Governing body for the German Shepherd Breed in the United States, so again- ANY person can call themselves a Breeder in this Country, there are NO QUALIFICATIONS, and ANY dog can be registered as a German Shepherd, so you are asking for CREDENTIALS!

Availability

Again, in addition to Live Puppies, such questions are going to tell you very quickly of who and what you are dealing with.  Remember- the dog that you acquire will be a member of your home and Family for 12-15 years, do you want 12-15 years of health and behavior problems, or 12-15 years of pleasurable companionship? The person from whom you acquire a dog from should be your source for information for the LIFE of your dog! If you have a concern at 3am, you should be able to contact your Breeder and get help- NOT have to pay a financially strained American Veterinarian $250.00 just to put their pants on!  You definitely want to know that you will get service after the Sale, which is our next topic!

In the United States, so called breeders take peoples money for dogs, then ignore the needs of the new Owners Afterwards. Professional, Quality Breeders with Authentic German Shepherds, will be available for their Owners 24/7 for the LIFE of the dog !! This is another reason why Inferior Breeders have live puppies for sale- Because they do NOT have repeat Customers!! To the Contrary- Quality Breeders have MANY repeat Owners !!!! Again- Another reason to avoid the people with Live puppies for sale, and acquire an Authentic GSD from a quality Breeding program. Our point here is that when you acquire a GSD from a quality breeding program, the Breeder will be very knowledgeable about the Breed, thus providing you 24/7 availability, Service, and information for the LIFE of your dog. The Millions of poor souls who constantly post questions on the Internet regarding basic questions about their dogs….. Where is their Breeder?! Their so called Breeder has their MONEY and is no longer available!

Breeders and Kennels who Offer Training Services

Vom Zeder Haus is a High Level Training Kennel, but because we are not after your money, we will educate you on Training Services.

If you are seeking a high level specialized work for your dog such as High Level Protection, or Search and Rescue / Tracking, or you are wanting your dog to participate in Schutzhund, then you do need Training Services.  However, if you are like 99.99999999% of dog Owners, and you are seeking a German Shepherd for quality Personal and Family companionship, then you do NOT need ANY outside Training. The reason you are seeking a Quality dog is that you do not want behavior issues. So when you do acquire a True Authentic European Quality German Shepherd from a QUALIFIED Breeder, your puppy will have been evaluated and custom matched to you. So called puppy training which is actually PARENTING, MUST be done by the PARENT. Then only time and patience is needed, and you yourself, will naturally train your puppy and dog. Yes, you will have the Terrible two’s, and unruly back-talking teenager stage, but as long as your dog gets appropriate exercise, and you spend the appropriate time with your puppy and dog, it will become naturally trained. Also remember that when you acquire a German Shepherd from a quality breeding program, the Breeder will be a Professional Trainer with years or decades of training experience, and will ALWAYS be available for you for advice and consult, WITHOUT taking your MONEY !!!!    So when so called Breeders and Kennels offer Puppy Training services, view that as a Major Red Flag! Such people are after your MONEY! While we discuss Training elsewhere on this site, we will add here that even when you are seeking serious work for your dog that will require Training Services, a young dog should NEVER enter ANY type of serious Obedience Training younger then 4-6 months of age, as they simply aren’t Cognitively mature enough for it. No dog should enter ANY type of Tracking Training program younger then 8 months of age for the same reason. No dog should ever enter ANY type of Protection Training program younger then 18 months of age, again, they aren’t mature enough for it! Many good young dogs are RUINED as a result of GREEDY so called Trainers who want your MONEY!! Dogs have to be allowed to develop as Puppies, however so called Breeders and Trainers who want dogs and puppies younger then what is stated here, are simply After your MONEY, and are either uneducated regarding the Training of dogs, or are not concerned with your dogs welfare. Lastly, ANY so called Breeder or Trainer who wants to train in groups, rather than train each dog alone as an individual, such so called Trainers are NOT one, such people are after your Money! So again, the reason you are seeking an Authentic European German Shepherd from a Breeder who doesn’t need your Money, is to avoid such greed and peril.

Visiting a Kennel

Visit as many kennels as you can, you will personally see and experience the difference between dogs that are bred by UNQUALIFIED breeders breeding inferior dogs for monetary gain, and professional breeders, both breeding and producing Authentic European German Shepherd dogs.

Because there are less then 10 Kennels in the United States that are producing True European Quality German Shepherds, you would need to travel long and far to visit more than a couple quality Kennels, but if possible, then do so! Even though you may only be seeking a dog as a family companion, you are seeking a German Shepherd because that they are intelligent noble animals that should be capable of performing an array of tasks. So dogs that are being bred should be very elite working dogs. While it’s ok for a Breeder to breed 1st generation U.S. born dogs, the Kennel should be breeding European Imports. If you have any doubt whether a dog is an Import, ask to see their European Registration, their Passport, or U.S. Customs documents. Additionally, all European Imports will be Tattooed in their right Ear. The Tattoo number should match the numbers on ALL of their import documents.

When visiting a Kennel, tell a breeder that you want to see their dogs perform and that you want to see them work.The breeder should be willing to show their dogs perform in obedience, tracking or protection, and this should be done while the dog is OFF A Leash, only under VERBAL CONTROL. If the breeder is unwilling to do these things, that’s because they are breeding inferior dogs that CAN”T do these things. If A German Shepherd is not capable of work, then they are not an Authentic German Shepherd. If a breeder tells you that a 2+ year old dog is untrained, that is no excuse! Again breed quality dogs are dogs that have PROVEN to be working dogs. While many Families and private individuals have Elite German Shepherds as companion/Family dogs that don’t need formal training, breeding dogs must be trained to prove they can work, and breeders must be current or former Trainers, so there is NO excuse for a breeding age dog not to be trained for some type of work.

When visiting a kennel, you and your children should be able to put your hands on highly aggressive trained protection dogs. Any kennel is apt to have one or two ”Hot” or unfinished dogs that you can’t pet, but you and your Family should be able to physically and socially interact with most Protection dogs within a breeding program. If not, then these are dogs that do not have the character and discretion qualities to be breed quality dogs!

The Kennel Environment

Authentic German Shepherds are high energy dogs, that need lots of exercise and again- are working dogs!! So be observant to a kennel Environment!! Quality Kennels will have many dogs so as not to over-breed their dogs, and to apply genetic Diversity. So any quality Breeding program is going to have at least 10 German Shepherds, and our point here is that a German Shepherd Kennel should be located on a Minimum of 10 acres, so as to provide appropriate exercise, living space, and room to work the dogs. If not on at least 10 acres, then the motives of the so called Breeder should be questioned. Also- Crates should NOT be used to contain the dogs. Any quality Breeder will have crates because that’s what their import dogs are arriving in, and they will be used for Kennel visits or while working the dogs, but any Person or Kennel that is using a Crate as a CAGE, to contain their dogs on a regular basis – such people should be reported for animal abuse and loose custody of their dogs!

Unfortunately, 99% of Kennel dogs are simply Merchandise, dogs who have to change homes every few years. Because German Shepherds were meant to be Family dogs, and because they are Territorial, are pack animals, and bond emotionally with Humans, its emotionally traumatic any time ANY GSD has to change environments. Unfortunately 99.9999999% of the Kennels you will visit in the Modern World- Visit the same Kennel two years later and you will see all different dogs. The dogs still of breeding age have been sold, the dogs beyond breeding age…….. Most end up in a Rescue, then because adoption for post 8 years olds is very low, most such dogs which were advertised as Elite GSD’s by Modern Breeders, end up dying alone by Euthanization in a County Animal Control Facility- Our point here is that when you visit a Kennel- ascertain as to whether the breeding dogs are ALSO FAMILY dogs for the Breeder. While these should be Elite dogs, some valued at well over $100,000 each, these should also be Family dogs!!!!!!!! Start by asking a Breeder to see their OLD RETIRED dogs that they no longer breed! Ask a Breeder do they have a Cemetery for their dogs on their Property- because they should have!

ANYTIME puppies are advertised as 1st pick, 2nd pick etc., these are people who know NOTHING about Authentic German Shepherds, nor do they have any!! True European German Shepherds have to be custom matched to their new Owners- Example….Let’s say we have a person wanting a dog for a very high level of protection, then we have a person with 4 cats wanting a dog, and then we have a person or a family wanting a dog for companionship, protection, running partner etc. That’s why we temperament test our puppies and then match them to the appropriate environment. A so called German Shepherd Breeder who will just let you pick a puppy doesn’t care about you or their dogs, they just want your money! If a person who teaches music, reads poetry and partakes of Opera, walks into a child adoption agency to adopt a child, then a person who coaches High School Football, goes hunting, fishing and camping, shoots guns etc. walks into the same agency to adopt a child, were talking about two completely different children for these families. The adopting families don’t know the difference in the children, but the Adoption home administrator should!! The same applies with Professional German Shepherd breeders when they are placing puppies with new owners!! All Vom Zeder Haus Puppies are custom matched to their new owners, depending on the Owners environment, lifestyle, and what they want in a German Shepherd.

When you acquire a GSD from 99.9999999% of modern German Shepherd Breeders, you simply pick up a puppy or dog, exchange money and paperwork and you are on your own!! That’s NOT the way it happens when you acquire an Authentic German Shepherd from a QUALITY Breeding program. The day of placement – ( when you obtain your Dog) – You will be participate in a 2 hour Placement Conference in a Classroom Setting, going over everything A-Z regarding the life welfare of your dog!

Warranties

While Authentic German Shepherds are very healthy dogs with very few issues, when you acquire such dogs from a Quality Breeding program, you will receive True Warranties in Writing!!

Buy Back Policy

You haven’t heard of this because in the Modern World, Vom Zeder Haus German Shepherds is the ONLY Kennel to do this. There are an approximate 50 Million German Shepherd Breeders on this Planet, and UNFORTUNATELY, we are the ONLY kennel to provide a Buy Back Policy!!

What is it?

EVERY Puppy that leaves our Kennel, leaves with a Written Warranty which states that the new owner has 60 days to return the Puppy for a 100% refund. We do this to protect our Puppies. Even though we rarely get any back, some people just decide that they don’t want the Responsibility- obviously they were a poor choice to place a Puppy with at the onset, but again this Policy protects our Puppies!

When you are evaluating a Kennel, for the sake of the German Shepherd Breed, simply ask- ” Why do you NOT provide such a Warranty?” Don’t allow the so called Breeder to squirm away with telling you that they have a ” Right of refusal” policy which states that they will “Decide” if they will take a puppy or dog back!! Ask them why NOT a BUY BACK Policy to protect their Dogs!

German Shepherd Forums and Chat Rooms

These are NOT what people think- these are NOT independent websites to help people!!Such websites are owned by Marketing Companies, and these websites are simply a MARKETING STAGE for so called Breeders. Note that we said  “STAGE. These websites make money by allowing so called breeders and others to advertise on the site. The people who post questions fall into one of two categories- They are Breeders- so a GSD Breeder from Missouri can stage a question such as -“Who is the best GSD Breeder in Missouri ” ? The Breeder may then log out and back in as another User and then answer their own question by stating that their kennel is the best, then begin bashing all other Missouri Breeders. Their employees or Friends may log in and specifically target another kennel that they deem as too much competition for them, thus manufacturing a negative story about their Competitor! Other people asking questions are people who acquired inferior dogs from typical American so called Breeders, the Poor owners are having many problems, their breeder is ignoring them, so they unknowingly go to such destitute websites for help-and this is VERY SAD!

  The people answering questions on such sites also fall into one of three categories- Again-Breeders posing as common people to steer potential customers to their own Kennel. Then there are the Professional Bloggers- these are employees of the forum. Their job is to steer potential customers to Breeders who advertise on the site, and make negative comments about those who don’t ! The third type of people answering questions of forums are those who own a German Shepherd, signed up for the forum, and suddenly became an expert !! These people, along with their Ice-cream and Cheetos, sit on their back-side on the Internet all day when they should be out looking for a JOB!

  Even the so called Moderators on German Shepherd Forums are breeders!! if you look close enough you can see that their kennel name and website will often accompany their user name!! If you think about it- this is all COMMON SENSE- How could a Knowledgeable German Shepherd person, with the responsibility of caring for their dogs, the responsibilities of Life and a Job, how could such a person sit on their backside for HOURS each day, answering questions for complete strangers ?…….. You see it just doesn’t add Up! Professional German Shepherd People-NEVER and I repeat NEVER partake of such sites! Responsible, Intelligent, German Shepherd Owners/ Parents, also NEVER partake of such sites! Regarding the exploitation, ignorance, and demise of the German Shepherd Breed that we discuss on this website- German Shepherd Forums and Chat-rooms are at the center of it ALL! True knowledgeable GSD people refer to such sites as a comic book for the Breed.