Hello and thanks for taking the time to visit our site and meet our dogs. German Shepherds are more than just a hobby to us...they are our passion. We strive to improve the breed, with health and temperment being top priority. Our goal is to produce a well rounded dog that is first and foremost a loyal, loving companion and protector. We breed for dogs that can work in many different venues, including Schutzhund, Personal Protection, Search and Rescue, Narcotics Detection, Tracking, Obedience, Herding, Agility, Rally, etc, etc. But when the work is done, we expect our dogs to be a well behaved member of the family....not have to go into a kennel. We do not belive in "over the top" super high drive dogs...these dogs are well suited for police work, National level Schutzhund competition, etc, but are too much for the typical owner. No one wants to live with a dog that bounces off the walls if it is not worked several hours a day, cannot be trusted not too eat the furniture, destroy the house, or even become dominant, aggressive and dangerous to it's own family. On the other hand, we do not breed for a couch potatoe dog who would prefer to lie around than do anything asked of it. We strive for the "Golden Middle"...a dog who is ready to work and eager to please whenever it is called upon, but will be a calm and happy member of the family when not working. We breed for dogs with strong ball and food drives, which makes them easier to train, as well as fun to play fetch with! Health and longevity are top priority in our breeding program...no owner should have to deal with the heartache and expense of a sick, unhealthy pet, or one that dies at a young age. We choose our breeding stock from dogs that have lineage proven to live longer lives than average. German Shepherds dying before the age of ten is NOT typical, though it is being seen more and more, as well as dogs that are becoming "old" at younger ages and not having a good quality of life in their senior years. We screen all breeding dogs for a variety of health issues, including hip dysplasia, and we do NOT breed dogs with skin issues, allergies, etc, though many breeders do without hesitation.
Our dogs are part of our family and are treated as such. They live in our home with us, not confined to kennels. We have a large fenced in yard they go out into during the day, and they also spend most of their time out on the farm with us doing chores, hiking, playing fetch, biking, swimming, horseback riding, etc. They are social, happy, well trained, much loved, and well cared for. Our puppies are born in the house and remain there til they are four to five weeks old. They are then moved out into the barn where they are exposed to a variety of noises, sights, smells, new people, other animals, etc. Our puppies are extremely well socialized...no shy, timid puppies here! When you meet our puppies, they will greet you happily, with kisses, maybe tug on your pants leg, then hope you will play with their toys so they can chase them. They will not cower in the corner, shy at loud noises, etc. By five our six weeks, they are following me everywhere I go, being exposed to all sorts of new things, and learning about the world. Before going home with you, they will be started on crate training, leash training, as well as have two sets of vaccinations, be dewormed regularly, bathed regularly, and be parasite free. All of our puppies come with a written hip and health guarantee. Our guarantee differs from that of many other breeders in that if your puppy develops hip displaysia, you do not have to return him/her to us to get a replacement puppy...we feel it is wrong to force you to return a dog you have grown very attached to! Of course, if you choose to return the dog, we are happy to take him/her back.
We love this breed and want every puppy we produce to be one that we can be proud of. We stand by our puppies for life, are always available to offer advice, breeder support, and of course, in the event you are unable to keep your puppy for any reason, we will happily take it back and find an appropriate home. We never want to see any of our puppies in shelters. Whether you are looking to buy a puppy or not, feel free to give us a call anytime to talk, ask questions, learn about the breed, etc. We are always happy to help in any way we can and love to talk about dogs!
Email: herzvier@hotmail.com
Phone: (276) 685-9682
Man's Best Friend...
God summoned a beast from the field and he said...
"I endow you with instincts uncommon to other beasts:
faithfulness, devotion and understanding. You are denied
the power of words...
Speak to your master only with your mind and through honest eyes...
So be silent, and be a friend to man...
This shall be your destiny and your inmortality"
So spake the LORD
And the dog heard and was content.