The first thing that we want you to know about us is that breeding and training German Shepherds is not just something that we do, its who we are!! This is our passion and purpose!! We usually do this from about 5am until about Midnight, sometimes however, we do it 24/7!! We live the lifestyle as did rural Europeans many years ago, We begin at daylight with a pot of strong black coffee, and we watch the sunset over a mug of strong German beer. In between.... its all hard work. We believe the best things in life are German Shepherds, a stack of firewood,and Thoroughbred Racehorses...........
As a result of reading our website, we never want any person to get the impression that we think that we are the only good breeder in the U.S., there are several good German Shepherd Breeders in the United States, its just that for every good one, there are literaly one million bad ones!! We want you to know the difference!! Therefore, when you proceed to acquire a German Shepherd, you will get a quality dog, while supporting a good breeding program. If you acquire a dog from a person exploiting this breed, then not only will you get an inferior dog, but you are also supporting the demise of the German Shepherd Breed.
This website of course is really not about ''US'', its about German Shepherds!!
Sometime around 1982, when I was somewhere between a boy and a man,I had the magnificent opportunity to spend some time with an elderly Gentleman who was very involved with the early development of the German Shepherd Dog. This man had very little formal education but was one of the more intelligent people that I have met.He could barely read or write but was involved with creating the German Shepherd Breed Survey Book for the German S.V. He told me of the training methods, breeding methods, and general ideology that he and the other Forefathers of this breed used and applied during the first half of the 20th Century. In this man's own words he stated the following..... ''The modern German Shepherd Dog and the breeding and training practices that surround it,are not what Max and Arthur had in mind''.......... He was referring to Max Von Stephanitz and Arthur Myer,and this Gentleman made this statement way back in 1982 !!
We have been told that our kennel, breeding and training methods,and overall approach does not fit the modern world and the modern practices surrounding the German Shepherd Dog. Nothing could be more true, and we take such a statement as the ultimate compliment. Most of this can be attributed to Wolfgang Hobbes,a man who lived and died in the mountains of Southern Germany,many years ago......................
Our website is to serve four purposes.........
To assist us in finding appropriate placements for our German Shepherd Dogs and German Shepherd puppies.....To give people in the U.S. the opportunity to acquire a West German Shepherd of true German lineage....To serve as an educational tool for people in the U.S. about the German Shepherd breed....And our #1 goal....To protect the heritage and integrity of the magnificent German Shepherd breed.........
We are extremly selective as to with whom we place our puppies,and our website is our first tool for placing our puppies with the right people. Due to the length and complexity of this website,some people just don't have the patience or committment to getting a good dog to make it thru this site. We were once told that our website has "too much talk''. That person obviously missed the point that this is an educational website. Regarding the fact that our site is the first tool in helping us weed out inapropriate people for our dogs, such a statement lets us know that this website is working!!!!.....
At Vom Zeder Haus, we breed with the same philosophy and approach as was done in Germany from about 1900 thru the 1980's.Or that is done in the Czech republic and Slovakia today. This to produce a very well rounded German Shepherd,not just a dog of beauty,not just a dog with working ability,but a physically well structured dog which also possesses incredible instincts and intelligence. Such a dog should also possess outstanding bone volume,good color and pigmentation.The dogs we produce at Vom Zeder Haus,fulfill such roles as police tactical work,search and rescue,as well as narcotics detection. However 95% of our dogs are placed as companions to individuals and families.While these are tough rigorous working dogs, they also make the best companions and are very affectionate toward their owners.They,like most other mammals also need love and emotional support. Thats why we primary seek families and individuals as placements for our dogs....
Regarding our 100% buyback policy, when we place a German Shepherd,we don't want you to be 75% or 99% satisfied with your dog.We want our owners to be 100% satisfied,and if not, we would want you to bring your dog back. This policy is actually more for our dogs than our owners,if someone wasn't completely satisfied,or couldn't take care of their dog for some reason,the buyback policy protects our dogs.
We at Vom Zeder Haus are passionately against the exploitation and commercialization of the German Shepherd breed. That is....doing anything to make money from this breed which typically involves breeding inferior dogs that do not possess the qualities to contribute to the breed, and producing too many puppies.
Because of the stance that we have taken at Vom zeder Haus regarding the exploitation of this breed,and because we do have an extremely successful breeding program,we receive some backlash not only from other breeders,but from people that we turn away as placements for our dogs. We however are not complaining as we know it goes with the territory of being successful and setting ones self apart.
Regarding potential placements for our dogs......while we do some times take deposits for puppies through the mail from good placements who live too far away to visit,we prefer for prospective placements to visit our kennel in person.Not only do we want to meet you,but we want you to see what we are truly about. If at all possible,always visit a kennel so you can meet the breeder,meet the dogs and see their facilities.
Regarding the price of our dogs, we only seek to cover our operating expense.The price of our dogs and training is dictated by our overhead.The fact that we don't have to do this, and don't need your money, is one reason that our breeding program is so successful.
It doesn't matter whether you seek a German Shepherd from us, whats important is that you acquire a quality dog and not allow some one to con or scam you into buying an inferior dog. Its also important that you don't support the puppy mills and the exploitation of German Shepherds in the U.S. There is the furniture maker who has been doing so by hand, using the finest materials, taking his time and putting his heart, soul and pride into each piece.Then there are furniture makers who are mass producing their products out of laminated wood and particle boards. The passionate furniture maker however keeps going because it is his passion,and because there are those who possess the intelligence to recognize the quality of his work. Some times we feel like the passionate furniture maker.Some times we feel like a sparrow in a hurricane filled with puppy mills and the exploitation of the German Shepherd breed.We keep going because this is our passion and purpose in life.We do get discouraged by those who continue to support the exploitation of this breed.We do some times get discouraged by those who want to belittle our kennel for their own agenda.But to be a German Shepherd breeder in America who takes the stance that we have taken,it is to be expected and we have to be tough skinned. It is up to prospective placements to do their research,visit multiple kennels and then make up their own mind. It is those select few,people of substance who do their research,and ultimatly make the right decision to support a quality breeding program and support the future of the European German Shepherd.Thats what keeps us going, and thats what keeps the Euroepan German Shepherd going. Again,it doesn't matter that you seek a German Shepherd from us. What matters is that you acquire a good dog and that you support a quality breeding program!!!!
You will never find true German Shepherds for sale in a newspaper, nor will you find true German Shepherds being produced in some ones house or backyard,such is simply not the way a quality breeding program operates. Websites are easy to build and words are cheap. When you visit a kennel be observant to their facilities, and ask to see the dogs move around outside of their kennel and OFF A LEASH.Each dog should be under complete control of the owner/handler. People who are breeding for the right reasons will naturally have older puppies or adults at their kennel that they have kept for themselves.Ask to see these dogs, then you will see first hand what is being produced there.When older dogs become infertile they become nothing more than liabilities to the puppy mills and exploiters of this breed. Unfortunately, one way or another,such dogs leave the kennel. Breeders who are breeding for the right reasons love their dogs and nurture them in their old age.Tell a breeder that you want to see their retired dogs that they no longer breed!
One reason that Americanized German Shepherds are so plentiful compared to true German dogs is that high quality genetics that are a result of decades of select breeding are very hard to reproduce. The same applies with the Thoroughbred horse. An Americanized German Shepherd, just like a mixed breed dog has a high fertility rate.They have big litters and most will live.
Regarding having to be patient to acquire a quality German Shepherd from a quality breeding program, A good friend who breeds and trains in Germany once told me the following....''A person who does not have the patience to wait on a good dog, the ability to understand that this is a process, and the intelligence to recognize the difference would not make a good placement anyway! These dogs deserve better than that''!! Our friend has been a highly successful breeder and trainer in the Bavarian Alps for over 50 years.
Beware of the large commercial kennels who spend thousands in advertising,there nothing more than puppy mills and they had rather you not visit,they will gladly ship a dog to you!!
Beware of so called breeders who offer incintives to buy their dogs-discounts, gift cards and such. These people need your money, they are breeding inferior dogs, and they are begging YOU to take them!! Again..... Real, true or European German Shepherds are in high demand, and professional breeders with these dogs are over-whelmed with people wanting them!!
Beware when so called breeeders describe their dogs as ''Large, oversized, old fashioned or straight backed'' This is not the correct terminology when describing dogs, when breeders use such language, it's because they know less about the breed than YOU do!!!!!!!!
German Shepherd Forums and Chat-rooms......These are NOT what many people think....Independent websites to help people. While such sites claim to have thousands of members, if you notice it is always the same 10-20 people who respond to questions. So who are these people? They fall into three categories....#1 They are German Shepherd Breeders posing as common people. These people need buyers for their puppies, and the poeple who submit questions are their prey. They do it discretly, but their goal is to steer poeple to their own kennel while bashing all others. #2 Non-paid employees of the website. These people are also typically breeders, and in a discreet fashion, they try to steer people to either their own breeding program, or to those kennels who advertise on the forum website. #3 People who know less about the German Shepherd Breed then you do!! Having the need to feel importain,and along with their ice cream and snacks,they sit on the internet all day when they should be out looking for a Job !! If you think about it, this is all common sense. How could a hands on German Shepherd person with the responsibilities of caring for dogs,the responsibilities of family,a job, and life in general,have time to sit on their backside and be on the Internet for hours each day, answering questions for complete strangers...........!! You see it just doesn't add up!!.........
The people who submit questions to such forums and chat-rooms fall into one category...... These are people who have acquired a dog from a NON-professional breeder!! Had these people acquired a dog from a quality breeding program, or even a good rescue organization, they wouldn't be on the internet asking complete strangers how to care for their dog!!!! Professional Breeders are experts on the German Shepherd Breed and are always available day or night for their owners!
The dogs of Professional German Shepherd Breeders are in high demand, and these Breeders are simply in a position in which they can Cherry pick their placements!! While many people are regulary on the internet claiming to be professional breeders and trainers, true Professional German Shepherd Breeders and Trainers are hands on,responsible,hard working people, and they are very busy from daylight untill dark. Any free time is spent with either their human or German Shepherd Families, and Internet time is spent managing their own website and responding to the numerous emails that they receive for their dogs and services. The point here is that Professional German Shepherd Breeders and Trainers would NEVER, and I mean NEVER have the time or interest to sit on their backside and partake of a German Shepherd forum or chat-room!! Again, if you think about it, its just plain common sense!!!! A good friend of Vom Zeder Haus, who is a top Schutzhund Judge in Europe, stated the following....''German Shepherd forums and chat-rooms are a comic book for the breed'' !!!! Regarding the ignorance,exploitation,stupidity and greed that surrounds the German Shepherd breed in America, German Shepherd Forums and chat-rooms are at the center of it all................!!!! It all goes back to something that we repeatedly preach on this website....Always visit a kennel before you choose a German Shepherd Breeder!!!! Be observant to what you see and ask the right questions. As we also state multiple times on this website....If you can't find a good German Shepherd Breeder, or a kennel that you are comfortable with,simply go to your local animal shelter and acquire a dog!!!! You may get a very good dog,and you will save a life in the process!!!!
Beware of people and breeders who state that they raise and socialize their dogs in a house and speak of this as if it is a good thing.True German Shepherds are tough rigorous working dogs that evolved from the mountains of Europe. While many of our dogs spend much of their time in the homes of their owners, a German Shepherd puppy needs to spend allot of time outdoors. A puppy who spends most of their time indoors is at a great disadvantage and will never develop the keen instincts and intelligence that he or she would have developed otherwise. Have you ever saw a German Shepherd that acted more like a Cocker Spaniel, that dog has spent too much time inside, especially during their puppy hood. A so called breeder who states that their dogs and puppies are socialized inside is clueless and knows nothing about the German Shepherd breed!!
Beware of so called breeders who boast about breeding over sized or large dogs! This is where all of the Hip Dysplasia, joint and cartridge problems came from. The Europeans breed for correct structure, color and pigmentation, intelligence, instinct, working ability and temperament.
Also beware of commercial German Shepherd websites in which there are hundreds or thousands of dogs for sale by people or breeders from all over the U.S. or World. Such sites are nothing more than a highway or poker table for the puppy mills and people exploiting the German Shepherd breed. If you look closely at many of the pictures of ''dogs for sale'' on such sites,particularly the older puppies and adults,you can see the sadness and dismay on many of their faces. Animal rights groups should be focusing attention on such sites. There are several good German Shepherd websites for doing research and such, however your not going to find them in the form of chat-rooms, forums, or any commercial website in which there are hundreds or thousands of dogs for sale!!
Be cautious regarding what you read in books and publications about German Shepherds. They were written by writers trying to make a dollar, not hands on German Shepherd people. I would love to publish a book, I don't have time!!
Obviously, we are adamantly against the exploitation of these magnificent animals in the United States. We could breed our females every time they have an Estrus Cycle or we could acquire more females. For everyone of the 4000-5000 request we get annually for dogs we could have one available and make allot of money! We could also open a used car lot and sell cheap troubled cars to those we could con into buying them!!!!!! My Maternal Grandfather, a German, told me when I was a child...''Always take the high road and the hard way,the low road and the easy way will get you there faster, but you will have nothing when you reach your destination''.We will repeat again.........If you do not have the patience to wait on a quality dog from one of the kennels in Europe, or the handful of kennels in the U.S. producing true German Shepherds,do not support the exploitation of this breed!! Go to your local animal shelter!!
We want to make it clear that we are not the only breeder in the U.S. breeding true German quality dogs and breeding under the German standard. We are proud however to be one of a handful in the U.S. to fall into this category. We also want to thank these other breeders who like us, are doing this to take this breed forward and improve the breed as a whole.
Vom Zeder Haus is selective with whom we place our puppies, so we would like to say ''Thank you'' to our many owners for giving ''us'' the opportunity to place a puppy with you.
We also appreciate the American Kennel Club for all of their assistance and professionalism.
We do much of our own Vet work, however The ''Harrogate Hospital for Animals'' in Harrogate Tennessee helps us keep our dogs healthy and functioning at the highest level. We appreciate Dr. Kim Carney and her staff for their assistance and good work!!
We very much appreciate Josef Mravik of Zlate Morave Slovakia for what he is also doing for the German Shepherd breed. Josef speaks six languages and is one of the top Schutzhund trial Judges and trainers in the world. Josef has assisted Vom Zeder Haus in acquiring elite German Shepherds from Europe. Josefs biggest language barrier may be trying to understand our Tennessee accent....................
At Vom Zeder Haus, we do not employ a kennel manager, secretary,maintenance personnel or grooms. We also do most of our own Vet work. There is no mortgage involved with our facilities or property as we own it all. This is how Vom Zeder Haus can place West German, Confirmation-Schutzhund quality puppies at 1/3 to 1/2 of the price of almost any other kennel in the world with these sames lines and quality.
Regarding the German Shepherd breed in the U.S.,we tell it the way it is.......We do not want to offend any person,nor do we want to make enemies,however our purpose is to promote and protect these magnificent animals. To improve on any floundering situation,mistakes and inadequacies have to be identified and then corrected.We can't change the world,but we can do our part. We will only breed German quality dogs,and we will only place our dogs with quality people. We don't do this for money because we don't need your money!! You will not find Vom Zeder Haus advertised in ANY magazine or publication. We don't pay to have our website placed at the top of internet search engines. We however are the only kennel in the World to still consistently maintain a waiting list for German Shepherds. When we can no longer produce World Class German Shepherds,or when we can no longer find World Class people to place these dogs with,then there will no longer be a Vom Zeder Haus German Shepherds!!!!............
Professional breeders with quality dogs do not produce puppies and then try to find buyers, They produce puppies to improve the breed and their clients reap the benefits!! West German Shepherds are a must in life!! Yes,we are extremely selective with our placements, and yes we receive thousands of request annually for dogs, but don't let that intimidate you!! All were looking for is intelligent, responsible, quality people to place these dogs with.If you feel you fall into that category, we want to hear from you!!
Vom Zeder Haus
German Shepherds
423-912-6888
German Shepherds
423-912-6888