Our website is to serve three 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....And to serve as an educational tool for people in the U.S. about the German Shepherd breed.
Our breeding and training operation is non-profit,as 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 really don't need your money, is one reason that our breeding program is so successful.
Our dogs are not economic entities that we have aquired to breed and make money.Although we can import an adult or older puppy for you, our United States Tennessee kennel offers puppies, stud services and training.While our dogs are some of the top in the world, and have been hand picked to be a part of our kennel,they are also beloved family companions and will never leave Vom Zeder Haus.
We breed under the strict guidlines of the German Standerd.The basic premis of the standerd is that you only breed to improve the breed as a whole.Therefore we only breed Confirmation-Schutzhund quality dogs.Another standerd in Germany is that you can only produce a maximum of 5 litters a year.In these Elite West German lines,5 litters equals 25-28 puppies.Its said that there are only SIX German Shepherd breeders in the U.S. breeding under the German Standerd, thus producing German quality dogs.
We do not tube feed puppies.They don't do this in Germany and we don't do it at Vom Zeder Haus.Many puppies from birth to two weeks of age become weak and stop nursing.Medicaly its called ''Fading puppy syndrome''.Most breeders tube feed these puppies to keep them alive because they need your money.This creates inferior dogs that were not strong enough to make it on their own.When animals or mammals are the result of decades very select breeding,survival of the fittist is very prevelant.Again,tube feeding is not done in Germany and its not done at Vom Zeder Haus.Our puppies have survived because they are geneticaly strong.
It doesn't matter whether you seek a German Shepherd from us, whats importian is that you acquire a quality dog and not allow someone to con or scam you into buying an inferior dog. Its also importain that you don't support the puppy mills and the exploitation of German Shepherds in the U.S. Our breeding program and approach is the same as the Germans have been doing since the 1800's.While 99.9% of the millions of so called German Shepherd breeders in america are doing this because they need your money, we are one of a handful in this country breeding solely to improve the breed and take the breed forward.
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 copies of his work, being massed produced out of laminated and particle boards. The furniture maker however keeps going because it is his passion,and there are the people who possess the intelligence to recognize the quality of his work. Sometimes we feel like the furniture maker.Sometimes 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 puppy mills and exploitation of this breed.However, those select few, who do their research,and ultimately possess the intelligence and character to make the right decision to pursue a dog from a quality breeding program,thats what keeps the German Shepherd of true German lineage and origin going!!
Think of a German Shepherd as a fine tuned high performance machine that has evolved in Germany over the last 130 years.The dogs referred to as German Shepherds in the U.S. are only a distance cousin or by-product of the true German Shepherd.Our''The German Shepherd Dog'' page on this website goes into detail about how that happened.
Unfortunately there is a major exploitation of this breed in the United States.Breeing quality German Shepherds is very expensive, very time consuming, and allot of work.Thats why almost ALL breeders in the U.S. are not producing quality or real German Shepherds,they are only in it for the money.
Unfortunately about 99.9% of so called German Shepherds in the U.S. are only a sub species or by-product of the true German Shepherd.They are actualy a completely different dog and should be classified as an ''American Shepherd''. Most German Shepherd puppies are produced by breeders in the U.S. so they can buy gas, groceries, and make their house and car payment.
You will never find true German Shepherds for sale in a newspaper, nor will you find true German Shepherds being produced in someones house or backyard. Websites are easy to build and words are cheap. Always visit the kennel where you are considering acquiring a dog.Meet the dogs and the breeder! Be very 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 puppymils 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!
Beware of kennels or breeders who have live puppies for sale. This is a MAJOR RED FLAG!! True German Shepherd puppies are in extremely high demand! Good breeders with quality dogs, breeding under the German standard are producing a maximum of 30 puppies annually.Those same breeders are receiving 100-5000 request annually for puppies, DO THE MATH!! People who have live puppies for sale, ready for placement are breeding american or americanized dogs.They just create a litter of puppies and then try to find buyers.
Another 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.Remember also that almost all breeders in america are doing this only for money, and they breed as often as possible with little or no focus on quality.
Contact any of the 6 or so breeders in the U.S. who are breeding true West German Shepherds or contact any of the dozens of kennels in germany, you will find that aquiring a true West German Shepherd is a process. First and foremost you have to be selected as a placement, then put on a waiting list for a short while. If you need a dog or puppy today or within the next few weeks, don't support the puppymills and the exploitation of German Shepherds, go to your local animal shelter. You will be much better off and will have saved a dogs life in the process! A good friend who breeds and trains in Germany once told me this....''A person who does not have the patience to wait on a good dog, the ability to inderstand 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 and accept credit cards as payment.There nothing more than puppymills and they had rather you not visit. They want your card# and they will gladly ship a puppy to you.
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 rigouras working dogs that evolved from the mountains of Germany. While many of our dogs spend much of their time in the homes of their owners, a German Shepherd puppy needs to spend alot 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, especialy during their puppyhood. A so called breeder who states that their dogs and puppies are socailzed inside is clueless and knows nothing about the German Shepherd breed!!
Beware of so called breeders who boast about breeding oversized or large dogs! This is where all of the Hip Dysplasia, joint and cartlidge problems came from. The Germans breed for correct structure, coler and pigmentation, intelligence, instinct, working ability and temperment.
Be very careful when persuing an older puppy or young adult.True German Shepherds are extremly intelligent and very affectionate to their owners. Why would anyone want to sell such an animal? Maybe a physical or temperment issue? When puppies are placed from a quality breeding program, there is usualy much discretion regarding the placement, and some type of buyback policy if something goes wrong. Be very very cautious when offerd an older puppy or young adult!
Be very 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 adimatly against the exploitation of these magnificent animals in the United States. Vom Zeder Haus could breed our females everytime they have an Estrus Cycle or we could aquire more females. For everyone of the 4000-5000 request we get anualy for dogs we could have one available and make alot of money! We could also open a used car lot selling cheap troubled cars to those whom we could get to buy them.Were not going to do either of these things!! 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 something that we stated earlier on this page....If you do not have the patience to wait on a quality dog from one of the kennels in Germany, 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!! They have many good dogs that need adoption,and we promise you that any of these dogs there will make a better companion than an americanized German Shepherd. In addition, you will not have to deal with the unstable tempement,Hip Dysplasia,joint problems,or Cancer.
Unless you aquire a dog of true German lines bred under the German standerd, your not getting a German Shepherd, your getting a dog that resembles a German Shepherd, thats all!
We want to make it very clear that we are not the only breeder in the U.S. breeding true West German dogs and breeding under the German standerd. We are very proud however to be one of the approximate 6 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 very selective with whom we place our puppies, so we would like to say ''Thankyou'' to our many owners for giving ''us'' the oppertunity to place a puppy with you.
We also appreciate the American Kennel Club for all of their assisstance and professionalism.
We do most of our own Vet work, however when we need outside assitance, The ''Harrogate Hospital for Animals'' in Harrogate Tennessee sees that our dogs stay healthy and functioning at the highest level. We very much appreciate their staff for their assistance and good work!!
At Vom Zeder Haus, we do not employ a kennel manager, secretary,maintenance personnel or grooms. We also do 95% 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, Confimation-Schutzhund quality puppies at 1/3 of the price of almost any other kennel in the world with these sames lines and quality.
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 benifits!! West German Shepherds are a must in life!! Yes,we are extremly selective with our placements, and yes we receive thousands of request anualy 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