Storm Vom Zeder Haus and Lexie. Nashville Tennessee	Rohan Vom Zeder Haus Paducah Kentucky

             The German Shepherd Dog

      The German Shepherd dog is a highly intelligent, high energy, highly ambitious dog. They are extremely loyal and try very hard to please their owners/handlers . They are highly versatile with an amazing aptitude. German Shepherds make the best family companions. They can be your best friend or your hiking or running partner. They can be military service dogs, police dogs used for bomb and narcotics, Schutzhund and protection dogs, or simply a childes Teddy bear. 
The attributes that all Humans should have....Honesty, integrity, passion, ambition, high intelligence, and the ability to both give and receive affection, all West German Shepherds have these qualities. Its not what we can teach these dogs, its what we can learn from them!!!! At Vom Zeder Haus we honestly believe that West German Shepherds, not humans, are the pinnacle of mammal evolution, especially from a cognitive and character standpoint. Europen West German Shepherds are more intelligent than 75% of human beings. Of course these dogs do not have the stimuli of the World, television, books or the internet, but regarding raw intelligence and healthy cognitive functioning, European quality West German Shepherds are more intelligent than 75% of the Human population. If this sounds like a rediculous statement to you, thats because you have never known a True European West German Shepherd !!!!
Originally bred to herd sheep and protect lambs from wolves in Europe, these dogs are natural protectors of children. Ironically, Vom Zeder Haus is adjacent to one of the oldest and largest Sheep farms in the U.S. 
       The German Shepherd in Germany 
    German Shepherds are highly praised and very much a part of the culture in Germany. Its quite common to see a German Shepherd accompanying its owner in restaurants, dept. stores, café’s, bars, banks, and beer halls. Its very common to see German Shepherds with their owners on walking and running trails as there are miles and miles of very well maintained cathedral like forested walk ways in Germany. German Shepherds in their native country are always very well behaved as most owners there are members of Schutzhund clubs. Unlike America, Schutzhund clubs are very prevalent in Germany with practically one in every neighborhood. They are good for the dogs and for their owners because of the training involved. The Schutzhund clubs in Germany are also very socially oriented with nice restaurants and fully stocked bars. 
Unfortunately,greed and the almighty dollar have infiltrated many of the breeding programs in Germany. Since around the mid 1990's there has been too much focus on pedigree,color,and angulation, as these things bring money from Westerners [primarily Americans]. As a result of such breeding,intelligence,drives and working ability have somewhat taken a backseat. Furthermore,there are dogs being Schutzhund titled that are not worthy of such. Just like pedigree,color and angulation, titles bring the money. There is a Gentleman who resides just south of Paris Kentucky. He and his family have owned the two most successful and prominent Thoroughbred Horse racing and breeding farms in the world for the last 100 years. This man, a Vom Zeder Haus dog owner, once told me the following....''Greed is a terminal disease''..... 
For the last several years,your best German Shepherd breeding and training programs in Europe are found in the Czech republic and Slovakia. In these countries they breed as Vom Zeder Haus breeds,for a well balanced dog that is strong physically,instinctualy, and cognitively. Furthermore, the SVV and ZVV programs in Czech and Slovakia are more physically and mentally demanding than Schutzhund, requiring a dog to think more for themselves rather than have the handler make decisions for them. For these reasons,Vom Zeder Haus has just acquired and imported three top young females from the best breeding and training kennel in Slovakia.
   The German-American Shepherd split
Unfortunately, 99.9% of all so called German Shepherds here in North America are not European quality dogs, but only a cousin of the true German Shepherd. Until the outbreak of WW II , all German Shepherds in Germany and America were the same. The last dog imported from Germany before the war to have a major impact on the breed was ''Pfeffer Von Bern'' He was the 1937 German or World Sieger before coming to the States and being named the American Sieger. He returned to the U.S in 1938 to again be named the American Sieger. Pfeffer dominated U.S. bloodlines in the late 1930’s and 1940’s. It was very rare to see a German Shepherd pedigree without his name during that time period.
During WW.II The German Shepherd in America, cut off from its German roots and quite possibly subject to some German bashing made fashionable by the war, started to develop its own appearance, mostly thru repeated inbreeding. Around 1960, some American breeders recognized what had happened and realized the need to get back to the original or real German Shepherd and starting importing dogs again. The problem with that and as well as today is that hardly any person or so called breeder in America had or has the knowledge or willingness to produce European quality dogs.Unless an American has outstanding contacts in Europe and is willing to spend allot of money to purchase elite dogs, then it is almost impossible to aquire a high quiality dog from Europe. Even if they are able to do so,that person still has to have a very high knowledge of breeding and producing European quality German Shepherds. Historically, the focus on breeding German Shepherds in Europe has been on producing a quality dog.The focus for breeding German Shepherds in the U.S. has been on money. Everything the breed has stood for in Europe -intelligence, beauty, incredible instincts, temperament, and health has been sacrificed in the United States. During the 1950’s and 1960’s only about half of the U.S. Siegers were German dogs, the last being ‘’Arno Von Der Kurpfalzhalle’’ in 1969. For Several years now the Germans have held their own competition in America to name the U.S. Sieger. At such a show the American German Shepherd would not be allowed to compete as it is not even recognized as a German Shepherd by the Germans. Again, it is such dogs which make up 99% of so called German Shepherds in America, it is also this breed from which Hip Dysplasia, Cancer, poor color and pigmentation, and unstable temperament have become so prevalent.
Don’t be fooled by U.S. breeders and kennels with German sounding names who are trying to pass there dogs off as European quality !!!!

        German Shepherd sub-species
    There are Three types of German Shepherds- The  Americanized-German Shepherd, East German/DDR Shepherds and West German Shepherds.
Americanized-German Shepherds are not a true German Shepherd. These dogs lack the intelligence, instincts, working ability, color and pigmentation, and good health that is required of the breed standard. We also refer to these dogs as ''Watered Down German Shepherds''. Unfortunately, Americanized German Shepherds literally make up 99.9% of the so called German Shepherd population in the United States. The Americanized German Shepherd is a result of puppy mills in the United States and/or the result of people in the U.S. aquiring German Shepherds, and with very little knowledge about the breed or about breeding,they just begin producing puppies and ''selling'' them to people who themselves no very little about German Shepherds, or to people in which quality means very little and they just want a so called ''German Shepherd''. The reason for the mass production of inferior dogs in the U.S. is GREED !!!! Anytime that money is the motive for any operation,the end result is NOT quality!! Unfortunatly, all of this is supported by people who purchase these dogs. It's one thing for a person to innocently and unknowingly purchase an inferior, poorly bred German Shepherd from a money hungry breeder.Most German Shepherd owners in America fall into that category and we don't hold it against you!! It's another thing however for a person to become aware of the exploitaton of the German Shepherd breed,and how this exploitation is creating inferior dogs.Then as a result of impatience, a lack of substance, a lack of respect for the German Shepherd Breed, or simply being outwitted by money hungry breeders, they still go support these people....................!!
East German/Czech/DDR German Shepherds are all the same type of German Shepherd and they are excellent dogs!! However they are bred for their working ability only, and while they are very intelligent, many find them a little too hyper and aggressive for the home environment. East German dogs are either black, sable, or black and tan in color.
        Many years ago, the West Germans felt a need to improve on their dogs and took the bred to another level....thus creating the West German Dog....Thru very select breeding, The West German dogs while maintaining all of the drive, working ability and instincts, evolved into a more refined, very elegant, more attractive dog, with better color and pigmentation, being black and red-saddle back.The West German dogs also tend to be more level headed and more adaptable to various social situations. In other words, they know when to turn the drive off, thus making them better suited for families and non-working environments. Today, West German dogs, while very expensive to acquire from Europe, are a very versatile dog and assume many roles both in Europe and the U.S. ranging from Police work, to family companions. It is these magnificent West German Shepherds that Vom Zeder Haus is so privileged to have in our kennel. There are other kennels in the U.S. who are also breeding these lines, however they are far and few in between. Whenever you are seeking a German Shepherd, remember what you have read on this page. 
Some years back, Peter Van Oirschot deliverd a speech in Holland about the Modern German Shepherd dog. This is a very good speech and Vom Zeder Haus has recently obtained a copy which is now on our ''Articles'' page