Welcome to the website for Vom Zeder Haus German Shepherds. Vom Zeder Haus is a German Shepherd breeding and training kennel. We are located near Norris lake in Tennessee, a little over two hours south of Lexington Kentucky, and one hour northeast of Knoxville Tennessee. Our dogs are European West German Shepherds,or in other words they are REAL German Shepherds.You will find no American, Americanized or watered down German Shepherds at Vom Zeder Haus.We Breed only Confirmation- Schutzhund quality dogs, and we adhere to the European standard.All Vom Zeder Haus dogs are either European Imports, or are 1st generation U.S. born, having been bred to the European standard. All of our dogs are either Schutzhund Titled, or have been Schutzhund or SVV trained. All Vom Zeder Haus German Shepherds have healthy hips, having either been certified in Europe, or are Veterinarian  Certified in the United States. All documentation for Schutzhund Titles and Hip Certification/X-Rays are available to Vom Zeder Haus Clients and kennel visitors. 
     As you read thru our website you will find that it is very different than other German Shepherd Breeder websites.The main purpose of almost all other such websites is to ''sell'' you a dog. Whereas the main purpose of our breeding program is to improve the breed and take it forward,the main purpose of this website is to educate the American public about the German Shepherd dog. Unless you have either owned, bred or trained German Shepherds in EUROPE, then there is much for you to learn about this breed!! By reading this website you will know more about the true European West German Shepherd than 99% of U.S. Veterinarians,you will know more than 99% of U.S. German Shepherd owners,and most importantly.... By reading this website, you will know more about the German Shepherd breed than 99% of U.S. German Shepherd breeders!!!! We are always looking for good, responsible, intelligent people to place our dogs with, however,   regardless of whether a Vom Zeder Haus dog is placed with you, by reading our website you will be ahead of the game,and in a much better position to pursue a German Shepherd anywhere!! The reason that puppy mills and irresponsible greedy breeders have all but ruined the German Shepherd breed,and gotten away with this for years, is because of people taking an irresponsible,laid back approach to pursuing a German Shepherd!! 
         Our entire breeding and training program is Non-profit, and the price of our puppies and dogs is dictated by our overhead. We don't do this for money, because we don't need your money.We are not wealthy people,its just that our character and love for animals would never allow us to use our German Shepherds as a means for financial support!! We Have a passion for the German Shepherd Dog, and we despise the Worldwide greed,ignorance and exploitation that surrounds these magnificent animals !!.... 
     80% of what is written or stated about the German Shepherd breed in any book and especially on the internet is inaccurate, or in plain English........ non-sense.There is a major exploitation of the German Shepherd Dog worldwide which has led not only to many misconceptions,but also to an inferior dog.Most people who write about this breed are not hands on German Shepherd people,they are people trying to make a dollar. While there are literally millions and millions of so called German Shepherd breeders in the world, 99% of these are both breeding and producing inferior German Shepherds that do not meet the breed standard,or in other words, are not Real German Shepherds. Sometimes this is a result of greedy people who are just out for your money.In other cases, it's simply a situation in which some person knows very little about the German Shepherd breed,and probably less than you do,they just go out and buy multiple inferior German Shepherds and begin breeding them. Depending on which European Judge,breeder or Breed Warden that you talk to,they estimate that there are between 5 and 10 U.S. German Shepherd Breeders, adhering to the European standard,and thus producing European quality dogs.Most of these are breeders with DDR lines, and keep in mind that this is 5 to 10 out of the Millions of German Shepherd breeders in the United States. 
     While we have placed German Shepherds with Law Enforcement agencies and the U.S. Government, 95% of our dogs are placed with Families and private individuals.German Shepherds should meet the European breed standard,so we breed as they breed in Europe, that is....to produce a very balanced, complete dog.We produce German Shepherds that can be your running or hiking partner in the morning,do Police tactical work during the day,a childs playmate during the evening,and protect his owner and Family at night. 
     When Max Vom Stephanitz, Arthur Myer, Wolfgand Hobbes and others created the German Shepherd breed in the late 1800's and early 1900's, the modern German Shepherd Dog and the breeding practices that surround it, are NOT what they had in mind. Peter Van Oirschot is one of the top German Shepherd trainers and Judges in the world. A few years back he delivered a speech in Holland about the modern German Shepherd Dog. Unless you are familiar with the real European German Shepherd,some of Mr Oirschots speech may not be familiar with you, however this is very good and accurate information and you will learn from it. As you move thru our website, a copy of ''Strengths and weaknesses of the modern German Shepherd Dog'' can be found on our ''Articles'' page.
      Most people in the United States are unaware that there are actually three sub-species of the German Shepherd Dog and that each is a completely different dog. 99.9% of German Shepherds in America are Americanized dogs.These dogs,while they may make an okay pet, do not meet the breed standard nor are they Real or True German Shepherds.These are basically dogs that resemble a German Shepherd,but would best be described as a cousin or bi-product of the True or Real German Shepherd. Again, the Americanized species of German Shepherd literaly makes up 99.9% of the German Shepherd population in the United States. As you read thru this website,the three sub-species of German Shepherds will be discussed in detail. 
     We like to compare German Shepherd breeding in the world to the history of furniture manufacturing......In the late 1800's and early 1900's furniture was hand made by craftsman out of the finest materials. These craftsman put their heart and sole into their work. In the 1940's and 1950's greedy industrialist began mass producing furniture from laminated wood and particle board. It was cheap,but it looked like furniture and was readily available. Along with greedy people and their puppy mills,this is what happened to the German Shepherd in the U.S. beginning in the 1940's and has became worse and worse over the years. This began happening in Europe in the  early 1990's............
        We want to make it clear that we are not the only breeder in the world still adhering to the breed standard and producing Real German Shepherd dogs. We are however one of a handful worldwide,still breeding for the right reasons,and producing German Shepherds as were produced in Europe from about 1900 thru the 1980's. While our dogs have been hand picked from around the world or from our own litters to be a part of our breeding program,they are not kennel dogs or economic entities that we use to make money.While German Shepherds are meant to be working dogs,they are also meant to be Family dogs. Our dogs live the lifestyle as did dogs of rural Europe many years ago. We start off every morning with a 5 mile run on the trails around the farm.The remainder of the day our dogs are engaged in various activities from herding and protecting livestock, swimming,hiking,or various Schutzhund activities. When we do Schutzhund here its not done on a soccer field or such. Our dogs are worked in the woods and water,and put in situations in which they have to think for themselves. 
     Our German Shepherds can speak for themselves, Vom Zeder Haus welcomes good potential placements to our Kennel to meet our dogs, meet us and see the environment we have chosen for our operation. Our Kennel is actually a German Shepherd farm as it encompasses 52 acres, two homes, two barns, two ponds, two creeks, and several other out buildings.In the event that you are scheduled for a visit, feel free to bring your hiking or running shoes as their are many good trails on our farm that run along creeks, caves,and thru the woods.If you have a Mountain Bike,we do that too and our German Shepherds are trained for it.If you partake of one of our trails you will do so in the company of several German Shepherds.
      Our German Shepherd kennel is within a four hour drive of Louisville Kentucky, Cincinnati Ohio, Ashland Kentucky, Richmond Virginia, Raleigh North Carolina,Greenville South Carolina, Atlanta,Nashville,Chattanooga and the northern areas of Mississippi and Alabama.
    Visitors to Vom Zeder Haus who have Schutzhund experience,are welcome to suit up and experience the power of our trained protection dogs.
Another good thing about visiting Vom Zeder Haus is that we always keep an ample supply of good German beer,and the coffee pot is always on....

.......Of the Millions of German Shepherd breeders in the world,Vom Zeder Haus is the ONLY Kennel to provide a 100% buyback policy with every dog that we place!!!!....Why?....Because people in the United States breed dogs because they need your money! We don't need your money,we breed German Shepherds for the sole reason of improving this breed.When we place a dog,we want our owners to be satisfied and our dogs to be happy! Don't confuse this policy with the so called ''Right of refusal'' that many breeders practice. A right of refusal policy means nothing or provides NO protection for a buyer!!!!
........Of the Millions of German Shepherd Breeders and Kennels Worldwide,Vom Zeder Haus German Shepherds, located in a rural farming community in East Tennessee,is the ONLY kennel to CONSISTENTLY maintain a waiting list for German Shepherd puppies!!!!  Why?.....Because of the quality of our dogs, and the quality of our breeding program........ This is something that we are not boasting about, its just a fact!!!!

      Regarding the quality of the German Shepherd dog,the German Shepherds of Vom Zeder Haus are truly in the top 1% of all German Shepherds worldwide.Not because they are here.....That's why they are here!! We realize that this looks and sounds like an over-statement,however..... Were not concerned with ''Selling'' you a dog,that's why we stress on this website for potential German Shepherd owners to visit as many kennels as you can,because doing so will further educate you about the breed,and most importantly,about breeders.If however you are invited to visit Vom Zeder Haus, then you will know what a European quality German Shepherd is,and the environment that a quality breeding program should be in.German Shepherds evolved from the mountains,woods and water of Germany.Several years ago,and after years of searching,we acquired the property which is now ''Vom Zeder Haus'',because it entails what the German Shepherd Dog came from ''Mountains, woods and water. The fact that one of the oldest sheep farms in the U.S. is adjacent to Vom Zeder Haus, and the best German type Beer brewery in America is only 35 nautical miles from our kennel,well that's just a coincidence!!!!
 

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