The sun begins peeping over the mountaintops as Caitlyn reassures her laboring German Shepherd dam. She’s been up since yesterday on puppy watch, helping the beautiful white-haired mama with each puppy’s entrance. Once all of the puppies have been born and are nursing, Caitlyn finally gets to take a well-deserved rest.
Caitlyn has been breeding dogs for 14 years, beginning with Australian Shepherds and transitioning to Old World-style German Shepherds for the last 8 years. Let’s learn what Caitlyn’s life as a German Shepherd dog breeder looks like and why she partners with Pawrade to offer healthy puppies to people like you.
Why Caitlyn Breeds German Shepherds
Caitlyn’s love of the German Shepherd breed goes back to her childhood. “I had a German Shepherd named Sampson when I was a kid, and I loved him. I then acquired a German Shepherd dog from a coworker, reminding me of all the reasons I loved German Shepherds from my past,” notes Caitlyn.
Caitlyn is staunchly committed to raising Old World-style German Shepherds. “My main goal in becoming a breeder was to revive the old style, straight-backed German Shepherds like they were originally. Some people like the show line dogs bred just for looks, but the problem is the sloped back is hard on the dogs. I thought it should not be this difficult to find a good conformation German Shepherd true to the original breed standard,” notes Caitlyn.
A German man named Captain Max von Stephanitz is considered the father of the German Shepherd dog breed, except his dogs in the late 1800s and early 1900s looked very different from most German Shepherds today. “If you look at old pictures of the first German Shepherd, you can notice the dog has a straight back and a sable color. They were herding dogs originally, acting as guardian dogs like a Great Pyrenees. They could go all day, moving through the flocks to watch out for danger.” Captain von Stephanitz developed the standard based on efficiency, temperament, and intellect rather than on beauty alone. “Utility and intelligence” was the Captain’s motto.
This idea of the original German Shepherd is what Caitlyn aims to preserve in her breeding efforts. She notes, “The German Shepherd is not a master of any one discipline but can excel at them all. Now they are military, personal protection, companions, PTSD dogs for veterans – it’s like having a person live with you. They can do just about anything.”
Carefully selecting healthy, tested parents
Caitlyn is very selective in breeding her German Shepherd puppies, from conformation to health requirements. “I do lots of research, connecting with breeders through word of mouth who are breeding with the same ideals we have,” she says. “We look at the genetic history, a big, solid conformation with a straight back, and check their parents and grandparents. We always get DNA-tested dogs with good hips and elbows certified through OFA and make sure each parent does not carry the gene that causes degenerative myelopathy (DM). We specialize in black and silver as well as white German Shepherds, so we look for recessive genes: Conformation first and color second.”
Caitlyn is also selective in how many litters they produce each year. “We don’t want to be breeding large amounts of dogs, so we have one or two litters a year. We usually require females to wait a heat. “It’s exhausting for a mother to have litters one after another with a higher chance they may have issues with future litters. Their bodies have to have time to recuperate before they have pups again.”
All About the German Shepherd Dog Breed
When most people picture a German Shepherd, they may automatically visualize various shades of brown, tan, or sable. However, German Shepherds come in 11 colors and color combinations including all-white, silver, gray, liver, blue, bicolor, black & tan, black & silver, black & cream, and black & red. They will weigh 50-90+ pounds depending on the sex and stand up to 26 inches tall when fully grown and can live 12-14 years.
How are German Shepherds versatile dogs?
German Shepherds thrive when given jobs to do and are highly trainable dogs. In fact, it’s necessary to keep them busy and active, as they will suffer physically and mentally if not given enough exercise or stimulation. Their exceptional intelligence and eagerness to please their owners make them very talented in activities like obedience, agility, dog sports, tracking, service and therapy work, military and K9 police dogs, and Schutzhund for working dogs (protection sports). They will need at least 90 minutes of focused exercise and mental stimulation each day, preferably more.
What type of family does best with a German Shepherd? Are they good with children?
German Shepherds are gentle and loving and make affectionate family dogs. This active, smart breed is admired for its bravery, courage, faithfulness, and loyalty to people seeking companionship in an active, versatile, hard-working dog.
“German Shepherds can be a great one-person dog for singles or for a family. They will often bond to one person, but they will love everyone in the family,” notes Caitlyn. “We breed for characteristics in dogs we like to see to create puppies that are well-rounded. We don’t like them high-strung and high-energy, so we try to find the puppy that is the best fit for the person’s lifestyle.
German Shepherds require the type of family that is active and prepared to devote time and resources to provide the mental and physical exercise this breed needs to avoid problems with people, other dogs, and pets. German Shepherds make excellent running and hiking buddies, and well-socialized German Shepherds will love going on adventures with you. This dog breed is not a great choice for a family with a sedentary lifestyle that is gone for long periods of time. “As long as you give them stimulation, they’ll be fine. If you leave them kenneled too long without extra exercise, they can become destructive, like chewing on your things.”
German Shepherd puppy owners will also want to spend a great deal of time socializing their puppy – the younger, the better. Proper socialization opportunities result in a well-behaved dog rather than a reactive, overprotective dog with visitors and the public. While German Shepherds can be protective of their loved ones, well-trained German Shepherds warm up quickly to strangers, making excellent family-friendly guard dogs.
Does the German Shepherd have a “sixth sense?”
Caitlyn explains how German Shepherds are friendly out in public but ready to defend their loved ones on their home turf. “I love when we sell pups to a family, especially with young children,” notes Caitlyn. “German Shepherds will give their life for that kid. Its job is to protect its people and home base. You can trust they will guard a child playing in the yard by being protective and territorial with their space.”
German Shepherds have a strong sense of when someone should be there and when there is potential danger. “Some breeds are always aggressive toward strangers, but the cool thing about German Shepherds is that they have a unique ability. They will let in people to the house like at a party just fine, and usually they’ll hang out with people. If one person shows aggressive behavior, you will notice a chance. They’re constantly watching and know when to pay attention when something isn’t right,” says Caitlyn. “Let’s be real – in today’s world, things are dangerous. People have audacity, and you never know what they’re going to do.”
Caitlyn shares a perfect example of how her 7-year-old German Shepherd companion acted as a radar. “My dog loves everybody and is very friendly and outgoing. We were sitting behind the counter at my dad’s shop one day. A couple walks in and she’s on guard, hackles up, bared teeth. She wasn’t lunging but went from zero to alert instantly. She never broke eye contact with them, growling, and crawled up on my lap. When they left, she was fine again,” Caitlyn recounts. “They’re absolutely fantastic. They have a sixth sense, whether protecting or helping someone. They know when someone’s going through something. German Shepherds are so loyal and have a lot of character.“
Caring for German Shepherds as they age
In addition to ensuring German Shepherd puppies are raised as healthy as possible, owners should prepare for aging before their German Shepherd develops painful joint issues. Because they are a large dog breed, they will experience more joint problems as they age. “We suggest you put your German Shepherd on a high-quality joint supplement as soon as you get your pup, something with minimal ingredients, glucosamine, and chondroitin, especially if they are going to be active with you,” encourages Caitlyn. “It is going to be apparent you didn’t, and you will regret it.”
A Day in the Life of Being a Breeder
Many people think breeders play with their cute puppies all day, but running a kennel involves so much more than puppy kisses and snuggles. The day actually starts the night before with tending to other chores on her farm, like feeding horses or spending time with her companion dogs and family. Caitlyn notes she could be with the dam all night and up to 12 hours or so into the next day helping break the sacs, latching on, and tending to mama. All her puppies are whelped in her house to have a temperature-controlled environment where she can monitor them.
Daily cleaning helps keep a sanitary space and prevent deadly parasites, a crucial part of keeping vulnerable puppies healthy. Each puppy is dewormed every 2 weeks, and the pups get their recommended shots on schedule. Caitlyn keeps up with her documentation on each puppy, noting the overall health of the litter, puppy weights, the sex of the puppies, colors, personality quirks, pictures, vet visits, purchasing parents, microchip information, and anything else important. She likes to have lots of information on file with several data points to look back and compare past and future litters.
However, Caitlyn doesn’t have to do all the work on her own. She says it takes a village when she has puppies to care for. “My family helps out with vet trips, lots of late nights, feeding the dogs, providing fresh water, cleaning out the kennel, spending time with the puppies with handling and socialization, clipping nails, checking that the collars are good as they grow, and anything else that needs to get done,” explains Caitlyn. There’s no rest for the weary when you run a kennel!
How Caitlyn Prepares Her Puppies For Their New Homes
Breeders strive to provide everything a puppy will need to seamlessly integrate into its new home. See how proper nutrition, potty and crate training, and socialization contribute to a puppy’s readiness and future success.
Chowing down: Proper nutrition
Caitlyn’s German Shepherd puppies nurse the first few weeks of life. Mother’s milk contains colostrum consisting of vital nutrients specifically designed to provide the right amount of nourishment the puppies need. Puppies transition to softened kibble Caitlyn calls “mush.” “We usually start transitioning the puppies to solid food at 4-5 weeks depending on the mother, and then we introduce mush,” Caitlyn says. “We take their dog food and pour hot water and let it sit to get mushy. We help direct their noses to it since it’s a new thing to them. It’s so cute watching them discover mush for the first time, like they’re saying, ‘Oh my gosh! It’s delicious!’ They learn it’s pretty good stuff.”
At 5-6 weeks old, the puppies start to wean and eat regular dog food. They take the dam out of their pen to help her recover from being a nursing mama. “We use Hi-Point ZERO dog food, wonderful for all stages of life, from puppies to seniors. It’s full of vitamins and minerals with no grain or fillers. Our dogs do well on it,” explains Caitlyn.
However, new puppy owners do not have to continue feeding Hi-Point ZERO or another specific recommended brand. Caitlyn notes, “We don’t have a dog food mandate. Put your dog on whatever you’d like because everyone has a budget. Use quality dog food in your price point and feed what works best for you and your puppy. Some puppy parents choose to feed real food, while others stick with kibble. German Shepherds are pretty hearty dogs.”
Potty & crate training
Housebreaking and crate training a puppy are often frustrating parts of owning a new puppy, but Caitlyn raises her puppies to have a head start. “We have a doggy door. They learn to go outside and eat and play inside.” As far as formal potty training using one method only, Caitlyn leaves the decision to new puppy parents regarding which potty training method they’d like to use. “Even if I potty train them here, they’ll experience a new environment and smells,” Caitlyn explains. “We don’t pick a particular method on our end. We let the new owners do that.” Caitlyn also starts her puppies on crate training. “It can be exhausting if the puppy cries all night in the crate when they’ve never seen one before, so we try to give a solid start to incorporate things into their routine.”
Socialization before 8 weeks old
There’s so much more to socialization than your puppy meeting people or other dogs, and Caitlyn does a great job preparing her puppies for experiences they’ll have throughout their life. She touches the puppies all over, giving plenty of belly rubs and playing with their ears and paws since they’ll need to be examined or groomed, especially important when clipping nails. The puppies love interacting with toys, kids, adult dogs, cats, and chickens. Caitlyn takes them for car rides so they’re used to it when they travel to their new homes. To prevent parvo and keep the puppies safe, the only place they go out in public is to the vet.
Caitlyn knows people may be taken aback when approaching adult German Shepherds due to an unfair assumption that they are attack dogs only. They have such a long history of being a protection dog, and it’s a stigma German Shepherd owners have to overcome. That’s why Caitlyn focuses on early stimulation and socialization to ensure her puppies are ready for the world and learn good habits. A well-socialized German Shepherd puppy will grow into an adult with good manners, breaking down stereotypes with its friendly personality.
Going Home and Post-Adoption Support
Caitlyn’s German Shepherd puppies are ready to go to their new homes after they turn 8 weeks old. “We can do 9 weeks or wait until after their second round of shots to make things easier when they get picked up,” she says.
Every breeder has different stipulations in his or her contract regarding breeding, spaying, and neutering. For those who want to breed their puppies when they are older, Caitlyn says there has to be a special circumstance for an additional price for breeding rights. “We have a standard that has to be met. We want to know if you’re serious about breeding that we are a part of that and be sure you’re not a backyard breeder that might not fit what our dogs want to be. It ultimately reflects poorly on us,” explains Caitlyn. “We don’t require spaying or neutering, but we encourage parents to wait until the dog is 1 or 2 years old to fully mature due to hormones.”
Caitlyn likes to keep communication open with her customers. “No question is dumb. I tell them to call, email, or text me, and I am always available to answer questions. I know there are people who get one who have never had a German Shepherd before and want to know what’s normal.” For example, because adult German Shepherds have ears that stand on top of their heads, some new owners are concerned when their puppy’s ear flops over. “My customers can send a picture, and I will reassure them it’s totally normal. I offer support to anything from ‘My dog got into something’ to ‘My dog isn’t eating as much this summer, is that normal?’ I like to be there for people as a reassurance and a nice resource.”
How Pawrade Helps Caitlyn Focus on Raising Puppies
Caitlyn turned to Pawrade to focus on marketing pups to more people and instead be able to focus on the integrity of her kennel. “I really like that you all are fantastic to work with as a great support system for breeders. It allows me to get my pups out there to a market that would be harder for me to do on my own.
“[Pawrade has] always had this mentality that protects both customer and breeder. I can trust our team to sell pups. Instead of being concerned with marketing, I am not the one to take the calls all the time and can get other things done, explains Caitlyn. “I know Pawrade has my back while I‘m busy doing vaccines because I have a company helping me market those pups. It’s really nice. We live in a place where there are lots of dog breeders, so it’s nice to know people will appreciate the quality of dogs we raise.”
Caitlyn’s heart is in the right place, a sentiment all Pawrade breeders share. “I’m not in it for the money. I’m in it to further the breed of the German Shepherd, and Pawrade helps me accomplish my goal.”
Find Quality German Shepherds at Pawrade
If you’re interested in finding German Shepherd puppies for sale, you should turn to Pawrade instead of trying to find a high-quality German Shepherd puppy on your own. Pawrade partners with trustworthy breeders like Caitlyn to offer only the very best puppies backed by a 3-year health guarantee. All German Shepherd puppies also come with a health certificate, 30 days of MetLife insurance, current vaccinations, and other perks. All correspondence and transactions take place through PetPay, an industry-leading secure transaction management system designed to protect you and your breeder from fraud and puppy scams.
See how our partnerships with ethical breeders like Caitlyn make us paws above the rest in pet adoption options. Browse our puppies for sale to find healthy, happy puppies from reputable breeders to join your home as your furever companion.
