At two years old, Winston’s temperament is superb. He is a half brother to Clyde and See See, who are 16 weeks old. He does a great job of playing gently with them, and they learned how to be respectful of a larger dog from their mother Jane.
Playtime with Brother Winston and Ears are Up!
Check out the nice ear set on Loosy! They just came up this week.
Puppy training
A couple of the puppies that went to homes in the Richmond area came over on Saturday for some informal training. We worked on walking on a leash and coming when called. Of course, we had to have play sessions! My two short coats, Clyde and See See, got to play with Chief (formerly known as Mustang) and Loosy, both longhairs. Here are two videos to mark the occasion.
Another natural retrieve!
In her new home, Connie’s new mom checked out the natural retrieve instinct.
Here it is!
Connie’s new family
I love the way Connie is already adapting to her new family! The Jack Russell and Connie are already curling up together. This was love at first sight! She settled in on Saturday, and these pics were taken on Sunday.
GSD puppy with baby stroller
Here is the puppy formerly known as Quarter with his new family out for a walk next to the baby’s stroller. And check out those perfect ears!
German Shepherd puppy as natural retriever
I love this video that one of my new puppy owners sent! It shows an 11 week old puppy doing a natural retrieve. Natural, meaning not taught, just pure instinct. This is definitely a big characteristic in my bloodline and something I’m particularly proud of. Natural retrieving is the instinct most highly correlated with trainability for guide work for the blind.
To test your puppy for this instinct, set him up for success. Try it in a familiar place, with no distractions, not even other people or dogs he knows. Try a familiar object like a ball, and an unfamiliar object. For an unfamiliar object I like to wad up a sheet of paper and toss it. Only throw a few feet away. Almost any puppies will chase, some will pick up, fewer will carry, and very few will bring back. So far, all my puppies that I have tested have brought back! When your puppy is successful, praise him a lot to encourage the behavior. And never force the object out of his mouth! Offer a treat, or another toy, and he will eventually drop it. Check out this puppy, formerly known as Mustang!
Long-haired female GSD available
Sadly, my friend who I was holding “Connie” for is unable to take her now, or to give me a time frame because of the health of her other dogs. So with Connie’s best interest in mind, I must place her. Just because she is the last puppy available out of a litter of 11 healthy pups, she is by no means the “last pick”! She has a very sweet and loving personality, and very nice conformation, which I wanted for my friend who is an experienced GSD owner. Despite this, I am selling her as a pet because of her long coat.
I did have Connie genetically tested, and she definitely has both recessive genes for long coat, and she does NOT carry the DM gene. I have been working with her on leash training and she has been accustomed to a crate for a couple of weeks now. The house training is going well. She plays like a normal silly puppy with her siblings and behaves appropriately around other dogs. She is up to date on shots and worming. She will likely be a large female, in the 75 to 85 lb. range. She will need frequent grooming to maintain that beautiful graceful look that is the hallmark of the longhaired GSD. As of tomorrow, she is 12 weeks old. Please use the contact form at bottom of this post to inquire about Connie. $1700 price includes guarantee and breeder as an information resource for a lifetime. Contract to review upon request.
Here are some pics of Connie, taken today:
Goodbye to Quarterhorse
Quarter went to his new home today! All the way in Pennsylvania. I’m very pleased with this placement because the family is familiar with German Shepherds, having owned them before. And horses! They have horses! They will have to be careful with Quarter at first until he gets used to being around them, keeping him on a leash until he adapts. I especially liked this young couple because they asked lots of really good questions. This told me that they understood how to determine if I was a good breeder, and if Quarter had a suitable bloodline that would be most likely to have good health and temperament. Having two young children, they are home a lot and understand the supervision they will need to provide around a young playful puppy. Special thanks to Vera Symonds, Quarter’s sire’s owner, for this great referral.
Happy couple 
Getting in the SUV
The mystery began on Friday
Last Thursday, I had 5 puppies still here. That’s Quarter in the front, my two I’m keeping- Clyde and See See lying together- then Connie with the pink collar I’m holding back until a friend is ready for her, and Cherry next to the tree. That’s two available.
A family who wanted to find a male German Shepherd puppy contacted me last Wednesday. Their beloved male German Shepherd had passed some time ago, and while they still mourned the loss, they were ready to move on. When I talked to the Mrs, I found out that they were indeed a great family for Quarter, my last male puppy left to place, leaving the female longhair, Cherry. She told me about their family. Her husband worked from home some, her 5 kids were home a lot, and they had several acres. They even had chickens. They set up a time to come Friday to see Quarter. It sounded perfect. No mystery there!
When they arrived, I sent out the “welcoming committee”, Nellie (Grandma to puppies) and Winston (older brother of puppies). I explained that, grown up, Quarter will probably look most like Winston, and Cherry will look like Nellie. And before they saw the puppies, they also met their mother Jane, and Johnny, Jane’s brother.
Then, they met Quarter and Cherry.
And they couldn’t decide!
Some family members preferred longhaired Cherry, and yet they had come for a male short coat! The family met all five puppies, so they could see them interacting and playing together. And Cherry tended to linger with the people who had come to see them, while the other four trotted around playing. They kept me in suspense! The family would return on Saturday. They were sure they wanted a puppy, but not sure which one!
I recommended Cherry. With the five kids, they would probably be happier with the happy go lucky personality of Cherry, vs. the typical more reserved German Shepherd personality of Quarter. And personality is what you live with. Then there’s the whole idea of thinking somewhere in the back of your mind, you are getting a dog just like the one who has passed on, and then maybe you are comparing all the time…. So should you do that? Maybe, maybe not.
But then again, there’s all the grooming! That long coat takes time to get through and keep nice. But so worth it! Long coats really are gorgeous, despite it being considered a fault in the AKC conformation ring.
I got up yesterday not knowing who would still be with me at the end of the day.
I think they made the right decision by picking Cherry. The whole family seemed happy with this choice, and I am too.
I’m real pleased with all the placements so far. I cannot believe Quarter is still here. He is so nice! He is going to be a gorgeous German Shepherd, probably good sized, a very masculine look, and very nice coloring with a thick but not long coat. If my friend is unable to take Connie after all, I may have to place her too. She is a long hair. I will continue to be very particular about homes for my puppies! Here is the current gang!
Shepherd Sight 