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We feed our dogs a partially BARF diet. For those of you who are not familiar with the term, BARF stands for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food.

I had a dog who had so many food allergies that typical dog food was not an option for her. For a long time I cooked her meals... she ate better than the humans in my home! While we ate pizza, she dined on cooked hamburger or fish and sweet potato, oatmeal, cottage cheese, and pureed veggies. What a job it was to feed her!!!

Several years later, I read about the raw food diet. While feeding a dog BONES went against everything I had been taught growing up; it also made sense once I read the reasoning behind this feeding plan. (NOTE: Bones are only safe when NOT COOKED!)
I won't review all the information I read here. But here are a few facts: The dog's digestive system has not evolved from its original design. That design accounts for dogs to rip and tear prey, and to consume bones, meat, organs, and whatever vegetable matter is in the stomach/intestines of the animal they were eating. Another important fact: dogs are not designed to digest mostly grain/carbohydrates... and dry kibble feeds are mostly grain/carbohydrates.

Dogs can exist on these dry food diets, but I liken it to a child living on sugary cereal.... not optimal for health!

The drawbacks to a BARf diet are trying to vary the content of meals, and providing a balance of nutrients, and the possibilities of issues from salmonella/bacteria. While some experts claim salmonella/bacteria is not a risk, I have also read studies that show salmonella present in the food and stool of dogs on BARF diet.

I encourage anyone interested to read about the BARF diet. It is an adjustment to get accustomed to defrosting raw food and feeding a variety of foods to your dog. Certainly, dry kibble is easier! The cost does not have to be more than premium kibble food, if you buy in bulk and on sale.

I tell people to read, get educated, make your own decisions about how far to go with this. I don't appreciate the cult like fanaticism that some devotees of this form of feeding/raising advocate. It is not my intent to attack or alienate those who are not comfortable with this choice.

For those who wish to continue feeding prepared kibble, there are a few we recommend as better than most. We highly recommend Solid Gold’s Wolf Cub kibble for puppies. Transfer them to Solid Gold Wolf King at six months and maintain them on that dry food. You should always look for dog food that has a meat/chicken/fish as its first ingredient, not a by product, not a starch or grain.

Old Mother Hubbard, a New England based company, produces WELLNESS dry food. Wellness has human grade ingredients, and is not full of fillers. They also have limited ingredient diets for dogs with food allergy. (It has been our experience that not all pups do well on Wellness. The new formula’s additional fiber sources cause loose stools in some animals.) Other foods that we are familiar with and see good results are Canidae, & Innova Evo diet.

You owe it to your dog to feed the highest quality food you can provide!
If you would like more information on how to switch your dog to a BARF diet, we are happy to discuss it & help you formulate meal plans! (Some dogs do not do well on partial kibble and partial BARF. Our German imports were raised on this combination and we have continued it.)

There is a growing movement against over vaccinating dogs. Many vets agree that we vaccinate our dogs more than is necessary. Consider your own vaccine history. Many of your childhood shots were given once, or with boosters years apart. So, why must we vaccinate dogs annually?

An interesting question! And there are many articles available on the subject, should you wish to investigate.
Whether or not to vaccinate is a personal decision. You need to do what makes sense to you. If you live in an area with high instances of particular disease; you might be better off to vaccinate. If you live in an area with low incidence of those same diseases, you might opt to skip those particular vaccines. (For instance, in some countries, Malaria pills are taken to prevent Malaria. Here in New England, we do not have Malaria nor do we take the pill!)

Some vets claim that we need only to give puppies their series of traditional puppy shots, with boosters at one and two years of age. Then, We can stop vaccinating. To be sure your dog is protected, you can check titers annually after age two. Others feel that vaccines are unhealthy, and they choose not to vaccinate at all. They feel that most diseases we vaccinate against are not deadly, and they prefer to take their chances.

If you put a deposit on a puppy & you wish for that puppy not to receive vaccines, I will abide by your decision for that animal. Please be advised that the Rabies vaccine you will be due to give at 13-16 weeks, is required by law.

What is a long coat??? A long coat is just what it sounds like.. a German Shepherd with a longer coat than the traditionally short coats you are used to seeing. A long coat is a recessive trait that pops up every so often. There are a variety of colors, the same as short hair coats. There are also different degrees of long coat. Some long coats have no undercoat, others do have one.

Many people prefer the look of a long coat, and often breeders have wait lists for them.

As beautiful & popular as they are, most breeders do not breed purposely to produce long coats. Why? Longcoats are not desirable for showing or breeding. The long hair is deemed not as weatherproof as the shorter coat, and some long coats have no protective undercoat. Long coats are not to the standard.

In every other way, long coated dogs are just as versatile as any other GSD, and can be found working at a variety of jobs/competitions. In our experience, long coats make great family pets. Often, due to their irresistible furry puppy looks, they are the most socialized pups in a litter!

"The purpose of Schutzhund is to demonstrate the dog's intelligence & utility. It also measures the dog's mental stability, endurance, structural efficiencies, ability to scent, willingness to work, courage, & trainability."
--USA

We highly recommend Schutzhund! Not only is it a wonderful measure of your dog's working ability, a test of your training/handling skills and accomplishments, it is also a competitive sport. Schutzhund is NOT about teaching your dog to BITE. German Shepherd Dogs are protective by nature.... Schutzhund training teaches CONTROL of the bite!

For more information about Schutzhund, visit the

For more information about HGH/ herding visit

We offer incentives to anyone who titles a puppy purchased from us! Contact us for more information.