The Breed

Fill in the puppy inquiry form and place a deposit once your application is approved. The application is not a formality — it is how we work out whether one of our dogs suits your home.

A non-refundable deposit of $1,000 reserves your puppy, and it comes off the total purchase price. Deposits are taken electronically once your application is approved — nothing is owed before that.

Only a few planned litters a year come through, and every puppy is matched to a home. If you need a puppy immediately, or you are planning a surprise gift, we are not the right place — and that is deliberate.

AKC Limited Registration. To obtain full registration with breeding rights, the dog must pass a physical inspection by a licensed veterinarian at six months of age for DM and hips/elbows. A fee uplift applies.

Puppies play hard and their bones and joints are still growing, so knocks and short-lived limps are normal. You are always welcome to see a vet, but the usual answer is to limit play until it settles.

They are not common, especially outside Europe. They come out of strong working-line bloodlines and are popular with law enforcement, which keeps demand high and availability low in North America.

There is no single best line — it depends on your life. West German working lines are praised for versatility, Czech and DDR working lines for high drive and experienced handlers, and West German show lines for stable family temperament with good structure. What matters more is finding a breeder who health-tests hips, elbows and spine for the line you actually want.

Alsatian and German Shepherd are the same breed. “Alsatian” was used mainly in the UK during and after the First World War to avoid the word “German”.

The total collection of genes, and their variant forms, across a population at a given time. A larger gene pool means more genetic diversity, and a population more able to adapt. It is the reason careful, documented breeding across a wide base matters.

Roughly 6.8% of German Shepherds are solid black. The colour comes from a recessive gene, which is what makes it both uncommon and sought after.

The gene is recessive, so both parents must carry it for a puppy to have a chance of being solid black — and even then, not every puppy in the litter will be. Two solid black parents produce an entirely black litter. Two standard-coloured parents who both carry the gene may produce some black puppies and some standard.

Scarcity, and the more careful breeding needed to produce a healthy black litter. A solid black puppy commonly costs close to twice a standard-coloured one.

They stay black for life, and they are no different in temperament — the same intelligent, loyal, hardworking dog. Colour is colour.

For domestic travel within the United States, yes — you will need a small crate that fits under the seat in front of you for take-off and landing. Book the animal onto your reservation when you book the flight, as most airlines cap the number of animals in the cabin. If you would rather not make the trip, we can arrange a dog nanny to fly with your puppy.

Only a few airlines transport animals legally and safely as cargo. We work with Lufthansa, United and Swiss Air Cargo.

The breeder sends a request to a customs broker. You provide that broker with an ID number and contract with them for the puppy’s entry into the United States.

Since 1 August 2024, US CDC rules require that a puppy leaving on a non-stop flight be six months of age or older. This is not negotiable and it is worth planning around from the start.

We have contracted ground services that will deliver your puppy by vehicle instead. Mention it on your application and we will arrange it.

You can. IPATA — the International Pet and Animal Transportation Association — has member shippers in more than eighty countries, and an IPATA member is the safer route than a general freight agent. Their directory is at ipata.org.