More testimonials found at E-news and Updates
7-6-2008
From Lee in Arizona, writing about his Service Dog, Knicky (Knick Knack Paddy Whack Give Your Dog Bone Vom Haus Kohl), from the K Litter of Jake and Dakota, born October, 2007.
"I just wanted to let you know that Knicky's coloring is changing about every two to three weeks and she is simply gorgeous! She is an amazing swimmer, everyday for hours on end. She looks like a Mercedes and runs like a Ferrari. She opens and closes all sixteen doors. She had a habit of pooping under the living room Grand Piano from time to time (white carpet no less!) but has been a solid little bathroom (outside in our prefered space) beauty for about three weeks. I have her in a service vest and have begun her introduction to the public. She's a doll. I wanted you to know that Boomer is a constant curiosity to the public due to his size and draws a lot of 'love'. On the other hand, Knicky is becoming quite special. Arizona is home to many retired individuals from around the US and Europe. With Boomer (190 lb Mastiff, also a service dog), people ask about the breed. With Knicky, people ask about the breeder. People regularly approach me to tell their stories of showing German Shepherds and share the pride of their awards perhaps three decades ago. They're obviously far more knowledgeable about the breed than I am. The constant comment is 'you didn't buy this pup in the US'. Knick Knack Paddy Whack Give a Dog a Bone is vested and in public in Phoenix Arizona. Her demeanor easily doubles her physical stature in any situation. She is very quickly becoming a class act. I love my 190 lb Mastiff, and all that he does for me. Knicky is without question, extremely special. She will be the talk of Phoenix. P.S. My condition had become very bad. Steroid adjustments at the Mayo Clinic have somewhat improved things. Swimming daily with Knicky is the best therapy. "
8-30-2007
From Whitney and Kayla of the Carroll College Human-Animal Bonding Program, writing about Tari, their pup from the I Litter of Strongheart and Bree, which they are training to be a Service Dog:
"Tari is a great puppy, she is very bold and eager to learn. So far we have found nothing that she is scared of! She bosses our labradors around as though she was twice their size and she loves to play. She is very loving to her humans, but isn't terribly interested in strangers. She is friendly and will say hello, but she would rather be with the people she knows. We have started a new service dog training class this semester and she is the youngest pup. Our instructor promises outings in wheelchairs, and that the dogs will learn 70-80 new commands such as turning on and off lights and opening doors. She has been a lot of fun and her antics amuse us daily. She has even been a relatively easy puppy as far as crate training, sleeping through the night, not biting, etc. We have been taking her to a weekly "puppy party" for socialization with pups her own age and to meet new people. She is weighed there weekly and she is now up to 27 lbs. She is scheduled to be fixed soon too. Anyway, I wanted to drop you a line and tell you how the little princess is doing."
8-26-2007 From Tony in Nevada, writing of Baron, a Strongheart/Baccara pup, H Litter
"On balance Baron is an amazing dog. In a perfect world he should be riding around in the back of a police car. You really have bred the near perfect police dog. Beyond that I can think of few higher compliments."...in an earlier email, Tony writes: " He is the most beautiful German Shepherd I have ever seen. I take him everywhere and get an extraordinary number of compliments about him."
7/23/2007 Greetings from Virginia,
I wanted to give you an update on Roxy (J litter). She is absolutely
awesome. Thank you so much for finding the perfect puppy for our family. I
am amazed at just nine weeks Roxy allows my one year old baby to lay on
her. She is doing great with her obedience, she has down and stay and comes
when called. Her potty training is almost complete, not one stool in the
house, a few voids, and she has been sleeping thru the night within a week
of arrival. All in all she is perfect, I only wish I had got two pups from
this litter. I will get pictures out soon. Talk to you soon,
Laura
note: Roxy came from Max and Wessa, Litter J, our longhaired line.
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Strider (Baccara's brother, B Litter out of Arko and Gerta) and Peanut, the Guinea Pig
July 4, 2007 Hi Elizabeth, I just had to email and tell you how wonderful Strider was! The girls had our 3 guinea pigs out grazing foolishly without any fence around it. My one daughter was preoccupied in helping her little sister ride a bike. when I called her for dinner, she was panicked because Peanut, our little guinea pig was gone. We all searched for her for over 30minutes, turning over every bush and scouring the area. My husband was ready to give up and we all knew that she would not make it for long outdoors. Then I thought of Strider, who always protects the guinea pigs. I took him out and brought out the house where Peanut lives and let him sniff it for its scent and said "Find Peanut! Please find Peanut!" He started to sniff the grass and the ground and after several minutes I saw him pawing in the rough where dense prickly underground covering was. I called for everyone and they were digging underneath all the prickles and dirt and leaves and there was Peanut! We were SOOOO grateful. Strider looked happy too and sniffed her and gave her a big lick. Just another ordinary day for him, i guess. What a great member of the family. He guards and takes care of even our rodent friends. Happy 4th of July! Monica
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Another Leo brag: he sure is growing up into a nice dog. We've started outing him now, and for a dog that doesn't like to let go, he is doing very well. Such self control for such a wild man--that, he still is. Ethan, who works with a 180lb Cane Corso, held Leo on the long line the other day while I was up front and said he had to dig his heals in the ground because he was so strong. Ounce for ounce that dog is a powerhouse! His medium size (ok small if you're comparing to Hank), may fool you, but man is he FAST and he hits HARD. If he's running full speed I get out of the way ASAP because he'll take my feet right out from under me. He is stronger than Hank by far, and weighs at least 25lbs less. I love the fact that he's such business on the field, but when I take him to Petsmart he is CGC guy--loves EVERYONE. If people kneel down, his paws are on their shoulders and he's covering them with kisses, kids especially. And other dogs he is a social butterfly (even more so than Hank). This female GSD who we ran into did not like him much and snapped at him--here I am about to yank him away thinking he's going to chew her up, when he simply turns around and walks away. That's my boy! He's confident enough to walk away when confronted, knowing he doesnt' have to snap back to prove he's dominant. He really THINKS--I love him! He is so much fun to train. Sometimes though, I will admit, he makes me pull out all my hair. I do believe theres a few gray ones from him in there too...lol. However when I watch him work, or when he's so well behaved when I take him out, or when he simply snuggles up close to me at night with his head on my chest, its all worth it. Who needs hair anyway? I love them both--and it pleases me to no end that people like them so much that they want one of your dogs too--that says a lot, kudos to you as always! When I tell people I'm going on my 3rd dog from you, they look at me like I'm crazy, then the next day they are tracking me down to get your information--they simply can't help themselves! Can you blame us!? :) --Ashley (Virginia)
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1-18-2007, Sheeba is a pup out of Tag and Jake, Litter E
Things are going very well with Sheeba. She has been such a great dog. Better than we ever expected. We all have fallen for Sheeba and love her very much. She is a great addition to our family. Sheeba shows a lot of interest in Sam, our 5 year old boy. They play all the time. Sam loves to run and have Sheeba chase her - and I think Sheeba loves this game too!!!
I don't think I've ever seen an animal that loves people so much. She always has to be around us - following us around the house and laying or sitting at our feet all the time ! We love that. The kids lay on the floor to watch a movie and Sheeba lays right there with them happy as can be ! Of course, Sam's favorite is when I allow him and Sheeba to lay together on his bed and watch the portable DVD player. They are both in heaven !!
Over the holidays, we had 3 very large gatherings. This was her first test at socializing with as many as 30 people. Sheeba proved her friendliness and intelligence. New Years Eve we invite friends that also have small children, and with about 19 kids, the majority under the age of 6, it was quite a madhouse around here !! Sheeba was wonderful, going from wrestling with our 22 year old nephew to gently playing ball with an 18 month old boy. We were so pleased that she can gauge how rough she can be with someone. We are also pleasantly surprised at how fast she learns. And the kids love that she listens to them (they get to be the boss of someone !!)
We get compliments about her behavior and her good looks from everyone who meets her.
Ellen, Cleveland, OH
I have a couple things to add to Ellen's email. As you know, I had two Shepherds when I was a kid. One of these Shepherds was a great dog and he let me know the potential of the breed. The other was also a good dog but, she was too aggressive to others. Over protective. Based on these two dogs, and how different they were, I was a little concerned about choosing my family dog. I hoped and prayed that I would find one like Zak, our long haired male that was so good. He was the kind of dog that I wanted for my family. We have found that kind of dog with Sheeba and more. She has consistently surpassed my expectations. At only 8 months, Sheeba is a kind and gentle dog when that is asked of her. She is not the crazy puppy that you often see in other dogs. It impresses me how fast she picks up her one word commands and even hand signals. The kids taught her to shake hands. Again, thank you for Sheeba.
Greg, Cleveland, OH
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Congrats on the new arrivals. You are doing such a wonderful job with your program. Baer is still the most wonderful beast I have ever met. I just recently lost my father to complications with Diabetes and when my mother comes over to visit he will come up to her and totally give her loves until she talks to him. Then he looks at her with that Puppy Gleam in his eyes and seems to tell her it will be alright.I will always thank you for the chance we had to have met you and your family,. Even your extended family, ie: the furry ones that run around on four legs. Those puppies are soooooooo cute. Thanks for all that you have done for us and thanks for the updates.
SSG Dan and Family ;-) ( Utah)
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Devon's character can be summed up in one word: balanced. As a pup she was never afraid or skittish, always curious and interested but not overly rambunctious and meddlesome. She has matured into a beautiful, social, extremely stable dog. She gets along with all other dogs, always ready to play. She loves children and stays quiet and calm even when they get rowdy and wild. She seems to inherently know who and what to sound her "alert" bark for, never barking incessantly at meaningless or inappropriate things. Her calm, centered manner allows her to come with me really anywhere, whether it be to the local coffee shop, or a loud horseshow, where she is expected in both situations to sit quietly and let people pet her. She is a very quick and sensitive learner, as I rarely have to tell her "no" more than once. She adjusts quickly to different situations such as first running beside me when I ride my horse in a field, to then sitting and staying outside the ring when I take a riding lesson. She is an affectionate, kind animal. She makes us laugh when she acts goofy, she makes me feel safe when I'm home alone with my children, and she makes me proud when people comment on how well behaved and lovely she is. She is a pleasure to own and a true joy in our family's life. ---Elizabeth (Maryland)
June 2006 Hi Elizabeth! I have a funny story for you. I love reading all about all the great accomplishments Devon's littermates and other dogs from you succeed at, so I thought I'd share Devons latest search and rescue triumph. (hehe) My girls recently got hamsters about a week ago. We went out last night and when we got home we found that one of the hamsters had escaped its cage. So, I got Devon and showed her the empty hamster cage, and said "Devon, find it!" And lo and behold, she sniffed and tracked the hamster down the hall to the guest bedroom in the closet. And there was Cola the hamster! Probably not a terribly complicated find in the world of search and rescue, but we were all very impressed. We were cracking up at how Devons' littermates are being trained in all sorts of awesome disciplines and our sweet Devon is being kept busy by finding lost hamsters. However, I must say at the time, it was a dreadfully important task. Though you would get a giggle from that. We did. ----Elizabeth (Maryland)
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Cheyne is sound asleep in her crate. She is a wonderful dog!!!!!!! She already knows her name and comes when she is called. She has acclimated well to the crate and her new surroundings. She does so many cute new things every day that I am keeping a log. My favorite is when she is hot she lays on the air conditioning vent to cool herself off and bites at the air. Cheyne and Shilo get along great now. There was a little tension at first, but now they are best buudies. They walk right beside each other on leash and play and roll around together. Thanks again for such a wonderful puppy. I feel like my family is complete again now that she is with us!!!
Dec 2006 " Cheyne is a joy and I am still amazed almost every day how smart she is. Thanks for breeding such wonderful dogs."
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Hello Elizabeth
>
> We were unsure if Liberty's instincts about protectiveness would show,
> because she is so sweet and nice to everyone.. Turns out, she has a GREAT
> instinct and will make people back up and stop in their tracts. My mom is
> redoing the house and she was in another room when the tile guys went in the
> kitchen where Liberty was eating, my mom was in the other room. The tile guy
> walked into the kitchen through the one of the doors and Libertys hair went
> up, barked and was growling, she was showing "mean face". She also went wild
> when the texture guy went to the backyard, turns out he had an issue with
> dogs and Liberty let him know he wouldnt be going further than the fence.
> We are very happy, it makes us feel safe and secure. Thank you so much for
> Liberty.
> Michelle
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Hi Elizabeth,
Just a quick update on Lexa..
Yesterday when I was gone, Susie let her out into the kennel but left the gate open so she could get into the garage. She found the recycle bin and pulled out a crushed gallon milk carton and tried to get it out the doggie door from the inside kennel to the outside. But it wouldn't fit. So she tried it twice more and then turned her head and took it right through. Now that is a problem solving dog which is just what I wanted!!!
We have my Mother her for a month and she does not like dogs, however, puts up with the grown ones. She doesn't like Lexa since she is still too enthusiastic when meeting people. However, last night, Lexa was in the living with all of us ( the 3 dogs, Mom, Susie, and me) and she just settled in and laid down on her doggie bed and chewed a bone for a couple of hours with a few breaks in between. She if fitting in perfectly.
All for now, have a great day,
Bill
Handler/Instructor
June 19, 2007
Lexa is simply a dream dog. She is smart, fun, and loves to work.
She took to the Kong instantly. She flies after it and then races back to put it right in my hands. She has no fear of anything. When Gunny goes out and gets the Kong, she simply takes it away from him. He growls and barks, but she is the one that comes back with it.
We have a lot of guests during the warm weather for bar-b-ques and bon fires. The other 3 dogs have loved it for years since it means lots of people and kids to play with. Now Lexa has fit right in socially and playfully.
She is really a great dog.
Have a great week,
Bill
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Gosh Elizabeth what can I say about our dear Clue? As you know, I still call her OUR Clue, as you were her momma first. Many of your dog parents knew Clue as the puppy you saved for yourself from the 2005 C litter. Clue was your pick of the litter, a beautiful long coated and nearly all black female. She was being trained in HRD. What many of your clients don't know is that I was nursing a very ill and very old shepherd who was the love of my life when I first viewed Clue on your website and began emailing with you. You were ushering in a new life and I was easing out a beloved one in death. Our lives were a paradox - what brought you great joy was bringing me great sorrow. So in 2005 I found your website and began watching the progress of this wonderful little puppy named Clue. I had spent some time looking for just the right breeder because I knew my dear one was failing and our next shepherd had some big shoes to fill. Of course, once I viewed your dogs and began a correspondence with you I knew I'd found that breeder! I listened in rapt over this wonderful puppy Clue and saw her pictures on the website. My greatest wish was that we could be getting a puppy just like her! And I can even remember telling my son, "wouldn't it be cool if we had Clue?" Never in my mind did I ever think we would. This was Elizabeth's puppy and we still were nursing our old gal and would see her thru to the end without bringing a new life into the house. We wanted her to be "top dog" until the end. So Clue grew into an adolescent and we put a deposit on a litter due to be born in the spring of 2006, knowing that our shepherd only had a few months left in her. On February 15 th of 2006 we said our final good byes to Asia, our beautiful 13 year old German Shepherd and began the process of grieving. I bought a small puppy bed for the "puppy" we were expecting to receive some time in June as a way to fill the emptiness of not having a dog in our family. A series of events happened that none of us had any control over and our puppy did not come to be. As a result, dear Elizabeth, in her dog wisdom, just knew that Clue was being prepared for us all along. She had felt my heart's desire in all my emails as we came to know one another and offered Clue to me. The short of an already long story is that Clue is now our marvelous dog! She is everything I have always wanted in a Shepherd. She is loving and affectionate, but keen to warn away any uninvited with a thunderous bark. Her personality is inquisitive but not overbearing. She is animated and full of play and drive with wonderful trainability. One day my elderly mother fell outside walking with Clue. Clue was immediately at her side holding her down with one paw until she was sure mother was able to get up again. My son and I are forever grateful to Elizabeth and the wonderful dog she prepared for us.
Pat, Seth and Clue (and the Momma Cat) Dallas, TX