Why a German Shepherd?

From the loyalty, the striking looks, the strong and stable temperament, to the downright adorable antics, German Shepherds are truly a man’s best friend. The German Shepherd (A.K.A. Deutscher Schaeferhund) is not the breed for everybody. This is a breed bred for working ability in nearly avenue. The German Shepherd may not be the best at everything, but it can do it all! Working ability comes with a few things; the confidence to try, the nerve to handle it, the intelligence to figure it out, the drives to keep going, and the structure to get them there.
This can make for an all around fantastic active companion for an individual, or a whole family. German Shepherds are considered “velcro” dogs, with a strong pack instinct and desire to please, they prefer to spend as much time as possible with their pack. This coupled with their intelligence level makes for a dog that doesn’t make a good yard ornament. This breed is very athletic and needs exercise and stimulation to keep them fulfilled and happy. Due to the requirements each individual German Shepherd needs, you will find we may ask you as a puppy buyer a lot of questions to see if you are the right fit for one of our dogs.

Can I get two puppies at once?

We highly advise that you do not get two puppies of any breed, but especially in the same litter, at the same time. Often times this leads to an extreme attachment between each puppy to each other. The best way I can describe what happens is: “they become each other’s dogs”.
One puppy is a lot of work, especially a German Shepherd puppy with their intelligence and never ending investigations. Two puppies in an average American household is too much to juggle with regular life. We do not sell two dogs from the same litter to any of our homes. 

A Dog Owners Guide

http://www.canismajor.com/dog/germansh.html

This is a great read for new puppy buyers/owners. Going over the details of care, training, socializing, and raising of these puppies. Getting a puppy is almost like having a baby. The responsibilities of potty training, teaching manners, being a fair and consistent leader, it all takes quite a bit of work and requires a bit of homework.

Potty Training

Obviously one of the biggest concerns with taking a puppy home for the first time is teaching potty training. Without the proper tools, consistency, and a little bit of knowledge, this can turn into a nightmare quickly. Here is a fantastic guide to how to potty train puppies.
http://www.inch.com/~dogs/cratetraining.html

What is Schutzhund and why do you do it? Will my puppy be aggressive?

Schutzhund is a breed suitability test developed in Germany specifically for German Shepherd dogs. This test was quickly adopted by enthusiasts of many other breeds similar to the German Shepherd. The German Shepherd dog is bred to have some aggression in it, but when properly raised and handled this is of no concern. German Shepherds as stated above, do have quite a few things underneath the surface that when utilized can become quite an impressive specimen. A German Shepherd dog who is properly bred with temperament and drives in mind, will have the natural ability to depict when there is a real threat and will try to act on it. A large part of who a German Shepherd is as an adult, is 1 part genetics, 3 parts raising. Raised in a home with no outside contact, no stimulation and exercise, and no training, they can quickly become an unruly menace. This is why careful selection is done on who can adopt or purchase a German Shepherd from a breeding program or a rescue.
Below are some fantastic links for a wealth of information on Schutzhund and the breed of German Shepherd Dogs.

http://www.schutzhund-training.com
http://bigskyschutzhund.com/what-is-schutzhund/

http://www.schutzhundvillage.com/arminhome.html

What is the recommended protocol to vaccinate my new German Shepherd puppy with?

We at Bauerhof German Shepherds choose to follow Dr. Jean Dodds vaccine protocol. We respect Dr. Dodds for her intense research into the canine thyroid disease and the help she has offered to our training clients. We also respect her vaccination recommendation for puppies.

http://www.itsfortheanimals.com/DODDS-CHG-VACC-PROTOCOLS.HTM

What should I expect to see as my puppy grows from birth to adulthood?

Canines go through many different developmental stages in their life. It is important to familiarize yourself with the most important socialization period of a puppies life. Use that time frame to get out there as much as possible. Socialization is not only seeing other dogs that set a good example for your puppy, but different environments (slippery floors, loud noises, echoes, vacuums, public places, unstable surfaces etc.)

http://www.diamondsintheruff.com/DevelopmentalStages.html

What are drives in dogs and how do I familiarize myself with how they work?

This is a fantastic article that goes into great detail about drives. A little long but certainly worth the read!
http://www.angelplace.net/dog/Drives.htm

What do all these things in my dogs pedigree mean?

This is a great website that is full of information that will explain what every little abbreviation in your dogs pedigree stands for! It will be very helpful for you for not only this puppy, but every future puppy you purchase. So now you know just how special your puppy is and what its entire family has accomplished.

http://4germanshep.com/understanding_german_pedigrees.htm