We are breeders of European Working and Show-line German Shepherd Dogs.  We import our dogs primarily from the Czech Republic and Germany and often keep puppies from our litters to include in our breeding program.  Due to our responsible breeding practices and use of import lines, we know that all of our puppies come from several generations of hip certifications.  Germany has required hip certifications since 1966 and elbow certifications since 2002 for all their breeding dogs.  Additionally, all dogs (male and female) must have a working dog title, a conformation title and a breed survey to have their litters registered.  The AKC has no health, temperament or performance requirements to register a litter of puppies, which is why we only use European Import lines.

We offer both working and show-lines in our breeding program.  There are some significant differences between working and show-lines.  It's very important to pick the "right" type of German Shepherd for your lifestyle and goals, so we want to explain some of those differences. Show-lines usually have lower drive and make excellent family companions, especially for first time shepherd owners. Although they require an active family with lots of exercise and mental stimuli, they are not as "high maintenance" as the working lines. They should have enough drive to do some entry level type dog sports like barn hunts, dock-diving, rally, etc., but probably wouldn't be as impressive with things like protection, IPG, etc. Don't get me wrong, they can definitely be protective or earn an IPG title.  They are actually required to in Europe to be considered "breed-worthy".  It's just not an area where they excel and pale in comparison to working lines or Malinois. Show-lines are bred primarily for conformation and gait (hence a bit more rear angulation), whereas working lines are bred for health and drive to work. Show-lines are very beautiful and I often refer to them as the "super models" of the German Shepherd world. Even without a lot of that natural protective instinct, show-lines still make excellent deterrents and make loyal, loving family companions. Coloring is usually black/tan, black/red or solid black. They can be stock, plush or long coats. 

Working lines are insanely intelligent and driven. With their high drive, they are easily motivated and eager to do anything you ask of them, which makes training with them an absolute blast. They are fiercely loyal and very territorial of anything they feel belongs to them - homes, property, cars, people, etc. - making them ideal protection dogs. If Show-lines are the super models, working lines are the athletes.  Well-bred working lines are sound-tempered dogs that are bred to have high working ability, but also a nice "off" switch when relaxing in the home with their family. They typically make great family companions and do well with kids of all ages, cats and other dogs, but there is a significant amount of work involved. The first 24 months require a lot of socialization, patience, consistency, training and time. Working lines are usually black/tan, solid black, bi-color and sable in coloring. They can also be stock, plush and long coats, but more often than not, they have stock (short) coats. I usually only recommend working lines for people who want to participate at a high-level of dog sports, want a naturally protective dog, are extremely active and have lots of time to dedicate to their dog, plan on extensive, professional training or have significant GSD experience. 

Now that I've explained some things about the breed and our breeding program, I suppose I should tell you a little about my history with the German Shepherd Dog.  In 2002, I became the Colma Police Department's first K9 Handler in history.  My partner was Tex Vom Erlenbusch and I fell in love with Tex from the moment I took him home.  Here was this amazing dog, trained to bite on command, following me around the house like a puppy.  I couldn't go anywhere without my shadow.  What impressed me most was how amazingly SMART he was, how quickly he learned and how much he wanted to please!  While Tex and I worked together, we trained in protection, obedience, tracking, searching and narcotics detection.  I worked not only with Tex, but also with various other local law enforcement K9s and Handlers to learn and improve our skills.  We continued to train weekly with professional trainers and experienced handlers.  I knew this was my passion.

Unfortunately, after working patrol for 5 years with Tex, we had an unexpected event in our family that caused my move to Redding, California.  I retired Tex from law enforcement work and moved into the world of Investigations.  However, both Tex and I missed our training sessions and, after much hesitation, I decided to purchase a puppy to add to our family and train with. 

After having seen their abilities during my law enforcement career, I decided to purchase a Belgian Malinois puppy and, in 2009, Bianca Belle came to join us.  I figured I would train with her and potentially do the Schutzhund sport with Bianca as my partner.  Sadly, there were no Schutzhund Clubs in the Redding area so I resorted to my Law Enforcement K9 training to work with Bianca.  She was amazing!  Probably one of the smartest dogs I've ever seen.  I trained Bianca from the time she was 7 weeks old and at 2 years of age, I sold her to a police department in Central California, where she assisted her handler in protection, searching, and narcotics detection until her retirement.  Approximately a year later, we placed another Malinois (Bianca's nephew) with the same police department.

My husband, John, began to appreciate the "working dog" while serving our country in the United States Marine Corp.  During his service, he had exposure to these dogs and became fascinated by their abilities.  After he completed his service, John joined the Orange County Sheriff's Department and worked as a patrol deputy.  While working on patrol, John worked closely with German Shepherd Dogs and the Belgian Malinois breeds.  During this time, he engaged in various training exercises with the K9s and their handlers, to include being a decoy.  Eventually, John moved to Redding as well and began working in Investigations.  John played a vital part in training Bianca for her career in law enforcement and is actively involved in training all of our dogs.   

I hope this information gives you some insight and understanding of our love for this breed.  We are always happy to answer any questions about our breeding program and look forward to hearing from you!

Diana and John Middleton

A LITTLE ABOUT US