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Philosophy At von Jagerstadt we are not trend breeders, we breed our dogs for assertiveness, steady nerves, temperament, reliability and incorruptibility together with courage, fighting tenacity and longevity. We use a holistic approach in our breeding program, an approach that has given us proven results. Our brood bitches have produced working and competition litters time and again. I believe a German Shepherd must be capable of achieving any goal that is set out by its owner. To me this means being the family babysitter or companion, a dog who enjoys being with his family, spending time with them and being useful. Whether being useful is doing obedience work or working as a police service dog, or as a leader dog for the blind, he/she is actively working. Our dogs have the willingness and the desire to be over-achievers. This is not to say they are so hyper they cannot relax but rather on a minute's notice they are willing to engage in whatever activity is put forth. Our dogs will not win blue ribbons for show. Rather they are bred for a body structure that is not only pleasing to the eye but also functional. We do not select for that over-angulated rear end, but rather a short coupling with good shoulder so that the dog can run forever with little abuse to his spinal cord. We are not trend breeders who breed for color but rather we put together a breeding based upon the attributes of both parents, putting extra weight on the maternal side. We only check pedigree when I have personally checked all important attributes. First and foremost I look for a dog who has a clear temperament, one that is approachable but not necessarily overtly friendly to anyone, a tendency to be aloof. This does not mean growling, putting one's hair up, or running away and shying from my hand. Rather, the dog should sit or stand and maintain a neutral position while he/she is assessing me. Next the dog needs to show me a willingness and desire to work. I have come to a point in our breeding program where I only accept brood bitchs from the lines I know and can trust to produce sound stable dogs. I have just recently included a female from an outside breeding program to incorporate into my program. (Riis) Most people overvalue the importance of stud dogs. We currently have four excellent males that we use for breeding, but I look to them for half the genetic makeup and very little else. The mother of the puppies is the one who has the most impact on the whelps, and this socialization is very important. This is not to say that I do not breed outside of our dogs, but as a responsible breeder I need to know both the attributes and the faults of dogs, and many dog owners do not share information on their faults. Jake, Jake is a male who is easy to live with, and has the willingness and desire to please. He is excellent with children and loves to play. Jake brings forward in his offspring a natural love of people and the desire to be part of a family. As you can see we have thought out what we are trying to achieve in our breeding program. We currently only have 3 brood bitches, two living with us, and four males, two living with my family. We do not mass produce puppies, have litters every month, or keep around 10 or more dogs for breeding. We are not a trend type breed who goes with the popular bloodlines. We do not breed to titles, nor do we feel a titled dog necessarily makes a good breeding prospect. Our puppies are whelped in our house, and we believe in culling our litters. We will not put forth a mediocre puppy with the hopes he will get better, but only offer the best. This is not a business that we live off but rather one that results from our love of the breed and my attempt to maintain what I consider to be the best dog in the world. This is my passion, my hobby, and my attempt to keep within Max Von Stephanitz's ideal of the perfect dog. We cannot tell from the exterior what value a dog has for breeding purposes, either from his expression, his body-build, or from his achievements. Max von Stephanitz on German Shepherd Dogs The efficiency for work must count for more with the Shepherd Dog breeder than the honors of the show ring. The Rittmeister Max von Stephanitz 1864-1936 The most striking features of the correctly bred German Shepherd are firmness of nerves, attentiveness, unshockability, tractability, watchfulness, reliability and incorruptibility together with courage, fighting tenacity and hardness. The Rittmeister Max von Stephanitz 1864-1936 The breeding of Shepherd Dogs is the breeding of Working Dogs, and this must always be the aim, or we shall cease to produce Shepherd Dogs. Captain Max von Stephanitz Founder of the Verein Fur Deutsche Schaferhunde, SV. December 30, 1864 - April 22, 1936 The German Shepherd Dog is not best in anything, but second best at everything! The Rittmeister Max von Stephanitz 1864-1936 Click Here to Contact Us Jagerstadt Kennels 6085 NC 96 W Youngsville, NC 27596 919-554-9016 Click for Map and Driving Directions Site Designed by WorkingDogs Design Site design Copyright 2003 WorkingDogs Design Site contents Copyright 2003 JagerStadt Kennels ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. All logos and trademarks in this site are property of their respective owners.