Whelping Information

At Von Fenwald Kennels we Spare no Expenses on our Dogs
They come first!

We believe that by starting with the best and breeding to the best you greatly increase your chances of producing the best. The best doesn't necessarily mean the number one dog in the world. If he cannot compliment the female it makes no sense to go to him. If he is not known for fixing certain faults and the female has those faults, he's not the "Right Man For The Job." There are no absolute perfect dogs, some just come allot closer than others. It all starts by knowing what's wrong and what's right...the particular strengths & faults of each dog. It's only then that you can attempt to fix them...in an attempt to produce the perfect dog.

People often call us and say, "Well we are just looking for a Pet." I guess my question is...So are you looking for an Ugly Dog of poor quality & questionable heritage that somewhat resembles a German Shepherd? Or are you looking for an Excellent Companion dog that will provide your Family with years of enjoyment and memories to last a lifetime. A dog that will turn heads as you walk down the street, a dog that you can be proud of. A dog that is so smart that there will be times when you feel you should go back to College. A dog that is so beautiful that when you go to training classes you & everyone else in the room knows darn well that your dog is the Best! Do you want a dog that will make people say, "WOW, Where did you get that German Shepherd?" Or do you want a dog that will make people say, "Is that a German Shepherd?"

At Von Fenwald Kennels we are striving for perfection. We are not attempting to simply breed pets. Never-the-less, all puppies are not created equal. Even from the top bred litters there can and will be pet quality or less promising puppies. We judge each puppy individually against the German Standard, not simply against each other. We are Striving for the Top, the Best, the Winners!

We do not breed 1 or 2 so called "Select" litters a year. You will never know your lines that way. We are not "Hobby Breeders" or "Back Yard Breeders" who do this in our spare time after our day jobs when they are completely exhausted. This is our job, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This is Our Life, Our Passion, Our Obsession. It's constant and never-ending. And we wouldn't change a thing! We know the blood-lines, what they produce, their strengths and weaknesses.

Santos Claus.jpg (17454 bytes)
"Santos Claus"

We know our dogs both inside and out. They are our companions, our children, our best friends. They share our home, our couch, our beds, our holidays, and most importantly, our hearts.

Our dogs are raised on Royal Canin Dog Food, & a wide variety of All Natural People Foods with no preservatives, baked chicken breasts, boiled ground sirloin, lamb, liver, turkey, fresh vegetables, fruits, oatmeal, yogurt, long grain white rice, cottage cheese, farm fresh eggs, fresh goats milk and human grade Vitamin C.

All of our litters are raised in the house and in Our Nursery, in their own special whelping rooms complete with color T.V. and leather couch for mom when she needs a break from the "little nippers."

Our whelping box is lined with Industrial Rubber backed rugs which are washable and then Huge Cotton Towels, sewn together for an exact fit, are placed on top for the 1st week, and then they are on Huge Sherpa blankets.

We do not use slippery newspapers. Although this is extremely labor intensive, we believe this helps the pups to develop strong, sound hips from day one. Nor do we raise our pups in swimming pools like so many breeders do because they're too lazy or cheap to build or purchase a real whelping box. And we would never dream of having the pups raised on pine shavings like so many breeders do. They use the "Litter Box" method because it's easiest for them. It's clearly not the best for the puppies. But those people don't care if the shavings get in the puppies eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. The truth is they simply just don't care.

We do not need to do a formal, written temperament test on our puppies. We were there when they were born. We wiped their noses before they took their first breath. We have nurtured and loved them, played with them and observed them for 16 hours a day. We've seen their first steps and their eyes open. By the time they are ready to go to their new homes we already know how they react to everything! We know their personalities and their strengths. It's what we do, it's our job! After all, we've been breeding German Shepherds for over 20 Years!