Thank you for visiting the Waldo GSD website!
Our dogs are a well loved part of the family. We are a very small operation and only have a very limited number of litters. This allows us the time to ensure that we are doing everything possible to bring you a physically and emotionally healthy addition to your family.
We are repeatedly impressed with the gentle nature, willingness and intelligence of this breed and hope to share this love and devotion in the puppies that leave our house.
It is our sincere hope that each dog we place can be a loved, cherished and successful addition to the family it goes to. In order to place the appropriate puppy with the family it will fit in best with, we may not allow perspective buyers to choose whichever puppy catches their eye. We assess each puppy in an effort to best match puppy with it's new owner. Our desire is to have you be extremely satisfied with the puppy you take home with you. Please give us as much information about your living situation and expectations in a puppy, it helps to ensure that the right GSD goes home with you!
Our dogs are a well loved part of the family. We are a very small operation and only have a very limited number of litters. This allows us the time to ensure that we are doing everything possible to bring you a physically and emotionally healthy addition to your family.
We are repeatedly impressed with the gentle nature, willingness and intelligence of this breed and hope to share this love and devotion in the puppies that leave our house.
It is our sincere hope that each dog we place can be a loved, cherished and successful addition to the family it goes to. In order to place the appropriate puppy with the family it will fit in best with, we may not allow perspective buyers to choose whichever puppy catches their eye. We assess each puppy in an effort to best match puppy with it's new owner. Our desire is to have you be extremely satisfied with the puppy you take home with you. Please give us as much information about your living situation and expectations in a puppy, it helps to ensure that the right GSD goes home with you!
This is a video of the first meeting between one of our puppies and her new mistress. This lady had just lost her 9 yr old GSD, Brutus. Three vets were called in and no one knew for sure what exactly was wrong with him. He went downhill so quickly that she finally had no choice but to put him down. Brutus was her devoted helper, carrying things for her and bringing things to her, as she had become disabled after having been hit by a train. RIP Brutus, you beautiful boy!!! Here's the first time meeting between his owner and one of our puppies!
A word about German Shepherd Dogs and getting one for yourself:
German Shepherd Dogs are amazing animals and can be extremely versatile. It's important to know what it is that you are looking for in a German Shepherd to be able to find the GSD that will fit your needs best.
German shepherd breeders are everywhere and, as a result, finding a litter of puppies is easy but finding a quality litter of puppies that will grow into good canine companions is much more of a challenge.
Disreputable breeders far outnumber quality breeders. Reputable breeders can be choosy about perspective owners, and with good reason. The German shepherd needs a special kind of owner, and it’s the breeder’s job to make sure you fill the bill.
Do Your Research
Once you start researching information on the breed and the different types of GSDs available, you will get a better idea of what, specifically, you are looking for in a German Shepherd.
German shepherd breeders specialize, so be sure you decide what kind of German shepherd you are looking for and match your needs with a breeder who can supply them. Breeders may concentrate on breeding companion animals, therapy dogs, or breeding for conformation or performance sports. There are breeders who breed for American AKC standards, others breed for European standards. If you know what you are looking for, you can better choose the breeder who will have what you will desire in a GSD.
Ask lots of questions, make sure the breeder you choose has been willing to invest the time and money in having their dogs screened for genetic disorders such as hip dysplasia. Any GSD used for breeding should have been OFA certified (if the testing was done in the U.S.A.). "We've never had any hip problems in our dogs!" Does not fit the bill! Hip dysplasia can be present and passed on even if there are never any outward symptoms in the parent! Testing for hip dysplasia is an expensive and extensive testing process that involves taking x-rays while the dog is under anesthesia. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals sends the x-rays to 3 independent radiologists who then examine them in detail and take measurements on the x-rays to determine if there is any HD present. They submit their findings and based on those findings the OFA either certifies the animal's hips or denies certification altogether. HD can also be created environmentally by not feeding proper nutrition, injury, and possibly even early spay and neuter as this stops the gonadal hormones from signaling to the growth plates close.
A note about DM and DM genetics testing. DM is a horrible disease that, as far as we know, is only hereditary. There IS a relatively inexpensive test available for DM. HOWEVER, this test is unfortunately both not the correct test for the German Shepherd Breed and has been known to be inaccurate (some dogs have even tested with one result and have been retested and received another result). The test has been touted by breeders who advertise, "Clear by parentage" because in theory, if you only breed clear to clear - if the test is accurate - NONE of the puppies could possibly either carry or be affected by this horrific disabling disease, but that is not an accurate claim in this instance. German Shepherd Dogs do at times have the gene that the test is designed to detect, however it is not the gene that causes disabling DM in the GSD. At this time, there is no plan by the university who developed the test to do further research into breed specific testing. This information was obtained from Dr Keller, head vet at OFA. I've been told by people who have called and spoken to whomever answered the phone that they received a different answer than this. We are extremely anxious for them to develop an accurate, breed specific test for DM.
The keys to picking the best puppy for your family are simple: know the breed, find a reputable breeder, ask the breeder lots of questions, and spend time getting to know the available puppies.
Be honest with breeders about what you are looking for and do not let someone try to talk you into buying a German shepherd puppy that you do not want.
German Shepherd Dogs are amazing animals and can be extremely versatile. It's important to know what it is that you are looking for in a German Shepherd to be able to find the GSD that will fit your needs best.
German shepherd breeders are everywhere and, as a result, finding a litter of puppies is easy but finding a quality litter of puppies that will grow into good canine companions is much more of a challenge.
Disreputable breeders far outnumber quality breeders. Reputable breeders can be choosy about perspective owners, and with good reason. The German shepherd needs a special kind of owner, and it’s the breeder’s job to make sure you fill the bill.
Do Your Research
Once you start researching information on the breed and the different types of GSDs available, you will get a better idea of what, specifically, you are looking for in a German Shepherd.
German shepherd breeders specialize, so be sure you decide what kind of German shepherd you are looking for and match your needs with a breeder who can supply them. Breeders may concentrate on breeding companion animals, therapy dogs, or breeding for conformation or performance sports. There are breeders who breed for American AKC standards, others breed for European standards. If you know what you are looking for, you can better choose the breeder who will have what you will desire in a GSD.
Ask lots of questions, make sure the breeder you choose has been willing to invest the time and money in having their dogs screened for genetic disorders such as hip dysplasia. Any GSD used for breeding should have been OFA certified (if the testing was done in the U.S.A.). "We've never had any hip problems in our dogs!" Does not fit the bill! Hip dysplasia can be present and passed on even if there are never any outward symptoms in the parent! Testing for hip dysplasia is an expensive and extensive testing process that involves taking x-rays while the dog is under anesthesia. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals sends the x-rays to 3 independent radiologists who then examine them in detail and take measurements on the x-rays to determine if there is any HD present. They submit their findings and based on those findings the OFA either certifies the animal's hips or denies certification altogether. HD can also be created environmentally by not feeding proper nutrition, injury, and possibly even early spay and neuter as this stops the gonadal hormones from signaling to the growth plates close.
A note about DM and DM genetics testing. DM is a horrible disease that, as far as we know, is only hereditary. There IS a relatively inexpensive test available for DM. HOWEVER, this test is unfortunately both not the correct test for the German Shepherd Breed and has been known to be inaccurate (some dogs have even tested with one result and have been retested and received another result). The test has been touted by breeders who advertise, "Clear by parentage" because in theory, if you only breed clear to clear - if the test is accurate - NONE of the puppies could possibly either carry or be affected by this horrific disabling disease, but that is not an accurate claim in this instance. German Shepherd Dogs do at times have the gene that the test is designed to detect, however it is not the gene that causes disabling DM in the GSD. At this time, there is no plan by the university who developed the test to do further research into breed specific testing. This information was obtained from Dr Keller, head vet at OFA. I've been told by people who have called and spoken to whomever answered the phone that they received a different answer than this. We are extremely anxious for them to develop an accurate, breed specific test for DM.
The keys to picking the best puppy for your family are simple: know the breed, find a reputable breeder, ask the breeder lots of questions, and spend time getting to know the available puppies.
Be honest with breeders about what you are looking for and do not let someone try to talk you into buying a German shepherd puppy that you do not want.