Kaykohl Land German Shepherds
Frequently Asked Questions
Exceptional European Import German Shepherds for Exceptional American Families

• Q:  Can you give us more information about YOU as a breeder?
  A:  Many people wonder how someone can get so involved in a breed to where their life all but revolves around it.  My love for the breed started very young.  My parents bred and raised German Shepherds and I don't recall a time in my life where we didn't own at least one.  I always thought the puppies were fun, but my passion was training.  Living in a very rural area the dogs were my best friends, and experiments.  I was constantly seeing just "what" I could train them to do.  Often times I would be found in the yard rounding up anything that I could find, to see what my dogs could jump over, crawl under, go through, etc.  I had my own agility course for them, before I even knew what agility was.  "My" dogs not only knew on an off leash advanced obedience, but would do bark and holds, send aways, and many silly pet tricks.  I had a very early foundation in the breed that just continued to flourish.  Having been involved in many aspects of the breed, my first criteria for breeding is still SOUND easy to train temperament, but I have a deep appreciation for a correctly structured dog as well.  With a true love for the breed, longevity and health is never overlooked.  Over the years I have enjoyed many things with my dogs from Agility, AKC all breed and specialty showing, working with a tactical K9 club, Schutzhund clubs, SV showing, and holding board positions in numerous all breed, specialty, and various training clubs.  I have studied under several other breeders.  Some well known and accomplished, others less desirable.  Many I have whelped and raised puppies for.  I have seen literally 100's of puppies go from cute fuzzy pup to impressive adult.  I have personal experience with all types of German Shepherds from German Working, German Show, and American show lines.  It is this experience that gives me an invaluable understanding for all types of the breed.  There are good and bad examples of the breed in ALL LINES.  I have many GSD friends in both the US and Europe.  We discuss the breed on a daily basis from current trends, to dog politics, upcoming shows, health concerns, breedings, and anything that has to do with what is going on in the GSD world.  We are active with our dogs on a "world" level.  We need to know what is going on with the breed everywhere.  Not just in our own backyard.  What does the future hold for "Kaykohl Land German Shepherds"?  Many more years enjoying the breed and improving the overall quality of the breed, with our knowledge and devotion to the future success of the German Shepherd dog.  CLICK HERE to see some photos of us from the past, and of our future!

• Q:  What is the first step in reserving one of your German Shepherd puppies?
  A:  The first step in reserving one of our puppies is to fill out our Pre-Purchase Questionnaire and email it to us.  We will then corresponded back and forth to determine if a puppy from our breeding program would be well suited for your home. 

• Q:  How do we place a deposit?
  A:  We recommend that if you are interested in one of our German Shepherd puppies after the Pre-Purchase Approval process, that you take the time to not only read this page, but our "German Shepherd Articles" Page linked at the top as well.  After that, we recommend a deposit is placed to hold your puppy.  A deposit is required to hold your puppy.  This deposit is considered a commitment to purchase one of our puppies and is non-refundable.  If you are unable to purchase a puppy from the original chosen litter, or if one is not available in that litter, it will be moved to a future litter of your choice.  A deposit can either be made by mailing us a personal check or money order, or by using PayPal (transaction fees for doing so must be paid by the buyer, currently 3%).  The amount of Deposit required to hold your German Shepherd is listed on the pricing chart below.

• Q:  How does your waiting list work?
  A:  Our waiting list order is determined by the date we receive your deposit. Each of our waiting list members requires a different type of German Shepherd puppy and has different needs and goals for them. So unlike other breeders, we individually select a puppy from the litter who best suits our waiting list members needs and desires.  You will get a puppy highly suitable for your needs, not whatever we happen to have left in the litter.   New owners can choose between the puppies I think are suitable for them.  Due to the high Quality and Uniformity in my litters, little difference can be seen between my overall #1 Picks or companion puppies.   If we do not have the particular sex or quality of puppy that you wanted in the litter, since we have no control over temperament, mother nature, how many puppies or how many males / females will be born, etc., your deposit will be moved to the next breeding of your choice if available.  We make our placement decisions when the puppies are about 7 weeks of age. At this time we notify our waiting list members which puppy we think is best suited for their needs.

• Q:  Do you accept payments on your German Shepherds?
  A:  Payments are accepted on our puppies as long as the puppy is paid in full prior to shipping.  We are always willing to work with our buyers to ensure they get the quality they want and deserve.  We also take Visa and Master Card payments via PayPal, but all transaction fees for doing so must be paid by the buyer (currently 3%).

• Q:  How much are your German Shepherds?
  A:  We strive to keep our prices reasonable based on the high costs of maintaining a quality breeding program.  We show our dogs in Europe so we can evaluate our breeding stock against higher quality dogs. Dogs from our breeding program are being titled in Europe to maintain the integrity of our lines as well. Not only do you get a well bred quality puppy, but you also get a written warranty and free follow up advice for the life of your puppy.  We have the resources and connections available to purchase dogs anywhere in the WORLD and are extremely confident that there are no better bloodlines available at any cost.  To be fair to all who purchase our dogs, our prices are non-negotiable.

  Current German Shepherd Prices at Kaykohl Land
  German Shepherd Puppy or Litter	Companion Price in USD (based upon litter/puppy)	Show/Breeding Price in USD	Shipping Estimate Includes Crate & Health Cert	Deposit Required Can be Mailed or paid Via PayPal	Place Deposit w/ PayPal ONLY after Questionnaire Approval! 3% Fee is Added!
  Kaykohl Land Puppies up to 12 weeks	$1600, $1850, or $2250	$2500-3000 on Co-Ownership	$350	$500 Companion $800 Show/Breeding	Contact for PayPal Info
  Imported Puppy from Europe	$1850-3500 Includes Paperwork for Full AKC with NO Co-Ownership		$350	$800	Contact for PayPal Info
  3-9 month old Puppies with Training Started	$1850-3500		$350-550	25% Purchase Price	Contact for PayPal Info
  Domestic or Import Young Adults w/ Training	$2000-8000		$400-750	25% Purchase Price	Contact for PayPal  Info
  Domestic or Import Adults with Training	$2000-15,000		$500-750	25% Purchase Price	Contact for PayPal Info
  Titled Imported Adult for Breeding or Executive Estate Dog	$7000- ???,???		$750-1000	25% Purchase Price	Contact for Deposit Info

  Please fill out our Pre-Purchase Questionnaire for more information!

     

• Q:  How do you handle Custom Importing?
  A:  Working closely with our partners and friends in Europe, we have been involved in importing some of the best dogs in the world into the US.  Discerning customers have appreciated our personal involvement, professional advice, and openly honest approach to importing for more than a decade.  We work within our client's budget and with thorough communication, we are able to avoid any unpleasant financial surprises.  Clients know the exact cost, including all fees and shipping, before committing to a particular dog.  Everything is prepaid, and we handle all paperwork and arrangements on our end.  Over the years, we have imported several top V and VA dogs, including a 2x VA1 Siegerin, VA2-Vice Sieger, and the 2003 Balkan Sieger.  We have imported young puppies who have gone on to have wonderful careers in the ring and on the field in the US and many other puppies who have gone on to be exceptional companions to their families.  To start the custom importing process, we require a deposit of 25% of your budget price.  Over the years we have spent countless hours corresponding to our contacts in Europe, negotiating, attaining information, getting photos, video, etc., for the perfect dog for a potential client, and upon finding that perfect dog, the client then changes their mind.  This is not fair to me, or our contacts in Europe.  To ensure we are only working with serious interested parties, our 25% deposit is non-refundable unless we do not find a suitable and ideal dog within 14 days.  We consider this non-refundable deposit as a commitment to use our importing services.  Imported Puppies are sold with our Lifetime Warranty.  All Imported adults are sold with zero warranty other than they will pass their health examination prior to shipment.

• Q:  How do you handle shipping?
  A:  We ship all of our German Shepherd Puppies in an airline approved size 200/300 crate.  We ship using Delta, Northwest, or Alaska airlines.  Which airline we use is determined by who can provide the shortest trip for your puppy.  Puppies are adapted to their crates prior to shipping and have a comfortable ride to their new homes in an environment they feel secure in.  The cost of shipping is additional.  If you need an estimate for shipping, please contact us.  Normally shipping is $250-400 depending on your location, size and weight of the crate (including crate, health certificate, and airline fees).  Shipping from Europe on an import can be as much as $600.  We can safely ship our dogs and puppies almost any were in the US and Canada and also have experience shipping our dogs into Hawaii without having to quarantine on the island.  All dogs and puppies that we ship go securely from our airport to yours, in a new and correctly sized crate.  We  check on our dogs during any plane changes and layovers they may have, and we hold good relations with the airlines that we use.

• Q:  What is the difference between Full Papers and Limited Papers?
  A:  All of our Companion German Shepherd Puppies that are placed into homes not interested in Showing and Breeding are sold with Limited Papers.  They are physically healthy, extremely intelligent, and beautiful examples of the breed.  They are ideal for family living, are highly willing, naturally protective, balanced,  sound, and are everything a discerning puppy buyer would want, in a stunning, well bred package.  The dog is sold with a contract stating it is not to be used for breeding or conformation showing.  If at a later date you want to become more active with your dog and get into showing and possibly breeding, that is something we can discuss together.

  For those wanting to compete and breed, we do place puppies on Co-ownership with Full Papers giving you that opportunity.  Full Registration means the dog is eligible for Conformation Showing, all other events, and breeding.  As a breeder who strongly cares about their line, and the future success of our progeny, we want our sport/show puppies developed properly and to their fullest.  We place these puppies on co-ownership to help new owners along the way.  There are mutually agreed upon contractual breeding, showing, and training stipulations.  It is also a way for us to keep a genetic link to our dogs without having to house all of them.  We do get the privilege of gratis stud fees, and possibly puppies in return from future litters on our co-owned dogs.  However, after titles, showing, and breeding goals are met, the dog is signed over in full to the buyer.  We do not have "forever" co-ownerships with our buyers (unless they want it that way).

  With that said, I would say probably 85% of all of our puppies are sold with Limited Papers.  NOT because they are not show quality or breed worthy, but simply because it is not the goal of our buyers to do those things.

• Q:  What do you look for when you temperament test your German Shepherd puppies?
  A:  Puppy temperament testing is just one of many tools we use when we are picking a puppy to match a new family's personality and needs.  The temperament test is performed in a new environment to the puppy and is performed by a knowledgeable third party tester.  We use the test results, along with our notes we have taken on the puppies individually between 3-7 weeks of age, to best determine where our puppies should be placed. 
    Below are the areas we test for:
  *  The puppy's desire to come and socialize with people.
  *  The puppy's willingness to be held and handled even in submissive potions.
  *  The puppy's focus on people and desire to be them.
  *  The puppy's willingness and desire for physical interaction even when the puppy did not solicit it.
  *  The puppy's natural ability to retrieve and capacity to work.
  *  The puppy's pain tolerance
  *  The puppy's sound sensitivity
  *  The puppy's prey drive.
  The majority of our puppies test for medium dominance, medium drives, and high willingness and social skills.  Puppies that would make excellent companions and good working dogs in most situations.  We also get puppies who do test for high dominance and very high drives that we require to be placed into experienced working homes where the puppy will be properly stimulated, challenged, and cared for.  We have NEVER produced a submissive or anti-social puppy.  We know our puppies inside and out, along with knowing their pedigrees forward and backwards.  It is only with this type of knowledge that we have so successfully placed our puppies into ideal homes, time and time again.

• Q:  Can we name our own puppy?
  A:  As a proud German Shepherd breeder, all of our puppies are named with the "Kaykohl Land" kennel name.  To better track our puppies/litters in the future, and to follow the German SV Practices of litter registration, each litter is assigned a letter of the alphabet and registered accordingly.  While we assign the registered name to all of our puppies, our buyers are welcome to give them their forever call name.  If you are on our waiting list prior to name assignment, you are welcome to assist us in the naming of your puppy with the given litter letter.

• Q:  How old are your German Shepherd puppies when they are placed into new homes?
  A:  Every litter grows and develops differently.  In general we place our puppies at 8-9 weeks of age.  Never earlier than a few days prior to 8 weeks.  Sometimes if it is a large litter, or we are wanting to hold the puppies back for further evaluation, we will keep them until 10 weeks of age.  The best interest of the puppy is always our first priority.

• Q:  What do you feed your Puppies?
  A:  We start all of our puppies out on a mixture of fresh goats milk, our raw recipe, and the Honest Kitchen dog food.  As they grow and develop we determine how we mix their food depending on their development and nutritional needs.  For information on our raw Recipe and the foods we recommend, please read our article on what you should feed your Kaykohl Land German Shepherd here:  What to Feed your German Shepherd Puppy

• Q:  What type of training do you recommend and at what age?
  A:  Please refer to our "Articles" page for some great information on raising and training your German Shepherd Puppy!  Click here:    German Shepherd Articles