Wyohaus German Shepherds

It wasn’t too long before I brought a second German Shepherd home, Sadie, when Ares was about a year old. I learned a lot from her- and she was a first for many things, but Ares was the first. Ares is still the best dog I’ve ever owned. There is something about him, he just “gets it.” He was near perfect puppy. He never tore anything up, got into the trash, or ignored a recall. To date, the worst thing he’s ever done is steal an entire roast beef off the counter (who could blame him?). Ares has this sort of aura about him. He communicates with his eyes and notices everything. I think he might actually speak English. He’s extremely useful on the farm and for managing our goats.

He’s an excellent partner to have around when I’m alone and a stranger comes around. He never growls or charges. But he’ll sit right night to me and stare them dead in the eye the whole time. When we were still living in our old place in town with six dogs, including our newest German Shepherd, Sadie, Ares woke me up in the middle of the night by barking in the backyard. Groggy with sleep, I yelled at him to come inside and went back to sleep.

He came through the dog door and sat next to my bed, quietly growling. The alarm bells went off- Ares never barks or makes a fuss, he’s a very quiet dog. All the other dogs were sound asleep. As I woke up a little more and starting thinking, I realized that I might have left my car unlocked. We lived near a bit of a bad neighborhood and sometimes would see footsteps in the snow, walking around our vehicles. I decided to get up and flip on the porch light. Suddenly I was looking into the eyes of a strange man standing on the other side of the window by the front door.

To make a long story short, the man left but came back a few hours later and tried to get in the backdoor through our sunroom. He was mentally ill and didn’t mean any harm. But if Ares hadn’t known something was off that night and alerted me, I would have had no idea any of it was happening and he very well could have ended up in the house.

That night was a bit of a turning point for me. I became more and more enthralled with German Shepherds and all the things they could do. I realized that I wanted to be a breeder and suddenly found myself on a wild journey to become one. There has been many trials and tribulations. I learned that not everyone who calls themselves a breeder is trustworthy, but I have also discovered the immense value of finding a community and mentorship I can rely on. I have studied genetics, drives, temperaments, and training, but I have also had to unlearn many things, like the idea that breeding is straightforward or that there is always a clear right and wrong way to do things.

Our Philosophy

Breeding is anything but straightforward. Much of my journey has been plagued by the challenge of understanding the fundamental principles of ethical breeding and how to apply them correctly. This has only become more difficult with the overwhelming noise of today’s inexperienced armchair experts who reduce complex principles to black-and-white rules, attacking what they do not understand and, on the other end of the spectrum, the irresponsible breeders who twist these same principles to justify shortcuts while ignoring the parts that don’t fit their puppy-peddling goals. The balance lies somewhere in the middle. Breeding is not simple, and it never will be. There are a million unknowns and no guarantees. Every decision requires balancing health, temperament, structure, and working ability, while also considering the long-term impact on the breed. Many focus only on the dogs in front of them and those behind them, without fully understanding the responsibility of shaping future generations. Breeding is not just about producing good dogs today. It is about making sure the breed remains strong, functional, and healthy for years to come.