Herzog German Shepherds

24/09/2025

This year’s Herzog Puppy Reunion was a blast! It was great seeing everyone and I’m always looking forward to next year.

A HUGE thank you to for putting it together again this year! She made the food and brought all the games. Thank you so much Gwen, I couldn’t have done it without you!

10/09/2025

Our Remy is still in need of a loving home. ❤️❤️

10/09/2025

Update on Remy:

(No fee required; a donation to Herzog’s Heroes, our nonprofit organization, is appreciated)

We are still searching for the right home for Remy. This sweet, affectionate boy is a big snuggler whose heart broke when he was separated from his family. For days, he shut down and didn’t want to interact with anyone. Since coming to us in early March 2025, we’ve worked through his depression, but his sensitivity is something his new family will need to understand. When Remy transitions into a new home, he will need extra patience and time to decompress.

Remy is pure love. He turned 3 in July and weighs just under 80 pounds. Unfortunately, he was raised in an environment where his owner struggled with anxiety and was nervous about handling a big dog. Dogs pick up on that energy, and we believed this resulted in the nervous tendencies Remy developed. In situations where he feels uncomfortable with people he doesn’t know, he has nipped. These were not serious bites, and he has never done this with anyone he has been properly introduced to or bonded with. It happens when people he doesn’t know reach out to touch him or make him feel cornered. When new people simply ignore him at first, we’ve seen no issues.

It’s important to be clear: Remy is a dog who needs confident leadership and encouragement. In capable hands, with someone who understands a dog’s body language and doesn’t surround him with people who want to interact with him before a proper introduction, he has no incidents. Because he can be unpredictable when uncomfortable, we do not recommend him for a home with young children. He does, however, bond beautifully with teenagers—his original family had one, as do we, and he adores them.

Remy does well with our dogs and even with our puppies. His previous owner reported an incident with their pug, but the trigger is unknown. I have one dog he doesn’t feel comfortable around, but she was aggressive toward him when they first met and he’s been defensive ever since.

Remy does best with a fenced yard where he can relax outdoors, quietly watching birds and squirrels. If I leave the door open, he’ll almost always opt to be outside most of the day. He’s not a big barker when outside—he’s more of a sunbather. Public spaces make him uneasy, so when we do take him out, he wears a muzzle for safety — but really, he’s happiest just being a homebody. He does well at home alone when we leave, and if we have company that may want to interact with him in ways I can’t be sure of, he’s happy to go in the bedroom for some quiet alone time.

He has met cats and showed little interest, though he has not lived with them long-term. With a proper introduction, we believe he could do well.

Remy’s ideal family will:

- Provide a stable environment with confident, calm energy.

- Recognize and respect canine body language (shaking, lip licking, ear pinning, whining, turning away, excessive yawning).

- Be committed to ongoing training during his transition phase.

- Appreciate that he doesn’t need outings—he’s happiest at home.

Remy is a wonderful, sensitive companion who loves to snuggle and simply needs the right match. We’re hopeful his next home will be his forever home.

16/07/2025

If you're available tonight we'd love to have you join us!

We're working on breeding regulations and breeder educational programs to raise the breeding standard and make it more difficult for poor breeding practices to continue.

We'd love to have you join us for tonight's Heroes In Action meeting on Zoom at 6:30pm Central Time.

Here, you'll learn what's new and ways to get involved!

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81035746614?pwd=JKid6zZa2v274wLzH6rGGDo1a1j6dF.1

07/07/2025

Let’s Talk About Spinal Structure in Herding Breeds — Especially German Shepherds

A deep understanding of the canine skeletal system—particularly the axial skeleton and spine—is critical when evaluating functional movement.

The spine forms the central mechanical axis of the dog’s body, acting as a dynamic bridge between the front and rear. It transfers propulsive force from the hindlimbs and absorbs impact through the forehand during movement. When the front foot makes ground contact, energy is sent upward through the scapula into the thoracic vertebrae of the spine. That means the spine isn’t just a backbone—it’s a vital part of how a dog moves.

In herding breeds, especially those bred for sustained trotting over long distances, a straight, well-aligned back is crucial. But here’s where the misunderstanding begins…

A “straight back” does not mean flat or sloped incorrectly.

A properly structured back:
• Allows for efficient energy transfer
• Minimizes vertical bounce
• Supports a rhythmic, ground-covering gait

A curved or sagging topline—or a back that’s too flat—disrupts all of this. It reduces endurance, weakens movement, and limits the dog’s ability to perform as it was bred to do.

I’ve heard people argue that dogs with flatter backs are “original” or “better.” But if that structure had been ideal, breeders would have preserved it. They didn’t—because it couldn’t sustain the same functional movement. A dog with poor conformation isn’t “old style”—it’s structurally disadvantaged.

One more note: the “stacked” stance is normal when a dog naturally falls into that pose. The curvature seen in that position is often the spine’s resting state. It’s not exaggerated or artificial—it’s functional.

Let’s continue to challenge misinformation and focus on what truly supports a dog’s health, movement, and ability to do the work it was bred for

08/06/2025

Yesterday, I had someone scheduled to pick up a puppy show up and ask if she could instead “just try her out”—to take the puppy home temporarily in hopes of changing her husband’s mind. We don’t allow puppy “test drives,” for many reasons. It was incredibly upsetting, not just because of the principle, but because I had already told other interested families that this litter was spoken for—potentially great homes that I turned away.

When I explained this, she told me I should just call them back—it wouldn’t be hard to find the puppy a new home. But that’s not how it works. I don’t keep a list of every person who inquires. Sure, I have some emails I can reach out to, but when a puppy is passed over—especially after Go-Home Day—people start to wonder if something was wrong with her. Even though she did nothing wrong, the context changes. It can take days or even months to find another truly prepared home.

It’s also heartbreaking. This wasn’t a stranger who popped in randomly. This was someone who’d placed a deposit, received weeks of communication, participated in a Virtual Visit, and exchanged countless emails preparing for this day—without ever discussing it with her husband. She wanted to surprise him. I explained that we don’t recommend ever surprising someone with a puppy. Every adult in the household should be involved in the decision. When they’re not, every normal puppy behavior—chewing a shoe, having an accident—can feel like a breaking point, rather than a learning curve. That’s not fair to the puppy or the partner.

When someone backs out last-minute after committing, it’s more than disappointing—it creates a ripple of challenges. I run a nonprofit, Herzog's Heroes, and had planned this week around the expectation that all pups would be in their new homes. Having one puppy left actually creates more work than having a group, because now I’m doing one-on-one crate training instead of littermate socialization. My meetings are being rescheduled, and I’m missing a conference I was supposed to attend.

And of course… she’s already stolen my heart.

Last night, she cried in her crate—alone for the first time after all her siblings went home—and I broke my own rule. I let her sleep in bed with me. Not ideal, I know. Crate training will be harder now, but she needed comfort and so did I. She’s currently by my feet, chewing a bone while I type this. She rides in the puppy carrier when I need my hands free. She’s sweet and spunky and already attached.

Part of me is wondering if this happened for a reason. She’s Nero’s great-granddaughter. Some of you know Nero passed last October, and losing him was soul-crushing. He was my guy. From Nero and Godiva came Winston. Winston and Ada gave us Uta. And Uta and Woody gave us this little girl. Since the planning of this litter, before they were even born, I’ve been wrestling with not keeping a puppy from Uta’s final litter, it was easier knowing they all had homes...

But the reason I’ve always stayed firm in not keeping a pup is because I have to be prepared for returns. Thankfully we don’t have many, but when a dog comes back, I believe—wholeheartedly—that the breeder must be ready. It’s what we teach in our breeder education program, and it’s what we’re advocating for in regulation: no dog should ever end up in a shelter because their breeder wasn’t prepared to take them back.

Nero’s last years were spent sharing me with returned dogs who needed rehab and rehoming. I believe he had a wonderful life, but I always felt guilty that he had to share so much of me. That guilt is what stops me from keeping this puppy.

I’m writing this for three reasons:

1. Breeders: Always talk to all adults in the home. This was my mistake. I knew better. Had I followed that rule, this wouldn’t have happened. This is on me. It’s a reminder that breeders aren’t perfect but they have to get better with every mistake.

2. Potential puppy owners: A puppy should never be a surprise to your spouse or partner. This is a shared commitment. Part of the joy of getting a puppy is preparing together—choosing the right match, the right breeder, and setting up your home. And please let go of the idea of “trying a puppy out.” If everyone isn’t already 100% on board, the answer is no.
To be fair, this woman had heard from another puppy owner that I once allowed them to “try out” a pup. But that situation was very different. It involved a family I’d had extensive conversations with, where both adults were fully committed. The question was how their daughter would respond. We had a structured in-home visit with a contract and a plan. These people were making this decision very, very carefully. That was not this. This was someone showing up on Go-Home Day and dropping a bomb on me.

3. Lastly... We need the perfect name for this little girl. She’s wearing a yellow collar, and she’s tearing me apart. People ask me how I can give them up, and the truth is, while it’s hard, it’s also joyful—to see them become part of a loving home, a family, sometimes even a service dog. But this one… Nero’s great-granddaughter, the last of Uta’s final litter. I keep reminding myself that someday, when I’ve fully retired and have a strong legacy plan in place, I can keep a pup from Drago—Uta and Woody’s son. But that’s not making this any easier right now.

So... what do we name this girl?

07/06/2025

Getting ready to canicross! Head over and try it out. It’s free, works for all running levels, all breeds can try it as long as they’re healthy to run, and we’ve got gear you can try out! Run starts at 8am!

29/05/2025

26/05/2025

We're still in search of the right home for Remy. This poor guy is the sweetest boy. His heart broke when he was separated from his family. For days he didn’t want to interact with anyone. He’s been with us since the beginning of March and we’ve worked through his depression but it was awful to see. I mention this because his new family will need to understand that Remy is a sensitive dog. When he transitions into his new home he’ll need time to decompress.

Remy is pure love. He’ll be 3 in July and is just under 80 pounds. He was raised in an environment where his owner had anxiety and was nervous to handle a big dog. In a situation like this, a dog will have their own nervous tendencies. As a result, he nips at people he doesn’t know on occasions where he didn’t feel comfortable. Thankfully, they were not vicious attacks and he has never done that to anyone he has been properly introduced to or has bonded with. It needs to be understood that if he’s uncomfortable, he can be unpredictable, which is why he cannot go to a house with young children. He does very well with teenagers, bonds with them closely and likes to sleep on their bed. His original home had a teenager as does mine and he loves them to pieces.

He does well with our dogs, but his previous owner said he had an incident with their pug. It's unknown what triggered this. He spends his days with our dogs and puppies now and we've seen no signs of aggression, however, Remy missed out on critical socialization in his previous home so when we go to public spaces he uses a muzzle to avoid issues because he is clearly uncomfortable.

Remy has been introduced to cats and expressed almost no interest, however, I haven't seen him with cats long term. I believe he would do well with a proper introduction.

Remy’s ideal home will be with a family who does not have members who tend to have chronic anxiety or are nervous to be around a big dog. He will do excellent with owners who can provide stability and can recognize a dog’s body language when they are uncomfortable including shaking, lip smacking, ear pinning, whining, turning his face away or excessive yawning when around strangers. He's fine being a home body so he'll do well in a home that doesn't take him places. A family devoted to continued training to work through a healthy transition is a must. We hope to see his next home be his forever home.

We are not asking a fee for Remy’s rehoming, we instead appreciate a tax deductible donation in the amount of your choice to our nonprofit organization, Herzog’s Heroes.

25/05/2025

Sadie stopped by and visited with Uta’s pups! Can you tell which pup is 6 weeks old and which is 10 weeks old? 😂
Bonus if you can guess what breed Sadie is!