Central Valley
German Shepherds

A: Yes, all of our puppies come with AKC registration papers. We are proud to be an AKC Breeder of Merit.

A: We provide a 2-year genetic health guarantee. All our puppies undergo thorough health screenings before going to their new homes.

A: We prefer not to ship puppies. We encourage potential owners to visit our facility and meet the puppies in person. That being said, Yes! We offer world-wide shipping of our puppies at cost. That is, we will ship a puppy anywhere in the United States or around the world for whatever the shipping cost is, without tacking on any fees or charges. Puppies are shipped as live animal cargo and must be flown into major airports. Not every airport accepts live animal cargo, so keep that in mind if you plan on shipping a puppy. In our area, the closest airport to us which accepts and ships live animal cargo is San Francisco International Airport (SFO).

As an alternative to shipping a puppy via live animal cargo, we also contract with pet delivery services, which provide escorts to pick up and deliver puppies via ground travel, with an escort. If you chose to use an escort service, an escort will pick up the puppy from us and drive the puppy to you, remaining with the puppy the entire time. The cost of pet escort services varies depending on the distance, the date the puppy needs to be delivered, and other factors.

We also offer free local delivery within 50 miles of our location. If you live or work within 50 miles of our Merced location, we will deliver the puppy to your home or work at no-cost. Usually home delivery is available Thursday – Sunday each week with 2-3 day lead time.

A: We recommend starting with basic obedience training as early as 8 weeks old. German Shepherds are intelligent and eager to learn, making them excellent candidates for advanced training as well.

A: We recommend puppy-proofing your home by removing any hazardous items, setting up a designated area with a crate and toys, and stocking up on high-quality puppy food and supplies. There are a few things you should have ready before you bring your puppy home, some of these things are optional, but they might make the new puppy experience better for you and the puppy. We recommend having the following supplies ready.

• Food & water bowels, preferably with a non-slip bottom as puppies tend to slide things around when eating.


• Collar & leash, it’s not just a good idea, in most places it’s the law that all dogs must be leashed when in public, so it’s a good idea to get them started early. Find an appropriately sized, adjustable, buckle-type nylon collar. Do not use a “break away” collar when the puppy is on a leash.


• Name tag, with your contact information, just in case the puppy gets loose, and someone finds it, they will know how to contact you.


• Appropriately sized dog crate. A crate will greatly improve the easy of house training your puppy as well as provide it a safe, den-like place where the puppy can go to rest. Dog crates can either be the plastic travel type or the wire cage type. The important thing about selecting a crate is the size. You must get a crate that is just right for your puppy. If the crate is too small, the puppy will not want to be in the crate and will likely cry/howl when put in the crate. If the crate is too large, then the puppy will have room enough to sleep in one area of the crate while urinating/pooping in another area. You DO NOT want your puppy to be urinating/pooping in its crate, it’s both unsanitary, and will delay house training. By nature, dogs will not urinate/poop where they sleep, unless they have no other choice.


• Puppy food. Puppies need food that is age appropriate so that they get the correct balance of proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals in their diet. The brand of puppy food you choose isn’t as important as making sure the puppy food is for puppies less than 1 year old. Most commercially available dog food you can buy is the dog food equivalent of human “fast food”. Its edible, provides some nutritional value, and dogs can live on it, but it’s not the best diet for anyone. An alternative to commercially available dog food is to provide your puppy with human food you make at home, such as meats, vegetables, rice, etc. If you choose to feed your puppy a homemade diet, then you will also need to provide the puppy with vitamin supplements to ensure the puppy gets all vitamins and minerals it needs. While a homemade diet can be the best thing for your puppy, commercially available dog food is cheaper, easier to buy and prepare, and has most of the dietary elements your puppy needs.


• Toys. One of the most important things your puppy needs throughout its lifetime is mental stimulation. A bored puppy is a destructive puppy, and no one wants that. The best type of mental stimulation is playtime with your puppy. There is nothing your puppy will enjoy more than spending time with you playing. If, however you must leave the puppy alone for periods of time, you should provide the puppy with plenty of toys to help provide mental stimulation. One of the most popular dog toys is a Kong, a rubber ball-like hollow toy that you can put treats inside of. The puppy will play with the Kong for hours trying to get all the treats out.

A: The prices of our puppies vary depending on several factors, such as gender, coat pattern, age, level of training, special characteristics, current demand, etc. Typically, our puppies range in price from $650 - $1,500.

• Full AKC registration
• AKC registration packet
• AKC pedigree
• Deworming (at least 4 times)
• Vaccinations (first & second doses) with records
• 30-Days complimentary pet health insurance from the AKC
• Complete health records
• Veterinary exam prior to travel (only for puppies being shipped)
• 2-Year written health guarantee
• Socialization (with cats, other dogs, & children)
• Microchipping
• Premium puppy food & suppliments
• Blanket with mom's scent
• Around the clock care
• Grooming
• Noise desensitization
• Begining Crate training
• Volhard's Puppy Aptitude testing
• Sample bag of premium puppy food

If you have any questions about what is including in the sales price, please don't hesitate to ask.

PLEASE NOTE: All sales are final. In the unfortunate event that you are unable to keep a puppy that you have purchased from us for any reason, we will gladly accept the puppy back within 30-days of the date you purchased the puppy, however no monetary refunds will be issued.

A: Yes, we can typically accept payment arrangements for the puppies we sell. Our typical payment arrangement is $100/week until the full amount has been paid at which point you can take the puppy home. If you’d like to make larger or smaller weekly payments, we may be able to accommodate that.

For more information email us at info@cvgsd.com

A: We accept most types of payment including: Cash, Cashier’s Check, Postal Money Order, Credit/Debit card, Zelle, Apple Pay, Google Pay, ACH payments, and Venmo. We use the third-party payment processing service Stripe to handle all online transactions. We also accept in-person cash or Venmo payments. If you would like to pay by cashier's check, or money order, please note that your puppy will be held until your payment has cleared the bank, usually 2-3 business days.

A: We only breed German Shepherd Dogs (GSDs) and Dutch Shepherds.

We selectively breed puppies based on intelligence, demeanor, and drive. We do not breed show dogs, designer breeds, or breed puppies purely for appearance.

A: All of our puppies are litterbox trained from birth. For each litter and for our nursing adult females, we provide a large litter pan with compressed paper pellets. The pups instinctively use the litterbox when they need to relieve themselves. When it comes time to house train the pups, we use the same litterbox indoors and then move it outdoors after a couple days. Each time the puppies eat or drink, we put them near the litterbox within 10-15 minutes and the pups use the litterbox. After doing this for several days, the pups instinctively eat and then go to the litterbox. We’ve found this method of house training works very well.

Socialization is very important with any pup, so we make an effort to socialize the pups as much as possible before they go to their new homes. Since we’re a family kennel and we have small children, cats, and other dogs in our home, the pups are socialized with larger dogs, small dogs, toddlers, cats, and other people. Additionally, we expose the pups to loud noises frequently to get them use to sounds they will encounter in their lifetime, such as vacuums, TV & radio, doorbells, loud children, etc. This exposure from a young age helps the pups be more confident, calm, and far less likely to startle.

For those pups we have past 12 weeks of age, we also get the pups use to walking on a leash, and teach basic obedience commands such as ‘sit’, ‘down’, ‘leave it’, and ‘heel’.

A: Yes! Our puppies are vaccinated at least twice before going to their new home. We vaccinate all puppies with Durvet Canine Spectra 5 / 6 / 10, a 5-in-1 & 10-in-1 vaccination, which provides protection against Canine Distemper, infections Canine Hepatitis, Canine Adenovirus Type 2 (CAV-2), Canine Coronavirus, Canine Parainfluenza, and Canine Parvovirus (CPV) Type 2b, Leptospira canicola, Leptospira grippotyphosa, Leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae and Leptospira Pomona. We also vaccinate our dogs at 12 weeks and again annually with Spectra KC 3 which helps protect against kennel cough.

The puppies receive their vaccinations at 4 weeks of age with Durvet Canine Spectra 5 / 6, then again at 8, 12 & 16 weeks of age with Durvet Canine Spectra 10. The vaccines are designed to offer maximum protection only after the 4th dose, so we recommend limiting your puppy’s outside activity and exposure to other animals until they have received at least the first 3 doses of the vaccine. It's recommended that all dogs receive annual booster vaccinations to help ensure continued protection against serious health issues.

As with human vaccinations, a canine vaccination DOES NOT guarantee that your puppy will not get sick. The purpose of the vaccine is to mitigate the health risks to the puppy in the event that the puppy is exposed. Vaccinated puppies are far less likely to suffer severe health complications, including death, associated with viral and bacterial threats than non-vaccinated pups.

Regardless of your puppy’s vaccination status, puppy owners are recommended to limit the puppy’s exposure to potentially dangerous viruses and bacteria, by keeping their puppy indoors, away from other animals, and avoiding places such as dog parks, and other areas where dogs are known to group together, until the puppy is fully vaccinated and at least 6 months old.

In order to license your puppy, or to legally own a dog in most jurisdictions, you are required to have your puppy vaccinated against rabies. The rabies vaccine can only come from a licensed veterinarian, so you will need to take your pup into a vet for their rabies vaccine once they are at least 12 weeks old.

The puppy's initial rabies vaccine is good for 1 year, after the first year, the puppy can then receive the rabies vaccine every 3 years.

All of our puppies are also dewormed every 2 weeks for the first 2 months, at 2, 4, 6, & 8 weeks of age with Durvet Liquid Wormer 2x, which helps protect them from Roundworms (Toxocara canis and Toxascaris leonina) and Hookworms (Ancylostoma caninum and Uncinaria stenocephala).

Vaccine	4 Wks	8 Wks	12 Wks	16 Wks	Annual Booster
Spectra 5 / 6
Spectra 10
Spectra KC3

A: Yes!, You can reserve a puppy before it's ready to go home, in fact we recommend reserving a pup if you're serious about purchasing a puppy, since they often sell out well before they're old enough to go to their new homes. Our puppies typically all sell by the time they're 4-6 weeks old. Deposits can be kept up to one year should buyers opt out of puppy purchase and wish to transfer the deposit towards another litter.

If you'd like to reserve a puppy, the deposit is $250, with the remaining balance due when you pick up the puppy.

A: Many new dog owners ask this question, so it’s something we hear a lot. The answer is it varies slightly from pup to pup. Typically, German Shepherd puppy’s ears are fully erect and remain that way, when the puppy is 4 – 7 months old. Sometimes a puppy’s ears will perk up earlier, only to flop over again for a few months, but eventually all German Shepherds should have fully erect ears by the time they are 1 year old, if not much sooner. If a German Shepherd does not have fully erect ears by the time, it’s 1 year of age, the dog may have an underlying health or genetic problem and should be evaluated by a veterinarian.

When the puppies are born, their ears are closed and close to their head. By the time the puppies are 2 – 2 ½ weeks old their ears open and Pinna (the outside of the ear) start to stiffen. The puppy’s ears stiffen from the base upward, which is why there are varying degrees of erect ears at different stages of development.

Some evidence suggests, that while puppies are teething, they use their jaw muscles excessively, which can cause muscle fatigue in the jaw and auricular muscles (the muscles that control their ear movement). This muscle fatigue is very common in teething puppies and will go away once the puppy is done teething, usually around 5 – 6 months old. Once the puppy is no longer teething, you will notice that its ears are again fully erect and will remain that way.

A: Yes!, all of our dogs & puppies are purebred, AKC registered German Shepherd Dogs. Every puppy we sell comes with an AKC registration application to allow the Reg Owner to register the puppy in their name, track the puppy pedigree, and more.

AKC registration is optional. It is up to the Reg Owner whether or not they wish to register their new puppy with the AKC. Registration requires a nominal fee of between $35 - $85 for a lifetime registration.

There are MANY advantages to registering your new puppy with the AKC, one of which is complimentary pet health insurance through the AKC. All new registered puppies will receive 30-days of complimentary pet health insurance, which can be used for you puppy’s initial vet visit, additional vaccinations, and more.

For more information on the benefits of registering your puppy with the AKC, click here

A: According to a 2016 retrospective study evaluating the long-term effects of spay-neuter surgeries in German Shepherd Dogs, published in the journal Veterinary Medicine and Science, The study reported a significant increase in cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) tears, or ruptures, in male and female German Shepherd Dogs neutered before 1 year of age, and it also noted a significantly higher incidence of urinary incontinence in female German Shepherd Dogs spayed before 1 year of age. Thus, it is recommended that dog owners wait until the pup is at least 1 year old before spaying/neutering.

A: While they are with us, we feed all of our puppies 4Health Large Breed Puppy Formula, dry dog food. We also offer our dogs lean meats such as chicken and beef, and provide dietary suppliments to help promote strong bones and muscles.

If you are considering feeding your puppy an all-natural diet, many people choose to feed their pups homemade, natural, human-grade food. There are many great websites you can find that offer recipes, information, and advise on starting your puppy or adult dog on an all-natural, homemade diet. Here is a link to a great article on Benefits of German Shepherd Homemade Dog Food.

Just as important to know, is what NOT to feed your puppy. The image below shows some of the human foods that are SAFE and those which are TOXIC to German Shepherds.

A: There are several factors that you need to take into consideration when determining how much and how often to feed your puppy. Your GSD pup should eat enough to maintain their growth and energy, while not eating so much that they carry extra fat. First, consider the age of the puppy. Younger puppies will need smaller, more frequent feedings, which become less frequent with age. Second, consider the caloric needs of the puppy, the more active the puppy the higher it’s caloric needs will be and the puppy will need to consume a higher amount of calories than other less active pups. Third, note that caloric values can vary greatly between brands of dog food, so if you choose a brand of dog food which is much less calories than other brands, you may need to feed your pup more food, or more often to keep up with their caloric demands.

The table below is a general reference to give you some idea how much and how often to feed your pup.

Puppy Age	Amt. per feeding	Daily Feedings
2 - 3 Mon.	1/4 - 1/2 cups	4x Daily
3 - 6 Mon.	1/2 - 1 cup	3x Daily
6 - 12 Mon.	1 - 1 1/4 cups	2x Daily
> 12 Mon.	1 1/4 - 1 3/4 cups	2x Daily