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THE VISIONMy view of the German Shepherd Dog is one of versatility. Originally bred as herding dogs, they have developed over the years into protection animals, companion animals, service animals and all around working/sport animals. They should be level headed, and capable of performing any task in any environment, with strong biddability and appropriate discernment, reacting correctly to a variety of situations. My goal is to produce dogs who replicate these characteristics, and are overall sound (both mentally and physically) and correct.
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Our HeritageThe stars aligned when they sent me my very first well bred Shepherd, and continued to do so as it became evident that she was staying, despite outside forces and their best attempts. It wasn't long before I was spending my evenings laying tracks and my weekends at club, trial prepping in downtime from work and consuming every form of media and knowledge I could on the sport of Schutzhund. The thrill of my first BH (and subsequent IGP1 & 2) will forever hold a special place in my heart, and I aim to continue to prove myself and my dogs, for the sake of the breed.
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Our DogsAt Zwinger vom Rabenauge, my aim is to produce dogs who are well rounded and capable of performing well within any sport or task that they are set to. This means that many of my dogs are involved in multiple sports, from the pressure of IGP, to the critical thinking of herding, to things like Barn Hunt, Dock Diving, Scent Work and Competitive Obedience. I ask that my dogs adjust accordingly, eagerly taking on each new challenge and throwing everything they have into it. On top of this, I ask that they remain ever loyal and faithful companions, welcomed members of our homes, and trusted friends.
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About the Breeder
I started with dogs, ironically, as a professional trainer at a big-box store. At the time, I did not have a dog. I had never had a dog, in fact, but I seemed to be decent enough at training basic pet behavior, and problem-solving mildly more difficult things like reactivity. That said, it's hard to sell yourself as an expert when you sit on a throne of lies, so I endeavored to get my first dog in my early 20s.
That dog was a backyard-bred German Shepherd named Zero. Her mother was a black dog about 4 generations removed from any titling or health testing, and her father... well. He was a white dog bred from white dogs for the sake of being white - need I say more? As such, she was a difficult puppy and teenager who came with her own set of challenges, things that I was not overly pleased with, but things that I learned to handle and work with. She made me a better trainer and a better handler, and taught me a much-needed lesson in patience. As she aged, she became more level-headed and settled down, but she left me with a hunger for something more, something stronger. I had always been fascinated with Schutzhund, and while I loved Zero, she was not a dog for the sport. She was very low drive, socially nervous, reactive to other dogs, and more like a spitz in how she wanted to train than a highly biddable herding dog, and none of that meshed with my visions of grandeur.
So, 4 years later, my first Shepherd from an ethical breeder came home. Originally, she was meant to be a training endeavor, one where she would eventually return to the individual who'd given her to me for that purpose, but eventually she became a co-own, then was ultimately transferred entirely to me. Akira, Hustle vom Haus Tyson, was everything I had dreamed of and became my foundation. Not too much, but more than enough to get me going, and before long, I was hyperventilating as we finished our BH routine, elated despite my own nerves having made it impossible to eat that morning. By our IGP1, I felt like I had a better grasp on what was expected of me, even if she decided to throw a few kinks into the obedience that frustrated me to no end. I was exceptionally proud of us, especially in tracking, which at the time felt like a bear of a task. Her IGP2 was significantly more naughty, with several moments where I thought "well, we tried," but we came out with a pass in all 3 phases, and I remember smiling the whole time. She was 4 months off puppies (and a c-section, no less) and had maybe 6 weeks of actual trial prep, so I hadn't been expecting much, but she gave her all for me, and I felt good in every phase. Maybe not about the behaviors, maybe not about the points (and really, I can't blame anyone but myself, there), but being there, in the moment with her - that felt divine. She never did achieve an IGP3 due to a soft tissue injury that ultimately took her out of the sport, but she earned her breed survey and taught me so many incredible things during our few times on the field together.
Now, as I continue to train my dogs and work on my further generations of BHOTs, my goal is to produce dogs similar to that. Well-rounded, with level heads and strong hearts, who are stable enough to bring power to the protection field without being a menace to society (or their owners' couches) and who, at the end of the day, are just fun dogs to be around.
That dog was a backyard-bred German Shepherd named Zero. Her mother was a black dog about 4 generations removed from any titling or health testing, and her father... well. He was a white dog bred from white dogs for the sake of being white - need I say more? As such, she was a difficult puppy and teenager who came with her own set of challenges, things that I was not overly pleased with, but things that I learned to handle and work with. She made me a better trainer and a better handler, and taught me a much-needed lesson in patience. As she aged, she became more level-headed and settled down, but she left me with a hunger for something more, something stronger. I had always been fascinated with Schutzhund, and while I loved Zero, she was not a dog for the sport. She was very low drive, socially nervous, reactive to other dogs, and more like a spitz in how she wanted to train than a highly biddable herding dog, and none of that meshed with my visions of grandeur.
So, 4 years later, my first Shepherd from an ethical breeder came home. Originally, she was meant to be a training endeavor, one where she would eventually return to the individual who'd given her to me for that purpose, but eventually she became a co-own, then was ultimately transferred entirely to me. Akira, Hustle vom Haus Tyson, was everything I had dreamed of and became my foundation. Not too much, but more than enough to get me going, and before long, I was hyperventilating as we finished our BH routine, elated despite my own nerves having made it impossible to eat that morning. By our IGP1, I felt like I had a better grasp on what was expected of me, even if she decided to throw a few kinks into the obedience that frustrated me to no end. I was exceptionally proud of us, especially in tracking, which at the time felt like a bear of a task. Her IGP2 was significantly more naughty, with several moments where I thought "well, we tried," but we came out with a pass in all 3 phases, and I remember smiling the whole time. She was 4 months off puppies (and a c-section, no less) and had maybe 6 weeks of actual trial prep, so I hadn't been expecting much, but she gave her all for me, and I felt good in every phase. Maybe not about the behaviors, maybe not about the points (and really, I can't blame anyone but myself, there), but being there, in the moment with her - that felt divine. She never did achieve an IGP3 due to a soft tissue injury that ultimately took her out of the sport, but she earned her breed survey and taught me so many incredible things during our few times on the field together.
Now, as I continue to train my dogs and work on my further generations of BHOTs, my goal is to produce dogs similar to that. Well-rounded, with level heads and strong hearts, who are stable enough to bring power to the protection field without being a menace to society (or their owners' couches) and who, at the end of the day, are just fun dogs to be around.