About Us
Sportwaffen K9 is the product of my lifelong love and interest in dogs. As a kid I'd wake up, and my dog and I would go hiking up into the forestry behind our farm. I loved the outdoors and I loved my dogs so these were the best of times. Watching my dogs, I was always amazed seeing them work in drive and their abilities to effortlessly cover ground, hunt, and sense things I couldn't see. On more than one occasion my dogs defended me or alerted me to things unseen. I still remember the comfort my dogs gave me as a child, and what good friends we were. No one ever had to convince me that dogs were man's best friend; I knew that long before I ever heard someone say it. I was in awe of an animal that can be so intelligent, protective, loyal, serving, and unselfish. An interest as a child developed into an obsession as a man.
We have grown into a hobby kennel breeding one to two litters a year of quality German Shepherd Dogs. Our breeding's are carefully planned and selected from only the finest dogs available. Our dogs are titled in the German dog sport of Schutzhund, breed surveyed, and health screened . We actively train and compete in Schutzhund with our dogs and focus our efforts to working line German Shepherd Dogs. It is our belief that the German Shepherd Dog is first and foremost a working dog that should be bred to perform functions such as Schutzhund, Police K9, Protection, Herding, and Search and Rescue. We strive to produce healthy dogs with high drives for the work, appealing to the eye in appearance, versatile, and stable enough to come home to be loyal family companions and protectors.
I became involved in breeding because it upset me to see so many people breeding for all the wrong reasons. I saw untitled dogs with no drives and no health screens reproducing and watering down the genetics of these beautiful animals. Too many people breed for the wrong reasons. They have no real knowledge about the breed and instead of improving it, damage it. I try to use my lifelong experiences with dogs, such as my experience training police and protection dogs, handling a police dog on the street, and being a helper and competitor, and later starting my own schutzhund club and becoming the Training Director for O.G. Landshark Schutzhund, Polizeihund, und Rettungshunde, with knowledge I've sought out on my own through thousands of hours of research, participation, and observation to make the best decisions possible to try and improve upon this incredible breed.
So where did the kennel name "Sportwaffen" come from?
I loved dogs that were driven competition sport dogs, but I also had a real love for dogs that were truly protective and loyal to their handlers and families when not competing. To me, a dog without drive was not a true German Shepherd, and a dog with drive that wouldn't protect his family was equally lacking. A true German Shepherd should be balanced enough to perform in all of these areas. I used the word "sport" for the working abilities and drives, and combined it with the german word "waffen" (weapons) to create what my ideal is.....a beautiful working animal that at the end of the day loyally protects and watches over his master.