Please click on the question you wish to view our answer to:

1.) "What if I drive to your facility, can I save some money by you not having to pay the shipping on my pup?"

            In a more perfect World where the ultra, ultra-rich Billionaire Corporations paid all the taxes, that could be more of a real possibility. We will, however, deduct $200 off the purchase price if you come here to pick up your German Shepherd. (no airfare, crate, video, FAA Health Certificate = approximately $200 in actual costs). Unfortunately, we will then be required by State Sales Tax law to collect 7.225% State Sales Tax on the new total. However, if you order your pup from out of State and have it shipped to you, we are not required to charge you any Sales Tax as the State Law now stands.

2.) "What books do you recommend?"

            a.) The Art of Raising a Puppy - by the Monks of New Skete
            b.) Beyond Basic Dog Training - by Diane Bauman
            c.) Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook - by Carlson and Giffin.

3.) "How are your German Shepherds around very small children? Can they be trusted to be alone with them?"

            I can, without hesitation, tell you that the German Shepherds that we produce will never harm a child intentionally. Watching young children play you know that two young children playing together sometimes harm each other because of their immaturity. All of our puppies are much like having young children and must be monitored when around very young children, only because they love to play and would view the toddler as a playmate (litter mate)and might accidentally knock them down or take a toy that the toddler wanted. They would never do anything that would be considered aggressive. The pup needs to be monitored just as a toddler does. If a group of strange 5 and 6 year olds charge directly up to a 3 year old, it will cause the 3 year old a lot of stress and it will probably cry. A German Shepherd will take that as an attack by aliens and will bark and show these intruders that they are suspicious of their actions and to stay away and approach slowly. Some supervised interaction with toddlers is recommended, but never force lots of stress on your pup. Little kids are unpredictable and sometimes erratic and unknowingly cruel. If the pup is not having fun then put it in a crate until you can make the situation fun for them. The pup will be like an infant in mental development, but will mature rapidly compared to human development. Well bred German Shepherds are high bonding to their family and consider all members of the family as their relatives and unlike some human relatives would not harm any member of the family unit. Please take a look at our "Letters of Reference" page.
            I hope this helps your understanding. Most important for you to know is that this pup that you will be getting will be the most sound reliable GSD you could ever own.

4.) "What is the quickest and safest way to transfer the remainder of the money to you after we select our pup?" Can I put the whole purchase price on my credit card instead of just the initial deposit?"

            It is our policy to just accept credit cards for the initial deposits to get you an instant and assured position on the list. The most secure and absolute safest method for the remaining balance is Direct - Wire transfer from your bank to ours which takes less than a couple hours and the fee's are less than next-day postal rates, usually. Contact us for the Bank Route Account numbers.

5.) "How should I protect my new pup from diseases like Parvo?"

            Your new puppy will be current on all vaccinations when it arrives, but will still need updates on several vaccines. We think you really should get with your Vet on this matter as it would be unwise for us to advise you completely as we don't live in the same area and some areas are more prevalent than others and with different strains of the terrible virus. Around here, we do feel safe with completing the puppy shots at 16 weeks, but again, that could change. I can tell you that there is a brand new vaccine which we just purchased from our Vet. that is the only vaccine that actually fights or over comes the mothers immunity so that there is not that window of openness where the puppies are not guarded. The name of it is INTERVET. Ask your Vet about it. Your puppy will have had two of these vaccines by the time s/he reaches you. It is believed that Parvo is transmitted by any kind of physical contact from anything that has been infected to anything else. Puppies, even though vaccinated, should be restricted from as much potential contact where sick animals may have been i.e. the Vets. office waiting room, public parks, dog classes etc. We might even suggest that you have the Vet. come to your home or out to your car for boosters to the vaccine as an added extra per caution. Just take as much precaution as possible and you will be ok. If your Vet. has a hard time with this then consider getting a new Vet. If you want to be sure to get the flu virus during flu season, just go to your Doctors office and sit in the waiting room you'll be sure to get it! Common sense will get you thru this puppy infancy.

6.) "When should I start formal training on my new puppy?"

            What I'd really like to advise and probably can't stress enough is that you shouldn't take all that you read in the many books that are out there about dogs too seriously. The most important thing for you to do, is to listen to yourself. Most of what you read is for people who own dawg-dawgs and need lots of help in learning how to live and deal with them. You, on the other hand, are going to be getting a dog that is more like a human (only much better than most humans) and they will be soooo easy that they will actually talk to you and tell you all you need to now if you watch and listen. You won't believe it, so please trust me that you don't have to worry about doing anything wrong. You don't need to push them in the beginning, in fact it's better to just let them be a puppy and bond so closely to them that training will happen naturally. It's really so much easier than all that you have read and don't take offense but I'd like to see you discard all those books and video's and do what comes naturally. I think you'll have less chance of causing any problems. It's interesting to read all that stuff but in reality a lot of it is way overboard. Maturity really sets in when they reach the 18 month stage. That's the time to get serious about training.

7.) "What should I feed my new puppy?"

            We feed Purina Pro Plan growth formula, it does not contain any soy products and is a chicken base kibble. We wean them onto cooked chicken and then soak the kibble with the chicken broth and all of our pups do real well with this. Should you choose to try another dry kibble, make sure it does not contain soy. Soy maybe a high protein source, however, the digestibility is very poor for dogs so they do not get the nutrition they need. We also advise that you keep your pup on a growth formula until s/he is at least 18 months old. They may look like they're done growing at one year, however, that is a myth or at least it is with our GSD's! We provide lots of bones for them to chew until they are 6 months old when the teething process has completed. Pig ears are great as well as Booda bones t play tug of war. We feed free choice, but you can put down set meals, 3 at first then 2. Raw milk is good, goats or cows. Hard boiled eggs are good and fun to watch them eat! Also cottage cheese. Have fun with her/him--you can't spoil them with love and they will only thrive into the best companion you've ever dreamed of.

8.) "What advise do you have regarding house breaking? Will my pup relieve itself in the crate while being shipped?"

            As for house breaking, I would like you to know, however, that house training and potty training, for lack of a better word, is strictly a genetic trait, except in strays and older dogs abused could be a factor, of course. Our pups while in the whelping nest with their mothers will crawl off a way from the nursing milk bar to the far side of the whelping box to eliminate. They do not want to soil the "nest" or living area so to speak and they have been raised outside and want to eliminate outdoors.
            With little or no concern this will be a natural good experience and will only require minimal normal awareness on your part. i.e. let the pup outside every couple hours or i.e if they go to the door and turn around and catch your eye let them out and after you feed them a big meal let them out. Correct genetics are very important in this regard.
            The puppy won't mess in their crate. And more than likely will let you know when s/he have to go potty as they are use to going outside. I would probably feed the puppy its last meal early evening. And you'll be playing with s/he in the evening so give some water before bed. They should be able to hold that. These pups are really so very good about their potty manners. Just be aware as soon as they wake up and right after they eat. I can say that what we hear the most is that the puppy made one mistake "but it was our fault not the puppy's!"

9.) "Can I keep the pictures, pedigrees and video of our pup you sent us and will the AKC papers and guarantee be shipped with my puppy?"

            Please keep all the info we sent you previously and the papers and health record will be coming by separate cover through the U.S. Post Office

10.) "Is it fair to categorize the pups you have to be pure German Show lines?"

            Working / Show lines, but as you have seen all ready, magnificent and only selected imports bred to selective imports.

11.) "As far as transporting the pups go, I've read some problems other owner's have with airlines. I presume they fly in cargo hold area? Would that be traumatic? Do you drug your puppies before shipping?"

            We crate train all of our pups and older dogs prior to shipping and additionally we put in a big knuckle bone to keep them from getting bored. We never use any drugs, just good genetics and proper handling by us sets them up right. We have never had a problem. Our pups are so sound in temperament it does not phase them. Its amazing to most people how much they take it all in stride. Usually, it's rougher on the expectant new parents than it is on the puppy, by far!

12.) "What about male vs. female in terms of; a) ease of obedience training? b) protection?"

            Females tend to be slightly more loving and forgiving of human error. Their characteristic behavior is almost identical to humans. The males of course tend to mimic macho human male behavior which means they tend to strut around all full of themselves more than they need to. Its not a bad thing, I'd just say it's humorous most of the time. The bottom line is that these German Shepherds almost train themselves. The intelligent levels are so high you will be amazed. Usually it only takes twice to teach them almost anything - "once" so they find out what is being asked of them and the second time re-enforces the first and it says, "See I really mean it!" It's a cake walk with little or no experience needed. Its just that easy! Male / Female? It does not really matter - obedience or protection!

13.) "What's the best age to get a pup? (That is, when do you like to ship them) I have heard various, most common being 7 weeks."

            Seven weeks is three weeks too soon. They absolutely need the interaction time with siblings to fully mature properly. First, they must learn to be German Shepherds from each other, only then will they develop correctly and rightly (psychologically) to become "Man's" dependable companion. During this crucial period they learn naturally the limits of biting behavior and what is acceptable from their peers not from some "Giant" person who is basically unaware of what is the correct play behavior as opposes to actual dominance challenge behavior. I could write a book on this subject, but I'd rather go play with a puppy... Hope you get the basic concept. It is a very, very important time for proper development. It can be as crucial in the development process as weaning too soon is to an infant child...I think that the concept of placing pups at 7 weeks has been the norm because most breeders don't have the time to spend with the puppies as they do need a lot of human interaction as well during this time, so they want to get them in homes so they don't have to do the work and believe me it is a lot of work. However, on the other hand for us, we feel we can set the pups up correctly with proper handling and we learn so much about what we are producing compared to the breeder that "gets rid" of their pups by 7-8 weeks of age. We take the time to learn what each pup is all about therefore being able to place the right pup with the right family/situation. That way, everybody is happy and a very high success rate!

14.) " I was thinking of buying two pups from you and wanted to know what you thought about possibly breeding them to each other. I know the Show Ring breeders do it a lot. Isn't that kind of inbreeding? What are your thoughts?"

             I would not do a brother/ sister breeding if I were you for a lot of different reasons. First and paramount is that breeding is not for everyone and requires a proper set - up and lots of skill and time, plus a good reliable market of top notch people like yourselves. You may get a pup or two from so close of a genetic cross that has a "problem", due to doubling up on ALL the gene structures. A recessive gene for a potential problem may now, when doubled up, show its stupid little head for the first time and might be a difficult situation for you and the pup.
            I could elaborate further, but you probably have a good enough picture to make that decision now. I can tell you that if your breeding GSD's is not a major factor in your decision then having a brother and sister grow up together (one neutered of course) would be one of the highlights in your family's history. It's like a barrel full of belly laughs everyday. They will play with each other intently, but both will be so bonded to your family they will both scramble for your affection and want to be with the family more than with each other- by far... This is one fact I can absolutely testify too. It's just great to raise them together, they take out lots of their rougher play on each other and give all their loving to the family. The competition for your affections between them is a lesson in behavioral science by itself. There is no down side to owning two of the same age, only an upside. They are not brain dead dawg - dawgs, they are highly intelligent beings who like to play with each other, but will always rather have the companionship and affection of the "lead dogs" (you and your family members) rather then each other. When they are fully mature they will work like a well oiled team together. It will be like owning 10 German Shepherds. No one will ever think twice about breaking into your house or car ( 1 goes with you and 1 stays home to take care of business...) I could go on and on... The possibilities are endless.

15.) "Do you do "puppy aptitude testing?"

            We do lots of our own brand of comparison "aptitude testing" which includes many hours of sitting with the litter in evaluation / play sessions with high emphasis on personality screening and strong bonding ability. Two categories that most standardized "aptitude" tests never even consider as relevant. There is no formal standardized test that the general public has access to that measures those traits.
            Most "aptitude tests" are, in our opinion, only a vague indicator as to the true potential of an individual puppy. That's why we go way beyond that in our evaluation process. To be completely honest with you, all aptitude tests only reflect how that puppy is feeling that particular day and whether or not he just woke up from a nap or just got the snot beat out of him by his siblings, these are not even considered as factors. We spend several hours every day on the ground in their pens, with them in our house in its entirety. We introduce new stimuli each day and the four of us evaluate each pup everyday completely. Test scores are, from our point of view - more for those breeders who do not spend the same amount of quality interaction with their litters as we do. Breeders very rarely take the time to know each individual in each litter, so the only way they even have a clue what potential each pup may have is to pick an arbitrary day and give an arbitrary test and in this way they at least know something about each individual. It is a better knowledge than absolutely no idea, but from our standpoint not very much better than "no idea". They are like our/your children and you and I as parents know better than any test score or anyone else's opinion their actual worth, their strengths and their weaknesses...because you have spent so much time in their lives. Common sense will tell you this is true!
            So my advise to you is that the best criteria for evaluating a breeder's opinion on each puppy is to talk to people who actually own puppies from a breeder who is selectively breeding the right type of dog you are interested in. They will be the truest source of good reliable information... We can provide you with many references of people all over the country who are elated with our breeding program,,, also see our "Letters of Reference Page".

16.) What does all this "hoopla" about Conformation titles, CH. titles and Schh titles really mean ? Does it guarantee I will get a good GSD and why or why not? Please help me sort this out.

            It is our opinion that Conformation titles and Obedience titles are somewhat outdated tools that are sometimes used by breeders to try to help them select which animals might produce well when bred to another. In the case of working and obedience titles, which are basically and quite simply just complex pattern training exercises, a marginal candidate can, if trained by and exceptional trainer - exceed all expectations. Illustrating not it's excellent genetic traits, but rather it's trainer's exceptional ability. The reverse is also true, an incredible genetic specimen, which if broken down by a poor trainer would probably be weeded out of a breeding program, by these same inaccurate measuring tools. If you think about it, it's quite obvious, it's just common sense. In most cases these events are demonstrating the trainers ability more than the actual genetic ability of the dog to pass on any fantastic trait.
            At their best they are, in our opinion, simply inaccurate and coarse indicators of possible correct genetics. The real proof is in the actual breeding.The resulting progeny are the only clear accurate measure of the parents abilities to produce excellent quality pups, not some artificial obstacle course that the parents have been repeatedly trained to excel at. I have seen many times, Schutzhund 3 FH bred to Schutzhund 3 FH and the resulting litter had not even one pup that was note worthy. If a dog has titles or not, does not matter to me. It's whether or not that dog produces progeny with exceptional qualities consistently that really matters. "The proof is always in the pudding" so to speak...
            I can give you lots and lots of satisfied customers to speak with to prove my point. Not just people who are simply satisfied with their GSD's and their interaction with us, but quite simply ELATED! See for yourself at our "Letters of Reference Page".

17.) "In your "welcome page" you say your kennel is free of any communicable disease. Do you mean diseases like parvo, distemper, etc. or do you mean actually sterile from any sort of disease?"

            A "sterile" dog kennel, that's a frightening thought... I hope I don't give that impression on our Home - Page. I'd better go back in and review what I said. No, we eliminated fleas from our kennel some 15 years ago, that was a GIANT step toward eliminating a lot of associated disease and illnesses like tapeworm, etc. We also stopped doing stud service at the same time, which cut down on a lot of transient potential problems. We invested in a separate housing facility, which is on the outside of our regular kennel whelping and breeding facility. Here is where new potential breeding candidates, fully vaccinated young adults that make regular visits to town to be socialized, are kept in pairs in very natural, large open, graveled pens. These pens, as are all of our pens, are larger than most peoples back yards. Only after a GSD has been separated from the heart of the kennel for 45 days and monitored for disease is it allowed into the breeding, whelping area. It's extra precaution and extra work, but having our GSD friends, happy and virtually sickness free is worth it. They are like our children and the bonus is that our Vet. bills are usually only for vaccination medications, preventative heart worm medications and preliminary and OFA hip x-rays.

18.) " How do you decide who gets to pick first pup, second pup and so on?"

            We sell our puppies on a first come first serve basis. First deposit gets first choice. Everyone's idea of which puppy is better is based on lots of personal factors and I have seen many instances where puppies that I would have picked for myself, did not sell until last or near last. That is not to say that I am not very good at this, it goes more to say that some people judge color or size as their priority or maybe a look that a previous GSD in their lives may have had, and on and on. So, because you do not get the number one or two pick will not eliminate the best pup for your personal needs. Additionally, if you should not be satisfied with the pups to choose from in a particular litter (this has never happened so far) we would transfer your deposit to our next litter and so. We are not going to jam a puppy down your throat and be done with you, we will treat you the way we would like to be treated if we were you.

19.) "I really like your Web - Site and I think your German Shepherds are some of the best looking I have ever seen, but they seem to cost more than I thought they would. Can you explain why?"

            As you will see from our "Welcome Page"we are quite different in our approach to raising German Shepherds and we feel that breeds of high intelligence demand and deserve our level of commitment and caring. Answering your question can best be done by using the example of just one serious condition that needs to be considered by a really conscientious breeder, Chronic Hip Dysplasia! It is our understanding that 95% of all GSD's in America are dysplastic. That statistic should make any GSD breeder sit straight up in his chair appalled, but most just don't seem to care. It is a genetic condition that can through very selectively breeding be all, but eliminated. The cost of doing the trial breedings on Imports that cost us upwards of $7,000 each plus ($1,000 shipping with NO guarantee from Germany) is a cost that most breeders are forced by the sheer economics of it, simply unable to ignore. So they breed the first two imports that they can afford to get and will quite probably ignore the bad results and justify their actions by saying that "these are good dogs. They have Schh titles don't they?" So because of the incredible expense involved, they will probably be breed over and over again no matter what they produce in an effort to re-coup their initial investment. We have been through to date, over 20 German dogs that have not produced well enough to be in our breeding program. They have been given away as pets or sold as pets so that we could get to this level of correct genetics bred to correct genetics. This equals 95% litters of truly "outstanding pups" in all ways including virtually eliminating hip dysplasia. We would not offer a guarantee of OFA certification to be free of hip dysplasia otherwise. All of the other very important variables that go together to create a truly great German Shepherd like temperament, structure, freedom from disease and on and on require lots and lots of research and trial and time and money. To be good at what you do is one thing...To strive for excellence is quite another. I hope this gives you some more insight...
            We know of breeders who sell pups sight unseen out of the East coast for $4,000 per pup - plus shipping. We also know first hand that we produce better overall quality pups then they do. Sour grapes? No not really, some people think that if you want the very best you need to pay the highest price. It's just not true when it comes to animals. You should not buy a high price GSD because of it's pedigree, you should talk to people who own dogs from those breeders and let them tell you their experiences with the breeders and their dogs to see if they are worth the expense. $4,000 plus dollars should equal about 4 times the dog right? I'm afraid not!!! We charge only a fair price for our services so that we can continue on producing our excellent genetic representatives and improve where needed. For us proper breeding is more like an art form and a purposeful pursuit for the love of the breed, not a money making whim as it is for those people who are simply interested in how much money they can make.
            Truly great German Shepherds are very selectively bred for... not accidentally created. The bottom line as always has to be the bottom line in any business and factors such as strong demand also help us to determine our pricing structure. We never have any trouble selling the very limited amount of puppies we produce in one year for the price we ask.

20.) "Do you breed strictly for oversized GSD's?"

            Absolutely not!!! A short quote from our "Welcome Page" might best answer this question..."We consistently produce sound, naturally protective, high bonding companions with super intelligence and strong prey/defense training drives. Each pup we produce has the essential elements and strong bonding instincts to make them sound personal and loving family companions. Each litter produces some king-size pups and maximum for the standard size pups, never anything less in size or stature. We do not and would not breed specifically for over sized German Shepherds, but would not sacrifice the excellent temperament we produce just because a few puppies in every litter happen to be slightly larger than the standard. Good breeding is always a balancing and a juggling act."

21.) "It seems like you might be a large Kennel operation you have obviously invested a lot of time in maintaining your very comprehensive Web Site and you seem to have pups you are selling almost every time I check you. Approximately how many litters do you have in one year?"

            Just a short quote from our "Welcome Page" might best answer this question"Vom Waldenhaus German Shepherds is a small, very specialized breeding and training facility located on 120 wooded acres in the middle of the Mark Twain National Forest. We have dedicated 3 acres for our kennel facility and the remainder (wooded land) for our training area. Our nearest neighbor is over a mile away. Visitors are welcome to visit our German Shepherd Paradise anytime by appointment. In this way we can set aside enough time to answer your questions and for you get to know who we are.
            Our breeding and basic kennel management is based on a life time of wholelistic approaches to improving and maintaining healthy vigorous German Shepherds. We only produce 4 to 5 litters in a year and have found that raising pups in fall, winter and early spring provides extra precaution for healthier puppies than during the early summer months, when the deadly Parvovirus is usually at it's peak. Our kennel is closed to all outside disease and pestilence. We eliminated fleas from our kennel some 15 years ago, that was a GIANT step toward eliminating a lot of associated disease and illness like tapeworm, etc..."

22.) "Would you say that your beautiful German Shepherds are bred more for the American show ring or for sports such as Schutzhund?"

             Neither! Quite frankly, we find that in both of the directions you have mentioned that breeders have taken the German Shepherd to the extreme and missed out on the true essence of what this noble creature is mainly used for. "Man's best friend and companion" are the words that first come to mind as the number one reason to own a well bred German Shepherd. That of course means that attributes like high bonding, companionship and a family's sound minded natural protector should obviously be the impetus of a good breeder. Not the extremely high driven Sport Dogs who will drive the average family nuts with hyperactivity, nor the far too extremely angulated narrow nosed, skinny legged Show Dog who will not bark at strangers or strangeness no matter how absurd it appears...most of those will run and hide as temperament has never been a concern in breeding Show dogs, just a look.
             People who want and buy our German Shepherds are usually looking for a healthy, sound, intelligent companion that they can make into an integral family member that "earns it's keep" so to speak. Those are the people we breed for... not the extremely angulated Show Dog, or the extremely hyper active, excessively driven Schutzhund or Sport Dog either. The people who come to us do not want those attributes. They just are not interested in how many times the grandmother of their pup was Schh 3 or how many "pounds per square inch" of biting strength their puppy will have or how many lashes with a stick their puppy's father could take before he folded under, during such abuse in a Schutzhund trial. They are just normal people who simply want a really good companion that they can always count on. We breed for good sound, working companion dogs that are easy to live with.
            There is a small minority of people and breeders who are obsessed with the competition of Sport or Show type of German Shepherd and think that all German Shepherds should be bred to their narrow minded views and rigid standards only!!! ACHTUNG! To those people we say "Wake up and smell the Wiener schnitzel" "You can have the best of both Worlds!" Typically, our clients quite simple want healthy, intelligent, high bonding, large boned, beautiful German Shepherds that they can fully trust and truly enjoy!" We provide such wonderful German Shepherds to those people and they are elated! See for yourself at our "Letters of Reference Page".

23.) "OK, I like what I've seen and read and I want to put down a deposit on a particular breeding. How do I go about doing this?"

            You can call us after 11 AM Central time at: 417-453-6601 and leave a message, the machine is almost always on or we would never have time to enjoy our wonderful German Shepherd Family. Please leave your name and phone number and a message that, " you got us off the Internet" and we will pick-up or return the call. If you are already convinced that you want one of our wonderful pups, you can place an immediate $500 deposit by leaving your Visa, M/C or AMEX number and exp. date and you will be next in line on the list. You can also E-mail us your deposit information at: GSD@Waldenhaus.com and we will get back to you with a response as soon as we can, to let you know where you are on the list. Both methods are equally fast and secure and will get you a spot on the list as quickly as possible.

24.)"My puppy (I purchased from you) has a wonderful temperament. I wonder if this is true because she is a female? How would you compare the temperament of your male GSD puppies with your female puppies? I am looking for specific examples.Thanks, Tony

  Hello Tony,
            Good to hear from you as always. As you will note, at the top of our page it states that. "Excellence in Temperament is our Specialty and our Breeding Standard for Over 25 Years". This is for both females and males. Over the years we have been very selective with the genetics that we breed so the all our puppies have wonderful temperaments. Along with excellent genetics is also proper handling of them right from day one. Separating them at the right time and working with them on a one on one basis.
             The people who own our males are just as pleased with the outgoing sound temperament that your female has. I remember that you weren't real pleased with your (purchased elsewhere) male's temperament and that is not because he is a male, but because of the genetics of is heritage. The GSD is not an easy breed to breed correctly as the temperament is a balancing act, either being too shy or too aggressive. The problem is that most breeders are not serious enough to absolutely breed only dogs with wonderful temperament and to go the extra. And believe me, you have to go the extra to find both sire and dam that when bred together will produce all good, sound, outgoing pups.
             I hope I have answered what you wondering. Let me know if I can be of any further help.
             Give Heidi a big smooch for me.

25.)"Do you think we should protection train our dog in Schutzhund or through a professional trainer - or do we need to at all? What are your recommendations?"

            I think that anyone who trains a dog to bite human beings (outside of law enforcement officers) is just asking for trouble. Once you train a dog that it's "OK" to take a full mouth bite on someone, you have crossed the line of pets and bonded companions and entered a world of almost constant and vigilant training requirement. The reason is that now this dog "MUST" without hesitation do everything you ask as soon as you ask it. That means working him in obedience/ protection work at least once a week for several "formal hours" involving other serious minded persons and you can never stop keeping him proficient in his discipline. He must constantly be reminded that this "new learned behavior" is only to be exercised on your command and "never" otherwise. If you do not do this, then there is the real possibility that because he has not been kept proficient, that he might miscue and mistake an argument or simple "clowning around" or even a spirited "pushing wrestling match" as a reason to inflict a bite.
            I can recall seeing a less than proficient Schutzhund 3, male (Schutzhund means protection trained) several years ago, miscue on a 4 year old boy who happened to slip on the ice and fall in the direction of this "always looking for the bad guy to jump out" mental case of a poorly trained German dog. Luckily the toddler's mother had double clothing on him to keep him warm or he would have a mangled arm today instead of just teeth marks.
             My feeling is this: if you live in an area where you feel you need to have a dog protection trained, then you should first deeply consider moving!
            I am not a legal expert, but common sense tells me that, if you own a dog that is certified as a protection dog or titled in "Schutzhund" (protection trained) and your dog bites a child or someone on a miscue, you have a serious legal problem on your hands. I can just see your response when the Prosecuting Attorney asks you if "you actually trained this dog to bite human beings on purpose?" In Germany, this kind of Sport bite training is accepted and encouraged, but most Americans do not have that same "enjoyable sense" of dogs that are trained to bite people. Like Dorothy said in the Wizard of OZ: "We are just not in Germany anymore, TOTO..."
            A German Shepherd who has been bred for high bonding instincts does not need to be taught to bite people and should be discouraged from doing so, even in play. They will react naturally and appropriately, just like you would, when someone in your family is seriously threaten. They will try to stop the invader of their family by barking (yelling) and placing themselves in between their family member and the threat. In most cases that is all that they will ever need to do. They will do what you would do in the same situation to protect a family member. They are highly bonded to their family just like you and I are. They should be well trained in obedience, but not to bite people... Their awesome presence in most cases will cause all but the seriously drugged out PCP addict to find someone else to hassle.

26.)"What is your policy on deposits and under what circumstances will a deposit be refunded?"