Starke Pfoten FAQ's

We feed our dogs Bravo Raw food. Feeding raw has never been healthier or easier. Bravo Balance® meets AAFCD standards for a 100% complete and balanced nutrition at all life stages.

We recommend feeding raw and there are a variety of good premade raw foods in addition to Bravo . Oma's Pride and K9-Kraving are a few. Honest Kitchen is a dehydrated raw food, just add water and soak before feeding to your dog and you avoid the mess! We use HK to supplement our dogs' diets and when on the road as it does not require refrigeration.

If you can't feed raw, check the Dog Food Anaylisis website when considering foods for your pet. Please try to AVOID feeding IAMs, Purina, Eukanuba, Science Diet or any dry foods you can typically buy at your local grocery store . Here is a list of some top quality premium dog foods we DO reccomend: Orijen, Go! Natural, Nature's Variety Prairie Instinct, Taste of the Wild, Wellness Core.

Female puppies are $1,500 USD and up.
Male puppies are $1,600 USD and up.

Fill out our online puppy application to start the reservation process on a puppy. We will contact you as soon as we receive your application.

We accept certified cashier's checks and cash.

To reserve a puppy, a 25% non-refundable deposit is required.

We consider all good homes who apply for ownership of one of our puppies, whether it be a working home or a pet home. A few deposits will be accepted before each litter is born. The deposit will be used to hold your choice of either a male or a female puppy. Picks are then based on the order we receive your deposit.

However, our deposits are not "traditional" in the sense that it is NOT 100% a "first come, first serve" type of deposit order. We offer "guided picks" based on your needs and specifications. This means that even if you have "first pick", we won't let you choose a puppy based on it's color or look, whose temperament will not be a good match for your home and lifestyle. Typically, we will steer you towards a number of puppies that would be great for you, and you can then make your decisions off the little personality quirks or looks that each puppy has.

We ship via Air Cargo to any major airport in North America where cargo flights are accepted. We charge a flat rate of $300 for shipping of 8-12week old puppies. Payment is to be made in advance of flight of puppy departure. This price covers the cost of the crate, health certificate, flight kit, transportation to the airport, and the actual flight cost.

Puppies can be shipped once they are 8weeks old. Most flight arrangements are for the puppy to leave Austin/Bergstrom International Airport and arrive based on flight times and your schedule.

We are just about 30 mins outside of Austin, TX.

We do "guided picks" based on your order after 6 weeks when we do our official temperament tests. We do our best to make sure the temperament of the puppy you are wanting is going to be the best possible match for your home and lifestyle. We want the puppy and their new owner to enjoy each other and have a life long relationship.

Yes, we offer our Starke Pfoten Puppy Program just for puppies from our breedings. We imprint your puppy using the clicker and typically potty train and teach to relieve on leash, crate train, and introduce sit, down, sit-stay, down-stay, place, heel, and short recall. We will socialize your puppy and provide positive experiences with car rides, traffic, busy streets, other dogs, children, adults, and the vets office. All imprinting is done on-leash. Some changes can be made or additional skills taught based on your individual needs. Typically we will keep the puppy for four weeks past the usual 8 week old go home date for this training. Please contact us for additional details.

The reason that we offer limited rather than full registration is protect our dogs and bloodlines. We want to avoid having our puppies bred too young, bred without proper health certifications, bred just to have puppies, or if we feel they are not breed worthy for any other reason. However, once your Starke Pfoten German Shepherd has passed all requirements (working title, hip certification) we will give the dog full registration for breeding purposes. Limited registration will not affect the ability to enter your dog in performance events.

Our kennel name is “von Starke Pfoten”. Each litter born here is identified by a letter of the alphabet which must be the first letter of every puppy from that litter's name. Our first litter was “ A----- von Starke Pfoten” next was “ B “ Litter and so forth. We will name the puppies in the litter unless you gave us a name that works. We submit the puppies' registration papers with the names you gave us or the ones we chose. You do not have to call your puppy by his registered name though, infact it is common for dogs to have a "Call Name" that is completely unrelated to the registered name.

Click here for info "New Puppy Essentials"
The above link provides a quick look at various items we suggest you have for your puppy. These will make your life and your puppy's life more managable and enjoyable.

Click here for an article about the sport of Schutzhund. We recommend checking out all of the local schutzhund clubs in your area. When you visit, keep an open mind and try to find a club where you see dogs that you would like your dog to look like when trained. Not all clubs are the same as there are a vast array of training techniques and theories. If you don't like what you see, check out other clubs in your area until you find one that suits you and your dog. Remember, the sport is supposed to be fun for you and your dog

To find a club near you, check out the following organizations.
United Schutzhund Clubs of America
German Shepherd Dog Club of America - Working Dog Association
DVG America

Not sure what you need to train for schutzhund? Click here for an overview of schutzhund training equipment.