Our Breeding Program

 At Southern Comfort Shepherds, our breeding program is built on a simple belief:
Every puppy deserves an extraordinary start to life.
That means ethical breeding, responsible pairings, hands-on care, and a level of dedication rarely seen in today’s breeding world.

Our dogs are not kennel dogs — they live in our home, share our daily routines, and are valued members of our family. Because of this, every litter is small, intentional, and raised with purpose.

 We carefully select DDR breeding pairs that embody the traits families love most:

• Calm, steady temperaments
• Strong DDR structure and bone
• Health-tested, genetically sound foundations
• Stable nerves and grounded, loyal personality
• Deep family bonds and clear-headed working ability

Each pairing is planned months in advance with long-term goals in mind — never rushed, never high-volume.

Your puppy’s temperament begins long before they are even born.

 Every puppy is raised directly inside our home, in a calm, enriched environment.
From day one they experience:

• Household sounds
• Gentle human touch
• Stability and routine
• Safe exposure without overwhelm

This creates puppies who are confident, connected, and deeply bonded to their families — not overstimulated, fearful, or raised in detached kennel settings.

Our home is their nursery.

From the moment they take their first breath, every litter receives the kind of support you would expect in a top veterinary hospital. Because Maree is a lifelong nurse with hands-on newborn experience, we use advanced neonatal equipment to safeguard each puppy’s first hours of life.

• Professional neonatal incubator: Warm, stable, oxygen-rich environment with precise temperature and humidity control for safe transition after birth.
• Medical-grade oxygen support: Helps puppies breathe easier during those first critical moments and offers extra protection for smaller or slower-starting pups.
• Continuous monitoring: Puppies are stabilized and carefully observed before they move into the whelping room with their mother, reducing stress and supporting a smoother, safer start.
   

This early care is rarely seen in the German Shepherd world and is one of the key reasons we feel our puppies receive such a strong, healthy beginning.

Families shouldn’t have to wait eight weeks to really meet their puppy.

Beginning at Week 3, we share transparent weekly videos documenting your litter’s growth and development, including:

• Development and milestone changes
• Temperament shaping and interactions
• Confidence-building and exploration
• Movement and structure as they grow
• Early problem-solving and curiosity
• Foundations for training and engagement
   

Nothing is staged or forced. Nothing is filtered.
Just real growth, real moments, and complete visibility.

To our knowledge, very few — if any — DDR breeders in the U.S. provide this level of week-by-week documentation. It has become one of the most cherished parts of our program for families.

During Weeks 3–8, we focus intentionally on building calm, steady, family-ready temperaments. Puppies experience:

• Structured socialization in a controlled, positive way
• Thoughtful exposure to new sights, sounds, and textures
• Early problem-solving and gentle challenges
• Introductory crate and noise conditioning
• Daily human bonding and confidence building

These early experiences help ensure your puppy grows into a stable, steady companion who is ready to join your home with resilience and trust.

Before going home at eight weeks, every puppy receives:

• A veterinarian health certificate
• An age-appropriate worming schedule
• First vaccinations, as appropriate for age
• An individual evaluation of structure and temperament 

We raise every puppy as if they will remain in our own home — because until they leave us, they do.

We maintain a small, intentional program focused on quality — never quantity.

To join our waiting list:

• We begin with a friendly phone call to ensure a good fit for both your family and our puppies.
• After puppies are born and counted, a $500 deposit secures your reservation.
• We never accept deposits before birth — only once we know how many puppies are truly available.

Because our program is small and demand is high, early reservation is strongly encouraged.

We do not pay for shipping, but we happily assist families with safe, reputable transportation options, including:

• Trusted ground transport contacts
• Cost estimates

This allows families across the United States to welcome a Southern Comfort Shepherds puppy safely and with peace of mind.

When you choose Southern Comfort Shepherds, you are not choosing a kennel — you are choosing a family.

We are with you:

• Before birth, as we plan each litter with intention
• During pregnancy and weekly updates as puppies grow
• Through pickup day and the transition into your home
   

Every puppy begins their journey with intention, purpose, medical care, and love

 — the same way we would want someone to raise a puppy for us.