Schraderhaus K9's Foster Program:

 In order for a kennel to build up their own bloodline, it is necessary to breed several litters each year. The best prospects (puppies) may be kept back to develop and train to see if they will eventually fit into the breeding program. To Qualifying Foster Parents within our foster program I place specific chosen females (and occasionally a male) into foster homes. The dogs live in these homes for their entire life, provided the foster owner cares for the dog as agreed. The foster parents do not pay for the dog, we place the dog in their home at no charge. The  foster parents must be willing and agree to sign a restrictive breeding contract with Schraderhaus K9.

This program allows local dog lovers an opportunity to own one the most wonderful breeds in this country without paying to purchase the dog. (Our pups sell for $1500+), should you qualify as a foster parent eligible to receive one of our dogs.

As a foster puppy grows up we monitor its temperament, drive and health. If the female is of the quality we strive to produce for breeding, she will be used within our breeding program. Before breeding the dog we x-ray her hips (at our expense) to verify that she does not have hip dysplasia. If the hips will not receive an acceptable passing hip rating for breeding purposes, we ask the foster parents to have the dog neutered and our breeding rights are terminated. & the dog remain with the Foster Family for life of the dog.

After a breed worthy female reaches 2 + years of age she will come back to our kennel when she comes into season. After getting bred she will go back to her foster home. Then 5 to 7 days before whelping she is returned to our kennel and has her babies here, where she remains until she weans the pups (at 5 to 6 weeks). Females come into season twice a year. We only breed a female once a year. and not all of the females are bred every year.

 When a female is at our kennel we encourage visits from the foster parents. They can stop as often as they want and walk their dog and play with the pups. In my opinion placing dogs in foster homes results in a far better life for a dog than living a life in a dog kennel. The foster home program is a good deal for the dog, it's a good deal for the foster parents, and it's a good deal for my breeding program. It's one of those "win - win" situations for everyone involved.

We utilize this program because it is our belief that a German Shepherd can only live up to its genetic potential when given the appropriate amount of attention, socialization, love, and care. The founder of the breed, Captain Max von Stephanitz has written that German Shepherds will be ruined by becoming solely kennel dogs and we'd have to agree.
 In addition it is imperative to insure that this puppy grows up to become a dog who is totally reliable in a family atmosphere... around children and strangers, as well as having the "ability to bond" that we strive to instill into our dogs. It is this ability that we feel makes the ownership of a good German Shepherd a true joy, and while we are confident that all of our pups have it at birth...each pup must be insured of proper socialization and "imprinting" of all necessary real life scenarios during their early weeks, to in still confidence in the pup and equip them for becoming the well rounded dog we want them to be as an adult. There is a short window with which to have imprinting be most advantageous.  This is from 8 weeks to 16 weeks of age.  German Shepherds, by nature, are not highly social dogs, and need deliberate socialization with people to make them the safest and most reliable dog they can be. We believe this is most beneficial when the dog lives within a family as their family member. There is a lot to be learned by sleeping with the dog, spending day in and day out with the dog. We appreciate the foster family's knowledge of what their dog is like in assessing the dog's true quality.

If for some reason we don't believe the female is breed worthy when she is old enough to breed, we will ask that she be neutered by the Foster Family. When that has been done, the breeding contract is null and void and provided that the foster parent has met all other obligations on the dog, the dog will then become the Foster parent's dog for the life of the dog. .

Questions & Answers on the FOSTER Program

Who Qualifies for a Foster Dog?

We are very selective of who we choose to become a foster family. Our primary concern is that our dogs go into safe homes where they will be well taken care of and not get run over by a car or allowed to escape and get lost. We expect the foster parents to allow the dogs to be house dogs. We look for people who have had dogs before. In fact the ideal person is one who has just had a 10 or 11 year old dog die of old age. This is a person who knows how to take care of a dog. We do not give dogs to people that want farm dogs, nor do we give dogs to people who are going to keep them strictly as an outside kennel dog. We also do not give dogs to people who have just had a dog that was accidentally killed. (If it happened once it can happen again.) I also do not give dogs to people who have any type of criminal history. I am not concerned about traffic tickets, but any type of criminal activity for either of the spouses will disqualify you for fostering of our dogs.

7  If the Foster family moves outside the local area from our Kennel,
they must return and relinquish possession of the dog.

What are the Foster Family's Responsibilities?

While the foster family does not pay for the puppy (or young adult),
they must agree to purchase a dog crate and a leash.
They must also agree to feed an all natural diet or all natural kibble.
 The foster family must have a fenced back yard.

Additional Requirements of Foster Family:

• Own their own home or rent a home with landlord's written permission that it is okay to keep a large dog
• Have their own car that is large enough to safely accommodate travel with a German Shepherd Dog
• Prior experience with German Shepherds is a plus but not necessarily required;
However, prior dog ownership is a must.
• Be willing to crate-train and housebreak
•Be willing to spend what it takes per month as is required for dog ownership in general,
which includes feeding a top-quality kibble of our recommendation,  or RAW FOOD, as well as
keeping the pup up to date with regular vet checks and vaccines.
• Be prepared to provide your own regular veterinarian to us as a reference
• Be available to drive dog to and from our home to deliver dog for whelping and/or breeding.
• Foster Owner must be capable of moderate exercise
• Children over the age of 6 years old with no babies in the house. (This is not because of any specific danger, but rather that homes with babies tend not to have time to devote to a dog, in spite of good intentions.)
• Keep us routinely updated on the puppy often, and when the female comes into heat, we must be notified immediately, so that we may monitor and record the dog's normalcy for heat cycles.
  Photos appreciated every 1-2 months for us to follow the dog/ puppy's progress.
• Be willing to socialize the dog by taking it everywhere possible, "showing her life"
in a positive and confidence building manner.