Some favorite photos of our beloved dogs & updates from our wonderful clients.

  • Happy Halloween from The Magic School Bus! Repeat client DVM Erin, her lovely pack (a Xurk son included) modeling their well-deserved 1st pl win of Best Overall Costumes out of close to 100 entries.

  • (Happiest of birthdays to this wonderful son of Xurk on the Big Island) Ramona, Guess who is 5 today! He is the most handsome and the best boy. You chose perfect for me and thank you for breeding amazing dogs. MK

  • New Tracking Dog Excellent title, TDX! Congratulations to Eva and her beautiful female CH Illinois Amanda of Sapphire Mountain TD (Tracking Dog certified at 7 months /titled at 13 months!). TDX FTN FDC TC (GSDCA Temperament Certified) IT (Herding Instinct/1 leg earned-2 needed to title). Amanda is out of Vlad & Yogo, sister to our Indigo and all the other wonderful "I" litter pups! Thank you Eva for raising a well cared for - happy dog, putting in time and effort training in various areas. We could not have wished for a better owner for Amanda and are very proud of her and her littermates.

  • Ramona! Young Jet is doing great. He is training up nicely. On a walk at 9 Pipes. Doing good with loose lease heeling! Hope all is well! Sharon

  • 6 months old, 51 pounds, he never stops and we haven’t killed each other yet! He’s a handful but a dream to train. The fastest dog I’ve ever had at learning obedience. I’m constantly challenged by and happy with him! Tracy

  • Hi Ramona, Jet is a great pup. He is sweet and training is going well! Thank you for his good breeding and care. Hope all is well! Sharon

  • Hi Ramona & Michelle, Today is Max's 6-month birthday and I thought you'd enjoy a few recent photos and video. Max is doing very well. Yesterday we finished a 6-month training program and he continues to improve in most basic training areas. We received a bit of snow over the weekend. At first, he approached with trepidation but in no time he was having a great time in the white stuff.

  • Big congratulations to Gus & Megan!!; Hi Ramona, I wanted to let you know that Gus received his NW2 title yesterday. He was 4th overall, 2nd place containers, 2nd place vehicles. I attached a photo of Gus with his NW2 ribbon taken 10/11/26. He loves scent work and continues to be in good health. Hope you are well! Thanks! Megan & Sam James

  • Lisa Russell (owner of Paramount K9 Training) and her young female "Orla" (littermate to our Lovely Skye). Lisa writes; Hi Ramona! Lusca (Orla) is doing great! I just got her started about two months ago in training for PSA with a club. I wish I had some photos of that, but I don't. Every week we see progress in many different areas which is so exciting. She loves working in this field, that's for sure. I hope you and your dogs are doing well! Give Xurk a squeeze for me. Lisa

  • Lovely Skye, getting in some urban/city obedience practice and exposure in preparation for her upcoming CGCU and CGCA titles. Behind her is the Strait of Juan de Fuca and beyond, Vancouver Island.

  • What a tremendous trial year Cindi and her dog Kobuk have had. By the very young age of 26 months, Kobuk has earned a huge number of titles and accolades! Numerous 1st places, perfect scores of 100 along with many near-perfect scores, 4 (P) pronounced searches in nose work, qualified for the 2026 AKC Nationals in Rally (and thanks to 6 beautiful performances with top scores in RE & CD they should qualify again for 2027!) Kobuk has received high praise for being a truly EXCEPTIONAL dog from many different judges they have trialed under. More than anything, Cindi has done a fantastic job raising and training a dog who loves to work in a number of different areas. Photo of Cindi at a recent trail where she and Kobuk earned their RE & CD titles along with the honor of earning High In Trial in Obedience. The following weekend they went on to earn the advanced nose work titles of SEA, SBA, SWA completing the level!

  • (update from Tracy in TN who has had many German Shepherds dogs & trained -titled in SchH). Ramona, I am enjoying him! He loves to torment the other dogs but is very easy to correct. He is outgoing and friendly with people, but I can see a side of him that would be protective, which is exactly what I want. He’s absolutely beautiful and I think he really enjoys life at my house. He goes a lot of places and I’ve started obedience training with him that is going very well. Tracking is a breeze and I’m going to start swimming him some this week. I’m extremely happy with this pup and I hope to get another one from you in the future.

  • (update from a repeat client) Hi Ramona, She’s a character for sure. She is very determined and her focus is very good too. Really friendly with everyone too. I couldn’t be happier.

  • (Almost 13 years) Hi Ramona, it's with a heavy heart that I am reaching out to you today. We had to put Shep down yesterday. She was from the Y litter. You definitely picked a good one for our family, she was the smartest GSD I have ever had the privilege of being around and training. She took her mission of protecting my girls/ Beth and Haley very serious while I was away on fires right up to her last day. Thank you so much for breeding a quality working dog, With respect John, Beth and Haley in OR

  • Happy Birthday to this most handsome and loved son of Ulka! Owner writes; Happy Birthday to Jett! How are we already here?! One whole year of this handsome, goofy, adventurous German Shepherd… time is moving WAY too fast. You came into my life during a year filled with so much change, and you brought exactly the kind of chaos, laughter, companionship and joy I needed. You’re so smart. You’re ridiculous. You’re curious about absolutely everything. You make me laugh every single day... as well as facepalm. And you’ve already managed to make yourself an enormous part of my world. I know your half brother Onyx would have had a lot to teach you. I definitely see little pieces of him in you, and I like to think somehow he had a hand in sending you my way… as the way everything lined up for you to become mine was pretty crazy. Here’s to your first trip around the sun, Jett.

  • What a glorious time had working with our dogs during this trip. In this photo Monet has coerced Jack into the ocean for the first time. We now call her Siren Monet.

  • Hi Ramona, Mavis has been the best addition!!! We love her so much. She is very loyal to me and listens well. I should have called her Shadow as she goes wherever I go. Thank you again, Kellina

  • For 2 weeks this summer, the backyard at Sapphire Shepherds got a lot more wilder, suddenly had a bit more electricity in the air. That's the effect grizzlies have. A photo taken by me of a healthy young sow and her 2 cubs.

  • Owner update on Orion, a young SAR prospect in training; Ramona, I thought I would give you a quick update. Orion continues to do very well. He has a great nose and a high drive to find odor. We are training on odor several times a week. Orion and I usually train some every day in our own (although not every day on odor); we work with an instructor once a week or every other week: and we have training with our SAR non-profit 3x a month. We are just starting work on forming a trained final response. We have been doing short periods of obedience daily; this includes learning directional commands (which is coming along slowly), down at a distance, come, leave-it, etc. He excels at the basic stuff. He has a truly great disposition. If he were a person, I’d say he had a “sunny” demeanor. He is game for just about anything I ask of him. He weighed in at 60.2lb yesterday. He is definitely tracking to be smaller which is great! My back will appreciate that whenever I need to lift him. (Which is often: I don’t let him jump down off of anything at this age). I really appreciate having my friend. He goes everywhere with me which is a blessing as Kora died suddenly, and very unexpectedly, at the beginning of the month. Thank you for trusting me with your pup. He is a great boy. Paul

  • Hi Ramona! Onyx is gorgeous, smart and very trainable. She sits, heels, downs, comes, does tunnel, plays very well with others and is super stable! I'm looking for a club or classes locally as there are a number of different areas I think we would both do well and have fun at. I love her, she is a beautiful addition to our family! Thanks, Kari

  • A half-sibling of our Penny; "Dedicated, social and intelligent, this dog quickly became appreciated by his police colleagues," the SPL stated in their press release describing Raddix on the occasion of his birthday.

  • Monet, 1 year today.

  • Half-sibling to Ulka, K9 Taro carries the blood of renown Seattle Police K9 Donner. This is the latest press release in a long list of career accomplishments; K9 Taro was requested to assist in the search of a missing elderly male who had been lost for over 2 hours. Taro arrived and began a track, leading through thick vegetation, swamp area, and downed trees. Taro tracked approx. 1.5 miles locating the male in good health. The male party was reunited with concerned family members!

  • What a trooper this pup is!

  • Kona passed away at almost 13 .5 years of age, a healthy dog throughout his long life. From our breeding's, he provided many excellent working and family dogs for our clients.

  • Autumn Equinox is here already! We had a fantastic summer with our dogs although it always goes by too fast! This is just one of our favorite photos taken this summer of Penny and the morning light upon the glowing Missions.

  • Update from owner on a young family dog; Hi Ramona, I thought you would enjoy seeing this picture of my girl. She is so beautiful. Thank you for gracing us with this smart and wonderful girl. Rhonda

  • Another new title for this accomplished team! Miss Lexi is also a certified working SAR K9; Hi Ramona, We did it! 188 in Open A. This is our first attempt at this level, I am so proud of my girl! Marlene

  • Update from client with an older dog Hi Ramona, I was just thinking about you today when I was out with my Bella. She turned 11 this spring, is extremely healthy, still loves to run and swim. People I run into when we are out on trails can't believe that she is eleven years old. The only medical problem she's had was an ACL tear five years ago, caused by a sudden change in direction while she was running. She had surgery and recovered nicely, no more problems. I just wanted you to know that she is the best, smartest dog I've even had. She is so good with my grandkids and loves to play with their two dogs. She's so healthy, I'm hoping she will be around for a few more years. I just wanted you to know that you did a wonderful job in breeding my sweet Bella! Thank you. Teri W.

  • K9 Taro & handler earn Officer-K9 of the Year award! Taro carries many generations of our breeding’s. He is a half-sibling to our female ULKA and carries the blood of the highly respected Seattle WA PSD Donner vom Haus Shoal. Press release; VFW Post 3291 presented Officer Adams and K9 Taro with local VFW Officer-K9 of the Year awards. This team exemplifies the highest standards of law enforcement in maintaining, preserving, and protecting the lawful rights of all citizens. K9 Taro started his career in the spring of 2022. Within his first year of work, he had over 60 deployments and assisted multiple agencies in locating 20+ people. Taro has also been responsible for locating large quantities of narcotics. Taro cannot take all of the credit though, because every successful police K9 has a dedicated handler at the other end of the leash. Outstanding work, thank you Taro and K9 Officer Adams!

  • Kind words from a client after receiving their pup... Ramona! This pup is just GORGEOUS!! This is our second German Shepherd from you and it seems to me that you put a lot of work into it, so, credit where it is due! You are the best. Roy

  • There is no perfect dog! A breeder is always making compromises/adjustments in some area, aiming for good health, temperament and trainability. Nonetheless, it is always nice to receive kind words on one's work. This time it was extra special as it comes from a top-rated veterinarian who sees countless x rays, was voted 2024 Best Veterinary Clinic in the state of Montana, who took time out of their busy day to compliment us on a dog from our kennel! We are so very happy for the dog and the owner. “….These hips for PennHIP were some of the tightest I've seen for a while- especially for a German Shepherd. Great job breeding for those! Let us know if you have any questions or concerns, Dr. Julie

  • Hi Ramona, It’s impossible for a pup to be loved more than this one! He has been perfect for us. He is crazy smart, so well-adjusted and LOVES training. He is a “steady eddy” nothing rattles him (just like you told us). He is going to be a great service dog for us! JH

  • A day in the city working with some of our young dogs.

  • Congratulations to Michele and "Kadi", a young female in training for SAR on passing your CGC title!

  • Jack, a day at the beach.