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

(Utility A division) Olena of Sapphire Mountain UD
2023 & 2024 among the Top 10 GSDCA scoring Obedience Dogs in the nation Utility A division

(Novice A division) Miss Lexi of Sapphire Mountain UR01 CD BN RA CGC TKI FITS
IPWDA Land Cadaver & Crime Scene (17 months!)
IPWDA Water Human Remains Detection
2022 among top 10 GSDCA Scoring Dogs in the nation, Rally Novice A.
2022 AKC Obedience Beginner Novice A National Championship Qualifier.
2024 among the Top 10 GSDCA scoring Obedience Dogs in the nation Novice A division - 3rd place!
2025 AKC Rally National Championship Qualifier.
Working SAR K9 in NY.

XURK of SAPPHIRE MOUNTAIN dob; June 8, 2013
PennHIP 90th/OFA Elbows Preliminary Normal, DM Clear
CGC, CGCA, CGCU, FITB, ACT.1, TD, TDU, ACT 1J (in his 12th yr!)

Hi Ramona!
Freyja ran in the GSDCA’s first mock HGH trial as we prepare to make it a fully fledged option in the SV program. She ran under a German judge who judges HGHs and received very high praise and a score of 92/100. Additionally, throughout the time spent with the judge and her husband in training she’s been noted for being a dog who makes the job incredibly easy with her sensible ways, attentiveness to the handler, and appropriate pressure with the livestock. Below are some photos of her HGH run. There were approximately 130 sheep in this flock, mixed ewes and spring lambs.
Thank you for her! I forgot to mention she has finished her AHBA Herding trial championship (HTCh) pending final approval as well! 

My first dog show this year and attempt at Rally Excellent, she came in first place and was the only GSD in a class of 25.
She's so much fun and handles stress like a pro!!! Everyone complements me on how solid her temperament is.
So thank YOU for that!
Marlene

I sure love this guy. Thank you! It would have been impossible to have found a better fit. I could not be happier!
Cindi

Hi Ramona!
Just updating you on Rip. He’s been doing great with obedience training, and we introduced him to bite work today. He latched on well and released when Brian gave him the command. He has also been a frequent favorite at the ball fields. Always at the kids games and practices and does wonderful with them. He also attended a Memorial Day parade at a coast guard base, the drill team performed right in front of him and he didn’t budge even with a cannon going off. He’s been praised by many for his ability at such a young age to stay calm and focused with chaos going on around him.
Hope all is well!
Crystal

Good morning Ramona,

Just want to follow up about my call on Titan…. Thank you for listening.
He is the best dog I have ever had.

Paige

Kobuck of Sapphire Mountain

CGC, TKN, NACSW ORT (at 8 months)
SIN (at 9 months)
SBN (11 months)
SCN (11 months)
(with 2 legs earned in both Novice Ext & Advanced Int. at 11 months of age)

T-Rex of Sapphire Mountain, NACSW ORT, NW1, Antler Shed retrieval trained, Retrieves duck’s owner shoots, Tracks game.

Illinois Amanda of Sapphire Mountain; FTN, TD (at 13 months)
Amanda & Eve passed the required AKC certification track (at the very young age of just 7 months).

Hi Ramona!
She’s a little beast!  She’s into EVERYTHING (which at times makes me want to pull my hair out—haha!). She is environmentally / socially stable, she’s loving tug work, & she grasps new things SO quickly.  
She’s everything I wanted!

Hello!
Things have been going so well with Lizzy, she is quite the trailing star. We are now in phase 3 of our training and have been working longer, aged tracks on mixed surfaces as well as working urban tracks. Her stamina and persistence are outstanding with such a sweet personality and stable temperament. 

She will have her CGC test done at the end of the summer which is a requirement to continue training with the SAR team. 

I'm hoping by early next year she will be ready for tracking certification (done by OSSA). At the pace we are going now I can't imagine we won't achieve this. 

Her health has been great so far too. She does occasionally suffer from mild allergies (itchy coat) but this has been easily managed with diet. 

We love her so much. She is a rock star in every way, but at the end of the day she is our loving companion...and that is what pleases me most. Thank you for your dedication to this breed. She gives such a great name to German shepherds!

Here is a recent photo of Lizzy with a SAR teammate who she found in record time.
Brooke

Hi Ramona! Rip is doing amazing. He's extremely smart and so sweet. Made it through puppy training quickly. The trainer we are working with is a prior K9 officer and says he's doing exceptionally well. They've had him do some scent work that he picked up on right away, just to keep him working and challenged. He's going to be starting with Working Dogs of America organization where he will begin his service training as well. He is protective of us and our boys and loves to play fetch with his ball. I've attached some pictures and will continue to keep you updated. Crystal

These two dogs are amazing with all my grandkids & babies.

Ramona, We have been to two SAR puppy trainings so far and they really like her. She has very strong nerve, is confident, very adaptable and has amazed me at how quickly she picks up new things.
Michele

Ramona,
Kobuck qualified 6 for 6 entries, placed in all….3 - firsts, 2 - seconds, 1 - third and earned his title in Novice Interiors. What a great young dog and representative of a German Shepherd. Other people and dogs don’t bother him at all, zero reactivity, he is perfect for traveling and being in public. His focus for a 9-month-old male is truly exceptional. As I’ve said before…you’ve given me great raw material to work with.
Cindi

Hi Ramona,
Hildy is doing great! Super smart and incredibly athletic. She is a keeper! Hope your Easter went well.
Christine

Hi Ramona, 

Levi had a checkup with both bloodwork and hip X-rays.  He is in excellent health, hips are in very good health, and he has no medical issues of any kind.

His demeanor remains loyal and protective and is a treasured member of our family. 

He is an outstanding reflection of your hard work and care in breeding top German Shepherds.   Thank you for your support and advice over these special years.  Levi is strong, healthy, and happy.  

Best regards, 

Marc & Joanna

Hello Ramona!
I am writing you to tell you that “Orla” is doing WONDERFULLY!

I have so many stories to tell you and pictures to show you, but I wanted to first give you her “L” name.  It will be Lusca of Sapphire Mountain.  
(In Carribean folklore, Lusca is a Sea Monster) - I find it quite fitting as she LOVES the water and is in her own right an absolute monster!

Hi Ramona!

For Ursa’s 12th birthday on 3/1/25, I decided to celebrate by making her a birthday steak (her favorite…grass fed and raw).

I’m so thankful you let Ursa adopt me.  I wasn’t sure what to expect from a dog who was almost 7 1/2 when she retired.  It took about a week for the transition to be complete.  She is truly a best friend and her loyalty is absolute.
I’m sure there are times she wishes you would have given her a brighter human (‘can’t take my eye off him for 5 minutes or he’ll wander off and get lost…couldn’t backtrack himself to save his soul’), but she doesn’t let it bother her.

There are times in the house in the evening when I wonder how much longer we’ll have together.  But when we go out the door, she transforms into a teenager.  She launches herself and lands on her back, does a quick squiggle and pops back up with a wagging tail and an expectant look that seems to say ‘Aww right!  What are we going to do now!’.

So, again, thanks for an opportunity that I hope has been good for both of us!

Best regards,
Andy and Ursa

Onyx is featured in a chiropractic newspaper article. Great health care and a healthy varied diet are important. Longevity carried in select genetic lines are most important!

Hello Ramona. Kiska has truly become an Alaskan dog. She loves the snow! She is growing big and plays hard with Odin. We are so thrilled with them both. Thank you for breeding such wonderful dogs

Hi Ramona,
Such a sweet, smart pup, at 15 weeks he’s graduated from puppy training and moving onto formal obedience. He has joined a group of working dogs on Sundays to continue training outside of his one-on-one lessons. The trainers love him, praise his intelligence and obedience.
He is amazing with the kids, completely house broken and crate trained. His demeanor has been perfect. Protective but not aggressive. Picture attached to show you how much he’s grown!
Crystal

Ramona, you bred a beautiful, intelligent dog and probably litter as well. Jake is very driven, smart, very very very energetic. He sleeps with our other older dog in the downstairs level where there is a dog door to an enclosed kennel. It seems he doesn't need much sleep as he awakens about 4a.m. and is ready and pacing for his 5 a.m. breakfast. He just completed a second round of obedience training where he was introduced to commotion at a local park. He is a beautiful shepherd and my wife, who was hesitant to getting another dog, absolutely loves him. He will be an excellent companion on her hikes and I wish I could get him to join me in my tractors. He is probably about 70+ pounds, very lean long and tall, and a voracious eater. I'm so glad we got him from you. 

Hope you and family are well as well as the cool animals.

I appreciate you reaching out.

The Sandoval’s

Hi Ramona,

Happy New Year. Here are a couple pictures of Jem. He's a fabulous dog that is smart, confident, curious, and willing to learn. We appreciate your breeding program and the amazing dogs you produce. Thank you!

All the best,

Cathy 

Dear Ramona,

I hope this email finds you well. Quick update on Lizzy (aka Frieda). She is a beloved family member and a brilliant working dog. She has been doing so well with her SAR training, we are all impressed with her drive. She knows what she is doing and picks up on new skills quickly. What i am most pleased with is her ability to settle in and calm down on her days off! She is always ready to go but is also able to chill at my feet. That is impressive for a 9 month old shepherd! 

I cannot thank you enough for this precious girl!

Brooke 

Marrok of Sapphire Mountain;
Demo dog for professional dog training facility, K9 actor for multiple TV picture shows/series, antler shed & personal protection trained.
(owner writes) Ramona, Eight yrs ago you had 'gifted me' Marrok of Sapphire Mountain.  I've not accomplished as much as I wanted to with him (life happened), but we accomplished enough. He is an amazing demo dog for my training facility. He has been in multiple TV picture shows/series. I have trained him for antler/shed detection (as a hobby). He is also an amazing PPD. Every trainer/decoy that I have worked with truly enjoys him, they all comment on how great of a dog he is (I agree but am biased). I am looking into getting another dog sometime soon and I would love to stick with you. Lisa

(owner update 11/19/24) “Amanda” has just passed her TD & TDU certification track in Illinois at the very young age of just turning 7 months!!
Everyone who watches her track loves this young dog. Remarking on her incredible focus and work ethic. We love this female so much, she is a joy and looking forward to much training and titling fun in the years to come.

Linda & Dalai of Sapphire Mountain;
a-normal/normal, OFA Full Dentition, CGC, ACT 1, BH, IGP 1.
Working Security K9 for concerts and NFL games in New York.
AND Dalai is the dam of a nice litter of pups, two of which are in our breeding program Yves & Yogo.

Huge congratulations to a very special dog from our breeding program, Chaser and his owner Michele.
After being semi-retired, Chase recently jumped back in and earned two, 2nd place ELT Top Overall Placement awards at the highest level of Nose work, Elite & Specialty Division Trials. Finding 16/17 hides and receiving applause in the Exhibit Hall search.
Comments from those that know this dog and have watched him work are;
Chase loves searching.
This dog is amazing.
Incredibly smart dog.
I love him..
He is not only the best! But also super SMART!
Amazing and very excellent dog!!!
Owner Michele states “ This dog is amazing… The best dog that ever lived… he never asks for anything but gives his whole self whenever asked…”

“She is healthy with good disposition, good size, very active and an absolute beauty"

Good morning Ramona,
Just wanted to send some updated photos of Lizzy. She is such a beautiful addition to our family. Her SAR training has been going very well. She knows exactly what she is doing! We are almost done with our foundation tracking training and ready to move forward to more difficult tracks. She is a star student!

Hope all is well with you.

Brooke

Hi Ramona,
I wanted to let you know that we are so thoroughly enjoying our pup "Hildy".
Best,
Christine

Valor and Picasso, these two youngsters are great with travel and much-loved companions to owner!

Dear Ramona,
The entire family is in love with Freya (Penny's daughter!). 

My Dad is impressed with her intelligence and good nature around other dogs and people. She also has nearly no separation anxiety which we used to think was endemic with GSDs until Freya. His anecdote about her smarts come from a trip to town. She knows the drill. While he runs into businesses she waits in the car and she's quite content with this arrangement since it means a car ride. Except for one day that he went into Cabela's. She seemed to think she was going inside with him. He didn't understand why she was behaving like that, until he realized that many months earlier, she had gone to PetSmart with him which shares a parking lot. Pretty damn impressive memory for a puppy!

She helps keep the local fox away from the bids which my mother greatly appreciates.

Beyond her great behavior attributes, she also barely sheds compared to our other GSDs. It's a great extra perk.

In summary, you've helped heal the hole in our hearts from our last puppy. I know my Dad had recommended you to a few folks from the hospital. Many thanks Ramona! 

Sincerely, Claire

Hi Ramona, Hawk (Ulka dam) is 5 months and what a great dog. Onyx, our 1st dog from you (Xurk sire) is now 8. We can’t thank you enough for having such a great breeding program. Marcello

We are pleased to learn Eva of Sapphire Mountain (daughter of our Vlad & Ursa of Sapphire Mountain) is working in law enforcement as a Detection K9 in Texas. She will also be working at a school district, interacting with students and staff. Eva was raised/started with Barbara who was a re-peat client and finished her training in Texas.

Handsome “Hunter” living the good life in Florida with our client Karli.

Hi Ramona,

Kodi has been amazing, we are having so much fun with him! We've been doing some training and Kodi has great instincts. I had to take a small break, but now I'm officially retired and will be able to get back to it. Kodi is very athletic, loves training and is a fantastic companion. He meets lots of people and dogs and does well, particularly sweet is how much he loves little kids! I hope you're doing well! Shireen

Not only is Yves an excellent working dog, but he also has looks, pedigree, health (OFA Excellent/Normal), and character to match!
We will offer exceptional litters from Yves within the year.

What a joy it is to have this pup! We are here on Whidbey Island for a family vacation then I’m off to a K9 seminar with Freida (aka Lizzy). Looking forward to learning some new things.

I'm afraid the one who gets the most looks of engagement is Violet (my daughter). Lizzy is smitten with her. This makes me so happy ❤️.

Brooke

Ivan is perfect. We’ve been working on tracking. I think I can train this dog to do any job, he is so smart and athletic. Mike

PSD Rhaegar of Sapphire Mountain; Dual Purpose, Specialty Narcotics K9

Another recent photo of Police Service Dog Rhaegar of Sapphire Mountain; Dual Purpose, Specialty Narcotics K9.
Rhaegar is a safe playmate to his handlers children.

Thank you for breeding dogs that are true GSD’s and contributing positivly to the population.

Qualified in L1; (exteriors (3rd), interiors, containers (3rd) & vehicles with zero faults. The judge complimented me on my handling since “he was a lot of dog”. I am so proud of him!

Ramona,
Hey, hope you are doing well. It has been 1 year since we drove up to your place to pick up Grizzly. He is attending ongoing PSA training after graduating through a year of weekly training classes. He has incredible skills of obedience and all the work associated with PSA.

We brought him home weighing 9 pounds 1 year ago, today he is just shy of 90! Beyond his fierce appearance and PSA work, he has one of the biggest hearts I have come to know in a dog. He watches over family members and the neighbor's chickens and is gentle with a moth or grasshopper that has managed to enter the house.

I have never experienced a dog like this, he has truly changed our lives in a great way. You have provided us with something that is hard to describe with words, to be honest. Here are some pics, including one from the day we picked him up. Thank you again Ramona for all the help in getting him for us.

Chip

Congratulations go out to Linda and SAR K9 Yves (Yeti), on passing the extremely difficult IPWDA Crime Scene certification at the young age of 2 years!
Other achievements this month include;
Receiving OFA Excellent hips / Normal elbows, Full Dentition/Scissor Bite, AD, WB with excellent results. What a way for these two to celebrate a birthday! (photo is from earlier this year).

Hi Ramona,
The pup is doing great he is very easy to train and a real pleasure to work with. Thanks again for breeding such wonderful dogs.

Marcello

Ramona, Training is going great, wondeful, smart dog. Thank you very much!
Mike

Ramona, Freida is a very bright little pup. So attentive, social, and brave. Playing bubbles is one of her favorite games that she gets to play with just Violet.
Brooke

Today Tate found his second elk antler! He is so eager to please it's been a joy training him! Perfect on leash, sit, stay, turn, figure 8 through the legs, picks up his own toys, and trash the kids drop on the floor. We are now working on distance commands in fields and around distractions. He is great with our farm animals, he helps me put the goats away every night by herding them in. He's amazing with the kids! He is protective but not reactive. He settles nicely but is energetic enough to keep up with us. He still goes everywhere with us and he is so quiet most people forget we even have him along. He's growing into the best dog we've ever had!

In Pepperell last week, a missing 5-year-old child with autism wandered from home, prompting a large search with police officers, including K9 Officer Adams and K9 Taro, swarming the area. With a brook nearby and knowing that some people with autism are drawn to water, the urgency for police was high.

K9 Taro quickly picked up a track and within 45 minutes led officers to the child, police said. An officer then carried the child back to their family.

“We set a perimeter. K9 Taro established a solid track into the wood line, where we found the young child going down a hill toward a stream,” said K9 Officer Adams. “It’s a great feeling. It’s a good outcome for the family, it’s a good win for everybody that’s working.” The family “couldn’t say ‘thank you’ enough,” Adams told Boston 25 News.

K9 Taro is a dual-purpose K9, trained not only in locating missing people/tracking but also evidence, narcotics, protection & obedience. “It’s a game for him,” Adams said. “He just thinks he’s playing this fun game and gets his reward at the end.”

K9 Taro is the town’s first police dog, launching the K9 unit two years ago. In his short career, working in Pepperell and assisting agencies in several surrounding communities, K9 Taro has already located more than 20 missing people, it’s been an extreme blessing for the town, Adams said.

SAR Yves has completed his CGC, CGCA, CGCU.

Hi Ramona, I wanted to take a moment and update you with Luna. We just celebrated having her for 1 year. We have taken 3 levels of obedience training in the course of the year and each time she was outstanding. Her drive and desire to please is exceptional in every way. I can't imagine our lives without her, from her attempts to communicate with us vocally to her good morning leap on the bed every morning. You will always have a gleaming reference from us. Very best wishes!

Eric & Diane

Hi Ramona! Freya has been serving us well all these many years and her drive never slowed down. The kids feel safe doing anything in the mountains with her. She's been amazing. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to own such an amazing GSD. Nick & Odin

Happy holidays Ramona, Here are some pictures I took of our girl this year for you to enjoy as much as I did. She is seriously the best girl ever. Best wishes! Alicia

Hi Ramona,
Tate is amazing. Already started into Antler training and knows so many things! We bring him everywhere with us, he’s great in the car and he is exceptional with the kids. Such a stable young pup that is already so even tempered and reliable even at his young age. We receive comments often on how calm and well behaved he is for a shepherd. When it time to train he is focused and not even the kids can distract him from his mission. I hope you have a Merry Christmas! Jordan

Ramona,
She takes pressure well, bites very hard and deep, environmentally she is excellent. Embark came in all clear also! What an incredible dog she has been for us, thank you for her Ramona! Terry

Hi Ramona, We just spent a few days in Utah exploring some canyons. Jem was ready to go and always followed our scent back. He's a tracker!
He's smart, confident and a quick learner. We look forward to many years of adventures with him!
We love Utah canyon country and we love Jem! Thanks for breeding such fantastic dogs.

Best wishes for 2024!
Cathy

Thank you for the new addition to our family! He is extremely smart and its so nice having a German Shepherd around again. They are just the best dogs!

Hi Ramona, I hope you've been well. I figured it was time to give you a quick update on the pack. They're both doing very well. We do nose classes each week and we're signed up for a seminar this month. I also expect us to be accepted into a local search and rescue team in January.

Littermate to our brood Penny of Sapphire Mountain, Police Service Dog (PSD) Pace and handler have completed a grueling 4-month training program and is now fully operational (RCMP) CANADA. Generations of our breeding's are in the pedigree of these fine dogs. Sapphire Shepherds send safe and best wishes to PSD Pace & handler!

Hey Ramona! Just wanted to update you that Grizzly has been a life changing event for us all but mostly Samara. He was just what she needed in this world. They have been attending a K9 training center weekly since we brought him home. He is the smartest dog I have ever met! He can Heel, sit, down, ignore, and recall very well at his young age. He is protective of Samara already and always has to be at her side. Thank you again for a wonderful dog, I will keep you updated as he continues training.
C.G

At approximately 1:45pm Taro was requested in town for a narcotic search of a vehicle. Officers had reasonable suspicion the occupants were engaged in narcotic activity and requested the search. Taro arrived and showed a clear indication narcotics were present. A search of the vehicle resulted in a number of bags and paraphernalia associated with narcotic use, also during the search officers located ammunition that the subject was not licensed to have . The subject was arrested and brought back for booking.

Fast forward approximately two hours later Taro was again called in town for a male party who fled into the woods out of a vehicle, Taro arrived on scene and immediately began tracking the subject locating him approximately 50 yards into the woods. The suspect was taken into custody without issue! Another great example of K9 use and officers involved!!!!

Hi, Ramona. Just wanted to share some pictures of our “z” pup, Revel, with you and let you know how she’s doing. About this time last year I put down the puppy deposit, knowing we were still mourning our Holly dog. Now Revel is a year old and I cannot believe how quickly she filled the void, and then some. She is just as loyal and sweet, but she has better nerves and play drive. She is loved by anyone who meets her, and she meets a lot of people and dogs! What a relief it is to know that she can be trusted in various social situations. She is abundantly social at our shooting events. She loves doing her farm chores, river time, and going riding.

Back in November our other GSD had an FCE and it was a long difficult recovery process, likely since she is already older. Greta needed a lot of my time and energy and couldn’t play with Revel for awhile. When Greta started to get enough strength to feel like playing again, Revel played so gently with her. She filled the void for Greta too.

Thank you for taking such care in your program that you can provide such an animal as this one. You are highly recommended and praised when we are asked where we got this wonderful pup.

Rebekkah

Bill, Annette & Ida during Bill’s 78th birthday party!

Another nice son of Vlad.

Hi Ramona,Thank you for helping me get Kenai out of 'dog jail.' I have attached pictures of him for you!
Regards, Elizabeth

Good morning Ramona! I haven’t talked to you in quite some time, but thought I’d send you a few photos of our beautiful Beyla, already 4 yrs last November. She’s a very cool dog and we love her. She’s very good at finding things with her nose which makes trail riding with her very interesting! She loves to go with us hiking and trail riding. Hope you are doing well! Tammy H. Hamilton MT

“K9 Taro completed his North American Police Work Dog Association (NAPWDA) yearly certification, passing all categories! Great job Taro and way to remain focused at all times!”

SAR Falcon of Sapphire Mountain; IPWDA Land HRD, IPWDA Water HRD.

Hi Ramona,

We are doing great. She's a treasure. A fast learner and eager to please. She's completely crate trained, sleeping most of the night, and well on her way to house trained.

Thanks again. I'm so grateful to have her.

Susan

Thank you Ramona. I cannot put into words how grateful and proud I am to have these two in my life. They are such amazing dogs, so smart and loyal. I work constantly to keep their trust in me. Every choice I make in my daily life is in their best interest. They were the best thing about being in Montana for me.

Owner writes us; My two beauties who made our six beauties. All pups have found amazing homes. Thank you for your help and advice. Have a Blessed Day Ramona,
MK

Owner writes; “Mac” is doing wonderfully. Always loyal, always by my side, and by far my best worker. This dog exceeded all of my expectations. I wonder sometimes if she is more machine than dog for how well she remembers everything I've taught her and how happy she is to work with me. Almost 7 years old now and recalls happily, lives to please, and smart as ever. She was spayed after 4 and never had a litter. We are hoping to step back in the ring after our pause and trial to finish her CD this year in April/November and I have no lack of confidence in her ability to do so. No real health issues to report, a few fatty bumps under her skin but our veterinarian said they are all benign and unless they grow we don't have to worry (so far none of them have, thankfully). Thank you so much for selling me a dog who is truly like no other, who I will always compare any future dogs to because she is simply amazing. Rest assured she couldn't be more loved here. Alicia, Porta Rico

Owner writes to us in part;
Kanto was everything I could ever have asked for in a German Shepherd dog and more. Kanto was incredibly smart, notably intelligent, and readily learned everything very quickly. He was calm, confident and powerful, balanced in his drives, and very responsive to handler (not to be confused with soft). He was engaging, funny and patient, and he would play for 24 hours a day. He was absolutely physically beautiful as well, a fact that was not lost on anyone who met him, even on the last day of his life, which, unfortunately was Wednesday, February 15, 2023. My grief is beyond measure.

Hi Ramona, Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Hi Ramona, I hope you and your family had a great Christmas and have a happy New Year. Avah is 12 months old today so I thought I would share an updated photo with you!
We get so many compliments on her beauty but also her temperament with people, animals, and different environments. What a dog she is becoming!

Ramona, Lia is such a joy...thank you again! 💗 Leigha

Hi Ramona, Just wanted to check in and let you know that Denali is doing very good and is a very wonderful friend, she definitely knows how to make us laugh! She’s very caring and protective of us. She does enjoy showing off her “bubba shovel“ as we call it. She carries it around and slides on it like a skateboard across the yard. It’s an aluminum grain shovel she has a good time with. She’s truly the best! Happy New Year as well!!

Ramona, Wishing you happy holidays. The girls are doing great. Molly

Merry Christmas from the pups - Kenzie, Max and Dorothy.

Police Service Dog Rhaegar of Sapphire Mountain Dual Purpose, Specialty Narcotics K9.
Photo taken with friends during a break in working,
Interesting note. Rhaegar’s grand dam is 15 year old Brook of Sapphire Mountain (shown in next photo).

Hi Ramona, our Z pup is doing very well! She gets high praises for her beauty and disposition everywhere she goes. She rides in all our equipment, but just until she won't fit. She's averaging about 3lbs a week. She loves to meet new people and makes quick friends with other dogs. Her happy and confident nature is perfect for our lifestyle. She has nerves of steel and is not easily offended by anything. She is a quick learner and naturally so obedient. I find it obvious that she had a really good mama and breeder to instill respect and good manners. It has made teaching her boundaries really easy. She has been very responsive to "no" and "ouch" from the beginning. We never have to worry about her running off, she's always at foot and so vigilant. Even from a dead sleep she is impossible to sneak away from. From day one she has been a loving and loyal pup.

Hello Ramona, Hope this message finds you well. Siri is progressing well. Earlier this summer he passed his first trailing test with SARDUS here in Colorado, and he has another test coming soon. He is routinely successfully doing 24 hr aged trails around a mile long, so we have every expectation he will do well in the coming test He is very high drive when working.

“Down time” Always heads for the same spot when she has had her fill of us. Met her first turkeys yesterday and was wisely caucus. Has encountered bighorn sheep, deer, chickens and now turkeys and taken all in stride!

Ramona- It has been a long time. I wanted to let you know that Bear died. He was 12 years old and what a wonderful dog!

Bear earned his BH 10 years ago and went on to earn many titles in the following years, up to his Schutzhund 3. They say it takes 3 things to be successful in that sport (a decent handler, a good club, and a dog with the genetics and drives). I really appreciate your breeding program, which enabled that success.

Beyond that he was a great family dog and enjoyed being with us throughout the various changes our lives brought. He was extremely adaptable.

I attached a photo of both Bear and Viska, which was used for a wine that we created for fun last year.

Viska is doing very well. When our club dissolved, we exited the sport but thoroughly enjoy his company daily. This guy has drive in spades and can’t get enough fetch or play! You would think he was a lab from his love of water!! Very fun guy. Attached is a photo of him from a camping trip this weekend.

I hope everything is going well for you.

Thanks,
Rene

Yazzy, Donner, Flame, Raketa and all of us at Sapphire Shepherds are proud of you and wish you a long and safe career.

SAR K9 Cato of Sapphire Mountain Fair/Normal CGC IPWDA Human Remains Land, Human Remains Water, Crime Scene. *2019 recipient of Award of Merit from the International Police Working Dog Association (IPWDA), only 3 K9 teams are chosen each year for demonstrating Professionalism, Discipline and Notable Find.

Ramona, They are simply stunning and so adaptable. They will be traveling to Florida then back to Hawaii. Thank you for being such a mindful and amazing breeder. I am grateful to have these young dogs. MK

Hi Ramona, The world is crazy right now. But these pups you gifted me keep me grounded and full of gratitude. Kayda is growing up! She has been making a lot of progress and her agility training is well underway. She is gonna be FAST and she can turn on a dime. The future is bright for this little dragon! Sending a quick video from our training last night. Hope you and yours are doing well.