Thinschmidt German Shepherds

This place is disgusting regarding how they breed their dogs. It is so sad to see these innocent dogs have to live through these health conditions. Do not do it. Save money and time and adopt a dog from the animal shelter which is a way better investment. These people should be shut down especially after all these negative and true comments that have been posted about them. Something needs to be done and I hope it is not too late. By the way I do own a dog from this place and he does have elbow dysplasia. For further information just check out Sandra P.‘s comment.

We purchased a puppy way back in October of 2002, and had almost thirteen (13!!!) wonderful years with our baby girl, Heidi. We also added on the optional training package. Heidi was the sweetest, most smart, gentle, and kind dog that you could ever ask for. Heidi passed away two weeks ago, and so I thought I would post a review. Thindschmidt’s German Shepherds gave our family an irreplaceable gift. Heidi was a wonderful sweetheart that was just like a little sister to me. She was very obedient, and we always took her on vacation with us and had a ton of fun. She had such a wonderful, fulfilling life. Our dog had no signs of hip dysplasia even at her ripe old age. Heidi was a fanastic, healthy dog… and we owe Thindschmidt’s for it. In about two weeks, we are going to take home another loving companion, Lula. If you want a great family pet, from people who truly care and are extremely knowledgeable– this is the place!

Initially, I thought this place was amazing. Nice grounds, beautiful dogs and Michele (1 of the owners) was very nice. After having been to hell and back with disappointment, lies and heartbreak I am now the wiser but still out over $ 6700! Although their dogs were extraordinarily expensive I felt it was worth it to get a quality, stable dog with no health or behavior issues and was already trained. I bought a sweet 1 ½ year old female Remy last September and, although underweight, I was assured she was eating well and would fill in. The reason I was given for her return by her owner was that he wanted to do schutzhund and she wasn’t interested. Seemed odd since they had a brand new baby but I believed them. From the start, eating was an issue. She barely eat enough to keep a bird alive much less a growing young german shepherd. I have had many dogs and since 1997 several german shepherds and have never known one not to eat. Eventually, I took her to the vet and had some tests done which revealed nothing although she was noted to be underweight. I was in communication with Michele continuously and did everything I could think of to get her to eat. This was so stressful and painful for us to watch her loose weight especially after coming to love her. Michele encouraged us to bring her back which I eventually did after 5 – 6 weeks. I sat in the car racked with sobs. She was very nice and gave me credit for another dog. This experience left me a bit scarred but after a while I started monitoring their site for another dog that would fit with us. In June of this year I saw a young dog Lula available and went to meet her asap. She was wonderful and I made an appointment with Robert (as Michele was out on leave I was told)) to bring my dog to meet her. This was merely a formality as he gets along with every dog. I received a message the next day that Lula was sold and they had no other dogs. I was devastated as I though my long wait was over. I came to the conclusion greed was the driving force as they already had my money. I emailed them about my shock that they would do that without even contacting me since I was clearly very serious about her. I had no response. Only then did I research and was HORRIFIED to learn that Remy had a history with her previous owner of not eating and they found a pancreatic disorder. After realizing the deceipt and lies, I started the process of trying to get my money back with a certified letter and BBB report. They are hiding from me and from the BBB. I will not give up because they have wronged me so severely. I feel so foolish and have been taken advantage of in a shameless way. I have spoken to another breeder and find they have had difficulties for years. They do not know what they’re doing breeding and have had ongoing problems with dogs with health issues and now have financial difficulties. I just want to resolve this and put the nightmare behind me!!! Beware!

We live in MI and purchased our dog Jet in May 2014. He was born 12÷31÷13. Sire: Ursus, Dame: Uta.
On Jet’s initial veterinary examination in MI we were asked if he was purchased from a reputable breeder as he showed early signs (discomfort when his rear legs were pulled) of hip dysplasia. Our veterinarian suggested we wait and see…
Needless to say Jet bonded with our family. He was a great dog and we loved him.
This April Jet began to limp and favor his left rear leg. At this time (16 months) we decided to get his hips looked at again (X-​rays). Jet had severe hip dysplasia in both hips with severe arthritis in his left hip. Not good news for a puppy so young.
Jet was taken to Michigan State University (the best veterinary hospital in the state) for a consultation. Jet would have required both hips replaced at a cost of 4−6K a hip. However, due to the severe arthritis in his pelvic area, the success of the surgery was doubtful.
Jet was put down this month as he was in constant pain.
We reached out to Thinschmidt via email to advise them of Jets hips. We told them we didn’t want a new dog, but wanted to be sure it was recorded in the breeding record.
Thinschmidt didn’t bother with a reply. Apparently, once you purchase a dog from these people, especially if you live in another state, they could care less.
Buyer beware. Do not purchase a GSD from these people. Unprofessional at best.

I know a lot of the folks here gave negative reviews about this breeder/​trainer. I refuse to be swayed one way or another so I will just type my review based on my personal experience with them.
I purchased my GSD pup at 7 weeks old on May 9^th, 2015. I named him Java and he is currently in training. Last week, Brian (the trainer) had some challenges with him and decided that my pup will need to stay longer to ensure that he passes all his training, which is fine with me because I invested a lot. Therefore, I expect nothing less than the best training for Java. I told them to proceed and take as long as my pup requires it.
Maria has been superbly communicative via e-​mail whenever I have questions about Java (food, training, etc.) I do expect them to be 100% transparent with me, should any issues arise with Java. With that said, I commend them for doing a great job so far. I have zero qualms for now.
I will make another review after Java comes home. The jury is still far out on this.

This is exactly the type of behavior my husband & I have dealt with… name calling, hostile, etc. Calling us names like «fake, phony and a liar» and «coward & a cheat» isn’t going to make us any less real. Telling the world we are all one person who wrote many very different reviews isn’t going to make each & every one of us any less real. Instead of trying to solve an issue, they choose to call all the Unilocal users writing bad reviews fake… liar…coward…cheat…phony (these are their words not ours). The business chooses to change their responses to reviews multiple times & after this is posted I wouldn’t be shocked to see the name calling removed from their response (I have printed the business’s response for proof of this fact. I can send this & all their other actual responses to anyone who asks for it).
Facts are facts. We have a Thinschmidt dog who we love very much who was diagnosed by a Board Certified vet & their personal vet with hip Dysplasia. It’s heart wrenching to see our dog in constant pain. They chose not to honor their warranty & follow CA state law. Read my original review.
My husband & I gain nothing from posting our experience on Unilocal,we’ve given up on ever seeing a dime from them. Unilocal users you can decide «fake, phony and a liar» «coward and a cheat» or real living breathing person. We decided to come to Unilocal to write about our experience in hopes we could keep at least one family from experiencing what we have. Facts are facts.
Update: As predicted, the new business response is completely unrecognizable from what it was before. For Unilocalers reference here is just a small portion of the business response on 3÷24÷15 posted to my original review:
«you are a complete fake and a phony. If you were a normal person you would come clean and tell us who you are instead of lying behind our back like a coward and a cheat… GSD FanShan is a fake and a phony. Ripoff report is an evil website and full of lies and deceit. You are right when you say you are following in Pat G footsteps, also a FAKE, PHONY and a LIAR too. You and Pat G should be ashamed of yourselves. WE WASH OUR HANDS OF YOU.»
(this is the «nice» part, I can send the full response to anyone, just message me).
We provided our full names, contact info, our dog’s name & our dog’s sire/​dam when we originally informed Thinschmidt of our dog’s Dysplasia diagnosis (we were kind of surprised they didn’t already have this information on file from when we originally purchased our dog). We are among the few who haven’t been bullied or paid into removing our negative Unilocal review & so the business decides to cast doubt on our identity. Make no mistake, they know who we are & who our dog is! We dealt with over a year of being ignored, hostile emails/​phone calls, name calling, their lawyers, etc. We decided to have no further personal communication with the business for our own sanity.
As for the truth about Remy (a dog I know nothing about personally), click on my profile & view my compliments… you will find the answer there.
As I said before, we gain nothing from posting our review on Unilocal.We decided to come to Unilocal to write about our experience in hopes we could keep at least one family from experiencing the pain we have. Facts are facts.

Thanks, but no thanks for your offer to help me with my dogs papers. It’s a lot too late for that as I had my dog Spayed. As you may be aware it is customary for most owners to alter their dogs ability to reproduce if they aren’t planning on breeding them. I wouldn’t have had my dog Spayed now knowing I could have bred her and had her papers changed. Please tell me where in your contract does it state that you will release the restriction once the dogs had X-​rays on their hips??? Part of your sales tactics I imagine, that is referred to as «omission». So in other words I paid $ 2700 for my dog, who is really worth about 10% of that.

Most of us who have had horrible experience with Michelle’s dogs are bad mouthed by her rebuttals. Be it known that 3 board certified vets in osteoporosis diagnosed my dog. They all came to the same conclusion that it was hereditary. Gonzo seems to put out bad dogs and yet they continue to breed this dog. No matter what Michelle says, my dog who has hip dysplasia on all 4 legs was bred by Thinschmidt and her. For all of us who had horrendous experiences with her bullying when we tried to use the the CA Puppy Law to get our dogs surgery, it was a terrible, painful experience. I have filed a complaint with the Attorney General of CA. I was told that if enough people take the time to file a complaint, they will investigate. I encourage that those who took a pup home that had hip dysplasia… my dog started noticeably at 3 months. They told me it was just growing pains that the dog would come out of it. They didn’t want me to bring it to a board certified specialist, Dr. Nancy Hample. I updating this because Michelle’s rebuttal was a huge lie. I still have the X-​rays and the doctors’ diagnoses of a dog who was supposed to be trained as my service dog. I took my dog to an orthopedic board certified vet. I also paid extra and the xrays were sent to another board certified vet – PenHip. They both said the dog had severe hip dysplasia in both hips. This was well within 6 months and before. They refuted both Orthopedic certified vets. They said that these vets including the PenHip vets didn’t know what they were talking about. They knew my dog had hip dysplasia within 4 months. they told me that it was just a part of the dog’s growing spurts. Again, they don’t take responsibility for their breeding practices. As for refusing, that is a lie as well. I wanted to take my dog to a vet of their choice and I would go with them, but they would not allow me to do that. Instead, they wanted to take my dog to their vet without me being present. I still made an appointment with their vet and sent him the x-​rays. My dog had hip dysplasia according to him when we talked on the phone.

My wife and I are getting older and decided taking on a puppy wasn’t for us. Thinschmidts was one of few breeders offering older dogs and fully trained too. So we took that long drive out there. Not the easiest of places to find, nearly got lost when we got to that dirt road. When we arrived, no one was outside. It took three phone calls and 20min to get someone to come meet us for our appointment. We were very annoyed at the tardiness of the employee but we made the two plus hour drive so we stayed.
The brunette lady who met us was quite personable and brought several dogs into the room for us to see. She tried to sell us on some of their upcoming puppies which we thought was weird because we repeated several times we were not interested in taking home a puppy. After a bit she brought in the available dogs. We almost immediately fell in love with this dog named Remy. We were told that Remy’s previous owners gave her back because «she was too much dog & too big» for the family. We decided to spend a night thinking about it.
Our daughter is in college on the east coast so she wasn’t with us when we went. She knew we were going and asked what the dog’s name was that we liked so she could look her up. She googled «Thinschmidts & Remy.» To our shock she came across this story on Ripoff report & on the BBB website (
). We were beside ourselves reading the story. They told us Remy was perfectly healthy, and their contract «guaranteed» if she had issues we could bring her back. According to the review Thinschmidt promised to keep Remy as an onsite family pet for the remainder of her life… instead she ended back up for sale just days later! With a severe genetic digestive condition like that, Thinschmidt probably knew Remy wasn’t healthy when they sold her to the family writing the review!!! After reading that and looking at other online reviews we found we decided against doing business with Thinschmidts. We just didn’t feel like we could trust them.
We decided instead to go to a local German Shepherd Rescue and hire a dog trainer if necessary. When we went to an adoption event we mentioned what brought us to the event and I kid you not the volunteer immediately said:
«God, I wish they would stop breeding. I cannot tell you how many calls we get from owners trying to turn in Thinschmidt dogs with different health conditions… dysplasia, extreme allergies, digestive issues, etc…»
We were in shock. My wife convinced me that we needed to write this review so that others would not be taken in by these «breeders» that care more about $$$$ than the dogs they produce. Find another breeder or find a pup from a local rescue group. We couldn’t be happier with our rescue Sally, she’s a doll and she was almost completely trained when we got her from the rescue! Amazing luck.
STAY AWAY FROM THINSCHMIDT!
Update in response to the owner’s comment: If Remy is «perfectly healthy» and you have the right to sell her then why was she pulled from your website & Facebook and is no longer listed for sale? While I am extremely happy to hear that Remy is doing well, the facts of this review still remain the same… you put her back up for sale after PROMISING to keep her as a compound dog (this is seen in the Ripoff report, the BBB complaint & the Facebook comment pictured in my profile). You did not try to do the right thing until AFTER you were caught RED HANDED by not only the previous owners but also by the community & your own customers (see Dick T’s original review)! Local German Shepherd rescue groups are being contacted by owners of Thinschmidt dogs who are looking to turn in their dogs with genetic conditions. Please note, I have taken screen shots of all now NINE of your very different actual previous public responses to my review. There have been NO attempts made by the business owner to contact me privately.
Update 2: Remy’s original owner messaged me on Unilocal and had the following to say:
«I’m Remys old owner. 12year K9 handler for military and police.
Remy was diagnosed with a genetic pancreatic disorder. I’ll post medical records just to shut Michelle up. They’re all full of crap!!!»
Don’t believe me, check out the compliment he sent me in my profile & message him yourself. He has the medical records that back up the diagnosis. Hard facts like that coming from a very experienced K9 handler are hard to deny. I believe him & the medical records.

We purchased our 5 year old German Shepherd Ziggy when he was 6 weeks old from Thinschmidt. They trained him and we brought him home at 8 weeks. Unbelievable, all I do is feed him twice a day. He has never forgotten his training and is the best behaved, most well mannered dog around. Adding a dog to our family is a 12+ year commitment and I am sincerely glad we found Thinschmidt. they are well worth considering if you are looking for a great dog to become part of the family.
THANK YOU!

They’re aware that their German shepherd have hip dysplasia. They do not honor their warranties. If you buy from here prepare to have an unhealthy dog with thousands of dollars in Vet bills.
Our dog also came with fleas and a bacterial infection
They don’t honor their warranty, breed dogs with known hip dysplasia and will fight you with lawyers at every step instead of taking care of their dogs.
I’m sickened and saddened by this business of breeding unhealthy dogs.
I guess it’s all about the $$$
EDIT: «Real Client of yours» ???
What type of response is this from Thinschmidt? I am a family member of someone who purchased from you and got the run around. It is our family dog. I had to deal with these sorts of BS responses, instead of taking care of your customers and dogs.
I’m the family member who’s dealing with the dog that has HIP DYSPLASIA.
It’s apparent that Thinschmidt tries to get out of their issues any way they can. Instead of addressing the issue here, they try to question the validity of my review. This is similar to the way they treated us when we tried to get our dog’s Hip Dysplasia addressed by them. We kept getting excuses and they wanted us to send the dog to their vet, which was far away. So much red tape and defensiveness that we couldn’t do anything. They wanted the dog back– which meant they would likely put it down. By then it’s too, late they should have probably just offered to pay for the Vet bills, or just acknowledge the dysplasia issues… which you can see from all the ratings below that it’s been well documented.
I mean look at all the other reviews about hip dysplasia… you obviously have issues on your side. Don’t try to question me.
This sort of response is the issue with them. Just acknowledge your fault.
I’m real. Anyone who wants please send me a message directly and I’ll tell you all about our experience. Look at all my other reviews. I’ve been a Unilocal user for several years.

GONZO AND OLGA PUPPY WITH DYSPLASIA!!!
Where do I start???
This place has no clue what breeding German Shepherds even means. They breed dogs with no OFA ratings, health problems, and HIP/​ELBOW DYSPLASIA!
In November of 2011 our family went to visit the Thinscmindt kennel. They were answering our questions and assuring us that there dogs were great (mind you I am very afraid of big dogs). This would be our first GSD and large dog. We settled and gave our deposit on a future puppy.
We were also very interested in their Schutzhund club (obedience, protection, and tracking, which they never provided). That same month we had decided to come to a club night and check out how it worked. We had called Michele letting her know that we were going to be there and made sure that they knew we were coming. At about 5:00 pm we had arrived and no one was there. We were a little confused as to if there was a club that night. It turns out that the club had been canceled and no one had called to let us know. They were very insistent that we leave that second.
In March of 2012, Michele had contacted us that our puppy was going to be born in April. This had been the first time that anyone has contacted us since the past November. We were excited despite our unwelcoming experiences.
When our puppy was born that April, we had plans to get the 4 week training (which I would never recommend a puppy to do). In July, plans were made for us to come out and pick our puppy. We were persuaded into choosing the «plush» coat, actually referred to as long coat. Later we found out that long hairs are not supposed to be the same price as the stock coats because it is an undesirable trait in Germany and a recessive gene. Our puppy was left to be «trained» for a month. Toward the end of July it was finally time to bring our puppy home. Before we left, Robert was there to to give us a lesson on how to handle our new puppy. We were kicked to the curb and Robert handed us to another less-​experienced trainer. It was very rude and I was in shock that we were being treated this way. We had payed the same amount as the other gentleman that was there.
Saturday morning group classes was something that we made a point to drive for an hour every Saturday to attend. Every time we would go it would seem that there was some sort of jab or comment being made about us, our actions, or our dog. It was very disappointing, and I could not figure out why this was happening to us.
I took our dog boarding there twice, the first time he had gotten Guardia and coccidia. We first treated it with liquid but it was so strong we needed the pill form. The second time our puppy had a kennel cough scare. Kennel cough is a serious matter and we confronted Michele about it. She had denied it and was very rude. My kids were holding puppies when this was said to her and she ripped the puppies out of their hands even though their facility was housing the Kennel cough. It was later confirmed from another source that there was a kennel cough outbreak.
In April of 2013, we took our GSD to a vet to get a pre-​limb when he was one (checking hips and elbows before 2 years old). Our dog’s hips were ok but his elbows had some problems. We were cautioned in him having ELBOW DYSPLASIA later in life. When our dog turned two, we took him for the OFA again for the final results because a GSD’s growth plates are closed by then. Our GSD has ELBOW DYSPLASIA!!! and will also most likely develop arthritis in his elbows. We are so disappointed in these breeders especially that they knew what was happening behind the scenes and were/​are still breeding these dogs with genetic problems! Michele, Robert and Diane have been nothing but rude and disrespectful toward me and my family. Our dog will never be as healthy as we had wanted him to be and we will never get any kind of compensation. I WOULD NEVER RECOMMEND THIS BREEDER to my worst enemy! Don’t give them the money that they don’t deserve. Learn from our experience and AVOID THESE BREEDERS!!!

DO NOT PURCHASE FROM THIS BREEDER! FIND ANOTHER BREEDER WITH INTEGRITY AND WITHOUT DYSPLASIA IN THEIR LINES.
We purchased a male German Shepherd (GSD) from Thinschmidt German Shepherds Breeding (TGSB), from a Gonzo and Ana litter. Our GSD is loved greatly but has ELBOW DYSPLASIA (Fragmented Coronoid Medial Process), and HIP DYSPLASIA.
We noticed a limp in our GSD at 6 months. We brought him to two vets, had x-​rays taken, and a Board Certified Radiologist review the x-​rays. Both vets and the radiologist confirmed that he had ELBOW DYSPLASIA, and suggested surgery to ease his discomfort. We were devastated, as TGSB touts perfect breeding lines, which is the reason we decided to select from them. We immediately called TBSB to share the diagnosis. They said this has «never» happened in their lines before. After research and speaking to other TGSB owners I learned this was a lie. One of my dog’s brothers has ELBOW and HIP DYSPLASIA, and the same family has a female from another litter with DYSPLASIA.
Before my family could further address the situation we relocated. Upon arrival we took our GSD to a specialist and Board Certified Veterinary Surgeon. He inspected and took another set of x-​rays. He diagnosed our GSD with ELBOW DYSPLASIA, and sent the x-​rays to a Board Certified Radiologist to verify. The radiologist verified he did have ELBOW DYSPLASIA. The Vet also took x-​rays of our GSD’s hips. Turns out he has a twisted pelvis causing HIP DYSPLASIA. This has caused his left hip socket to be open and less secure. Both the Vet Surgeon and Radiologist believe this issue was caused by «early trauma.» We were informed that the trauma could be from his mother stepping on him, or being dropped at an extremely young age (i.e. before we got him). The Vet suggested surgery to ease the pain of his elbow dysplasia. We elected to do surgery immediately, as this procedure is most successful done prior to 1 yr, and our GSD was almost 1 yr. We wanted to ensure he had best chance at a happy life. Surgery was successful; three bone fragments were removed. His limp was reduced, but he will always have ELBOW DYSPLASIA.
With our GSD as healthy as we could help him be, we focused on getting a reimbursement (REIMB) to help offset the cost of his current and future medical care. The page at the end of TGSB’s signed contract/​health guarantee and the California Law (Health and Safety Code 122 125) both state that we have the option to keep the dog and obtain a REIMBfor medical bills up to 150% of his purchase price. This is the option we chose, as we did not want to give up a family member.
We reached out to TGSB, and at first they were kind but things quickly got ugly, as we did not want to return our dog. We provided them with every document and proof they requested: letters from each vet, copies of x-​rays, and contact info. for all vets. They then wanted the vets to write letters stating that our dog was «unfit for sale», but none felt comfortable writing this, as «unfit for sale» means something different to everyone. One of TGSB’s «owning members» called all three vets, and one of the vets had to deal with her rant about him not creating said letter. We were very embarrassed and had to apologize profusely. When TGSB refused to help, we offered to sign a confidentiality agreement in return for a REIMB. (This was not a favored idea, but we wanted them to follow through on their agreement and for both parties to move on.) TGSB was interested in this idea, but demanded us to force a family member to remove their review on Unilocal before agreeing. We explained to TGSB that we (and they) had no right to have this review removed. Our family member had done training with Thinschmidt, and they were reviewing their experience. TGSB then proceeded to tell my husband that he didn’t have integrity and that they were questioning the integrity of our entire family. This shows a lack of professionalism and utter ignorance. They also told my husband that he thought he was «above» others due to his job in the military. We brought up the military once, only to state the fact that we could not bring our dog into them due to now living on the other side of the country.
Another CA Board Certified Vet reviewed his x-​rays, and he agrees with the diagnosis of ELBOW DYSPLASIA and the issue with his hips. We’ve been legally advised to go to small claims court as we have a great chance of winning, (our time and location make this difficult).
I am providing this information to others, so they won’t make the same mistake in choosing this breeder. TGSB is friendly at first but are highly unprofessional, unethical and offensive. I might also take Thinschmidt’s overall rating on Unilocal with a «grain of salt» as who knows how many other people they have tried to bully into removing reviews. I have provided you with the facts (despite what TGSB’s response will say); if you would like any further info (incl. the emails communications) you can contact me.

I purchased a dog from Thinschmidt GSD over 8 years ago, and I hope they are still around to purchase my next dog from them. They interviewed me, asked about my family, my home, etc., to determine the right temperament of dog for me and ensure that I could provide a good home.
The experience was not problem-​free. The first puppy was imported from Germany and ended up being diagnosed a disease before I took ownership. I was asked if I wanted to split the cost of surgery. I declined; I felt sorry for the pup, but I intended to buy a healthy dog. The dog I finally did bring home had worms in the poo; they said that was «normal», which I found disconcerting. The problem was cleared up quickly with meds. My GSD does not have hip dysplasia (HD). The purchase contract required that we xray our dog after 1 year and report any HD issues to them; this indicates to me that they are very attentive to the possibilities of HD and gather that information to guide their breeding efforts toward healthy (no-​HD) dogs. Regarding the posts about HD dogs, no breeder wants to produce HD dogs; that would kill their business. Do some research on HD (fast-​normal, etc.) and you will see that HD can unexpectedly re-​introduce regardless of the parent and generational ratings. Thinschmidt appears to do everything they can to avoid HD and maintain their reputation for breeding healthy dogs.
After I passed on the sick imported dog, they offered me first pick of the next litter. When the litter arrived, we visited and they shared their assessment of the various puppies’ dispositions and temperaments, and recommended a specific puppy. It turned out, they picked exactly the right dog for me! She is the sweetest, most laid-​back GSD one can imagine! She is exceptionally tolerant of young children, and protective at the same time. She alerts me if she is concerned about any children, including random, seemingly unsupervised children at the park!
Regarding the training: Because I had young children, I left her there for six weeks of training and brought her home somewhere between 8 – 12 weeks (I don’t remember). She was pretty rambunctious, jumping next to my toddler and nipping a bit as a puppy does. So I asked them to take her back for more training. They did, free of any additional charges. The next time she came back, she was perfect! No nipping, and much more conscientous around my little ones. (Did they have use test children in their training program or something?! LOL!) I have returned on a number of occassions to brush up on training, all free of charge (included in the puppy & training package price.)
And the rest is history! If I ever buy another GSD, I will be going right back to Thinschmidt!

Our two puppies have BILATERAL ELBOW DYSPLASIA and one also has BILATERAL HIP DYSPLASIA
WE CANNOT RECOMMEND THINSCHMIDT GERMAN SHEPHERDS due to our experience with our puppies’ health problems.
Last year we obtained two puppies from different litters GONZO & SAYLA (May 2012) and GONZO & ANNA (Sept 2012). BOTH were diagnosed with ELBOW DYSPLASIA and ONE also with HIP DYSPLASIA. Once you have a dog in the family you aren’t going to return it to the breeder. Our puppies’ conditions were identified and diagnosed by extremely well-​qualified Board Certified Veterinary Surgeon and independent Board Certified Radiologist before one year of age. So far we have paid out many thousands in veterinary bills related to the elbow dysplasia diagnoses and necessary surgery, and then the youngest puppy was ALSO DIAGNOSED WITH HIP DYSPLASIA.
I wish I had realized that German SV rating of FAST NORMAL is BORDERLINE in the american standards rating of the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals OFA. I would NEVER select parents that have that rating ever again. The ratings can be found on the website:
. I’ve learned to check the ratings of the breeding males and females you are considering from any breeder.
Our puppies face a lifetime of arthritis. It is a very sad experience. We love our puppies but wish they were healthy.
Thinschmidt posted a response to the review that is full of false statements.
It seems they think they know more about dysplasia than Board Certified Veterinarians. Dogs do NOT grow out of elbow or hip dysplasia, the damage to the joints will only get worse if untreated when the joint is unstable or when there are bone fragments in the joints as was the case with both our puppies. You could feel the bones crunching in the joint when moving their limbs. Both puppies were limping before diagnosis the reason that they were identified. Our puppies were 10 months and 6 months when treated and average age when elbow dysplasia presents is 6 to 12 months. Read the OFA’s website.

The breeder required that we take our dog to their Vet last month when we requested the warranty due to hip dysplasia. Their Vet agreed with our Vet’s findings and showed them on the Xrays we brought where to see the dysplasia in both hips. Their Vet x-​rayed him again at their request, but it was not done by OFA or PENN standards that require sedation. Still his finding was bilateral hip dysplasia.
This is what the breeder wrote to us «The vet is stating Largo is diagnosed with only ‘mild’ hip dysplasia and therefore is not covered under our warranty. Specifically, it will not affect the health of the dog. «
The statement that mild hip dysplasia will not affect the health of the dog was not in the Vet’s report or statements. Clearly it is Thinschmidt’s opinion about hip dysplasia. Shocking and Awful.
We are not unhappy with our choice to have surgery taking the advise of a Board Certified Veterinary Surgeon. We are unhappy that we selected Thinschmidt a Breeder who continues to breed a dog that produces dysplasia. Facts are Facts and we have nothing to gain from posting our experience on Unilocal.
As of Sept 2014 A genome-​wide Hip Dysplasia — test is available at the Institute for Animal Breeding and Genetics Hannover Foundation and can be provided to all breeders and owners of German Shepherds. Further details can be found on the homepage of the Institute for Animal Breeding and Genetics (
). All Responsible Breeders should be testing their breeding sires and dams especially to determine if they carry the gene. If they do they shouldn’t be used for breeding. IF you are considering buying a puppy demand it from the breeder. Healthy looking parents doesn’t mean their adorable puppies will be healthy I’ve learned the hard way.

THE VERY BEST BREEDER…
This place by far is the most caring about there animals. They interviewed me for 2 hours making sure I was the right fit for one of there dogs that was 8 months old. I have a 3 year old female I got from them at 15 weeks and she is so well trained and such a beautiful dog. Having a 2^nd dog they wanted to make sure it would work. I have had the new dog for 2 months and he is everything they said he was. So well trained smart friendly and loving. There boarding is the best the dog gets a bath before coming home, they will do a refresher course with the training and the dogs have a lot of space more like a club med for dogs. Diane Doug Michelle and Robert are the best all family all specialized in training and breeding. The other trainers working there also get top marks in my book. If you are going to get a dog that you will have for many years invest in a quality dog one that becomes one of your children. Trust me I researched across the country for the very best and found the best breeder 35 miles from my home. I was very lucky you can say.

The Staff, Professionalism, Training & Facilities are exceptional!
After intense research across the nation, we chose THINSCHMIDT. Visit the site to verify this choice; talk to the staff. It is a well maintained, a clean environment, directed & focused at the dogs to provide the best care possible.
My German Shepherd has been lovingly taken care while performing intense training. I have been kept informed of her progress. I am so impressed with THINSCHMIDT, that we would like to purchase one of their German Shepherds in the future so that ours has a friend. They have the most beautiful dogs!
As for the breeding comments here, my German Shepherd came from a kennel out of state, which was similar, yet much smaller. They are breeding correctly and take considerable cautions; just look at the outcome of their lines. Absolute beautiful dogs, happy and trained properly. An exceptional facility along with a most friendly, professional staff.
Please check out their website; but more importantly, make an appointment & drive to the facility; take a tour and view the remarkable dogs and grounds.
I highly recommend Thinschmidt German Shepherds to everyone. We feel fortunate to have out German Shepherd in the best of care and professionalism.

I cannot disagree more with the other review posted here! I would also be willing to bet that they did not research, visit, or buy a dog from them.
I have researched this place extensively after talking to them at the OC PetExpo. Here is what I know (and yes, this is the first dog I am buying and since I have OCD, I research everything to death):
1. Website:
— to refute the «breeding nonstop» point, here are a couple of things to note:
On the website you can see that they have a few breeding females and males. Female dogs go into heat 2x per year. The average litter has between 5 –10 puppies. That being said, with multiple dogs, they will always have puppies for sale. They do not breed their dogs past 8 years of age. Finally, they get their breeding dogs from Germany, from different registered kennels (found that out when I visited though)
I got all of that from the website
2. I went there 2x — I took my mother who shows and trains champion Shetland Sheepdogs. I let my mom grill the heck out of them with everything she could think of, and they passed. We asked for a tour of the entire facility (got it), reviewed their training methods (all my mom had used, and my mom found out about another), we reviewed multiple dogs of various ages (puppies through to adults and even some of the breeding dogs). Everything passed and was clean and organized (important if you have OCD like me).
There is a lot more that I could cover about my visits, but let me move on.
3. I checked their references — They have a «A» rating with the BBB, They are referenced in Cesar Millan’s book (I checked it, I know that he can be a controversial figure but they are referenced in the book). They are registered with a lot of other reputable organizations (I checked out AKC, and a couple of others).
For the above and a lot more, we bought a German Shepherd from them. They also register your dog with the AKC, give it all of its shots, and guaranty the dog for 1 year! If they were not reputable, would they do that?
But, do not go by my recommendation alone. For a dog that you will have for 10 – 15 years, do your research! I did, and I have a wonderful dog that my family enjoys as a result.