RiverRock German Shepherds

RiverRock German Shepherds is a small hobby kennel operated by
my son, River Rockenstein, and myself in St. Cloud, Minnesota. I am
a member of the German Shepherd Dog Club of Minneapolis/St. Paul and the German Shepherd Dog Club of America, where I serve on the Membership and Public Relations Committees. I am a signer of the Breeders’ Code of Ethics.

History

I have been involved with German shepherd dogs for over 50 years, having received my first dog, Freda, from my father at age 7.  She was a pet-quality dog who was my constant companion.  The first non-fiction books I read were about obedience training, and I trained this dog through the CDX degree while in elementary school.  She was the unofficial mascot of my high school, came to class with me, and marched with the band at football games.  She accompanied my father when he had guard duty at the Orlando Naval Training Center at night and searched the grounds with him.  Through her, I learned about the potential of the German shepherd dog as a family companion and protector.  Though I never had the opportunity to compete with her, it was my childhood dream to own and breed show-quality German shepherds who were both competitive in obedience and wonderful companions.

I purchased my first show-quality bitch, and attended my first show, while in college in the 1970’s.  Sitting ringside at this show, with the breeder of my new bitch, I correctly picked the winners in each class.  The breeder was impressed with this and asked me if I would like to be trained as a handler and handle his dogs at shows throughout the Southeast.  This was part of my dream-come-true, and I learned about the German shepherd standard and about the correct structure, movement, and temperament of the dogs.  I was also fortunate to be in the ring every weekend with some of the great handlers like Jimmy Moses, Doug Crane, and Lamar Kuhns who were generous with advice and were models of sportsmanship.  I also saw many of the great dogs of the era like Ch. Lance of Fran Jo and his progeny.  Since that time, I have owned, trained, and shown many German shepherd dogs from both German and American lines. 

 Breeding Program Philosophy

I am not breeding for profit.  My goal is to contribute dogs excelling in soundness, performance, beauty, and style to the German shepherd gene pool.  I have no more than one litter per year.  Puppies are given the very best of care and receive extensive socialization from an early age.  Puppies are given early neurological stimulation, as well, and are temperament tested in order to place them into situations that match their personalities.  Puppy buyers receive a health guarantee.

 Soundness

A beautiful dog is nothing unless both physically and mentally sound.  A sound dog is a healthy dog with a long lifespan (10-13 years).  A sound dog is free of crippling hip and elbow dysplasia.  A sound dog easily passes the Temperament Test.  A sound dog will be a friendly, yet protective, family companion.
The breeding of sound dogs requires a thorough knowledge of all dogs in a pedigree for at least five generations.

Performance 

Sound dogs will have both the physical and mental capacity to perform in sports like conformation, obedience, agility, and herding.  They will be useful as assistance dogs or therapy dogs.  They will be an asset to law enforcement and the military. 

Beauty

Beauty is determined by the degree to which the dog conforms to the official breed standard.  This standard defines the proper structure of the dog from nose to tail, describes how the dog should move at a trot, and outlines correct temperament. 

Style

Style is a matter of personal preference regarding appearance plus attitude.  I like a “classic” type American-bred dog with a black saddle, a plush coat, tight feet, a beautiful head, and the unmistakable “look of eagles”.  In attitude, I like an intelligent dog who exudes nobility yet exhibits playfulness and a sense of humor; a dog who is gentle, yet would give his life to protect his family.