NägelKopf

About Us

Here at NägelKopf (German for "NailHead"...our female's nickname), we believe that the German Shepherd Dog is the life's work of one man, Prussian Captain Max von Stephanitz. We also believe that anyone who breeds German Shepherd Dogs should abide by the guidelines put in place by the Captain during his establishment of the breed. Read more about Captain Stephanitz and the history of the German Shepherd Dog on the German Shepherd Dogs link. We at NägelKopf are not breeders; that responsibility is too great for us to bear. We look for and are willing to wait for a great puppy from a great breeder. Do your homework, do the research, and you'll find a lot of wonderful puppies, young adult dogs, and mature dogs from which to choose.

We are, however, avid trainers of German Shepherd Dogs. As much as we love the "look of quality & nobility, difficult to define but unmistakable when present" called for in the breed standard (see the breed standard on the German Shepherd Dogs link), we know that the perfect dog, the perfect German Shepherd Dog, is what the true breeders should be shooting for in their quest for the " Golden Middle." The dogs at NägelKopf are all bred from imported German "show" lines.

The "Golden Middle" dog must be good in performance, as well being a good specimen in structure. That means the dog must have a work ethic and be willing to perform tasks for his human friends & caretakers.

Our Competition History

We have actively shown our German Shepherd Dogs in AKC (American Kennel Club) events. We have participated in all levels of Obedience Trials with our first male "Tex" aka Affe von Lawhorn UDX MX MXJ. We have also participated in all levels of Agility Trials with our man, Tex.

We have shown both males Tex and "King" aka Nicko von Lawhorn in AKC conformation. Both have taken first place ribbons in the puppy classes but, not surprisingly (it is after all AKC), have never taken any championship points. We usually get very depressed looking at the dogs the judges have chosen as the best representative of the German Shepherd Dog breed on that day. Alas, the Americans have done terrible things to our breed, but we hope that they will come to respect the controls placed on the breed by the Schaferhund Verin (Shepherd Dog Club) in Germany for what they truly are -- a measure of the dog's worth: structure, temperament, and the ability to produce those qualities in their offspring.

We hope to provide a continued presence of the "German Way" by showing our dogs from German lines in all possible venues here in the Unites States. With the help of a good Schutzhund club we hope to someday make our way into our "home" arena.