GERMAN SHEPHERD BREEDERS
Welcome to Southernwind Kennels,
Where excellence meets passion in the breeding of exceptional German Shepherd puppies. Our focus is on delivering the highest quality canines through meticulous breeding practices upheld by industry-leading standards. With a dedicated team of experts, we prioritize the health and vitality of every litter we produce.
At Southernwind Kennels, we take pride in our selective breeding approach, ensuring that each German Shepherd embodies remarkable traits such as intelligence and loyalty. From the moment they enter the world, our puppies receive top-notch care, including socialization, vaccinations, and grooming, setting them on the path to becoming valued members of your family. Discover the unparalleled quality and devotion that define our breeding program at Southernwind Kennels.
CONTACTS
CECILIA MARTINEZ 352-667-3844
FRANCO "BEBO" SANTANA 760-577-1688 (Belgian Malinois) DSWK
JENN SOWIECKI 586-933-7862
How long have you been breeding German Shepherd dogs for?
Southernwind has been breeding and raising top quality German Shepherd dogs since 1974, the owner, M Cecilia Martinez is an FCI judge a Temperament test Judge also an AKC conformation judge, but we have been involved in the Dog world since 1956
Are all your dogs pure bred?
Yes. All our German shepherd dogs are 100% purebred and we can provide you with a 4 generation pedigree for each dog and an Internet Pedigree Program Link where you can check all of these dogs' pedigrees up to 1897! All of our dogs come from pure German/European Bloodlines
Do your dogs have any kind of health testing?
Yes. All of our breeding dogs are certified for Hips and Elbows clearances, some of them, we frequently also check for DM but we do not enforce these tests for the results have proven to be unstable, All our dogs have been DNA tested, they are also proven to be free of blood disorders, digestive problems, epilepsy and chronic eczema by Parentage
Are your dogs free of hip dysplasia?
Yes. Our Breeding Stock dogs have certified hips & elbows and are free of dysplasia. If they were tested here in the United States, it will be with the OFA. If they were tested in Germany, they are FCI/SV certified.
All of our Puppies are born from Free Dysplasia parentage, the same as the dogs we import to resell, we make sure that parents and generations are free of Dysplasia, but this is not a guarantee it cannot be developed as it is well known the Dysplasia runs in many breeds and the German Shepherd is one of them. We recommend that you read this article before deciding to acquire a German Shepherd. THERE IS NO POSSIBLE GUARANTEE THAT A BREEDER CAN OFFER THAT HIS PUPPIES OR IMPORTS ARE 100% FREE OF DYSPLACIA!
Do you have testimonials?
Yes. We are having many testimonials. Most are *****5 Star testimonials; You can find some of them by doing a google search or checking our website link under testimonials. Check this page - REVIEWS
Do you do any special health testings prior or during pregnancy?
Yes. All our breeding females and studs are under continuous evaluations by our Veterinarians, we carry Sperm evaluations and Brucellosis tests on our females and males, We carry a monthly program of heartworm preventive and we make certain our females are fully vaccinated and dewormed before breeding. Females will have several progesterone and vaginal smears done, to find the exact day of their ovulation. Both parents well as the rest of the breeding dogs are regularly on special multivitamin supplements to ensure they are producing healthy and strong puppies.
How often do you breed your female in her heat cycle?
Depending on the Progesterone test we may breed one or two times accordingly to her levels.
Are all your dogs imported?
Yes, all our breeding stock has been imported from Europe. We do have over 3 or 4 generations of our dogs which we have imported from Europe
Do you show your dogs in any competitions?
Yes. As an FCI Judge we do like to participatein FCI conformation shows, obedience and IPO. We are also raise puppies to be able to fulfill several tasks like performance, Protection and Service Dogs.
What do you feed your dogs?
We always feet our dogs High quality Premium 5 star food, not all of the dogs eat the same type of food, their digestive system can be different in every dog, we do recommend, Taste of the Wild Salmon and Yams, Pro Plan Performance, Royal Canine and Victor.
What do you feed your puppies?
Week 1-4 they are nursing , at 2.5 weeks we start giving them gruel twice a day to help the mother.
Week 4-8 we start with Taste of the Wild puppy food or Pro Plan Sport combined with raw meat, cottage cheese, goats milk and a Special Puppy supplement. Video available to Watch
*Please read about our Puppies Supplements and Importance
After the 8 weeks we send our puppies with the recommended feeding for their new homes, we do enforce the importance of a High Premium food, and a type of protein easy to digest.
How and where do your puppies grow up?
All our females who are ready to whelp are kept inside our homes, this way when puppies are delivered they feel at ease and calm, our puppies are raised with quality care from the first day to ensure a self-confident, strong nerve and well balanced temperament. They are a part of our family! We make sure they are exposed to different situations, sounds, sensory feelings, experiences and have lots of contacts with children and other dogs to make sure they will acclimate well with any kind of household.
Will my puppy be vaccinated or microchipped?
Yes your puppy will come with his first set of vaccines done at our kennel and a second booster including the Bordetella done at the Veterinary office when they are getting their health certificates. They are also microchipped and certified with the Health Certificate.
Do you deworm your puppies?
Our Puppies get their first deworking at two weeks of age with Pyrantel then at 4 weeks with Panacur for 3 days in a row, at 6 weeks they are dewormed with Panacur and Ponaruzil for coccidian and at 8 weeks we do Panacur and Metrodinazole for 5 days to prevent Giardia. Our Puppies go to their new homes with a small bag with Metrodinazole in case the giardia shows up again, all of our puppies are checked for Giardia and Coccidia and are sent homes only if the results are negative, but even tho they are negative the guardia and Coccidia can show up while stress and for this, we send out puppies to their new homes with preventive treatment for 5 days.
Will my puppy have any kind of training?
Our puppies have lots of exposure to many situations were they learn to come and respond, we do recommend the puppies to be trained at their homes with our Southernwind techniques and we offer advice of the procedures. We also have the team we work with that trains puppies. We have a behaviourist and trainer who can offer all puppy training, if needed.
Will your puppies see a licensed veterinarian before we pick him/her up?
It’s the Florida law all puppies have a Certified Health Certification and checkup before sales.
Do you offer any kind of health guarantee?
Yes we are offering a 2 year genetic health guarantee,Due to several investigations and intense studies on Dysplacia, we do not guarantee Hip Dysplacia only if its considered Crippling Dysplacia before 2 years of age . Environmental hip dysplasia (what would happen in your household, due to slippery floors, stairs climbing, jumping on or off furniture, excessive exercise, overweight etc.) is not covered. We do enclose a complete detail information about the Hip Dysplasia we offer to sign by the new buyer, to create consciousness about this situation and benefit the health of our puppies. This guarantee is also for all imported dogs that are sold to new buyers.
What does it mean to have Picks of the litter?
A "pick" has many meanings, for every person, a Pick puppy can mean different characteristics, for some people the PICk is the puppy with higher Show quality standards because they plan to show and title the puppy, for others, it might be the drive and enthusiasm to work and do high energy performances, this one will be a puppy for a person who is committed to train and give structure and has already a plan to train and work with this puppy. Another example is the Pick for a Service or Therapy dog, these will have to be chosen by temperament, personality traits, character, reactions, etc, so really the TERM PICK OF THE LITTER has many meanings! Pick puppies are sold with Open Registration which means that they can be bred and have puppies, but they can only be bred if they have had all of their health certificates and have been titled before breeding.
There can be various PICKS of the LITTER, but picks will be made in the order of the deposits came in.
We do realize evaluations and take into account the type of temperament and environment the puppy will be living, we do not go by quality alone, we also need to know information on the style of life the new owners live by and its us who decide and choose the correct puppy for the new family. We have a Blog Article that explains about THE PICK OF THE LITTER
Note: everyone will be treated equally, fairly and honestly. No preferential treatments will be given for any reasons.
Another Note: we are dealing here with nature and living creatures. Things could happen. If unexpectedly not enough males/females are born in the litter of your choice, your deposit will be transferred to a litter of your choice. IN OTHER SITUATIONS DEPOSITS ARE NON REFUNDABLE .
Can I come and make my pick in person?
Yes, of course, you can come and pick your puppy in person. We usually start taking pictures after the first day born at two weeks then at 4 and at 6-8 we will try to send pictures and videos from all the available puppies. But we do want to make a statement that the selection of the puppies is made by us, we may have a couple of puppies that meet our criteria as far as a good match for your situation, and if you have been the first person to place a deposit you may have the alternative to choose for some puppies we have evaluated. This is a First choice first based on the date of the deposit for the reservation.
Do I get updated pictures of my puppy after placing a deposit?
Yes. We take the first pictures when the puppies are 2 weeks of age. After that you will receive bi-weekly updated pictures.
When can I come by to make my pick?
The picks are going to be made after the puppies have their first sets of vaccinations. By then you will get a good idea on, but picks are done in order of the date the deposits were received, also we have the evaluations done in each puppy and can guide you into the ones that suit more your style of life and how the personality and conformation of each puppy might be.
Are the parents on premises?
Yes. Usually, the parents will be on-premises. An exception would be, if we don't own the stud dog and used a stud-service. Also we do have a couple of Foster homes who have been trained by our Team and they keep the puppies in their homes were they can get full attention until they are ready to go to their new homes.
When is my puppy ready for it's new forever home?
Your puppy will be ready for its new forever home at 8 weeks of age. When the Florida law allows, the Veterinarians give a Health Certificate. Owners have to pick up puppies after the health certificate is emitted, but no longer than 5 days after when we will start charging a boarding fee for the reserved puppy. So please be mindful of this.
Can I come by before I make a deposit on a puppy?
Yes. You have a chance to come and visit the puppies before making a deposit after all the picks are being made from our puppy buyers, whom already placed their deposit ahead of time. BUT most of the time by then all puppies will be reserved. So it is best to make the deposit if you are very certain about getting a puppy. This way you won't miss out on your favorite one.
Can I come and see the facility?
Occasionally Our facility may be open to customers, mainly to customers who have already placed a deposit on one of the litters. But we need to make an appointment with you first please, you will not be able to enter the Dogs premises but we can show individually whichever dog you want to see, puppies cannot be in contact with visitors until have had their first vaccines.
Also, we can not accept customers / Visitors (behind our fences) in our breeding area due to liability, It is strictly only for us, our caretakers, and veterinarians. We do have a Virtual Visit Video
Can I transfer a deposit to another litter?
Yes. You can transfer your deposit to a different litter, we call this "Roll Over a deposit" until the puppy from the current litter of your choice taking in consideration the previous deposits we had had on that litter, is three weeks of age. Deposits are nonrefundable, but you have one year before it becomes void. (Unless we do not have puppies in one year, then you have the alternative for the next litter.)
Are your dogs suitable as pets or for protection?
Both and more. That is why we match the personalities and lifestyles for our customers. We raise puppies for a purpose a commitment for life to serve. Our puppies are suitable either as loving family members or serious protection dogs as well as great Service Dogs. Just let us know what you are looking for and we can help you to choose the right puppy for your needs.
Can you recommend me a professional local dog trainer?
We are a group of professionals who work as a Team and yes definitely depending on your needs we will guide you to the correct person for the needs you may have. We also belong to a Training Club from the GSDCA and you can become a member and participate in all activities.
What makes you a good breeder?
We are a recognized AKC B.R.E.D with Heart Breeder also we have been recognized by the FCI as Breeder of the Year in various times, Our kennel has gone through the AKC inspection and has obtained the 5-star evaluations and ratings. We are always attending seminars and do special gatherings with different successful breeders, we attend the Sieger Shows in Germany and share with many breeders where we obtain a great portion of education. We care about the well being of our dogs and puppies, provide them with the best healthcare available and spend plenty of one-on-one time with each and every dog daily.
What if I can't keep my puppy/dog anymore?
If you can't keep your dog or puppy anymore, we are glad to take them back and look for a new good home for them. Our contract states these situations.
Do you offer financing?
Yes. We do offer to finance but it has to be paid in full before the puppy leaves the premises at 8 weeks.
What kind of payment methods do you accept? ?
For deposits, we're accepting Paypal, credit card with a 3.5% bank fee , direct Bank deposit, Zelle, Cash App, Western Union, or financing. The balance is to be paid by pick up. If you have the balance due on day of pick up please only bring cash. We only accept cash on day of pick up!
Do you offer shipping?
Yes we do, but at cost. The price for nationwide shipping for puppies under 10 weeks is $375.00. To this you have to add the kennel cost and Traveling Health Certificate. Contact us for details. We also have a list of Delivery Comapnies who transport by land.
Will the puppies come with any kind of papers?
Yes our puppies will have AKC (American Kennel Club) registration papers. Unless otherwise advertised some puppies will come with Limited registrations.
Are deposits refundable?
Deposits are NON REFUNDABLE. We will do whatever we can to ensure your complete satisfaction which includes transferring your funds within a 1 year period to another litter or dog purchase.
Do you take the dog or puppy back if it doesn't work out between us?
For purchased puppies or adult animals, whether trained or not, we cannot guarantee that the said animal will adjust to you, your family or your environment. We cannot be held responsible for the personal likes or dislikes of any animal being adopted or purchased through our kennel. We ask that adopting families take great care and thought into the adoption process. This is a creature that will be affected by life changes. Please be considerate of the precious creature's feelings and needs, especially adjustment periods.
We will do whatever we can to ensure your complete satisfaction, including assistance in training for the dog or you and your family members.
If your family cannot adjust and you decide to return the puppy, we will definitely take the puppy back but Under no circumstances will Southernwind Kennel's refund any money for; returned, exchanged, or rescue dogs/puppies
Do you offer any kind of customer support after I picked up the puppy?
Sure do. We believe you are part of our Southernwind Family and we do offer lifetime customer service support, advice, and counseling/training! We encourage future communication, as we would love updates on how well you and your new furry family member are progressing.
*Copy of our Contract and Guarantees
_**More Q &A ( As potential clients send questions regarding our breeding program, we share them with our Web site visitors, enter this link and you may find more questions and answers)