Owning German Shepherd dogs is an experience like no other. They make great companion animals. Shepherds have great playful energy and are a highly trainable breed. Shepherds desire an intense relationship with their families. You probably have a lot of questions if you’ve never owned a German Shepherd before, and you’re considering getting one. We provide first-hand expertise and advice so that you can spend more time engaging with your new family member and less time learning the ins and outs of German Shepherd ownership.
Here at Upstate German Shepherds, we offer German Shepherd puppies bred following finest European traditions. German shepherds are consistently ranked as one of the most popular dog breeds in America.
Our Featured Dog
“Cruze”

Cruze – A stunning Polish import black and red long coat male is available for your consideration. With a personality that beautifully matches his outer beauty, Cruze has a “teddy bear” type of personality that everyone who visits falls in love with immediately. Cruze gets along with all other dogs, of any size (except any scary aggressive ones) and is stable around our cats. He needs only a moderate level of exercise to be healthy and contented, though is happy to join you for a more vigorous workout if you would like. Cruze lives for car rides, and particularly loves if you see fit to take him to get a pup cup! He has very good on leash obedience, and loves to also go for off leash hikes and runs, where he listens very well.
Cruze will be suitable for any family / home setting, or would do well as a lightly used stud dog (makes spectacular pups).
SPRING PAIRINGS & BREEDINGS
The breeding took place on 2/26/23, and pregnancy is confirmed via ultrasound on 4/3/23. 3 Beautiful babies were born on Sunday 4/30/23@ this repeat breeding should again produce beautiful, big boned, stock and plush coat bi colored pups with a wonderful disposition. Pups will be suitable for search and rescue, potential service dog prospects, or just great family companions and protectors! This super nice litter is sold out.
Bred on 3/7/2023, and confirmed pregnant via ultrasound on 4/7/23. Iris gave birth to her beautiful solid black pups on 5/4/23 our stunning black stock coat female iris is a daughter of the great Quantum, and she was bred to our handsome, new and rare, long coat black male Blitz. This Superstar breeding has produced some beautiful, large and healthy babies! All pups came out solid black! There are 2 females still available from this breeding. Coat length can be determined between 3 and 4 weeks of age.
Our beautiful German import Ida has again been bred to our spectacular son of Quantum, Levi! Bred on 3/25/23, and pregnancy confirmed via ultrasound on 4/25/23! Litter is due approximately 5/25/23. This cross is already generating a lot of buzz and we expect it to sell out quickly! Puppies from this cross will be large, likely ranging between 80 and 100 lbs at maturity. They will have great temperaments suitable for sport, search and rescue, law enforcement, obedience, Etc. We can also say confidently, as this is our second time breeding this particular cross, that they will be fun loving, playful, highly intelligent, and wonderful companions as well! This litter will be 100% sable in coloring (though likely a variety of shades of sable), and will likely have a couple of plush or long coat puppies in amongst the majority of stock coats
SUMMER & FALL PAIRINGS & BREEDINGS
We anticipate Mira’s next heat to happen between August and September. We are still deciding on what glorious stud we are going to breed Mira to, but its easy to guarantee that whoever we do breed her to, the pups will be stunning, and have a superb disposition like their amazing mother! We will update with the sire to this litter once we have made a final decision!
Anoshi has long been one of the most consistent and sought after females in our program. She is the mother of our top sire Levi, a new female “Mon Cherie” – (also sired by Chewy who is now 2 and has passed all health testing, and as such will be entering our program this fall, continuing on for her wonderful mother), and so many more amazing offspring it would take too long to list! This planned breeding should take place sometime between August and October, and it will be Anoshi’s last.. These pups will be sable and bi colored long coat pups with great minds, good drive, and lovable, playful dispositions. Don’t miss out on this very last opportunity to add an Anoshi baby to your family!
MORE SUMMER & FALL PAIRINGS & BREEDINGS WILL BE ANNOUNCED SOON
APPEARANCE VARIATIONS
Color and Coat

Stock – a top or outer coat about 1 ½’’ long with an undercoat of fine short hair so dense that it resists water.

Longhair – a top coat of fur about 3’’ long with the same undercoat as the stock coat.

A bi-color shepherd often has just just tan “socks’’ in tan, along with tan eyebrows, often some tan spots on the chest, and a small patch of tan under the tail, all on a base coat of black.

The black and red GSD can be stock coat or longhaired. Cruze is a stunning example of black and red longhaired.

When the colors are mixed or scattered the result is called sable. Such coloration can include blond, silver, brass, red, tan and black in an endless variety of patterns. The blond and silver can highlight the dog’s musculature. The sable is our most popular color. A majority of our dogs are sable like Patton.

The all-black german shepherd has become very popular. Iris and Karma are as beautiful as you will find in black. The coat absorbs so much light as to make the dog appear smaller and more slender than it actually is. A longhaired black is rare.

A variation of the black shepherd has a diluted color so as to have a gun-metal blue appearance. Such blue german shepherds are perfectly natural but very rare. A longhaired blue is the rarest of GSD’s that we deal in.

Plush – a cross between the stock and longhair, usually wavy with the same undercoat.
Many variations in German Shepherd dogs’ coats and coloration are natural and normal. A few have been produced by inbreeding of close relatives (mother to son; father to daughter) that invites recessive genes to express to the detriment of the breed. We never do such breeding. Examples of healthy variation are:
The traditional GSD breed standard, the black saddle. This is the stock coat or longhair shepherd which is mostly tan but with the large saddle or patch of black across its back. Chewy is a great example of this.
Any color or variation, mentioned above can be poorly or well bred.
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Upstate NY German Shepherds
Canisteo, NY, USA