What Buyers Say

I cannot begin to tell you how pleased I am with Elsa. Finding you makes the purchasing experience worthwhile. Elsa is a very beautiful, easygoing, and affectionate German Shepherd. We love her a lot. She was well worth the trip coming from Chehalis, Washington, and meeting you almost halfway in Moses Lake. Thank you for all the advice and concern you showed about Elsa and for all the help you provided in taking care of her. —Helga K.

We just purchased our male puppy, Rocco, yesterday and we are so pleased to have him as a new addition to our famly. He is beautiful, happy, and healthy, and it's all we could ask for. Rocco is a very stout male puppy. He is affectionate, easygoing, and has a great personality. He took to our famly right away, and he does really really well with our 6-year-old son. We love him so much. They are expensive puppies, but well worth every penny. Thank you, Rita, for all the tips and training advice. — Ryan

I've bought a handful of pups in my day but never have I met a breeder that cares so much about her pups and the kind of homes they go to. From day one, Rita was all about the pup and ensuring he was going to the right home. I could have bought a pup just miles from our home, but, after talking with Rita over the phone, I just knew she was the kind of breeder I was looking for. So I drove 3 hours to meet her in Moses Lake to do the exchange. Since picking up the puppy (Khaos), she has checked in a couple times which I think again just shows how much she cares about the pups she breeds. Khaos has been doing great. He's a very healthy beautiful pup that has fit into the family very well. So if you're looking for a good Shepherd, I would highly recommend you talk with Rita. — Mark S.

I thought I'd send you some updated photos of our little boy now that he's one year old. He had a nice birthday and he got to spend lots of time at the dog park. He is great with both other dogs and children. He is not aggressive at all and the only issue he has with kids is that he is too friendly with them and doesn't realize his own strength when approaching them so fast. So we just slow him down and all is well. He is doing very well and getting better with the discipline training every day. He really is a wonderful dog and I can't tell you how much I appreciate both you and your kennel for giving us such a wonderful little boy. I recommend your kennel to anyone who asks about German Shepherds. Thanks again and please wish his mother a Happy Mother's Day from Axel. — Robert G.

We recently purchased a beautiful female German Shepherd puppy from Rita at Schaffenhaus Shepherds. I had called many breeders and discussed their program, asked probing questions and making challenges to points that I was unclear on. Rita had a strict adherence to classic best German lines and avoided East German and East European lines which had selection priorities of size and aggressiveness.

Rita's dogs were healthy, robust and exhibited nobility and character traits that clearly reflected the temperament which was at the heart of her breeding program and selection process. The kennel was well-managed, clean, and the dogs were well cared for.

We liked everything about the dogs, the breeding program and Rita's obvious love and devotion to her German Shepherds. We did our homework, but I am not an expert on German Shepherds, lines, conformation details and other technical considerations. The deciding factor was trust. I would recommend her German Shepherds to anyone who wants an alert, healthy, and stable family companion and who is also willing to put the time and effort in responsible training and care of their pet. —Joseph R., Valley, WA

The short and sweet of it is we love our puppy. Absolutely fantastic German Shepherd temperament! Alert, curious, stable, adaptive, good drive, smart. All is going very well. She loves her new home, and we love her. The beginning of a very good story. Thanks again. You are doing a great job in your breeding program. Everyone claims temperament, but your dogs have it. Come by anytime. It's nice you are close. A good resource. Vet exam went well. He thought she was a nice dog and in good shape. We should have her named today.
— Joe, Washington

This is an unsolicited reference to say how pleased we were with our German Shepherd puppy that we received yesterday. All financial transactions were done in a professional manner and you can use my name as a reference. —David G.

Rita Ayers turned what started out as a very stressful experience into a joy from start to finish. I was very nervous about purchasing a puppy online because I have never bought anything online and I wasn't sure how safe it was. Rita was incredible! She was very patient with my constant questions and sent me lots of pictures as the puppy grew. I talked to her almost daily for a month via e-mail and phone calls.

She gave me very good advice and great tips for training the puppy when I got her. She informed me of the costs involved upfront and there were no hidden surprises. I live in Massachusetts and I was very concerned about the length of time it would take for the puppy to arrive here from Washington but Rita assured me that it was very safe and that she had been doing it for years. I also confirmed with the airport that she used to ship her to me and they assured me of the safety of shipping.

I got my beautiful puppy a week ago and my vet assured me that she was in excellent health. She is a very lovable little puppy and very smart. I attribute this to the fact that Rita has them in her home and they are handled and socialized from birth. I highly recommend anyone interested in purchasing a puppy to go through Rita. As I said, she took the stress and worry completely away and I am very happy with my new little friend. Rita has my contact info if anyone would like to ask me personally about my experience at her discretion. —Bonnie C.