Integrity German shepherds

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Integrity German shepherds We breed AKC Registered old fashioned, beautiful balanced and healthy German Shepherds to the original standard. As naturally as possible

Health tested, temperament tested, our goal is to breed social, athletic, healthy, even tempered German Shepherds. we are trying to eliminate DM carriers. so we only use breeding dogs that are DM clear and clear for all other known genetic diseases. we only used dogs at the balance confirmation. we raise them in a household setting. which for a German Shepherd is very important. we are trying to create a healthier generation of German shepherds, bringing back the old standard before fads like sloping backs it took over,

Miss Daisy Mae She is looking so mature! She goes for her screenings soon. I'm excited for her future.
10/04/2026

Miss Daisy Mae

She is looking so mature! She goes for her screenings soon. I'm excited for her future.




🐾 REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS WHEN BRINGING HOME A PUPPY 🐾I want to touch on a very common issue breeders see with new puppy ...
09/14/2026

🐾 REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS WHEN BRINGING HOME A PUPPY 🐾

I want to touch on a very common issue breeders see with new puppy owners: expectations.

You visit the breeder. The puppies are social, confident, quiet in their pen. You see videos of them calmly experiencing new places, maybe even hanging out at a dog show. Everything looks amazing.

You bring your puppy home… and suddenly reality hits.

The puppy cries in the crate for the first few nights. They’re exhausted, you’re exhausted, and everyone is frustrated. The social puppy who happily interacted with the breeder now refuses to greet the six excited friends you invited over. They won’t walk on a leash. They seem nervous, overwhelmed, or completely uninterested.

And suddenly you’re thinking, “What happened to my perfect puppy?!”

Nothing happened. Your puppy changed environments.

That puppy has spent their entire life in the breeder’s home. They knew the smells, sounds, routine, people, expectations, mother and often their littermates. They were comfortable and confident because they knew their world.

Then suddenly, they are taken away from all of that and dropped into a completely unfamiliar environment.

Think about it this way:

Imagine being dropped into a foreign country where you barely speak the language. The people look different. The smells are different. The weather is different. The animals, sounds, buildings and surroundings are unfamiliar.

Now, while you’re trying to process all of that, someone changes your entire routine, puts you in a strange room, introduces you to a bunch of strangers, and asks you to perform tasks you have absolutely no idea how to do.

Overwhelming? Absolutely.

That is what many puppies experience when they go home.

Stress can look like refusing food, not wanting to play, being hesitant around people, freezing on a leash, being nervous at the vet, avoiding strangers, diarrhea, vomiting, or simply seeming “different.”

So what can you do?

➡️ Give them time. Many puppies need 3–4 weeks to truly settle into their new home. Repeat that: THREE TO FOUR WEEKS. Not 24 hours. Not two days.

➡️ Limit visitors during the first week. I know you’re excited to show off your new baby, but your puppy needs time to decompress.

➡️ Teach people how to interact with your puppy. Have guests sit down and allow the puppy to approach them. No squealing, chasing, grabbing or overwhelming the puppy.

➡️ Establish a routine. Predictability helps puppies feel secure.

➡️ Give them a smaller area of the house initially. You don’t need to give a brand-new puppy access to your entire home. Less space means less overwhelm and makes supervision much easier.

➡️ Stop expecting a 9–13 week old puppy to automatically know how to walk on a leash. Start somewhere comfortable. Let them drag the leash. Use treats. Encourage them. Build confidence.

➡️ If your puppy freezes, give them time. Don’t drag them forward because you want to keep walking. Sometimes the puppy needs several minutes just to process what they’re seeing and smelling.

Some of my first outings with puppies have taken an absurd amount of time. A walk around a small block can take an hour and a half because we’re stopping constantly while the puppy cautiously takes everything in.

That’s okay.

➡️ Don’t expect an instant bond. Your puppy needs time to learn that you are their person, that you are safe, and that they can look to you for guidance.

➡️ Train your puppy. Training isn’t just about obedience. It builds communication, confidence and a relationship between you and your dog.

➡️ Be patient. Your puppy isn’t going to master everything overnight.

You may have pictured a fun walk around the lake on your first weekend together. Your puppy may decide they are comfortable walking 100 feet and then need to stand there and stare at a leaf for ten minutes.

That’s the reality. Go at the puppy’s speed.

And please don’t immediately jump to, “OMG, something is wrong with this dog!”

Your puppy isn’t necessarily struggling because they’re poorly bred, poorly socialized or “not the same puppy” you met at the breeder’s house.

They may simply be overwhelmed.

Remember: the puppy didn’t fail the transition. The puppy needs YOU to help them through it.

Give them structure. Give them patience. Give them positive experiences. Train them. Listen to them. Adjust your expectations.

And most importantly, remember that every puppy is an individual.

Don’t compare your new puppy to the dog you had ten years ago. Don’t compare them to your friend’s puppy. Don’t decide they’re “behind” because another puppy handled something differently.

Instead, try to see the world from your puppy’s perspective.

What seems completely normal to you may be brand new and terrifying to them.

Slow down. Let them process. Build confidence.

The goal isn’t to force a puppy to experience everything.

The goal is to teach them that new things are safe.

Patience isn’t spoiling your puppy.

Patience is how you build the confident adult dog you’re hoping to have. 🐾

Copied from another breeder's post

A friendly reminder when bringing a puppy home❤️To all new puppy parents, please read this carefully;We discuss hips and...
09/07/2026

A friendly reminder when bringing a puppy home❤️

To all new puppy parents, please read this carefully;

We discuss hips and elbows so take heed

When you bring home an 8-week-old puppy, you’re not bringing home a “small dog.” You’re bringing home a baby whose body is still under construction. At this age, their bones haven’t fused, their joints aren’t stabilized, and much of what supports their movement is soft, flexible cartilage rather than solid bone. That’s why puppies move with exaggerated steps, loose limbs, and awkward turns—it’s not clumsiness, it’s biology.

Their joints are held together by developing muscles, tendons, and ligaments that haven’t learned how to properly stabilize movement yet. Nothing has fully tightened, aligned, or strengthened. There is very little grip, balance, or shock absorption. Every movement they make is being used by the body as a blueprint for how those joints will form later in life.

This is why overexercising a young puppy is NOT harmless.

Short bursts of play on safe surfaces are normal and necessary. But repeated stress—long walks, excessive running, sharp turns, jumping off furniture, or sliding on slick floors—creates microscopic trauma in joints that are still shaping themselves. Each hard landing or uncontrolled slip sends force through cartilage that isn’t ready to absorb it. Over time, those forces alter how joints grow, align, and stabilize.

The damage doesn’t usually show up immediately. Instead, it appears months or even years later as:

• Early arthritis

• Hip or elbow dysplasia

• Chronic joint pain

• Increased risk of injury as an adult

Letting a puppy jump off a couch or bed may seem harmless in the moment—but that repeated impact trains fragile joints to absorb force in unhealthy ways. Walking long distances before growth plates close may build stamina, but it doesn’t build sound structure. Allowing free movement on slippery tile or hardwood floors forces joints to twist and compensate in ways they were never meant to.

You only get one opportunity to grow a puppy correctly.

A strong, well-built adult dog is the result of both good genetics and responsible upbringing. Genetics set the potential—but early care determines whether that potential is protected or compromised. You can’t “fix it later” once growth plates close.

There will be plenty of time for hiking, running, agility, jumping, and rough play once your dog’s body is fully developed. Right now, the greatest gift you can give your puppy is restraint, patience, and protection.

Keep exercise controlled.

Avoid stairs the first 6 months.

Choose safe, non-slip surfaces.

Prevent jumping from heights.

Let growth happen slowly and correctly.

Quiet now means strong later.

You’re not holding them back—you’re building them for a lifetime❤️

Copied from another breeder!!!!

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190 Charlton Road
Ballston Spa, NY
12020

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