Stronghold shepherds
Welcome to Stronghold German Shepherds, we breed and sell top of the line West and East German Shepherd Dogs. We have been breeding naturally reared dogs for over 30 years.
Here at Stronghold, we strive to breed healthy dogs with balanced character, beauty, sound nerve, and intelligence. Our dogs and pups are raised inside our home and treated as a member of the family. They are constantly aware of us and are particularly vigilant with our children. Our dogs and puppies have plenty of free access to fresh air, chemical-free freshwater. sunshine and natural exercise. We live on 35 acres of fields and woods with a large pond, that they all enjoy daily. Puppies are socialized with all of the farm animals we have here at Whispering Heart Farm. Animals include cats, geese. horses, chickens, alpacas, bunnies and Tansy, the cow! Starting at 3 weeks of age until they leave to go to the new home.
We socialize with different types of flooring, pavement as well as grass, we only use Thieves cleaner from young living in our home..
You can expect to find that your puppy will become a valued member of your family. Our mission is to bring more love and consciousness into the human-canine household. More understanding of complete wellness. And a dog that can live a happy, healthy stress-free life with longevity. Letting a dog be a dog!
Owner/ Breeder
William & Penny Strong
What does natural rearing mean?
We feed our dogs a species-appropriate diet of raw meats, raw bones, and raw organ meat.
We do not feed commercial dry kibble or canned foods.
We use no toxins with our dogs or any of our animals, meaning no commercial flea and tick chemicals.
We use herbs. essential oils. and homeopathic remedies.
We do not vaccinate our dog's but use Nosodes. Rabies is given once and then Titers draw Vaccine. Please don’t over-vaccinate your pets. Research the damage caused by vaccines! Please go to Penny's Paws on Facebook for much more information. Here
While natural rearing is vital, we do encourage veterinary advice as needed, conventional medical interventions when necessary.
breeding program:
NUMBER OF DOGS.
For a dog to maintain top mental and physical health and produce such, it needs to be reared in a non-kennel environment. By this I mean each dog is allowed daily, free off-leash time to exercise (to just be a dog), interaction with other dogs and animals, and to receive plenty of contact with humans through play and work. The quality of dogs I bring into my breeding program is high. The number of dogs I keep is low.
KENNELS & RUNS
Our facility is in my home. They are provided daily contact with clean earth, grassland and sun. Various herbs and grasses are grown in the fields so the dogs have free access to what . A large pond is on our our property were each dog in the summer months has access to it daily. I am a believer in letting my females and pups in fresh air to be out side to run and play. I do not use chemical fertilizer or pesticides anywhere on my land. The following natural disinfectants have been used: natural pine oil, neem oil, tea tree oil, & citrus extracts Most of all Thieves from Young living, I just love it. Most of these products have many benefits and uses besides disinfecting and can be purchased at YOUNG LIVING, MY MEMBER NUMBER IS 1363870
I WOULD LOVE TO SHARE HOW TO HAVE A CHEMICAL FREE HOME with you!
For your self, your children and pets. Just ask!
DIET
Here is brief explanation what I feed and refer you to several book on the diet page
Over the years I have witnessed an improvement in health, muscle tone, bone formation and temperament from feeding a natural raw food diet, with most of the ingredients being from a Certified Organic source. Females in whelp and pups are feed a predominantly a raw diet from the time they are weaned to the time they leave my facility My adult dogs are kept on an average of 100% raw diet.The Whole Dog Journal has an annual listing of the current top 10 dry foods, explaining the positive and negative points of all their ingredients.
MEAT
Feeding cooked meat is one of the most unnatural foods you can give your dog. Meat plays a major part in the canine diet. For the dog who has to digest cooked meat day after day brings about many health problems. I can not count the number of times I’ve heard people say they feed their dog only “sautéed meat” or “skinless chicken“, or even sadder, “we don’t feed our dogs raw meat”. The dog’s juices, both of mouth and stomach are strongly antiseptic. Food which would kill a human in one day can be safely eaten by a canine without harmful effects. The canine consumes skin, feathers, fur, hide, bone, contents of stomach for pre-digested grains, bark and herbage from which the animal has grazed and in a form easily assimilated by the dog. True, the life span of the wild dog is shorter.This is due largely to the fact the wild dogs existence is spent looking for food and survival from other predators. The wild dog has not had to suffer the numerous modern day diseases that are plaguing are companions. All of my dogs enjoy fresh meat. I We are fortunate because we have close access to a year round supply of Organic Beef, Lamb, and Chicken as well as occasional Venison. No matter where you live, you will be able to find some natural meat source to introduce into your pets diet. Plenty of raw bones are provided to our pups and adults for health teeth and jaw formation and intestinal exercise.
GRAINS-LEGUMES-VEGETABLES-HERBS
Grains: Flaked or Rolled Oats, Barley, Rye, Millet, Amaranth, Quinoa, Brown Rice
Legumes: Kidney, Pinto, Soybeans, Lentils, Split Peas.
Vegetables: Carrots, Squash, Pumpkin, Sweet Potatoes, Peas, Corn, Sprouts.
Herbs: Garlic, Rosemary, Sage, Parsley, Raspberry, Comfrey, Nettle,
FRUITS & MISCELLANEOUS
Apples, Berries, Coconut, Raisins; non-sulfur type, Figs, Carob, Seaweed, Eggs, Raw Goat Milk, , Yogurt, Flax Oil, Cod Liver Oil, Molasses, Honey, Almonds, Peanut Butter.
HEALTH CARE
Homeopath, Herbs, And YL Essential oils are holistic methods
I use them in my Home for ourself and pets. Conventional when appropriate. These methods are safe, non-addictive, have no unwanted side affects and often have a high success rate. They have proved themselves to me, sometimes when conventional methods have failed.
Homeopathic Complexes & Single remedies. I use precise German Formulations that have been used successfully by top Holistic Vets and Practitioners throughout the world.
Herbs/Supplements
I use N.R. Original Herbal Imported from England and pioneered by Juliette de Bairacli Levy, these compounds and supplements are the finest available. They stimulate immunity, maintain health and promote a cure in the sick. I also grow a large amount of my own herbs around my kennels and use them often. We also use Nu-vet and highly recommend this wonderful cold pressed supplement.
Glandular- Nutritional glandular products have had a long history in aiding the body to heal and helping provide the “fuel” to enable the body to regain proper glandular function. I use pure, organic, specially processed glandular that are used and trusted by physicians.
CAROB POWDER
Juliette pioneered the use of Carob powder as a beneficial food and health aid for dogs. Carob is the fruit of the Locust tree and St John's tree it it rich in natural sugars and contains all the principal vitamins and minerals. It is used as a protection against hip dysplasia and has a history of very successful results when used.
VITAMIN C POWDER
All adults and newborn pups receive this most important vitamin supplement daily. The form I use on adults and older pups is a pure imported sodium ascorbate It’s buffered and easily digested without stomach irritation and is tasteless. The dosage differs from newborn to adult and is given under puppy care section.
My pregnant females receive 3 grams of vitamin C daily. Pups from birth are given 75 milligrams orally each day. At 3 weeks of age, the dose is increased to 500 milligrams daily. At 4 months, 1 to 2 grams should be given each day until the pups are 2 years of age. This is essential to strong ligaments, muscles and tissues surrounding joints. It is a good preventive against sub-clinical scurvy which has been found to play a role in a dog developing hip dysphasia.
VACCINEs
My adult dogs do not receive vaccines, We use nosodes and have one rabies in their life time. We then-draw titers for the rabies.
Besides from being far from 100 % effective, they are known to cause long-lasting health disturbances.
If you chose not to vaccinate your dog you must take the responsibility to educate yourself on nutrition and the use of the well-proved virus killing herbs, formerly used to combat plagues (garlic, wormwood, southernwood, sage, rue, rosemary) and/or the use of Homeopathic Nosode's. You also need to understand that both conventional and alternative therapies are not 100% (not foolproof). Most Vet's will be able to tell you the number of dogs they treat each year for Parvo that have both received the vaccine and those who have not*. I have not used yearly boosters on my adults for the past 15 years. , I will use only Nosodes on my puppies Nosodes are Homeopathic remedies which are made from natural disease products. It is sterilized, diluted and carefully prepared in accredited pharmacies.
First developed by a veterinarian in the1920s, this method of disease protection in animals showed impressive results even before vaccines were developed. When used properly, it can protect a dog from disease even better than the vaccine can. Given orally, the body gets a chance to process it before it's presented to the bloodstream. It is absorbed more naturally than shot administered to the body without any of the side effects associated with the vaccine. And it avoids the introduction into the body of mercury, in which vaccines are preserved. I have been very impressed with the results of Homeopath used in my own home and breeding program.. Nosodes are available for kennel cough, parvovirus, distemper, Lepto, Rabies and has been used successfully on most animal diseases more recently for heart worm. There is a large body of evidence that has been collected over the last 200 years showing they provide immunity in humans, more recently with animals.
WORMERS
Chinese herbs for the treatment of intestinal parasites when used correctly is a very effective and safe way to treat Roundworms, Tapeworms, Whipworms, and Hookworms along with Giardia and Coccidiosis. I have found better results with using Homeopathic remedies as a worm preventative in my breeding program. With the Chinese herbs I found results varied and what worked on one dog or litter did not work on another. All adults (periodically) and pups (before they are sent to their new homes) have their stools checked.Again I cant say enough about YL paragize for parasites.
PUPPY CARe
I do not wean my pups at an early age. I allow the pups to nurse the mom as long as she is willing. I have learned the longer the pups nurse the healthier they are and that a mom knows better than I do the correct way to care for herself and her pups. A supplement diet is introduced around 4 weeks, starting off with a simple gruel. By the 5th week meat is introduced along with soft bones. By 8 weeks of age, the pups are eating 3 meals a day. Detailed health records are kept and provided on each pup. Weight is recorded daily for the first 2 weeks, toenails are clipped once a week, and older pups receive weekly ear cleaning and grooming. Notes are kept on each pup starting at 3 weeks and are closely monitored over the next 5, regarding reactions to new experiences, environments and testing as well as temperament and drives. Temperament tests are ran at 7 weeks, always by outside trainers. Results on this testing will be provided if requested. This testing along with the compiled information we have gathered on each pup over the 7 weeks, helps insure that our pups are sent to the right homes and the needed characteristic for a particular working requirement is present. Older pups receive drive stimulation through rag play and are worked with on a daily basis. Pups are well socialized with our children and exposed to a variety of sights, sounds and experiences. Even though this test shows me what I already know from daily exposure with my pups. Many things for a puppy can change interior new home.
READING MATERIAl
The Complete Herbal Handbook for the Dog and Cat by: Juliette de Bairacli Levy publisher: Faber & Faber $ 16.00 *(please scroll to the bottom of this page for a complete listing of Juliette's many book's as well as a brief bio of her life's work)*
What Vets Don’t Tell You About Vaccines by Catherine O’Driscoll publisher: Our Pets, Inc. $16.95
Dr. Pitcairn’s Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats by Richard H. Pitcairn, D.V.M., Ph.D. & Susan Hubble Pitcairn publisher: Rodale Press, Inc. $16.95
Complementary & Alternative Veterinary Medicine by Allen Schoen & Susan Wynn publisher: Mosby Inc. $90.00
The Whole Dog Journal. A monthly publication on natural health, feeding and training. www.whole-dog-journal.com $39.00
Juliette de Bairacli Levy
Juliette de Bairacli Levy is a world renowned herbalist, author, breeder of Afghan Hounds, friend of the Gypsies, traveler in search of herbal wisdom, and *the* pioneer of holistic veterinary medicine. Juliette has a long record of spectacular cures to her credit. The books she has written have been a vital inspiration for the present day herbal renaissance. Juliette was born in 1912 in Manchester, England. Her parents were Jewish - her mother from Egypt and her father from Turkey. Juliette was raised in a household with three sisters and two brothers, a nanny, chauffeur, maid and gardener. She was educated at Lowther College, one of the best girls schools in Britain, and went on to study veterinary medicine at the Universities of Manchester and Liverpool. Juliette did not approve of the vivisection and animal experimentation that was going on in the universities in the name of science and health. So she left the university after two years and went to study with the Gypsies and peasants of the world.
In the late 1930's Juliette ran a distemper clinic in London where, at a time when many dogs were dying from this disease, she treated and cured hundreds of dogs with fasting, herbs and a natural diet. Amongst others, she cured the dogs of Douglas Fairbanks, the tenor Richard Tauber, the owner of Sutton Seeds and Arthur Guinness (of Guinness Beer). Also, when many Afghan hound puppies were dying of distemper, Juliette raised a litter of puppies on her natural rearing methods and these puppies won *Best of Show at* *Crufts Dog Show*. Descendants of this litter, known under Juliette's kennel name, Turkuman, were later to become Champions in England, America, and all over the world. In the 1940's Turkuman Nissim's Laurel won *Best Of Show* *at Westminster* - to this day the only Afghan ever to win Best of Show at this event. Turkuman Nissim's Laurel was pictured on the cover of Life magazine. It was in the 1930's that Juliette developed a line of herbal supplements for animals known as *Natural Rearing Products*. For the next 50 years these were the only products of their kind on the market. Today these supplements are still distributed world wide. During World War II, Juliette worked in the Women's Land Army gathering sphagnum moss which was used on soldiers' wounds. After the war she went to Yorkshire where she cured thousands of sheep who had been declared incurable by conventional vets. This work brought her to the attention of Sir Albert Howard, founder of the Soil Association and creator of modern day "organic" farming methods. Sir Albert Howard encouraged Juliette to learn all she could about herbal treatments for animals. In the 1940's, while traveling in America, Spain, France, North Africa and Turkey, Juliette gathered herbal remedies from the nomadic and peasant peoples of these lands. When her *Complete Herbal Handbook for Farm and Stable* was published in 1951, it was the first veterinary herbal ever to be published as before this time, the art of farriers, gypsies and peasants had been passed on only by the spoken word. Thus Juliette became THE pioneer of what is known today as holistic animal care. She went on to write *The Complete Herbal Book for the Dog*. Both these books together with Juliette's *Illustrated Herbal Handbook for Everyone* and *Natural Rearing of Children*have become classics and many generations of humans & animals have been raised & healed on these books. Faber and Faber, Juliette's publishers, have stated that for the past 50 years they have always received more inquiries about Juliette than about any of their other authors who include T.S. Eliot, Ted Hughes and William Golding.
Juliette's children were born in the early 1950's. She took her children to live in Israel where they raised owls, hawks, dogs, goats, donkeys and bees. Juliette became famous for saving her hives of bees from shell attack during the six day war. In Israel and later when she moved to Greece, Juliette continued to write, raise Afghan hounds, garden and to gather herbal remedies. As well as her herbal books, she has written several travel books, two novels and three books of poems. For the past ten years Juliette has been coming to America every summer to give lectures, workshops and seminars on herbal medicine. In America she has become recognized as the grandmother of today's herbal renaissance. In 1998 at their Herb Fest in Iowa, Frontier Herbs presented Juliette with a Lifetime.