Working-lineGerman Shepherds
Working-line German Shepherds, titled on the trial field and health tested, raised in north Idaho.
Proud Member Of
United Schutzhund Clubs of AmericaGerman Shepherd Dog Club of AmericaOur Story
Working-line German Shepherds, titled on the trial field and health tested, raised in north Idaho.
Ironwood Shepherds is a small working-line kennel on twenty acres outside Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. We have trained in IGP since 2009 and bred German Shepherds since 2014. Every dog we breed has worked on a trial field in front of a judge before it is bred.
We came to the breed through the sport. Our first shepherd was a pet who taught us how much we did not know. Our second was a sable working-line female imported from the Czech Republic, and she changed what we expected from a dog: clear in the head, serious in the work, easy in the house. She became our foundation. Her daughter Dagny, from our D litter, is still here, retired at ten and asleep on the couch most afternoons.
Puppies Available Now
View All LittersJuno × Brix
Ready to go home: September 28, 2026
Our S litter was born on August 3: four males and three females, all black and tan, all between 15 and 18 ounces at birth. Juno whelped all seven in under five hours without help. Neither parent is sable, so there are no sables in this one. Expect the tan to land anywhere between Juno's lighter tan and Brix's deep red. This is a breeding for power and nerves. Brix brings hardness and an open German pedigree. Juno brings her calm grip, her tracking and OFA Excellent hips. Brix is DM clear and Juno is a carrier, so every puppy is either clear or a carrier and none can be at risk. We expect dogs that suit IGP, search work and experienced active homes. A couple of the females are showing a softer, more social temperament that should fit a family that trains. The puppies are just under seven weeks old. They are on solid food, eating in individual crates, and well into the surface and obstacle routine. Ears are starting to lift on a couple of them. Five of the seven are spoken for. We mark a puppy reserved when our early read lines up with a home on the list, and we confirm every match after the seven-week evaluation on September 22. Go-home day is September 28.
Juno
Dam
Brix
Sire
Ironwood's Saxon
Male · Black and tan
Available
Ironwood's Sig
Male · Black and tan
Reserved
Ironwood's Storm
Male · Black and tan
Reserved
Ironwood's Striker
Male · Black and tan
Reserved
Ironwood's Senna
Female · Black and tan
Reserved
Ironwood's Skadi
Female · Black and tan
Reserved
Ironwood's Sola
Female · Black and tan
Available
Spots fill fast — submit your application to hold your place.
What We Offer
Everything your perfect puppy needs.
Click below to learn more about each part of our program.
Available Puppies
Browse our current litters and see which puppies are still looking for their forever home. Updated in real time from our app.
Meet Our Parents
Every puppy's future starts with its parents. See our health-tested sires and dams, their titles, certifications, and personalities.
Health Guarantee
Every puppy is sold on a written contract. We guarantee hips and elbows to 26 months, based on OFA evaluation of films taken at 24 months or later. If OFA grades your dog dysplastic we refund half the purchase price or give you a puppy from a later litter, your choice, and you keep your dog. No pairing here can produce a puppy at risk for degenerative myelopathy, and we put that in writing too. In return we ask that you keep the puppy lean, avoid forced running and repetitive jumping until 12 months, and wait until at least 18 months to spay or neuter. We take back any dog we bred, at any age, for any reason.
Why Ironwood Shepherds
The difference is
in the details.
Titled parents
Every sire and dam has a BH-VT and a working title, earned on the trial field under a judge. Tracking, obedience and protection scores are listed on each dog's page.
Hips, elbows and DM
OFA hips and elbows or the SV a-stamp on every breeding dog, and a DNA result for degenerative myelopathy. We send copies of the certificates with any serious inquiry.
Matched at seven weeks
We test every puppy for food and prey drive, grip, recovery from a startle, and confidence on new footing and with strangers. You tell us what you want to do with the dog and we tell you which puppy fits.
Help after the sale
We answer the phone for the life of the dog. Buyers within driving distance are welcome at our club's training days, and we will help you find a good club if you live farther out.
What Families Say
Happy Families, Happy Dogs
12
Years breeding
118+
Families served
19
Litters whelped
11
Health-tested dogs
Got Questions?
Frequently Asked
Working lines are selected first on what the dog does: tracking, obedience and protection scores, nerve strength, and the health to keep working into old age. Show lines are selected first on structure and movement in the ring. In practice our dogs are usually sable, black and tan or black, a little smaller and lighter than a show dog, with a straighter back and more drive. They need more training and more to do than the average pet, and they give more back.
For some families, yes, and we will tell you if we think so. Every litter has a range. The puppy that screams for the rag and never stops moving goes to a sport or working handler. The puppy that is confident, social and settles on its own after play is the one we place with an active family. What all of them need is daily exercise, training that continues past puppy class, and an owner who is consistent. If you want a dog that is content with a walk around the block, this is not the right line of the breed.
We do not do pick order. You tell us about your home, your experience and what you want to do with the dog. We watch the litter every day and run a formal evaluation at seven weeks: food drive, prey drive and grip on a rag, reaction to a dropped pan and how fast the puppy recovers, footing on a wobble board and a metal grate, and behavior with a stranger away from the litter. Then we call you and talk through which puppy fits and why. You are free to pass.
Every breeding dog has hips and elbows evaluated, either by OFA at 24 months or older, or the SV a-stamp for dogs imported from Germany. Every dog is DNA tested for degenerative myelopathy, and we never breed carrier to carrier, so no puppy from us can be at risk. Dogs from Czech lines are also tested for pituitary dwarfism. Results are listed on each dog's page and we will send you the certificates.
Ready to Begin?
Your Perfect Companion
Awaits
We’d love to help you find the right puppy for your family. Reach out and we’ll guide you through every step.