The Training Page
- aka -
'Sargeant-Solomon's Legacy'

Hello! Welcome to this VERY important page of Thunder Ridge Shepherds website.

We hope each and every one of you are moved (to action) by what we are about to share here...

​

     Since 2019, we felt God was urging us to donate The First GSD Pup out of every Litter to a Veteran with PTSD. And we have faithfully done this for all Litters since that time. But often, finding the right Vet has been NO small task... You wouldn't think it would be that hard to give away a $2500 Service Dog! But it has been...

     So in the Summer of 2023, when The Good Lord showed us to donate our first Isabelline-Blonde male (we kept the second one as our own!) to a Veteran we did not expect, we were more than happy to do so. 

     However, this Veteran was unable (for whatever reason) to get the GSD puppy (Solomon) Trained.

     Long-story-short - An untrained German Shepherd puppy is like a powder-keg of problems, and we can generally guesstimate exactly the types of texts we will start receiving, at about 4-6 months, with a not-so-subtle "WTF is wrong with my dog?!" To which our question is (and we already know the answer to), "When did you start your Training?" And the answer is always the same, "Well, we didn't."

     But we would like to always add a "yet." Because it is not too late to START Training, even if the ball got dropped in the beginning and it is started later than is best (12-16 weeks is definitely optimal).

     Sadly, this Veteran was unable to keep the puppy - as by this time he was an 'out-of-control due to lack-of-Training puppy' - and at about 8 months, they gave him to another respected Veteran. 

     But here's the heart-break... This new Veteran promptly got Solomon Trained, and added 'Sargeant' to his Beloved's name. But (we feel) due to that early lack of Training from the first Veteran, this beautiful, amazing, sweeter-than-life 'Sargeant-Solomon,' ran in front of a car and was killed right before his first Birthday, in the Spring of 2024.

     His New Owner (and we) were devastated.

     We immediately began Praying, as we knew that IF The Lord could provide another Blonde male, this second Veteran who TRIED to do the right thing, would (hopefully) have his heart restored - by receiving another PTSD Donation pup from us.

     So! We Prayed all Summer, and although we were originally going to take a year-off from Breeding, we decided for this reason it was worth a try to fulfill this need, and as you can see from the pictures on the 'Puppy-page' - we had ONE Blonde male out of this Litter of 7, so our Prayers were definitely answered! And, we have just heard this 'New Blonde' is now named Copper!

     But although WE KNOW this puppy will be Trained RIGHT, right from the start, we have continually asked ourselves - HOW could this (and the other horror-stories we hear regarding the antics of 'untrained GSD puppies') have been prevented???

     We feel that just 'suggesting Training' like we did in the beginning... And then 'encouraging Training' like we did for several years after that... Just wasn't enough for people to realize that this MUST be done - for the happiness of BOTH your New Puppy and yourself... So our question was, "how do we make this E-Z for people to just include it as part of their purchase - naturally?"

     So we have decided to INCLUDE a 'Basic Training Package' as part of our asking price. From now on every Thunder Ridge GSD Puppy - will have a $200 4-week Training - at North Idaho School of Dog Obedience in Hayden, ID (or the equivalent elsewhere if not local to this area). Note that they start 'New Classes' the very first week of every month! Please know we are not suggesting anything we ourselves have not done. We have taken every GSD we've purchased since 2013, through their Training.

     We hope and Pray that this knowledge will cause people to take this far more seriously, and we feel it is as close to 'mandatory' as we can get, because we would like to insist - if getting a pup from us - that Basic Training BE COMPLETED as soon as is (humanly) possible!!

     In honor of 'Sargeant Solomon' (R.I.P.) WE THANK YOU, for assuring his Legacy of Love lives on - and that because of him - EVERY Thunder Ridge German Shepherd Puppy will be Trained EARLY - and have the BEST (and longest) forever-life... 

     Please see pics of Beloved 'Sargeant Solomon' below...

     Thanks Again,

     (Bob &) Melissa Kaye Shaw

     Thunder Ridge Shepherds

     Spirit Lake, Idaho