Every once in awhile you just have to do this!  Who doesn't love a German Shepherd Puppy? We always share our puppies on our social media pages Facebook so if you are not already a facebook friend, please enjoy some of the beautiful puppies that have graced GatorlandK9 in recent months!

Visit our available puppy page and call Ted Hoppe at (386) 337-0730  if you are interested in our available puppies.

Author: Jill Pavel

Veteran Mark Berry traveled to Nashville from his hometown of Caanan, New Hampshire with his German Shepherd Service Dog, NAYA.  During a music benefit at The Stage on Broadway presented by Heart Songs for Veterans, Marks' GatorlandK9 Service Dog Naya was awarded "Service Dog of the Year" by Country Star Sarah Buxton.

Country Singer Ashley Winters shared her song written for Mary and Naya "By Her Side".  

Country Singer Ashley Winters, Serenading Veteran Mark Berry and his GatorlandK9 International Service Dog NAYA with her original song penned in their honor "By Her Side".

Country Star Sarah Buxton awarding GatorlandK9 International Alumni  Naya

"Service Dog of The Year" Award

Heart Songs for Veterans of the Year SGT Eric Hunter, Artist Sam French.Todd Farmer

L to R: Heart Songs for Veterans Andy Roadarmel, Todd Farmer (Drummer) Sam French & Brian Jones (Justine Blazer Band)

The Omni Nashville provided accomodations for Mark, Naya and Service Protection Dogs for World Peace.

To Cap the evening off a surprise donation was made to Service Protection Dogs for World Peace on behalf of Jill Pavel, Founder of Heart Songs for Veterans in the amount of $2000.00. Pavel presented the check to D. Hoppe.

 Author: Jill Pavel

Since Jessi the german shepherd service dog left GatorlandK9 International over six months ago with her 18 year old handler she has been traveling the world...this time Jessi takes us with her to Summer Camp!  This young german shepherd works hard and she gets around! 

Author: Jill Pavel

Here are some GREAT reasons a Malsatian is a Good Choice of a puppy breed from GatorlandK9.

• Low Maintenance - less shedding
• Super healthy, this is a cross breed.  Meaning there is no common ancestry, minimizing the chances of geneticallay inherited problems or health issues malanois/german shepherd cross
• Medium sized dogs are easier for service work, they can get into tight spaces
• Highly trainable for ALL types of Service work
  

The Malsatian is a cross (malanois/german shepherd cross) done frequently by trainers & police agencies in Europe & produces a superior working dog that is easier to handle & trains very quickly.
Our Malsatians come from outstanding genetic backgrounds.

Ted Hoppe has bred & trained Malinois for over 20 years & traveled to Europe to Import his original breeding stock, creating the Gatorlandk9 bloodline, a working bred Malinois. These are crossed into the finest Imported German Shepherd bloodlines in the World.

Temperament tested, super socialized & evaluated so that they will go to suitable homes.

Author: Jill Pavel

People ask us our recommendation in selecting the right breed for Family Protection/ Companion Dog. First, we would like to say that many times individual temperament / personality is as important as the breed and poor temperament can be found in any breed. Here are some of our reasons for choosing the German Shepherd for most situations as the best Family Protection Dog .

1. Because the criminal recognizes the German Shepherd as a Police Dog , this adds greatly to the deterrent effect a German Shepherd has in comparison to a Labrador (a breed developed for hunting)
2. Most versatile of all breeds – intelligent, trainable- catches on quickly and retains commands. German Shepherds have many uses. Police, Military , Seeing Eye, Detection Dogs, herding dogs, sport dogs, Service Dogs and area guard dogs.
3. Very tolerant of small children. Very in-tune with the owner also alert, naturally defensive of territory and pack, good sense of duty.
4. Ability to adapt- the US Military’s preferred dog is the German Shepherd for various reasons but importantly it’s ability to adapt to new handlers.
5. These traits are or should be characteristic of the well bred German Shepherd Dog. We place and have trained many such dogs for families and have had the most success with this breed over all others and we owned and have trained too many breeds to mention over the last 25 years.

We are proud to present our new custom selected Imports on the Adult Dog page of the website.

Ted has outdone himself and selected the finest family protection dog prospects we have ever had at one time. Cevil, Toby Togy are ready to go to their perfect homes and Rex is a young adult Import who will be receiving our specialized training here at GatorlandK9.

Check back often for more new pictures added to the puppy page and for more new videos added to the site.

Sign up for our free newsletter to get the first Pick of the Litter announcements of new dogs, puppies and videos. (see upper right)

Puppies will be available from Kanses (left). He is a proven producer of WOW DOGS!! He produces good hips, bear-like heads, superior temperament, size, color and conformation.

Reserve your Awesome Puppy Now!
Call Ted at 386-337-0730

In the US, a person with 2 registered dogs can breed them regardless of their individual qualities and receive AKC papers. These dogs may have floppy ears, hip dysplasia, and poor temperament, be nervous, gun shy, fear biters and the owner of the litter will still receive full registration privileges on all of the puppies. In short quality control is non existent in the states.

This does not mean that there are no good breeders of German Shepherds, there are many breeders who have knowledge of the genetics of the breed and x-ray their breeding stock. The German Shepherd breeders in the US who breed quality dogs, practice the European standards but these breeders are in the vast minority, so yes it’s possible to buy a quality German Shepherd in this country but hard to find.

The breeding of German Shepherds as done in Europe is an entirely different affair and uses the following quality control standards.

1. All dogs must have a hip certification ( 'A' stamp )  by a qualified veterinarian.

2. All dogs must have a conformation rating. It is important that they look like German Shepherds and conform to the standards.

3. Each dog certified for breeding must also have a working title, like Schutzhund , IPO , SVV or ZVV. This is very important because it assures to a certain degree that drives and temperament remain true as required of a working dog which the German Shepherd was originally bred to be. It requires a lot of effort on the part of the owner to achieve a working title as required in Europe. A puppy must be schooled from a young age in tracking, obedience and sport oriented protection work.

4. All dogs must also go through a breed survey called a Koer in Germany or Bonitacia in Slovakia, in which many individual qualities are evaluated, and where they are rated and approved or disapproved for breeding. This is extremely important as the dog is truly put under the scrutiny of experts.

These 4 requirements are necessary for 2 dogs to be bred and receive Pink papers.

Quality control standards are why someone should choose an Imported German Shepherd or one that is bred from imported bloodlines. Our German Shepherds excel as Family Protection Dogs, PTSD Veterans Service Dogs, Service Therapy Protection Dogs & just excellent Family Companion Dogs. 

The German Shepherd breed is considered the most versatile and useful of all breeds. No other breed works in so many varied services to the degree of the German Shepherd. Quality control standards assure the buyer that they will receive a well bred dog, who is intelligent, loyal and mentally/physically sound.

After researching protection dogs on the Internet and feeling totally confused, people often ask what level of protection training my dogs have? It’s like they are trying to compare the deluxe model with leather interior, power windows and all of the bells and whistles vs. the basic model. Buying a dog that you can trust with your family is something entirely different than buying a car.

You should ask yourself ‘What is my handling ability/experience?’ ‘What do I need in a dog?’ ‘What is the right dog for my situation?

Communicate your needs and describe what you expect from the dog. A good trainer will take the time to listen to your needs and try to get a feel if he has the right dog for your situation.

Most people and families need an excellent quality animal with a good obedience foundation and basic protection that is useful and practical. A trained dog is not a vicious dog. It is confident and approachable. You don’t want a dog that is aggressive to the point of being a liability. You need a very forgiving dog, your children can pet it and it does not feel threatened. In the Military and Police K-9 schools, the handlers are matched with the right dog for that individual. The same will hold true for matching a protection/companion dog with the individual needs of that person or family.

The proper temperament for a family protection dog is something a dog is born with. Dogs, like people have their own personalities, i.e. a very alpha/aggressive dog is not a good choice for a family companion dog. It is possible to find a very well trained dog that looks good and acts good in its training environment but is entirely different when you bring it home.

You need a good instructor to show you how to maintain a protection dog’s training. You need to acquire training/handling skills. This is all part of our service. So when selecting a dog for family protection, be less concerned about levels or bells and whistles, and more on individual personality and traits of the dog.

We would like to invite everyone to our Memorial Page where I have added a new listing for Joslyn Tobias.

May she rest in peace over the Rainbow Bridge.

When we train & handle dogs, we establish pack hierarchy or being a pack leader through obedience. Dog training is communicating with your dog, so when we learn handling skills or training skills, we learn communication skills.

When a Veteran or a close relative or spouse contacts our company, they are hoping to find the safety, service therapeutic companionship of having a PTSD Service Protection Dog.

The German Shepherd Malinois cross is seen frequently serving our Armed Forces around the World. 

They are also chosen to serve as Police K-9 Dogs.

The Malsatian or German Shepherd/Malinois are great dogs and very trainable. 

 The puppies show below were bred by RJ Hoppe & Tebow. Pictured on our adult dog page is the Sire. These pups will grow to be shorter coated, very intelligent & great family protection dogs. They also integrate well in their socialization with children.

For information on these pups contact Ted Hoppe

(386) 337-0730

Female

Male

Author: Jill Pavel

In June 2013 We officially launched our Veterans with PTSD Programming 

Our Mission:  To provide funding to Veterans with PTSD or other neurological disorders and individuals who have a need for help from a service protection dog,  where they might otherwise not be able to acquire a service dog.

We are currently working with Veteran Josh Schutt, Philadelphia, PA who served for six years in the US Army including 2 tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Josh lives with PTSD and TBI.  His daily life struggle is documented on his facebook  page Help Support A Veteran.  Josh came to GatorlandK9 four months ago.  We are actively working toward his goal of funding a service dog.  

Josh has opened up his world to all of you.   This is his story.  

Josh Schutt's  Story

I served in the US Army from 1998 until October, 2004. I was medically discharged due to injuries I suffered in Iraq.

I was injured in Iraq on Aug 1, 2003, when my weapon, a .50 cal machine gun, misfired and exploded on me and I was left only holding what they call the butterfly handles. My body immediately went into shock, so I didn’t feel any pain but I did recognize the severity of my injuries. My bleeding was very significant so I wasn’t sure that I was going to make. It took three hours to get to the closest medical unit. When I got to the MASH unit, I explained to the doctor what happened and he was so shocked he lost all the color in his face. He said he couldn’t believe that I was alive, let alone awake. I took shrapnel to my leg and my stomach. He immediately had to operate on me to remove the metal throughout my body. I spent a week in Iraq until I became stable enough to be transported to Germany. Once I was there, many tests were run and they were able to partially close up some of my wounds. I spent another week there before I was sent to Walter Reid where they proceeded to run more tests, close up the rest of my wounds and made sure I was healing. Once they ruled out internal bleeding, I was released.

I was medically discharge from the military for my physically injuries. However, my emotional and psychological injuries were a lot harder to recover from.  For the next few years, I spent a lot of time looking at the bottom of a beer mug and trying to avoid everyone and anything.  I could not sleep unless I drank enough to pass out and when I did fall asleep, I would wake up screaming and sweaty from the nightmares.  I experienced a lot while in Iraq and I was having trouble learning to live a normal life again. I didn’t know what was going on or how to deal with it. I finally went to the VA where I was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). PTSD is a type of anxiety disorder usually caused by a life threatening event(s). It is diagnosed when someone experiences recurring flashbacks and high levels of anxiety that continue a month after the traumatic event.

My doctors suggested a multitude of medications but they weren’t enough.  I finally came across something called a PTSD service dog and after researching, I realized they had helped many Veterans like me deal with PTSD. I discovered that having a PTSD service dog would allow me to live a more normal life. For example, I am constantly looking around to make sure there aren’t any snipers or IUDs hidden in my surrounding but the sense of security the service dog will give me will allow me to relax.  It will also wake me up when I have night terrors, which are frequent. It will help me to go out and be social in big crowds, which I typically avoid. If it senses me getting stressed, a PTSD dog is trained to calm me back down avoiding a full blown panic attack.

The challenge with obtaining a specially trained service dog is that they cost more than I can afford due to the fact that the training is so extensive that is takes years to complete. There are many agencies out there that offer free dogs to Veterans but they have an extremely long waiting list and I have dealt with this for way too long. I am now asking for your assistance and anyone else’s who would be willing to donate funds to help me cover the cost of getting a PTSD service dog. The average cost of training and obtaining a PTSD service dog, including training is very expensive.  I am ready to live a normal life again but I need your help. Please help me raise this money by donating anything you can and by passing this along to everyone you know. It would be greatly appreciated. 

There are several ways you can support our efforts for Josh:

1.  Make a direct donation 

 If you would like to make a donation you can mail a check! 

Make Checks Payable to:

 Service Protection Dogs For World Peace

PO Box 296 Barberville, FL 32105 

Mark Memo:  Josh Schutt 

 Author: Jill Pavel

At GatorlandK9 International we often hear from our clients who purchase our puppies/dogs for Service Protection Dogs and Family Companions. 

Hey Ted,

I just wanted to give you an update on our wonderful Belgian. I attached a few photos we have taken recently. He is a very courageous, adventurous, ball of energy who loves his long relaxing naps in weird positions. We traveled home to Texas over the Fourth of July weekend. Let me tell you how wonderful he did. He flew in the cabin with us both ways and laid on the floor completely relaxed and was a perfect dog. I was also surprised that on the Fourth during fireworks he laid at Madison's feet the whole time and then decided he would sleep through almost all of it. He has never showed us an ounce of worry or act of being scared. We take him to an obstacle course multiple times throughout the week and he has mastered all of it. His love for water is growing everyday now to where he walks in just for fun. He has also successfully learned sit, lay down, shake, and is working on stay. We wanted to let you know we couldn't be happier with the wonderful animal you have provided us with. We get so many compliments on how beautiful and well behaved he is. Words can't express our gratefulness. Thanks again for everything!

Very Truly Yours,

Madison and Andrew

 Author: Jill Pavel