Kolenda Kennels Reviews 

Dear John and Susan,

It’s been a while and hopefully spring is starting to make its way up to your neighborhood. You know you have cabin fever when you get excited about it being 40 degrees outside! I have been meaning to pass along an update but have been really busy since we brought our “son” home.

Max is doing very well. He’s not a big lug; he’s a ginormous lug. I have concluded that you folks are not breeding purebred shepherds up there (joke). I think they are the rare and elusive German Jack-a-Shepherd. His paws are massive and his ears must be at least 1.5 times the height of his head (if he didn’t have ears). Last we checked he was 33.x pounds and that was after a two week mess up at the trainers and 2? 3? weeks ago – he’s 15 weeks now . The vet thinks he’s easily going to be 100+ probably 125.

Max and Gretchen attended Tom Rose School of Dog Training for a couple of weeks here. I don’t know if you all have heard of it or not; but it’s the only place I could find that did what I would call “serious” training vs. what you might find at Petsmart. They also do a lot of competitive training for Obedience, Schutzhund, and something called PSA which I hadn’t heard of before. They did an excellent job with the down, sit, and recall. Gretchen was the best of the two as Max is very easily distracted especially if sister is in the same room. Gretchen is definitely showing herself as the smarter of the two. You can put her in the down and she’ll stay but she’ll also crawl across the floor if she wants to go someplace while IN the down. We also discovered a very cheap treat for the two of them. They LOVE ice cubes.

Max is starting to loose his puppy fur and get his ‘saddle’. It’s funny, my friends make fun of me for spending so much money on a dog when there are lots of good dogs at the city pound. In fact, a couple and their kids just went out and bought a mutt and keep telling me how much they paid for it. Funny thing is that the wife doesn’t joke with me though. I think that’s perhaps because she’s the only one whose seen Max. Personally, and I’m sure you’ll love to hear this, I feel like I stole this dog and that somehow I owe you some more. I have had pure breads before but none have received these many compliments. And that’s not on how good he looks, but it’s on his temperament and disposition also. How many people walk up and say, “I’ve never seen a dog with such a good disposition before”, as one of the first things out of their mouths??? It tells you they’ve been watching the dog for sometime, which is kinda freaky now that I think of it.

Something else I’ve noticed. We take them to training weekly and there are other purebred GSD’s there however, NONE are like your dogs. N-O-N-E. Your dogs are bigger, they coloring is better, the have that shepherd “trot” or “jog” when they walk, they are more keen/tuned-in/alert to what’s going on around them, and they just look healthier. Gretchen was the runt of the litter? She towered over another GSD her same age the first week. The best part is that our vet, whom we’ve never been to prior to owning Max and Gretchen, the receptionist is a hobby breeder of Shepherds, and she and the vet said when they first met them that they haven’t seen German Shepherd puppies that looked this well bred and with this good of temperament in a long time. Even the trainer at Tom Rose is excited about these two and keeps asking about you guys. She is always asking people probing questions about where did they get their dog, what was the breeder like etc. She gets very excited when I tell her how you all do things and the kinds of dogs you have especially when she gets to work with the fruits of your labor on a weekly basis! So when anyone asks I just tell them who all are and when they ask where you are I point it out on my right hand.

Anyway, I just wanted to give you an update. Also, just to let you know, if anyone would like a reference please feel free to pass them my email address. In addition, I would also be more than happy to meet them with Max so they can see him for themselves and ask questions.

Hope all is well!

Jason, Cindy, Ava and Max ~ St. Louis 2011

Bella

Hi John and Sue,

I’ve been wanting to send you some pictures of Bella and let you know how she’s doing.  She weighs about 45 lbs. now.  Last night we started a beginning obedience class.  She did very well in puppy class.  She is the best.  Of course there are those crazy moments she has each day when she runs around the house like she is on speed.  We live down the the street from a very large forest preserve so we’ve been doing about 3 – 4 miles of walking each day.  Almost every day someone stops me to tell me how beautiful she is. Eric &Sharon Butt ( Abby & Rooney )

Shoka vom Kolenda 2010/2011

Hi … How are you? Hope everything is fine. I just wanted to send an update on Shoka. (and share a few pics).

He’s an amazing dog and everything we could have hoped for. He’s about 80 lbs and stands 27″ at the shoulder. (I wanted a big dog 😀 ) He’s just now losing the last of his baby teeth (he’s just 5.5 months old 🙂 ) and his head is starting to broaden. He’s starting to get Irsus’s mane even though right now I think he looks more like Biggi.

He’s easy to train and loves everyone. His protective instinct is just now starting to kick in (he barks when strangers are at the door)and I’m doing the basic obedience with him but am looking for a good schuzhund club for the advanced stuff.

I’m attaching some pics … hope you enjoy them. The first pic is Shoka with my shoe. He knows he’s not supposed to have them but he finds them irresistible. It’s his one vice 😉

Please say Hi to John and Eric … 🙂

Teresa, Erin and Shoka

Maggie May vom Kolenda

~ Ruth Webster, Bristol IN ~

~ Michael & Sergeant ~ Michigan

Seams like everytime we go to the beach we’re asked where we got her.  If you could send some more Cards!

~The Hayes Family Portage, IN~

Jimmy vom Kolenda

~Jeff Taylor, Arthur IL~

Chloe vom Kolenda

Dear John & Susan,

This is Chloe now at 16 months! She gets so many compliments. She is very intelligent and loves everyone. We can take her anywhere! Your Dogs are the Best!!!

~ Gail & Dan Craver Liverpool New York~

Zoe

Dear John and Susan,

I have attached (or at least I think I did) a current picture of Zoe.  We purchased Zoe from you last summer and she is growing up.  Alicia thinks that raising Zoe is harder than raising a kid because she is so full of energy.  I wanted to let you know how she is progressing and how much we enjoy her.  Although she is not a puppy anymore, she still acts like one.  Please let me know if you got the picture.

Thanks, Steve and Alicia Hodson

Kodiak vom Kolenda

Doug & Mindy Gustasson Brookings – OR~

Hello from California!

I am 5 months old this week.  Look how I have grown!  Aren’t I handsome?!! I weigh 48 lbs and my tail still drags on the ground.  I think I am going to be a big dog one day!

(We think he is the most beautiful puppy ever!!)

Hogan is so mellow and sweet.  We get nothing but compliments on what a wonderful dog he is.  We are so happy to have him and we are so glad you have a web site! Thank you for our Hogan! The Maestri’s

Dear Susan and John, Just wanted to thank you for sending us Eva (and Kaiser)! The dogs are getting along really well. Eva is even climbing into Kaiser’s crate every once in a while to snuggle up next to him. She is a hungry little puppy and growing like a weed! I swear she grows in her sleep each and every night in her crate! She seems very happy and very much at home in Florida. We have such nice weather this time of the year and it is a good time for the dog to adjust to our higher humidity. I am sure that she will watch and swim with her brother this summer too! She watches what he does and imitates him. They antagonize each other into games of tug of war and tag! Kaiser seems extremely happy with his sister and has calmed down as a result – it is too funny to watch him watch her. Oh the antics! Just an update and I will try to take some photos so that you can see them both. Hope you are staying warm and that all of the dogs are well. Take care and Happy New Year!

Gretchen vom Kolenda 2011

Gretchen as been a wonderful companion for me and is smart as a whip. She is full of boundless energy and enjoys fetching anything or just sometimes a stick she finds. I have left Gretchen at the kennel for 6 days and she enjoyed socializing with other dogs (two Great Danes and a Lab were her buddies) I research and visited several kennels before my selection based upon appearance and play time with other dogs.

Pascha Veracruz vom Kolenda 2011

Hi Susan & John, These are pictures of Pascha Veracruz vom Kolenda at just 7 months old. He just finished 8 weeks of obedience training and he was the top dog in his class. I get on a daily basis complements on what a good looking German Shepherd he is. Thank you so much for this very smart and regal looking boy.

Fester vom Kolenda 2011

Dear Kolenda Kennels,

Thor vom Kolenda

Hi Susan I just wanted to let you know how happy we are with our new puppy “Thor”. We have four children ages 2,8,10,& 18. Thor is a great looking German Shepard, which you can clearly see in his attached photos. We just took these pictures today at his current age of 5 months. He is gentle and patient with Jessica our 2 year old daughter, even when she climbs on top of him when he is resting and eating. Thor is the most intelligent puppy I have ever owned. He starts obedience classes next week and we plan to train him in agility and protection as well. Thanks for your great breeding work. I hope you enjoy the pics.

Riley vom Kolenda

Hello John & Susan,

Luger vom Kolenda