Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

A Litter Evaluation Report (or LER) is the formal name, but the other terms are used interchangeably. They all refer to the series of tests a litter of puppies will undergo when they reach 8 weeks old. The testing is performed by a Certified LER Tester with an assistant - the assistant does not need to be formally trained but must be familiar with working with dogs and puppies. The purpose of the test is to evaluate each puppy’s personality and temperament followed by their structure and conformation to see how they measure up to our breed expectations. The test results are then used by the breeder to determine the appropriate home for each puppy.

The temperament portion of the test involves taking the puppies to a location they’ve never been to before and then taken individually by the LER Assistant (who should also be a stranger) and run through a series of activities while the Tester watches closely and observes and notes the behaviour of the puppy. It is important that the Assistant and the location is new and the puppy is tested away from its littermates because you will see a more clear picture of the puppy’s reactions. For example a less confident puppy might appear to be very confident while they are with their littermates for support, but once separated signs of a more timid puppy appear, on the opposite side of the spectrum you might see a more independent puppy who is off to explore the new location.

Through the personality tests the LER Tester will identify the puppy’s sociability level, their confidence, forgiveness, submissiveness, pain tolerance, ball drive, tug drive, reactivity, noise sensitivity and finally their intelligence. Each stage is evaluated individually but also the puppy’s behaviour throughout the entire process is examined as a whole to give a complete picture of what the puppy’s base personality is like.

It is important to note that the puppy’s personality at this stage is still very moldable. New owners have the chance to either build certain traits up in the puppy, or suppress them. For example, a puppy with moderate ball drive could be encouraged and more ball drive could be built up, similarly a puppy that shows ball drive could be discouraged from it. Another example is a puppy that is less submissive could be made more submissive with the right training or could end up being more dominant without proper leadership.

The next stage of the LER process is to investigate the puppy’s structure from the tip of their nose, to the tip of their tail. Every part of the puppy is examined and compared to the breed standard and written down. This part of the evaluation is used to determine which puppies might meet the requirements for Breed Quality and join our breeding program.

To read more about our puppy selection process and the descriptions for the puppy categories, visit our Policies and Pricing page.

Shiloh Shepherds are not a hypoallergenic breed and so they shed similarly to any other giant sized dog. Most feel as though the smooth coat Shilohs will shed more throughout the year as compared to the plush coat, but the plush coat requires more grooming to get the hair out and prevent tangles or mats.

Both coat varieties will “blow their coat” twice a year when the weather changes to Spring and then again when it changes to Fall. When a dog ‘blows their coat’ they are shedding all of their undercoat within a few weeks time.. Some Shilohs will dump their undercoat all at once so it starts to come out in tufts, other Shilohs will do it a little at a time so there are more wispy bits of fur. In both cases, it requires a lot of brushing and results in a lot of extra fur for you to dispose or find a creative use for.

This is very much a personal preference. The obvious difference between males and females are the size. Typically males will be larger, wider and heavier. Of course there are always exceptions to the rules, they are males that are on the smaller side and there are some huge females that are regularly mistaken for males. (Hemi’s mother is one such example.)

Another generalization between the gender is females tend to be more pack oriented whereas as the males tend to be more independent. It’s more common for females to really look to their family for guidance and they typically have more desire to please their family. The males are more apt to want to do what they want first and then do what you want them to do. This of course is a generalization and there will always be exceptions, but this is something we typically identify at the Litter evaluation.

The only time gender really matters is with regards to breeding, otherwise talk to us about the personality you are looking for and we’ll do our best to line you up with the puppy who will be just that.

While we may not be able to accurately predict the adult size of your puppy, we can usually give a rough estimate.

The standard size for mature male Shiloh Shepherds is between 28” and 32” at the shoulder and weighing between 115 and 140 lbs. Mature females range between 26” and 29” at the shoulder and weigh between 75lbs and 100 lbs.

The amount of exercise required is different for every Shiloh and their individual personality. Some Shilohs are content with a leisurely 20 minute walk every day others need 30 minutes of running multiple times a day. Also, Shilohs are built for effortless movement and they can be conditioned to go as long as you want them to. We have some Shiloh’s that run half marathons with their owners.

Beyond physical exercise it is really important to exercise your Shiloh’s brain in order for them to feel completely satisfied. If you just tire their body, their mind is likely still active and they are more likely to look for their own outlet for that excess energy. Try to find challenges to offer your Shiloh to tire out their mind. This could be as simple as starting with puzzle games or doing some trick training. Check out your local Canine Club to see what dog activities they may have or sign up for a training class. There are tons of ideas on the internet, but feel free to contact us we’ll be happy to share some of the games we play.

We feed our dogs a high quality, grain free kibble twice a day. Depending on their age and their size they eat between 1.75 cups to 2.5 cups per meal. Our choice has been to feed kibble for travel convenience and price, but we know many owners who have chosen to feed their Shiloh raw food.

It is important to research your food choices to ensure they are not only made with quality ingredients but they are also appropriate for the age of the dog. Growing puppies have different food requirements than adults, it is critical to select a food with calcium and phosphorus levels between 1% and 1.5%. Anything higher can encourage the puppy’s body to grow too quickly.

No matter what you feed your Shiloh it is imperative that you keep them at a healthy weight. Allowing your dog to get overweight or obese is putting them at risk for joint issues and other health challenges. More and more studies have shown that conditions like hip dysplasia are caused not only by genetic predisposition, but also environmental factors such as overfeeding.