Bjorn × Kehlani — Rose
Rose is a black and red long coat female — available to go home now.
European Working Lines · DM Clear · OFA Certified
Reserve Your New Best Friend.
European working-line German Shepherds — steady enough for your family, capable enough to work.
For 20 years, Don Spear and Jodi Hartman have bred German, Czech and Low Country bloodlines for flawless disposition, courage, and the rock-solid temperament that defines a true working-line Shepherd.
3 available now
Rose is ready to go home · 2 grown dogs looking for homes · Iris & Glorie litters coming.
Available now:
Bjorn × Kehlani — Rose
Patton
Koko
Our Featured Pups
High-quality German Shepherd dogs
available to go home soon.
Pups are bred from superior Sires & Dams, AKC registered, and raised socially — ready for their forever home at 8 weeks.
Patton
Patton, a strikingly handsome young male, boasts impeccable structural form. He approaches strangers with a confident bark, maintaining a reserved demeanor until given the command to engage. With a keen ball drive and playful disposition, Patton embodies the spirit of the German Shepherd breed.
Koko
Koko is a five-year-old black sable male — well trained, and a sweet boy. He is looking for a new home after his owner passed away suddenly. He would suit someone who will keep him busy and keep him close.
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European Bloodlines
Our pups are bred from superior-quality sires and dams — German, Czech and Low Country bloodlines popularized after WWII.
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AKC Registered
All our pups come fully certified with paperwork ensuring their health is in tip-top shape from day one.
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Social & Friendly
Pups are handled daily from birth and raised around household noise, children, and other animals — ready for their forever home at 8 weeks minimum.
Experienced Breeders
40 years of dogs. 20 of them shepherds.
Founder Don Spear has been breeding dogs for over 40 years — 20 of them devoted to the mighty German Shepherd. After his reproduction veterinarian introduced him to Jodi Hartman, the two merged their kennels onto Jodi’s 14-acre property in Canisteo, NY.
We breed the well-bred “flat-back” German, Czech and Low Country lines popularized after WWII — not the show-line variety with the squat rear. Ours are working lines: flawless disposition, unwavering courage, accidentally beautiful.
Meet the Parents
Our sires & dams
DM-clear with certified healthy hips and elbows. We’ve searched throughout Europe to bring the absolute best bloodlines to our kennel.
Sire · 5 yrs
Patton
Sire · 3 yrs
Chewy
Dam · 5 yrs
Karma
Dam · 5 yrs
Iris
What we breed for
Flawless disposition. Unwavering courage.
We breed the well-bred “flat-back” German, Czech and Low Country lines — steady nerve, great bone, gentle in the home and highly determined in protection. Our dogs are accidentally beautiful.
Where Our Dogs Have Gone
Placed with people who ask a lot of a dog.
Most of our pups go to families, and that is the point. But some have gone to buyers whose standards are professional, and those placements tell you what the lines are capable of.
U.S. Secret Service
A Presidential Detail agent’s own dog
A member of the U.S. Secret Service Presidential Detail chose one of our pups as a personal dog. Now retired from the Service, the agent keeps that dog as a personal protection companion.
Law Enforcement
Three pups now serving as police dogs
Three of our pups have gone on to work as police dogs — with the Ithaca and Cortland police departments, and with the NYPD’s 84th Precinct in Brooklyn.
How It Works
Pup Adoption Process
A small breeder doing things the right way. Our pups are spoken for quickly — give us a call to talk through your timeline.
Phone Interview
Contact us by phone or email and tell us what you’re looking for. We’ll share our latest litter information.
Visit Your Pup
We offer physical visits, virtual visits, and delivery — whatever works to make this a happy experience.
Take Your Pup Home
Once your pup reaches 8 weeks, he or she is ready to join the family for life.
What owners say
“The most intelligent, loving, and fun shepherd we have ever owned.”
5 out of 5 stars.
“We purchased a sable male from Upstate and he is the most intelligent, loving, and fun shepherd we have ever owned. He was so easy to train, and is now a certified search/rescue dog, and an excellent protector. He has the biggest personality, travels everywhere with us and makes friends everywhere he goes.”
5 out of 5 stars.
“My beloved Mina is the daughter of Iris. She is truly my best four legged friend. She follows my daughter and her friends outside everywhere to ensure their safety. She is fun, active, bright, beautiful, and just the right amount of protective. My experience procuring her was easy and I was given a ton of information on what her needs would be. I wouldn’t trade my dog for the world.”
5 out of 5 stars.
“Ivan turned 2 this week. He has amazing bone structure, head size and calm temperament. Our family couldn’t be happier with our decision to work with Jodi and purchase a pup. It is very comforting to know that any issue or question I may have, no matter how small, she will be there to answer and help me out.”
5 out of 5 stars.
“We have a short haired male and a long haired female that we purchased from them. We have had German Shepherds before but they did not compare to these dogs. Both of these owners listened intently to what kind of dog our family needed. Jodi has been a wonderful resource of information for our pets long after the purchase.”
5 out of 5 stars.
“We love our Lonnie girl, she is exceptionally smart and has a great temperment. She is so alert and doing great at her obedience classes. I have had other german shepherds but she seems to be a bit more alert and intelligent. Looking forward to enrolling her in tracking and agility.”
5 out of 5 stars.
“Recently purchased a female GSD puppy from these folks, and couldn’t be happier with the puppy. She has been super easy to train, and is great with my family. I would absolutely recommend these folks!”
Common Questions
Everything you wanted to ask before bringing a Shepherd home.
Don’t see your question? Give us a call — we love talking dogs.
Do you health screen your breeding dogs?
Yes — all our breeding dogs undergo routine comprehensive health screenings. Our adult dogs are DM-clear with certified healthy hips and elbows.
Are your puppies socialized before adoption?
Absolutely. Pups are handled daily from birth and raised around household noise, children, and other animals, so they arrive settled and confident.
What is the temperament of your German Shepherds like?
Stable and loyal. Bred for flawless disposition with steady nerve, courage, and reliable obedience — gentle with small children, focused on task, and highly determined in protection.
Can I visit the puppies and meet the parents?
Yes — we encourage prospective buyers to visit our facility, meet the puppies, and interact with the parents. Call to schedule an appointment.
Reserve Your New Best Friend!
Our babies are adopted quickly.
Reach out to reserve your forever friend or to ask any questions. We’re available daily from 10 AM – 8 PM.
Call
(315) 406-3783
upstategsd@gmail.com
Schedule a visit
Canisteo, New York