Zauberberg Canine Academy

I am currently living in Hawaii and my parents have decided to retire in Arizona. Ever since I was a little girl I remember my father ( a retired LEO) always dreaming of his own GSD. I decided now that he was retired and had all the time to dedicate to a puppy, I would surprise him with one for everything he's done for his family. He deserved it! I searched around and found Zauberberg kennels. I got in touch with Andreas in early May of 2020. Andreas was wonderful in conducting everything over the phone through phone calls, emails and videos. I selected my dad's puppy over a video made by Andreas and he kept in touch with me on a weekly basis with updates or with answers to any questions I may have had. Andreas' son, Daniel delivered my dad's puppy this past week and the tears of joy I saw when my parent's face timed me meant the world to me!! Keep in mind my ENTIRE transaction/experience was ALL via emails, phone calls and/or videos from Hawaii to Arizona. Andreas made this as smooth as possible and was wonderful to speak with. He took such good care of the puppy all the way up until he was delivered to my father's home. The puppy is happy, thriving and healthy in his new home. I can't thank Andreas and Daniel enough for helping to make one of my father's dreams come true!

BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT: It is with a heavy heart that I have to write this review: Please do your diligence/ research before accepting a puppy from Andres Mueller/ Zauberberg kennels. Our dog Milo ended up resource guarding, attacking, and biting me several times. Despite our every effort, including professional boarding and training, eventually had to be put down. The following outlines what happened in chronological order, with proof where applicable, and several "lessons learned" in all caps throughout the review. At a minimum, please skip to the conclusion/ recommendation at the end before you proceed. As a potential owner, I urge you to read this review, and make an objective decision based on some of the lessons we learned. BREEDING/ ETHICS. To our own detriment, we did not visit Elvis (Milo's father) prior to the birth. However, one of our family members visited Mueller separately (on another occasion shortly before our decision to proceed with Mueller), and noted extreme aggression from a Sire later confirmed to be Elvis (based on online photos). This family member noted how Andres continued to push the sale at that time, despite how aggressive the dog was in his crate, even offering to lower the price. Moreover, you can go to the Zauberberg website and look up Elvis, where Mueller describes him as having a "solid temperament", but in a YouTube video he posts on the same page (click watch on youtube), he also describes Elvis as aggressive. Elvis was taken in by Zauberberg Kennels for aggression issues by a previous owner (and rehabilitated), before becoming a Sire. Obviously, those two statements conflict. This should have been relayed to us at a minimum, and more importantly, Elvis never should have been used to father puppies, given his previous temperament before training. See my attached photo below that shows screenshots of Mueller's youtube video comment of Elvis where you can see him described as aggressive multiple times (since he may take that video down following this review). This is also likely the dog our family member encountered for a visit, given his distinct markings. LESSON LEARNED #1: INSIST ON A VISIT OF THE SIRE/ FATHER OF YOUR PUPPY. TEMPERMENT IS EVERYTHING. ASK THE HISTORY OF HOW THE BREEDER OBTAINED THE DOG.HEALTH CONCERNS. When asked about OFA certification/ hip dysplasia (a known common problem with GSDs), Mueller stated he did not send out for examination for "various reasons" (can provide text/ email proof of him saying that), despite being a common practice of most other breeders. He also responded to another negative review in Google (see 7 months ago, where a Mueller/ Zauberberg pup gets diagnosed with hip dysplasia) of an owner whose dog has hip dysplasia stating that "all a breeder can do is make sure he is mating healthy parents". But that's not a complete statement. You, as a breeder, can also pay to have the parent's tested before deciding to breed them, so the potential owners have full transparency. Milo ended up having a hereditary sexual defect-- cryptorchidism (an undescended testicle). Mueller also made no mention before birth of Elvis (the father) or any progeny with this condition (though it's likely he knew, due to it being hereditary, according to our vet). He also took a very long time after the pickup of the puppy to provide DNA result information (can provide proof of this in text). LESSON LEARNED #2 (INSIST ON OFA CERTIFICATION, AND ASK ABOUT HEREDITARY CONDITIONS AND HEALTH HISTORY OF THE PARENTS).FACILITIES: See my photos for screenshots Realize the facility where the puppies are whelped and raised is not the same facility you will pick up the puppy. This facility was a mystery, over 1-2 hour drive away in the middle of the desert, with only several photos/ videos from the same inside room each week, which often showed puppies clamoring for a floor vent to cool off. It is unknown how much time the puppies were able to interact, if at all, each day (outside of the short video clips), and moreover, when they were separated from mother. The pickup facility was in town, but no more impressive. It's called "Camino Verde Pet Resort" if you want to look it up, but it's far from being a resort. On the day we went to pickup/ choose a pup, we had an appointment, but walked into a small lobby (maybe 15x15 feet at the most) where a lady was already sitting down. This lady, coincidentally, was picking up an electric (shock) collar for a GSD she bought from Mueller (clearly, she had also had a GSD from Mueller beyond her control). He simply talked to her on how to use it, with no demonstration. Once she left, we thought we were being taken to a larger room. Instead, Mueller dumped all 3 male puppies in the small lobby area. This provided very little room to interact, and when they urinated, it led to them all stepping in it. At no point were the female pups brought out, which may have proved bene

I have owned several Zauberberg dogs since 2004. I have been to both business' numerous time (even unannounced) and have always been pleased with the cleanliness and professionalism of the Muellers. These dogs are ethically bred and trained professionally. Every Zauberberg puppy has been a joy to own. Strikingly beautiful, courageous, and mentally stable. The only downside to a Zauberberg puppy is that they are so smart they do problem solving to get what they want and will begin to train you if you're not careful. Life without one of these dogs is just something less.