Do you remember what the Shepherd used to be? They were calm, stable, long-lived and safe with your family and children. My Shepherds are large to extra-large, typical of the older style German Shepherd.. I do not breed for sport, Schutzhund or the American and German show rings. In fact, I stay away from newer lines bred for those purposes. There are no "pet-quality" dogs here. All my dogs are bred to be family pets or working dogs. Over the years I have kept dogs that I felt have had uncanny intelligence, ability to focus on a task and a calm nature. I won't breed a dog that appears unloyal, hyperactive, unprotective, or of low intelligence--regardless of his look or size.