Nadelhaus German Shepherds is the best German Shepherd breeder I have known. I first met Traci Needles over twenty years ago when I was searching for a stud dog for my female GSD. My visit to her kennel impressed me for the careful breeding program, the socialization of the puppies and the cleanliness of the entire facility. I have known my share of "backyard" breeders in searching for puppies and those were the places I walked away from quickly knowing the breeder did not care about the breed, but only the revenue stream. Traci reviewed my female GSD's pedigree thoroughly and this impressed me. It wasn't the stud fee that was her motivation, but the desire to see the German Shepherd puppies created would meet her stringent standards. I kept one of the puppies and he was an excellent dog whom I miss to this day. After my dog died (sired by Traci's stud dog), I was in a terrible car accident, which caused spinal cord damage and brain damage. My Physician said my care and recovery could be aided by a dog and I knew of the only person whom I trusted to fulfill my needs. I called Traci Needles of Nadelhaus German Shepherds and explained my accident, my limitations, and my future needs. She worked very hard at finding me the right German Shepherd with the understanding of my needs. In less than two weeks, she called and said she had found me a dog to help with my limitations and with the appropriate temperament. Based on my trust of Traci, I purchased the dog and within a week he was at the airport. Odin Von Maifeld and I had an instantaneous bond; although, I admit to being a little frightened when Odin stuck his huge head out of the dog crate. Odin has been with me for four years and we've been inseparable. His love has made my life much more fulfilling. He was never trained to do this, but one of my permanent injuries is an unsteady gait. When Odin and I walk together, he instinctively knows when I am unstable and if I am walking to the left, he gently pushes me back. The same is true if I start to walk to the right as he pulls on the leash to center me. When I have a seizure, he licks my face and gently nuzzles me to try to bring me to a state of consciousness. Every time I have to have another surgery, he paces from door to door looking for me and when I get home he bounces around like a puppy; however, he is gentle with me as it seems he knows I am not feeling well after so many spinal surgeries. I give my emphatic endorsement to Traci Needles as an ethical, honest, caring and trustworthy person. She has answered all of my questions with patience and treats me with dignity when I ask the same question over and over due to my brain injury. I even acquired another German Shepherd from Traci and Lilly is our family dog, while selfishly, Odin is my dog. Both dogs have been healthy and I am often asked where I obtained my dogs from and I tell them I obtained the dogs from the best GSD kennel in America......Nadelhaus German Shepherds. read more

If I could give a 10 I would certainly give Traci and Nadelhaus a 10++! Our story started over 4 years ago when I first called Traci as I was given a referral for German Shepherds. She was then just as she is now, informative, professional, straight forward, honest, dedicated, has a sense of humor and LOVES her dogs and what she does! She is like no other breeder I have ever met. I have 34 years of dog breeder experience, I know and have dealt with many dog breeders and to find one that puts their dogs heath, safety and well-being first is hard to find. She could have 10 Shepherds off leash and being the true pack leader she is, each and every one of them would behave for her. I have witnessed it many times. We have had Great Danes for over 30 years so a Shepherd was new to us. And in some ways, dogs are dogs, but each breed has their own characteristics. So through the years, like a new parent, there have been countless calls, text messages, emails and event visits to make sure we were doing this RIGHT! We are currently on our second Shepherd, our first is almost 4 years old, and our recent is 6 months old. When thinking about another dog there was no doubt about what breed and where from. We would NEVER go anywhere else for a German Shepherd. We now consider Traci a dear friend, she has welcomed us with open arms and we have never felt like we were just a customer to her, never. If she doesn't know the answer she makes it a point to find out. We have never felt like we were left hanging or blown off. Whenever we go out of town we take our dogs to Traci for boarding, even though it is a 4 hour drive round trip, it is worth it to us to know that there is no better place for our dogs to be if we are away. Traci offers weekly dog training classes, when the weather is good, and people come from near and far to attend, which is a true testament to the person she is right there. She also offers Dock Diving and Barn Hunt activities, her programs offer a variety to help create a well rounded dog. We have participated multiple times in all, and will include Barn Hunt next month. I will say that EVERY time we have taken either of our dogs out we get stopped and get complimented on how beautiful they look and how well behaved they are, even our 6 month old puppy. We have learned and experienced through the years that good breeding pays off on so many levels. It doesn't matter if you are looking for a guard dog or a treasured fur family member, you will definately find what you are looking for with Traci and Nadelhaus German Shepherds! read more

Puppy Experience: So the story started back in 2013. We visited Nadelhaus in Spring of 2013 from the recommendation of a coworker that had a Nadelhaus dog. At first we went to visit the kennel just to check out the puppies. I was hooked. I told my wife we needed a German Shepherd. We messaged back and forth and eventually put down a puppy deposit. Since we put down a puppy deposit so early, we got the first pick of the litter!. At 4 weeks old, Traci invited us to visit the kennel and see the puppies for the very first time. Traci said the puppies were too young and we should wait another couple of weeks to come back to pick them out. At 6 weeks we visited the puppies again and they were soooo cute. We picked our puppy and waited another couple of more weeks until we could bring her home. At 8 weeks, we brought the little one back home and we had a ball of energy. Training Experience: At around 5 months, we sent our puppy back for training and kenneling. Our dog only took 2.5 weeks of training to learn her obedience training. We had Nadelhaus help us train our dog in German and Nadelhaus also trained my wife and I. Let me repeat. Humans need to be trained just at much as dogs. Humans need to act the lead. When our dog graduated from Nadelhaus' boarding school, we had a dog that understood german, obedient, and a total delight. Boarding: We have used Nadelhaus to help us board and it's nice to send your dog to a place you can trust. It's piece of mind and I will continue to use Nadelhaus' services. Customer Service 5 stars. When ever we have a question or issue, we ask Nadelhaus directly. Traci has years of experience and knowledge. It's nice to ask her a dog question and get an answer back. Pro tip: Get your dog from a place that cares about responsible dog breeding. Our dog has excellent temperament. Get your dog from a place that breeds for good temperament. Get your dog from a place that is a one stop shop for training and boarding. Nadelhaus has excellent customer service through out the years. Even though we live in the bay area and drive 3 hours to Nadelhaus, it is worth it. read more

When you find something good you should share it. We have purchased 3 Nadelhaus puppies that grew into wonderful family pets. The key in this experience is the aftercare from Traci Pool Needles the owner and proprietor of Nadelhaus German Shepherds. We have contacted Traci frequently over the past 16 years with questions about training behaviors, ailments, and many other topics. She has always responded promptly with the excellent guidance. Our third was an import dog direct from West Germany. His name is QU Vom Haus Tepferd. He is awesome. Came to us at 15 months. He was fully trained in the basic commands and very diligent in protecting his Mama(my wife). Purchasing QU at 15 months eliminated the tedious part of having a puppy. 12 years ago we started feeding our dogs raw. We searched endlessly to find a good source. We tried several sources some the product was inconsistent and others the dogs did not get excited at feeding time. About 2 years ago we switched our source to Fido Fuels. It was unbelievable. The dogs loved it. Our dogs are very healthy as a result. The coat shedding is reduced by at least 70%, the doggy surprise's (poops) reduced 65%. This tells me that raw food is very nourishing...it has no fillers that cause loss of coat and bloating and in our experience Cancer. Heiko lived to be 10.5 years. Pasha lived to be 13.5 years. Fido Fuels from Nadelhaus we couldn't be more pleased. read more

Our 1 year old puppy is a Nadelhaus girl. Although we got her from a friend (who got her girl from Traci and mated her with one of Traci's sires) we sent our pup to Traci for 3 weeks of obedience training. This is our first GSD and I was overwhelmed with 3 dogs, 3 jobs, 1 teenage daughter and a husband who is gone for 48 hours every 4 days. Our dog was just about completely out of my control (of which we take 100% responsibility for) and Traci was my last (AND BEST) resort. My only regret was that we hadn't reached out to Traci sooner. After 3 weeks of "bootcamp" with Traci and staff, we arrived excited and in great anticipation to see our newly behaved 65 lb fur baby. We spent well over an hour working with Traci, while she "trained" us to work with our girl at home. We asked a zillion questions, Traci never made us feel inadequate, dumb, or unqualified to go home and be successful GSD parents. Our girl has been back home almost 3 weeks and she really is a brand new/well behaved pup. We work with our girl every day and it makes a huge difference in everything. She is obedient and listens... no more yelling or insanity for anyone in the house. Other than making the decision to get a GSD, sending her to Traci was one of the best decisions we have made in regards to being successful GSD owners. read more

I've own the most beautiful and impeccable temperament German Shepherd named Ztein ;) I bought him from Nadelhaus nine years ago yet when I've called or made contact they are always there for you. This is a place that really cares about breeding German shepherds that have it all Health,beauty, agility and intelligence I've yet to see in any dogs I've ever met! Ztein is gorgeous. I'll post a pic. He has never had an illness or breeding issues like I've seen with other GS's out there. If you want to make sure you own the highest level German Shepherd this is the only place to by your next best friend. Training is so easy because Nadelhaus breeds the best GS's in the country! I wouldn't give a review like this if I wasn't 100% sure. Other people that have purchased their GS somewhere else have a lot of issues. It's worth every penny to have a dog that truly will protect you all the while loving on your children like they are a kitten. I bought my dog for my daughter who was four years old. To this day he serves her and the family and is dedicated to us like no other! I plan on buying another one soon. I did shop around before my purchase from garage breeders,cheapest breeders etc. no one compared to Nadelhaus read more

My wife and I have been going out the Nadelhaus kennels for over ten years. Traci is very knowledgeable and very kind. Before I met or knew Traci, my wife and I had gotten a German shepherd from down south. She was eight months old and when we got her home she was very skittish and had no confidence. Again and again we would work with her and take her to the dog park to get her socialized with no success. Then there was a day a man with a senior German shepherd approached us and told us about Nadelhaus German Shepherds. We started to see Traci for training and our shepherd could not be happier. She has gained all the confidence she needs and has been comfortable in her life ever since. We now own a Nadelhaus German Shepherd and he is a beautiful well tempered dog. We will always get our shepherds from Nadelhaus going forward as all come from great lineage. We board our dogs there which the kennels are always clean and well maintained. Nadelhaus takes a lot of pride in their kennel and dogs; Traci is very professional, honest and above all puts the dogs first. I would highly recommend her dogs to anyone, her kennels for boarding, her training program and even go out there to get your dog part of Fidoletes. read more

Let me start out by saying my family has two amazing dogs from Nadelhaus German Shepherds and we could not be more pleased. Not only are the dogs perfect, but our experience from placing a deposit on a puppy up to adulthood has been stellar. This is what sets a breeder who really cares apart from the rest who are just selling puppies. From day 1 we could tell that the dogs were the top priority, well taken care of, and were an extension of the Needles family. The puppies are loved up until the day they go home with their new families and they are placed with consideration and care. Traci and her team were easy to communicate with, thorough, and supportive through the entire process. They have become friends that we can depend on long after taking the puppies home. Anytime we have had a question the answer was a short call or text away. It is no wonder why we brought one of the dogs back to be trained by their expertise and will be considering this when the other one is old enough. We haven't taken one walk in our neighborhood with the dogs without being stopped by someone for compliments or inquiries and we always feel proud referring anyone right back to Traci at NGS! Overall a 5/5 stars! read more

Traci Needles and I go back almost thirty years. She was highly ethical and conscious of her moral standards. Over ten years ago, she hand-picked a service dog for me, and he is still alive today. I've never had the pleasure of a GSD being in my life so long. He can't hear, and he is sometimes in pain from arthritis. However, he is still keeping irritating people away from me. Odin has kept me grounded through all of the pain I endure. He is a joy to be around, and I don't look forward to the day when his pain is too much. Traci understands what emotional roller coaster I will endure when Odin is no longer with me. Although this may sound bad, we've picked out another service dog for me when Odin goes to the rainbow bridge. Traci knows me well. She knows that no dog will fill my heart with the joy of my Odin. She also knows I can't live without a GSD in my life. Traci is a one in a hundred million type of person. She is the only breeder I will do business with, as GSDs are my life, and I cannot live without one. We have a female GSD who is a family dog, but she is not loyal to me. I obtained Lilly for my son who outgrew dogs. I recommend Traci as an honest ethical breeder. read more

If you are looking for your first or next German Shepherd Dog, we highly recommend you meet with Traci Needles, the owner of Nadelhaus German Shepherds in Corning, California. Our family has included GSDs for decades. Due to relocation and other regular life events, we researched and met with breeders each time prior to adding a new GSD member to our family. However, after meeting with Traci Needles and spending quality time with her GSDs, we will go out of our way to always get our GSDs from Traci regardless of our geographic location. We are amazed by the impressive temperaments of all her GSDs that we met, which were quite a few as we met several GSD parents of available and upcoming litters. We were struck by their amazing dispositions. We now have owned our first GSD from Traci for almost three months, a female puppy that will turn 5 months of age on June 30th, and are delighted to share with you that our puppy's demeanor and intelligence has surpassed all our expectations. We look forward to remaining in touch with Traci for our next GSD. read more

We recently switched our two German Shepherd dogs from kibble dog food to Fido Fuel raw dog food offered by Traci at Nadelhaus German Shepherds. We were having problems with our dogs continually scratching and chewing themselves, dry-flaky skin, dull coats and huge stools several times a day. We tried several different kibble brands and types of food, beef, lamb, salmon, chicken, sensitive skin, grain free etc.... Nothing worked. Then we tried the Fido Fuel raw dog food. The immediate result was smaller and less often stools as a result of no additives, no fillers, no preservatives, the list goes on.... Nothing but raw muscle and organ meat with ground bone. It took a couple weeks but the scratching, chewing and dry-flaky skin stopped, and their coats began to look healthy and shiny. They're more active and seem all around more healthy and happier. We definitely recommend Fido Fuel raw dog food at Nadelhaus German Shepherds and won't go back to kibble. Thank you Traci! Mike N. / Chico read more

First of all let me say that purchasing a puppy from Nadelhaus German Shepherds my family and I have had just a wonderful experience. I brought the family to pick out their new puppy and we could not be more happy with Tracis' wisdom and her training of the family before we took our puppy home. The respect of the puppies life after Nadelhaus is obviously very important to Traci Needles. As a training facility there are so many great things to say but just know that the dogs are treated top notch but under a strong command. All dogs listen and go away with what they learned, happy and healthy. The new facility is just beautiful. Clean area, kennels and the space is huge. It is like a spa for dogs... and with Fidoletes the dogs have the opportunity to take a dip in the pool. Check out Nadelhaus German Shepherds and you will bring happiness to your home. read more

if you want a quality GS that is 100% guaranteed, Nadelhaus is the only Breeder for you. Ive been to their facility and it is amazing. Traci is exceptional and the GS's can't be matched. I know this because I purchased a puppy and raised him. He was the most intelligent dog I've ever known in my life. The temperament can't be touched by other breeders either. He had dogs act agreesuve to him even go to bite him and with one command he'd go to where I pointed. Courageous and strong protected my family 100% and if I gave him a command, he'd stop barking period. You may go to any breeder but you get what you get. I can't wait to buy my next GS from Traci. Lastly, the cost.. divide the cost by a minimum of 12 yrs. I won't take a chance on another breeder. read more

We've purchased two female German Shepherds from Nadelhaus over the last 8 years. Both our dogs have been incredibly smart, loving, and protective German Shepherds. Our pups grew up with both very young children and cats in our household and have adapted wonderfully. They are so gentle with our kids and cats yet can be fiercely protective of our "pack" as well. The owner Traci was fantastic to work with and you can tell immediately that she's been doing this for a long time. She has been very helpful over the years. We'll sometimes reach out to her with questions about the dogs or want a second opinion on health issues and she is always quick to respond. We've also boarded our dogs with her when we go on extended vacations. read more

Nadelhaus is the best breeder and boarding in the North State! You won't find anyone more caring or knowledgeable! Kennel is top notch, always clean and impeccably managed. I always know my dog is in safe hands when I need to board him for vacations. Over the last 8 years, we've gotten 2 dogs from Nadelhaus. They aren't just beautiful dogs, but so smart, great protectors, with the sweetest temperament! Traci is always helpful with great advice, as behavioral or medical questions arise; even the silly questions like: do I need to brush his teeth and how do I get our dog to like me as much as my husband :) Traci is so dedicated to her business and to the well being of every dog (and owner) that walks through her door! read more

We purchased a male dog from Traci on February 24, 2018. The dog has become a full addition to our family. He has a great personality and is very loving. He has extremely good instincts that we would expect from a well breed German Shepherd. I've grown up with Shepherds from an early age and this dog is the most attentive and observant of his surroundings. We are constantly reminded by everyone how handsome our dog is. Traci was always available to answer all questions regarding house training and any other behavior questions. Nadelhaus is a very well run kennel and we would highly recommend them to anyone who desires a well breed German Shepherd. Bill Metzger read more

This was the BEST buying experience I could've dreamed of. Terri is a WEALTH of information regarding the dogs. We purchased the puppy from them from GERMANY and all I can say is that the puppy we have is a dream come true for my 11 year old son. When I first put my deposit down for the puppy I didn't know what to expect... What I can tell you is that I received pictures and video of the puppies that were on their way. And every time I had a question it was answered. I can call or text today and I ALWAYS get my questions answered!!!! If you're looking to purchase a puppy PLEASE give them a call. You'll see what I see.... THANK YOU TERRI!!!! #yourock read more

I have had a hard time finding a place to board my large dogs out by me. I am very protective of my babies and it's very difficult for me to leave them. When I dropped them off the kennel was very clean and my babies seemed very comfortable and ran right in. I had to leave them for four days while I traveled. The whole time Tracy and her team was in communication with me and made me feel so happy and comfortable. When I picked them up they were happy excited and clean. Thank you so much you guys are all amazing. You are my babies new home away from home. In addition I can't wait to start training Ms.Molly. read more

We recently purchased our 4th Long Coat German Shepherd from Nadelhaus. Traci Needles is kind, professional, knowledgeable, responsive, and an amazing breeder/owner. All of our Nadelhaus pups have been intelligent, friendly, sociable, beautiful, and have the perfect temperament. When we take our pups out in public, we receive endless compliments. I grew up with German Shepherds all of my life, and nothing compares to Nadelhaus pups. Since we started feeding Fido Fuels, we noticed their coats are soft and shiny, noticed a decrease in their poop, and is less smelly. Fido Fuels is amazing food! read more