Gerry vom Mühlenschlad (Rocco) Owners: Chris, FL

December 2009

Yuliya,

I hope all is well and that Von Lotta Kennels is still going strong. Rocco (Gerry), has grown into a great male. He weights about 90 lbs. and is by far the most beautiful German Shepherd that I have ever owned. We get stopped all the time about how handsome he is. He is very well obedience trained and he loves doing bite work with our K9 home protection trainer. Most of all, he really enjoys the children.

Attached is Rocco’s latest picture, taken in November, 2009. That is his normal stance; I don’t know how to stack him for pictures, but thought it turned out very nice.

Thank you,
Chris

Amos vom Ritterberg (Bode) Owners: Nancy and Jay, NJ

December 2009

Hi, Yulia,
Here is Bode (Amos) at 6 months. He is a happy, very active, intelligent, outgoing dog, who loves other dogs (they have to be twice his size to play with him). He is well advanced in his training, and has become Jay's shadow. We just retired the crate he arrived in - he was still getting into it at night (I don't know how he fit), but he now has a bed - we also have a large crate where he stays when we have to leave him. Merry Christmas!
Nancy and Jay

P.S. Jay's only regret? That he didn't pick Bode himself, but has to give all the credit to you!

Mutz von Vierhundert Hertz (Leben) Owners: Sarah and Bill, GA

November 2009

Hi Yuliya!

Leben is wonderful! He is such a great dog and has been doing so well. He knows Sitz, Platz, Bleib, and Here very well now. We have taken him to a few parks and PetSmart frequently and everyone just loves him and he has done so well. He has learned too that he can't bite Liam, so he only licks his hand when he gets close to him. It's so sweet.

Funny that you emailed us today. We went to the Dekalb Farmer's Market today and stocked up on chicken backs, ground turkey, and ground beef. Leben has done well on the kibble and the cottage cheese mix. But we started his raw diet today and he absolutely LOVES it! We're happy too that it's actually cheaper then feeding only kibble all the time, and much healthier for him too...

Thanks again, and please keep in touch. The new puppies are just adorable! I wish we had more land and could take them all. :) Hope you had a great Thanksgiving.

Take care,
Sarah, Bill, Liam, and Leben

Igor von Lotta (Silas) Owners: Barry and Lisa, WI

September 2009

Hi Yulia!
Silas "Igor von Lotta" is doing wonderful. He is pure joy! House training is going very well, with only a handful of liquid accidents. He is being fed on schedule, and his appetite is ravenous. He plays hard, and then it's time for a nap. We are thrilled to have such a wonderful pup!
Thanks again,
Barry and Lisa

Yukon von der Fangschleuse Owner: Toni, MA

February 2009

Hello Yuliya,

In short, Yukon is fabulous. We’re having so much fun and he is quite the joy. His character is superb: loves the grandkids, very confident, takes discipline beautifully. His intelligence is also high- not an accident in the house since the first day and that was only once. Already he is asking for the door and going through the night. The conformation is excellent. I love his deep body, good tail set, tight feet, dark eyes, (ears almost up) etc. So, the bottom line is that I’m very grateful for such a good puppy and will send you pictures as soon as things settle down.

Warm Regards,
Toni

Fantastica von Lotta (Gretta) Owner: Kate and Steve, VA

January 2009

As Gretta's first birthday rolls around I just wanted to drop you a quick note to tell you how she is doing. First, let me say that she is just the BEST dog. Well, ok, it's a tie with Logan (our other dog!) but still, she is pretty darn great. We just love her. She has settled down nicely, though still very much a puppy, she will now greet people at the front door like a lady- sitting and waiting to be petted. We take her pretty much everywhere and one of her favorite things is ridding in the car. She is so well behaved that all of our friends welcome her over with no problems. Well, our friends without cats that is. Since her prey drive is so high she just wants to chase them through the house. I don't think that she would actually hurt a cat but...I know that she would give it a run for its' money! We worked with a trainer one-on-one in our home for 8 weeks and that was a really wonderful experience. She is sooooo smart. I swear that she understand full sentences. Our goal is to get her Canine Good Citizenship cert this summer.

She is a stick to your side kind of dog and she just loves people, esp. kids. The only people she gets really puppy-crazy to see are my nephews who are 7 and 10. She can hear them in the driveway before they even get out of the car and will go sit by the front door waiting for them. She is very gentle with them though we have taught them not to run from her as she thinks this is the best game EVER and has to be taken outside to calm down.

She also likes other dogs. And when she encounters another dog that is not friendly she looks at us like, "Mom, why don't they like me?" We just tell her that dog is "busy" and she walks right on by. I have not seen any anxiety, fear, or aggression in her. She loves to learn anything new and is curious about just about anything. We came across a pair of wild turkey on a walk the other day and she sat down and stared and stared at them. I was tempted to let her off leash to see what she would do but was pretty sure I would have had to figure out how to cook turkey that night!

I can't imagine what our life would be like without her. Logan loves her so much too, and she has been a big help in getting him to come out of his shell. Typically a shy dog, he usually stays upstairs when we have company. This year at Christmas however, he was downstairs, right in the middle of everything with Gretta.Gretta likes to be where the action is. As I type this she is asleep at my feet. If Steve and I are on separate floors she will lay with her head at the top of the stairs so she can keep and eye on us both.

And we attribute so much of her wonderful qualities to you and your careful breeding. She is a great dog because she came from great dogs and people who are passionate enough about the breed to be responsible in breeding only the best. Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to have such a tremendous dog! Really, we mean it!

Hope all is well with you and that you have a great New Year!

Kate and Steve

Everest von Lotta Owner: Kristina & Paul, TN

December 2, 2008

Yuliya,

Everest is a beautiful dog that looks a lot like his father Yash. His temperament is perfect, he is very affectionate and is very people oriented (he loves my nephew). The trainer we are using is in love with him and says he is as asset to the breed!! He (for the most part) learns really fast (the trainer said he feel like we shouldn't pay him the dog is so easy to train)...

And again thank you for the wonderful addition to our family.

Kristina & Paul

Fandor von der Urbecke (Max) Owner: Myke & Janet, TN

October 2008

Yuliya, Max is currenlty in obedience and conformation training. He is doing well. We are about to go through the process to register him with the AKC. If we have questions we will send you an email. We think we are going to start Max in schutzhund training in the near future. There is a trainer who has seen Max and thinks he will do very will in that area.

We are very very pleased with Max and appreciate all your help. He has so much energy and can be such a handful and such a joy as well. He just loves everybody. (except cats and chickens).

Thanks again for so willingly sharing your knowledge with us. You are a special person Yuliya, and Janet and I both appreciate you very much.
Myke & Janet

Fa von Lotta (Elsa) Owner: Jeanie & Bud, TX

August 2008

Yuliya,

Good news about Elsa - we had a good bath on SAT. We went to the dog park where she played and ran with other dogs. Bud has taken her there a few times during the day while I was at work. She was pretty tired when we got home so I thought it would be a good time to try a bath. I started like we practiced at your house then Bud joined us. He held the leash while I shampooed and rinsed her. It was WONDERFUL! Bud fed her treats during the bath so that also helped.

Bud took her [to the dog park] TUE and today. I'm so proud of her - he called her back while she was playing and she same back immediately. He said all the other "parents" asked how he got her to come back! We both wear our treat bags when we go out so she always comes back on command. There are two gates to go through to get into the park. She will sit and stay while we go through the gate and waits until we say OK. She is doing great! We can't thank you enough for all your hard work.

Write soon,

Jeanie

Slava vom Gollerweiher (Zoe) Owner: Daryl and Sheri, FL

January 2008

Hello Yulia, Just wanted to let you know how Zoe is doing. She is so sweet and a typical clown most of the time. I can’t believe how lucky we are to have such a sweetheart. Daryl has retired now and started his own business, Zoe goes everywhere with Daryl to post office, to get coffee, she even goes to McDonalds for cheese and egg in the morning and an hamburg in the afternoon.

Remember she likes to chase squirrels, well right after Thanksgiving she caught one in a playful grip, well the squirrel didn’t want to play with Zoe and bit her inside her lip. We took her to the vet to have her checked out. She was just fine, and she still chases squirrels...

We will be going on a cruise to the Scandinavian countries, then all future vacations will be traveling with Zoe. I would like to show her snow and the mountains. I think she would enjoy the cooler weather...

December 2008

Yulia, Greetings from Sheri and Daryl in Florida. It is hard to believe that Zoe is three years old today. We both would like to thank you for finding her for us, and you couldn’t have made a better pick. Attached are a few pictures of her that we took today. Merry Christmas, and we hope you have a very blessed new year.

Daryl and Sheri

Bella von Lotta Owner: Darren, VA

August 14, 2007 Yuliya & Chad,

How are you? I hope this finds you well. The purpose of this email is to let you know we'd like to be considered for one of the male pups from Nemka's next litter.

We are the proud owners of the pup (Bella) from Nemka's first litter... Bella will be 2 years old this October and I think we are all ready for another quality addition to our family…

Attached are a couple of recent shots of our girl Bella. She has been a very special addition to our family. Again, I hope this finds you both doing well. Please let me know if we can get on the list for a male in this next litter.

November 7, 2007 Hi Yuliya,

Hope this finds you, Chad and all your pups doing well. Congratulations on your accomplishments with Yash at the NA Sieger show this year. I enjoyed watching the video clip of Yash and have probably watched it at least 20 times since. He is quite handsome and a joy to watch move. I can't wait to see the pups he and Nemka bring into the world. Everyone at my house is very excited about bringing in another member to our family. I wish we lived closer and I could swing by and show you how fine a companion Bella has turned out to be, plus take advantage of the training you have to offer.

Every time my parents visit, my Dad talks about taking Bella home with him (fat chance). They're very impressed with her obedient disposition, and attentiveness to my family.

We'll talk to you later, take care.

Sincerely - Darren

Contessa von Lotta Owner: Chris, NC

Sept 17, 2007 Hi Yuliya! Here are a few pics of Contessa as we close in on 11 months old. She is doing fantastic.

I know you must hear this from all your puppy parents, but she is everything I hoped for. I'm so impressed with her intelligence, physical beauty and personality. People seem to be drawn to her, and even those wary of the "big bad German Shepherd" are quickly won over by her endearing tempermant.

We start each morning with a 3-4 mile walk, and then have fun retrieving and play sessions in the afternoon. She is very eager to please. I don't have a weight on her currently, but [she] is strong, and has been in perfect health since I picked her up.

Thank you again, I noticed you will be breeding Nemka with Ham again... I'm fighting the urge to get Tessa a brother or sister!

Jerry vom Valtenberg Owner: Tracy, NV

Jul 31, 2007 Jerry is Wonderful!!!!! He is HUGE, last vet visit he weighed in at 86 pounds. He has the silliest personality I have ever seen in a dog. He talks through groaning, sleeps in bed with my son, and is the loudest snorer you will ever meet. He is very outgoing, very loving and has become my son's best friend. He did really well training for search and rescue, but they wouldn't let my son test because he was too young. It was very disappointing for them both. But he has just about passed his Good Citizenship Program, and my son is working with him to be a therapy dog to go visit at nursing homes and hospitals in the area. As you can see he is very spoiled! He and our Golden can wrestle for hours. He is also really good with other Dogs...

He is actually a very sad boy this week as my husband and kids flew back to the Midwest to visit family, so he has practically slept on top of me the past two nights and my son talks to him on the phone twice a day. But I can' thank you enough for him, he is really one on the nicest dogs I have ever owned!!! I think my son will be hooked on German Shepherds for life!

Siberia vom Gollerweiher (Yola) Owner: Linda, MO

Jul 31, 2007 Yola as you can see is getting more beautiful everyday! I have high expectations for her future. She is one of the smartest dogs I have had in over 30 years of German Shepherds. She is a do everything-be everywhere kind of girl. Very high drive, focused, athletic and loyal. As you can read in her eyes, she has a very high intelligence level. Always thinking, thinking, thinking and more thinking!!!!! You may think that she would be hard to live with yet that is not the case with Yola. This package of dynamite has a whole other side that I treasure the most. She is an excellent house and traveling companion. Obedient and calm. Very good with my grandchildren. Yet you bring out the Kong or tell her "Ready" you have just lit the fuse and she explodes. She is ready to work and do what it takes to get the job done. Am I bragging? Maybe so, yet it is the truth.

Yuliya, I want to thank you for finding Yola and allowing me to have her. I believe God directed me to you in my search for my special girl. I was leery of breeders since my last experience was not the best. You are and continue to be a person of integrity. From the beginning you have been there to give advice and share your knowledge and experience. I can not express how much I appreciate all you have done. Have a great day!

Brianna von Lotta Owner: Cassandra, NC

May 12, 2007 Brianna is doing very well in obedience. She is starting beginning bitework. There for a while she lost some interest but as soon as we started intermediate obedience and started playing more of the games she suddenly turned into this different dog… Brianna can do about a 2 hour down stay although we don't do that regularly (at the time is was a necessity because we were at a pool and there were 20 kids running around and she wanted to play with all of them) every child in that place hugged and petted her and every child got a kiss! And she didn't move from her down...

She is really liking the tug game. She is so smart that she will not play tug with the kids. She goes around the tug and licks them on the face and sits or lays down for some petting. But if I pick it up boy it is time to play rough. I didn't know a dog could have that much sense.

As we thought she is a moose but a gentle moose. You can take her anywhere. We are also teaching tracking and practicing for a police assoc test (beginning level)... Ok I’ll quit bragging but I did attach a picture of her and my son getting into mischief.

Coda von Lotta Owners: Barbara & Wayne, FL

Feb 16, 2007 Yulya, I am so happy with [Coda]. She's everything a GS should be, but with the extra sweetness in her temperament that is special to her. Wayne is also so pleased with how well her training is going and how smart she is with a little stubbornness thrown in... And the funny things she does, and then looks to see if we laugh…

Mar 23, 2007 Of course I'm prejudice, but she really is very beautiful, smart and everything she should be....especially loving & sweet. I can't thank you enough for helping us choose her. I'm sure her litter mates are all just as good, and hope they are all loved by their families as much as we adore Coda. Our whole family does.

Mar 31, 2007 Yuliya, Coda is so beautiful and acts so regal when we take her places, sometimes it's almost embarrassing how much attention she gets. One thing about a GS, everyone knows immediately what kind of dog it is.

May 24, 2007 There was another craft show in the village last weekend and I took [Coda]. She loves going there… She met a huge mastiff this time and that was so good for her to meet a dog bigger than herself. Funny to watch her. So many people come over to admire her... She is so sweet with little children. I make her sit and she lets them pet her and licks them on their hands and face if they let her. She's very gentle when they are little. My two young grandsons are here today and the three of them were asleep on the family room floor earlier (wore each other out). I should have gotten a picture before they woke up.

Cooper von Lotta (Marley) Owner: Linda, VA

Jan 24, 2007 Hi Yuliya - Just a quick note to let you know that Marley is doing GREAT! He weighs almost 32 lbs. and his training is going really well. He is a real talker, whines to let me know that he needs to go out and hasn't had an accident for quite a while. He comes to work every day and everyone just loves him. He still has sharp little teeth, that's the thing we are working on most-NO biting!

Apr 27, 2007 [Marley] is getting bigger all the time. He's got to be over 60 lbs. He is house trained, the best dog I have ever had as far as that goes. He always asks to go out and is very insistent when necessary! He loves to chase a ball and play with his toys, especially his stuffed animals. He loves to have his chest rubbed, almost puts him to sleep. He has the best personality, you really were right on with your description.

Jul 2, 2007 [Marley] is the best dog. I have never had a puppy so good, he is trained and I have started leaving him out [of his crate] during the night, he sleeps in my bedroom. He is quite attached to me, I just hate that!! He listens very well and he and Zeus are like brothers, very cute together... I am just so thrilled with him.

Cusco von Lotta Owner: Monica, ID

December 22, 2006 I just love this puppy, he is so smart and so gentle. We are having a snow storm and he loves the snow. He has already learned the word no and off and come and his name. What a blessing, you can be a proud breeder, he is a wonderful dog. He played tag with my Corgi, and my Australian Shepherd entertains him and he gets along with the cats and the chickens he is very curious about, but loves the raw eggs. Thanks again, Merry Christmas, Monica

March 11, 2007 Dear Yuliya, Cusco and I went to our first search and rescue practice today, and he did well. He has so much confidence, and he is so calm around the other dogs for such a young dog. I love him so much, he is so fun to be around he prances around with a stick in his mouth, or when is chasing the ball. He loves to play in the water. I wanted to tell you again what a fine dog that he is. I will keep you updated on things as they happen. Blessings to you, Monica

Aziza von Lotta Owner: Stanley, OH

December 12, 2006

Hi Yuliya,

I wanted to write and wish you a Merry Christmas. Hope everything is going great for you. It’s almost been a year since we had Aziza. We sure have enjoyed her, she sure is one special girl. We are enclosing a picture we took with Santa. Once again, thanks. Best wishes for you and your family this Holiday Season.

Yours truly,
Stanley

Baye von Lotta Owner: Tania and Kurt, UT

Oct 2006 Hello Yulia, Hope your family, you and your GSD's are well. Greetings from Salt Lake City. I thought you might like an update on Baye, our puppy from your Nemka that was born last Oct 2, 2005.

We could not be more pleased with our girl! She has a rock solid temperament, is great with other dogs, is wonderful with people and is a devoted protector and companion. She eagerly goes on all sorts of treks with me and is 100% confident in new situations, terrains, social gatherings and other activities. She is great with the kitties now. They often can be found sleeping together on one of the dog beds in the house.

At first I was a bit concerned that she hadn't yet barked but soon after, she found her voice and she lets the Fed Ex man know this is her house. She only barks when necessary and rarely, if ever, barks when she is outside. She keeps a faithful watch just inside the front room and alerts us whenever someone comes to the door or that pesky neighbor kitty comes to raid the birdfeeder. :)

Baye has completed Puppy Kindergarten, Basic Obedience and is just about to graduate from Intermediate Obedience. She is easy to train and loves going to class. Our trainer says Baye has the best jump and fastest recall in the class. Of course we agree but we are a bit bias of course! She loves to interact with the other dogs and has never shown any tendencies toward aggression. There is another female GSD in our class- she is 2 years old... Her owner commented on how impressed she was with Baye's good temperament and nice size (hers is a bit on the small side, but quite a lovely dog). We plan on doing Advanced Obedience and Rally this Winter and Agility class in the Spring.

Baye loves tennis balls and has figured out how to de-squeak a new toy in three seconds flat. She has excellent house manners and has never chewed anything that did not belong to her. We are amazed and grateful at the fact that everything in the house survived puppyhood unscathed! She seems to have passed through the un-ruly teenager phase. For a few weeks she decided to challenge some of her commands and pretend like she didn't hear them, so I did a little research and realized she was becoming a teenager. It passed and she is as attentive as ever. She is heeling off-lead (in class), does sit, stand and down stays and is doing a tiny bit of agility work (small jump, weave thru cones, go thru hoola hoop and sit in pool). She seems to enjoy it but really prefers when I take her out in the fields and mountains to do some tracking and hiking.

She weighs 65lbs and is very healthy. I just wanted to thank you for giving us the opportunity to purchase one of your puppies. You are such a wonderful breeder with high standards and a commitment to excellence. I love your website and check it often to see if there are updates or new articles. We can't thank you enough for always being willing to answer questions and give advice. After raising one puppy, my husband and I are in awe of how you can raise several at a time! We constantly tell Baye that she cannot have junk food (chips, crackers, bread, pasta) because it would not be Yuliya approved :)

Warm Regards, Tania and Kurt

Berit von Lotta (Cira) Owner: Cathy & Ken, GA

Jun 13, 2006 [Cira] is doing wonderful and growing like crazy. She is about 63 lbs. and still growing. She is tall and lean and absolutely beautiful!!! She definitely keeps us hopping around here. She looks like a lion, her fur is very long especially around her face. In fact people ask us all the time what kind of dog she is because her fur is not the usual short fur. But we think she is even prettier than typical shepherds. She loves to play and has gone to work with Ken several times when he was working at a house that had a large poodle. They would play all day and Cira would wear out that poor dog and he would try to hide from her but no such luck she would always find him.

She loves to chew on toys that squeak. But her teeth are so strong she usually ends up breaking the squeaky. Her training is going ok she can sit, stay, down but come is not one of her better commands in fact she can be quite stubborn but we love her lots anyway. She has been a wonderful addition to our family and we are looking forward to taking her on vacation with us to St. Simon's. She loves to ride in the car which is lucky for us. Thank you so much for the beautiful dog.

Bruno von Lotta Owner: Gordon, CA

Feb 11, 2006 Hi Yuliya & Charles, Bruno has completed all his shots. He weighs 42 lbs. I feed him now 2 times a day, and we go on walks 2 times a day around the area and different locations. He no longer pulls on the leash, knows “sit,” “fetch,” ”come.” I take him to the pet store which is large – he loves the employees, loves young kids that come in there, and they love to pet Bruno. He’s not aggressive with other dogs in there. He loves going for rides in the car. Bruno looks just like his mom - the red color is coming in. The vet said he’s in excellent condition: ears pointing, very glossy coat and loves to play with any excitable toy... People are amazed by his rich color and big feet. Yuliya will Bruno be that big? He’s loving and protective. Thank you again, Gordon

Aug 31, 2006 What a dog! He is getting big, very sociable. He loves his walks and is very protective. He loves and greets all people who he sees me greet or shake hands - loves people, but if he is in the yard by himself and there is activity around the fence he will not bark, but if it gets closer he will send a chilling bark. When I walk him they all praise how good he looks, he is quite a dog. Gordon

July 1, 2007 You should see [Bruno]! He is big, quite a dog, loves to go to the park. He has no problem when I walk him - likes other dogs. He is quiet but if any one strange parks in front of our house or in the drive way he will let you know he is there. Loves to walk and loves people. Little kids love him. He lays down while they pet him. He has a very strong grip! I play with him and he grabs my wrist, but never bites or attempts to, but you can feel his grip. The birds in the back keep him busy - he thinks he can catch them. Love this dog! I stick with the Canidae dry food. He sheds but it’s not a problem. When I get a chance will send photos. He is almost 2 [years old]. He is big and quite a character.

Samira vom Gollerweiher Owner: Julie, MN

Apr 11, 2006 [Samira] has even wanted to play this evening. Which surprised me, I thought she would be jet-lagged and be very tired after her long journey. Samira even met my mom and dad, and she went right up to both of them for them to pet her. She wasn't even afraid of my dad’s wheelchair, which is surprising. Most dogs are afraid of his chair and bark at him... I guess most dogs find him intimidating, but not Samira. My mother said she looks like a little lady and thinks she's just beautiful. So I know I can always find a sitter if I have to. I will keep you updated with Samira's progress.

Apr 18, 2006 Hi Yuliya and Chad! Glad to say Samira is doing great! Meeting new people all the time. I have brought her to work with me for several night shifts where she got a lot of attention by the Sheriffs and PD's I work with. They all fell in love with her and said how beautiful she is. At home Samira has come to be quite the watch dog. She barks when someone drives in to let us know someone is there. She has been very good about approaching new people. I try to take her everywhere I go... She's such a sweetheart, everyone who meets her has great things to say. I want to thank you again for all your help and for helping us get Samira as part of the family.

July 12, 2006 Hi, it's been awhile. Just a quick hello to say Samira is still doing just great... She got to go on her first camping trip this summer. We went by canoe out to an Island and stayed in a tent for a week. I was really surprised, Samira did great in the canoe and she loved sleeping in the tent. During the day we kept the tent zipped up, while Samira thought it was her job to stand guard over it. She also had so much fun with swimming and jumping at the waves. She followed me everywhere I went, so John laughed and said we should have called her shadow.

Feb 23, 2007 Dear Yuliya and Chad, hope all is well with you two and your family of Shepherds. Congratulations on your V-3 title in the 2006 Sieger show. I check out your Website now and then. Samira, my little sweetheart, is doing great and has grown so much. She is quite the adorable little lady. I get so many compliments on how beautiful she is every where we go. We have been so busy this last year working on the old farmstead trying to get it ready to build. The dogs love it there. They will like it all the more when we get the pond in. They love the water. Take Care and thank you again for Samira and all your help. Julie