About Us
Four paws. One heart. Endless adventure.
Silly Shepherds grew out of nearly thirty years of life with German Shepherds. What started with our own dogs became stories, practical knowledge, books, and a place for people who find this breed just as special as we do.
I’m Paul. An entrepreneur, a designer, and above all, a German Shepherd person for nearly thirty years.
I live with my family in Kerkrade, where a German Shepherd has almost always been part of our home.
Silly Shepherds grew out of that life. Not a marketing plan, but years of dog hair on the couch, making mistakes, trying again, saying goodbye, and rediscovering why this breed never quite lets you go.
Now we bring it all together in one place: practical knowledge, stories, training, books, and products that truly fit life with a German Shepherd.
Schadow
Adopted from a shelter in 1997 (over a year old) · Said goodbye in 2008 · Our very first
She came to us as a nervous shelter girl — already over a year old, with a warning that her temperament “wasn’t entirely stable.” The dog training school advised us to take her back. But we kept going. With soooo much time and love, Schadow became the most loyal dog we’ve ever had. She watched over the children like a mother, literally kept the family together with her nose, and guarded our store like a professional.
For more than eleven years, she was the beating heart of our family. In 2008, we had to let her go because of a skin disease. Once she had a stick, she never let go — and she never let go of our hearts, either.
Troy
A short chapter · Short-coated German Shepherd
Troy was a short-coated German Shepherd from a litter of dogs bred for protection work — full of energy and potential. Circumstances meant she was only with us for a short time. A brief chapter, but one we’ll never forget.
Ayla
Long-coated · Adopted at 8 months · Said goodbye in September 2025
Ayla was a beautiful dog — long-coated, majestic, and full of character. She loved swimming and standing guard at the dog park gate, where she considered all the regular visitors part of her pack. She was the undisputed Queen. Three warnings — then she stepped in. Always with a strong sense of duty.
Sadly, a persistent skin disease forced us to let her go far too young. September 2025. A loss that cut deep.
Zara
2024 – present · Pedigreed · Breeder in the northern Netherlands
Zara is the star of this channel. Trained with love from day one — and it showed. She walked beautifully on the leash, responded right away, and stayed neatly at heel... That was before the teenage phase.
Now it’s as if there’s a little monkey banging cymbals inside her head. All she wants to do is play. She acts like she’s never learned a thing and behaves more like a cat than a Shepherd. But she’s also the sweetest dog we’ve ever had. And that makes up for everything.
We keep her pedigree handy to prove she really is a German Shepherd. Because sometimes we wonder, too.
We hebben haar stamboom erbij om te bewijzen dat ze echt een herder is. Want soms twijfelen we zelf ook.
Odin
Black, short-coated · Adopted August 1, 2026 · Born September 13, 2024
Then there’s Odin. Black. Big. With the presence of a god — and a past that doesn’t match.
A rope for a leash. Never taught a thing. A dog who still has the world to discover. But his eyes tell you right away that there’s more to him than his circumstances ever allowed him to show.
We believe in second chances. We proved that with Schadow. And now we’re doing it again.
Odin’s story has only just begun. Follow along — this is one you’ll want to keep up with.
Silly Shepherds Keeps Growing
New stories. New insights. New training guides. More of Odin and Zara. And books coming out in more languages, one step at a time.
We don’t build everything at once, or just because we “should.” Only what adds something worthwhile.
At its heart, Silly Shepherds remains what it’s always been: a place for real life with German Shepherds — everything beautiful, challenging, funny, and sometimes heartbreaking about it.
Join the Pack.
New stories, practical tips, book updates, and the occasional thing only a German Shepherd person would laugh at.
No spam. Just dog hair. Lots of dog hair. No more than 4 emails a year.
You come for an answer. You stay for the dogs.
Before you know it, you’ve gotten to know Odin, Zara, and the rest a little. You see your own dog in the stories, laugh at the chaos, and find yourself coming back for more.