About
TANNHÄUSER
I raise German Shepherd Dogs because I love them, just as generations of my family have loved them. I do not have a commercial kennel. I do not breed my dogs for the purpose of turning a profit.
I keep my operation small because it allows me to concentrate on my dogs. I have only four to six litters a year.
A Better Start
pride, dedication, love
As far back as I can remember, I have been around or owned German Shepherd Dogs. My grandparents had German Shepherd Dogs their entire life. I was raised with their dogs and our family’s own German Shepherd Dogs. My grandparents passed their deep love and passion for this breed on to my mother and me. Now I proudly carry on the tradition of our home-raised German Shepherd Dogs to share with you thru TANNHÄUSER German Shepherd Dogs.
I spare no expense to breed puppies with the highest quality temperament, health, intelligence and conformation. I maintain my small scale breeding program to allow me to give each of my puppies the individual time and personal attention they need. You can read more about my breeding standards and program here.
My puppies are home-raised in the gorgeous Pacific Northwest where they have meadow and forest all around and room to run and play on my five acre property. They are all part of my family from birth. I know each puppy’s personality because I’m with them. I make sure they get the start in life that provides a solid basis for reaching their full potential as companions or competitors with love, socialization and stimulation.
Since 1995
When I started breeding, I had to come up with a kennel name and asked a good friend of mine to help me. She was an opera fanatic and told me how she loved the German Opera “Tannhäuser” by Richard Wagner. In this opera, the character Tannhäuser is a Meistersinger. A Meistersinger was a German lyric poet and singer who, during the 12th to 14th centuries, performed only songs of courtly love. I loved the name, how it sounded and that my friend (now in her 80s) had suggested it.
My first litter was February 16th 1995. Just missing Valentine’s Day, it was nevertheless the start of my own truly lifelong labor of love.
My dogs come first, always. It is a 24/7, 365 day a year job and I wouldn’t change a thing. I believe this is the right way to respect and care for my dogs, to give them the lives they deserve.
— Debra Hughes
Years in business
Litters and counting!
Over
Happy customers
My Dog House
My home is centered around my dogs and providing them the maximum freedom to run and play. My property is completely fenced, there are forested and open areas for my adult dogs and safe, monitored play areas for the puppies. The kennel building includes indoor / outdoor runs. The interior runs are 6’x14′ and bedded down heavily with fir shavings. My dogs do not sleep on cold, hard cement! The dog doors go outside to 6’x40′ runs that are covered in 3/4″ horse mats to protect their feet running on pavement. All dogs are rotated between large play areas daily.
All my litters are born in my home in a room just off my bedroom where I can monitor each litter. Puppies cannot regulate their body heat so for the first week they must be kept very warm. Once they are up and walking, they are getting too big for the whelping box. At that point, I move them to my puppy room that is temperature-controlled. This happens when they are about 3 weeks of age. Here they are potty box trained and they get to grow and play. At about 5 weeks they are big enough to go outside and play. Each night they go back in their puppy room before dark where they are comfortable and secure for the night.
