FAQ

NASHA COMANDA is located in USA in the northernmost part of Indiana.

Prices for puppies will fluctuate based on multiple factors. A typical price for a puppy from us can be between $4500.00-$5500.00USD. **This price includes a non-refundable deposit of $500.00USD to reserve your puppy.** We understand that this is a large price tag for many people to consider and our highest priority is producing puppies that are worth every penny. Parents of the pups are extensively health tested to reduce the risks of them passing on debilitating illnesses to their babies that will cost new owners thousands in the future (and heartache!). We also send each pup home with a complimentary month of medical insurance from Trupanion, guarantees on their hips and elbows for 2 years, and a health guarantee against illness that is genetic in nature. The health guarantees are outlined in each NASHA COMANDA puppy's personal contract and I am happy to explain what these entail or provide sample contracts. They also leave our home with a lifetime of support/mentorship from myself as their breeder, regardless of the type of contract they are sold with (potential show puppy vs sport puppy or companion puppy). I will always be here as a resource and mentor to my puppies and their families for the lifetime of their pup and beyond. Please contact me for any further questions related to the pricing of our pups or what "extras" come home with the NASHA COMANDA puppies. CLICK HERE to view our puppy page for more information.

YES! We are so grateful for the sacrifice and hard work of our United States military active duty/veterans as well as our active duty/retired first responders (EMTs, firefighters, police officers) and their families. As a special thank you for your service, we would like to deduct 15% from the total cost of your NASHA COMANDA puppy. When filling out your puppy application, please let us know if this applies to you or your household and include an emailed copy of your military ID or proof of employment as a first responder to nashacomanda.wss@gmail.com to receive your discount.

Yes. Currently, we have two stud dogs named ATAMA NASHA COMANDA aka "Atama" (resides in USA) and ATA-GUN NASHA COMANDA aka "Kavic" (*resides in New South Wales, AUSTRALIA*). Atama: Available for live breeding in USA. Frozen or chilled semen available by request both domestic and internationally. To approved females only. Kavic: Frozen semen can be made available internationally or live breeding to those in Australia to approved females only. Please click the links below to read more about our stud dogs and for contact information. Click here to see more information about ATAMA NASHA COMANDA "Atama" Click here to see more information about ATA-GUN NASHA COMANDA "Kavic" * Stud dogs listed on our website as "outside studs" are not available for use outside of NASHA COMANDA's program. **Future stud dogs will be available for stud service once they have completed and passed all required health testing.

NO. Unfortunately the American Kennel Club (AKC) does not recognize the White Swiss Shepherd as a breed yet. At this time, puppies from our kennel have their pedigrees registered with the Federacion Canofila de Puerto Rico (FCPR), which is the FCI registry for American bred dogs. Until the AKC recognizes the White Swiss Shepherd as a breed seperate from the GSD, we will not allow the registration of our puppies/dogs with their kennel club under *any* circumstances. For those who wish to have their dog(s) registered with the AKC as a German Shepherd Dog (GSD), we kindly ask that you seek a different breeder. We have a great list of **trusted** breeders that we are happy to refer you to if this is something you are looking for. At NASHA COMANDA, we love shepherds regardless of the variety (German, Swiss, Belgian,Dutch, etc), and are ALWAYS happy to help promote the ethical breeding of shepherds from our friends and colleagues!

Yes and no. It will depend on the contract that the puppy is purchased with...either "show/breeding potential" OR "companion/pet." **Only puppies who meet our high criteria for breeding will be available for show and breeding contracts. All puppies sold with "companion/pet" contracts are required to be spayed or neutered after the age of 24 months (or a female's second heat cycle). Requirement for sterilization at this age is based heavily on reducing risks for orthopedic issues and promoting healthy/natural growth of a dog's body. We hope that new owners understand that requirements like this are in the best interest of the **puppy** and nothing else. If you have questions as to why we chose this specific age for sterilization, please contact me.

Yes! We are happy to accomodate new puppy owners in both the USA and abroad. All our puppies will have their pedigrees registered with the FCPR and may be exported to any FCI member country. Our first choice is to have the new owners come to us to pick up their puppy however, this is not always possible. We are more than happy to work with you to help you get your new puppy home. For all puppies being sent by plane to their new homes, I plan to either accompany them myself to ensure their safe arrival OR affiliate with a trusted friend. **No young puppies will be shipped without a guardian.** Note: Due to COVID restrictions, travel and shipping of puppies may require more than the typical procudres we are used to. For more information please contact us directly.

Yes! All dogs shed (even the ones that are advertised as "hypoallergenic!"). They typically have 2-3 major annual "blow outs" as we call them, where a large amount of the downy undercoat is shed out. For the times between the blow outs, sheding is fairly minimal especially for the long coated dogs (if regularly brushed!). For tips on grooming a WSS or any other questions about their coats, please feel free to contact me!

YES! Thanks to the hard work and diligence of many amazing people, the WSS is able to be registered in the United States with the Federación Canófila de Puerto Rico (FCPR) as well as the International All Breed Canine Association (IACBA). WSS are also allowed to be registered with the United Kennel Club (UKC) as "White Shepherds" and still maintain their status as White Swiss Shepherd dogs. Unfortunately at this time, the American Kennel Club (AKC) does not yet recognize the WSS as a breed yet. The only way to register our dogs with them is to list them as a German Shepherd Dog color white. At NASHA COMANDA we refuse to register our dogs as anything other than what they are, a White Swiss Shepherd/White Shepherd. Calling them a GSD only slows down the progress of our hopes of one day joining the list of AKC breeds. Please contact me for more information regarding regsitering WSS in the states.

Please see our "PUPPIES" page for current and planned litters or currently available pups! We are a very small program and only plan for 1-2 litters each year. If you are interested in a NASHA COMANDA puppy and none are available, we welcome you to complete a PUPPY APPLICATION at any time to get on a contact list for future litters if accepted. Click here for more information on our puppies.

YES! In the United States, WSS are able to participate in conformation shows in multiple venues including the International All Breed Canine Association (IABCA), United Kennel Club (UKC), American Rare Breed Association (ARBA), and International Canine Kennel Club (ICKC). Unfortunately they cannot compete in the American Kennel Club (AKC) show events at this time. Abroad, WSS are able to compete in all FCI shows.

Yes and no. This is a complicated question to answer becasue the White Swiss Shepherd (WSS) was derived from the white colored German Shepherd (GSD). While GSDs are able to produce white colored puppies however, they are not quite the same as a WSS. How is this possible if the WSS was once a GSD in the past? The answer to that is that once recognized as a separate breed, the WSS has been strictly breed to adhere to a different "standard" or set of traits and structural requirements than the GSD. After many generations of selective breeding for these traits, the dogs begin to take on a different appearance from their ancestors. Although they can be very subtle, the differences between the two breeds are visible to the trained eye. In America, it is particularly difficult to explain to people due to the fact that at this time the American Kennel Club (AKC) does not yet recognize the WSS as a separate breed from GSD. At this time the Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI) is the Nasha Comanda WSS chooses dogs for our breeding program based on the FCI White Swiss Shepherd standard No. 347 (https://www.fci.be/Nomenclature/Standards/347g01-en.pdf) BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY: In the USA and Canada White Shepherd dogs have gradually become to be accepted as a distinct breed. The first dogs of this breed were imported to Switzerland in the early 70s. The American male “Lobo”, whelped on 5th of March 1966, can be considered as the progenitor of the breed in Switzerland. The descendants of this male registered with the Swiss Stud Book (LOS) and other White Shepherd dogs imported from the USA and Canada, gradually multiplied. There now exists a big number of pure-bred over several generations White Shepherd dogs throughout Europe. These dogs have been registered as a new breed in the appendix of the Swiss Stud Book (LOS) since June 1991 - Excerpt from FCI Standard No. 347 Please contact myself or your country's WSS club for more in depth information regarding the differences in the breeds. It is an ongoing and very complicated matter in the world of shepherds and this is an **extremely** concise summary.

YES!!! This breed makes an excellent hiking or adventure partner. When properly trained of course (as with any dog!). Our dogs all enjoy hiking and exploring with us and we promote curiosity of nature in our puppies as they grow and are raised on our home next to a lake.

I personally think that a great service or therapy dog is not dependent upon the breed but rather, on the individual dog. NASHA COMANDA does not breed with the goal of producing service or therapy dogs and we do not claim to specialize in this area, however, that does not mean that one of our dogs can not be capable of performing that job. I will sell puppies to new owners looking for a service dog BUT they must have a professional trainer who specializes in service dog work in place to work with and a plan for training the puppy PRIOR to bringing the puppy home. I will need to speak with the trainer personally as well. If you do not have a trainer in place or need help in finding one, we are happy to assist. The puppy must also meet our standards for a service prospect based on their temperament/character evaluations. Specialized evaluations may also be carried out based on what type of work the pup is intended for. The reasoning for all of these requirements is that service work is a very very important job for a dog. They are responsible for their person's wellbeing and NASHA COMANDA does not take this lightly. It is of the utmost importance to us that the individual puppy is right for the job and given all of the tools to learn and carry out their future job to the very best of their abilities. If you are looking for a WSS for service or therapy work and one of our dogs does not fit your needs, we have a list of wonderful breeder references we are happy to provide.