Fireside Fernweh is a small versatility-focused White Swiss Shepherd Dog (WSSD) breeding program located in Central Illinois. Dogs are our lifestyle: training, sport trials, shows, hiking, playtime, biking - you name it, we do it with our dogs.  If we aren't actively doing something with our dogs, you can typically find us researching pedigrees, editing photos...of dogs, or reading about dog behavior/genetics/sports/conformation/etc. In other words, we are extremely passionate about White Swiss Shepherds, breeding, training, and competing.

 

Our program focuses on temperament first and foremost, with an aim of producing social and stable dogs suitable for show, sport, and companionship. Our belief is that good temperament is the hallmark of a great dog, which is why we focus so heavily on it's importance. We seek dogs with enough drive and enthusiasm to be successful in sport, but we also value the off switch that makes them easy to live with. To us, a WSSD should be an ideal "weekend warrior" dog who enjoys activity but who is content on our days off. Of course, health is equally important, which is why all of our dogs have had their hips and elbows scored by OFA or FCI, cardiac results registered with OFA, complete DNA panels through Embark, and our younger generation is having their spines scored by FCI.