Meet Katie Halfen DVM

Dr. Katie Halfen is the owner and founder of Casamoko German Shepherds.

I am a breeder who is working first and foremost to improve the breed while creating sound
puppies with exceptional temperaments. All the breeding stock has OFA certified hips, elbows, heart, eyes, thyroid and are DNA tested for all tests applicable to the breed. As a veterinarian health and longevity are of utmost importance as is having a correct and biddable temperament. I strive for my puppies to have correct conformation with a medium to high activity level and the ability to do anything. Casamoko dogs excel at a wide variety of dog sports including conformation, agility, obedience, rally, herding, scent work, tracking, therapy, and service work.  If you are looking for a puppy to be your family member and working partner for any sport, I’m happy to match you to the perfect pup for your needs.

Casamoko German Shepherds was named after the four first German Shepherds that I had. Canyon, Sadie, Moose, and Kodiak are the four cornerstones of Casamoko Shepherds and their names and influence will live on with the kennel.  They inspired me to get involved in the breed by joining local and national clubs, and to compete in the conformation, agility, and obedience rings. Ca for Canyon, the first male I purchased for the breeding program. Sa for Sadie, my first childhood German Shepherd. Mo for Moose, my second childhood German Shepherd. Finally Ko for Kodiak, the foundation of Casamoko German Shepherds who started this wild ride of training and trialing the dogs that has brought me so much joy over the years. The dogs are our companions and family members and receive top notch training and veterinary care to give them the best life possible.

I developed a love for German Shepherds as a child when my parent’s let us bring home a German Shepherd puppy. Her name was Sadie and she started my love for the breed. She was born in 1990 and followed me all the way to college where she passed away in 2002. My family bought a second German Shepherd in 1994 named Moose. He went with me to Veterinary school in Massachusetts and passed in the fall of 2005. After Sadie passed, I decided I wanted to start a breeding program and wanted to find my foundation female. That is when I found Kodiak. Kodiak was everything that people want in a German Shepherd, extremely intelligent, loyal, athletic, beautiful, and able to always make me smile.  Kodiak was the first dog I showed in AKC conformation and although we didn’t get far, she got me into the sport. She also was my reason for getting into agility. She was a very active dog and needed a job. Kodiak also tried sheep herding and even earned her instinct certification at 11 years of age! Kodiak had a long and healthy life, she loved to swim, loved being a mother and passed at the age of 14.5 years. Her personality and spirit are carried on in many of the dogs here at Casamoko Shepherds.

The next shepherd I got was an American show line male, Canyon, from GretchAnya Shepherds.  
Canyon competed in the conformation ring, and was one major shy of earning his AKC
Championship.  He was a fun loving dog full of life, that never took anything too seriously. He had fun doing obedience, rally, and some agility. His fun loving spirit and amazing temperament was passed to the many litters that he sired. He was a prepotent producer and left his stamp on his progeny. He produced conformation Champions and dogs that excelled in performance venues, with several earning their PAM (Performance Award of Merit).  Canyon lived to be over 13 years of age.

Dakota was from Kodiak's first litter and proved to be everything I was looking for in a  
german shepherd-intelligent, beautiful, loyal, driven, protective, aloof to strangers, yet
affectionate to family and friends, and a wonderful producer and grandmother.  She
competed in rally, obedience and agility and earned over 25 titles and certificates over the
years.  She was the ultimate working dog-biddable and wanting to please. She was the first dog I bred to earn her PAM from the GSDCA in the fall of 2014.  Dakota lived to be over 13 years of age.    

Aurora was from Kodiak's third litter and my first AKC Champion. She was a super outgoing and friendly dog. Aurora did well in performance venues as well and earned several titles in agility, herding and rally. She was an amazing producer and produced champions to carry on her lineage.

Eureka was from Dakota's second litter and was a very smart and driven dog. She loved to work and train and to try to figure things out on her own. She won some best puppies in the conformation ring and a second place in her teenage bitch class at the Northeast Futurity.  She placed in her Maturity class at the Northeast Maturity in
2013.  She earned numerous titles over the years, excelling in agility, rally, obedience and herding. She always liked to be busy, busy, busy.

Kiana is from Alaska and Canyon and is a product of both of her parents.  She is the
sweetest and most loving dog.  She is typically very calm and toughtful unless their is a
stick or ball to retrieve.  She has crazy ball drive and loves to play fetch.  Kiana earned numerous titles in rally, agility and obedience. She had good success in the conformation ring as well, earning a best puppy at a specialty show at 9 months of age and two Best of Breeds from the classes.    

Ayla is from Aurora's third litter and had very early success in the conformation ring earning a 4-6 month Puppy Herding Group 2 her first show, a 3 point major from the 6-9 puppy class, a Puppy Herding Group 1 at 11 months of age, and a major reserve at 15 months of age and 3 Best Opposite Sex awards from the classes.  She is a beautiful fluid mover with goregous type and presence.   She finished her AKC championship all owner handled and earned several titles in agility, rally and herding.

Java was from Eureka and Canyon and was a beautiful girl with amazing expression.  I fell in love with her from the beginning and she never disappointed. She was extremely intelligent and loved to work and train. She showed in the conformation ring, but she really excelled in performance. She earned her PAM award with titles in agility, obedience and herding. She was close to earning her PACH (Preferred Agility Championship) before she passed from aggressive metastatic mammary cancer. She took a piece of my heart with her.  

Besides breeding beautiful German Shepherds, I am a veterinarian and business owner of Star Prairie Veterinary Clinic in Star Prairie, Wisconsin.  I spent 8 years working at Warren Animal Hospital, a small animal practice in Rhode Island.  My primary interests are in canine reproduction and helping other breeders produce quality
dogs for each of their breeds.  I graduated from Tufts School of Veterinary Medicine in May 2008, where I began my training in canine reproduction.  I strive to provide the highest quality dogs and puppies I can and all dogs come with a health guarantee for 2.5 years. Many of the dogs in the breeding program are co-owned and co-bred with my sister, Connie Halfen. Together we compete with the dogs in many venues of dog sports.