Complaint Review: Heidelberg German Shepherds - Spring Texas

I will be buying one of these precious dogs. Number one reason is that they have been voted #1 breeder in the world. It was announced at the New York dog show this year. If they have this much confidence in them then they are who I will be buying from.  I have also visited the business many times and have never seen any sick dogs. I asked Mr. Richard about the sick dog mentoine din this page. If your not going to feed the dogs as it is in the paper work that is given to you when the animal is bought then you will get a sick dog.  Store bought food to me is un safeand makes many problems happen. not going there.to much to explain.  The Sheppards are all healthy and sooooo smart. You have to go and visit and see for yourself to make your own decision. Follow your heart not a bunch of strangers. The show in New York isn't strangers so that is who I will be listening to. Good luck to everyone. Lovers and Haters

 I have read the good and the bad on Eugene and Heidelburg. Heck, I didn't know what to think, so I did what should be the obvoius; I went to The Better Buisiness Bureau. Okay, why would ANYONE but a dog from these people? They say a sucker is born every minute. Look, I understand that there are or have been some wonderful expieriences buying a dog from these people, but how about these recorded nightmares? Why take the chance? I have enough problems than to deal with a business owner who acts like a rats behindand is all up in my personal business! Did you see the reports of all the law suits? Anyone with a hundred bucks can file a lawsuit!

I am looking to get another shepherd and torn between this. I purchased a male from Heidelberg Kennels in Spring back in the early 80's. He was beautiful, big, smart, friendly, one of the best dogs we ever owned. And never threaten any of my children if he was around...you would lose. But he never was aggressive towards anyone. Once, when my wife and I went out for a while, we had our neighbor's daughter babysit. She was no stranger to the dog and he treated her like anyone one else we had in our home.

Well, when she was sitting our girls that day, one of them locked herself in the upstairs bathroom. The sitter got a knife and ran up the stairs to open the bathroom door. Waco, our Shepherd, ran after her, jumped on her, and would not let her up. Nothing more. Did not hurt her in any way. My daughter had to go get her parents to get him off. He did not hurt or act aggressive to her in any way except keeping her from my daughter, I assume because she had a knife in her hand. Waco responded to her parents and all was well...although we never left our kids with an adolescent sitter again.

Again, Waco was a great dog. No medical problems ever, and he lived a good long life. That said, every vet we ever took him to said the same thing. They had nothing good to say about Heidelberg Kennels in Spring, would never recommend them and would actually suggest that you avoid them....every one of them, at least 3 to memory. Always telling me we were one of the lucky ones.

I like the Heidelberg breed because of their size, but doubt I will get one. The are pricey to begin with, and if you do have problems, the expense would be cost prohibitive.

It's a financial and emotional investment. Do your homework before you take the leap. I would suggest you start with talking to a few vets about them.

Best wishes and good luck!

I am looking to get another shepherd and torn between this. I purchased a male from Heidelberg Kennels in Spring back in the early 80's. He was beautiful, big, smart, friendly, one of the best dogs we ever owned. And never threaten any of my children if he was around...you would lose. But he never was aggressive towards anyone. Once, when my wife and I went out for a while, we had our neighbor's daughter babysit. She was no stranger to the dog and he treated her like anyone one else we had in our home.

Well, when she was sitting our girls that day, one of them locked herself in the upstairs bathroom. The sitter got a knife and ran up the stairs to open the bathroom door. Waco, our Shepherd, ran after her, jumped on her, and would not let her up. Nothing more. Did not hurt her in any way. My daughter had to go get her parents to get him off. He did not hurt or act aggressive to her in any way except keeping her from my daughter, I assume because she had a knife in her hand. Waco responded to her parents and all was well...although we never left our kids with an adolescent sitter again.

Again, Waco was a great dog. No medical problems ever, and he lived a good long life. That said, every vet we ever took him to said the same thing. They had nothing good to say about Heidelberg Kennels in Spring, would never recommend them and would actually suggest that you avoid them....every one of them, at least 3 to memory. Always telling me we were one of the lucky ones.

I like the Heidelberg breed because of their size, but doubt I will get one. The are pricey to begin with, and if you do have problems, the expense would be cost prohibitive.

It's a financial and emotional investment. Do your homework before you take the leap. I would suggest you start with talking to a few vets about them.

Best wishes and good luck!

First, I definitely do not agree that these dogs are good quality product. I'm far from being alone on this belief. Like many others have stated, get a PROFESSIONAL opinion from ANY local vet in the Spring area. They all know about this place and have a strong opinion.

Second, pay very close attention to the positive reviews found on various Internet company review sights. Nearly all have them have been written by a paid service such as "Reputation Defender", and I have no doubt a few of them by Heidelberg themselves. Someone else wrote a post telling just how easy it is to figure out if they are fake reviews. Click on the names of the person who wrote the 5 star review. Click on the names of many of the people who wrote them. You will see that they are fake accounts set up for the sole purpose of writing review after review after review, all praising the same companies - again and again. The same 10 people who like Heidelberg also have the same mechanic, same carpet cleaner, same dry cleaner, etc. even though all the business are in different cities all over the state. This is exactly what these companies are hired to do. Write so many that it drives their customer score up and push legitimate reviews to the very back. The use the same fake accounts to write reviews for all their customers - including Heidelberg.

Who would have paid a company to write fake reviews for Heidelberg other than Heidelberg themselves? Don't you think this practice is deceitful? They aren't true true reviews. Why would you do business with owners of a company deliberately trying to deceive you?

First, I definitely do not agree that these dogs are good quality product. I'm far from being alone on this belief. Like many others have stated, get a PROFESSIONAL opinion from ANY local vet in the Spring area. They all know about this place and have a strong opinion.

Second, pay very close attention to the positive reviews found on the Internet. Nearly all have them have been written by a paid service such as "Reputation Defender", and I have no doubt a few of them by Heidelberg themselves. Someone else wrote a post telling just how easy it is to figure out if they are fake reviews. Click on the names of the person who wrote the 5 star review. Click on the names of many of the people who wrote them. You will see that they are fake accounts set up for the sole purpose of writing review after review after review, all praising the same companies - again and again. The same 10 people who like Heidelberg also have the same mechanic, same carpet cleaner, same dry cleaner, etc. even though all the business are in different cities all over the state. This is exactly what these companies are hired to do. Write so many that it drives their customer core up and push legitimate reviews to the very back. The use the same fake accounts to write reviews for all their customers - including Heidelberg.

Who would have paid a company to write fake reviews for Heidelberg other than Heidelberg themselves? Don't you think this practice is deceitful? They aren't true true reviews. Why would you do business with owners of a company deliberately trying to deceive you?

Am I the only one who notices this?  This website is www.ripoffreport.com. The key term is RIP OFF.  Why are "happy customers" perusing a website designed for people to warn others about dishonest companies based on their own personal experiences?  And Keith Brinton decided to fly down to TX from Nevada to examine the Heidelberg kennel just out of curiosity after reading these reports?  Haha!  

It is widely known that unhappy customers are more willing to sit down and write a bad review than satisfied customers. After reading all of the negative reviews about Heidelberg, I felt compelled to write about my experience because unlike most of these posts, mine was positive. 

My husband and I purchased our first Heidelberg GSD last year, but you can almost say I have been a Heidelberg customer my whole life. My parents purchased two Heidelberg GSDs in the late 1980's and early 1990's and I spent the rest of my childhood and teen years with them. I also had relatives who owned Heidelberg GSD's so in total I grew up with 5. When my husband and I started thinking about purchasing or adopting a pet, I definitely wanted to consider Heidelberg. We looked online and saw the many negative reviews. My husband and I discussed and took into consideration that we could end up having the same negative experience but we decided to go for it anyway. I can't imagine how 100% of their dogs would come up without any issues and had I been an owner of one of those dogs, I would be upset as well, but it's a risk you take. 

I knew from my experience that Wayne & Eugene were not your average breeders. As part of their contract you agree to feed the dog their specified diet and Eugene continues to hold part-ownership of the dog. In most cases, I think it is unnecessary but it helps them to keep the breed intact and should they catch wind that one of their dogs is being mistreated, they have the right to take it back. So yes, I think they take it a bit to an extreme but I appreciate how much they care about the breed and their dogs.
 
So back to my dogs- the first two we owned were the most loving dogs. They lived to a good age(13 and 12) and while they did develop hip dysplasia, it did not set in until very late in their lives. 
We purchased our current Heidelberg GSD last year and my husband and I couldn't be happier. She is the biggest ball of licky love and I can't imagine our life without her. She doesn't like new people or animals but once she has a chance to get acquainted with you, she's a sweetheart. We continue to take her to Heidelberg (and it's an hour drive each way for us) for her grooming and everyone there is always excited to see her. I realize I can take her some place closer but I like how they are with the dogs. 
They recommend you use their medicines instead of going to a vet but I still feel better having our vet check her out whenever I think she might be coming down with something. I'm a bit neurotic on that end, and I want as many opinions as possible about her health. Each time she checks out fine and the vet has congratulated me on how healthy and good-looking of a german shepherd she is.  In fact, every time I take her out we get comments on her good looks! 

So yes, by purchasing any dog from any breeder you do run the risk of getting one with defects and we now know that Heidelberg is not going to cater to you should you come back upset. But you can't deny that Heidelberg does breed excellent dogs. 

I purchased my female GSD, Sascha, from heidelberg 4 years ago.  My dog has been perfectly healthy and wonderful with my family.  When i have had any concerns over normal cold or diarhea, the staff at the TX location has been more than helpfu, calling me to check on my pet.  I believe the reason why the local veterinarians will not recommend or say anything about the kennel is because Mr Thompson has the knowledge on how to care for your pet at a fraction of the veterinarian cost.  He will also supply the product at a fraction of the cost.  In this way he is a huge competitor to the vetiranary establishment.  I tend to agree with the majority of his statements, having done my own research.  He is like the human family that believes in an all-natural holistic living versus the family that believes in drug after drug to heal a person.  The problem I have with using his product is that I cannot board my girl in a vet faciclity since she was not given their recommended shots.

All in all, I truly believe that the people on this site have enormous grudges against Mr Thompson for whatever reason as I and 3 friends have purchased dogs from him with no problem regarding price, health or attitude.

In addition, as far as the BBB rating - I believe Mr Thompson feels he does not have to respond to that - that his facility should speak for itself. 

Happy and contented with Heidelberg.

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I dont believe this for 1 minute. These bad comments have to be from ex employees or other breeders. Other breeders are jealous of Heidelberg because their dogs are perfect, healthy, extremely intelligent. My female pup that I got in 1986 was from Champion Rader Sundown. No problems at all. Gene and Wayne are educated in nutrition and food and know the important quality food and care to give these dogs and taught me about nutrition and what not to give your pets as far as food. These German Shep are like human beingsI reccommend Heidelberg to anyone who wants a beautiful smart healthy quality German Shep. They are the best!!!

Vicki

Another unlikely truthful reply.  Let me get this straight, you started over 20 years ago researching your purchase, bought your dog over a decade ago, and remember their names and great experience?  And yet another person reporting positive comments from out of state.  Me thinks this is another post given by the owners trying to boost their own reputation from the MANY people who posted how they have been screwed by Heidelberg.

Let me be the voice of reason...  This dog you (possibly ficticiously) mention may very well have been healthy.  No one is contesting the Heidelberg started off with healthy dogs, but breeding from the same line again and again over years, creates genetic disorders.  Your experience (possibly ficticious) is not relevant to today and the genetic messes this place sells. 

This great guy, Gene, tells everyone that NONE of his dogs have hip displasia, but knows that is false.  His dogs have a HIGH rate of genetic skin problems, particularly demodex mange, and he blames it on the owners for not feeding HIS food - when in fact it is also a genetic disorder.

I've seen his worse side.  I believe he is evil.  After all, this is the same guy that was suspended from AKC for cursing out a judge.  Same guy that has an "F" with the Better Business Bureau.  Same guy who tells you that if you sue him, he will sue you right back, even if the counter-charges are made up and bogus.

If you don't think for yourself, you are a thoughtless person.  If you keep people like this in business, you are part of the problem.

  My Heidelberg german shepherd dog recently passed away at the age of 11 years old.
  She was the best dog I have ever had. She was never ill. Had no health  or
  temperment problems. She died of old age my vet said. I picked her out myself. I researched
  shepherds for ten years before I bought my dog. I think people like shepherds and
  want to just go get a puppy. German Shepherds are not for the novice owners.
  Gene was so kind to me. I traveled from california to visit the kennel and meet Gene.
  He and Richard took me out to a great dinner. I am going to purchase two puppies
  in a few months and yes I will travel to the kennel from California to pick out my dogs.
  And yes, my dog was very expensive, one of the best puppies he had out of a great female.
  So people, do your research before buying a dog. I am truly sorry for your difficulties, but my 
  experience from Heidelberg was great.

While I can say that My German Shepherd from Heidelberg is a very good dog as far as temperament and I love him dearly he also had the issue with one t******e not dropping and he also had a hernia I didn't notice till I took him to my Vet and various skin issues.. and I called Eugene and was told the same bull about how all Vets are liars and do not have the t******e removed and anytime there was something wrong with my dog and I called them I would be told it was because of the way I fed him or that he has worms etc..

If you had a good experience with Heidelberg then consider yourself LUCKY... cause as you can see this is not the common experience... I'm not a competitor just a pet owner who feels very deceived and one day Eugene and Heidelberg will get what they deserve.. Maybe someone should call immigration to report the undocumented workers he houses and employ's there

Eventually, I was able to find a great GSD from a reputable breeder. If anyone would like me to share where and my personal experiences with the dog and breeder, please email me at

[email protected]

In response to the original poster from the Woodlands, it sounds like this "deposit"could bea scam, like Eugenecould betaking multiple deposits on the same puppies. Do you have any proof that this litter really died? If so, there is all the proof you need that their dogs are unhealthy. I called to inquire about Heidelbergsa while back, and Eugene went to great lengths on the phone to convince me that I needed to hurry up and put a deposit ona puppy as their puppies were rapidly selling out. I wasn't in a rush to buy a dog and this "hurry up while they last" sales tactic was an big red flag.I encourage everyone to do their research before buying a GSD. Make sure you understand this breed, they need a lot of attention, training, and exercise!

For those of you feeling buyersremorse, it's ok to be human and want a dog.Keep posting your experiences, this is powerfulstuff! For those of you feeling pressured to follow through with a purchase because you've already placed a deposit; Your relationship, your marriage, and your family cannot afford the stress and expense of an unhealthy dog. Let this one go, keep looking, you can get much better for much less if you are patient.

I read "Keith Britons" posts and it's obvious to me too, this is written by the owner.

Who else posts praise like a commercial? I love the 40 years in business "Keith" threw in, Eugene said similar things to me on the phone. BTW,Phony is NOT spelled with a F idiot !!!

The only way to shut these guys down isnot tobuy a dog from them !

I'm sorry KEITH BRINTON it is obvious you are the one working for Heidelberg and Gene Thompson.

I am on my Beautiful 2nd Heidelberg, I love him very much and I have no problems with him. But you can bet I did not buy him from Gene.

This man has way too many complaints thru the years and more so lately. If you say one thing he does not like he threatens to sue you thinking this will scare you and you will back down and most people do.

People should shut him down by not buying from him. This man is very rude, Oh excuse me he is nice while trying to sell the dog.

Soon as a person has a problem instead of helping them he accuses them that they are not taking care of their Heidelberg, they didn't feed the dog his food. Well you don't have to.

I take very good care of my Heidelberg and I would tell anyone to get a Heidelberg just do not buy one from this man.

I have had a great buying experience with Dean in Tulsa,Ok and yes they are affiliated with Gene Thompson but he is nothing like Gene Thompson in Spring,Tx. I would buy another Heidelberg from Dean in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This man and his wife are nice people and even after the purchase he has help very nice phone conversations with me about my heidelberg with no problems.

There are too many animal cruelty complaints on here and the one that really got me was the one about the poor female in puddles of blood with her vagina all tore up, but it was not a male dog that did this.. So it should not take you much to figure out what they are doing to these females.. This is sickening. It breaks my heart.

The police should have warrants to go on that property and search them out..

All people have a business to make money but I firmly believe Dean does love his Heidelberg German Shepherds.

Check out his Website if interested in a beautiful Heidelberg they do have great temperments. But I agree Gene needs to be shut down. The only way to do this is to not support his business.

I considered Heidelberg after looking at their website.    Their puppies were cute and the dogs were very photogenic.   However additional research including the BBB, google, and THIS site saved our family from this potential nightmare.   We got a GSD a few months ago from a reputable breeder.   When I mentioned Heidlelberg, the breeder too, had heard of them.   She had gone with a friend who purchased a puppy from them in Spring, TX.   According to her, her friends puppy DIED the next day.   Heidelberg refused to take responsibility or offer any type of refund.    Keep in mind, we had already paid for our dog and had it in the car.   This was NOT a sales tactic.    And it's not just the vets in the Spring area that have heard of their reputation.    Every vet I've called, no matter which side of Houston has heard of them.   Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!!!!   For those of you and their dogs who have suffered at the the hands of Heidelberg, I'm terribly sorry.     Why are these people in business????

This is not a good or bad statement. We live very close to Heidelburg, and wanted to buy a puppy for my daughters about 4 years ago. We could not afford their price of $2000.00 +, so we found an individual breeder north of us for $600.00. The lady we bought our dog from was very caring, clean, and gave us a 2 year money back guarantee on his certified hips that she paid for with all of his vaccinations.

She (the other breeder) did not have anything bad to say about Heidelburg, so we took our puppy there for supplies and grooming for the first year. We found that somehow every time we took our puppy for grooming he came back with flea's. On one trip we came to pick up our puppy and found him very dizzy and could not walk. We asked Eugene what had happen, and his reply was that he might have been stung be a bee in the ear, but would be ok. After we got back home and put him into the house, he became worse. We rushed him to our Vet, and he said that he acted like he had some sort of head trauma but became ok after a few hours so we blew it off. (maybe it was a bee, who knows) After all of that, my Wife and Daughters will not take him back just in case.

To respond to some of the post, it is true that all of the local vets in our area will not give Heidelburg a good or bad reference, all they will say is check with the better business bureau? I tend to go with my gut when dealing with folks, and they (Heidelburg) always seemed pretty nice. (just very expensive vs. Independent breeders)

I'm glad I read all of the post! We were just searching for their site to see if they had a good female puppy for my male. We didn't want to mix the bloodline from the other breeder, so we were going to check to see if Heidelburgs prices had dropped.

And No, I'm not an independent breeder or endorsing any of them. I'm just a regular Joe that loves Shepherds.

David

I had a friend purchase a dog from this company, and he said he was happy with the dog.  Therefore, I was going to spend money with the "Family Owned and Operated Business".  However, after doing my own reseach and knowing about open records requests I would seriously look into this company before buying.  You need not look any further than the Better Business Bureau.  It's the real deal and very easy to obtain the rating given a company. 

Follow the link below to the Heidelberg German Shepherds BBB rating page.

http://www.bbb.org/houston/business-reviews/animal-brokers-and-dealers-zoo-circus/heidelberg-german-shepherds-in-spring-tx-13005928/

The people who are happy with the service from these people are either very lucky or idiots.  I've come to believe (as many others do) that the comments of praise for Heidelberg are being posted directly by Wayne or Eugene and not legitimate customers.  It's all the same rhetoric in similar wording.  One of the guys from NV above posted some lies in his report, thus making it highly suspect.  He also posted under the same name under another website with different time frames of buying the dog.  I wouldn't believe him, but if he is legit, I doubt he has waited long enough after posting to see if his dog will develop health problems like everyone elses did. 

I think it is disappointing that people keep them in business by buying their product. 

I've said it before and will say it again.  Make you own mind up, but get the advise of local vets who have treated Heidelberg dogs.  I won't even recommend anyone.  Just go on your own, pick up the yellow pages and call ANY local vet to the Spring/The Woodlands area of TX.  Do you own research!  Don't expect to be treated any different than every other patron of Heidelberg. 

I don't really want to go into any details about the dog I purchased because there is no doubt in my mind that the owners are probably snooping around on here. I will say I bought the dog a couple of months back. This man is so full of **** it's not even funny. He charges SOOO much for his dogs and they're very ugly and not to mention very unhealthy. He fed us so much BS about vets and what to feed your dog. From what I was told my dog was not from his kennel so maybe that's a reason my dog isn't dead yet. He lies about everying (Wayne) in order to screw you over on a price. I have spoken to several vets and they have told me the exact same thing some of the others have written on here. The man is a lunatic. If you're going to blow this much money on a dog I reccomend you go to a reputable breeder, preferably one that offers health promises etc. Again ! Every complaint written on this site was true. To sum it all up the safest decision to make is to just NOT buy a dog from this place.

Take your time and don't rush into things and you will find the perfect GSD

I went out to the Heidelberg facility to check it out. I admit that the dogs I saw were beautiful but there were a few things that made me suspicious. I spoke to a family that was there visiting their puppy and the gentleman told me that each time he has been out there to visit his dog, the owner has informed him that the price has increased on his puppy. The gentleman told me that if it wasn't for his family already being attached to the dog that he would not purchase it. I thought that was strange?? Anyway, after reading all this I actually triend to contact Mr. Briton but have had no success. I would really appreciate any insight as to whether or not I should consider purchasing from Heidelberg or if I should look at other breeders. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

I have not hidden behind some foney name like you have.

I have not posted negative comments with out you being able to confirm what I said is the truth like you have. If you know how to use a computer and you obviously do, you could simple go to google and enter my name and you could find me in Las Vegas. I am not some idiot with out common sense as you say, But rather I am a very successful business man and I am from Las Vegas as I stated. But true to your form you don't bother finding the facts you just attack me and make more false accusations by saying I am Eugene at Heidelberg. Your true self has shown in your attacks. I am not sure who you are because you hide behind false names or initials but I do not believe you ever owned a Heidelberg dog and If you did I hope you treated it better than you do people that disagree with you. I like the way you claim that the courts told you they were well aware of Eugene and Heidelberg. But again you provide NO PROOF that you ever had any court case pending or filed and won or lost. Common sense tells me that the courts deal with thousands of cases and you want us to believe that 2 or 3 cases concerning a dog dispute stands out over all other cases. Common sense tells me you are making more false statements with that one. I will also say that as far as Eugene saying all vets are liars. That too is another of your false statements. Eugene told me that he can save me money on things such as ear mite meds and flee meds and heart worm meds but he Never told me that VETS are liars as you say. What he did tell me was that Heidelberg has a Vet on retainer and that is how they get huge discounts on meds for your dogs. He also told me if I had a problem with my dogs health I could call and get advise from him but some things need a vets attention and if that was the case they would recommend I take my dog to a vet. Sorry you think I am a WALKING COMMERCIAL for Heidelberg but when I see someone that has treated me fairly being attacked by some clown that refuses to use his or her real name. I felt the need to set the record straight. Lets just make it easy for anyone that wants the truth here is my web address WWW.DIAMOND-HEADS.com check it out I am who I claim to be. Are the people spreading these false statements willing to do the same? Are you willing to put your name and way of contact out for us all to see? I would recommend any one that reads this to check out Heidelberg. Then if you are happy as I was buy one of their pups, they are great dogs. But if your unsure don't buy one of Heidelbergs dogs keep looking. But I think if you check them out you will see that the negative comments are false. These guys are very knowledgeable and willing to discuse any issues with you before you buy. They hid NOTHING from me. And they did disclose all pedigree info. before I purchased a pup. I searched for over a year before I made a decision to buy a Heidelberg. I viewed pups and adults from several top breeders and decided a Heidelberg was the dog for me. It may not be the right dog for you but at least check them out for your self like I did. If you have questions ask.

If you live in this area (Spring, TX) and ever spent time around Eugene Thompson, you will know that the last 2 posts by "Keith Brinton", were done by the one and only Heidelberg German Shepherd owner Eugene himself.  He goes through great lengths to post complimentary reveiws to counter all his many, many angry customers.  I'm explaining this for everyone else who reads this because they probably wouldn't guess that Eugene is JUST THAT LOW - although somewhat creative in the way he goes about it.  I love how "Keith Brinton" from Las Vegas knows all the wonderful things about Heidelberg.  A real walking commercial for the cause.  BULL.

The original poster actually has the name "Keith" and lives in The Woodlands.  I found his case information after going to the court to investigate possibly starting my own.  He DID sue in small claims court and won with a jury trial.  I found this out when investigating on my own because Eugene also cheated me.  I found that everyone who has ever threatened or followed through with a lawsuit, that Eugene filed a countersuit.  I found that Eugene has lost several small claims suits in his area, but appealed every one with lawyers.  And yes, when I told Eugene I would sue him, he threatened to ruin me by suing me right back - and that's before I even filed anything.  He immediately went on the offense instead of fixing the problem with the sick dog he sold me.

The court clerk told me that Eugene is well known in this particular court.  I was told by a local attorney that dealt with Eugene before, that I would never see the end of a lawsuit because Eugene appeals everything with lawyers and runs everyone into a financial hole who goes after him.  I wanted my money back for good reason, but would have to spend 10x on a lawyer to fight Eugene.  I was told I could be guaranteed to have to fight him 2 times because Eugene automatically appeals every verdict against him, regardless of the cost or case against him.  It's in the public records, so accuse me of lying all you want.  Look it up. Can't hid that can you "Keith Brinton" of Las Vegas??

Does Eugene sound like someone you want to do business with? 

Speaking of looking up, look up all the MANY, MANY reviews of FORMER customers?  Eugene may try to say these are competitors, but does that really make sense?  This so called "true professionals" (Eugene) has been suspended from the AKC before for cursing out a judge.  (Also public record).  

To heck with whatever you read on the internet.  You are an ABSOLUTE FOOL if you buy from them without checking with ANY local vet in the SPRING/THE WOODLANDS area.  Some vets may refuse talk about Heidelberg because Eugene has threatened to sue them if they did.  One actually told me that.  No one, and I MEAN NO ONE will recommend them.  Hear that?  NO VET WILL RECOMMEND EUGENE OR HEIDELBERG.

Eugene's answer to that is that all vets are crooks and just want your money.  He tells everyone that.  Does that make sense to you?  According to Eugene, you can't trust anyone but him!  Any common sense person would run from this guy.  You get what you deserve if you get cheated by him too by not using common sense. 

In the last 3 years, I've randomly come across 4 owners of Heidelberg shepherds and 3 of them said their dog has hip displasia.  3 of them also said their dog had genetic skin problems.  That is fact. 

Bite me Eugene.  I know you are reading this.  You are a crook and will get what you deserve on the other side.  Shame belongs to the people who keep him in business.

I don't believe a word of what you are claiming. I read all this nonsense and was very leary of Heidelberg but I thought maybe you are just some ex employee's that are doing all this or possibly someone also selling shepherds in the same area. so I went to Heidelberg my self and seen with my own eyes that all of what you are claiming is bogus. I will say it does not surprise me that you hide your real name because that is exactly what bogus people do is use an assumed name or none at all. I bought a pup and she is perfectly healthy and smart and most important too me she has a great temperment. She loves kids and animals. We was told up front that the parents were not champion but the father is pointed and will be champion if his owner keeps pursueing that title. We were given a pedigree that shows all the dogs in her line for 5 generations. I am sure you got the same so I don't know why you would make claims that you did not know the pedigree.   People like you should be ashamed of yourselves. If you had a real complaint you would take it to court not just run your mouth on the internet. I have noticed that you never did post about your lawsuit. Win or lose. Maybe because there never was one? Why not just be honest and tell us who you are? Are you a back yard breeder selling shepherds in the same area and just tired of people buying the Heidelberg dogs over yours? If you used your real name we could find out, maybe that is why you don't use your real name. In the United States people have the right to face their accuser. If you have a problem don't hide behind a foney name on the internet. Us the court system or just stop playing games.

I recently purchased a pup from Eugene and Wayne at Heidelberg and found them to be very helpful and informed. Wayne took the time to explain to me why they feed their dogs as they do and suggested we do the same but also said it was only a suggestion not a requirement. I do feed my dog as they recommended but only because I believe it is a better diet for my dog and I want her to remain as healthy as possible. I too signed a contract when I bought my dog the contract states that if you breed your dog you must use their Champion stud dogs and they get half the litter. I think that the only person having a problem with that would be someone wanting to start a breeding program and use the Heidelberg dogs as a starting platform. But think of it this way why should Eugene and Wayne give you the right to use their dogs to start competing with them? They are the ones that have put 40 years into getting the breeding right so why should you have all the rights to their hard work? I have read all these reports and did so before I went to Heidelberg to see for myself if any of this was true. What I found was just the opposite of what is being said here. These guys are true professionals in every way they truly love these dogs and are doing all they can to keep the shepherd as it was 40 years ago true to type and with sound mind. If you are thinking of buying a German Shepherd do yourself a favor and visit Heidelberg see for your self. These dogs are outstanding in every way. I believe most of this negative is coming from their competition. Maybe they should spend more time learning about the breed and bettering their own dogs bloodlines and stop bashing the folks at Heidelberg.

I'm so glad I found this site.  I now know these problems are not isolated.  I purchased my GSD from a nice family that had a litter.  The father was an import and the mother was from Heidelberg.  My dog is now about 4 years old and is absolutely beautiful and a total sweetheart.  But early on, we discovered that his testicles did not descend.  I wanted to keep him intact but for health reasons, I had to neuter him.  And now I'm hearing this is not an uncommon occurrence among Heidelberg dogs!  I have no proof the mother was responsible but given what people have said here, I would bet money that she's genetically responsible. 
I have not had bad experiences with Eugene but they were not good either.  He's freakishly abrasive and defensive.  Yet he speaks with so much conviction that I almost believed him.  I have been using his Ivermectin treatment but what he failed to notify me is that while it probably works just as well as Heartguard, you have to be extremely precise with the dosage.  Ivermectin wrecks havoc on the liver and the damage is not immediately noticeable (just like alcoholics).  I have now stopped using this and will spend the extra money on Heartguard or the like.  However, his ear cleaner seems to work well.
My coworker put a down payment on a female puppy and like some of the posters here, would go and visit it with his wife.  When it came time to take pick her up, Eugene said he couldn't as the puppy was a little sick.  As a matter of fact, the dog was sick when he first saw it but Eugene said it was very minor and it would be cured shortly.  Long story short, the puppy died.  What the hell?  I don't need to read anymore Heidelberg horror stories because they're ALL THE SAME!!!  The only extremely important lesson here is that Eugene Thompson will not take any responsibility for the health of his dogs.  It breaks my heart to hear these stories and I hope no one else falls victim to his dishonest practices.

Heidelberg is local - 15 minutes from my house. Not someone on the internet. We did see both the mother and father. Did you not read the part about visiting the pet every weekend until it was old enough to come home? I'm glad you support your local animal shelter, but after reading your baseless comments such as "you deserve it", I don't think you yourself are fit to care for a dog Joe. This is a serious issue with Heidelberg and you should go trolling somewhere else since you have nothing of value to add here.

YOU NEED TO RESCUE PUPPIES FROM YOU LOCAL HUMANE SOCIETY. NOTHING WRONG WITH OLDER DOGS. THEY MAKE FABULOUS PETS AND YOU CAN BE SURE OF WHAT YOU ARE GETTING FOR REASONABLE PRICE! WHEN YOU BUY SIGHT UNSEEN YOU CAN FALL PREY TO THE CLASSIC NIGERIAN PET ADOPTION SCHEME OR GET SENT THE CULLS OF THE PUPPY MILL --- OR SICK PUPPIES YOU HAVE NO RECORD OF THEIR VACCINATIONS,ETC. do not buy dogs sight unseen off of the d**n internet! YOU ARE SETTING YOURSELF UP TO BE RIPPED OFF...AND YOU DESERVE IT. IF YOU HAVE TO BUY A PUPPY, BUY FROM A LOCAL BREEDER NOT SOME GUY HUNDREDS OF MILES AWAY. YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE NOT BUYING FROM A PUPPY MILL. YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE TO SEE THE MOTHER AND THE FATHER. USE COMMON SENSE AND SAVE CENTS ( AND LOTS OF DOLLARS TOO) AND SHOP LOCAL AND $AVE!

My german shepherd was bought from Heidelberg and we had the usual problems with the stomach issues. Once we got her healthy she was wonderful although I did not trust them at all. We were required to breed her as part of the contract we were forced to have two litters of puppies with them getting pick of the litter. I put it off as long as I could as they threatened to take her if I did not and a lawyer stated I had no choice based on the contract that my husband had signed. I took my dog in and I was extremely anxious as I did not have a good feeling. I called the next day and was told she was fine and that she still had not been bred. The second morning I called and they said she had bread that morning with no problems at all and everything was good. That next morning I received a phone call stating that my dog had started bleeding the night before and it was not too bad but they could not get it to stop so that I needed to come get her. I asked her why they had not taken her to a vet. You can guess the answer to that one. I pushed the issue and Wayne stated that he had checked on her throughout the night because he was concerned about the loss of blood. I was actually out of town and drove quickly straight there. When they brought me and my two daughters to the kennel where my dog was I did not even recognize her. She was literally covered in blood and standing in a puddles of blood (I mean puddles). It looked like a complete blood bath. All three of us began crying and were out of our minds with grief. They immediately took her to wash her off and load towels into my car. I kept asking what they had done to her and I was very upset. They said I did not need to take her to a vet that she would be fine just to take her home. She was pouring blood from her vaginal area. I rushed her in her completely lethargic state to the emergency vet (it was a Sunday morning). They had to sedate her due to the amount of pain that she was in. They came in and told me that my dog had been torn in the vagina in 4 different spots. They explained to me that there was no possible way that this type of injury was from normal breeding practices. They called Heidelberg to get them to cover the bill and they refused stating that it was not their fault all they did was breed her and it was not their problem that she starting bleeding. Things went south from there. I did contact the SPCA and was the 3rd call for that month (one of which the dog did not make it). I spoke with multiple people at the German Shepherd Dog Clubs around the state of Texas. All of which told me stories and gave me information that made my stomach turn. I was also told by multiple people that filing a lawsuit is incredibly risky as they have more lawyers on staff than anything else and only one person had successfully sued them. I spoke with that gentleman and he said the only reason he was able to keep going against all their lawyers was because his wife was his lawyer. I asked the doctors at the emergency hospital and initially they all were willing to support that there was no way this happened naturally. My dog ended up having 2 blood transfusions and a platelet transfusion to keep her alive. $5000 later and a week of calls every two to three hours to let me know they were not sure if she would make it, she was finally okay and came home. The SPCA called and said they had a good break in the case because another family came into file a complaint with them on Heidelberg and they told them they were the 4th and mentioned one of the cases was around that time frame they were there. They mentioned they had seen a dog standing in a kennel in pools of blood. They chose to still leave their dog but were concerned about the bloody dog they saw that they were assured was okay. The SPCA felt that the DA had a good case for a criminal case against them for animal cruelty. They law clearly states failure to render help. As we were pursuing this avenue I started receiving letters from Heidelberg letting me know that if I filed they were coming after me and the same stuff that you mentioned. Basically the SPCA told me they felt I had a good case but I needed to be prepared that if I lost they would have a case for slander and probably come after me. When I started trying to further it the doctors all began refusing to write letters. I was told it is too costly with all the lawsuits when they are involved. I thought this is crazy these people are doing illegal things and hurting animals and no one can do anything. While it made me heart hurt greatly I could not go through with it as I was fearful that I would lose everything including the dog. I did not think I had the finances to fight the battle if the DA did not win. I would be putting a lot on their winning the criminal trial. I really believe someone should start a class action lawsuit and ban together to fight these scum. They need to be shut down. My dog is wonderful and amazing but that is by luck in my opinion. They are more interested money than the dogs they breed and they do so to the detriment of those dogs. This is an incident that will forever be ingrained in mine and my children's head. Had I not been so distraught I would have taken a picture with my camera phone but I was not thinking straight with the horror that I saw to one of my family members. I hope that you post how the lawsuit turns out I would love to know that someone got them for all of us who could not go through with it. I wish the best of luck.

I owned two German Shepherds from Heidelberg in Texas...one male and one female. I too was told they both came from champions, but they did not. The lies from them just never ended!!! The male had the same problem as you mentioned and had to be neutered because of cancer. He later died. My female and male both had hip dysplasia and was confirmed by ex-rays by an extremely well known vet in Houston. I too was told the vet was a liar on both accounts even with ex-rays on both conditions. I was blamed for both problems for not buying their food and feeding them properly with all the non-sense of the meat and yogurt crap they tell you the dog needs. I've owned other large breed dogs that were bred from ordinary people and have always fed them Science Diet and have not had these issues before in my entire life...I honestly could not believe the bogus things that came out of that man's mouth...I was shocked and would never spend one dime at his place. It truly is a shame for the dogs and puppies there...he should be shut down. Heidelberg is a COMPLETE rip off.