Who We Are

We will not place a dog unless it is a perfect fit, and we will not compromise our reputation and stature in this field just to make a sale.

I have been obsessed and involved with dogs since I was a young boy. I grew up in rural area with few neighbors, and consequently spent many hours with my dogs, who became my best friends. I moved to Los Angeles when I was 21, and then joined the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department. It was there that I discovered the German dog sport known as "Schutzhund". In 1987, I started training and competing in Schutzhund as a hobby. Having much success in the dog sport, I decided to leave the Sheriff's Department to pursue my lifelong dream of training dogs for a livelihood. I achieved my dream by becoming a successful police dog trainer and an international Schutzhund competitor, representing the United States at two World Championships.
I am very thankful for the opportunities that dogs have brought me. Because of my dogs, I have traveled to many different countries and have befriended wonderful people in the dog world. And just when I thought life couldn’t get any better, my youngest daughter Lauren asked to work for me. She shares the same passion and love for the dogs that I have, and she has become a special part of our family-operated business, German Shepherd Watchdogs. We hope to share with you our many years of experience with German Shepherds, and hope to provide you with one of our hand-selected, wonderful family watchdogs.

World Class German Shepherd Training Credentials

John Riboni’s experience and background:

• Deputy Sheriff with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for 13 years.
• Professional police canine trainer, currently under contract for 5 Northern California law enforcement agencies.
• Certifier for Police Officer Standards of Training (POST) police canines (for both patrol and narcotics detection).
• Dog supplier to numerous police departments in U.S. and Canada, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
• Two- time member of the German Shepherd Dog Club of America World Championship Team, competing internationally.
• Coach and trainer for a 1st place team at the California State Police Olympics K9 Trial.
• Founding member and training director of one of the top Schutzhund clubs in the USA (Placer County Schutzhund,www.placercountyschutzhundclub.com).
• Personal coach to numerous Schutzhund dog handlers at regional, national and international levels.