Countryside Kennels, LLC

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5-Star Review for Countryside Kennels (Derek & Kara) As a responsible dog owner, I believed it my duty to thoroughly research both the breed and the breeder before making a purchase. Prior to getting my dog, I spent significant time researching the Belgian Malinois and Dutch Shepherds, as well as ethical breeders, ultimately choosing Countryside Kennels—Derek and Kara. From the start, I spent extensive time speaking with Derek about his dogs, available puppies, lineage, breeding practices, and the philosophy behind their program. It was clear that both Derek and Kara are genuinely passionate about producing and raising well-bred, well-cared-for dogs. At no point did I feel rushed or pressured—every question was answered with patience, respect, and transparency. When I was ready to proceed, we reviewed all contractual responsibilities in detail. After selecting my puppy, I paid a non-refundable deposit to hold her and completed the remaining balance at pickup. Following her veterinary wellness exam within the contracted timeframe, she was confirmed healthy and became my dog, along with full responsibility for her care, training, and well-being. That distinction is important. Like every ethical breeder I researched, Countryside Kennels also made it clear they would accept the return of the dog if I were ever unable to keep her—though no refund would be issued, which is standard practice among responsible breeders. Ultimately, it was my responsibility to understand the breed, the breeder, and the full terms of the agreement before purchasing. Once ownership is transferred, that responsibility does not disappear. Expecting a refund after changing one’s mind is not reasonable; responsible ownership means accepting the commitment made. If a situation ever arises where a dog cannot be kept, the ethical choice is to return the dog to the breeder rather than surrendering it to a shelter. These are living animals—not products to be discarded when expectations change. After bringing my girl home, I continued to take responsibility seriously by investing in professional board-and-train obedience work. When her training was complete, I was personally instructed on how to maintain and continue that training for consistency. The key is simple: you must put in the work. High-drive working breeds require structure, leadership, and ongoing training. Professional training is a foundation, not a replacement for owner responsibility. Any failure in that regard lies with the owner—not the breeder, trainer, or dog. Without a doubt, choosing Countryside Kennels, investing in professional training, and committing to ongoing work with my dog have been some of the best decisions I’ve made. I did my research, asked the questions, understood the commitment, and accepted the responsibility. She is not a product—she is my responsibility, and she is absolutely worth every bit of the effort. Thank you Derek and Kara!

Our Ember is six years old now, and I’ve been meaning to write a review for a long time. She was our first-ever family dog. Now that she is a little older, we are looking at getting her a companion pup from Derek and Kara. Ember was a ball of energy and took a lot of dedication and training her first 18 months or so (house and crate trained very quickly, though!), and we did work with trainers, as we were brand new to dog ownership. As she has gotten older, we are just more and more in love with her. She is healthy, athletic, loyal, a perfect mix between adventure dog and couch potato. I never worry about her destroying things or chewing things while she’s home alone. She adapted to our new kitten within a week or so and was trained not to chase him very quickly, and now they wrestle and play together. When I walk or hike with her, she gets a lot of admiration, and people frequently ask about her. My adult kids love her so much they dream about being done with college so they can go get a puppy from Derek. While we sometimes wondered if we could handle her at first because of her energy, she has proven to be trainable, loveable, so incredibly gentle with little kids, and just the most amazing dog. I’m so grateful to have found Derek and his amazing dogs and hope he keeps blessing the world with them for a long time.

We have the most wonderful two pups from Countryside. They are sweet, delightful, beautiful and the most loyal. Countryside is a terrific business and they just love their dogs. Dereck is fantastic. He knows animals so well. We would only ever get our dogs here!!

My mix named chillie is absolutely the smartest, obedient, and most well tempered dog I have ever had. So easy to train! I hope to get another from countryside soon!

My prime pup has learned so fast that I just need another. Picked up my Bose pup last weekend. Seriously these dogs from pups just have the will to learn / know everything. 15 weeks and she knows all the important stuff plus the cool tricks (she’s a local celebrity) New baby started socializing and she might take my primes spot!! Highly recommend, these are the smartest dogs I’ve ever encountered.