4/28/2014, From Dave and Shirley in Idaho who have KeyTo:

“I am writing especially to relate an unusual activity he [KeyTo] performed Friday evening, April 25th.  Although he has shown protective tendency toward Shirley, barking if anyone approaches her unexpectedly, Friday night’s performance was especially unusual, confirming that we did get exactly what we wanted in a companion dog from Candle Hill Shepherds.

We had a light rain off and on all day Friday and Friday night it was 28 degrees about 10 PM.  Shirley had taken KeyTo out to see if he had a need to be outside and she went out the garage side door. The concrete walk was not iced but the wooden ramp was icy and as Shirley stepped down her foot slipped on the ice and she fell hitting her head on the concrete.  I was in the kitchen doing a little cleanup with the water running, the TV was on in the living room, the garage doors were closed and all doors between the garage and the house/kitchen were closed.  Shirley was alone and isolated in her distress and would have remained so until I wondered where she was were it not for Keyto.  When she fell he immediately ran to her and started barking, not a high pitched, excited puppy bark, but a big dog alarm bark and after bumping her with his nose he immediately left her and ran around the front of the garage to the front door of the house and continued to bark as he turned around and ran back to Shirley where she fell and was immobile.  I heard the barking and knew immediately that something was wrong, expecting possibly a bear or other varmint.  The barking continued as I ran through the house picking up a flashlight and firearm on my way, expecting that kind of situation.  As soon as I opened the side door of the garage KeyTo stopped barking and stood erect beside Shirley.  Shirley called out that she needed help and I got her to her feet and into the house with KeyTo never more that a couple of inches from her side.   KeyTo was 4 1/2 months old on Friday the 25th and although he has barked at the fox and the deer a couple of times it has only been a bark or two and never with the tone and volume that he used Friday night when Shirley fell.  Even when a stranger approaches Shirley unexpectedly it’s only a bark or two to alert us that someone unexpected is approaching.  Friday’s bark was clearly an alarm bark, it was urgent and unmistakable that something bad had happened, and he inherently knew how and where to get help.

I don’t have words enough to commend you on the German Shepherd lines that you breed, I only know that KeyTo is an exceptional German Shepherd, even though he is still a puppy.  I suspect that his performance Friday night is not a surprise to you – that is what you bred him for, Thank You.  
Dave and Shirley”