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This is ridiculous, sorry

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Schäfer is a German last name and literally the word for "sheep herder". German shepherd dogs are called "Schäferhund" in German, so you wanting to use this as a first name is just ridiculous.

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Also, "shay-fur" is close, but still off concerning pronunciation.

Well… In Sweden we call German Shepherds for "Schäfer". It's a dog name. Like, literally. Me no likey. And I think it would be complicated in the US.

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But if you want spelling suggestions, what about Shayfur, Shaefer, Shayfer?

I know someone with the surname Shafer, so I would probably spell it this way. The ä may be a doozy for a kid to deal with when learning his alphabet (at least in America). My favorite spellings are Shafer, Schafer, and Shaefer. The ae seems kind of feminine to me.

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I would only use this as a middle name, probably a masculine mn. I'm not too keen on using surnames as given names (even Bailey is too much for me) but this seems to be okay as far as surnames-as-given-names go. It seems sophisticated and intelligent, but not dusty or English professor worthy.

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Possible combos:
Robin Shafer
Timothy Shafer
Eleanor Shaefer
Ivy Shaefer
Harold Schafer