Seeking out German Shepherd Breeders

Seeking out German Shepherd Breeders

The family needs a German shepherd puppy and now they are observing to you to go become one from somebody that the entire family cans faith and appearance to for information on raising the new domestic associate. The problematic is that you have no impression how to discover a decent German Shepherd Breeders. Well that is no tricky, which is why you observed up this situation object. You can discover a trustworthy breeder in a mixture of habits. I emphasize the mixture because you will essential a lot of information to find the correct breeder for you.

You can twitch your hunt, simply enough, in your local telephone book. Occasionally breeders publicize in the telephone book and occasionally they don't. You should use extra properties than just the telephone book but it can be an opening point. Just recall that some of the greatest breeders only do commercial through referral so that might be why you prepare not see a portion of breeders in the telephone book. A breeder that is particular about their clienteles may be healthier anyhow.

You will not ever get healthier advice on your pet than from your examine so your vet should be one of the chief sources of info you use to discover a German Shepherd breeder that you texture like you can do corporate with. If you presently have pets and do corporate with examine then request your vet for a transfer to a good breeder. If you prepare not have examine then the process of observing for a breeder is the faultless time to start an association with examine. Any vet transfer is sure to be a decent one to a trustworthy breeder that you will be talented to do professional with for an extended time.

Numerous breeders also list themselves on the nationwide breeder archives like the American Kennel Club in addition others. A nationwide breeder archive sets an average for the associate breeders that are registered with them and that is somewhat you can use to understand what a potential breeder's breeding attitude may be. Plus you can maybe rest assured that if they upkeep enough about their professional to list it with a nationwide activity then they might be worth speaking to.

It might not mean that breeders are not decent German shepherd breeders just because they are not registered with an archive. After you hunt the registries you may need to also organize a general hunt of the Internet. The Internet transports us all composed and puts a world's worth of info at your fingertips. You can usage that info to catch the German shepherd breeder that will work greatest with you and you might even blessing out and discover one with a website that you canister look over to find info about their breeding agendas and typically a lot of cute images.

Your hunt for the perfect German Shepherd Breeders in your part should consist of numerous different bases of info. You should conversation to as several qualified persons as you can and apply all the gears at your removal before you make this very dangerous choice. Making the incorrect choice about a German shepherd breeder can be somewhat you will have to living with for a much extended time so make sure you organize a detailed hunt and catch the breeder that is correct for you.

WHAT'S SEX GOT TO DO WITH ANYTHING ANYWAY?

Quick, if someone asked you to name the all time greatest German Shepherd Dog in the history of the breed, who would you say? How about if they asked you who the best looking dog of all time was? Want to make a bet that you would name a male dog for both of those questions?

Admit it, when you were a kid and someone would mention the German Shepherd Dog, I bet you would visualize a male dog. I know that I did. I�ve always loved the noble look of this breed. I visualized them as being a masculine, big boned dog with a great big old head. I thought of them as a powerful breed; strong and courageous and willing to defend you with their life! Not once did I ever think of a German Shepherd bitch when I thought about this breed! For some reason, thinking of a German Shepherd brings up a picture in most peoples mind of the majestic male of this breed. Many times if your parents bought a German Shepherd as a pet, nine times out of ten, it was probably a male. They were probably looking for a guardian for their family, but more importantly a powerful protector of their property and valuables.

There�s just something about the noble German Shepherd Dog that makes you think in terms of the males of this breed. On the other hand, if you�re thinking of a lap dog, many times you might think in terms of a female.

When I first started out in this breed, a male is all I ever thought about owning. I wanted a big masculine dog that would turn people�s heads when I walked down the street with him. �That�s right, we�re cool. I got myself a big �bad boy!� I wanted a dog that commanded people�s respect and in my mind, what better way to do this than with a male German Shepherd? That was my mind set then. German Shepherd Dogs equaled male dogs! That was until I was knocked down a few pegs when one of my very first lessons in this breed is when someone told me: �Your kennel is only as good as the bitches you own!� Really? But I loved the males. That might have been true, but unless he was a star, I would be just about the only one that loved him. He would never be used for public stud and would only remain my beloved pet! Boy, that didn�t seem fair at all! I mean after all he had the same bloodlines as his more desirable litter sister! How come it was OK for me to keep her and not him? Seemed like a reasonable question to me at the time.

I was told that if the bitch didn�t turn out for showing, I could always breed her to a top producing stud dog and perhaps get a show quality puppy or two. On the other hand, if I kept her brother and he didn�t turn out, no one would breed to him, except me and that would mean I would have to go out and buy myself a bitch to breed to him. It looked like if I wanted to have any little bit of success in this breed, I�d better learn to follow the advise of those seasoned pros that proved what they were saying was true by keeping mostly bitches in their kennels. However, the few males if any that they owned were all top winning dogs.

I would soon find out the difference in owning males compared to owning bitches! Both sexes certainly have their own unique personalities. I find it very different owning a bitch compared to a male. The majority of German Shepherds that I�ve owned have been bitches; so therefore, the majority of my favorite dogs throughout the years have been females. That said I still miss the males. I find that they are easier to get along with as long as you don�t have females in season! Most of the time they make great house dogs! Very much like the human male, they can be big babies!!! They like to be pampered and loved on and thrive on attention. Most of the time, they're quieter than the bitches.

The female on the other hand has earned her title (and wears it proudly) of being called a bitch and everything that the word may stand for! She is nobility at its best. She may even be the homeliest little thing that was ever born, or even the runt of the litter but don�t tell her that, because she�d never believe it. She�s too into herself strutting around like she owns the place. And if truth be told, she does (well in her own mind anyway)! She rules her domain by either being a showoff looking for endless adoration or ruling with a quiet dignified look to anyone that might challenge or doubt her. With her dark Hershey brown eyes, ears standing strong and centered resting on a fabulous feminine head well there's just nothing more breathtaking!

The bitches are definitely unique in how they view their world. They can be cunning, inquisitive, and sometimes oh so challenging! Living with bitches means there is never a dull moment. There is nothing funnier than when you see a 90 pound male submitting to the 58 pound �Queen Bee� as she steals his favorite toy only to drop it after she gets it. Then she runs over to put her teeth gently but firmly across his mouth to let him know she really didn�t want it at all but to let him know she can have it anytime she pleases! It�s like she�s saying, �I don�t really want it, but I don�t want you to have it either!� Can we say "Diva" here? Hmm��.sounds like some human bitches that I know of!

As far as watchdogs, both sexes of this breed are excellent, but sometimes the bitches can be just a little be nastier than her male housemate! She has to make up for all his bravado so what she may lack in strength, she makes up for in speed! They�re quick and it�s almost like their maternal instincts kick in when defending their human family and property. They�re very purpose driven; not being satisfied until they accomplish what they�ve set out to do. For sheer strength and power, you couldn�t want a more formidable defender than the male German Shepherd. He is not a dog that an intruder wants to find greeting him. But for sheer quickness and agility all the exercise and jogging in the world won�t save the perpetrator from the sheer cunning of the bitch of this breed! If you trespass on this breeds property, their goal is to get you and they�re going to �get you good!�

Living with the male German Shepherd he has learned how to manipulate his humans to get what he wants by surprising them with his �big baby� ways. Those big old brown �cow eyes� that hold you in his stare makes for some �laugh out loud� moments. Few can resist this big macho dog collapsing at your side for a belly rub. The bitch can be more demanding of your attention by moaning, groaning and whining when she feels her needs are not being met. If she were human, this would probably equate to the not so nice label of being called a �nag!� Oh they do keep us on our toes!

So no matter what sex you decide upon, living with a German Shepherd is always an adventure. You never know what your day is going to be like with these guys, but one thing is for certain, it�s never going to be boring. They make sure it�s not. They�re just too darn smart for that!

BIG BOYS DON'T CRY - OR DO THEY?

Being a part of the Facebook community allows us to make friendships with people that most of us will never meet in person. But everyday we invite these strangers into our living rooms to share a piece of our lives with them and them with us. It's a comfortable environment. We can pour ourselves a cup of coffee and lounge around in our pajamas without having to get a robe to cover up. We get a peek into their relationships both good and bad. Sometimes they share too much information, but some feel this is a good way for them to vent their frustrations and disappointments. There also are lots of good news........babies born, engagements announced, birthdays celebrated, etc. Then there are the deaths and those that are grieving for their lost loved ones. Well yesterday one of these loses came across on my screen. This was from a man who seems extremely popular and well liked if the number of responses he gets from people everyday is any indicator of this. I don't know him personally, but by reading his posts everyday, I feel I know a little something about him. We share his life through his pictures he shares with us and his words he writes on his posts. You can tell this man has a lot of love in his heart for those that are in his life and his beloved dogs. They say every picture tells a story and in his case this is very true. The picture that he posted yesterday will remain in my memory for a very long time.

Most people think of women as being the ones that can share their pain and express their emotions more easily than a man does. I mean we are raised in a culture that applauds the hero in men, the strong, the noble.....the "men don't cry" persona. You know the mind set......big boys don't cry! Well yesterday, this man's picture blew that mind set out of the water! His picture showed just two faces, two faces with their heads laying down on the floor. The man had his head touching his dog's head. A picture of a man and his dying dog stared back at me. The black eyes against the dark fur with a blank look in her eyes and the sorrowful eyes of the man who was saying good bye to his beloved dog was a picture of unquestionable love. "Good bye my friend, good bye a part of my heart" spoke to me from that page. We shared in his sorrow. We knew that we were looking at a very special bond with a man and his dog. He shared with us his vulnerability; unashamed of his sorrowful heart. Although it was very heartbreaking knowing the pain he was suffering, it was also very beautiful seeing this man share his softer side. I say that because I look at all his pictures and he seems like a macho type of guy. He trains his dogs and shares those pictures with us as well. They are so beautifully trained and cared for and loved. He handles and loves his puppies with a loving, gentle but firm hand. We see pictures of him and his love who he just became engaged to. We see him and his sons and his grandchildren. This is a man who is loving his life and has much to be thankful for. But it's the loss of his very special dog that brings him to his knees.

When there are times when our hearts are heavy, it seems that it's just you and your beloved dog against the world. He's got your back covered. When he's no longer there, it's just your memories that get you through. For all the times that you cried, he was there to lick away your tears and reassure you when you didn't feel so sure yourself that all would be alright. He never left your side. It's when he has to leave your side that you may feel alone against the world. But if you watched the lessons that your dog taught you throughout his short life, you will take that love into all the other areas and relationships in your life. You see once you've decided to own and love a dog, your heart no longer belongs to you. You've just signed up for 10 - 15 years of unquestionable love, but nothing can prepare us for when that purity of love is taken from us. They may have taught us how to love, but they never taught us how to say goodbye!

You may ask how can one of God's creatures that is not another human being do this to us? To ask that question would mean you never shared your heart and life with a dog. If you view the dog as "just a dog" than you missed the whole point of that animal coming into your life to begin with. It is this writers belief that the dog is one of God's angels on this earth. If you own a dog and you miss that, you've missed one of life's greatest mysteries. There is no other purpose for them to be here. Sure you can train them, use them for herding, protection, breeding, etc. If you miss the point that dogs are pure love and I mean pure love because of their desire to only be with man, then you have missed the opportunity that has been given to you. This is why I feel that they are here such a short time on earth. They are here to teach man about loving and if you ignore it, you've denied yourself the most beautiful of all emotions, the most beautiful of all gifts. If you just breed them for the champions that they may produce or the dust collecting trophies that you may accumulate than you have used the dog for your own glory instead of the blessings that has been bestowed on you for even being in their presence. They are angels. You can be sure of that. They can do no bad unless they are ignored and forgotten about. Then you are left with a dog that is angry at you for not recognizing his real purpose here on earth. Listen to what he is saying to you without his capability to utter a single word. If you don't know that love is standing in front of you and if you've ignored it, then you've ignored that angel that was sent to you. Think dog spelled backwards is God is a coincidence? If you believe that God is love and loves unconditionally, then the dog that he has sent to you is indeed a Heavenly gift.

So I'm sure this man on Facebook will compose himself and continue to love the rest of his dogs, but he'll never forget the girl he just said goodbye to. He's acknowledged the fact that she was love. He said that she was his beginning. She took a part of his heart to Heaven with her where it will be written in the Book of Life.........this man knows how to love. Good night "Mocha," your time on earth was well spent! You did what you came here to do. Your master was touched by an angel and he'll never be quite the same again!


From the book: GOODBYE FRIEND: HEALING WISDOM FOR ANYONE WHO HAS EVER LOST A PET: For pet lovers, the loss of a cherished pet ranks almost as high as the loss of a close family member in terms of grief experienced. In Goodbye, Friend, Gary Kowalski takes you on a journey of healing offering warmth, guidance, and practical advice on how to deal effectively with death by honoring your animal companion's life. A superb and comforting book for both adults and children.

My rating: Dealing with the loss of a dog: (1 - 4).....there are stages we all must go through to it through it!

IS BIGGER ALWAYS BETTER?

So the last couple of times that I talked to one of my friends she has made mention of wanting to get a bigger dog. Mind you MOST of the time throughout her years, she has owned smaller dogs. WAY smaller��.having owned and still owns a Chihuahua! Now let me explain to you a little more about my friend. She�s a lovely woman with a kind heart and has a beautiful home. She is elderly (69 � 70) but looks and acts more like a 59 � 60 year old. In fact she looks wonderful! Did I mention that she has a beautiful home? Oh yeah, I just did. Well this �youthful� looking 70ish year old woman is what I call a �Fuss Ass� meaning she is a fanatic in her home!

About two years ago my friend rescued a Chihuahua mixed female to come live with her and her husband and her purebred female Chihuahua. Life was wonderful when the new puppy arrived. Her other dog now had a companion and my friend had a new �baby� to love. It seems the purebred is more her husband�s dog than hers. So this �new kid on the block� would be hers to spoil and love on. She�d call me up to ask about advice about food and health questions. The puppy was extremely loving and extremely �puppy� in behavior.

So the cute, adorable love fest went on for awhile until the �puppy antics� showed its ugly little head a little more than my friend could or would tolerate. First of all the pup had the terrible, yucky habit of eating her stools. She tried everything that I suggested and the stools were still her puppy�s �treat of choice!� Take one point off for stool eating.

Next the little rascal starting eating her wallpaper off of her walls. Seems she had one favorite place for doing this. Take off another point for wall paper eating. Then there were the usual puppy leaks on the floor and carpet. Yup another point was taken off for puppy potty deposits in the house. I encouraged her to get a dog crate which she did and the puppy was fine with going into her �den.� But it was those times that she was out of the den that left �Mrs. Susie Homemaker�s� nerves stretched to its limits. Now mind you this is a woman that is a fanatic in her home. I�m sure she must walk around the house with a spray bottle of Lysol attached to her pants. Smudge marks, muddy paw prints, water on the floor, dog biscuit crumbs might just send her running to the medicine cabinet for another tranquilizer!

She bought a new mat to place in front of her back door. Seems like the little mixed breed thought it was her invitation to leave her �tinkles� on it. So now the last point was taken off! It looks as though the little dog ran out of points and second and third chances! So long story short, she just placed the �new kid on the block� on someone else�s block to live and they love her very much; especially the teenage daughter. So the youngster is doing fine, but now my friend is experiencing the �empty nest� syndrome!

So she gets this brainstorm that she must get a large dog. Her birthday is coming up soon and her husband asked her what would she like? Wrong question to ask a �determined to get what she wants� obsessed woman!!! Her husband is not in favor of a large dog mind you! So she runs this by me again yesterday. So I went down a whole list of reasons why she should not get a large dog. This is what I told her��..small dog = small problems. Large dog = large problems! Now I�m not saying that large dogs are necessarily problem dogs, but they are dogs after all and dogs do, well doggie things!

She says to me, �Well you have three large dogs.� Yeah and I say to her, I�m not a fanatic around the house either or I would have shot them a long time ago! I told her there is no guarantee about her new dog�s personality traits. I might have three dogs, but they are most certainly different in personality. My house dog is a great house dog. Her daughters are horrible house dogs. Yes, yes, I know a trained and obedient dog is a wonderful dog to live with. But therein lies the key��..personality traits also dictate the obedience time spent on training a dog. My housedog is very smart and willing to learn. Her nerves and concentration level is more steady. I believe her two daughters have �attention deficit disorder!� Oh they�re very smart too, but their concentration level is on another planet somewhere! And with my own health issues and my lack of physical endurance and strength, I must use caution when trying to train them. A younger me probably could have trained them properly, but the older me just can�t keep up with these two. So these are things my friend needs to think about as well. Does she have the strength and health to train a dog of this size? The little dog she can just pick up and put him back down again. Try doing that with a 60 � 90 pound dog!

Oh yeah, I also mentioned to her that she better get ready to change her home owners insurance now that she was getting a large �guard dog!� I told her depending upon where she lived, she might have a hard time getting insurance once she owned this type of breed. She didn�t think of that before.

Having owned German Shepherds for most of my adult life, I find them great dogs to live with, but there are those occasional few (like two of mine) that might make you rethink about owning them at all. They can be destructive. They are highly intelligent and they never miss a trick. Their noses are on everything because of their need to investigate anything new that might come into the house. They might communicate with you that they want to go outside by smudging their noses on your sliding glass door or scratching at the back door with their heavy paws. Be prepared to use your vacuum cleaner a heck of a lot more than you normally would. Hair and dander removal from rugs, floors, clothes, etc. is a normal part of your life now. Smudges and scratches and dog hair and dander are not for the fanatic housekeeping type. Before I get those private e-mails sent to me����I AM NOT SAYING LARGE BREED DOG OWNERS ARE LOUSY HOUSEKEEPERS! I�m just saying that having a larger dog is more work than having a smaller dog. Oh yeah, lets not forget about cleaning up after them after they have done a �potty call!� It�s a whole lot different then picking up after a smaller dog!

So to my friend that is thinking of adding 70 or 80 more pounds of dog flesh and hair to your beautiful, �magazine picture perfect home,� do heed my advice. Your friends and family don�t want to see your face plastered on the front page of the National Enquirer announcing �Woman locked away for the rest of her life� because large dog squashed his nose against her windowpane for the hundredth time. Enjoy your little dog and the teeny tiny piddle that she may leave behind because it�s a heck of a lot easier to clean than a darn lake all over your antique Oriental rug!


My rating: Large dogs or small dogs: (4), Taking care of large dogs: (2), Taking care of small dogs: (3)

THE REASONS WHY PEOPLE JOIN BREED CLUBS

Some people like to use a famous quote when talking about joining a breed club���it goes something like this: Ask not what your club can do for you, but what you can do for your club! Something along those lines.

Do you belong to the German Shepherd Dog Club of America or a local Specialty or All Breed club? Why did you decide to join? Oh I know the most popular reason is that we did it for the love of the breed. Would you love the breed any less if you didn�t belong to a club? I think not. Your love for the breed has nothing to do with whether you belong to a club or not. You�ll love the breed one way or another with or without membership in a club. So why is it that some people choose to join a dog club anyway?

Here are some reasons some people may choose to join a club.

EDUCATION: Where better place to learn than from other people that share the love of the German Shepherd Dog? At any given club there can be a wealth of information sitting among the membership on any given club meeting. Many people look forward to guest speakers, video presentations, book discussions on the breed, etc. This is a place to develop new skills and challenges and a place to learn new things like handling and showing a dog or preparing it for the obedience ring. This is the place that you will find breeders discussing bloodlines and their breeding programs. Wouldn�t you think that education should be one of the primary reasons for joining a breed club?

COMMITMENT TO A CAUSE: Whether you want to learn more about showing dogs or training dogs, one would think that belonging to a club would help you in these areas. This is where people come to vote on judges for conformation and obedience trials. You vote for those that you think will do the best job of choosing dogs according to the breed standard.

SENSE OF BELONGING: People join clubs because they want to feel that they fit in with other people of �like minds� and interests. They want to have a place where they are accepted and can voice their opinions and hear what others have to say about a certain topic. They feel they have a purpose when they belong to a club.

FRIENDSHIP: Many feel that belonging to a club means that they are liked and accepted. Belonging to a club brings people of all different backgrounds together that share the same interest and love for the German Shepherd Dog.

RECOGNITION: This is a place that acknowledges those for their hard work and dedication to the breed. This is a place that many feel that they get approval and respect from their peers. Everyone loves a pat on the back once in awhile for a job well done.

SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY: Belonging to a club, one senses that they can make things happen and influence decisions by having a certain amount of control about what goes on in their club and the breed.

FUN: Belonging to a club should be fun. It should not be all work and no play. Some clubs put on Holiday parties and award presentations at the end of the year. Others do summer picnics or get together at members homes.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE: Some people join a club to make a difference in their chosen hobby. These people enjoy being involved in their breed. They want to help promote the breed. They�re not content sitting back and letting others do all the work all the time. They jump right in knowing that nothing changes unless they are a part of that change.

On the other side of the coin, there are reasons people don�t join a club or leave a club after they�ve joined one.

LACK OF GOOD WILL AND CHEER: When a person no longer feels like they are appreciated or wanted, they leave. If they don�t feel like they �belong� sooner or later they won�t return. Whether they love the breed or not, people are foremost aware of how they are made to feel when they are around other people. If they are met with disdain and they feel like they don�t matter, it is the foolish man that returns to that type of environment.

LACK OF EDUCATION: If a club provides little more than a stale doughnut and watered down coffee once a month at their meetings, some people will wonder why they left the comforts of their homes.

SAME OLD, SAME OLD: If the same people are doing all the work all the time, after a while this becomes old and they may get tired of it and decide there are better ways of spending they time.

DUES, DUES AND MORE DUES: If you pay your dues every year and you get absolutely nothing for it, you may start to wonder why you�re throwing your money away. I don�t care how many times someone tells you that you are doing it for the love of the breed��� (If I cursed this is where I would do it)���..EVERYONE WANTS TO SEE SOMETHING FOR THEIR MONEY. This could mean a newsletter, magazine (on the Parent Club level), training classes, educational meetings, rescues, videos, etc. In other words, don�t just keep asking your members for their money and their time and they are left to wonder why????

I don�t think anyone should be made to feel guilty if they don�t feel like supporting a club or clubs that do nothing more than fight, point fingers, or that are of the belief �I�ve been in the breed longer, so therefore, I know more� attitudes. Having healthy discussions about the breed is, well��healthy and productive. Having a general disrespect for one another while proclaiming a love for a breed that is perhaps the most noble of all breeds is contradictory and counter productive.

We shouldn't hide behind this most wonderful of breeds and say that we're doing it all for the love of the German Shepherd Dog. Let the truth remain the truth and admit it�s more about some people�s egos needing to be stroked than anything else. Loving the German Shepherd Dog is about promoting HIM to be recognized as the greatest breed on earth. It�s about making the general public be aware of the many attributes of this breed. It�s about educating and putting the focus on the breed and not one�s self. Let the focus always remain on the German Shepherd Dog. This is what a good breed club does. It promotes, it educates and invites all who enter a rewarding experience for having owned and loved this breed. We should hope to be every bit as noble as the breed we choose to love.


From the book: "HOW TO WIN FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE" - From an era when 'self-help' books had genuine depth, Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People" has influenced the world. No book in the self-help category matters more than this one.

Learning to relate to people in the ways Carnegie instructs will help you personally as well as professionally.

This book is a classic because Carnegie teaches timeless truths in timeless ways.

My rating: Belonging to breed clubs: (1 - 4)

THE WISDOM OF THOSE THAT WALKED BEFORE US!

Anything that has ever lived, never truly dies. Oh we may not actually see that person or that animal, but because they have lived, they still walk among us. For one reason is that we keep them alive in our hearts. Their memory lingers on. But if truth be told, it�s more than just our memories that keep them alive. It is their impact that they left that lingers behind. I know this all may seem philosophical but just give it some thought.

Every President of the parent club (GSDCA) that ever conducted a meeting, every board member, every person that was a member that has brought change to the club lives on in the history of this governing body of our beloved breed.

Every judge that ever judged the GSDCA�s National Specialty show that has pointed to the newest Grand Victor or Victrix has helped shape the genetic pool of this breed. Every judge that has judged at major specialty shows has helped dictate the style and movement of this breed through his interpretation of the standard.

Some past breeders are responsible for some people�s kennels that are now producing top winning show dogs. Some past breeders are responsible for putting smiles on family�s faces for all the love and devotion that their dogs are bringing to these people�s homes. Some past breeders are responsible for helping keep our country safe for their dogs are protecting our country by serving in the military or local police forces. When these dogs leave us, their legacy that they leave behind far outlives the short times that they lived here on this earth.

Great dogs are not born every day and I dare say maybe not even in a decade or two. Sure we�ll see some really good ones in our time, but very few great ones! Just think about it, when was the last time you saw a really great German Shepherd and the impact that he left on the breed? How often in your lifetime do you think you�re going to see it? I know everyone thinks that the dog that they own is great and just maybe he is, but I�m talking about the greatness this great dog leaves behind.

How often does a dog like GV Ch Lance of Fran-Jo come along? Lance was a little before my time, so I never got to see this dog in person. From his pictures, he looked to have been a stallion type dog. He appeared to be a hard, dry animal in breed type. He wasn�t necessarily my type of dog, but the impact of what this dog did for the breed remains till this day. Was he a perfect dog? Of course not. For all those that loved him and thought he did some great producing, there are others that blamed him for the problems in the breed as well. Whatever side of the fence you are on about this dog, one thing is for sure; very few ever changed this breed as much as this dog did. Very few have been talked about as much as this dog. Although he has been gone for many years now, his bloodlines are still behind some of today�s top winning dogs. This is truly an example of a dog that walked among us and still does today. A dog that has had this much of an impact on the breed never dies.

Any of the icons of the breed, the greats among the greats has never left us either. If you were fortunate enough to have been mentored by them or even to have shared a friendship with them, they still walk among us. It�s because they have lived and shared their knowledge with us that they never die. Anything that remains still lives on. It�s what they have taught us and we bring to our own breeding program today. It�s in the echoes of our mind that we still hear their words of wisdom. Every breeder that taught you what good movement was about, every breeder that pointed out good character and structure to you lives on every time you look at a dog now yourself. That mentor may not physically be standing right next to you, but he lives on in your memories by his teachings. A teacher never dies because their students carry on their teachings.

Every forefather of this breed that sat down and helped put together the standard lives on every time a judge sets foot in the ring. It is those people�s foresights and wisdom that is carried on in the show ring today. They paved the way for others to follow and for them to leave their footsteps behind for future generations.

Every writer that has written a good book about this breed, every editor of the German Shepherd Dog Review has been responsible for helping educate today�s generation so they too may bring their knowledge for the generations that follow.

Every dog that has played with your children, every dog that has protected your home never dies because your memories keep him alive.

It is because these people and dogs have lived that the breed continues today. The truly great ones (in whatever way you may perceive that) still walks among you and me today. Aren�t you glad that they touched your life? It�s because they�ve positively touched our lives that we pass on to future generations the wisdom of those that walked before us!

I can still hear the soft voice and laughter of Connie Beckhardt or the accent of Joan Ford answering a very novice person�s question. I remember Marge Dolan whispering in my ear at a show, �I want you to run for the President of our club.� I can still hear the cackle of LaMar standing ringside and proclaiming to me, �Darling did you ever see such a magnificent looking animal in your life?� These people have just gone onto another plain of existence perhaps somewhere in another galaxy, but their teachings, their friendship, their expertise still lives on and sets an example of what can be to those that now follow and look to pave their own path. May all those that walked before us, continue to walk with us now. Because they have lived, they never truly have died!


From the book: "CREATING A LIFE WORTH LIVING"...Dreaming is easy. Making it happen is hard. With a fresh perspective, Carol Lloyd motivates the person searching for two things: the creative life and a life of sanity, happiness and financial solvency. Creating a Life Worth Living helps the reader search memory for inspiration, understand his or her individual artistic profile, explore possible futures, design a daily process and build a structure of support. Each of the 12 chapters, such as "The Drudge We Do For Dollars" and "Excavating the Future," contains specific exercises and daily tasks that help readers to clarify their desires and create a tangible plan of action for realizing dreams. The book also provides inspiring anecdotes and interviews with people who have succeeded in their chosen fields.


My rating: Learning from a mentor: (4), Becoming a mentor: (4)

EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY....NOT NECESSARILY!

So the photographer has sent your dogs show winning picture to your house. You buy it and can�t wait to share it with everyone. You post it on some German Shepherd Dog lists that you belong to. You put an ad in the GSD Review. You even put it on Facebook. That�s how proud you are of your dog. You hope everyone shares in your enthusiasm. Some time goes by and you don�t hear from nearly as many people as you had hope to. And even the few that you do hear from are only with a lukewarm response. You feel disappointed and let down. How could they not love your dog almost as much as you do? The judge thought enough of him to put up. How come the public doesn�t see his outstanding quality?

Have you really taken a good look at the picture that you are putting on display? Is it really worthy of your dog�s quality? Does your dog really look good in the picture? Sometimes we are so excited to share pictures of our dog with everyone, we sometimes are showing pictures of him that doesn�t do him justice. I�ve always been of the belief if your dog has won an important win at a dog show and you want to brag about it but yet the winning picture isn�t all that good�..don�t use it. Use a good picture of him (perhaps at another show) and just brag about his latest win.

Please look at the picture and how your handler has your dog set up. People will introduce their dog to the public and the handler has him bridged in the front or stretched too much in the rear. If the picture isn�t complimentary to your dog, don�t share it with everyone.

Another thing about first introducing your dog to the public and this is just a personal beef of mine is when an owner comes on a list or Facebook and says �I�m sharing this picture of my Bozo, but he wouldn�t cooperate but I wanted you to see him anyway.� Why? Knowing that first impressions are lasting impressions wouldn�t you want his first picture to have a positive impact on his viewers? All they�re going to remember is that the dog was turning the other way, wouldn�t stack for the picture, he�s trying to sit down, etc. In our over enthusiasm to share our dog�s picture, we sacrifice the type of lasting impression we really want to have on the public. Be patient until you get the right picture to showcase the real beauty of your dog.

I�m going to use an example here that I just saw on Facebook last week. Someone posted a youngster winning a big win at a show. The dog was obviously way over stretched in the rear. Sometimes a handler will do this if a dog doesn�t have a lot of hindquarter to make him appear as if he does. This dog�s hindquarter was well angulated and didn�t need this exaggerated stretching. Well the comments that this picture generated was the talk of those that shared in the conversation for a few days. I almost jumped in, but instead decided to sit back and read what others had to say about this dog. Of those that commented, I didn�t see one person say that the dog was overstretched too much. Instead they were saying how crippled the dog was and no wonder there�s hip dysplasia in the breed. In their opinion, this dog wouldn�t be able to do a days work herding sheep or anything else that may have been asked of him. Comments continued that no wonder the American breeders are in the trouble that they�re in breeding cripples like this. As I said the dog had a good deal of rear but not as much as everyone went on and on about. He appeared to have much more rear because of the handler overstretching him. I don�t know who owns this dog and even if they gave their permission to use their dogs picture on a public network like Facebook for all of these people to pull him apart like they did.

If you go and pick up a copy of �The German Shepherd Today� by Strickland and Moses you will see pictures in there about how to set a dog up. A dog can look like a square box and given to the professional handler can look like he has more rear than he really does. The example is in this book. I believe a sable youngster is standing four square and then she is set up to look absolutely gorgeous and curvy in the hindquarter. So pictures can do your dog justice if you know what you�re looking at before you buy it and show it off. Or on the other hand, it can do a disservice to your dog.

The key here is for the owner to know what they are looking at. Another example of poor advertising is when an owner shows a dog in motion that is obviously a poor moving dog. He�s lifting in the front��it�s so obvious he�s lifting at the elbow and I always scratch my head wondering how hard this is to see. Just take a look at the picture and if you see the elbow is bending in the front while he�s moving�..well then this is incorrect and you�re advertising it! But time and time again, owners are advertising their �beautiful� elbow movers and exclaiming it as great side gait. Then you�ll see those dogs that are kicking up in the rear and the owner brags about his dogs wonderful follow through.

A picture can make or break your dog. The public sometimes is very unforgiving when they look at a picture of a dog. One bad picture and your dog is remembered looking like that. It is up to the handler to make sure your dog is set up properly and just as much responsibility lies with the photographer taking the picture. If it�s a German Shepherd Show photographer well then he knows how this breed should be stacked before he snaps the photograph. He wants you to like the picture enough to buy it.

So sometimes a picture can make a good dog look bad or a bad dog look good. Not unlike some people that are photogenic and some that are not. But we�re really not talking about whether or not your dog takes a good picture or not. It�s whether YOU know what YOU are looking out in the finished photograph before you advertise him. Is your advertising dollar being well spent?

So every picture tells a story doesn�t it? Not necessarily! Sometimes yes and other times pictures can be very deceiving.


My rating: Using good photography of your dog: (4)

GIVING JUST DUE

For the longest time I wanted to have someone from one of the GSD rescues write an article for me about what they do and about their stories of the dogs that they rescue. I�ve put out word on some of the rescue lists that I belong to. I got responses promising me an article and because �life gets in the way� I never did receive anything. I truly wanted to give these fantastic people their �just due� for all the unselfish work that they do. I would have loved to highlight some of the special dogs that have touched their lives��as I know they all do. I understand that these dedicated people are just that�..dedicated to what they are doing and that is trying to save the lives of our beloved breed.

Yesterday when I came home my nephew and his friend were here. I was asking my nephew about how his dog was doing because he knows how much I adore his dog. My nephew told me he was doing fine and then he told me that his friend was in the car with his own little dog. Me being the dog lover that I am went over to the car and his friend got out and was holding in his arms a little miniature white poodle. He told me that he just rescued the dog a few days ago and she is nine years old. I told him �God bless you for being so kind to this little �oldster� that would have been put to sleep by now.� The little dog was so happy (and grateful?) in this young boys arms.

Anyone can love a beautiful show quality puppy or adult. You can�t help but admire their beauty as they stand out among all the rest. It takes a special heart however, to give love to those that are less pleasing to the eye due to lack of quality, old age, physical handicaps or emotional problems.

I wish I knew everything that the rescue people do, but I don�t even though I know some of you that do this work. Most don�t brag about their generosity. That I believe among other things sets them apart from other people. But I do know that besides physically rescuing the dogs that there is much more that is involved than the obvious. It�s the people behind the lines that screen and look for the best homes for these unwanted dogs. It�s about the feeding, watering, bathing, sheltering, medicating and exercising and playing with these dogs. It�s about the endless hours spent on the telephone locating and finding these dogs. It�s about finding transportation to get these animals from one location to another. It�s about asking for donations. It�s about putting on raffles, selling things at dog shows to earn money for these rescues. It�s the writing on the different GSD lists letting people know what they are doing. It�s about letting people know the help that they need to take care of these animals.

Many of these rescue volunteers not only take care of these dogs but they are also taking care of their own dogs. Some of these marvelous people have their own health problems, but miraculously and without a selfish thought towards their own welfare, they continue until they no longer can. Much of the work that they do taking care of these animals cuts into their own personal lives that they could be spending with family and friends. There�s little time socializing when you have needy animals that demand your attention. There�s little time to go out for a dinner and a movie. And vacation time�����what is that?

I wish I could do better as far as giving these fine people their just dues and recognition for all that they do to comfort and save the German Shepherd Dog. My invitation is still open to anyone that would like to write a story about your rescue or a special dog that might have touched your heart. For it is you that know the hearts of these dogs. It is you that experience first hand the appreciative kiss on the face from a dog that was hours away from leaving this earth. It is you that can write this story better than I for you are the guardian angels of those that are left behind and I am just left in wonderment of all you do. My saying �Thank You� is nothing compared to the dogs �Thank You� but still, I�m sending it your way��.anyway!


From the book: "LOST SOULS: FOUND! INSPIRING STORIES ABOUT GERMAN SHEPHERD DOGS".....Lost Souls: FOUND! Inspiring Stories about German Shepherd Dogs is a heartwarming, thought-provoking compilation of over 50 true stories which address the cruelty of animal neglect and abuse and the joy rescued dogs bring to their new homes. This book is a must-read for German Shepherd lovers and people who are considering adopting dogs. A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF PROCEEDS FROM EVERY SALE IS DONATED BACK TO GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG RESCUE GROUPS. Excerpt: I was approved as a bone-a-fide dog mom by my local rescue and, confident I would be taking home a particular female, I had painted a room pink for her and purchased doggy nail polish. Upon finally meeting my girl, the rescue director cautioned me about her extreme dominance and need for discipline, which was not my forte by any means. Still stubborn and hopeful, I walked her until she quickly proved our mismatch by dragging me across the yard. Begrudgingly I moved on to meet several less dominant dogs, and to my surprise the one turned out to be Jackson (now Beau), a male with striking hazel eyes, who adopted me the moment we met. The pink doggy room is now used for storage, the nail polish was given away, and Beau is an absolute dream companion. -Lisa Hall


My rating: German Shepherd Dog Rescues: (4)

ANATOMY IN MOTION

I don�t claim to know everything there is to know about the anatomy and movement of the German Shepherd Dog. I do believe I know enough, however about what is good movement and what is not.

I love seeing all the wonderful pictures of some magnificent looking German Shepherds that people have advertised on �Facebook!� I�ve got to say the German breeders have produced some of the most handsome looking dogs that I�ve ever seen. As far as pigment, coat length and heads go, it�s hard to beat them. That said, as much as I love their breed type, what disturbs me is the shortness of back on some of these animals. And then here in this country, we sometimes have bred an animal with too much length of back or loin.

I did some research on the internet about the movement of our breed. Now I�m not going to write a description about it here on this blog. If you want to read about it, take a look on the GSDCA�s website about the standard. What I did find is many, many videos on �You Tube� showing the German Shepherd Dog in motion. Many of them were downright awful, in my opinion. For the novice seeing these videos they might think that this is what our breed looks like in motion. If we only had some of the great movers of our breed on video in slow motion, what an educational piece of work that would be.

My question is this, if the dog�s back is too short, where is he going to go with the rear thrust of his hind legs? The back hunches up from the powerful thrust of those hind legs. The front in many cases lacks the proper lay back of shoulder or the dog has a short upper arm. This being the case, the whole top line in motion gets distorted.

If on the other hand you get a dog that is too long in back, his back is whipping all over the place��.too much movement going on over the back. He carries a soft top line and this makes the dog look weak instead of the strong, powerful animal he is meant to be.

If one looks at some of the animals in the wild�..the ones that are known to be powerful movers, I can�t think of any of them being short in back. Take for instance the big cats. These animals are long striding. Their powerful hindquarters propel them forward through a strong back to their powerful fore assemblies.

Because the German Shepherd is a herding/working breed, the anatomy of this breed is extremely important in order for him to do the work he was bred for. If he is built correctly, he won�t tire as easily. If he�s built incorrectly, then he has to put forth more energy due to a faulty anatomy.

Having a bad croup also takes away from the proper movement of the breed. Too long, too short, too flat all will disturb the correct movement of the German Shepherd Dog. They will kick up in the rear; they won�t get their rears up under them and they won�t follow through in their motion. Once again, I�m not an expert on this subject, but I know it when I see it.

I think it�s so beneficial looking at people that advertise their dogs especially when I see them put moving pictures up of their beautiful animals. But I�ve got to ask this question and I see it time and time again. Why advertise a dog in motion and it�s obvious that his best quality is not his motion? What do I mean by this? Many times I see pictures of dogs in motion and they are reaching from their elbows. Then I�ll read the feedback on these dogs and people will say, �Lovely moving animal.� Are you serious?

Anyone can pick out a beautiful looking dog. You don�t have to be a rocket scientist to do that. Handsome is handsome and I believe most people can agree on what makes a dog to be so. Knowing what a good moving dog is, is having a good eye through education and studying of this breeds anatomy while in motion. If you are one of the lucky ones that owns a good moving dog, well he�s just about all the education you�ll need. But seriously, you need to know why that dog moves the way he does. You see it for yourself, but do you know why he�s moving that way? Do you understand about each component of that dog�s structure that enables him to move as well as he does?

In an ideal world, I would like to look at a gorgeous representative of this breed standing true under himself�..meaning his front assembly doesn�t have to be rearranged for a picture. He doesn�t have to be hand set because his front is straight under him. He�s not pinched in at the elbows and he doesn�t stand east/west in the front. His top line is strong without being overly long and not bunched up because his back is too short. He�s not caved in in the rear because his hocks can�t handle an overly angulated rear. The dog should present a beautiful picture when standing on his own without a handler having to �fix� his imperfections. He shouldn�t look like a hyena with a quirky looking front, a rounded top line and a rear that looks like he�s squatting all the time. Yup, that�s what some of the pictures that I�ve seen looks like in this writer�s opinion and others that I�ve spoken to about this subject as well.


From the book: "GERMAN SHEPHERD VIRTUES: LESSONS LEARNED FROM OUR FAITHFUL COMPANIONS"......There are certain characteristics we find honorable in each other and valuable to leading a good life. We call these characteristics virtues. -Melissa Sovey. This beautiful gift book uses the model of the German Shepherd-with their associated traits of service, loyalty and honor-as guides or role models for virtuous behavior. Stunning photographs of German Shepherds are accompanied by quotes reflecting on 44 virtues. The quotes and the subject matter easily apply to all of our canine companions. This book would make the perfect graduation gift, or as a token of appreciation for anyone who owns or works with a service dog... or for anyone who loves and appreciates the lessons that all dogs have to offer us.


My rating: Understanding the GSD anatomy and its functions: (4)

THE GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG'S TEN COMMANDMENTS

THE GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG'S TEN COMMANDMENTS
By
Barbara J. Galasso


I am the king of all dogs; therefore you shall not have other dogs before me!

You shall not have any pictures, statues, magazines, videos of any other breed of dog besides that of the German Shepherd Dog. I am a jealous breed and no other breed shall share this house with me.

You shall not call me bad names or curse at me when you get mad. You shall respect me at all times for I am a German Shepherd Dog after all.

You shall not enter me in any dog shows or working trials on a Sunday as this is my day of rest. Train me, teach me, show me six days a week if you like, but the seventh day is mine to do what I want, lay around all I want, and eat and play all day as I want. Don�t expect me to work on Sundays!

Honor my mother and father if you own them by not over breeding them. Give them a
break once in awhile.

I shall not kill thy neighbors one and a half pounds of yippy pain in the hind end, sorry excuse for a dog��..(well that is when anyone is looking anyway)!

You should not breed me to more than one stud dog or brood bitch in my lifetime. So choose wisely because one mate for life is my new motto and there�s not room for discussion!

I shall not steal my kennel mates bones, toys, food or bed or my master�s affections!

I shall not let the cat take the scolding for stealing the food that was left out on the counter. Nor shall I let him be blamed for the mess of shredded toilet tissue on the floor no matter how much I want him to!

I shall not desire better food, a softer bed, a bigger house, a bigger car, a better dog handler like the dogs in the kennel down the street from me. I must learn to accept my humble upbringing and ignore my selfish desires.

And on my death bed, please call a German Shepherd judge of extreme integrity so I can make my last confession before I leave this earth......I confess it was me that ruined the carpet and not the cat. It was me that trampled all over the flower garden and not the stray dog. It was me that bit Billy Ray and not the Doberman Pinscher that lives next door. It was me that stole the new baby�s stuffed toy and not his sister Lilly Mae. It was me that threw up in the back seat of the car and not the puppy sitting next to me.

If I live by these rules as my way of life, then I am assured a place in doggy Heaven. If not I�ll be thrown in the fires of hell with all sorts of alley cats or yippy dogs to torment me through eternity....and no German Shepherd Dog should ever have to endure that!


My rating: Even a dog needs rules to live be: (4)

WORRY FREE!

I heard this sentence on a program the other day, �We�re the only species that worries!� Animals, birds, insects and all other living creatures never worry. They just go about their business each and every day never carrying the burdens of the world on their shoulders. They leave that �good stuff� to us humans.

We worry and fret and worry some more and most of what we worry about never happens anyway. We prepare for a show, and many of us are a nervous wreck. Some of us can�t eat, some of us spend half of the day in the bathroom and then there are those of us that snaps at the first person that says good morning to us. The dog isn�t worrying. He doesn�t care if he wins or loses. He�s not up all night the evening before the show. He�s passed out on the rug while you�re walking around the house talking to yourself.

The dog is not worried about what kind of food you�re going to be feeding him today. He just wants his dinner, plain and simple. He doesn�t care if it�s a holistic brand or a store bought brand. The only time it matters to him is if you have given him a choice. That�s when he may become fussy, but he�s not worrying about it all day. Oh sure he knows when its time for him to be fed, but he�s not worried about if he�s going to be fed all day long. He just assumes that he is!

If you groomed your dog with a shampoo you bought at the dollar store, it wouldn�t matter to him. He�s accepting of everything that comes his way. Only the human owner frets that it�s not an all natural product, or it doesn�t have the specific fragrance that the human prefers. The dog doesn�t care if he smells like fresh coconut or French vanilla.

So one can see if they are really honest with themselves that we do things for our dog not because the dog will like it, but because we like it. It�s pleasing to us��not necessarily the dog.

The dog is not worried about whether or not it�s going to be too hot or cold outside for him to go in the backyard. We worry about the temperatures. Of course, he�ll complain if the weather does bother him by howling, barking or holding an icy paw up off the ground. But he�s never worried about it ahead of time. He�s just reacting to his circumstances.

If worrying hasn�t changed the fact that we can�t afford a more expensive handler, a holistic dog food, a fragrant shampoo, a bigger van to hold more dog crates, why do we do it? Wouldn�t we enjoy the dog shows better, accept what we can afford and sleep a heck of a lot better if we didn�t worry so much? I don�t know anyone that worries all the time that is a happy person. They may be a sicker person, but not a happier person!

We worry if our new litter will produce a new �star.� We worry about our dog�s health problems. We worry that we�re not doing enough for them. We worry about them getting older. Some of us do not feel �normal� unless we�re worrying about something.

If we have financial problems or health problems, then truly this would give most people something to worry about. But truth be told, all the worrying in the world doesn�t change anything. It is totally out of our hands whether or not a judge is going to put up our dog. It�s out of our hands whether or not a puppy will amount to anything great. It�s out of our hands whether someone is going to buy a dog from us or not. It�s out of our hands if our dog gets sick. We can only do our best to take care of something that comes our way, but we can�t do anything about it by worrying. We need to take action and give worry a back
seat!

Just think if we didn�t worry, we could laugh off our losses to an inferior dog. We could shrug our shoulders when we hire a third rate handler that trips and falls over our dog thereby leaving our animal limping and costing him the class win. We could feed our dog�s bag after bag of �road kill� and never give it a second thought. We could wish a potential puppy buyer that didn�t buy our puppy best wishes when he buys someone else�s puppy. Yes being worry free would mean we could take our losses with a smile on our faces, empty wallets and a fellow competitor patting us on the back saying �Better luck next time old fella!� Yes, worry free��that�s the way for me!


From the book: "THE MINDFULNESS AND ACCEPTANCE WORKBOOK FOR ANXIETY"....Anxiety happens. It's not a choice. And attempts to manage your thoughts or get rid of worry, fear, and panic can leave you feeling frustrated and powerless. But you can take back your life from anxiety without controlling anxious thoughts and feelings. You can stop avoiding anxiety and start showing up to your life. The Mindfulness & Acceptance Workbook for Anxiety will get you started, using a revolutionary new approach called acceptance and commitment therapy, or ACT.
The book has one purpose: to help you live better, more fully, more richly. Your life is calling on you to make that choice, and the skills in this workbook can help you make it happen. Find out how your mind can trap you, keeping you stuck and struggling in anxiety and fear. Learn to nurture your capacity for acceptance, mindfulness, kindness, and compassion. Use these qualities to shift your focus away from anxiety and onto what you really want your life to be about. As you do, your life will get bigger as your anxious suffering gets smaller. No matter what kind of anxiety problem you're struggling with, this workbook can guide you toward a more vibrant and purposeful life. Includes a CD with bonus worksheets, self-assessments, and guided mindfulness meditations.


My rating: Worrying: (1)

INTELLIGENCE OF A SEVEN YEAR OLD

I�ve read a few times that the German Shepherd Dog has the intelligence equal to a seven year old child. Taking that one step further, I�ve also read that we humans learn the most we ever learn in the first five years of our lives. If that last sentence is true, then just think of what the German Shepherd Dog could be capable of learning! Very few of us��.no I take that back��.none of us can ever learn all there is to ever know. We could never hope to teach the German Shepherd Dog everything that a seven year old child knows. I dare say that most of this breeds intelligence level is never, ever realized to even half of that equation.

Thinking how intelligent this breed is it would be a little scary if they really knew all there was to know that a seven year old child knows. Without ever teaching them anything, their quest to know what�s going on at all times is never satisfied. I only own three dogs (all bitches) and they�re all smart just because they�re a German Shepherd, but one of them is the nosiest of the nosy! I could have a box the size that holds a ring and I could put it somewhere that she�d never see it, but she�d know it was there. Her nose is always up in the air sniffing around to see what her nose can lead her to.

I also think that once you train this breed to learn something, they never forget it. They might be a little rusty, but they don�t forget. Now that says something for their intelligence. My house dog Amber (see the above picture � yes that�s her reading a literary masterpiece of her own choice) has been trained by me to do certain easy tasks. She also knows hand signals for those tasks. Now I don�t always ask her to do these tricks all the time. In fact besides the command of �sit�, she pretty much does as she pleases. Today I gave her a few commands and then did hand signals with her and her recall was excellent. She was an easy learner and eager to please when I trained her. Her daughters are another story waiting to be written!

Training dogs is hard work and takes a dedication on the owner�s part to train their dogs. But oh the rewards are worth any time that you put in them. There is nothing nicer than a well trained animal. They�re easier to live with and easier to go places with. Besides the general public will thank you for the time that you�ve put into your dog. No one enjoys being jumped on or mauled to death (in a friendly way)!

So Amber and I chose a �Seasons Greetings� and most sincere wishes for you, your family and loved ones. Oh yeah, and all those intelligent German Shepherds that you share your life with. This is really not a poem geared towards Christmas but the words can be enjoyed and lived with all through the year. I can�t take credit for the construction of the �words of wisdom� and I can�t give credit where credit is due as it says the author is unknown. That said������HAPPY EVERYTHING��EVERYONE!

The most destructive habit..............................Worry

The greatest Joy.................................................Giving

The greatest loss........................Loss of self-respect

The most satisfying work....................Helping others

The ugliest personality trait....................Selfishness

The most endangered species........Dedicated leaders

Our greatest natural resource....................Our youth

The greatest "shot in the arm"...........Encouragement

The greatest problem to overcome........................Fear

The most effective sleeping pill.............Peace of mind

The most crippling failure disease....................Excuses

The most powerful force in life..............................Love

The most dangerous pariah.............................A gossiper

The world's most incredible computer..........The brain

The worst thing to be without................................ Hope

The deadliest weapon.......................................The tongue

The two most power-filled words......................."I Can"

The greatest asset......................................................Faith

The most worthless emotion................................Self-pity

The most beautiful attire.....................................SMILE!

The most prized possession.............................. Integrity

The most powerful channel of communication.....Prayer

The most contagious spirit..............................Enthusiasm

Written By: � Author Unknown


My rating: Training the German Shepherd Dog: (4), Living with a well trained dog: (4)

WHEN I DIALED THE TELEPHONE, NOBODIES HOME!

I picked up the telephone to give you a call this morning. You know how we�ve been doing this for years. I started pressing the same familiar numbers that I�ve always pressed. I know them by heart. The telephone begins to ring��one time, two times and three. Then I caught my breath and realized that you wouldn�t be picking up the telephone to answer my call today, nor tomorrow or the day after either. Nobodies home!

I just read on one of the lists yesterday of a few German Shepherd Dog people that were seriously ill and have been in the hospital. Glad to hear that one of them came home already. It made me stop to think especially in this season of family and loved ones gathered together to celebrate the holidays. Sometimes we get so busy rushing around here and there, buying gifts, planning the holiday menu and getting the house decorated that we don�t have time to reach out to others like we normally do.

During this holiday season, during this time in history, very few families are celebrating a time of �plenty.� Some families are lucky if they have a �little� to put on the table or under the tree. But if they have good health and one another, then they are truly blessed.

The years slip by so quickly. We take for granted that we have another day to extend good will and cheer to someone else. We meant to call Gertrude the lonely spinster in the next town. We meant to check up on Woodrow to see if he had enough heat in his house. Old Mr. Peterson asked us if we could join him for a little holiday cheer next time we were in his neighborhood. We passed his house several times promising ourselves the next time we are in this neck of the woods; we would take him up on his offer. Before we know it, another day, another year has passed us by. Then suddenly you remember old Mr. Peterson. We dial the telephone and are greeted by a recording saying �The number you have reached is no longer in service. No forwarding number is available.� Nobodies home!

How many people in our German Shepherd Dog community will be spending the holidays alone this year? Perhaps they no longer have a family left or their family has moved away. Will they have enough to put on their table this holiday? Will they have enough to feed their dogs? What is their health like? How are they doing mentally and physically? When�s the last time we picked up the phone to call someone to wish them well? Showing someone you care by reaching out to them can be the best gift that you can give to them. Maybe they need to hear a kind word or two and knowing you thought of them may just put the smile on their face that will make their day! You may be poor yourself and can�t afford to help someone financially, but a phone call will cost you nothing and the gift of your friendly voice to the receiver of that call will be well worth the few minutes it takes you to do it!

The holiday season normally finds some of us giving to charities like the Salvation Army volunteers that one can usually see and hear ringing their bells as you exit from your favorite grocery store. Maybe we could look at those in need in our own German Shepherd Dog community. Maybe you can bring a dish from your holiday table to a poor soul in need. How are their dogs doing? Are they out of the cold? Do they have a bowl of food to eat and a clean bowl of water to drink? Because of some people�s depression around this time of year and especially when money is scarce, they forget some of the very basic needs of their animals when their own needs are being sacrificed!

Funny how time slips away and all of a sudden the people that you expect to see or talk to are no longer there. It happens. It happens when we are so wrapped up in our own daily lives that we forget to pick up the telephone and say, �Hi, I was just thinking of you and wanted you to know that.� It happens until one day you finally decide �Alright, today is the day I give so and so a call.� But today, you dial the telephone and nobodies home!


From the book: "RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS BY ANIMALS".....Peaceful Kingdom chronicles amazing true stories of devotion and bravery from the animal world. Included are both well-publicized cases, such as the gorilla who tenderly carried an injured child to safety, and the more obscure--the German shepherd who visited the grave of his deceased owner every day at the same hour. Even ants are caught in heroic acts: they're observed pulling a thorn from an injured comrade. The animals in this book are viewed as compassionate, thinking creatures that experience real emotions--hardly news to animal lovers. Peaceful Kingdom also reflects human acts of kindness to animals. Edward Lear, the famous author of "The Owl and the Pussycat," built his new house as an exact replica of his old one to keep from traumatizing his beloved cat. Peaceful Kingdom is an intriguing and heartwarming journey into the lives of some astonishing animals.


From the book: "SAYING GOODBYE"...........Saying Goodbye is a collection of true stories about saying goodbye to the people, places and things in our lives. This is a powerful book that includes a number of sad stories, as well as some very funny ones. Taken together, the stories serve as amazing examples of people saying heartfelt goodbyes with grace, dignity, and good humor. Saying Goodbye includes stories contributed by thirty-one authors from the United States, Canada, Ireland, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere. These stories show that there is sadness in goodbyes, but there is also irony and humor. It s perfect for book groups that want stimulating conversations about saying goodbye a topic that touches us all in one way or another.


My rating: Showing kindness to one another not just during the holidays: (4)

NOT CREATED FOR BORING SAMENESS

I confess that the title of this article wasn�t the brain child of myself, but came from a program I was listening to over the week-end. It got me to thinking of how it applies to us and our dogs.

One of the great things about the German Shepherd Dog is that he is so versatile. If you don�t want to show him in conformation shows any longer, you can train him for obedience trials. If you don�t want to do that, you can just enjoy him as your family pet. He wasn�t born for just one thing. Take him for hikes, take him camping, boating, fishing, jogging or even for rides in the car. He�s not picky. Whatever it is that you enjoy doing; the German Shepherd Dog enjoys doing it with you. There probably isn�t a better companion dog than this breed! Truly this dog�s happiness comes from his interaction with his owner!

How much of your dog�s brain is being utilized? Do you provide him with the stimulation that he needs to develop his fullest potential? How many of these dogs die never knowing what it is to come out of a kennel and go for a walk with their owners? How many fetch a ball? In fact how many of them even know what a ball is and what to do with it?

If your dog was hooked up to one of those brain monitors in the hospital, would a straight line appear all across the screen indicating that he�s brain dead? Or would there be a lively zig zag running across the screen indicating that this dog�s brain is well and very much alive because his owner recognized the need for stimulation in this dog�s life?

Do we owe our dogs anything more than food, water and shelter? Does our responsibility to them extend further than the heat in their kennels in the winter and the air-conditioner in the summer? Is that enough? Do we owe them more than this or are we of the mind set that their basic needs are being met and they�re only a dog and some of us put too much time into �humanizing� them?

So what does that mean��.humanizing them? It would seem to some beyond the three essentials (food, water and shelter) anything more would give the dog a more human nature than that of an animal. So does he need more than the essentials to live? No he could and many do exist just on the essentials. Day in and day out, the same old/same old! After all some would argue, he�s an animal and his basic needs are being met so what more could he want?

To agree with this mind set would be to ignore the very nature of the dog and that is foremost and above all else the reason for his existence in the first place. That is to be a companion to man. Very simple. Very basic. He wants and needs to be with his owner. Once his basic needs are met, his primary goal is to be with his master. Now if one owns a kennel full of dogs, that�s not going to happen too often for most or them or even a few of them.

I�ve read that the brain of a German Shepherd is equal to the brain of a seven year old child. Gee, considering that most of what we learn, we learn in the first five years of life, means that this breed of dog has the capacity to learn so very much. How many of them are being taught all that they can learn? How much stimulation do they receive lying on the floor of a kennel? Very little.

We now know that the dog is capable of more than having an intelligent, teachable brain. We now know that he is also very capable of emotions and feelings. He�s sad when he loses one of his own kind and sad if he should lose his owner. He mourns losses just like we do. He rejoices in companionship with his kind and our kind.

When�s the last time you looked into your dog�s eyes and seen that there is a whole lot more going on behind those �Hershey Browns� then just a dumb dog looking for a treat from his owner? Get close to a dog and he anticipates your every motion. He responses to your every mood. Sometimes it�s as if he knows you�re going to do something before you do! They have this uncanny ability to read us better than we read ourselves.

When you have a �love affair� with your dog�..that is letting him participate in your life, the enrichment that he brings to it would never have been fully realized without him having your permission to truly live his life. In this writer�s opinion a dog that lives his life ONLY in a kennel has never truly lived, rather he�s existed in a small fenced in area in a great big world because his owner didn�t invest the time it would take to realize his dog�s potential. Just imagine what that would be like only being able to walk back and forth, day in and day out and you had the intelligence of a seven year old kid? Now that�s called sad�..


From the book: "HAPPINESS IS A CHOICE"....Kaufman, director of the Option Institute and author of A Land Beyond Tears ( LJ 4/1/82), contends that if you change a belief or attitude you can change your life. A decision to pursue happiness, he claims, can improve relations with others: "We can engineer our own responses, choosing love over hate, peace over conflict and happiness over depression." The first five sections relate Kaufman's philosophy and offer stories of clients' successful changes while in therapy. Section six has short chapters detailing shortcuts to happiness. The book has a four-page bibliography and two pages of additional readings. A cut above most self-help books; recommended.


My rating: Teaching and training the GSD: (4)

IS FACEBOOK TAKING OVER THE GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG WORLD?

Several months back I wrote about the different ways that one has to advertise their dogs for sale or stud services. Long gone are the months that we wait to see our ad in �The German Shepherd Dog Review.� We live in an �instant gratification� generation. Patience might be a word that finds itself used less and less. �We want something and we want it now� seems to be the motto of many people today! Oh sure there are those that are happy to remain the way that they always have been, but the majority of people are looking for the �quick fix.�

In today�s economy this probably makes total sense. Waiting and holding back puppies is something that many can no longer afford to do. Ad after ad of puppies, adult dogs and stud dogs are being put up for consideration on Facebook almost every hour it seems. Some people (and by the looks of it on Facebook) see this as another way to advertise their dogs where people will see them immediately. Other people think it can attract the wrong kind of people that inquire about your dogs. The jury is out on this yet.

Whether you believe it�s a good thing or a bad thing to advertise your dogs and puppies on Facebook, it isn�t going away anytime soon. Heck, I even have friends that have said to me in the past that Facebook is not for them, and now are singing a different tune. I never realized just how many people are breeding and looking for good homes for their animals. I must admit I�ve seen some magnificent looking animals that I may have never had the opportunity of seeing if it weren�t for the fabulous pictures that people are posting on Facebook.

Is Facebook a good way of introducing new people to the breed, do you think? Well I don�t know about that, but I can say this much, not too many people that I know of are not on Facebook in one means or another. I for one joined because it�s a great way to network and I love looking at everyone�s beautiful dogs. It�s a wonderful opportunity to see what lines are producing. I get to �meet� people that I would never have met if I didn�t sign up on this social network. I didn�t think I would be on Facebook very much when I first joined. I sat back and watched and wondered what all the hullabaloo was about. Now I get it and I look forward each day to see the different breeder�s quality of dogs that they have produced.

Facebook is not just a place to advertise and look at pictures of peoples dogs. It�s fun to see the dialog that people engage in with one another. Some are on here more than others I admit, but where else would I be able to �travel� with Jeff Pyle through the snowy highways and byways as he makes his way to the New England Shows? He�s quite the social butterfly! How else would I know how much he loves playing volleyball with his friends���.and lots of friends he has! Some of his pictures are a riot.

I�ve seen people on here that I haven�t seen since my high school days and in some cases, glad that I haven�t! But in most cases it affords one an opportunity to re-connect with people that were only a distant memory to you until you get a message asking if you would like to be a friend with �so and so!� Is it all fun and games being on Facebook? It can be a very educational experience but in my opinion I would advise those thinking of coming on Facebook, not to join too many different groups and invitations. I�ve heard of talk about viruses being obtained from this network. But like in anything else that you may receive in an e-mail, don�t open up everything you get. The same precautions that you would use normally can be extended to your use with any social network.

I admit that I�m not the most �with it� when it comes to technology. I periodically get instant messages sent to me when I�m on Facebook and I write back to them and you would think I would know how to send it to the other person. NOT! So I�m not ignoring you. I�m just showing you that I�m still a little �wet behind the ears� when it comes to some of this modern way of doing things. Oh you�ll hear back from me alright, but maybe not for another month or two. I�m still trying to figure it all out!

Many of us (myself included sometimes) like to keep the �same old, same old� just that way. We hesitate to change things that have been the same way for so long. But sometimes we have to move out of our comfort zone and see what it�s all about. We might not like it and we might not stay, but it seems that the majority of people are willing and admitting, it just may be time to move on.

Who among us gingerly got involved at first with all the German Shepherd e-mail lists when they were first introduced? Many sat back and waited, but eventually they got involved and now it�s one of the first things they look at when they are sipping their first cup of coffee in the morning. Sometimes there are days that I see less and less chatter on the e-mail lists. Where did everyone go to? Yup, it looks like Facebook has cut into some of us list owners bragging rights as well. It doesn�t help to fight it. One can either join in or sit back and listen to other people talking about it. I don�t see it going away anytime soon and if you are looking for where the German Shepherd Dog community went, you might just take a peek and discover that Facebook has been keeping them company!


From the book: "DOGS THAT KNOW WHEN THEIR OWNERS ARE COMING HOME".....It's rare for a book's title to say so clearly what the book is about. In the case of Rupert Sheldrake's latest work, the controversial content is right on the front cover. Pet owners will see it and smile in recognition; skeptical scientists will shake their heads and mutter about "maverick scholars." We all know of cases of dogs (and cats) who know when their owners are coming home, who go to wait at the door or window 10 minutes or more before their human arrives. Conditioned by the tight rigor of contemporary scientific thinking, we either look for rational explanations or we file the phenomenon away in our minds as "unexplained" and are careful not to talk about it with our scientist friends. Sheldrake believes that the "telepathy" between pets and humans, or between flocks of birds or schools of fish that move as a single organism, can be explained this theory. Sheldrake is less persuaded by anecdotes that suggest animal clairvoyance--warning of something in the near future--but refuses to disallow the possibility.


My rating: Facebook: (3 - 4)

GO AHEAD, ASK ME ANYTHING - SEE HOW MUCH YOU REMEMBER

So you think you know the German Shepherd dog and the people associated with them. Put your thinking cap on. Here you go. Just for fun!


What handler said: "I can finish anything?"

What handler said: "Give me a spooky dog to show. They always move."

What two litter sisters went Grand Victrix?

Who wrote the memorial tribute for LaMar Kuhns and her husband read it at the 1984 National Specialty Show in Arizona?

Who wrote the book "This is the German Shepherd?"

Who was the editor of the GSD Review in 1985?

If a dog is advertised as producing his phenotype, what does that mean?

What GSD Specialty club does Ed Barritt still belong to and most years still stewards at but he no longer lives in that state?

If your dog is diagnosed as having SIBO, what do those letters stand for?

I was the first ROM import since 1967, who am I?

Who used to advertise in the Review and put on the bottom of their ads: "Records live, opinions die?"

I came from a famous kennel. I was a Grand Victor. My father was a Grand Victor and I produced two Grand Victor sons and a Grand Victrix daughter. I had one good hip and one that was a little off. Me and my father before me lived long healthy lives but one of my Grand Victor sons was not as lucky. He bloated and died. Who am I?

I write �Inside the German Shepherd Dog�s World.� Who am I?

I write a blog from the German Shepherd Dog Club National Specialty shows these last several years. Who am I?

What are the names of the German Shepherd Dog family of handlers that consisted of father, mother and child that dominated the show ring back in the 1980�s and the child still handles today?

What well known breeder/exhibitor/judge owned �Rex the wonder dog?�

With some of today's dog's you might see attached many different awards or titles at the end of his name, for hips, health and obedience titles that he may have earned. You'll see them identified with a gazillion initials. If you hear the initials EPI associated with a certain dog, is that a good thing and what does it stand for?

At a specialty show, a judge has standing before her five German Shepherd Dogs. Which dog has to be excused? The roach backed Shepherd, the long coated Shepherd, the white Shepherd, the dog with four missing molars, the overshot mouth Shepherd?

The following day at the next specialty show, the judge has the following dogs in her ring. Which dog has to be excused? The dog that has a nose that is not predominantly black, the dog with the undershot jaw, the dog with hanging ears or the dog that tries to bite the judge?

So how do you think that you did? Do you think you got them all right? Share your answers with us and see how many of them you got right. Let's see who the first one is to get them all right, then on Monday I'll post the answers here to these questions.


My rating: German Shepherd trivia: (4)