HAVE YOU EVER EXPERIENCED THE "WOW FACTOR?"

I wouldn�t trade places with the new people just coming into this breed for all the money in the world! (OK, maybe I just lied��.I think I�d take all that money in the world after all)! I am so happy that I came into this breed when I did���..all the way back in the 70�s. Gee, I just aged myself didn�t I?

Let me tell you guys what you missed. A big fat black and white German Shepherd Dog Review with pages and pages of the top (and hoping to get to the top) German Shepherd Dogs. I mean I saw pictures of Grand Victors that we�re still talking about today. Some of you know the ones that I mean. They still decorate some of the pedigrees of our dogs that we are breeding and showing today. A few of those Grand Victors that come to mind were Lance, Mannix, Scorpio, Judd, Harrigan, etc. And those puppy ads in the Review�..why I remember one time someone ran a two page ad on three or four month old champion sired puppies. Can I tell you about the pictures they advertised (I can still see them in my mind)��well let�s just say all of the puppies very equally magnificent looking. I dare say that they would still be winners today. They were that good! They were deep bodied, plush coated �champions in the making!� I�ll never forget that ad, it impressed me so much. Having subscribed to the Review, received it, read it, advertised in it and read it all over again��..we held in our hands a magazine that was on it�s way to be award winning and recognized by her peers in the world of dog specialty magazines. Yup, some of us experienced a WOW FACTOR!

Thumbing through the Review, you not only seen all the �greats� in the German Shepherd Dog kingdom, but you also seen all the �greats� in the handling profession as well. We�d see the smiling, winning or furrowed brow of a handler staring back at us from those pages in their show winning pictures. You�d get to say hello to Bob, Jim, LaMar, Sandy, Gail, and Gary, Gerry, Henry, Mary, Freddie, Terry and even that young curly haired, tall skinny guy. What�s his name? Jimmy? Isn�t that guy still around today?! Seeing these handlers lined up in the ring, competing and doing whatever it was to beat their fellow handlers was watching handling expertise at it�s finest. Having these �second to none� professionals handle your dogs was experiencing the WOW FACTOR!

And what about all those wonderful judges we had? Do you know what it was like to see Ernie Loeb standing in the middle of the ring evaluating one of your dogs? How about the ever wonderful true lover of the breed, Mrs. Connie Beckhardt? I think I saw Harry Schneider�s name on more Premium lists back in those days. Then there was Fran Ford. Was there ever a more �gentlemen� of the breed than Fran? He�s still judging today. How about Ralph Roberts? I�ll never forget the year that the German Shepherd Dog Club of Greater New Haven had Ralph and Mary Roberts fly in from the west coast to judge a futurity and a five point major show. Can I tell you Mary Roberts was a class act�.a true lady in every sense of the word? My bitch took Best Opposite Sex in the Maturity under her and a five point major reserve the next day under her husband. That was my �Nuance� that you see at the top of this blog. The futurity was so huge, that we were taking pictures of the winners in the dark! Yup you newbie�s, don�t know what you�re missing! Having these icons of the breed award your dog his championship points, well you just knew you were experiencing the WOW FACTOR!

Oh and lets not forget those most magnificent of all shows, the National Specialty show put on by the Parent Club each year. One�s coming up again real soon. Check out the dates on The German Shepherd Dog Club of America�s website. If you haven�t been to one of these shows, you just must put it on your �to do list.�

In my day I saw some of the top dogs in competition at these National shows. The Covy Tucker Hills magnificently pretty dogs dominated many of the entries at these Nationals. Their Christmas ads in the Review didn�t have too much competition for uniqueness and beauty. No, I take that back�..there were many wonderful Holiday ads now that I think about it! The stud dog classes and brood bitch presentation took your breathe away. Presentation after presentation of top quality filled classes. Youngsters that would go on to make breed history were getting their first introduction at some of these National Specialty shows.

Do you know what it was like being a newbie back then rubbing elbows with the elite in the breed? I sat next to and talked to living, breathing, walking encyclopedias of the history of our breed. I don�t know, but there must have been something in the water at that time because I can�t say that I had any problems meeting and befriending some of these marvelous people. When I hear new people in the breed complaining that no one will help them or even talk to them this only reinforces my belief that I�m glad that I started in the breed when I did! Yup, definitely something in the water back then and we didn�t even have what you guys have today with the vitamin and flavored enhanced waters! Exhibiting and attending a National in these days was experiencing a WOW FACTOR!

I want to know when�s the last time you experienced a WOW FACTOR in this breed. When�s the last time a dog stepped into the ring that took your breath away? Oh I don�t mean the pretty little bitch setting herself up in the ring all by herself or the handsome boy in the Best of Breed competition. All of them are nice representatives of the breed all right, but I�m talking about the one that you�re still talking about a couple of months later. I�m talking about the one that you�d take out a second mortgage on your home to make an offer to his owner for. Where are those dogs? He may not be the one with the most winning titles, but he�s the one that if he didn�t have a title at all, you would just have to have him anyway! Is he out there? Is someone hiding him just waiting to spring him on a hungry audience?

When was the last time that you went to a dog show and watched artistic expression from the tip of the dog�s nose to the handler�s expertise to the judge�s unquestionable knowledge? I mean did you ever walk away from a show knowing you just experienced a blending of like minds in the middle of the ring where you were awed by the dog�s quality, fascinated by the handler�s presentation and agreed with the judge�s decisions? Then you just experienced a WOW FACTOR!

How about watching the German Shepherd Dog do what he was bred to do? Did you ever sit at ringside watching a totally obedient dog in the ring being put through his exercises and come out with a 100% winning score? When�s the last time you saw a German Shepherd herding sheep, or have you ever seen them do this at all? Ever see a German Shepherd attack his handler�s padded sleeve? How about watching a German Shepherd be put through his testing for his Temperament certificate? Ever see a German Shepherd rescue a drowning child? How about a hero dog going back into a burning house to pull his master to safety? Has your dog ever put himself between you and a wild animal that wanted to make you his lunch? What about watching a dog trained for police work knock the breath out of a bank robber who�s running off with your life savings? Then you�ve experienced a WOW FACTOR!

I suppose a WOW FACTOR can mean different things to different people. A WOW FACTOR can be how in awe you are of your bitch that just produced a litter of twelve healthy fat new born pups. A WOW FACTOR can be how you shake your head in disbelief as you watch your young daughter pull your dog�s tail for the hundredth time without him even giving a whimper. A WOW FACTOR can be when you call the owner of the stud dog of your puppies and tell him after watching one of the youngsters in this litter gait around your backyard that you just watched a future Grand Victrix in the making! A WOW FACTOR can be that you are in awe and wonderment that one of the icons of the breed has decided to take a chance on you and mentor you and because of their help, you just finished your first champion!

WOW means just that��WOW��how did that happen, what did I just witness, or how did I get so lucky? WOW means something extraordinary just happened and you just experienced the WOW FACTOR!


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My rating: Living with German Shepherd Dogs is always a WOW FACTOR: (4)

THE MATCHMAKER

For all you single people in the breed...........

THE MATCHMAKER
By
Barbara J. Galasso

The young beautiful woman walks into the office of the famous matchmaker hoping that she will be able to help her find the man of her dreams. She�s a little nervous and embarrassed at first wondering if she is appearing desperate having to come to a matchmaker. She almost turns around to walk back out, but changes her mind knowing she�s been unsuccessful in finding the type of guy that she wants on her own.

The matchmaker beckons her to come in and take a seat so they can have a talk. She asks the young woman just what type of guy is she looking for. She reassures her that she will do her best to help her find him.

The young woman opens her pocketbook and pulls out a list that she has made of all the qualities that she is looking for. She tells the matchmaker that she is adamant about what she expects. She�s not willing to compromise in her requirements. These things she considers �must haves� in the guy of her dreams.
�Okay then�, the matchmaker says to her, �Tell me what it is that you are looking for.�

The young woman proceeds to read her the list of her requirements. �He must be tall, dark and handsome, race and religion aren�t important. He must be very rich and it would be nice if he had some kind of aristocratic background. Loyalty is high on my list of requirements, a one woman kind of guy, someone who is brave and willing to defend me, a good listener, and someone who is non-judgmental. He must be smart, and love me unconditionally. He must be someone who can put up with my mood swings, letting me come and go as I please. He should love to cuddle, and he must accept my two young children and not want anymore. He must be noble, someone I can be proud to be seen with and oh yes, he must have a good personality and make me laugh, and most importantly, he must worship me and put me before anyone else in his life.� she adds.

�Wow, �the matchmaker says. That�s some long list of expectations you have there. That�s a tall order to fill to find all those qualities in one guy. Are you sure that you�re not willing to be a little more flexible? This would give you a better chance of meeting that special someone,� she tries to explain to her. The young woman remains firm in her requirements and tells her there is no room for compromise. The matchmaker tells her she will see what she can do and she�ll be in touch but not to expect many matches that can meet all of her extraordinary requirements.

A week goes by and the young woman doesn�t hear anything from the matchmaker. So she calls the office to inquire about this. The matchmaker tells her she�s still working on it. This goes on for weeks and the young woman grows more and more frustrated and inpatient. The matchmaker asks her again, �Are you sure that you�re not willing to compromise on a few of your requirements? I have a few matches that have many of the requirements that you are looking for, but not all of them.� Once again, the young woman remains strong in her convictions. This is what she wants, and she�s not willing to change a thing.

Weeks go by. The matchmaker is becoming agitated with her client because no matter who she tries to match her with, they are never good enough for her. Again she suggests for her to be a little more flexible in her requirements because she�s never going to get everything in one guy. But no, the client remains strong in her requirements and is not willing to budge.

Three months go by and the telephone rings at the young client�s home. It�s the matchmaker. She tells the excited young woman to come to her office. She thinks she�s found her the perfect match. When she comes into the office, she sits in the chair in front of the matchmaker. She tells the young woman, �It took me some time to find you this special guy, but I�ve finally narrowed it down to one very special guy that meets all of your requirements. �That�s great, that�s great, the young woman says. Do tell me all about him,� she eagerly pleads.

�Well the matchmaker says, you said you wanted tall, dark and handsome. He is considered very handsome. You said race didn�t matter. He�s black. You said he must be very rich coming from an aristocratic background. I can tell you that he comes from Europe and has generations of his family still living there. He and his family are worth a lot of money. �Oh, what do they do?� asks the excited client. The matchmaker tells her they�re in the import business and have been for generations. You wanted someone who is loyal. This fellow is a one-woman type of guy. He�s fiercely loyal! You wanted someone who was brave and willing to defend you. This guy will defend you with his life. A good listener is another one of your requirements and someone who is non-judgmental. Well this guy will never judge you and will always think you�re right even when you may be wrong and he�ll always listen without judging you. He is very smart. In fact, in his social circle many believe him to come from the most intelligent of families. Unconditional love is what you want? Well you got it with this guy. He�ll be only yours for as long as you want him. If you�re moody, grumpy, and acting like a �princess,� he won�t mind. He�ll accept you for who you are. You want someone to cuddle with? Then you�ve come to the right place. This guy will give you all the love and affection your heart craves. He�ll love your children and play with them like they belong to him and not expect to have anymore kids than what you already have. You wanted someone who was noble and someone you could be proud to be seen with. Well when people see the two of you walking down the street, people will step aside and let the two of you pass out of respect for the reputation this guy commands. Doors will open for you when you�re seen with this guy! You wanted a good personality and someone you can laugh with. This guy can be so funny and from what I�m told, some of his antics will make you have tears running down your face. You want someone to worship and adore you and put you first in his life? Well, young woman that is what he lives for!�

The woman says this all sounds too good to be true. She says to her, �There must be some negatives about this guy. Do you know about any of his personality faults?� �Well, the matchmaker says, from what I�m told about him, he can be jealous and temperamental if he feels your affections for someone other than him is being shared. But other than that, I think you�ve got yourself an all-around good kind of a guy. Pretty near perfect if you ask me. After having met this guy, I know now why he is so popular. Everyone who meets him, likes him."

�Oh my God,� the young woman almost shouts out in her excitement. I can�t believe you found this guy for me, the one of my dreams!� �Yes I can�t believe it either," the matchmaker echoes what she says. It took me many long hours and weeks to try to figure out who would be just right for you. I�m good at my matchmaking skills and I have to be honest with you, I just didn�t know if I would be able to come up with all the qualities you were looking for in one guy. I didn�t know that he even existed. Anyway, enough of this small talk, she says. Are you ready to meet your perfect match?� �He�s here? the young woman asks in disbelief. Oh my goodness, how do I look? I didn�t know I�d meet him today.� �You look fine,� she tells the young woman. Remember you wanted someone non-judgmental, so I know he�s going to like you just the way you are.� �Okay then, the young woman says. Bring him in. I guess I�m as ready as I�m ever going to be."

The matchmaker opens the door and says to her assistant, �You can bring Mike in now." The young woman rearranges her dress, checks her lipstick, and shifts position in her chair nervously waiting for Mike to come through the door. The matchmaker turns to the young woman and says, �Let me introduce you to your perfect match according to your requirements. Say hello to Mike.� She opens the door a little wider and in walks a large, handsome black German Shepherd Dog who rushes over to the young woman and plants a wet, sloppy kiss on her cheek. The young woman faints.

Moral of the story: Be careful what you ask for, because you just might get it. Don�t you just love a happy ending?