WHAT'S IN A NAME?

So a few years ago, I was just getting ready to step in to the shower when the telephone rang. In my �birthday suit� (more than you needed to know), I scurried across the floor to see who it was. I saw that it was my friend Marilyn Smith of Darby Dan kennels. I quickly picked up the phone and said, �Hi Marilyn.� She said �I need you to do me a favor and help me with something.� Forgetting that I�m standing in the middle of my living room in �what God gave me,� I�m thinking to myself, �Gee, this sounds serious. �Okay, Marilyn, what�s going on?� I asked her. She told me, �Well I�ve held onto this male puppy from my �Trouble� litter and I still haven�t registered him and we want to show him. Can you help me come up with a name for him?� �Oh is that all?� I replied. Well Marilyn, you just caught me getting into the shower. Let me call you back when I�m finished.� �Okay she says, but don�t forget because I need to send this in right away.�

So I take my dirty little body back into the bathroom, pull back the shower curtain, step in and proceed to pull my hair out trying to help my friend come up with a name for her youngster on such short notice. So because she told me his daddy�s name was �Trouble,� I thought perhaps I could come up with a few names around that name. So from the time she called me until the time I got back to her was no longer than forty minutes, tops! The phone rings at her house. She picks it up. I tell her about the few names that I thought might be of interest to her. She proceeds to tell me, �Thanks, but I�ve already named him.� �Wow that was fast I told her. So what did you name him?� I ask her. She replies, �Just Jack.� �Jack? I repeated with a quizzical expression on my face. �No not Jack, she answers me. Just Jack.� I scratch my head and ask myself, isn�t that what I just said, just the name Jack. But no, she meant his whole name would be �Just Jack!� So my friends, that is how I �HELPED� Marilyn come up with the name for Select Ex 5 2X Can Select Ch Darby-Dan�s Just Jack OFA H/E.  (See the above picture).  Most of you never knew my part in helping name that famous dog, now did you? And as they say, the rest is history!

When choosing a kennel name that people want to run their breeding business with, many will combine the husband�s and wife�s first names together. For example, one of the most famous breeders in the German Shepherd Dog world is the Fran-Jo kennels taken from the names Fran and Joan Ford. Others come up with more unique names for their kennels. My kennel name, �Chieftain�s� came from the old Gimbels department store. They had an estate by that name that we used to drive past once in awhile and the name just stuck with us. How did some of you come up with your kennel name?

My very first show dog that I bought came from a small Connecticut breeder. The owner of the kennel graduated from Cornell University. She told me that she took the name Cornell and spelled it backwards. Cornell spelled backwards is Llenroc. So my first show dog�s name was Llenroc�s Summer Harvest. She and I called him Harvey, coming from the part of his name that was Harvest.

Unlike the simple names that kennels like Darby Dan uses when naming their dogs (Just Jack, Eve, Samson, Miranda, etc.), some people when naming their litters will have a theme that they will use to help them name their puppies. Some themes that some people have used are car names, fragrance names, song titles, movie titles, etc. Some of the most unique names that stand out to me are from the Edan German Shepherd kennels. You�ll recall that I did an interview with Ann Schultz here a few months ago. Ann always comes up with such wonderful names for her marvelous dogs that I don�t hear other people using. Some of those unique names are: �I�ve got it all of Edan, Am Can Sel 4 Ch Me First Me First of Edan, Ch You Ain�t Seen Nothing Yet of Edan, Select Ch MMM MMM Good of Edan, Sel 6 Ch I'm All That Matters of Edan (pictured above)��to name a few of her many, many champion dogs.

Another kennel that I did an interview here several months ago with is Geran's German Shepehrds. Gerald and Angela Roach come up with some wonderful names for their dogs as well. One of their most famous litters was born on Christmas day and so they named their dogs with Christmas names. For instance, �Ch All I want for Christmas, aka Zak.� Other times the Geran Shepherds are named for songs. One puppy Gerald came up with a unique name for is �Geran�s Down to My Last Dollar, aka Reichen� (see the picture below).   As Gerald explains it: Reichen became very ill at 4 weeks after being sick for a week and a half and three different vets diagnosed him with a kidney infection. But I remember telling my wife that when we hit $1,500 paying out medical bills on him, I said I was down to my last dollar. Hence his name.  

It�s funny sometimes how we all try to come up with names that are different or ones that will stick out in people�s minds, only to call them something totally different from their registered names. Don�t we do that sometimes with our children as well? It�s like we go out of our way to come up with these distinquished names only to call them these �baby� names!

I suppose many people can say, �What�s in a name?� After all it�s the quality of the dog that really counts. This is true, but it can be so much fun when trying to come up with names that you like or that people might remember. My own personal favorites from my dogs that I bred were from my �K� litter. (I was one of those kennels that followed the alphabet when naming my dogs). The two names that I loved from that litter were Select #3 BOF Am & International Ch Chieftain�s Kharu CD and Ch Chieftain�s Kazaan. Kharu�s name (pronounced Ka-roo) was such a unique and masculine name. It seems the name extends all the way back to ancient Egyptian times. It was really such a good fit for this dog. Kazaan was perfect for him as well because the dog had an exuberant, happy out going personality.

So when naming your litters, what have been some of your best loved names? How did you come up with your kennel name? I would love to hear some of your stories.

My rating:  coming up with unique names when naming your German Shepherd: (4)

HOW DEEP IS YOUR POCKET?

I got the idea for this article from a friend that told me how much she pays for a handler to board and train her dog. She asked me if I could write something about this subject. Seems the handler has had the dog since the National and charges $400 a month for boarding and training. Now I�ve got to ask right up front��just how much training does a dog need month to month to get ready for the show ring? Just to fill you in, this dog had a high placement in a huge class at the National and has been shown just a few times since then. His owner has had Select and Futurity winning dogs so she�s very familiar with owning show dogs. She�s probably one of the best double handlers that I know. Just how much training is enough training? I told her by the time this animal finishes his championship you will have spent a great deal of money to attain it. She�s frustrated. Take the dog back home I told her! Come on now, the dog has already shown that he is competitive in the show ring by doing so well at the National! What is he being trained for? Give me a break!

Years ago, this was unheard of. How many people sent their dogs to handlers to be trained for several months? We all know that the German Shepherd is a very easily trained dog. Unless you are elderly, disabled or pressed for time is this really necessary? Of course it isn�t. No dog needs months of training to get him ready for the show ring. This is a lot of nonsense. Unless the handler is keeping the dog at his place and showing him every week end or so, what does he need your dog there for? Someone is eating steak for dinner��.and it�s not my friend!

How much money are you willing to put out to have your dog finish his championship? Are you willing to pay your handler to show your dog week after week? And for that matter, can you afford it? How many reserves are enough? Is there a limit to how long you�ll continue to show your dog? Do you have an unlimited, bottomless bank account to do so?

Some people are willing to do what ever it takes to own a champion dog. They truly love the sport of showing and they are having fun no matter what. They will do whatever it is that they need to do to finish their dog. Then there are others who don�t care about having any fun (Oh yes, I�ve had people tell me this already), they come to a dog show to win. Nothing else��.end of story!

I know of someone that has been showing their dog almost every week-end. I think the dog needs another major to finish. The dog is over seven years old. Is it a good dog? In his owner�s eyes he is. His owner wants the dog finished and is determined to make sure that he does. His handler doesn�t mind. He�s getting paid. The owner is happy. The handler is happy. The dog��.well he�s got a pleasant personality so he�s just a happy dog anyway. By the time this dog finishes his title, he will be a very expensive champion. It makes me wonder, who was the most expensive dog to finish his championship title and how long did it take him to do it? I wonder how old he was. Does anyone know?

Is there a limit on how long it should take a dog to finish their championship? Are you of the belief that you just keep on plugging along until he does attain it? Some will argue that they are doing it for the fun of it. How much fun is it to lose the majority of the time, I wonder? One would think that they are no longer doing it for the experience. But hey, if these people are truly having fun, then it is their business. Then there are some who believe and have said, �We don�t need anymore mediocre champions in the breed!� Yup, I just read that the other day on one of the e-mail lists that I belong to.

Under normal circumstances, showing dogs is an expensive hobby. We�re talking about handling fees, traveling fees for the handler, his meals, his lodging, and tolls on the highways. Add to that any bonus you may throw his way if he wins the points or goes Best of Breed. Then you have to pay your own expenses to travel as well. Then there�s the entry fee for the dog, the expense of grooming equipment and supplies, leashes, collars, and any special supplements you may add to your dogs already expensive food. So owning and showing show dogs is a luxury, and in this day and age, a luxury that many can�t afford.

How expensive is it to show your dog at the National Specialty show? If you go with a popular handler, it will cost you quite a bit. Remember that these professional handlers have their choice of which dogs that they want to show. Most of the time they will choose the dog that they think they will have the best chance of winning with. Also most of these handlers have a loyalty to their long standing clients and those clients will normally have first choice of these handlers. It can run you thousands of dollars to show at the National level. And don�t forget the bonus�s that these handlers are accustomed to receiving if they do big winning with your dog. This is the biggest show on earth in the German Shepherd Dog community. Also many people show at the Canadian Nationals as well.

Then take a look at the Futurity/Maturity shows. Some people consider these shows nothing more than glorified match shows. Try telling that to the big winners at these shows. There are no points awarded to winning at these shows. Years ago this was considered a breeders show so one could see what blood lines were producing the qualities that they may be looking for in their own breeding stock. Now days, many exhibitors consider them just as important as any other show because they know if they win the big awards here that it is their ticket into the futurity/maturity finals at the National Specialty show. This is where their dog will have a chance to compete for Futurity Victor/Victrix and Maturity Victor/Victrix. So once again, showing at these types of shows will cost the owners of these dogs more than a pretty penny.

So how deep is your pocket? Do you work around a budget that you save just for showing your dogs? I have a friend that works a part time job just to support her show dog hobby. Yup, she takes the money that she makes from working to show her dogs. Do you eat hamburger helper every month to ensure that you have enough money to show your dog? Is it foolish to be so �dog obsessed?� For most people, they don�t care. They are doing something that they love!

I never sent my dogs to a handler for training. Looking back on it now, most handlers weren�t set up to take other peoples dogs for training. It seems like times have changed and more and more people are sending their dogs away to a handler. I believe in the saying: �Never say never� because you don�t know what you may do that you normally wouldn�t have in the past. That said, how I feel about it is, even if I could afford to do it, I wouldn�t. I don�t feel like a dog needs to go away with a handler under most circumstances. However, if the dog is one that the owner wants to show all over the country looking to win Best in Show awards, then I can see where they�re coming from. It�s almost impossible for most people to take off of work to travel all over the country to show their dogs so sending them to handlers makes sense.

As much as most of these beautiful dogs do lots of winning all over the country, there�s another side as well that some people don�t like to talk about. Because I�ve never sent my dog away, I�m only relating here what I�ve been told by some people that have. What about those dogs that gets sick, or worse dies when they�re away? What about those dogs that get loose and either are never found again or are killed by a car? What about those dogs that bloats and dies? No handler wants to make the call to an owner with this type of bad news.

A friend of mine that is a German Shepherd Dog judge told me one time she sent her dog away to a very well known trainer. She told me when she got her dog back that his temperament was never the same again. Yes, this is the negative side of this discussion and most of the time these things don�t happen, but try telling that to those people�s dogs that did have this happen.

As some of us get older, our desire to show our dogs may still be there, but sometimes we are just not physically capable of doing what�s necessary to get them trained for the ring. This is when I can see a trainer or handler can be very useful. But does he need to be away for several months? Not in my opinion, he doesn�t! I�ll keep the �jingle ling a ling� lining my own pockets!

Just because sending a dog away isn't right for me, doesn't mean it isn't for other people. Many of those people have the trophies, blue ribbons and champions to prove that it is. Everyone's circumstances are different. For some people getting a phone call from their handler telling them that their dog just won the points is a wonderful thing. I on the other hand like to be there watching my dog do the winning. Whatever works for you and your dog!

I�ve worked with the best handlers in this breed at one time or another. I admire the hard work and dedication that they put into their craft. I always brought my dog to the show ring, ready to be competitive and shown to perfection by his handler. As positively that I feel towards handlers and the tremendous contribution that they have made to the sport of showing dogs, I still want to enjoy my dogs and want them home with me. They�re my companions first and a show dog second. If I can�t get them ready for the show ring myself, then maybe it�s time for me to check into a nursing home. And if it�s any indication about how �wonderful� I was in training my own wild child �Bu� for her futurity, I just might be checking in there sooner than I planned!

From the book: "BEST IN SHOW"......"...this book is an absolute "must have"...an unqualified triumph." -- - Dog World (UK) "A bible for all dog show enthusiasts...a treasure that nobody in the dog show world can be without, at least not if they want to maintain their credibility." -- - HUNDSPORT (Sweden)
"A must-read to help you enjoy and understand the world of dog shows even more." -- - David Frei, co-host, The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on USA Network
"We put this workhorse to the test at the GAZETTE and it became indispensable in about 15 minutes. We can give the book no higher praise than that." -- - AKC Gazette, February 2008 "a treasure trove...the be-all and end-all book about dog shows." -- - The Ringleader (Australia)

My rating: handlers: (4), sending dogs away to be trained: (2-4)

SEE YOU IN COURT

Hopefully dealing with the German Shepherd community, you never have to find yourself ending up in court with them. However, before they were German Shepherd people, they were just people like any other people. There are good people and then there are bad people and most people fall in the middle of the two. Owning a German Shepherd doesn�t change any of that.

We live in a �sue happy� culture today. It seems if you look at someone the wrong way, you�re going to get slapped with a law suit. I think most people try to live a good honest life and do their best to be fair with people. I don�t think that too many people go out of their way to �put the knife� to somebody. However, there are those few�..

The best way to protect yourself is to make sure that you have a contract for ANY negotiations that you have with someone else. Make sure everything is spelled out in easy to understand language. Now is the time to ask questions BEFORE signing on the dotted line. If you don�t understand something in the sales contract, then say you don�t understand it. Rather be thought the fool now than be the real fool later.

Sometimes a sales contract is only as good as the people that are signing it. I have heard of stories of some people in the breed that are not living up to their sales contract. And please, whatever you do, don�t take someone�s word for anything! I don�t care who they are, or how long they�ve been in the breed or whatever other positive �adjectives� they use to explain themselves. Even if you�ve known them all your life���..get EVERYTHING in writing! Many a friendships have been lost due to a small �misunderstanding!�

A sales contract can cover puppy sales, stud dog breeding, bitch leasing, hire for work, designing websites, purchasing a used van or motor home, etc. Know ahead of time what it is that you are contracting to buy. Watch out for words that sound nice in a sales contract for a puppy for instance. Do you know the difference between a �show quality� puppy, and �show potential� puppy? Can anyone truly guarantee how the puppy will grow up and turn out? Be careful if they say that they can! It doesn�t matter how well �they know their bloodlines.� The puppy that you may be buying from them may have other �plans� according to his own DNA!

If a breeder is a signer of the breeders code and he�s not living up to that code, then a complaint can be made against him to the Parent Club (The German Shepherd Dog Club of America).

And what about the pet buyer? What do you guarantee to him? If you guarantee good hips and elbows, it needs to be stated in the contract. Do you guarantee the puppy will have good health? Did you give the new owner a window of time to get the puppy checked by a vet? Will you take the puppy back throughout his life time?

And what about the stud dog contract? Don�t think you need one? The two dogs �do their thing� and now everyone sits back and waits to see what these two �superstars� are going to produce. The bitch whelps two puppies��one alive and the other dead. The bitch owner demands another breeding (free of charge). Did the stud dog owner guarantee a certain amount of live puppies or did he just say two puppies�.period? Perhaps, and most likely this wasn�t even discussed ahead of time. Does the stud dog owner expect payment at the time of the service? Perhaps he takes half of the stud fee now and the other half when the litter is born. Maybe he�d like a puppy from this well bred litter. The stud dog owner definitely needs to have a contract stating what his responsibility to the bitch owner is and what he expects. The bitch owner needs to discuss what she expects as well. Again, �my word is good enough� is not good enough!

If you hire someone to design and set up a website for your kennel or other business, do you get a contract from the designer or do you verbally discuss what you want and then let him start working on it for you? What happens if you don�t like it? Will the web designer continue to maintain the site for you? Will they do upgrades for you? How much is all of this going to cost? It�s it one set price or does the upgrades cost you more? You need to know all of this BEFORE you hire the designer. He needs to know what it is you expect and you need to know that you are getting the best value for your dollar.

If a person is doing business on the internet by designing websites or selling merchandise and is not giving you what you paid for and not looking to make it right by you, then you can contact The Internet Crime Complaint Center at: http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx


If you are purchasing someone�s used vehicle to drive back and forth to the dog shows, are you making out a sales contract with the seller? Can you take the vehicle to your mechanic ahead of time before your purchase the automobile or do you take the word of the seller that everything is in tip top condition? If you don�t have a sales contract then you have no one to blame but yourself if the �clunker� drops dead in the middle of the highway on your way to that five point major show!

I read about and talk to people that have told me their �nightmare� stories when dealing with certain people. They have come to these people in good faith with money in their pockets. Now that money is in someone else�s pocket and the buyer is not a satisfied customer. After many failed attempts to rectify the situation, some buyers are left without any other recourse but to take the offending seller to court! This is normally the last resort the buyer has. No one enjoys doing this. It isn�t any fun. However, the buyer came to the seller with good intentions and the seller didn�t live up to their part of the bargain.

Besides all the hard feelings involved in messes like this, not to mention the financial loss, the seller is now �black listed� among their peers. Word carries far in the dog world. If you are not standing behind your puppies, studs, bitches, work, merchandise, etc. you just might find that not too many willing hands are knocking at your door anymore. Treat people with respect and honesty and you�ll get repeat customers time and time again. After all your reputation is on the line. It�s not just the quality of your animals, work or merchandise that you�re selling; it�s your integrity as well. Nobody wants to hear the words, �See you in court����.except maybe a lawyer!�

My rating: contracts: (4), Hearing the words, �You got my word on it!� (1)

From the book: THE CRIMINAL LAW HANDBOOK: KNOW YOUR RIGHTS, SURVIVE THE SYSTEM: "An easily navigated, plain-English resource for laypersons, including accused criminals and their families, victims and their families, and anyone looking for information about how the criminal justice system generally operates...An excellent and balanced guide to the state court criminal justice process...This easy-to-understand book contains everything you need to know about criminal law. Indispensable for anyone who wants to understand exactly what goes on in a criminal case......Quite simply, this volume should be on everybody's bookshelf... Bergman and Berman have created a guided tour of the criminal justice system -- intended both for the curious and for those who find themselves caught up in it."