For those of you that know me well, you would probably say that I�m the type of person that most people go to when they need a good shoulder to cry on. I carry so many people�s problems in my head that I almost forget what my own problems are sometimes. I have always been the champion of the underdog. I love to see the little guy do well.
That said I happened upon the old movie �Rocky� last night while surfing through the channels. Who hasn�t seen this movie more than one time? I�ve probably seen more of the sequels to this movie than the original. So I sat back and started watching the original �Rocky.� I remember a scene in the movie that said that America is the land of opportunity. Wow, I bet not too many people say those words anymore. But it was true; this was a land of opportunity. I felt a swell of pride when I remembered when�..
So because I write stories and articles about dogs (and German Shepherds in particular) my mind is always looking for a subject to write about. And it just hit me, how many of us have had a �Rocky� moment in dogs? For those rare people that never seen this movie, the concept is quite simple, the underdog, the one that no one notices, the going no where fast type of person, gets a break and it changes his life forever. Suddenly the underdog is the top dog!
Is there not a more exciting moment than when an unheard of dog owned by a not so easily recognized handler goes in to the ring and blows all the competition out of the ring? In walks the big shots of the breed�..you know the ones that I�m talking about��the top handlers with the top breeder�s dogs straining at the end of the leash. Then in walks a dog that no ones heard of before and is owned by someone that no one ever notices. People start to whisper and point, who is that magnificent animal standing in the middle of the ring that demands their attention? Oh the crowd is surprised all right when this little unheard of dog floats around the ring like a well oiled machine and stands like an Adonis just daring the judge not to award him that blue ribbon today! It takes a mighty good and honest judge to award this dog the whole kit and caboodle when some of the top winning dogs are waiting for their next winning points. The judge knows there is not other option. At this moment, at this time, on this day, the �Where the hell did he come from dog� must be awarded the winner! The crowd bursts out in a thunderous applause at this �Rocky� moment. I live for this stuff!
Few people can deny the appeal of the underdog that upsets the whole show. Oh those that are used to winning find nothing appealing about it at all. Their answer to this �most unlikely event� happening again is that this dog was lucky and he had a very good day. They say that this is the last that we�ll hear about this dog. Sometimes what they say may be true, but it�s not always the case.
A �Rocky� type of dog is one that comes out of nowhere and beats the top winners at their own game. Probably just as surprised as many others are the owner of this dog. Oh not that he didn�t believe in the qualities of his own dog, but he didn�t believe in the system. He didn�t believe that if you have a good dog whether or not you have a well known handler doesn�t matter. He didn�t believe that a judge would have the knowledge and the guts enough to put up this unknown dog. Are there politics in the showing of dogs? Oh yes there is. Don�t let anyone tell you that there isn�t. On the other side of the coin, there are excellent judges who judge the dogs to the standard of the breed. They do their own thing in the ring and don�t care if ring side likes it or not. You hired him. This is his moment. He does it his way. It might not always be the popular choice, but it�s his choice and that�s why you hired him. If he puts up the little guy over the popular guy, he may be told when he steps out of the ring that he�ll never get another judging assignment. Oh yeah, I�ve heard this said before. But it�s the confident judge that doesn�t get flustered by these remarks and attitudes. He sleeps well at night with his choices.
As for my own �Rocky� dog moments, I�ve had a few. These types of moments are not common in the dog game, but when they happen, it�s probably the moments that you remember the most. I had four of them that I can remember. I had a Best in Maturity winner under Dave Rinke. I never met the man. He never seen my bitch before and I was one of the �little guys� in the breed. My stud dog produced a Select champion under Ernie Loeb which I almost fell out of the bleaches when he was awarded this honorable award. Another �Rocky� moment is when one of my girls took Best Opposite Sex in her Maturity and a five point major reserve the same weekend under Ralph and Mary Roberts. And the cream of the crop was when one of my dogs that I bred was awarded Select #3 under Connie Beckhardt. Why was this the cream of the crop moment for me? Because my Select dog that was a Best Opposite Sex Futurity winner and the Reserve Winners dog at the national the year before trotted into the ring with a much unknown handler. This dog was shown to his championship by Gail Sprock. That�s who everyone associated this dog with. Gail had other commitments so his owner was left to find someone else. Good luck. Come the National time, the top handlers are all ready booked up with their committed clients. Where she got this very young girl from I don�t know, but she and the dog showed their hearts out. When they won, it was one of those �tear producing� moments for me. What made all these moments even more memorable was that these wins were awarded to my dogs by some of the most recognized and respected judges in the breed.
So how about you have you and your dogs had one of those �Rocky� moments? I would love to hear about it.
My rating: �Rocky� moments: (4)
Showing posts with label dog shows. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dog shows. Show all posts
Wednesday, 2 June 2010
Tuesday, 25 May 2010
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)
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)
Monday, 24 May 2010
WOULD YOU DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN?
Maybe when you were growing up you always had a dog. Or maybe you were one of those kids that wished you had a dog. Whatever your circumstances were growing up you probably now own a dog or many dogs.
For most of us when we got our first German Shepherd, we just loved the breed and wanted to own one of them. He was going to be our friend, our watch dog and our buddy. He was going to be there for us when we got home from work. We could take him for rides in the car with us. We�d play ball with him in the park or even take him for a run on the beach. We�d go hiking with him and he�d even come with us when we went camping. I mean after all, isn�t this what people do with their canine companions?
So when did your interest grow from just owning a German Shepherd to wanting to train or show him? How did you discover there was such a thing as dog shows?
Do you remember your very first dog show? Did you go just to watch and observe or did you participate with a dog of your own? What were the people like back then? Were they friendly and welcoming? Was your first dog show a good experience?
My very first dog show was the most prestigious dog show in America. We went to Westminster at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Oh no, we weren�t showing. We just went to watch, to learn and to be educated. Didn�t we think we were something though? We already owned our first German Shepherd that we bought in a pet store. I mean isn�t that where everybody buys a dog? What�s a breeder? I never heard of them before. I just thought you bought a dog at a pet store or you went to the Humane Society and got yourself one. But we wanted a pure bred dog with papers so we bought our girl at the pet store.
It didn�t take us long to have our bubble burst about what a good German Shepherd looked like. We thought we had something special with our long coated black and silver girl. But we were soon to find out that �The only place you�d find a dog like that is in a pet store.� Yup that�s what a very known breeder told us who we met at that prestigious show in New York City all those years ago. Well we really weren�t heartbroken. We loved our dog and didn�t have any intention of letting her go. We continued taking her to obedience classes and we bought a show quality puppy from that very well known breeder that we met at Madison Square Garden. Long story short, he was a fear biter. So we placed the well bred dog and kept our black and silver long coated girl that we bought from the pet store. Her temperament was wonderful and we figured show dog or no show dog, she was a dog that we could be proud of.
Was I upset that this breeder sold me an inferior dog because he knew that we were novices and what the heck did we know anyway? Oh yes I was upset then because I had to place this youngster and even though his temperament was far from ideal, I still loved him and cried when he left. He went to someone that wanted his property guarded.
Looking back on it now, I realize it was a good thing because it taught me what a good dog is and one that isn�t. It taught me the difference between good and bad temperament. This dog�s conformation was not that of a show quality dog either. I know that now, but I didn�t then. I really thank this breeder now for opening the door for me. Because he sold me a bad quality dog didn�t turn me off to the breed. I knew there was something better out there for me and I wasn�t going to stop until I got it.
Our next show dog was indeed a true show dog. But alas he was from bloodlines at that time that was known to have produced the dreaded bloat. We lost our beloved show boy to this horrific disease at 2 � years of age. He went to doggie Heaven with seven points and a major to his credit. Somehow, I don�t think the Heaven�s was impressed.
We bred very few litters a year.....most of the time one to two litters was enough. Like all breeders, we bred some good ones and some mediocre ones. And like most breeders we had some show dog quality puppies but mostly pet quality puppies. We dealt with those people that came knocking on our doors looking for a pet for their little Johnny. We may have tossed and turned wondering if we should have let a certain puppy go before we realized his true potential. We cleaned up and we scooped up. We watered and we fed. We groomed and we trained. We won and we lost. We took home a trophy and blue ribbon one day, and another day we went home empty handed. And we never really learned how to say good bye even though popular belief would have us believing it gets easier with time. NOT!
So where did it all start for you? Was your experience a good one or a bad one? Did you have any mentors helping you or did you learn on your own? I was EXTREMELY fortunate that I had some wonderful people, many of them pillars of the breed guiding me in those early years. Many of them are no longer with us, but what they taught me and showed me remains with me to this day. All of these people in one way or another helped shape my future in this breed. I listened, I learned and I watched. I took what they taught me and formulated my own opinions about things. I am forever thankful to them for their guidance.
So this is how it all began for me. What about you? Would you do it all over again? Would you have done things differently? Would you have been just as contented owning a pet German Shepherd as you are owning a show dog?
My rating: Owning a pet or show dog: (4), Learning from mentors: (4), educating yourself about the breed: (4)
For most of us when we got our first German Shepherd, we just loved the breed and wanted to own one of them. He was going to be our friend, our watch dog and our buddy. He was going to be there for us when we got home from work. We could take him for rides in the car with us. We�d play ball with him in the park or even take him for a run on the beach. We�d go hiking with him and he�d even come with us when we went camping. I mean after all, isn�t this what people do with their canine companions?
So when did your interest grow from just owning a German Shepherd to wanting to train or show him? How did you discover there was such a thing as dog shows?
Do you remember your very first dog show? Did you go just to watch and observe or did you participate with a dog of your own? What were the people like back then? Were they friendly and welcoming? Was your first dog show a good experience?
My very first dog show was the most prestigious dog show in America. We went to Westminster at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Oh no, we weren�t showing. We just went to watch, to learn and to be educated. Didn�t we think we were something though? We already owned our first German Shepherd that we bought in a pet store. I mean isn�t that where everybody buys a dog? What�s a breeder? I never heard of them before. I just thought you bought a dog at a pet store or you went to the Humane Society and got yourself one. But we wanted a pure bred dog with papers so we bought our girl at the pet store.
It didn�t take us long to have our bubble burst about what a good German Shepherd looked like. We thought we had something special with our long coated black and silver girl. But we were soon to find out that �The only place you�d find a dog like that is in a pet store.� Yup that�s what a very known breeder told us who we met at that prestigious show in New York City all those years ago. Well we really weren�t heartbroken. We loved our dog and didn�t have any intention of letting her go. We continued taking her to obedience classes and we bought a show quality puppy from that very well known breeder that we met at Madison Square Garden. Long story short, he was a fear biter. So we placed the well bred dog and kept our black and silver long coated girl that we bought from the pet store. Her temperament was wonderful and we figured show dog or no show dog, she was a dog that we could be proud of.
Was I upset that this breeder sold me an inferior dog because he knew that we were novices and what the heck did we know anyway? Oh yes I was upset then because I had to place this youngster and even though his temperament was far from ideal, I still loved him and cried when he left. He went to someone that wanted his property guarded.
Looking back on it now, I realize it was a good thing because it taught me what a good dog is and one that isn�t. It taught me the difference between good and bad temperament. This dog�s conformation was not that of a show quality dog either. I know that now, but I didn�t then. I really thank this breeder now for opening the door for me. Because he sold me a bad quality dog didn�t turn me off to the breed. I knew there was something better out there for me and I wasn�t going to stop until I got it.
Our next show dog was indeed a true show dog. But alas he was from bloodlines at that time that was known to have produced the dreaded bloat. We lost our beloved show boy to this horrific disease at 2 � years of age. He went to doggie Heaven with seven points and a major to his credit. Somehow, I don�t think the Heaven�s was impressed.
We bred very few litters a year.....most of the time one to two litters was enough. Like all breeders, we bred some good ones and some mediocre ones. And like most breeders we had some show dog quality puppies but mostly pet quality puppies. We dealt with those people that came knocking on our doors looking for a pet for their little Johnny. We may have tossed and turned wondering if we should have let a certain puppy go before we realized his true potential. We cleaned up and we scooped up. We watered and we fed. We groomed and we trained. We won and we lost. We took home a trophy and blue ribbon one day, and another day we went home empty handed. And we never really learned how to say good bye even though popular belief would have us believing it gets easier with time. NOT!
So where did it all start for you? Was your experience a good one or a bad one? Did you have any mentors helping you or did you learn on your own? I was EXTREMELY fortunate that I had some wonderful people, many of them pillars of the breed guiding me in those early years. Many of them are no longer with us, but what they taught me and showed me remains with me to this day. All of these people in one way or another helped shape my future in this breed. I listened, I learned and I watched. I took what they taught me and formulated my own opinions about things. I am forever thankful to them for their guidance.
So this is how it all began for me. What about you? Would you do it all over again? Would you have done things differently? Would you have been just as contented owning a pet German Shepherd as you are owning a show dog?
My rating: Owning a pet or show dog: (4), Learning from mentors: (4), educating yourself about the breed: (4)
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