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)

IN THIS STINKING WORLD, WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO BE THANKFUL FOR ANYWAY?

If you can afford to go the German Shepherd Dog National Specialty show in the beautiful state of Utah in a couple of weeks, be thankful.

Some may complain that this years National received a small entry because among other things the area of the country that it�s being held at. Utah is a photographers and a sightseer�s delight to the eye. If you�re lucky to be in God�s country, be thankful!

If you can afford it or think it�s reasonable to pay $15 - $40 to watch the streaming video of the National this year, then be thankful.

If you can afford to feed your dog natural holistic dog food rather than road kill advertised as dog food, then be thankful.

If you can afford to drive a car that holds two or three dog crates instead of having to let your dogs ride loose in the back seat, then be thankful.

If your dog won his futurity/maturity show and was chosen to represent your area, then instead of complaining about the location of the National show, remember he beat other people�s dogs that wish they were in your shoes this year. Who knows, you might be bringing home the next Futurity/Maturity Victor/Victrix, so be thankful!

If you got one of the top dog handlers in the country to consent to handle your dog at the National this year, instead of complaining how expensive he is, remember many other people wanted him too and he chose your dog to show so be very thankful.

The next time your dog loses to an �inferior� dog, remember he might not have won today, but most of the time he does. It was just the �inferior� dogs� day today. Your dog is still the top winning dog, so be thankful.

Some of you can read this blog. Some of you belong to many different dog e-mail lists. Many of you can look up all the health information you want about our breed right here on the internet. But what about all those that can�t because they can�t afford a computer or they don�t have high speed internet service or any service at all where they live. So many of you have access to the information highway, be thankful.

Some of you enjoy the comforts of your home, your car, your vacations and having a good meal in your stomachs. Not that you are any more hard working or dedicated than your neighbor who lost his job six months ago after working for his company for 30 years. You sleep well at night, while he suffers from anxiety with the mortgage company knocking on his door with an eviction notice. Be thankful.

When that mortgage company knocks on your neighbor�s door, realize that he is trying to figure out how he�s going to continue taking care of his family and coming to the realization that his families beloved eight year old dog may be making an appearance at the local animal shelter soon. Your dog lies contently by your side. Be thankful.

Every litter born that is healthy and strong and has no complications for the mother dog is a miracle in itself. No super stars. No strong contenders for Best in Show. Not this time. Not this litter. Another German Shepherd puppy rests peacefully tonight because you cared enough to find them their wonderful, loving forever homes. Be thankful.

Your dog may never win a blue ribbon or win a Best in Trial trophy. Heck he may never do any winning at all. But every time an unfamiliar car pulls into the driveway and he rushes to the window with teeth bared ready to defend you with his life, be thankful.

A gazillion German Shepherds will die in kill shelters this year. Faces with quizzical eyes peer out of the cramped cages wondering why the man that they normally love and protect is not doing the same for them. Hug your dog today and be thankful.

Every congratulations, every �well done�, every pat on the back, every well wishes received, all deserves a �Thank you� from you. It�s your day. It�s your time. Enjoy it but be thankful.


From the book: CHOOSING GRATITUDE: YOUR JOURNEY TO JOY - Gratitude is a choice. If we fail to chose it, by default we choose ingratitude. And once allowed into the heart, ingratitude does not come by itself but with a lot of other seedy companions that only succeed in stealing joy. To not choose gratitude - daily and deliberately - is more costly than we usually realize. And when we do choose a lifestyle of heartfelt, humble gratitude, we are mindful of the benefits received from our gracious Savior and those He has placed around us. By intentionally thanking God and others, bitterness and entitlement are replaced with joy and the humble realization of just how undeserving we really are.


My rating: Thankfulness: (4)