A classic never goes out of style. It’s something that’s relevant when it was first introduced and all these years later, it’s just as relevant. Many books have been written over the years about the German Shepherd Dog. Some of them are very well done and can prove to be a valuable addition to your library. However, one book in my opinion has it all and that is THE GERMAN SHEPHERD TODAY by Winifred Gibson Strickland and James A. Moses. This book is now on its third edition.
First let’s take a look at its authors. That alone should tell you that the contents of this book come from years of experience owning and working with this breed. Winifred Gibson Strickland is a top obedience trainer and conformation breeder who is also an obedience judge. Having owned both conformation and obedience champion dogs attest to Ms. Strickland’s knowledge of the German Shepherd Dogs versatility. James A Moses is a name that’s symbolic to the German Shepherd Dog breed. He is a top professional dog show handler and breeder and is associated with some of the top winning dogs and kennels of all time. He is a master marketer and visionary having broken all records and made new ones along the way. He’s the only German Shepherd Dog handler to have won Best in Show at the prestigious Westminster show and broke all breeding records by promoting and showing a dog that became the top producing dog in the history of the breed.
Put together the two minds of these German Shepherd Dog experts of the breed, and you can see why there is a wealth of information between the pages of this book. It gives the reader a history of the breed going back to where it all began in Germany through the years of its development up to today’s style of dog. You’ll read about the proper care of the new born puppy, what to look for in a puppy, how to train your new dog, how to live with him, what to look for in the temperament of this breed, how to read pedigrees, etc. It will give you advice about grooming your dog, how to set up a dog for the conformation ring and many other useful tips to make your life with your dog more enjoyable. You’ll see pictures of Ms. Strickland doing obedience work with her dogs.
If you’re a student of the breed or just in love with the German Shepherd, then you’ll going to enjoy looking at all the fabulous pictures of some of the top dogs in the history of the breed. You’ll see where it all began and how the breed has evolved to what it is today.
When I got my first copy of this book back in the later part of the 70’s, I was a new breeder/exhibitor. I read every single page of this book and since then many times over. It was instrumental in helping me learn how to build a whelping box and more importantly it taught me about tube feeding a puppy. Little did I know that I was going to have to use that knowledge and tube feed a litter of puppies. That book stayed in my whelping room and many times I would read it while waiting for a new litter to be born.
THE GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG TODAY is a must for your German Shepherd Dog library. You’ll find yourself referring to it time and time again. You owe it to yourself to own a piece of German Shepherd Dog history that awaits you between the covers of this book.
You can pick up a copy of this book on most of the larger book sites on the web. Amazon sells it for a little over $29. Sometimes you’ll be able to find it on e-bay as well.
My rating: informative: (4), knowledgeable authors: (4), easy to understand: (4), value: (4)
No comments:
Post a Comment