THIS I KNOW FOR SURE

THIS I KNOW FOR SURE
by
Barbara J. Galasso

No matter how nice a breeding looks on paper, the results may not be what the dogs pedigrees dictates that it should be.

No matter how great the two animals are that you breed together, a champion it does not guarantee.

You can breed a decent male to a decent female, and end up with superstar offspring.

Most litters produce more pet puppies than show puppies, and all puppies regardless of quality belong in the best homes we as breeders can find for them.

Sometimes in this sport of dog shows, it's not always what you know, but who you know.

No matter how long you've been in this breed, some people never have a champion.

No matter how short of a time you've been in this breed, some people have more
champions than those who have been in it longer and never had one.

No matter how many litters you’ve bred and how successful those litters were, most breeders are hoping that the next litter is even better.

When you show under a certain judge one day and he puts your dog up for Winners, he's your hero, when you show under him another time, and you're dead last, he's a bum and a crook.

Long gone are the days that we used to see 20 -25 dogs in the Open class at a regional Specialty, now we're lucky if you see this many in the Open class at the National Specialty level.

Dog folks can be a fickle group of people, nice to your face, and later that same day making AT&T wealthy by tying up the telephone lines with the latest gossip that includes your name.

Dog shows can bring out the best in the worst of people, and can also bring out the worst in the best of people.

Many long standing friendships have been lost, because they have allowed the dogs to come between them.

If you tell a competitive, jealous “friend” about the new exciting puppy that you have high hopes for, you can be guaranteed she’ll tell you about her “better” superstar puppy that she’s waiting to bring out to the shows.

You tell a fellow breeder you’re thinking of breeding to the young well bred dog that lives in the next town. You are read the riot act and told about every possible genetic fault that you can have in your puppies. You breed to him anyway and have no problems. The other breeder breeds to Grand Victor “Joe Blow” and the puppies are a genetic nightmare.

No matter which dog food you feed, which grooming table you use, which coat conditioner you have been successful using, someone is always waiting to tell you they have a better way of doing it.

No matter how long a breeder has been breeding dogs, if someone asks what problems their lines carry, they will tell you their lines don't carry any major faults, just maybe a long coat once in awhile.

Sometimes judges are chosen strictly because of their "name" and popularity, not necessarily because they are the best judge to do the job.

The same people in the breed that were nice twenty years ago are still nice today. The same people that were unfriendly, quarrelsome and not so nice twenty years ago still display their not so nice ways today.

Honesty among breeders about their animal’s good qualities as well as the faults of their bloodlines will insure for years to come the betterment of the health of our beloved breed.

There is more competition going on outside the ring then inside of it!

The German Shepherd Dog is the best breed on the planet. They could surely teach their owners a thing or two about how to get along in this world.

This I know for sure, no matter how long we've been in this magnificent breed and think we know everything there is to know, one day we get a "wake up call", get knocked down a couple of pegs and realize living with the German Shepherd Dog was never really about us teaching them, as it was about them teaching us!


My rating: healthy competition is good: (4)


Presenting the Great, New Third Edition of the Most Respected Book in Print on the German Shepherd in the English Language. From the time Captain Max von Stephanitz undertook the development of the modern German Shepherd just before the turn of the 20th Century to the present, dog enthusiasts have been quick to recognize the versatility, trainability, and desirability of the universally beloved Shepherd and have taken the breed to their collective heart.

Since 1974 The German Shepherd Today has been recognized as the most definitive source of information for all who glory in von Stephanitz's living legacy. Now, in its third magnificent edition, this great masterwork is more meaningful than ever to the unique fellowship that has the German Shepherd as its common bond. Here you can explore the German Shepherd's roots and the work of the visionaries that launched his fortunes. There is vital information all owners, new or old, need to make the most of sharing their lives with these remarkable dogs. For whatever reason you have been drawn to the German Shepherd and for whatever information needs you have regarding the breed and your relationship to it, you will find all you seek-and more-in the new third edition of The German Shepherd Today. And with the text Shepherd fans recommend to each other, is a large gallery of beautiful photos, enlightening diagrams, pedigrees, and statistics you will find as absorbing as the dog you call your own. The best one remains on top.