IS FACEBOOK TAKING OVER THE GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG WORLD?

Several months back I wrote about the different ways that one has to advertise their dogs for sale or stud services. Long gone are the months that we wait to see our ad in “The German Shepherd Dog Review.” We live in an “instant gratification” generation. Patience might be a word that finds itself used less and less. “We want something and we want it now” seems to be the motto of many people today! Oh sure there are those that are happy to remain the way that they always have been, but the majority of people are looking for the “quick fix.”

In today’s economy this probably makes total sense. Waiting and holding back puppies is something that many can no longer afford to do. Ad after ad of puppies, adult dogs and stud dogs are being put up for consideration on Facebook almost every hour it seems. Some people (and by the looks of it on Facebook) see this as another way to advertise their dogs where people will see them immediately. Other people think it can attract the wrong kind of people that inquire about your dogs. The jury is out on this yet.

Whether you believe it’s a good thing or a bad thing to advertise your dogs and puppies on Facebook, it isn’t going away anytime soon. Heck, I even have friends that have said to me in the past that Facebook is not for them, and now are singing a different tune. I never realized just how many people are breeding and looking for good homes for their animals. I must admit I’ve seen some magnificent looking animals that I may have never had the opportunity of seeing if it weren’t for the fabulous pictures that people are posting on Facebook.

Is Facebook a good way of introducing new people to the breed, do you think? Well I don’t know about that, but I can say this much, not too many people that I know of are not on Facebook in one means or another. I for one joined because it’s a great way to network and I love looking at everyone’s beautiful dogs. It’s a wonderful opportunity to see what lines are producing. I get to “meet” people that I would never have met if I didn’t sign up on this social network. I didn’t think I would be on Facebook very much when I first joined. I sat back and watched and wondered what all the hullabaloo was about. Now I get it and I look forward each day to see the different breeder’s quality of dogs that they have produced.

Facebook is not just a place to advertise and look at pictures of peoples dogs. It’s fun to see the dialog that people engage in with one another. Some are on here more than others I admit, but where else would I be able to “travel” with Jeff Pyle through the snowy highways and byways as he makes his way to the New England Shows? He’s quite the social butterfly! How else would I know how much he loves playing volleyball with his friends……….and lots of friends he has! Some of his pictures are a riot.

I’ve seen people on here that I haven’t seen since my high school days and in some cases, glad that I haven’t! But in most cases it affords one an opportunity to re-connect with people that were only a distant memory to you until you get a message asking if you would like to be a friend with “so and so!” Is it all fun and games being on Facebook? It can be a very educational experience but in my opinion I would advise those thinking of coming on Facebook, not to join too many different groups and invitations. I’ve heard of talk about viruses being obtained from this network. But like in anything else that you may receive in an e-mail, don’t open up everything you get. The same precautions that you would use normally can be extended to your use with any social network.

I admit that I’m not the most “with it” when it comes to technology. I periodically get instant messages sent to me when I’m on Facebook and I write back to them and you would think I would know how to send it to the other person. NOT! So I’m not ignoring you. I’m just showing you that I’m still a little “wet behind the ears” when it comes to some of this modern way of doing things. Oh you’ll hear back from me alright, but maybe not for another month or two. I’m still trying to figure it all out!

Many of us (myself included sometimes) like to keep the “same old, same old” just that way. We hesitate to change things that have been the same way for so long. But sometimes we have to move out of our comfort zone and see what it’s all about. We might not like it and we might not stay, but it seems that the majority of people are willing and admitting, it just may be time to move on.

Who among us gingerly got involved at first with all the German Shepherd e-mail lists when they were first introduced? Many sat back and waited, but eventually they got involved and now it’s one of the first things they look at when they are sipping their first cup of coffee in the morning. Sometimes there are days that I see less and less chatter on the e-mail lists. Where did everyone go to? Yup, it looks like Facebook has cut into some of us list owners bragging rights as well. It doesn’t help to fight it. One can either join in or sit back and listen to other people talking about it. I don’t see it going away anytime soon and if you are looking for where the German Shepherd Dog community went, you might just take a peek and discover that Facebook has been keeping them company!


From the book: "DOGS THAT KNOW WHEN THEIR OWNERS ARE COMING HOME".....It's rare for a book's title to say so clearly what the book is about. In the case of Rupert Sheldrake's latest work, the controversial content is right on the front cover. Pet owners will see it and smile in recognition; skeptical scientists will shake their heads and mutter about "maverick scholars." We all know of cases of dogs (and cats) who know when their owners are coming home, who go to wait at the door or window 10 minutes or more before their human arrives. Conditioned by the tight rigor of contemporary scientific thinking, we either look for rational explanations or we file the phenomenon away in our minds as "unexplained" and are careful not to talk about it with our scientist friends. Sheldrake believes that the "telepathy" between pets and humans, or between flocks of birds or schools of fish that move as a single organism, can be explained this theory. Sheldrake is less persuaded by anecdotes that suggest animal clairvoyance--warning of something in the near future--but refuses to disallow the possibility.


My rating: Facebook: (3 - 4)