GOOD DOG GONE BAD

Are you like me that sometimes you’re just amazed at how some dogs that have been terribly abused can still lick the hand of his abuser? Or take this same abused dog and put him with another owner and he loves him unconditionally? Are you amazed at how you can yell at a dog after having a bad day and if you look in his direction he’ll gladly come to you and lay some affection on you? Then there are other dogs if you gave them the same abusive treatment, they are never the same again. They may fear man for the rest of their live. They may shake and run in a corner and if you were to go over to him to pet him, he may relieve himself on your shoe. So what makes some dogs recover and lead a healthy, happy life whereas others end up being skittish and fearful of man for the rest of his life?

I believe it’s all about the dog’s nervous system. I believe that some dogs are more sensitive than other dogs. They may have both been born with a lovely and trustful nature, but one’s nervous system may be more delicate then his litter mates. Is this genetic? Can a puppy that you bred be born with a good temperament and you sell him and his new owners are calling you after a couple of weeks telling you that the puppy has a bad temperament? How did this happy, friendly, out going puppy become a shaking, fearful wimp?

I had a five week old puppy that was in a big medical facility having procedures and tests done on her. When I left her there and was waiting for further instructions, I heard this most pitiful scream that made me jump out of my seat. I asked the girl at the desk was that my puppy? She said yes she was screaming because they were trying to get a tube down her throat. She was there for three days. She went in a happy, “wagging her tail” little bundle of fur. She came out never trusting strangers again. From then on in, every stranger she met, she greeted with a growl!

This can happen with an older youngster as well. I have a friend who once told me that she had a young male that she raised that had a good temperament. He never showed any signs of having a bad disposition. The dog was a show quality animal so she sent him to a well known trainer to prepare him for the show ring. She told me when she got him back, he was a different dog. Her once friendly happy dog no longer could be shown. He became a spook and backed away from the judge rather than standing confidently for his examination. How could this be?

So what makes a good dog go bad? Perhaps some dogs can be rough housed and have it never affect them. Their nerves are steady and nothing seems to bother them. On the other hand some dogs don’t take to being overly handled. They are truly aloof and if they allow you to pet them a couple of times then that’s enough for them. These are not the type of dogs that like anything forced on them.

Just like humans, some of us can tolerate more stress than others. Some people you could drop a bomb in front of them and maybe you’d get a yawn out of them. Others all the way on the other side of the nervous system spectrum would be put in the mental institution. That’s why some people end up with all sorts of nervous conditions due to stress and a sensitive nature. This is when ulcers show their ugly little heads, spastic colons, anxiety attacks, panic attacks, etc. It’s not any different with the dog. I wonder why we expect so much more from them then we expect of ourselves! If the dog has been traumatized, why do we expect them to act like nothing ever happened to them?

I don’t have the answer why some dogs will remain friendly with people after they have been abused and others are never the same again. We can blame or credit it to genetics, but most dogs in a shelter environment are mixed breeds. So if one of your dogs was abused and he had good temperament, would you expect him to bounce back and be trustful and friendly with people once again? Is it reasonable to think this way?


From the book: "SILENT VICTIMS: RECOGNIZING AND STOPPING ABUSE OF THE FAMILY PET" - Silent Victims offers students, professionals, and laypersons an overview of the most critical scientific and anecdotal findings about the antecedents and consequences of animal cruelty. The research presented includes notable studies on the factors associated with animal abuse, including the perpetrators, abusive environments. The book also offers readers an insider's look at animal cruelty; real life tales weave theories and research findings with applied fieldwork, and examine commonly used strategies and techniques for recognizing and addressing animal abuse cases.


My rating: Finding the best homes for our puppies and dogs: (4)

WANT A GRAND VICTOR/VICTRIX - LOOK TO THE STARS!

In my pursuit to find something entertaining and different to write about, I happened about this idea. I’m going to list the names of the more recent Grand Victors and Grand Victrixs’ as taken from the German Shepherd Dog Club of America’s website to see when they were born and help me write about today’s subject. A few of the names are missing here because they didn’t list the month or date of birth of the dogs. Then also the last couple of years there is no listing for the newest winners. Let’s see which signs produced the dogs and bitches with the top honors.

MALES:

GV Ch Bethesda’s Tacoma of Si-Don CD TC – 03/10/1985 – Pisces - Water
GV Ch Woodside’s Nestle’s Quik v Merwestyn, HT – 11/27/1984 – Sagittarius - Fire
GV Ch Campaigner’s Gatewood Uzi ROM CD, TC, HT, – 03/21/1989 – Aries - Fire
GV Ch Inflight’s Spencer v Sandyhill ROM – 07/23/1992 – Leo - Fire
GV Ch Stoneways’ Uecker ROM – 06/29/1993 - Cancer - Water
GV Ch Mar Haven’s Color Guard ROM PT TC – 12/17/1993 – Sagittarius - Fire
GV Ch Caraland’s Unlimited CD, TC, ROM – 12/10/1994 – Sagittarius - Fire
GV Ch WeLove DuChien’s R-Man ROM – 12/17/1993 – Sagittarius - Fire
GV Ch Hickoryhill’s Bull Durham ROM, TC, HIC – 03/18/1996 – Pisces - Water
GV Ch Survival’s Tuff Decision TC ROM – 07/10/1999 – Cancer - Water
GV Ch Marquin’s Xtra! Xtra!, TC, HT, RA, ROM – 07/07/1999 – Cancer - Water
GV Ch Mar Haven’s And The Beat Goes On TC ROM – 03/06/2000 – Pisces - Water
GV Ch Wayside’s Honky Tonk Man ROM – 10/08/1998 – Libra - Air
GV Ch Trafalgar’s Premium Blend ROM – 04/22/01 – Taurus - Earth
GV Ch Welove DuChien’s Army of One ROM – 02/02/04 – Aquarius - Air

BITCHES:

GVX Ch Howard’s Magic Moment CD, ROM – 02/10/1985 – Aquarius - Air
GVX Ch Sea-Lair’s Ciera ROM – 05/24/1986 – Gemini - Air
GVX Ch Altana’s Kricket – 12/18/1985 – Sagittarius - Fire
GVX Ch TR’s Guinevere v Kenlyn ROM – 03/06/1991 – Pisces - Water
GVX Ch Jerr’s French Pastry ROM – 04/26/1992 – Taurus – Earth
GVX Ch Inflight’s Heaven Only Knows PT, TC – 09/11/94 – Virgo - Earth
GVX Ch Winsome’s Fettucini v. Cypress – 03/25/1996 – Aries - Fire
GVX Ch Aramist’s Ivana of Kolbrook ROM – 01/07/1996 – Capricorn - Earth
GVX Ch Lindenhill’s Voodoo Lily – 04/20/1999 – Taurus – Earth
GVX Ch Jecoda Keylis Jest ‘N Thyme TC ROM – 10/13/1998 – Libra - Air
GVX Ch Kridler’s Ruby of Highland Acres ROM – 02/01/2000 – Aquarius - Air
GVX Ch Hickory Hill’s Godiva Sirius Park – 02/16/02 – Aquarius - Air
GVX Ch Falcon’s Welove Liberty – 12/14/01 – Sagittarius - Fire
GVX Ch Castlehills Tuff Cookie HT, PT, TC, ROM – 10/08/01 – Libra - Air
GVX Ch Mar Haven’s Black Orchid – 10/18/04 – Libra - Air

FIRE – (9) – (6) Grand Victors, (3) Grand Victrix
WATER – (7) – (6) Grand Victors, (1) Grand Victrix
EARTH – (5) – (1) Grand Victors, (4) Grand Victrix
AIR – (9) – (2) Grand Victors, (7) Grand Victrix

So the most signs that produced the most winners for the top honors at recent Nationals have been those signs under the element of “Fire” and “Air.”

The breakdowns of the winning signs are:

Pisces: males – 3, bitches: 1
Sagittarius: males: 4, bitches: 2
Aries: males – 1, bitches – 1
Leo: males – 1, bitches – 0
Cancer: males – 3 males, bitches 0
Libra: males -1, bitches – 3
Taurus: males 1, bitches – 2
Aquarius: males 1, bitches – 3
Gemini: males 0, bitches – 1
Virgo: males 9, bitches – 1
Capricorn: males – 0, bitches – 1

The top sign for a further Grand Victor to be born under then is Sagittarius. The top for a Grand Victrix is either Libra or Aquarius.

So what does all of this prove? If you are leaning more towards having yourself a Grand Victor, then make sure your litters are born to be "Fire" or "Water" signs as those signs seemed to be the most dominate for the top winning males. If on the other hand you would prefer a Grand Victrix time your litters to be born under “Air” signs as more top winning bitches were born under that sign.

So there you have it. Time your litters correctly and you just might produce yourself the next Grand Victor/Victrix. With the National Specialty right around the corner, lets’ see which zodiac sign will have the most influence over the winners this year!


From the book: ALL AROUND THE ZODIAC: This book provides a revealing new look at the astrological signs, from Aries to Pisces. Gain a deeper understanding of how each sign motivates you to grow and evolve in consciousness. How does Aries work with Pisces? What does Gemini share in common with Scorpio? All Around the Zodiac is the only book on the market to explore these sign combinations to such a degree.
Not a Sun-sign guide, but a thorough look at the twelve signs themselves, this book is broken into three parts. Part 1 defines the signs, part 2 analyzes the expression of sixty-six pairs of signs, and part 3 designates the expression of the planets and houses in the signs.


My rating: Planning your litters according to the stars: (1 - 4).....depending upon how much you believe in the astrological signs!

NO GOODBYES...JUST I'LL BE SEEING YOU

I apologize to those who inquired about what happened to my blog yesterday. Well yours truly was gone from morning until early evening. When I got home, I had 579 e-mails. Yikes! What a bunch of correspondence for me to shift through. Lot’s of deletions as well. I was saddened when I read the news of a great lady in the breed that passed away, Peggy Douglas. She was a very beloved and respected woman for a very long time in this breed. I never heard people say a bad word about her.

Just the night before, I read of a young champion dog only about two years old that had been hit and killed by a vehicle while chasing a wild animal. I believe it was a bear. I’m sorry I don’t remember this young dog’s name as I didn’t save the e-mail, but I felt a pang in my heart just the same. It’s sad enough that our beloved dogs don’t live long enough but to have one taken like this that was by all rights still a puppy, well that’s just too unfair.

My heartfelt condolences to the families of Peggy Douglas and of the young champion dog. They join the elite group of German Shepherd residents in Heaven that welcome them with open arms. I read on one of the lists this morning that someone wrote that Peggy would now be joining LaMar Kuhns, one of her favorite handlers and they would probably be putting on a dog show up in Heaven. So with that thought in mind, I thought I would include the very first story that I ever wrote for my German Shepherd friends when I first came on the Show List. It was probably the article that I received the most e-mails about. It was written to honor another beloved handler that had just passed away, Henry Dancosse.

INTRODUCTION TO STORY:

Saint Peter opens the Pearly White Gates of Heaven to see a young handsome male dog standing outside. “Hey fellow,” he says to the friendly German Shepherd youngster, “Come in, come in. We were told you were on your way.” But all he gets from the beautiful dog is a bark and a wag of his tail. He keeps turning around and looking down through the soft billowy white clouds as though he’s waiting for something (or someone). “Well boy, either you’re coming in or your not, but I can’t stand here all day with you. Besides no germs are allowed to pass through these doors and if I hold them open too long, that’s just what’s going to happen.” The dog doesn’t budge, but just keeps looking the other way. “Alright boy, suit yourself then” and with that Saint Peter closes the big heavy doors. The young dog finally lies down and sleeps through the night.

By the dawns early light, the dog is wakened by a feminine voice. “Alright now boy, I’m told you were waiting for me to join you.” With that, the dog jumps up and down and starts to bark with joyful anticipation. The lady appears out of the clouds and walks toward the dog. “So you’re the young champion that just had to go chasing after that bear, well now, you and I are in this together. What do you say we knock on these doors to see if anyone’s home?” Before she can knock on the door, the Pearly White Gates begin to open. Out walks Saint Peter who is smiling and says to the lady, “Welcome Peggy, we’ve been waiting for you and it appears that this dog has as well. He wouldn’t come through last night. Now he has a companion.” With that the two of them walk through the gates. Saint Peter tells them that they will both be very comfortable here because today they’re putting on one of “those earthly dog show” events. “Right this way, he tells them. Seats are limited, so you better go grab yourself one over there.”


FIRST EVER GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG SPECIALTY IN HEAVEN
by
Barbara J. Galasso

Today the tunnel of light was opened and shone on another German Shepherd great.....Henry Dancosse. But before he was allowed to enter this tunnel of light he was approached by Saint Francis, patron Saint of animals. He told Henry that God saw fit to take some of earth's German Shepherd Dog people these last few months for his own purposes. God told him that it looked like people on earth were having so much fun showing his dogs, that he decided it was time to put on the first ever National German Shepherd Dog Specialty show in Heaven because, "I'm tired of all you earthly people bickering about where to have the next National!" He told Henry that in order for him to enter Heaven that he would have to pass a test first. Now there were so many great dogs of the breed that had passed away over the years, and that he being a German Shepherd Dog handler, would get his choice of all the top dogs that were in Heaven. But he told him to choose wisely, for although Ernie Loeb was there too in Heaven, this would not be his assignment this day. No, it would be God who would be the judge of this event.

Henry was excited. Just think he said to himself, "I get to choose from all the greats that have passed away. Wow, Lance, Paladen, Rosemary, Manhattan, Hawkeye, Hammer, Andretti, Nestle's Crunch. Who do I choose, who do I choose?” Just at that moment an old familiar voice called out to him. He said, "Henry dar...ling, don't even think of taking Lance in. That's who I'll will be showing. He may have been Jimmy's dog on earth, but up here, he belongs to me. Besides, everyone knows up here as they did on earth that no one knows how to stack a dog like me,” LaMar said as he throws his hands up in the air.

"Now boys, boys, stop your bickering Charlie Chester says. Don't pay attention to him Henry. He and I were out partying too much last night, so he doesn't know what he's talking about. At this rate, if we keep this up, we might both find ourselves back in purgatory."

Just then an announcement comes over the loud speaker by another familiar voice. "Ladies and gentlemen gather up your dogs and bring them to the rings and they better be in top "Naked Care" condition" a laughing voice says. "Well, I'll be darned", Henry thinks to himself, Len Steen is still making announcements and still cracking the jokes."

"OK then LaMar you can take in Lance, I'll take in Manhattan. God should be impressed with him. He broke all records on earth. As this thought lingers in his mind, he feels a tug on his pant leg and hears a small little voice whisper, “Hey mister, I know you have a choice of which dog to show, but I was wondering if you would please take my little guy in. I know he's not much to look at with his long coat, down ears, overshot bite, and he kind of elbows coming at you, but he has a big heart and he'll really try to win for you." Henry looks at the child and remembers what he tried to practice while on earth. "To thine own self be true.” He knew he always did try to help the little guy. "Yup, I'll take your little guy in for you,” he tells her.

All the greats strut into the ring. Age certainly didn't change these guys. LaMar and Lance..........what a team. (Jimmy Moses eat your heart out). And in walks Henry with his down eared, long coated Shepherd. God asks them to move their dogs around the ring and Henry's dog hits the end of the lead and the two of them float around the ring like there was no one else there but them. No double handling was needed or allowed in Heaven. The dog’s ears stood straight up, his coat smoothed out. God points to Henry and the crowd of angels and Saints roar.

When God approaches Henry to congratulate him on his win, he says, “You did well my son. You passed the test.” He tells him, “You see as you were on earth so you are here too in Heaven. You never let the little guy down. You stood for what you believed in.....you were true to yourself. A gentleman there, a gentleman here. We don't have any trophies in heaven Henry; we just have ways of earning your "wings".



So we won’t say any goodbyes to Peggy and this young champion because after all, we’ll be seeing them again. For those who have lived and loved, they never die. Besides they’ll be too busy with the dog shows in Heaven. Hey Peggy, save us a front roll seat, will you?!


My rating: Living a good life so you’re missed like crazy: (4)

"FACEBOOK" AND THE GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG

Several months ago I wrote about the different social networks out there on the internet. Like many of you, I belong to a few of them myself. Some I like better than others but I suppose they all serve their purpose. As I’ve said earlier, I don’t get the big thrill with “Twitter.” I barely use it. Anyway, I wanted to re-visit this subject again only this time paying more attention to the social network giant, “Facebook.”

When I first signed up for this group, I didn’t think too much of it and barely used it. In fact, I didn’t even really like it that much. There were weeks that I seldom went onto the website. I sat back and wondered how long I would continue with my account. Well time went by and I started to check it out some more and now, it’s one of my guilty pleasures.

There are many reasons one would chose to go on “Facebook” but not always for the obvious reasons. It is a great social network to almost instantly connect with your friends or acquaintances. There’s not too much waiting for information with this site. As far as the dogs are concerned, the reason why I like “Facebook” so much is that I’m seeing pictures of dogs that I’ve never seen before. New litters, stud dogs, show win pictures. It’s become a German Shepherd Dog super highway. It is a great marketing and promotional tool. Some of the pictures I’m seeing are incredible. In my opinion, if you don’t use this site to promote your dogs, you’re missing out on a lot of free publicity.

I admit I use “Facebook” for more things than looking at all the pretty pictures of people’s dogs. There are all sorts of groups that you can join up with on many varied subjects that you might be interested in. Being a writer, I just joined a writing group. I love saving money with coupons and I have saved a fortune with being on “Facebook.” I’m signed up with some companies that I like and I get all their latest information or promotions sent to me. I’m connected with my favorite subjects and some of my favorite people. There are many rescue groups on here as well as breeders and exhibitors. I get to view lots of fun videos that people post. Some funny, some informative and some I chose not to watch (abuse of animals to make us aware of what’s going on). Reading about it is hard enough most of the time. Watching it is too much for me because I carry these types of things.

There are down sides to being on “Facebook” as well, but then again, there are downsides to belonging to many different social networks. Reports of scams and hackers coming on “Facebook” are always a concern to its members. That being said, just visiting websites on the internet, can also introduce you to some unsavory situations as well. I’ve encountered a couple of scams on “Facebook” already. In fact, just a couple of nights ago, I ran into this problem. I got an e-mail from my cousin telling me to look at a video that she thought was very funny. When I clicked on it, it said before I could view the video, they wanted me to answer a few questions first (none of it was personal questions), but it made me suspicious and I clicked back out of it. Come to find out my cousin never sent this to me, but whoever did wanted me to believe that she did. So yes, you need to be careful when using these social networks because there are millions of people on these sites. Proceeding with caution is always advisable.

“Facebook” is a great place to hook up with people that you haven’t seen or heard from for years. There are many German Shepherd people on here. I didn’t realize just what a large number of German Shepherd enthusiasts there are out there. I do think it’s a great place to promote our breed for those that are interested in learning more about them. Again, use caution when dealing with people that you don’t know that may be inquiring about your puppies or breeding dogs. It’s a nice way to bring people to you, but like in any other way of advertising, make sure you get references from people.

Is “Facebook” for everyone? No, it isn’t. There are those that resist change and like things just the way they are. There are those that are shy or are very private. Then this is not the place to be. For them “Facebook” makes them too uncomfortable. I admit I normally don’t like change in too many things if I’m enjoying things as they are. Sometimes it takes me a little longer to be convinced about something new. Then once I try it, I wonder what took me so long.

With the economic climate that we live in, people are looking for a way to reach out and connect with other people. Having friends can be a good thing. People are looking for less expensive ways to advertise their dogs and when something is free and it reaches so many people, well resisting the temptation to join up becomes a little harder. “Facebook” won’t appeal to everyone, but for those that it does, they’re having fun, they're networking, they’re reaching out…………..until the “next big thing” comes along on the information highway!


From the book: HOW TO TALK TO ANYONE: 92 LITTLE TRICKS FOR BIG SUCCESS IN RELATIONSHIPS - Leil Lowndes' How to Talk to Anyone offers101 time-tested hints, tips, and techniques for confidently communicating with others. A bestselling author and renowned communications consultant, Lowndes focuses on ice-breaking skills and communication techniques that are proven successful when making a positive first impression, establishing instant rapport and credibility, and more.

Packed with basic, no-nonsense advice and solid research evidence about which techniques work best in which areas, How to Talk to Anyone show readers how to:

* Make small talk not so small
* Use body language to captivate an audience
* Look like you know what you're talking about--even when you don't


My rating: "Facebook" - (1 - 4)

SUGGESTIONS FOR SUCCESS

I apologize for not getting my blog out yesterday but I was gone all day from early morning until late in the afternoon. Then I had car trouble and was lucky I made it home at all. It was a stressful day and I had the migraine this morning to remind me of it!


I love this list of suggestions for success that I came across. Although it’s written for us and our personal lives, I thought I’d use it to see how it can apply to our lives with our German Shepherds.

21 SUGGESTIONS FOR SUCCESS

H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Marry the right person. This one decision will determine 90% of your happiness or misery.
Work at something you enjoy and that's worthy of your time and talent.
Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.
Be forgiving of yourself and others.
Be generous.
Have a grateful heart.
Persistence, persistence, persistence.
Discipline yourself to save money on even the most modest salary.
Treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated.
Commit yourself to constant improvement.Commit yourself to quality.
Understand that happiness is not based on possessions, power or prestige, but on relationships with people you love and respect.
Be loyal.
Be honest.
Be a self-starter.
Be decisive even if it means you'll sometimes be wrong.
Stop blaming others. Take responsibility for every area of your life.
Be bold and courageous. When you look back on your life, you'll regret the things you didn't do more than the ones you did.
Take good care of those you love.
Don't do anything that wouldn't make your Mom proud.

HOW IT MAY APPLY TO US AND OUR DOGS

Buy the absolute best bitch you can afford. She will help determine the future success of your breeding program.

Decide what it is you hope to achieve in the breed whether it’s a top show dog, obedience winner, a therapy dog or just an all around wonderful animal to live with. Just make sure you and your dog are having fun.

Show people the best representative of the breed that you have and that you’re proud of.

Be a person that people can approach and talk to.

Don’t hold grudges because someone’s dog beat your dog at a show. Today was their day. Tomorrow might be your day.

Help the novice person in the breed by being a mentor to them. They are the future of our breed.

Never think that you know everything there is to know about the breed. No matter how long you’ve been in the breed, if you’re not still learning, then you’re stagnating.

Never give up with your goals in the breed. If you want to have a champion, find ways to make it happen. If you want to have a well behaved dog, teach it obedience commands. He may be smart, but he won’t learn if he isn’t taught!

Spending a fortune with a top handler is not the only way to go. Don’t over look another less known handler that is coming up in the ranks. Remember that tomorrow he will be the top handler.

Respect, good sportsmanship and yes a smile goes a long way. Remember when you first started out and you had butterflies in your stomach. Be kind, you just might be responsible in shaping someone’s future in the breed…..either by making it or breaking it.

Never settle for mediocrity when owning a German Shepherd Dog. Help him to achieve all that he was meant to do. He’ll never disappoint.

We as breeders help determine the future quality of the breed. Strive for greatness. Never settle for anything less.

Remember it’s not the breeder that has produced the most champions that will be remembered. It’s the breeder that has produced the most “excellent quality” champions that will be remembered. This is the breeder whose bloodlines have produced the least amount of genetic health and temperament problems.

Gossip is a given in the breeding and showing of dogs. Just make sure you don’t believe everything you hear and always consider the person the gossip is coming from. Remember if she is talking about everyone else all the time….she’s talking about you as well!

If you’re a judge, be honest in your evaluations of your placements in the class. Know that your friends will show under you. Be true to yourself and chose your selections because they deserve those awards, and not because “Joe Blow” won’t talk to you anymore if he doesn’t win. When you hire a handler, hire one that feels he truly can finish your dog. If he likes your dog that’s even better. If you’re a breeder, be honest about your own dogs. Don’t become kennel blind and think just because you bred it that it’s the best thing walking on four legs! Know when to weed out stock that is not in the best interest in the gene pool.

When you are first starting out, realize that you just don’t show up one day with your beloved dog and win every prize that they are giving out that day. It took these breeders many, many years to accomplish what they have. Learn everything that you can about the breed, ask questions, join a breed club and keep on learning.

Make up your mind what type of animal you want, but also never think you know it all. Take advice from those “in the know.” You don’t know it all. They’re not where they are because someone handed it to them. They’ve worked extremely hard at what they do!

If you lose (and you will lose more than you win), stop blaming the judge. Stop blaming the handler. Take a step back and take a good look at your dog. You may think he’s great, but not everyone else may share your feelings for him!

Know that breeding animals is always a risk. You have no control over genetics. Don’t give up. Improve and continue to improve. It’s the brave ones in this breed that rise above the rest. They’ve known that they needed to take chances. Sometimes they win and sometimes they loose, but they never give up.

Don’t forget the rest of your life and the people that are in it just so you can pursue your dreams in the breed. Nurture that part of your life as well to have a healthy balance.

Don’t back stab, don’t cheat, and don’t do anything that would not make your mother proud that you chose the German Shepherd breed to help make your dreams come true of being a good breeder, exhibitor, handler, judge or just an all around lover of the breed.


From the book: "THE SUCCESS PRINCIPLES: HOW TO GET FROM WHERE YOU ARE TO WHERE YOU WANT TO BE"..........When it comes to success, Canfield knows of what he speaks: he is co-creator, with Mark Victor Hansen, of the seemingly endless Chicken Soup for the Soul series. He presents 64 success principles that he claims "always work"—and draws on his own experience and that of others to illustrate them. Sixty-four principles may seem like a lot, but each receives a concise, easy-to-digest chapter that challenges readers to risk creating their lives exactly as they want them. Many of the principles are familiar—e.g., "Take 100% Responsibility for Your Life"—but Canfield has a nifty way of summarizing them ("Reject rejection"), and some are inventive: "Become an Inverse Paranoid" means see the world as out to help you instead of out to get you. He also offers specific techniques, such as positive-thinking exercises and visualizations. A section on transformation provides even more on how to overcome self-defeating beliefs, fears and habits. Further sections offer principles on building good teams and better relationships at the office. Canfield acknowledges his predecessors in the success advice field, such as Napoleon Hill, and is also clear that while he gives information, motivation, and inspiration, readers must contribute their own hard work. Canfield's energy and enthusiasm bounce off the page; many will flock to this inspiring (and very rich) teacher. And those starting off in business or in need of a refresher course may consider this title required reading.

My rating: Living a successful life: (4) Jack Canfield's inspirational books: (4)....I love this guys writings!

IN THE BEGINNING

Several years ago I wrote this little spoof. I've just re-tweaked it and added a little more to it and changed the ending. I got a chuckle out of writing it. I hope you enjoy it.

IN THE BEGINNING
By
Barbara J. Galasso

In the beginning, God created woman and he called her Eve and all was well. Or so he thought…..

One day God came to visit our little Ms. Eve in the Garden of Eden to see how she was doing. “So Eve dear, how do you like your garden which I planted for you with yellow buttercups, orange tulips and beautiful blue irises?” “Oh it’s alright I suppose,” Eve answers unthankfully, but I was hoping for a garden of red roses instead. God replaces her garden with weeds.

The next day the Lord returns to see if Eve is in any better spirits. He asks her how she likes the abundant amount of fresh fruits and vegetables he has bestowed upon her. “Well to tell you the truth, I was so hoping for a surf and turf dinner,” the ungrateful Ms. Eve replies. Poof……all the fresh fruit and vegetables are gone except for a lone apple on a tree with a serpent slithering close by.

Now on the third day, the Lord being of a kind and generous spirit decides to give our little resident in the Garden of Eden one last chance to show her gratefulness. “So Eve, how are we doing today?” his patient voice asks. “I’m lonely. That’s how I’m doing today,” an agitated Eve answers. “All I have are these wooly lambs, and fat piglets, and those scaly fish in that pond over there to keep me company.” “Well what would you like instead to keep you company Eve?” the Lord asks. Eve rests her head on her chin and says, “Hmm, I’ve been giving this some thought. I need someone to listen to me when I tell him my problems. You know someone who won’t judge me. I want him to be smart, but not smarter than me. He must be obedient and trustworthy. He must help me keep these gardens and grass clean. He needs to share the work load around here! The Lord rolls his eyes and wonders if bringing woman in to the world first was a good idea after all. Eve’s eyes light up and she says, “I know what I need. I need a partner to share the Garden of Eden with.” Just then the winds begin to kick up as the tree tops sway to and fro. A storm is brewing on the horizon. There’s a rustling in the bushes. Eve turns around to see what’s making all that noise and out trots a German Shepherd Dog with his tail wagging and his tongue sticking out of his mouth making him look goofy. The Lord sees a look of bewilderment come over Eve’s face. “What is that?” Eve asks totally shocked. As the Lord begins to walk away, he says to her, “Well you wanted a companion who was obedient and trustworthy. You wanted someone to share your work load with. He’ll listen to all your problems and he’ll never judge you. With that, the dog lets out a big bark as if in agreement. Startled, Eve jumps back away from the intruding animal. “Sometimes I don’t send you what you ask for Eve, but instead what you need.” Before she can answer him, he disappears in the clouds.

Confident that Eve has nothing more to complain about, the Lord returns to the Garden of Eden the next day looking forward to hearing positive things. “Well my dear, I trust all is well with you today” he says as he strokes the head of the affectionate dog that comes to greet him. “All is not well,” the grumpy Eve says. That horrible beast herded all the sheep to the next pasture and they never came back. Then he ate all the piglets and afterwards went in to the pond with the smelly fish and now he stinks. He’s left his smelly droppings all over my lovely lawn and lifted his leg on my beautiful fragrant flowers. And he lay down next to me all night long breathing in my face with his hot breath never leaving my side. He is definitely not what I wanted when I asked for a companion.” The Lord decides it is time to teach Eve a lesson. With that, the skies open wide with a loud clap of thunder. Something falls from the sky and lands over on the sandy shore by the pond. Eve runs over to investigate the object laying there. All of a sudden it moves. It turns over and scratching his head, looks up at her and says, “Gee, I didn’t know you were going to be so chubby. Oh well woman, your man’s home and what’s for supper and where are my slippers?” The dog upon seeing the man wags his tail enthusiastically and lets out a loud welcoming bark. Just then the snake who was observing all this from that infamous tree moves out on the branch so Eve can see him. Eve raises an eyebrow and gives the dog a dirty look and turns an evil eye to the man. She says to him with all the sarcasm she can muster, “You’re hungry, are you? How about a nice Shepherd’s pie for supper?” she says, once again looking over at the dog. The dog whimpers and puts his ears back lowering himself on the ground next to the man. Eve stands there with her hands on her hips wondering what she ever did to deserve these two. “Well let me see what I can offer you to eat,” Eve says moving closer to the tree that harbors the sleazy little serpent and “that” apple. Because of the dog’s devotion to Adam, he tries to trip the man as the man eagerly runs to the seductive Ms. Eve who’s dangling the ruby red apple from her dainty little hand. And as they say, the rest is history. And so God truly made the German Shepherd to be man’s best friend because he saw that man couldn’t take care of himself as was evident in the Garden of Eden. Try as he may, through the ages the German Shepherd dog has tried to lead the blind men of this world away from the seductive daughters and granddaughters of Eve. And as for little Ms. Eve, well she knew that God created woman to bring to man trouble so the German Shepherd could fulfill his destiny. After all, she didn’t want to interfere in God’s plans for his creations. Women are thoughtful like that! And God was pleased.


NO PART OF THIS STORY MAY BE REPRODUCED OR USED WITHOUT PERMISSION FROM THE AUTHOR!


Taken from the book: "James Herriot's Dog Stories: Warm and Wonderful Stories About the Animals Herriot Love's Best".....Readers of Herriot's four classics and viewers of the PBS series will recognize many of these stories, which will still bring a smile or a tear to the eyes of dog lovers. Each of the 50 stories is preceded by a pen-and-ink sketch. Following each story, there are one or two paragraphs of Herriot's philosophy, outlook on life, and reminiscences about the dogs he has known. In these accounts he illustrates the various reactions of the dogs to the vet who treats them, thus providing the psychological side of animal doctoring. Especially interesting and enlightening are the descriptions of treatments given in the '30s as compared to what research has put into the hands of today's vet. A good choice for dog lovers.


My rating: Be careful what you ask for: (4)

IS THERE ANOTHER WESTMINSTER BEST IN SHOW IN OUR BREEDS FUTURE?

Like many of you, I was glued to my television this week for two nights watching the Westminster Kennel Club dog show. While listening to the commentary, I thought that I heard one of the announcers say that there was only one Best in Show winner ever from the Herding Group. Wow….why was that I wondered? So I just went onto the Westminster Kennel Clubs website and did some investigation. Now remember, the Herding Group was held for the first time at Westminster in 1983. Prior to that, the German Shepherd Dog along with some of the other breeds came from the Working Group. For a little trivia….the Germans Shepherd was known as the German Sheep Dog from 1908-1918 and as the Shepherd Dog from 1919-1931.

As I continued my investigation, I found the chart that showed how many Best in Show dogs ever won from the Herding Group. The Herding Group was only awarded this honor four times! Of those four times, three of those dogs received that award while they were in the Working Group. The fourth dog to win Best in Show from this group was the German Shepherd Dog and when he won it, he won it from the Herding Group, not while he was still in the Working Group. That said then, the German Shepherd Dog is the ONLY herding dog to win it from this group! Why does this group not get the same recognition as the other groups I wondered? Looking over the past Working Groups Best in Shows, they have to their credit 15 wins! 19 Best in Show wins from the Sporting Group, Hound Group has four wins, 45 wins over in the Terrier Group, nine wins from the Toy Group, and ten in Non-Sporting. Those feisty little terriers certainly know how to charm the judges!

So it looks like the Herding Group and the Hound Group are running neck in neck for the least amount of Best in Show winners honoring their breeds. The German Shepherd Dog has had 14 Group Wins at Westminster which is a nice record for our breed.

Right now the German Shepherd Dog is listed as the second most popular breed according to the American Kennel Club 2009 dog registration statistics. The Labrador Retriever holds the number one spot. In my life time, I’ve never seen the German Shepherd Dog not be in the top five most registered dogs. In fact, if my memory serves me correctly, I don’t think I’ve ever seen them slip down below the number 4 position.

There is very little that you can ask of this dog that he won’t be able to deliver. We all know of their heroic contributions in war times. Many times when we see pictures of natural disasters, it is not uncommon to see a German Shepherd’s nose to the ground sniffing out a helpless person that’s buried under the rubble. His search and rescue efforts are numerous. Time and time again we see this dog in the cities Police departments. He is used as a narcotics and bomb detecting dog. We also know that this dog has been used throughout the years as a top Seeing Eye dog for the blind. He’s been a “movie star” in so many Hollywood productions that it would take pages and pages to list them all. He’s a herder of sheep, a therapy dog for the sick and lonely, a guardian of home and property, a babysitter for our kids, and a "demander" of a spot in our heart! Could any other breed of dog have such an illustrious resume?

Then someone questioned if this is one of the most wonderful breed of dogs, how come they don’t win more Best in Shows at Westminster? Quite simply, they are not judged on their accomplishments OUTSIDE of the ring. All of their heroics, all of their contributions to making man’s life easier are pushed aside. When they step into this arena, they are judged on structure, movement, temperament and breed type. The judge is looking for the dog that he considers being the closest to that dog’s breed standard. I personally feel like many other breeder/exhibitors do, that many times the dogs winning record precede him into the show ring at a level of a show as Westminster. We are watching some of the top winning dogs in the country compete at this most prestigious of dog shows. Personally, I would love to see a major upset at this show….that is where the top winning dog in the country whose owners and handler experts to win loses to the a dog that no one expected to take the top honor! Wouldn’t that be something? I am and have always been the champion of the underdog! Wouldn’t it be fun to be surprised? When I hear the announcer say that we are watching the top winning dog in the country and then he goes Best in Show…..well, where’s the excitement in that unless you are the dog’s owner of course?!

There have been some top winning German Shepherds in the United States that have won many Best in Show awards at the All Breed shows. And yet, only one of them won Best in Show at Westminster all the way back in 1987……the great showman…….Manhattan! I’d love to see it happen again! Manhattan like previous Best in Show winners brought his show winning record along into the ring with him so he was not an unheard of dog. He was very well known and very well loved. He had the crowd support on that wonderful night and he stepped it up and the more the crowd applauded, the more the dog responded and showed his little old heart out. Was he the greatest German Shepherd champion that ever lived? No, perhaps he wasn’t. But on that night, he challenged those hardened hearts and non believers and even those few had to admit this dog asked for it, wanted it, and knew he owned that arena and that crowd and ultimately the Best in Show honors!

I think that is why this years winner although certainly a deserving champion, did nothing to excite me. It was like; “Ho hum, another dog show”…….I didn’t feel this dog as previous dogs have done……asked for it. He never seemed to get caught up in the crowd’s enthusiasm and excitement and it was like this was just another dog show to him.

And speaking of that…….some of the dogs at the show seemed so bored. There was a program on Monday night following the Westminster's presentation. It was very interesting showing some of the past winners and also different dog shows across the country. One thing I noticed was that some of these dogs looked so bored. It was like the dog show was all they ever really knew. I wondered how many of them ever chased a ball, played with children or for that fact was ever taken out of a kennel except to go to a dog show. Now mind you, many of these dogs are member’s of their owners families, but I couldn’t help wonder about some of the others.

In my opinion, I must say that our breed was very well represented at this years Westminster with some top quality champions. They were all lovely and must have done their owners and breeders proud. Congratulations to one and all! Oh well, I can’t wait until next year to see which German Shepherd will win the breed and who knows what? Will there be another Best in Show winner in our breed's future? Will it be in my lifetime? Is there a future Westminster Best in Show German Shepherd lying by someone’s feet right now? Can’t wait to see him/her!

From today's book selection: "The Joy of Breeding Your Own Show Dog": Back by popular demand - the only breeding book endorsed by top breeders. "There are many books on breeding dogs, but Ann's book is so on-target and comprehensive that it has become a bible among successful breeders. The news that Howell is making this modern classic available again is to the benefit of both new and future generations of aspiring breeders."-- From the new Foreword by Wendell J. Sammet, The American Kennel Club's first Breeder of the Year (2002)


My rating: German Shepherds are the best inside or outside the ring:(4), "The Joy of Breeding Your Own Show Dog": (4)

THOSE THREE

Sometimes people write to me asking about some of the stories that I've written.  So I dug out of my archive one of the stories that I wrote several years ago.  Maybe I'll pull some of them up again and share them with my new readers.  I thought I might do this occasionally on a Friday when things are usually slower.  For those of you that are new to the sport of showing the German Shepherd Dog, this is a fictional story that I wrote but the the names of the characters are real.  The three that I wrote about are no longer with us but were all "pillars of the breed!"  Two were breeder/judges and the other was a professional handler.  Both judges were highly respected and popular.  The handler was extremely colorful and sort after for his expertise in showing the German Shepherd Dog.

Wow..........take a look at what Amazon came up with for display for this story today.  They have truly matched their product to fit my story!  After reading the story you'll see what I mean!  I love it! 

Have a great week-end everyone and I'll be back on Monday. 

THOSE THREE
By
Barbara J. Galasso

“Sir, if I may have a moment of your time please. It looks like the German Shepherd fancy is in need of your help again,” says one of the residents of this massive kingdom. “Oh, asks the Lord as he leans in closer to listen, what kind of trouble have they got themselves in this time?” “Well your worship, from what I can gather, it seems like the membership is dwindling away because less and less people are staying in the breed to show their dogs. Moral is down and it seems some of the new people are discouraged and without much hope, they are taking their dogs out of the show ring and away from the Specialty clubs. And the master asks, “What’s becoming of these people and the dogs that they love so much?” “Well sir, from what I’ve been told, they still love their dogs but they either put them in obedience or just take them home and keep them as their family pets.” “Well,” the Lord replies in a commanding voice, “There’s nothing wrong with that, now is there?” “Oh no sir, nothing wrong with that at all, the gentle man replies.  “Well then, let us intervene and send them some help, shall we?” Go and gather for me the following people please and bring them to me,” he instructs the man.

Within an hour, the three people that the Lord summons stand in front of him waiting for his direction. One by one he speaks to each of them and tells them what he wants them to do. “LaMar Kuhns,” he calls out, come closer to me. “LaMar anxiously obeys him and listens intently to what he has to say. “I want you to go down to earth and show them how to groom and show a dog properly. None of this nonsense with hair blowers and grooming tables. They’re making the manufacturer wealthy and themselves poor. No wonder they can’t afford to show their dogs.  Do you understand what it is I want you to do LaMar?” “Oh you bet I do sir. You bet I do,” LaMar says in a delighted voice. “Well,” the father says, Quick boy, get to it. Be off with you then."  LaMar quickly scrambles to be on his way. “Oh just a minute son”, he hears the loud voice say in a very commanding tone. LaMar turns to face him. The master says,” I’m warning you; watch your language or its back to purgatory when you return” “Right; you got it,” LaMar sheepishly answers.

“Mrs. Connie Beckhardt; please step forward” the father says. Connie bows her head in obedience and waits for her instructions. “You my dear woman were loved and admired by many in the fancy. You not only accomplished in the breed what many only dare dream of, but you were also an ambassador of good will to the fancy through your kindness and sincerity for your love of the breed. Go to these clubs that are folding and show them what it means to be a mentor and encourage them with your knowledge and charity. I’m counting on you Connie.” “I won’t let you down sir” she says as she leaves his kingdom on her way back to earth.

One person still stands before the Lord. “Mr. Ernest Loeb, you are the third person I want to send to the earth. You lived longer than the other two, and in that time you became one of the most recognized names in the history of the German Shepherd Dog breed. You were known as a much sort after judge, a breeder of top quality dogs and someone who many turned to when they were looking for knowledge about the breed.
You my dear man are to go down to earth and show them how to judge a Specialty show and what a good specimen of the breed looks like. Go forth than and once again teach the students of the breed.” Mr. Loeb bows his head humbly and says, “It will be my pleasure sir,” as he slowly turns and walks away.

“Wow, the show pulled a 5 point major in males and bitches today” one of the club members is overheard saying to another club member. “I can’t believe how that happened, when the day before the entries closed we only had 1 point on both sides”, he says scratching his head. “Beats me,” his companion says. “Maybe it’s because the original judge called in sick at the last minute. I wonder who’s going to replace him.”
With that, in walks a medium built man who is under the tent talking to the show secretary. He walks to the center of the ring and all eyes are on this man as he looks familiar to most, but they can’t figure out who he is. He asks for his first class to be brought in. Everyone comes into the ring as directed, and is waiting for the last dog who is being fluffed up at the withers a bit more, and then as the judge loudly clears his throat, the handler allows the dog to put on a display after everyone else is standing calmly waiting for him. The dog circles the handler many times and then stops and sets himself up. The handler steps back and looks at his audience and says, “darlings, did you ever see such a magnificent specimen of the breed?” All eyes are fixated on the flamboyant handler in the checkered pants more than the dog he is showing off. “Darn, he reminds me of someone,” you could hear among the whispers in the audience.

Outside the ring, a lovely soft lady is talking to many newcomers and she’s asking them about the gorgeous puppies that they have standing with them. She encourages them to work hard with them and get themselves a good handler to show these promising youngsters. She inquires about their bloodlines and advises them of what dogs they may want to consider using in the future. She asks them if they are members of this club, and if they are not she hands them an application form and suggests maybe they should think of joining. She smiles warmly and gives them a tender hug and tells them she has to go over to the food stand to help them sell some hotdogs, but she’ll be back to talk to them later.

Back in the ring, the winners dogs come in for one more look. Again, the class is held up just a little bit as the handler with the checkered pants comes charging in. The judge and handler meet one another’s eyes and the judge shakes his head and if you looked hard enough, you could swear he had a smirk on his face. He asks the handlers to move the dogs around nice and easy and demands a loose lead. A handler comes out to the center of the ring with her dog and she has him on a tight lead and he tells her to drop the lead.
She puts her hand on her hip and continues to hold the dog the same way. He slowly walks over to her and says, “My dear young lady, if you don’t drop the lead, I will forget that you and your dog ever stepped foot in my ring. Is that understood? She is about to make some wise crack to this mystery man, but when she looks him in the eye, it’s one she’s familiar with and respects, but she doesn’t know why. She does as he asks.

Now the class is gaiting together and just then the handler by the name of Georgie comes running up close to the handler with the checkered pants and he lets his dog cover the other dog so the judge can’t see him. The man in the checkered pants runs even faster with his short little legs and he turns and looks at Georgie and says to him, “I taught you everything you know about handling, you son of a b----. But before he can utter the profanity, a lightening bolt streaks across the sky and hits him square in the butt. “Ouch,” he says looking up towards the heavens as he tumbles to the ground. People try to help him up, but he insists that he’s alright. He gets up, and the judge has to turn his head for fear that the people will see him laughing. He’s thinking to himself, “He still hasn’t changed. I wouldn’t want to be him when we go back home. No sir. Wouldn’t want to be him.” The battle continues for winners with neither handler giving in to the other. They both want this win. The judge points to the handler with the now ripped checkered pants. With that he turns to his competitor and says, “You’re still learning sonny boy. After all these years, you’re still learning. Even after all this time, you still can’t beat me,” he chuckles out loud. “Just who is this wise guy”, Georgie asks himself. “I know I know him, but who is he?”

The show is now over, and people are gathering up their chairs to put them in their vans. They are all dumbfounded by what they just have witnessed, knowing that they recognized three people, but couldn’t quite figure out who they were. “Who are those three?” they wonder. I haven’t had so much fun at a dog show in a long time. That nice lady signed up six new members, the judge had total control of his ring and just look at how large his entry was. And that handler was just about the most colorful guy I’ve ever seen. He was such a showman. They decide to go over and talk to them. They turn around to look back at the field and they see two men and a woman walking away. “There they are,” they say. They call out to them to wait. But the three people continue to walk closer to the wooded area. “Wait a minute,” the people say as they start to walk faster to try to catch up to them. As the three people come to the woods, the people begin to run faster before they disappear. Someone says, “If I didn’t know better, I would have thought we just seen Connie Beckhardt mentoring our members, Ernest Loeb judging our show, and LaMar Kuhns himself handling our dogs.” “You’re crazy one of the other people” says. With that, as the three people step into the woods, a light breeze stirs up and the man with the checkered pants turns one more time to look at all the people and their dogs and the sport that he always loved. He smiles at them and gives them a wink as he and his companions disappear among the trees and bushes.

When they return, the gates of their home are opened to only two of them. When LaMar tries to enter, he hears the voice of the master say, “You did a good job my son showing how to groom and show a dog, but like usual, once you were back on earth that mouth of yours got you in trouble again.” “Yeah, but I can explain that to you sir,” he begins to say in protest. “No explanation necessary Mr. Kuhns. You forgot one important lesson. You might have been the master of your game on earth, but up here there is only one master, and it isn’t you. Off to purgatory then for you!” LaMar hangs his head low and talking to himself, he says, “You would have thought the lightening bolt to my butt would have been purgatory enough.” “What’s that you say son?” the master asks. “Nothing. Nothing, sir,” he answers. God smiles. He already knows.

My rating: taking a walk down memory lane:  (4), having a sense of humor: (4)

REUNITED AND IT FEELS SO GOOD!

When one of our beloved animals has left this earth, we pray that we will be reunited with him and together once again. A few years ago on one of the lists I wrote a short article questioning whether or not an animal could have a soul. Then this year I wrote a blog titled “If there’s no animals in heaven, then I’m not going!” So here’s an excerpt from my original article for those who didn’t belong to that particular list at the time. Then I want to add some new information about this subject.

It is said that if an animal has a soul, than it must be a sin to kill an animal. The Bible says "he that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man" - Isiah 66:3. Throughout the animal kingdom, time and time again they illustrate to us they must have a soul because of the way they take care of their own. Dogs have been known to howl at the precise moment that a loved one has died. Some have been found lying on their dead master’s grave. Elephants try to lift their dying or dead. Cow and calf elephants have been known to refuse to leave their herd matriarch when she is shot, even as the poachers slaughter them one by one. Dolphins take turns helping an ill pod member to the surface to breathe. Some people will say this is only instinct. (Instinct - behavior that is mediated by reactions below the conscious level). (Soul - the quality that arouses emotion and sentiment). For those of us who are loved by our dogs, we know they must have a soul when they look at us soulfully when we are sad, or forget about trying to turn away from a dog when you're crying. They’re all over you, sometimes crying with you trying to lick away each tear that falls. They instantly forgive us when we are cranky and have taught us the meaning of unconditional love. Our animals are a gift the Creator left in our care as a testament to what real love is all about. When we open up our hearts to our animals, we realize they were put here not only to be our companions and best friends, not to walk 15 feet behind us, but along side us and many times deservingly 20 feet in front of us. I don't know about you, but I must believe there is a Heaven, because I want to run in the open fields once again with all my beloved dogs running to me so I can wrap my arms around them, because it always was the animals that taught me about love, forgiveness and acceptance. They love us no matter what we say or do, they forgive us when we are being less than patient with them, and they accept us, fat, skinny, rich or poor. Gee, they sure could show mankind or thing or two about love.

Now I share with you my new thoughts and information about this subject. Ask a theologian about this subject and he’ll say no that animals do not have a soul. Ask a person who has just lost a beloved pet the same question and his answer MUST be yes. How else will he relieve some of the heartfelt pain that he is experiencing if he doesn’t believe that he will be reunited with his pet in the here after? The theologian will point out the man was created superior to the animal and therefore, the animal can’t be equal to him. Try telling this to a child who has lost his best buddy. So as it is with many of us adults, we have the NEED to feel that we will once again see our dogs that have crossed over the “Rainbow Bridge.” It is this hope, this desire to be reunited with the deceased animal that keeps us going on and to reassure ourselves that all will be well once again when we are with our pets.

I love these two little sentences that I read on the web and I quote: “If they (animals) do have a "soul" that survives death, it is different from mans. It does not need redemption.” Wow……it does not need redemption! I think that’s so powerful! Our animals are incapable of sin. Man is the only one who needs redemption! So therefore, animals would go to heaven. He would be incapable of going to hell!

Here’s a cute little story that I read: There was an elderly widow whose beloved little dog died after fifteen faithful years. Distraught, she went to her pastor. "Parson," she said, tears streaming down her cheeks, "the vicar said animals have no souls. My darling little dog Fluffy has died. Does that mean I won’t see her again in heaven?" "Madam," said the old priest, "God, in his great love and wisdom has created heaven to be a place of perfect happiness. I am sure that if you need your little dog to complete your happiness, you will find her there."

I don’t believe that animals do things strictly out of instinct. If a mother dogs loses her litter of puppies, she may cry and whine for days and go off of her food. How about the many animal stories you read where a cat or dog will go back into a burning house to rescue her babies? Animals are petrified of fire. So it couldn’t be instinct driving her to them. I read a wonderful story once of a dog that was very fearful of water and would never go in it. This very same dog jumped into the water to save his young owners life! How about the stories of a dog that if lost in the wilderness with his owner will lie on the human to keep him warm? What about when your dog knows that you are sick and can smell the sickness in your body? He will sometimes cry with you when you’re crying. He will lie next to you quietly when you’re not feeling well. He has learned to read your body language and can understand us on a different level than most men can. These animals do these things because they have emotions and feel things like you and me do. So in this writer’s opinion our animals definitely know how to love.

If you ever looked in to the eyes or a dog that is in a shelter, you will see the sadness that resides there. If you look at the eyes of a dog that is sickly or that is dying, you will see the “windows of this animal’s soul.” The eyes that stare back at you are not eyes of emptiness; they are eyes that express some level of emotion.

The dog’s need for affection, his need for our touch is not something he does out of instinct. He enjoys the feelings that he gets from these things. It’s something he desires and wants. This is not instinct that tells him to look for this. This is what makes him feel good. Look at how happy they are to see us when we come in the house. This is true even if you went out to the mailbox to get your mail. The dog loves us 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is constant whether you want it or not. I heard on television just last night that the dog doesn’t know how to hate. He might fear, but I don’t know that he hates. What do you think?

So whether or not our dogs or pets have souls will be something people will question and write about for years. There’s no hard evidence to prove they do or they don’t. But as long as man loves his animals, and makes him a part of his family, the NEED to believe that his dog has a place in heaven is always strong. To have these marvelous animals in our lives for only 10 – 15 years is incomprehensible to some of us. We want more of these wonderful gifts. Therefore, we MUST believe that we will see them again. It’s the only way that we can get through the lost of our loving companions. Man will believe what ever it is that will make him feel good. We convince ourselves that we will be with our animals once again. It’s the only way that some of us can get through the heartache. And believing that our animals have souls and will be afforded a “little piece of God’s acre” with us in Heaven makes man’s soul feel good. We just can’t imagine a place in heaven without our beloved animals! But what happens if the animal goes to heaven and we never make it there???? Oh my!

Gary Kowalski has written a wonderful book about this subject called "The Souls of Animals." He seems to get into the emotions of the animals by not treating his subject matter as living, breathing "emotionless" creatures. It's an easy, uncomplicated read. In my opinion, it's excellent reading for all animal lovers!


My rating: the book, "The souls of Animals" (4)

SHOULD A GRAND VICTOR BE CROWNED A GRAND VICTOR AGAIN?

The fun of showing a dog and winning at a National Specialty show is that your dog just competed against the top dogs in the country and won! Besides the thrill of the victory, some of the top breeders and exhibitors just saw your dog do it! The applause is deafening, the excitement contagious and long after the clapping dies down, you will revisit that day over and over again in your mind.

Looking over the history of the past German Shepherd Dogs on the reviewed site of the German Shepherd Dog Club of America I counted nine dogs (I may be off a smidgen) that were Grand Victor more than once. The first dog was Ch. Cito Bergerslust, SchH and the last dog to do it was the beautiful Ch. Marquin’s Extra Extra. The dog that won more Grand Victor titles than any other was Ch. Arko v Sadowaberg of Jessford CD who achieved those titles back in the 1930’s. He was awarded this honor four times! I don’t know what the entries were back then or if there is even a record of it, but I’m assuming it was smaller than in the years that followed. For comparison, I only counted three Grand Victrix’s that ever were crowned more than once and all of them were in the beginning of the recorded breed’s history.

As anyone can tell you who has competed on the National level, it’s a whole other ball game than showing at a local club’s specialty. Those shows are just a stepping stone to the ultimate platform to showcase ones dog. These dogs are not just taken out of a crate and thrown into the arena. They have been conditioned, exercised and trained for this day. This is what their breeder/owners have been planning since the puppy was born. It takes a very special dog to win a very special title at the National. Win, place or show, it’s such an honor to step foot in that ring!

Because the cream of the crop and the best of the best are paraded for all to see the competition is tougher than at any other American dog show in the country. The judge examines, he watches, he touches, he thinks, he compares and then when the audience can’t stand it for a second more, he points to his winner. A new Grand Victor and Victrix now reigns supreme over the German Shepherd land of champions! The owners are elated, the handlers are exhausted but proud of their win, and the spectators stomp their feet and clap their hands in approval of the judge’s choice.

The hoopla and good wishes will continue for weeks following the show. It’s a win that for all those connected to this very special dog won’t ever forget. But what about all the other entries whose dog was just as good and perhaps under another judge would have been crowned the new Grand Victor? So like many will do, they’ll plan to show again at next years National and hope that they too will experience the thrill of victory.

The next year comes and with the same enthusiasm and dreams of grandeur, some of the same dogs that were shown the previous year are shown again this year. The dogs exhibiting number is picked up by the owner and given to the handler. The ring steward checks the numbers of the dogs as they enter the ring. Lot’s of familiar dogs and new ones too trot into the ring. Along with this year’s entries, last years or the years before Grand Victor proudly gaits into the ring as well. How do you feel about this? If he wins again, how does this make you feel? Do you think it’s fair?

I talked to people on both sides of the fence about this subject. Some feel that the dog has already won. Let a new Grand Victor be crowned. They feel that the breed should have a new and different Grand Victor each year. Other’s feel that it’s a sport and they can show the dog as many years as they want. It is after all, a competition. Also it’s a different judge who will judge the dogs but why take the chance of seeing the Grand Victor lose? They feel if you want to show the dog again for people to see how beautifully he’s matured; put him in the Honor Parade!

When you look at competitive sports, time and time again you will see past champions and winners compete the following year or in following events. Boxers win the title and then they fight defending it. Baseball teams, football teams, basketball team, etc. win the title one year and come out and compete the following year to defend it. Then the argument I hear is they are franchises and owned by people and get paid big advertising dollars. At a dog show, a Grand Victor doesn’t have to defend his title. No one can take it away. No one is paying the owner advertising money. To show a Grand Victor again is a choice that the owner makes. They don’t have to do it.

Okay then so that is the discussion that was put to me and I thought I’d share it and see what others think about it.

My rating: I can understand both points of view, so……retire the GV from competition on the National level: (4), on the other side……it’s a sport & he should still be able to compete: (4)