BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS!

Yesterday I offered to print an article about anyone's German Shepherd Dog rescues as I believe the work that is done to even rescue one dog is a miracle in itself. True to his helpful nature and his love and dedication for the breed, Bruce McElmurray wrote to me and asked if I would like him to write an article about Connie Williams rescue in Central Colorado. She's also the owner of a rescue list that I send this blog to. I am delighted that Connie consented for Bruce to do her story and have me print it here. Thank you both for this article so the public can get a better understanding of what it is you do.  So the following is Bruce's article about Connie and her rescue efforts.

The face behind the rescue:  Connie Williams

This is about the rescue that I volunteer with, 'German Shepherd Rescue of Central Colorado Inc, a 501c3 state licensed corporation'. Connie Williams, Executive Director, lives on top of a mountain in central Colorado, where she runs the all volunteer rescue organization. Since I don't know about other rescue organizations I will write about the one I am familiar with and what it does from my viewpoint. Connie has several German Shepherd dogs of her own from when she used to show, train and breed German Shepherds. Rescue does not really allow time to do anything but rescue and eat and sleep, so those passions of hers to breed, show and train have presently taken a back seat to saving dogs in need.

Christmas puppy abandoned at 12 weeks and left with a neighbor:

So much goes into the actual rescue of a dog facing death that it is hard to find a starting place As Executive Director she usually starts her day off with reading e-mail, where she gets requests of owner surrender, or volunteers from shelters sending requests for rescue for dogs. Also adoption applications are reviewed and transports in progress and the other daily demands. There is also a web site sponsored by German Shepherd Rescue of Central Colorado that is an extensive network established for other rescues to communicate and facilitate rescues. The rescue also has its own page on Pet Finder for those looking to adopt a GSD. The rescue adopts out to Colorado and several surrounding States. I believe Connie's day starts out like most, where she has to tend to her GSD's as well as the rescues she has on hand. After being fed, watered, and attention given then she can grab a bite to eat while she does computer time and looks for dogs to rescue. Computer time can be exhaustive but there is no extensive time available as other things will not wait.

Another rescued dog - "Black Jack!"

Connie has been involved in rescue for several years and is the go to lady for questions from the various rescue sources due to her many years of experience with the breed. When a rescue is coming in Connie usually goes to pick the dog up. The information on the GSD is reviewed and a file started, the dog fed, watered and settled in. She usually allows a few days for the dog to adjust and settle down from the ordeal it has been through. Then there is the bath, clean up and nail trim where she examines the new rescue carefully. From day one she is silently evaluating the temperament, behavior and demeanor of the new rescue. What commands does the dog know, is it house trained, does it have any injury, deformity or illness. While doing all this the other rescues and her own dogs are competing to get her attention. Even though Connie has been a trainer, breeder and competitor for 40 years she has always rescued dogs in need during that extensive time period.

This is Stryker - before and after his rescue - tied up and left to die:

Then the new rescue has to be checked by a veterinary clinic and will be spayed or neutered if not already. She will then microchip the dog and if the new rescue is in need of training that process will be started. She has a master military trainer that comes on occasion to help her with this. By now this new rescue is her special dog. I'm sure she has some memorable dogs in her many years of doing rescue but from what I have observed, each dog when rescued becomes her very special dog. If the dog has infirmities or medical problems it goes on a special program which Connie then administers.
 
"Shadow" and Rob:

Often when I talk to Connie she is in bed with her feet up to relieve the pain in her back/neck from all the work required in taking care of so many dogs. Even though in frequent pain she does not stop tending to, feeding, cleaning up after, training and grooming these wonderful and extremely grateful dogs. She does this 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year. Add to this her lung problems, it is a personal sacrifice to function for the dogs. Vacations are the rare opportunity when she gets to watch a program on television all the way through. As you can see, being Executive Director is a hands on working position. The rescue has a few volunteers like myself that help where we can. I process her applications and investigate the potential adopters to make sure they are capable of providing a loving forever home for the rescue. The rescue has some volunteers who foster dogs, and some who manage the web site. One volunteer is a master trainer who volunteers also. When it comes down to the grunt work however, there is only Connie.

Once I complete the application investigation I send the information back to Connie with a recommendation and she then reviews it and if she has a dog that would suit the potential adopter she contacts them to arrange a meeting with that dog. She has much to consider as many adopters have small children, other dogs, cats, hamsters, rabbits, and specific traits, colors, size that they want in a dog. They live in private homes, apartments, mobile homes, etc. Many are likely not to get a dog because of their unreasonable requests and expectations but Connie strives to match dogs to adopters that are suitable.

About half of those wanting to adopt a GSD are qualified or suited to adopt a rescue dog. The dogs come from varied circumstances and some were severely abused, emaciated, some no longer wanted, some abandoned and left to die...and just about every conceivable condition and circumstance. Connie lovingly and with devotion tries to rescue as many as she can and make sure they get the loving homes they deserve. To be able to sleep at night this aspect requires a crystal ball to see into the future, an on site evaluation, and judgment. That dog's future rests in her hands.

So how do you describe someone like Connie who devotes her life to saving at need dogs? A woman with a neck/back problem that needs surgery along with serious asthma and lung scarring struggles through each day for the benefit of the dogs. I have heard her say many times that she will keep going as long as she can because there are GSD's that need saving. Words seem somewhat inadequate to express this type of devotion to the GSD breed.

I'm writing this instead of Connie because she would never see this from my perspective as a volunteer. She would relate to you the nuts and bolts of how rescue is done, and omit the personal sacrifice and daily struggles aspect. In the old west they used a term "born with the bark on". Well, Connie Williams was born with the bark on. She is tough as nails, sometimes harsh - probably because she has seen the result of the worst of human kind and what they can do to their 'pets'. Just from my limited exposure I have seen a little of it and it makes my blood boil. But take time to get to know her and once you scratch through that bark you find a compassionate heart, someone who can take the most abused dog and love it and nurture it back to health - both mental and physical. Doing what she does requires a tough exterior to preserve your sanity. As long as there is another dog out there in need, Connie and others very much like her grit through the pain, inconvenience, emotional drain and will do their very best to save that German Shepherd and put it in a loving home.


From the book:  "SEARCH AND RESCUE DOGS: TRAINING THE K-9 HERO"........ From the devastation of the World Trade Center to earthquakes in Central Asia, search and rescue dogs have proven invaluable in helping to find victims of disasters–whether man-made or natural. 

• Clear, step-by-step lessons on training your dog for a variety of search and rescue operations
• Ways to keep your dog–and yourself–safe in the face of disaster
• Practical information on procedures and equipment for dogs, handlers, and human volunteers
• The ultimate experience of the interdependence of Human and Dog

My rating:  GSD Rescues:  (4)

MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE

Imagine jogging on a sandy beach somewhere with your dog and seeing a bottle bobbing up and down in the water. You watch as the next wave washes the bottle up on shore. You pick the bottle up and notice that there is a folded piece of paper in it. Could this mean there’s a message on that piece of paper? Perhaps it’s a map showing you where a buried treasure lays waiting to be discovered. You don’t even recognize the bottle because it’s very old and it’s not even made any longer. Your dog is barking and jumping up on you looking for you to throw the bottle in a game of fetch. You push him away and instead pick up a stick and throw it in the opposite direction. You struggle to remove the rusty cap trying to avoid cutting your fingers. At last the cap turns and you wonder how you are going to grab hold of the paper without tearing it. You shake the bottle and turn it a few times until you position the paper at the neck opening. A corner of the paper lies in the narrow opening and you gently and slowly pull the fragile paper out of the bottle. You make sure the paper doesn’t get wet as your heart beats a little faster in excited anticipation as you unfold the aged worn note. You see it’s dated Saturday June 18, 1921. All the note says is that someday the German Shepherd Dog will be one of the most beloved and popular dogs on earth. You look at the date again and smile in bewilderment knowing this writer wasn’t wrong. You look at your own dog who you continue to throw the stick for and ask yourself if you were to write a message in a bottle about the German Shepherd Dog, what would it be?

So if you were to write that message about our breed, what would you want the reader to know? If like me, you would probably like your message to be floating around the ocean for many years before someone “rescued” it and scooped it up out of its watery home. What would the recipient of your note be reading, lets say one hundred years from now?

You might tell him about the heroics of this breed. You could share with him the comedic personalities this breed exhibits. You could tell him about the beauty, the nobility or just the pure joy of having ownership of this great breed of ours. You might tell him of how he rescued a child. Maybe he alerted you and woke you from a deep sleep when a fire broke out in your house. You could tell him how he visits your Aunt Gertrude in the nursing home and the spark of light it ignites in her eyes every time she sees him. You might even be as bold to tell him that by the time he reads your note, the German Shepherd will go from being the number two dog in the country to the number one dog in the country. And if you really get daring, you could put your message in one of those big soda bottles and include a few pictures to show the world what the breed looked like in 2010! Yeah, I think if you’re going to do it right, you might as well include a few pictures for everyone’s enjoyment.

Who knows by the time someone finds your message in the bottle, there may even be a new breed standard by then. Yeah, I’m sure there will be. I wonder if the person that receives your message owns a German Shepherd Dog and as he looks at your picture and looks at his dog, he marvels at how much they’ve changed. I wonder how the German Shepherd will look in another 100 years!

Will there be dog shows one hundred years from now you wonder. Will the German Shepherd Dog have his own reality show on Animal Planet? Will Animal Planet even be around then? Will shelters be a thing of the past? Will there still be lots of breeders or will there only be a select few? Will there even be an AKC to register them with? Will registration even be necessary? Will there be a National Specialty show to go to? Will the German Shepherd Dog Club of America still be in existence?

If there are shows yet, will there still be professional handlers or have the exhibitors decided to show their own dogs? Will another great book be written about the breed? Will there be a German Shepherd Dog Review to advertise in? Will there be something to replace the internet?

What would your message be about our breed that you would like someone to read many years from now? Mine would be: The German Shepherd Dog was born of greatness, it is right now as I write this and until the time that you read this message in a bottle it always will be. I may be gone, but the German Shepherd will live on as long as people continue to love and nurture them. Time will never change that. Pass it on......


My rating: The German Shepherd for all time: (4)!

IF YOU CAN'T BE WITH THE ONE YOU LOVE, LOVE THE ONE YOU'RE WITH!

Yup, that’s the title of another “oldie but goodie.” If you been in this breed for any length of time, many different dogs have come in and out of your life by now. You’ve owned all different types and personalities of the breed. Some were better than others. Some may have been “stars” or top producers of “stars.” Some may have been great show dogs and others had the potential to be, but maybe they lacked the “get up and go” needed to reach that potential. Maybe they just found running around in a circle a foolish waste of their time.

Some of the dogs that we have owned were more favored than others. Perhaps it was that one had a great personality while one was more laid back and content just lying around the house all day. Dogs are not that much different in personality than people are. And the same way that we are drawn to certain people, is the same way that we are drawn to certain dogs more than his kennel mate. It’s called chemistry.

Chemistry is not something that we can explain. It’s like the beautiful woman hanging off the arm of the not so attractive man. How many times have you asked yourself, “What does she see in him? How did he get so lucky?” We don’t get it. Beauty and the beast! It’s the same thing with our dogs. It doesn’t necessarily have to be the prettiest dog in our kennel that is our favorite one. There’s just something about this favored dog that might be familiar to us on a whole other sub-conscious level. Your friend might come to your house and notice the attention that you give to the favored dog. She might not see anything special about her at all, but it’s a connection that you have with the favored dog. You can’t explain it. It’s just there.

I own three dogs. My Amber is my house dog and then there are her two daughters Bu and Jess (that's them as babies in the above picture....Bu in the front and Jess following her like usual).  Amber is a great house dog. She’s extremely intelligent and learns very quickly. Amber lives for love……24 hours a day if she had her way. Then there’s her daughter Bu, who is my “heart” dog. It doesn’t make sense to me because she’s by far the “bad to the bone” dog that I’ve ever owned. Bu lives for Bu. She’s always happy. She’s always on display. She’s the alpha bitch although sometimes her mother will challenge her for that position. She could play 24 hours a day. Life is a party for Bu. Then there’s Jess. She’s built like an Ox, strong but gawky. She lives in the shadow of her exuberant sister Bu. She could eat 24 hours a day. Of the three, she’s my least favorite………….and she’s the reason that I’m writing this article today.

Jess is the one that wags her tail the most when she sees me looking out the back window. Oh Bu loves me too, but that’s because Bu knows I love her best. It’s not that any one of my dogs gets more attention than the other. They all get the same food and treats, and the same amount of attention. You know what I’m talking about though. Whether you admit it or not, you have a favored dog as well. Just notice how your voice changes when you speak to the favored dog. Notice how your eyes get all soft and “love sick” when you’re looking at the favored dog. It’s true. The favored dog is the one that we’re more tolerant of than the others. He does something bad and yeah we get mad at him and yell at him, but he really doesn’t’ take us too seriously. He knows we’ll get over it quickly. Yeah he really does. He’s got us all figured out. He’s not too much different then the spoiled child in a family.

Oh I know there are those that are reading this saying “Not in my house. My dogs know better. I’m the alpha and they know better than to come up against me.” Well that may be true, but I bet you still have a favored one that even if you do get mad at her, it’s not too long before she softens you up a bit. It just seems like we can’t stay mad for too long at the favored child.

Do you find your patience is different with one of the less favored dogs? Do we tolerate less from them than the favored one?

How many times have you had a potential buyer for one of your puppies call you up and tell you they’d like to look at your litter, but they’re not ready to buy yet? They tell you that they’re just looking. They just lost a beloved dog and that no other dog can ever take their place in their heart. I remember one such instance years ago.

A husband called me to tell me that he and his wife would like to take a look at my puppies. He told me that they had just lost a beloved dog and that his wife is devastated over this loss. He said that she didn’t even want to come look at the puppies, but he convinced her to join him. He told me that he hopes she will change her mind once she sees the puppies. So they come to my house. I could see that although the lady was friendly, her mood was withdrawn and sad. They showed me pictures of there beloved German Shepherd and proceeded to tell me that no other dog could ever take the place of their “Sadie!” I wasn’t about to try to change the woman’s mind on my own. Instead, I brought the puppies in to the den and let them sell themselves. They ran happily in to the arms of the young couple. Kisses were plentiful from these fat little babies. I immediately saw a change in the woman’s body language. She was smiling from ear to ear. I didn’t have to saw a word. She was sold. But even so, she tried to convince me that no one could replace Sadie.

Well over the following weeks I heard from the woman that bought this puppy from me. She finally admitted to me, that although the puppy didn’t replace Sadie, she helped make much of her pains go away. She told me in time, she was convinced she would love this puppy just as much as Sadie. And she did. All the wonderful phone calls and pictures of the puppy growing up convinced me of that.

Is there perhaps one of our own dogs that may not be the favored dog that we might have overlooked? Have we been guilty of not developing this dog’s full potential? Does this dog sit in the kennel without the proper training and socialization that he needs to be the dog that he can become? Have we forgotten about the less favored one because we are too busy putting so much time in to the favored dog? We just might be surprised at what we might find locked away in that great old big heart from the dog that wags his tail at us the most!


From the book:  "THE BIRTH ORDER BOOK, WHY YOU ARE THE WAY YOU ARE".........Your birth order -- whether you were born first (or are an only child,) or second, in your family -- powerfully influences what kind of person you are, who you marry, the job you choose. Now you can discover: How to pick out the first born in any group. Why the baby in the family gets away with everything. How to help middle children feel less squeezed and more loved. Ways to overcome your worst inborn tendencies. Which career suits you best. How to make the perfect marriage match and much, much more... You've seen him on television and heard him on the radio. Now internationally known psychologist Kevin Leman reveals an exciting new way to better understand yourself and those you love. "Forget astrology. The fresh, new karmic aid for picking friends and lovers is birth order... a funny, and sometimes not so funny, look at the effect siblings, or the lack of them, have in shaping a person."

My rating:  favored dog: (4), not so favored dog: (4), love the one you're with: (4)

THE HUMAN BEING STANDARD

Good afternoon everyone. I'm getting this out late today as my computer had the "hic-cups" on and off today. I couldn't get any messages to anyone. Then my phone stopped working as well. They're both connected to one another. So much for modern technology. So I'm sending out one of my old writings that some of you may have read and many of you have not. It's one of my satires (showing my quirky sense of humor) poking fun of us humans. If the German Shepherd Dog can have a standard which we judge them on, what about one for us then?

THE HUMAN BEING STANDARD
By
Barbara J. Galasso

Of course, as in our Human Being Standard and depending upon who is judging on any given day, it is left open to interpretation as to what signifies a good or ideal Human Being. Some judges must have a good front, others insist upon a great rear, while still others temperament reigns supreme and without it, you won't win under them. So just what does the ideal Human Being Standard call for and what does it take to be a "winner"? According to the "Human Being Standard of the United States of America"............

GENERAL APPEARANCE: The first impression of an ideal human being is one who is well muscled rather than flabby, alert rather than half dead, taller rather than wider, a hard, lean working machine, secondary sex characteristics are pronounced. If male - we're talking here - Harrison Ford, Richard Gere, Brad Pitt. If female - as close to Halle Berry, Angelina Jolie or Shania Twain as you can get.

SIZE, SUBSTANCE: The desired height for males is 6 feet and above from the top of his head to the tip of his toes. For females, the desired height is anywhere in between as long as she looks like the aforementioned ideal woman from those above. Size and substance should give you the impression of one who is not too round, no pot bellies, no sagging flesh.

HEAD: Males should be masculine and strong with a chiseled bone structure although if all other things are equal, then even a little coarseness is okay here........it kind of adds to his masculinity. The model look "scowl" with furrowed brow is only to be considered a minor fault and shouldn't be too heavily penalized. Females should have high cheek bones, arched brows, almond shaped eyes, full mouth not enhanced by collagen injections, with a clear, flawless, blemish free complexion. A few stray whiskers on a male is acceptable, but a disqualification on a female.

TEETH: Most any number is acceptable as long as they're your own. No dentures please. No missing teeth in front or sides of mouth that can be viewed when you smile. Anyone who has had teeth replaced with a gold or silver tooth that can be seen when they smile shouldn't smile at all or suffer the penalty of being put to the end of the class.

NECK, BODY: The neck is long and lean and swan like. Any folds of skin, wrinkles, creepiness, or age spots are undesirable. Goose necks, overly pronounced Adams apples and sunken in hollows at the bottom of the neck are all major faults and should be dealt with accordingly. The body should be well toned, not spongy or flabby and be willing to perform for what it was bred for: having and rearing children, car pooling, mowing the lawn, feeding and picking up after the dog, channel surfing, cooking dinners, washing dishes, scrubbing the floor, tolerating the in-laws and crabby neighbors, all done behind a smiling face no matter what's going on inside your head and what you are really thinking. None of these thoughts should be expressed because depending upon the judge can be considered a major fault and cause for disqualification.

TOP LINE: The ideal human being is to stand upright, no rounding of shoulders, no crouching over when walking, or holding the hip area when in motion. The top line should be smooth without any bumps, or humps, and curvy rather than angular.

ABDOMEN: As called for in the German Shepherd Dog standard - firmly held and not paunchy. For males: a six pack iron stomach. For females: an iron board abdomen is the only one acceptable. Any rolls, pot bellies or hanging flesh is a disqualification.

HINDQUARTERS, TAIL & CROUP: The ideal hindquarter, tail end and croup for both males and females are "bootilicious". Any flat, drooping or dimpled rears is considered a serious fault.

FOREQUARTERS & CHEST: The shoulders should be held back with a proud posture. For males, the chest should be deep and well filled out with bulging, rippled muscles. For females, any chest size that is well filled in with no sagging is acceptable

FEET: The ideal human being foot is small, well groomed and compact. Any calluses, corns, long overgrown toenails and offensive odors are room for immediate disqualification.

GAIT: For both males and females, the ideal gait is an athletic sprint. Males should not have an exaggerated strut nor should females have an exaggerated swinging of the hips. Any wobbling or shifting or hopping in their gait is considered a serious fault. Suspicion of steroid use in either sex is cause for immediate disqualification.

COAT: (or in this case HAIR): For males, hair can be any color of black, brown, blonde, or salt & pepper. Any baldness is undesirable, but will be considered secondary if all other things are of superior quality. Any pony tails, or hair hanging below the ears is considered a long coat and although not a disqualification, considered a minor fault. For females, hair can be any color of black, brown, blonde, or salt & pepper. For females all hair length is acceptable, although in her case, long is most desirable and not considered a long coat.

TEMPERAMENT: The ideal human being should be approachable at all times under all circumstances. Any signs of aggressiveness, foul mouth, crankiness, ill tempered, sarcastic, back stabbing, gossiping, jealousy, holding back of affection, yelling & screaming, moodiness, lying, stealing and down right a pain in the butt to live with is all considered disqualifications and SHOULD be removed from the ring. Any person attempting to bite the judge after they lose the first place ribbon is banned from ever being shown again.

And that folks is what the ideal human being should look like!

My rating: standards are only as good as those that understand them: (1 - 4)

DO YOU TWITTER OR ARE YOU A SOCIAL BUTTERFLY ON FACEBOOK?

Now a days there are so many ways to “reach out and touch” someone that you may never have to leave the comforts of your home to do it! I mean I can look at all your pretty little faces if you and I have a connection to “Skype.” This is a place where you and the person you’re communicating with can see one another on the screen of your computer. If you got a puppy you want to sell, you can put him on your lap and if nothing else the other person can see his darling little face.

I have accounts with many of these social networks. Some of them I barely use. One of the most popular is “Twitter.” I personally do not understand the excitement about this network. This is where you write a few sentences to people telling them what you are doing today. It’s seems to be immensely popular with the entertainment community. They leave messages on there all the time. I did a small search to see if I could locate any German Shepherd Dog folk. I didn’t find any that I knew personally, but I did find some German Shepherd rescues groups. Twitter is probably a good source to advertise your business.

Then there is Facebook, probably the most popular of all the social networks. More and more German Shepherd Dog people are discovering this huge gathering of enthusiasts of the breed. Unlike Twitter, on Facebook you can put your picture there and your litters and stud dogs, your show win pictures, your family pictures, your kennel, German Shepherd rescues, your business, etc. Also you can put videos on this web-site. It truly is a great way to meet other people in our community. Half of the people that are on my Facebook account, I don’t even know, but this is a good way of getting to know them.

Now with both Twitter and Facebook, to belong to someone’s network and communicate with them, they have to approve you. The only thing that I don’t like about Facebook is that once you approve someone, anyone that is in that persons network of people gets to see your posts. You may not like all the people that that person has in their network of friends. However, that person can’t communicate with you unless you let them in your network. But they can still see what you post to other people, but they can’t answer that post. If you want to remove someone from your network of friends, you can do that as well.

I was told about it a couple of months ago and I don’t know how true it is, but the buzz has been going around that come July 10th. Facebook is going to charge you to have an account on their website. So just this morning, I signed up for the group on Facebook that is against this happening. Their goal I believe is to get 500,000 signatures. I believe they have over 200,000 right now. I won’t pay to belong to this website. There’s just too many other ways I can connect with people and don’t have to pay to do so. What about you devoted Facebook fans, will you pay to stay on this website?

I also belong to a huge group called “Gather.” This is probably where I get most of my e-mails from. If you don’t like receiving lots of e-mail, don’t join this group! This is a place to connect with people from all over the world and you sign up for each group that you are interested in. They have all sorts of categories to choose from. Also belonging to this group, you accumulate points that when you reach a certain number you can cash in for gift certificates from stores like Amazon. So if I’m going to “chat away,” I might as well get paid to do it! Don’t expect to become an overnight millionaire as it takes a long time to “gather” up those points!

Probably my very favorite website of all is “You Tube.” You can find just about anything on here from people showing their puppies and adult dogs movement shots to how to train your dog to “sit or stay.” There are entertaining videos, tutorials, educational videos, you name it. If it can be videotaped, you’ll probably find it here. I’ve seen lots of German Shepherd videos on this website. I just love it!

There are also many groups that are more specialized in their concept. I belong to a couple of those as well, but you know what I use them so rarely that I’ve even forgotten some of those that I’ve joined! One of the more informative sites is “E-How” which advertises…..”How to do just about anything.” It truly is an excellent website for learning about different things that you didn’t know how to do. Those that are good writers can write about the German Shepherd Dog pertaining to any subject you want. I belong to a couple of writer’s websites where I’ve written articles about our breed, but if you read this blog then you’ve already read them here.

And what about “Craig’s list?” I admit I don’t do too much surfing on this list. It’s got about a trillion people that hit this list a day……..well maybe that’s an exaggeration, but you know what I mean. You can list just about anything on here for sale or that you are giving away. There have been German Shepherds listed on here as well. Some people use this network to meet other people with similar interests. For instance, I know someone that used this media to meet some other people that had an interest in “jamming” (playing musical instruments) in maybe putting together a band. I’m a little nervous about this list as there have all ready been some serious criminal allegations brought up against some people that use this list. That’s why I like my other groups that I’ve already mentioned. I “meet” them through writing to them. I never have to take the next step of meeting them in person unless I want to.

Another large group of people is on 'My Space." I’ve never used this format. I think it’s geared more to the younger group of people and I’m sorry to say as of my last birthday, I just don’t seem to fit in to that category any longer. You can listen to people’s music on here as well as connect with friends and look for classmates. Speaking of classmates, there’s a social connection for that group as well. Nope, I don’t belong to that one either.

Then there are the e-mail lists that one can belong to when you are looking to communicate your interests. There a hundreds of e-mail lists on Yahoo that you can connect with. There are many different German Shepherd Dog lists on there as well. Just find one that suits your needs. Not all of these lists talk about the same things. Check out what their list was started for and see if you want to join in the chatter. There are other e-mail lists that are not on Yahoo also so look around and ask around. You’re sure to find the one best suited for your interests.


I have to admit, I enjoy connecting with many different people that have the same interests as I do, but I also find it ever fascinating to connect with those that can teach me many things that I never knew about before “meeting” them. On the flip side of the coin, there are also those that I’m glad that I’ll never meet, because “Wow oh wow” it’s truly a jungle out there and if you’re not careful, you’ll get eaten alive! I’ve communicated with some of those people that the “men in white coats” are still looking for!

Belonging to all of these social networks can be very time consuming, so it’s only advisable to join those that you think you’ll enjoy and have some time to communicate with others. There is no reason for anyone in the German Shepherd Dog community to be uninformed, uneducated about the breed, or lonely because of lack of friendship with others in the breed. As I said in the beginning of this article……just reach out and touch someone. Pretty soon, you’ll be a little social butterfly too!

I JUST LOVE THIS NECKLACE....TAKE A LOOK...."A TRUE FRIEND REACHES FOR YOUR HAND BUT TOUCHES YOUR HEART!" Description: This shiny sterling silver looped ribbon heart pendant is inscribed with a heartwarming message that celebrates friendship. The open heart is threaded on an 18-inch sterling silver box chain. It makes a great gift for someone you cherish.

My rating: social networks: (3 – 4), e-mail lists: (4)