AN OBSERVATION OF COLOR DEPTH AND COAT LENGTH

                                                                                        Armani vom Finkenweg SchH1 KkL1a Life

I’ve already written about the many different colors that the German Shepherd Dog’s coat can be in another article on this blog. When the general public thinks of the German Shepherd Dog, most of the time they will think of him as a black and tan dog. This is the standard color that is normally associated with this breed. Some people won’t own any other color like a black or a sable. I’ve never been color blind to other colors besides the black and tan dog. A good dog is a good dog no matter what color he is. Do I prefer certain colors over another color? Yes, I prefer the black and red or black and orange colored dogs or the red sables. These are just my preference but I don’t HAVE to have it!

So I’m talking to my friend the other day that just imported another German bred dog that she just shown for his first time in the United States. I was congratulating her on her dog winning his first major points towards his championship title. Now I haven’t seen the dog yet although I have been invited to her house many times to come make friends with her new boy. With my own schedule, I haven’t found the time to do it yet. So I’ve just looked at his pictures and marveled at his handsome masculine head and bone and that black and RED pigment!!!

So I ask my friend. “Hey, you know what I’ve been thinking, how come I never see the German dogs in any other color besides black and red or black and orange?” I really had to stop and think about that for a moment after I asked it. It’s true. I never see any sables. I never see any blacks, bi-colors, saddles, or lighter black and tan dogs. “Why is that”, I wondered. My friend said that the German breeders only breed for the rich black and red pigments that we always see on their dogs. She said something about them breeding the other colors out of their breeding program years ago.

So that is my question that I’m putting to my readers. Is this true, did the German breeders stop breeding the other colors of the breed that we still see here in the United States? And if this is true, how come? Did they not find the other colors of the German Shepherd Dog as appealing?

I have never owned a black and red dog, but have owned a black and orange dog. Not only did he have beautiful rich dark pigment, but he had a plush coat as well. In my opinion the combination is stunning.

And speaking of plush coats, that’s the next part of my question. How come MOST German bred dogs along with their beautiful pigment have gorgeous thick, plush coats? I know not all of them are plush coated, but the ones that I’ve seen advertised, most of the time are. When I think of these very dark pigmented dogs, even the American bred ones that I love; many times they are plush coated. Although I can think of a dog that went Select at one of our more recent Nationals that wasn’t plush coated but has extraordinarily beautiful rich black and red pigment. Years and years ago, the winner’s dog at the National had this beautiful black and red pigment but he wasn’t plush coated either.

How important do you think dark pigment is when you breed? How are improving the coat length? Do you breed to improve pigment and coat? Of course temperament, structure and movement as well as the health of the pedigree is more important than pigment and coat length when choosing a breeding partner for your animal.

One thing that I’ve noticed with the German bred dogs is they have consistency in breed type. They all look the same. The American bred dog is not as consistent in breed type because they have so many different color combinations. Certainly this discussion is not about German vs. American lines and which one is better. They both have their redeeming values and I’ve never owned anything but American bred dogs. I’m just commenting about the color of the coats and length of coats.

To illustrate three different colors of the German Shepherd Dog, take a look at "Armani" at the top of this article. He’s a black and red dog. Then take a look at three of my dogs that I owned on the top of my blog. "Nuance" was a black and tan dog. "Rajah" was a blanket colored dog. Because you can’t see his whole body, you might think that he’s a bi-color. He was not. He had a lot of black on most of his body, but he didn’t have the stripe going down his toes like the bi-colors do and his legs were mostly tan in color. "Xanadu" which was the mother of both of these dogs was also a blanket bitch. However, her face wasn’t predominately black like her son "Rajah’s" was.

In my opinion there is nothing more gratifying than looking at a beautiful looking dog lying by your side or walking down the street with you. Some of them can take your breath away because of their stunning beauty. Someone had a picture of an American bred male that she owns (maybe I saw it on Face Book – I can’t remember now), but he was dark and plush and drop dead gorgeous and I wouldn’t mind owning him.

So although the German Shepherd Dog is considered by many a movement breed to do the work that he was bred for, there is not substitute for beautiful breed type. And yes that’s me saying that and my friends all know that I’m a movement nut, but that subjects for another article.

Speaking of color and coat length, I don’t think that I’ve ever seen a plush coated bi-color. I’m sure they must be out there, but most of the time I’ve seen closer coated bi-colors. I’d be curious to see pictures of them if anyone has one.

I would like to know, which kennels in America has deep dark pigment…….either black and red or black and orange dogs or red sables? If they have plush coats, that is even better. Which bloodlines are producing these qualities?


So although as a breeder, you should never just be breeding for one thing, improving on breed type is never a bad thing if you have structure and movement in your lines already.

I thank Dan and Marilyn Smith of Darby-Dan Shepherds for allowing me to use a picture of their dog "Armani" for the sake of this article.

My rating: a good dog is a good dog no matter what color: (4)

OH MY ACHING BACK - OR WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE TOP LINES?

The German Shepherd Dog Club of America describes the top line of the German Shepherd Dog as the withers being higher than and sloping into the level back. The back is straight, very strongly developed without sag or roach, and relatively short. It furthers says that the dog is longer than tall, with the most desirable proportion as 10 to 8 ½. The desirable long proportion is not derived from a long back, but from overall length with relations to height, which is achieved by length of forequarter and length of withers and hindquarter, viewed from the side.

Now that the spring is here the dog shows are well under way. What I have been seeing a lot of with the dogs that are being shown now is bad backs or top lines. There are different types of backs that a dog can have, not all of them being desirable. The back should be like a bridge that holds the front and rear of the dog together. With a dog that has a good strong back and one that is proportioned correctly, you won’t see any unnecessary motion to his top line.

What has been disturbing to me is that I’m seeing a lot of overly short backs. If you look at some of the pictures of the dogs that are in motion that you see on some of the show photographers websites, this is very evident. A dog that is too short in back will over drive with his hindquarter forcing is top line to buckle up. He has no place to go with his rear. It’s almost as if he has to get out of his own way. It’s unsightly. His front never truly opens up because he has to compensate for a hard driving rear with a distorted top line and there is never a smooth coordinated motion. It’s as if the dog is crabbing. In order for the dog to place his rear feet on the ground, he has to set them to the side of his body so he doesn’t get in the way of his front legs. It looks like he’s going to run himself down. I’ve been seeing this time and time again…..the backs are getting too short!

For every dog that has a short back, there are those that have too much length to their backs. They can look like a freight train for all that length that they have.

Another top line problem is the dippy back. Without proper grooming if you were to look at a dog with this type of top line you would actually see that this type of dog would perhaps have a dip behind his withers. A good handler can normally groom up the hair where there is a dip in the top line, but you can’t cover it up when the dog is in motion.

Then there are those dogs that have a roach to their top line. Some complain that a lot of the German dogs have this type of top line. Instead of a nice smooth straight back, you’ll see a very obvious roach to this dog’s top line.

Then there are those dogs that have a sag to their back or what some call a sway back. Literally their backs don’t just dip in one place, the whole top line sags. This is definitely not a strong top line and looks very unappealing.

There’s another type of dog that some people call a wet dog. What they mean is that the top line is rolling. He’s "loosey, goosey" with too much movement over the top line. Sometimes this is due to lack of exercise and proper muscle tone. It’s alright to see this type of top line on a puppy that is going through his growing stages especially a larger puppy, but not on an adult dog.

There are also those dogs that are low in the withers. Again, a handler can groom this type of dog over the withers to make him look higher withered when the dog is stacked or posed. However, watch this dog in motion. He runs into his shoulders in a downhill type of motion. It’s very unattractive and it throws the whole top line of the dog off.

A dog with a beautiful top line will have a strong back without a dip or a roach. He will be higher at the wither but not overly so causing him to have a straight shoulder. His hindquarter with get well under his body and follow through transmitting his rear drive to a front that opens up presenting a coordinated smooth motion when viewed from the side. It would seem this type of dog could have a glass of water put on his back and when in motion the water would never move!

It is wonderful that at many of the National Specialty shows that the show ring has a white background or wall so the judge and spectators can see the top lines of the dogs in motion. Take a look at the pictures that the show photographers have of dogs in motion on their websites. Granted some of these dogs are pulling too hard and that will distort any dog’s top line. However, when you see top line problems in many of the pictures, it makes one wonder, how much of it is due to the dog pulling too much and how much is it due to the improper structure of the dog.


My rating: strong top lines: (4), problem top lines: (1)

GOT FRONTS - OR WHY IS IT SO HARD TO GET THEM?

Since I’ve been in the breed going all the way back to the 1970’s, one of the hardest things for a breeder to do is to breed good fronts (or fore assemblies). It is still a topic of discussion when breeders get together. Why is it so hard to breed a good front but yet easy to get a good rear assembly on our breed? They are both part of the skeleton of the German Shepherd Dog, so why is it that one part is easier to obtain then the other?

It is said that if you have good fronts in your bloodlines that you’ve got yourself a gold mine. Many feel that with a bitch that has a good front and comes from generations of good fronts that you can breed her to practically any dog you want and expect that she’ll produce some good fronts in her puppies. Why does it seem that fronts are so elusive and a goal of many breeders?

The German Shepherd Dog Club of America has this to say about the fore quarter of the standard for this breed. (I quote)……”The shoulder blades are long and obliquely angled, laid on flat and not placed forward. The upper arm joins the shoulder blade at about a right angle. Both the upper arm and the shoulder blade are well muscled. The forelegs, viewed from all sides, are straight and the bone oval rather than round. The pasterns are strong and springy and angulated at approximately a 25 degreed angle from the vertical. Dewclaws on the forelegs may be removed, but are normally left on. The feet are short, compact with toes well arched, pads thick and firm, and nails short and dark.” (End quote).

Why is it hard for some people to recognize what a good fore assembly looks like? Once you’ve lived with it in your own dogs, you never forget what it looks like. Watching a dog move (provided he has all the other structural requirements) that has a good shoulder is a breeder’s dream come true. The dog floats and moves effortlessly across the ground. There is no wasted energy, and no lifting from his elbows, just everything is in harmonious unity that makes you believe this dog could gait all day and make it look easy. It truly is “poetry in motion.”

When you have a good eye for what constitutes a good shoulder layback, you can watch just about any breed of dog and recognize his good fore assembly as well. Just watch the Westminster All Breed Dog Show. I may not know much about the different breed standards, but I can pick out a good mover every time because I can recognize their fore assemblies.

Not every dog that wins his championship will do so because he was a great mover with a great fore assembly. They all don’t have to have this quality to win their championship. Many are fine movers and have beautiful breed type.

Naturally the fore assembly is only part of what contributes to a dog moving well. He needs a strong back and a good rear quarter as well. One does not work without the other.

So what does a poor front assembly look like? Well there are a few things that you can look for. Sometimes when the dog is viewed straight on from the front, he may stand east/west. That is, his front legs turn out. He doesn’t stand true under himself with both of his legs going straight down to the ground. When you look at his feet, they turn out. Also his front or chest may be too wide and when he moves, he’s not single tracking. This would mean the dog is coming at you wide in the front. There are others that a judge might say elbows coming at them. That means that when the dog is moving toward the judge, it is evident that his elbows are sticking out when he’s in motion. Viewed from the side, (and this one is where many people get confused), the dog may be lifting at the elbow. This is very evident if you see a picture of a German Shepherd in motion that moves like this. The dog is bending at the elbow which causes the dog to lift high off the ground in the front and it’s very easy to see in a picture.

Another way to study and learn about the proper motion of a dog is to view him on a DVD and put it in slow motion. A German Shepherd Dog should be moving with his feet close to the ground without lifting in the front or kicking up in the rear. They do this by transmitting their motion from their rear drive through a strong back to their fore assembly.

So why then is it harder to get one structure (in this case the front) than it is the rear? Is it because some pedigrees are saturated with lots of hindquarter angulation and we weren’t paying attention to the front assembly? If this is the case, it would mean that for generations we bred for hind quarter without much concern for their fronts. This might be the reason why it’s harder to get and maintain fronts because it’s not in the animal’s pedigrees. I don’t know. I’m just guessing here.

It is the wise breeder that studies his dog’s pedigree and when he looks at potential breeding partners for his dog, that he studies his as well. Certain blood lines are stronger for fronts than are others. Try to find those pedigrees that have generations of good fronts behind them. And yes, owning a breeding bitch with a good front is important just because it is so hard to get.

You might hear some breeders say that it’s easy to get a good rear……you can do that in one generation. It’s the fronts that are hard to get…..and why is that?


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

 My rating: Good fronts: (4), "The German Shepherd Today" book: (4)

SOMETIMES I ASK TOO MUCH OF YOU

SOMETIMES I ASK TOO MUCH OF YOU
By
Barbara J. Galasso

You struggled to be born into this world while your momma pushed and pushed and I gently pulled you to safety while you cried and screamed…..sometimes I ask too much of you.

Oh you were special from the start…..that’s why I taught you how to stand for examination and taught you how to pull out on a leash while your littermates ran around chasing after their toys.…..sometimes I ask too much of you.

You’re bathed and groomed and smelling so “yummy” while your littermates roll around in the grass and exhibit the tell tale dirt around the nose as a testament to how much fun they’re having……sometimes I ask too much of you.

You watch over and protect my little Johnny and Sarah as they play in the back yard while I cook dinner for the family.….sometimes I ask too much of you.

When it’s late at night and the winds are howling and it’s dark and bleak, we hear a noise outside our back door, and you jump up barking and running from window to window until I open the door so you can investigate.….sometimes I ask too much of you.

When old Mrs. Henley, lonely and blue lies in her bed at her new residency known as the nursery home, you as a therapy dog are sent in to cheer her up and put a smile on her face..….sometimes I ask too much of you.

When little six year old Tommy Miller ventures out on the pond and falls through the ice, because you are a rescue dog, you are sent with a rope wrapped around your waist into the frigid water to pull the trembling boy to safety…....sometimes I ask too much of you.

When you are the first one to step off the curb onto the street to lead the blind man who cautiously follows you while the scary noises of cars and trucks feverishly beep their horns..…..sometimes I ask too much of you.

When you are shipped across the United States and are greeted by a stranger known as a “handler” that takes you to an unfamiliar kennel where you’ll live for the next six months so you can be campaigned towards your championship……sometimes I ask too much of you.

You’re shown at the big National Specialty Show which costs me a fortune for a handler, air fare and hotel. You take a reserve. I am disappointed. You should have won the points I mumble. People congratulate us. Let’s celebrate they say. You’re tired and hungry and would much rather be home…….sometimes I ask too much of you.

When I breed you to that famous dog and you suffer to bring ten little puppies into this world just so I can say I bred a champion or two..….sometimes I ask too much of you.

When you are the first one in the line of duty, and you are commanded to attack the criminal who turns with a knife in his hand and you take that stab rather than the police man…...sometimes I ask too much of you.

When you are sent with the soldiers to a foreign country and they go to investigate an oncoming troop of enemies, you are the first one sent to go forward and the first one to take the assaulting bullet.…..sometimes I ask too much of you.

When you get old and gray and arthritis has robbed you of your youthful gait and the light of life slowly fades from your eyes, you look up to meet my tear stained face as if to plead “today’s the day”, and instead I say, “No. One more day, just give me one more day”.…..sometimes I ask too much of you.

And now as I hold and gently rock you in my arms and the reality of life without you sets in, I kiss your forehead and tell you “Its okay girl, your work here is done, so go on ahead to heaven which you have rightfully earned. And if God should see fit, could I dare, could I hope, could I ask one more thing of you? Would you then dear friend hold the Pearly Gates open for me?’ I know..….sometimes I ask too much of you.”


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


From the book: "MAGGIE: the dog who changed my life: A Story of Love"... The memoir of a love affair between a woman and her dog...Maggie was a special dog--a beautiful and exuberant black lab who gave years of unconditional love to her owner Kairns. Throughout their years together, Maggie taught Kairns much about the emotional intelligence of animals and the importance of trusting one's intuition when caring for a pet...Kairns offers a tantalizing glimpse into the possibility that her bond with Maggie was so deep that she had prophetic dreams in which she predicted...an undiagnosed cancer...Tenderhearted and sincere... Dawn Kairns' latest book, MAGGIE: The Dog Who Changed My Life: A Story of Love, seeks to show the unconditional love animals are capable of giving to their human counterparts. She tells the story of her Labrador Retriever, Maggie, and their deep, emotional, and spiritual bond, which surpasses expectations and teaches Kairns more about dogs than she ever knew. MAGGIE raises questions about life and beliefs and demonstrates the canine ability to sense human thoughts and feelings, weaving the two species together in a tight bond. Kairns has not only written a pet memoir, but one that aims to bring the reader to a higher level of thinking about our four-legged friends. --Jill Brodsky, Rocky Mountain Pet Tails Magazine, October, 2008


My rating: living with and loving dogs: (4)

CELEBRATING SPECIAL TIMES

Today is my Amber’s sixth birthday. That’s her in the pictures. Isn’t she lovely? The portrait picture was taken just last week. The other picture of her rolling around on the floor with her favorite toy was when she was about a year or so old. She still has that little stuffed lamb, only it’s not as new looking as it was then. In fact, it’s worn out, torn and over all quite “yucky” looking, but in Amber’s eyes that little stuffed lamb (well the guts have long ago been ripped out) is always beautiful. I named the little lamb “Squeaks” because that’s what it used to do…..squeak. The squeaky part has long been gone, but all I have to do is ask Amber, “Where’s Squeaks” and she goes and gets her bringing her to me hanging from her mouth like a limp noodle.

So today Amber will have Salisbury steak added to her dinner and she’ll get a large dog biscuit to chew on this morning. I’m afraid there’s no cake to announce her birthday because I’d end up eating it all myself and I don’t need any more cake to distract from my already more than “pleasingly plump” figure!

Many people celebrate their animal’s birthdays as well as other national holidays with them. Oh and how about Halloween? Some people love to dress their dogs up in special costumes and make them look goofy. Come on, admit it, you know that you do. I’ve seen some of the pictures.

We just love our dogs. We treat them like children. We pamper them. We spoil them. We indulge them. When it comes to showing our dogs how much we love them, there’s just nothing we wouldn’t do for them. We just love them to death. And when they do die, for some of us, showing our love for our dog doesn’t die with them. We may bury him beneath the old shady tree that he loved to lie under. We might even have special urns with his ashes sitting on our mantles over the fireplace. We all know that our love for our beloved animals hasn’t died because his physical presence is no longer with us.

The pet industry has watched us and listened to us and I guess that’s why the pet industry is a multi-billion dollar business. Designer this and designer that……is no longer just for us humans! The pet industry attaches all sorts of fancy names to attract the consumer to buy their products. You can buy your dog, designer beds, designer cloths, holistic food, holistic vitamins, natural shampoos and conditioners, and on and on.

Some people love their dogs so much that they hire a professional animal photographer to take many pictures of their animals. Beautiful photographs are then displayed in different places in the house for all to enjoy looking at. Then some people will hire a very special artist to paint a picture of their dog. The portrait is then displayed in a prominent area of the home for people to enjoy for many years to come. This to me this is the ulimate in luxury. Many years ago, a young couple bought a puppy from me from a beautiful stud dog that I owned. They loved their puppy and the sire of that puppy so much that one day a knock came at my door. Imagine my surprise when this lovely couple handed me this huge package all wrapped up in pretty paper. After pulling the paper off, imagine my further surprise to see a water color portrait of my stud dog taken from a picture that I had given to them. I was so grateful and happy to have that painting and it still remains with me to this day!

Some people even include their dogs in their weddings. Yes, I’ve seen pictures of that as well. They actually dress up the dog for the official picture! If there’s room for a dog, the dog owner literally will have the dog attached at the hip! I’ve seen dogs in pictures riding on their owners motorcycles. My friend takes her dogs sailing with her and her husband. Some people won’t go on vacation unless they can take their dog. They’ll check out places that have dog friendly hotels before they make their reservations. Just look at some of the people in the German Shepherd Dog community. They plan their vacation around the National Specialty Dog Show that is held every fall at different locations in the United States. This is what they save their hard earned money for. To them, this is their vacation. Yes, some dogs truly know what it is to be loved by their smitten owners!

An animal lover includes their beloved pets in just about anything that they include their family members in. They are treated as part of the family. Many sleep on the owner’s beds, live in the house, ride in the car, are invited to join in parties at the house whether company likes it or not……yes sir; these animals are special in their owner’s eyes and hearts. Some dogs are treated so special that every day is like a birthday for these lucky guys! Lucky for the dog born into this household!

I know that some of you that are reading this have your own little rituals that you may do on his “special” day. Any time that one of my dogs or a friend’s dog finished their championship or made his ROM, we would gather at our houses and put on a big celebration with good food, lively conversation and dogs or puppies taking turns coming in the house to “strut their stuff!” Actually, if truth be told, the parties were more for the people than they were for the dogs. The dogs were an excuse for us all to get together once again.

Then there are those pet owners that don't need any holiday or a birthday celebration to share special times with their dogs. Their bond is not about recognizing any special date on the calendar. Rather every day spent with their animal is a celebration of the life that they share. It might be a hike up the mountain, or a stroll through the park. It might even be when you take your dog out in the back yard and throw a ball for him to fetch. Or maybe it's the quiet times that the two of you share as you read a book and your dog is curled up at your feet resting peacefully by your chair. Special times for you means times spent with your special friend that is reserved just for the two of you!

So for all you special dogs out there that were born today HAPPY BIRTHDAY and may you celebrate many more birthdays! My Amber is sitting by me as I type this article for my blog today. Oh she doesn’t care about the subject matter. She’s just sitting looking lovingly at me waiting for me to share another one of my pretzels with her. Oh she knows that she’s a spoiled dog, but well you know it is her birthday, after all!


From the book: "For the Love of a Dog": Animal behaviorist, dog trainer, syndicated radio talk show host and prolific author on all things canine, McConnell (The Other End of the Leash) presents a compelling combination of stories, science and practical advice to show how understanding emotions in both people and dogs can improve owners' relationships with their pets. This is more than a simple dog-training book: much of what McConnell discusses concerns how dog owners can learn "the language" of dog by recognizing important signals and reading them correctly. She provides numerous helpful examples of how owners can observe dog behavior, especially differences in posture and facial expressions, in order to help dogs be better behaved and help dog owners to be better handlers; her discussion of the meaning of a dog's "tongue flicks" is alone worth the price of the book. Her overall goal is to help owners provide their pets with "a sense of calm, peaceful benevolence," and she skewers current dog-training fads that emphasize "dominance" over a dog. "Don't fool yourself: if you yell at your dog for something he did twenty seconds ago, you're not training him; you're merely expressing your own anger."


My rating: celebrating special times with your dogs: (4)

DOES YOUR DOGS POOR MANNERS REFLECT ON YOU?

There are many reasons why we should teach our canine companions good manners. Now I’m talking about the most basic commands of obedience training like “come, sit, down, stay, etc.” You don’t have to teach your dog to roll over or jump through hoops if you don’t feel like it. But in order for you to live with him and in order for him to interact with people that come to your home, these most basic of commands are a “MUST!”

Like many of you that bought your first German Shepherd, I took my girl to obedience school. She was a lively happy puppy, but like all puppies she loved to jump all over me and anyone else that I invited in to my home. I may have thought it was cute, but I can assure you that my company did not. Just because we choose a dog in our lives doesn’t mean that other people when they visit us wants them to slobber all over them. It’s like having an unruly child that a parent doesn’t have control over. Many people don’t want to come to your house anymore or invite you to theirs until you get some kind of control over your child. The same thing holds true for a dog. The “love me, love my dog” motto just doesn’t fit for most people.

I only own three dogs…….all lovely “ladies!!!” Well in reality they are lovely to look at, but only one of them is obedience trained. She’s my house dog. I put a lot of time in to her and taught her the basic commands of obedience training and like most German Shepherds she learned very quickly. One thing I notice about this breed. If you teach them something, they always remember it. You may not give them a certain command for months, and then all of a sudden you do, and they remember it. I trained her to know hand signals as well.

Now her two daughters are another story all together. I probably could write a book about them, and especially one of them. They are wild, hyper “nut cases!” (And I do say that with a lot of love)! However, they are without doubt the most uncontrollable of any dogs that I’ve ever owned. Now it’s not their fault that they misbehave so much. They don’t have any obedience training as their mother has had except for the command to sit. And that’s because they want a treat. They sit…..they get the treat. Ask them to sit when I don’t have a treat to give them, well it’s like they’re saying….”No treat…..no sit!” Anyway, it’s my fault. I’ve got to put more time into training them, but “Oh my aching back hurts just thinking about it!!!”

Besides having a peaceful environment to coexist with our animals, there are other reasons to put the time into doing basic obedience work with your dogs. The most important one is for safety. I believe that the most important obedience command that you can teach your dog is the command to “come!” This can literally mean the difference between life and death. If you teach him one thing, teach him to come to you when you call him. This may prevent him from running out in the street and getting hit by a car. This may prevent him from running after the neighbor’s cat. It may prevent him from going after another dog. As I said, this could be a life safer for your dog, yourself and any other animals or people that may be involved.

Then I think after the command to “come,” the next most important thing you can teach your dog is the command “No, or don’t touch.” Again this can be a life safer. If your dog is going after something that may be dangerous for him teaching him “no or don’t touch” could save his life.

Teaching your dog to “sit” is another important command. This can prevent him from jumping up on you or other people. This command can be followed by the command to teach him to lie down but using the word, “down.” These commands like all commands teach him that before you reward him with a treat that he has to earn it.

I also like to teach my dogs the command to “stay.” This teaches him that he can’t always go every place that you go. You can teach him this command for short periods of time at first and then lengthen the time you command him to stay in one place.

Teaching your dogs the basics of obedience doesn’t mean you want to put him in obedience trials (although that is certainly something that can be fun for you and your dog). What it means is that you want to be able to live peacefully with your dog. A well behaved dog is a joy to live with. Unruly, uncontrolled dogs are not. Just ask me what that’s like with two of my girls!

We are living with one of the most intelligent breeds of dogs and this means that they have the capacity to learn just about anything that we teach them. That’s the important word….teach! If we don’t teach them, then how the heck do we expect them to behave? They don’t!

Uncontrolled dogs are no fun to be around. You lose your temper. You scream and shout. They still run around like a wild animal because they’re doing what an untrained dog does. They’re having a party doing just about anything that they please. Up on the counters, up on the stove, in to the garbage, knocking over things……in other words total chaos! You grab another Excedrin for headache #888! Out the door they go with a few choice curse words…..until the next time and it’s a repeat performance of before. Oh my bad……my bad!!!

The ideal time to train a dog is when he is a puppy. If you teach him early in life, he’ll grow up to be a good adult dog. Does this mean that you can’t teach an old dog a new trick? No it doesn’t. You can teach a dog to learn something new at any age. However, remember that dogs are creatures of habit and once he gets into a bad habit, it’s that much harder to train him away from that which he already knows and does. But it can be done with much persistence on your part.

Oh I poke fun at myself, but I know I have to get serious and implement some of the things that I wrote about here if I ever want to make good “canine citizens” of my two uncontrollable fur kids. Oh their mother was so much easier!

I’ve heard some show dog people say they don’t want to break their dog’s spirit by obedience training him. They feel that they will ruin their dog’s attitude by obedience training him. That’s a lot of nonsense in this writer’s opinion. Either your dog is born with “attitude” or showmanship (energy and exuberance) or he’s not. This is not something that you can make him be. Either he has it or he doesn’t. Training him won’t destroy his spirit unless you are punishing him when you’re training him. Keep it fun and he’ll enjoy the rewards that you give to him. Many champion dogs are also obedience titled champions as well. This is a dog that can do it all!

There are different ways that your dog can learn basic obedience commands. You can teach him yourself. You can take him to obedience classes. Many local dog clubs offer these classes to their members. Also sometimes these classes are offered through an adult education class. If you don’t have the time to teach your dog his commands, you can always hire a professional that will do it for you. I also know that some places like the store “Petsmart” offers basic obedience classes for your dog. So no matter which way you want to do it, there really is no excuse to own and live with an untrained dog. You owe it to yourself, your dog and anyone else that comes in contact with you and your animal. Train your dog and everyone will be happy!


From the book: "Positive Perspectives: Love Your Dog, Train Your Dog".....by Pat B. Miller Positive Perspectives covers a lot of helpful ground. You'll learn how dogs think and learn, puppy training including house training, basic training, preventing problems, and more. No yelling needed--just manage your dog's behavior to prevent him from doing the wrong things. When your dog is doing the right thing, reward him for it. It can be a challenge to figure out how to make the behaviors you want more rewarding than the behaviors you don't want. Positive Perspectives will help you learn how while you and your dog both have fun doing it. Positive Perspectives will show you: How management works in the world of dogs. One thing that prevents 75% of all problem behavior before it happens. Which leashes and collars create behavior problems and which ones don't. Why clicker training is so popular and effective. A toy no doggie household should be without.


My rating: teaching basic obedience commands: (4), living with unruly dogs: (1)

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR MOST SUCCESSFUL BREEDING?

I received an e-mail last night from someone asking me questions about inbreeding, linebreeding and out crossing. I confess I’m far from an expert on this subject. There are many more experienced breeders than I that are better equipped to answer this question. I answered his question pertaining to what had been successful for me. So once again, I’ve done some research on the subject, but all of you “seasoned” breeders feel free to jump in anytime you feel you’d like to add your own experiences with your breeding practices.

Most of my own breeding has always been line breeding. A few breedings I that I did were outcrosses. I have never done inbreeding. I did not feel that I had enough experience to try inbreeding and I was happy with my line breeding anyway. So let’s discuss the different breeding a breeder can choose to do with his litters.

Linebreeding: This is when a breeder looks for dogs going back for generations in the pedigree on one or more good dogs and bitches. This is when you will have a pedigree that has the name of these dogs more than one time. The breeder is looking to incorporate the good qualities of this dog by having him be more dominating in the pedigree therefore looking for these good qualities to come out in the litter of puppies. In order for a breeding to be considered a linebreeding, both the sire and dam have to carry some of the same dogs in their own pedigrees that the breeder is doubling up on. The breeder is looking to produce the outstanding genetic contribution of these animals in their puppies. Some geneticists consider linebreeding and inbreeding to only be different by a small degree. Both of these styles of breeding are using animals that are relatives to one another. Most breeders consider this a safer breeding than inbreeding might be. They don’t expect as many health problems as some may fear with an inbred litter. They feel that they can pretty much expect a certain type with a line bred litter. Most kennels have used this type of breeding very successfully.

Inbreeding: This is when a breeder mates a dog to one of its immediate ancestors. No new bloodline is introduced with inbreeding. This is when a mother/son, father/daughter, or a brother/sister breeding has taken place. The breeder that does these types of breeding is looking to lock in the virtues of this bloodline. He may also find out the faults of the line as well. It is felt that (and I quote here) “inbreeding reduces fertility, vigor and overall health and mental stability. Inbred animals are more prone to diseases such as infections and cancer, and more likely to be "highly strung". Also I have heard of dogs not being of the standard size. Never having done this type of breeding before, I don’t know how true that is. I do know that some very well known and successful breeding have been through inbreeding. I know the serious show person/breeder is usually familiar with knowing who these dogs/bitches are. However, I do wonder about the littermates of these famous dogs. What became of them? Years ago many breeders that did inbreeding would also cull their litters. If they saw an undesirable fault in a puppy, they would put the puppy to sleep. Who the heck wants to do this? Not me. That’s why I wouldn’t attempt this type of breeding because I wouldn’t want to make that kind of decision. Most of the time with this kind of breeding, you can pretty much lock in the type of your animal. In my opinion, this is the type of animal that would do best by breeding him/her to an out cross type of dog. The Fran-Jo kennels were very successful doing inbreeding with their lines.

Outcross: Normally when you do an out cross breeding, the pedigree will not have any similar dogs going back 4 – 5 generations. Many dogs will have some similar dogs in their pedigrees going beyond this. An example of a true outcross breeding would be an American bred dog to a German bred dog. Some breeders have been very successful doing this type of breeding whereas; other breeders rarely if ever use it. Some think that this type of breeding is the “luck of the draw!” You would not expect a consistency in breed type with this type of mating because there is nothing similar in their bloodlines so anything goes. You may be pleasantly surprised or very disappointed. I feel this is a good breeding to do when you already have a heavily line bred or inbred animal and need to take it out for some fresh bloodlines. In this writer’s opinion, in order for this type of breeding to be successful, you should use a dog that is prepotent for producing the qualities that you are looking for in your puppies. Darby-Dan kennels have been extremely successful with breeding their American bred bitches to their German dog “Jim!”

Because genetics is never an exact science, meaning that when you breed, all the “correct” planning in the world doesn’t necessarily mean that you are going to get what you had hoped for. It might look great on paper. It might look great when you look at the stud and bitch standing together. It might have been a successful combination when the kennel down the street did it. It doesn’t guarantee that it will be great when you do it. One never knows what to expect when you breed a litter. The best you can do is to study, study and study some more about the bloodlines that you want to breed to. Know your own dogs’ bloodlines very well. Investigate…..find out the genetic health problems both in your own lines and the stud that you plan on using BEFORE you breed that litter. Even the best laid plans can go amiss! Rather be pleasantly surprised than shockingly disappointed!


My rating: linebreeding: (4), inbreeding….only for those who know what they’re doing: (3) outcross: (3)

TEMPERAMENT AND PERSONALITY - TWO DIFFERENT THINGS

The German Shepherd Dog of America describes the German Shepherd dog’s temperament as having a distinct personality marked by direct and fearless, but not hostile, expression, self-confidence and a certain aloofness that does not lend itself to immediate and indiscriminate friendships. The dog must be approachable, quietly standing its ground and showing confidence and willingness to meet overtures without itself making them.

Everyone would agree that a German Shepherd without this ideal temperament is not a very good representative of the breed. A dog that is shy or aggressive is not what the breed standard calls for. So this is the description of the ideal German Shepherd dog. What then is the difference between the temperament of a dog and his personality? Some people might consider this the same thing. I do not.

The temperament in my opinion represents the dog’s character. The personality is something all together different. You can have a dog that has excellent temperament but is dull in personality. The personality of the dog is what makes him unique just like in people. Anyone who has been in the breed for any number of years will have had experience with many different types of personalities and temperaments. Most of us know what it is to live with a dog that has the ideal temperament. They are a joy to live with and this is the type of dog that you are proud to take anywhere with you.

I have owned a dog with a great temperament but who was kind of dull in personality. She really wasn’t a whole lot of fun to be with. Fun to her was lying around the house all day and as long as you fed her, she was happy and content. Turned out she had a thyroid problem. I offered her back to my friend who sold her to me and she was placed in a good home.

I love having a dog with a great personality. This is the dog that is fun to be with and makes me laugh. Some of these dogs can be so funny that they make you laugh out loud. My one girl is the alpha girl although her mother tries to remind her who the real boss is on occasion. This girl is never content just lying around. She has to be directing “traffic” constantly while she’s in the house. If her sister grabs a toy, she grabs it from her. She has one eye on what she’s doing and one eye on what the other two dogs are doing at all times. She’s afraid that she may be missing something and that they are having something that she isn’t. She’s trying, she’s exhausting, she’s intimidating (to them), but is always a constant source of entertainment. She’s a very happy dog……….as long as everything is going her way! Her need for recognition knows no boundaries.

I believe that temperament is something that the dog is born with through his genetics and I also believe that his environment has a lot to do with it as well. Now some dogs can come from a horrific upbringing by someone who may be abusing them. Some of these dogs come out of shelters and are re-homed in to loving environments and the dog shows no fear of humans. Other dogs put in the same circumstances may become shy and distrustful of all humans, but with a lot of work can sometimes be brought out of his fear. Sometimes this puppy is born with a good temperament but may be more sensitive in his nature to upsets in his life. This is all about the temperament of the dog.

The personality is something that the dog develops and you can normally see this as a youngster. Each day is a new adventure for the dog with a fun loving personality. He loves being with his people and he’s performing on a daily basis as if to say, “Look at me!” I find that the dog with a good personality always shows me something new and why he is different and stands out from the rest. Some are mischievous and down right bad to the bone! I wonder if they think when I laugh at their antics that this is approval for some of their naughty behavior.

My “personality” girl never fails to amaze me at some of the things that she does. I wonder sometimes what she’s trying to communicate to me. For example……every night before my three girls go to bed, they share a snack with me. Now they all have their own ways of doing things. I wonder what this particular girl is trying to convey to me. She has a need to come up behind my computer chair where I am sitting and she gently (and she never does anything gently) rises on her hind legs and “buzzes” me on the top of my head with her snout. Every night without failure she does this. What is she trying to tell me? Is she thanking me for the snack or is this a way to show affection? I don’t know, but she’s been doing it for several months now. There is never a dull moment with this one.

So of course we all want the dog with the good temperament, but I also want the one that has the personality as well. Some dogs are just there and other dogs remind and let you know that they’re there. They demand your attention and if they don’t have it, they are determined to get it. It’s like they are always turned on and love performing for you. Sometimes however, it can be so very exhausting and that’s when I REALLY appreciate the easy going, calm “loves to lay around the house” type of dog!


My rating: good temperament: (4), good personality: (4)