BlackSchutzhundShepherds: June 2009

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Sehr Gut - Olympic's Zorro, TEC, BH, AD

I was finally able to get myself organized and get Eros entered into a conformation show to get his first show rating. This rating is necessary if you are to move on to complete a breed survey. Eros will be completing a breed survey once he is titled. I entered Eros into the Ontario Regional schutzhund championships conformation show, hosted by the Niagara Hundesport Training Club. I have never had a dog in a dog show before, and after discussing it with some show friends, I decided to have him professionally handled in the show. My good friend Denis Rzan agreed to handle him for me. He finished with an SG-6 rating, as there were only 6 dogs in his group, and all of the others were show dogs. There is no way a working dog would ever be placed ahead of a show dog... I was expecting this, so no big surprise there. An SG (Sehr Gut = Very Good) rating is the highest rating any dog can receive that does not have a working title. I was hoping for an SG, and that is what he was given. Phew!

Below is Denis with Eros in the show ring getting him to stack...

Here Denis is showing Eros' teeth

Another look at the teeth

We did not get any pictures of Eros running around the show ring, as both me and my husband had to run around the outside of the ring and call Eros when directed by Denis to encourage him to trot quicker... This is sometimes referred to as "double handling", and is allowed in the German shows. It can become a crazy atmosphere, with owners running around the ring calling their dogs' names, squeaking toys, whirling toys around while they run, blowing whistles,... the list goes on!

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Arlo - TD, Tracking Dog

All of the dogs passed their TD test today, Ben & Joanne, Lianne & Brody, Myself & Arlo, Judge Sharon Smith, and Sandra with Murphy.

Myself & Arlo with Judge Sharon Smith, and Arlo's plaque, ribbon, and glove.

Me accepting our award, the plaque, ribbon, and a copy of our Tracking score sheet, with Judge Sharon Smith.

Today Arlo passed his CKC tracking test, the TD. The test requires the dog to navigate a track that is at least 45 minutes old, approximately 400 meters in length, with 4 to 5 corners, and one article at the end. Arlo has been training in tracking for 4 years, and I was very happy to have this opportunity to participate in this test. The test was held in memory of Terry Smith, a CKC tracking judge who was supposed to be the judge at this event. Terry passed away in May of this year of pancreatic cancer. His battle was long and hard, and he will be sadly missed by all who knew him. I will always remeber Terry as being happy, having a great sense of humour, and being very helpful at our training sessions and at trials. He was always willing to answer questions or explain things to those of us who were new to the sport. Tracking was his passion, and I am happy to be able to honour his memory today by by participating in this tracking test and making him proud by helping Arlo be successful.

This one's for you Terry. We know that you are at peace now, yet we cannot help but wish that you were still with us.

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

The German Shepherd Dog - The Difference

Just a short time ago, I was really unaware of the differences between the various lines in the GSD. They were all just "German Shepherds" to me... Trying to explain the difference to someone who is unfamiliar with the different lines can be a bit overwhelming. This site is by far the best description, complete with excellent photos, of the various lines in today's GSD. The explanation at the top of the page is particularly enlightening, as the author reminds us that all of those "spin off" breeds that claim to be "better" in some way than the true GSD fall short of this breed's true capabilities.

Enjoy!
The Illustrated Standard of the German Shepherd Dog, Written and Illustrated by Linda Shaw MBA

Rittmeister Max Emile Frederic Von Stephanitz

Cavalry Captain Max von Stehpahitz is considered to be the "father of the breed". In 1899, the SV (Schaferhunde Verein / German Shepherd Dog Club of Germany) was formed, with Stephanitz as the president. He was very much concerned with the German Shepherd's ability to work. "An attractive morphology is desirable, but must not put into question the utilitarian aptitude of the breed".
Those who follow Stephanitz's vision today ensure only dogs with stable temperaments and good working abilities are bred. Breeders of Stephanitz's time, and of today, follow his recommendations based on one determining factor, "The breeding and selection of the German Shepherd are, above all, those of a working dog."

Schutzhund

Agility

Agility is a dog sport that originated in England. It started as a show to entertain the public during the big "Crufts" dog show, and was modeled after show horse jumping. Agility has blossomed, and is now a world wide sport. It involves the dog and handler working as a team, with the handler directing the dog through an obstacle course predetermined by the judge. Speed and accuracy are desired, but more importantly, agility is about having FUN with your dog! Agility is addictive, and dogs LOVE agility. The great thing about agility is that ANY dog can do agility. You don't have to have a dog with certain drives or temperament, you just need a dog that wants to have fun with his or her owner, and you have an agility dog!

What is a Title?

What is a title really? Not just a brag, not just a stepping stone
to a higher title, a title is a tribute to the dog that bears it, a
way to honour the dog, the ultimate memorial. It will remain in
record and memory, for as long as anything in this world can
remain. Few humans will do as well or better in that regard. And though the dog itself doesn't know or care that it's achievements have been noted, a title says many things in this world of humans, where such things count. A title says that your dog was intelligent, and adaptable and good-natured. It says that your dog loved you enough to do the things that pleased you, however crazy they may have seemed. And a title says that you loved your dog, that you loved to spend time with it because it was a good dog, that you believed in it enough to give it another chance when it failed, and that in the end, your faith was justified. A title proves that your dog inspired you to that special relationship enjoyed by so few; that in this world of disposable creatures, this dog with a
title was greatly loved and loved greatly in return. A title is
nothing less than love and respect, given and received, and
permanently recorded.

Author Unknown.

The Black German Shepherd Dog

I got my first Black German Shepherd Dog in 1995. I had never seen a black GSD before, and when I met "Tasco", it was literally love at first sight. He was such an amazing dog, with a stellar personality and a trusting nature. I'm not sure if it was Tasco's influence on me that caused me to love the black GSD so much. I think because he was such an amazing dog, every black GSD reminds me of him. The black GSD is the result of two recessive genes. 100% black dogs are not common, and you see them mainly in working line German Shepherds. Some show line kennels are dedicated to producing black GSDs. For some pictures of famous Black GSDs, past and present, visit the Excellence in Black website. Some black dogs have flecks of tan on their lower legs and between their toes, but not a solid patch of tan as in a true bi-colour.