When were you first attracted to German Dogs, and what attracted you?

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GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG
When were you first attracted to German Dogs, and what attracted you?
My first encounter with the GSD was in high school. The breed was popular as a show dog and companion but also because of its role as a military dog and the work it was doing for the blind and police. I admired those who owned them and I knew that someday I would have one of these great dogs.
It was not until I married Nancy Van Cleve that I was able to buy my first German Shepherd Dog. It was a Black and Tan female and she was an excellent obedience dog. Nancy was quick to become involved with AKC and the sport and did very well. At that time I was in graduate School at Florida State University. My studies involved deviant behavior, but my real interest was in research; Animal Genetics and the breeding of dogs. My first job took me to Emory University where I served as Assistant Dean. By this time both Nancy and I were involved with the breed. We had four children and a small kennel where we began our breeding program. Nancy continued with obedience and agility. I was active in obedience, titled a few dogs, but preferred conformation and breeding. Within a few years I was president of the German Shepherd Dog Dog Club of Atlanta and then president of the German Shepherd Dog Dog Club of America. This involvement included not only conformation but also the working dog sport.
From the very beginning I was taken by the responsiveness of the breed and the ease with which it could be trained. We enjoyed instant success in obedience and slowly began to make progress breeding dogs for conformation. My interest quickly extended itself to helping with the breeding of military dogs. Over the years I have made many trips to Lackland Air Force Base, in San Antonio Texas where the military and TSA have their breeding programs.
What is the difference between an All-Breed German Shepherd Dog and a Specialty German Shepherd Dog?
One can argue that there is a difference, but in reality we need to consider how we look at this question. Let's start with the size of the show ring. At most All-Breed shows the ring is small and indoors. The small ring is attractive to those owners who themselves can no longer run because of bad knees or age. On the other hand, the large grassy rings of the specialty show favor the handler who is still an able athlete and can run
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By: Dr. Carmen Battaglia
for up to 30 minutes with his/her dog. In addition to ring size, the larger specialty rings favor those dogs that have a longer stride and the willingness to run, which typically are those with the longer upper arms and sometimes the better angulation. So it comes down to a combination of ring size, handler's athletic ability and the structural style of the dog.
I am delighted to say that there are many German Shepherd Dogs dogs today that perform well in both rings.

Who has influenced you the most in your Breed and please tell us why?
I have been blessed with my friendships in the breed. They include Ernie Hart, the famous author and breeder who wrote one of the first great books on the breed ("This is the German Shepherd Dog"); He co-authored it with Capt. William Goldbecker. Ernie owned Lynnlan Kennels and became famous for his good dogs and his ideas about how to manage a show dog. He introduced me to several important imports (Pfeffer von Bern, Odin von Busecker Schloss and Chlodulf von Peltztier-hof).
Next came another Ernie. This time it was Ernie Loeb who was an importer and a handler. Ernie got his real start with a dog called Brando von Heidelberger. For Ernie, it all began when he became good friends with Geraldine Rockefeller Dodge. She helped him in many ways. She often referred to him as "a refugee and one of the best (handlers) she had seen". It was his kindness and eye for quality and his willingness to take the time to help me learn about the breed which helped in my early years. Later he became known as "Mr. German Shepherd Dog." Ernie was an immigrant who understood the risks of importing dogs from Nazi Germany and even though this was a risky business during World War II, he crossed the border many times to buy German Shepherd Dog Dogs for buyers in the United States. He earned the respect of the SV (German Club) and the AKC as a noted judge with an eye for the breed.

The remaining trio to have influenced me included: Connie Beckhardt who bred and judged many of the best dogs in the breed. I bought dogs from her and finished them. She gave me a lot of breeding advice. The other two key people were Joan and Fran Ford who were also so generous with their time and advice.