Looking Around With Lee – Talking to GSD Experts

By Lee Canalizo

COMMENTS FROM THOSE WITH A LIFE DEDICATED TO THE GERMAN SHEPHERD

When I planned this article on the GSD, little did I know how timely it would be? As you all know, an amazing example of the breed achieved the ultimate in the dog show world…. Best In Show at Westminster! This spectacular bitch gave the performance of her life under the guidance of her won- derful breeder-owner-handler, Kent Boyles. In over 50 years of Westminster dog shows, I don’t believe I have ever seen so much support and emotional display for the big winner. Kent and Rumor aka GCh. Lockenhaus’ Rumor Has It V Kenlyn, are truly an American dog show success story! We are all so very proud off you both!

Sharon Newcomb
OMG!!!!! GERMAN SHEPHERDS!!!!! THEY ARE AWFUL GOING AWAY!!!! BANANA BACKS!!!! LUNATICS!!!!
NEVER TRAINED!!!! OWNERS ARE SUSPECT!!!!
DO YOU THINK THEY SHOWER???

Maybe we can start with my early days in GSD’S. The 1970s are fondly remembered, by us that were there, as the Golden Years of German Shepherds. Grand Victor Ch. Lance Of Fran-Jo was a fact. He was a renaissance dog for the breed and changed German Shepherds in this country. He was masculine, more angulated than we had seen, he won the National and he was a top producer. It was nothing for his owners, Joan and Fran Ford, to have three or four bitches waiting in the garage to be bred to him. He also pro- duced a Grand Victor, CH. Manix of Fran-Jo, and was the sire of Ch. Lakeside Gilligan’s Island and GVC Ch. Lakeside’s Harrigan. They were full brothers from different litters and both happened to be Ch. Covy-Tucker Hill’s Manhattan’s grandsires. “Hatter’s” dam, was a Grand Victrix, Ch. Covy-Tucker Hill’s Rosemary. Everyone was a R.O.M. Hatter was royally bred. He was not awful coming and going and he didn’t have a banana back, had one of the best ?minds I ever lived with and was impeccably trained. And, trust me, we showered daily.

In those early for me years, we mostly went to Specialties and the entries were huge. Jim Moses brought Shepherds back to the All Breed shows and the rest, is, etc., etc., etc.

I think Shepherds are very misunderstood. A large part of the breed standard has to do with side gait. I think the part about; “max- imum of ground, minimum of effort” is often overlooked. The stan- dard does not call for racing at top speed around the ring. Neither does it say forget about coming and going. “Hatter was not an ex- treme side gaiter but he was athletic and a very harmonious mover and clean down and back. One of his sires, Ch. Lakeside Gilligan’s Island, was used for the down and back in Rachel Page Elliott’s original Dog Steps book.

So, all German Shepherds are not crippled.

I will give you that the breed has its’ share of long hocks, locked hocks, and dogs that don’t follow thru behind. The West Coast seems to have cleaner coming and going than the East. That doesn’t mean “ALL”.

Short URL: http://caninechronicle.com/?p=121714

Posted by Alex on Oct 17 2020. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.