Great GSDs from the past - Page 3

I saw Hatter in the show ring several times and was at the Garden the year he won BIS.  IMO, he was a faulty dog, down in his pasterns with a pooly angulated front that didn't match the rear well. However,  he had to be one of the most beautiful and most charismatic dog I've even seen of any breed. His temperament was outstanding and he was a people dog; when the judge looked at him, Hatter smiled, winked, whispered "I love you, darling" and he won almost every time he was shown.  It was hard to take your eyes off this dog. I once read -Hatter had his faults,. but could harm the pants off the the most staunch dog hater . Perhaps Mose's best dog and one of the best AKC GSD's ever whelped was a bitch, Ch. Altana's Mystique, as Yelloe Rose mentioned. I believe she still holds the AKC record for the number of BIS's won by any dog of any breed. Not sure eaclty how many, but it's over 200.  For a bitch to do that in those days was quite unusual; most of the big winner were males.  Shew was not shown until she was around 5 years old and never had a litter presumedly because she was around 6 when she was bred for the first time and she was past her prime for reproducing . Moses is/was probably one ofthe most skilled professional handlers ever seen iin the AKC ring and he and Mystique were literally unbeatable. The AKC dogs don't usually have what it takes to work, but IMO some are quite lovely in their conformation even today.

I wish I'd have seen more of the older AKC GSD's, but only started to show in the 70's when Hatter was in the spotlight . later Lakeside's Gilligan Island, another outstanding winner of his day. Most I knew were Am lines with a partly imported pedigree and the trend was already heading away from the more rugged look of the imports to the prettier dog that could win in the AKC ring.; the downfall of many a dog breed.  I think Helen Miller Fisher owned Cuno, but could be wrong? She is still an AKC judge as far as I know,  but no longer cares for imports although she was one of the earlier pioneers of the breed in the US and imported and owned some of the AKC foundation GSD's. I recently read an article written by her where she says she prefers the AKC dogs because the imports are not as pretty to her. 

really?  I havent found that anywhere - though I imagine it is hard to find stuff like that since he is such an old dog and I didnt read anything mentioned about it in Willis' book which is where I tend to find any kind of accurate info on old dogs.  In addition to reading that he was chosen to correct the structural errors he saw I also read that Stephantiz chose him to correct the lack of steady temperments he saw grwing in the breed.

These dogs that Stephanitz picked for Sieger were all working dogs correct?  This is something I was always curious about because you cant really tell with lack of titles.  They actually had a job doing police work or some such thing?  I have always had a hard time believing that Stephanitz would pick a dog that didnt work or had a bad temperment for a Sieger.

~Cate

Marko vom Cellerland and Held von Ritterberg

Both dogs producer excellent conformation and excellent temperament. Each dog had excellent conformation and temperament

Both dogs exemplify the total German Shepherd(that they also possessed the black gene was a plus)

Woops -

Sorry  - my comment was for Jeff Ohelson.

I did a little research into Klodo's temperment because I was curious and I only read good things about him.

~Cate

I wonder if  Roland Starkenburg...The one mentioned in GSD history... the all black GSD which was produced through radical inbreeding to produce prepotecy in the developmental stage of the GSD was ALL BLACK or DARK SABLE...??? And if Horand was a yellow-grey sable or the regular gray sable...??? (kindda vague in literature and the pics were all black and white)   If Roland was purely inbreeding...how come the ALL BLACK gene is recessive...and only come out of certain lines as a plus...???   Another thing... was the normal coat that time, more of a long stock coat common to herding dogs and sheepdogs... and was improved to produce the STOCK coat which was easier to maintain for a working dogs...I noticed the GSDs correct coat is something in between the leght of the Tervuren and the Mallinois...

I stumbled upon an old book about herding dogs... Have a nice day...   :) Marci

Speaking of Roland, I saw this dog for sale in the database. The resemblance to Roland is striking! He even has the more pointy muzzle typical of the early GSD's of that time.

SG Diego von der Tannenweide:

Here is my vote...

VA Odin vom Stolzenfels

Here is a German Shepherd Trivia question for todays posters:: Who was HEKTOR VON LINKSRHEIN......?????????

YEAH   JUNO;   FIRST TO REPLY    YES AND HE WAS A YELLOW-TAN WORKING DOG...... DESCRIBED AS LARGE, BEAUTIFUL,NOBLE, FAITHFUL, STRAIGHTFORWARD AND "WITH A BOUNDLESS AND IRREPRESSIBLE ZEST FOR LIVING....." THE FIRST GSD TO BE REGISTERED IN THE SV...