I have been told that I wrote something nasty here about this dog.
I said his breeder is a very honest women and that I did not believe she would stud a dysplastic dog.
I knew there was more to the sory because she is a very honest women. I needed to say that I still feel the same.

There are some very valid concerns expressed here and good suggestions in this string of comments. There is also a significant paradigm represented. On one side is the private owner of one dog, learning the ropes, hoping to produce one litter of pups. On the other side are significant breeders who truly do have the power, clout, money, etc. to buy favors from every direction..... including unfortunately, even American judges, certifiers and the like. They are producing hundreds of puppies every year and from what I read here from some of you, there could be dishonesty.

There were question marks about the hip condition of my last GS, a female. Both parents were OFA excellent in hips and joints. I spayed her because I didn't want to corrupt the breed. I've never wanted to do anything to diminish the quality of the GS breed.

What you've done here is to discourage me from wanting to breed my dog once for a puppy. It was never my intention to earn my living from stud fees or making puppies. That is the career role of big-name breeders as well as back-yard breeders. I'm neither one and don't care to be.

They say when we come to the end of life, we look back at what we've invested and the positive results we can count. My challenge to those of you who feel there is great abuse and corruption in the process of titling, conformation, etc. to make your efforts count and improve the system at the level where it will really make a difference. Focus on those people who are flooding the puppy market with imports and breedings that are truly suspect.

In truth,I have nothing to prove to anyone. Before I would sign another paper for anesthesia that I will not hold a vet liable if he kills my dog in the x-ray process, when I've done this three times already, I would put aside all aspirations of breeding and like one writer here said, be content with him as a companion and enjoying the process of training and trials. The safety of the dog is first with me. He's approaching 6 years old. I can't justify putting him at risk to prove a point.

And to Scotty: If I had a serious condition that called for treatment, I would indeed want a specialist. However, I would have to depend on the general practioner to inform me I needed a specialist or treatment. It would be the general practioner's opinion that would be critical and that I would consider to even determine whether I needed a specialist. And before treatment, I would want a second or third opinion. If Gavin needed treatment in the orthopedic area, I would find a specialist only if his vet said it was necessary.

Hi Elizabeth:

Scotty can still challenge the dog's paperwork but Scotty has a choice of not breeding to the dog and not taking one of his puppies.

Ajay Singh

Scuuzz me Scotty, I only commented here to a post where you were attacking the credibility of a dog and challenging the breeder. Give it a rest.
Unless you have "a" stamped, OFAd and DNAd all dogs that you own, I don't think it fair to challenge any rating on a given dog.

Hi Jeanell2:

I believe that you have every right to feel good about your dog and the work you have put in to title your dog. You have every right to offer this dog as a stud dog as well. It is up to the owners of the females to either use him or reject him as a potential partner. Furthermore, it is up to the potential puppy buyers to buy or not to buy a puppy from him. I encourage you to enjoy your dog as a friend, as a companion and continue to support the german shepherd breed.

Ajay Singh

elizabeth - you reap what you sow.

maybe you are an incarnation of the k team? the krap was started by you. the record stands on the OFA site. YOU turned it into a pixxing match.

Janelle,

it is great that you have a dog you love. That is a serious comment. I don't know you, and I don't care where the dog came from and how much politics went on at a recent trial. I too have seen the Utz dog, and he was not a bad dog - ok for a show dog even. Much much better than the current generation being titled from all reports. That has nothing to do with you. I apologize for combining thost comments on your dog.

But there is a VERY PUBLIC record, established by a very very very respectable organization that this dog IS dysplastic. All the reasons, all the excuses, all the back pedalign in the world will NOT change that record. The dogs hips are suspect.

You are not an orthopedic vet, nor is cmandella or your breeder. OFA vets are Board Certified - I am sure Dr. K's patients are more comfortable with him than the general practicioner down the street treating them, why should you not want that same level of expertise on your dogs???

If YOU truly believe this dog has good hips, and is breedworthy - re submit OFA x-rays taken by a better vet. Then, if he passes, you have nothing to hide and nothing to worry about. Otherwise, the record stands that the dog IS dysplastic.

Thank you for the very honest and informative post jeanelle2.
And I have to say your Gavin truly is an
all around great dog!!
Best of luck to the both of you in all your
future success!!

My apologies to you jeanell2, the comments under your dogs name should not be filled with the vicious attacks by Sybil, the retarded shit-stirrer. It’s a disservice to you and your dog.

Once again Queenie you have managed to take a simple question asked by me and tried to twist my intent. You have also gone out of your way to attack scotty by calling him an idiot. If you wanted to voice an opinion or ask a question you could have done so in a civil manner rather the typical trouble making way you have become famous for.

How sad to be despised by so many you sociopathic freak!

I will not put any further nonsense under this dogs name.

Bravo jeanell2, you called it so innocently true. This article was a direct attact on K by Scotty and then by Moe.
You have the right stuff jeane112 and your dog is definitely the "right" stuff.
Good luck and keep working and enjoying you best friend.
PS The majority of GSD enthusiasts see beyound the garbage of such as Scotty and Moe. Keep the faith.

As the owner of Gavin, I have a few things to say about a super animal. G is the first GS I've owned out of German lines. When I bought him 4 years ago, the words Sieger, conformation, Schutzhund were not in my vocabulary. G was my vet's first try at hip x-rays for certification. He kept him overnight because of sedation, charged me $$$ for 2 terrible x-rays. I sent them anyway because although I knew he wouldn't rate excellent, the hips were good and sound. I saw no reason to redo the x-rays since it involved driving to a city and finding a vet that was qualified. Gayle wanted me to work on titles and trials and as a courtesy redid the x-rays and submitted them with a whole package going to Germany. I was grateful for the help.

Gavin is the best dog I've owned in a lifetime of pet quality GS's. He's my best friend and companion and comes with working drive, V structure, stable temperament and deep pigment. He deserves to pass his qualities on and I want a puppy from him. However, if no one wants to breed with him, so be it.

I've heard from my trainer that some breeders buy titles but I've never seen it or been a part of it. G earned his Sch 1, 2,3 and BS over the course of 8 months last year. He is the only showdog in a working dog club and we drive 6 hours roundtrip to train. He practices his long downs on a concert stage, gets socialized in classrooms with college students, practices obedience on top of a mountain, because I have to improvise here with whatever is available. This site should be about Gavin, not for disputing a breeder's credibility or making angry comments to each other. I love my dog, the GS breed, and we've earned every title, every point, and every rating we've been given. His Sch I title was high in trial at Gary Hanrahan's trial last August. I have learned the concepts of Sch beginning at level 0, trained my dog, shown my dog, and continue to work for higher scores. I'm here for my dog not to debate another person's reputation.

Gayle was trying to help me find a suitable bitch because I live in a remote area for German Shepherd dogs. She put him on her website to help me. Her willingness to help me promote my dog has resulted in personal attacks here. She has been supportive and I will buy my next dog from her whenever that time comes.

I've never read comments like these before between people committed to the same cause. The brutality is shocking and seems unwarranted. I will never be a professional breeder and have a life of my own that includes a dog named Gavin. I have a great dog who because of your attack may never get the opportunity to breed. Seems unfair, but then maybe I don't really understand your world of German Shepherd dogs after all. Watch your trial results next year.... you'll be seeing the name Gavin v Kirchenwald again. The world of Schutzhund and working dog families is much friendler and welcoming than what I see here!!

cmandela - I guess the OFA can just go out of business now that you and your friends have decided they don't know what they are doing. Or did the 'a' stamp get bought the same way that the 'K' dogs titles get bought? LOL LOL Word travels fast - I hear from my buddies up in MI and OH that there was a Dutch SV judge that had a REAL nice vacation courtesy of a few "K" dogs getting titles. Hey - dragging them around by the collar in protection, leaving the field in obedience, not even trying to do a blind search - just walk up close to the blind and THROW the dog at the blind - was that yours that fired on the judge at the check in AND at the H&B??? 70 - S???? Guys - and helper's wives yelling at Dr and Ms K and the judge about outright cheating and dogs passing - as long as their kennel name was K???? This is an embarrassemtn to the breed. Word has gotten out about this trial all the way to the South and PNW.

Elizabeth - you don't have a clue and should not stick your nose into things - call the people in MI who attended the trial and find out the truth.

Moe - you are a good guy. Forgot all about this dog until I checked in today.

beam me up scotty, I don't think your an idiot, it's a valid question.
This is not a personal attack against Gayle or her breeding practices.
If the problem is really with the positioning of the dog for the xray, why wouldn't the dog be positioned correctly and the new xrays be submitted to the O.F.A.?
Chris, If it were my dog I would certainly like to get the record straight with the O.F.A. Having a dysplastic rating posted publicly, along with an "a" fast normal could be a turn-off to some people who may be interested in using him for stud.
Chris, please also remember that although you may have seen the xrays and can vouch for them, no one else has, so it is a legitimate question.
Elizabeth….what more can I say about you that I already haven’t?
You continue to berate and attack people for no reason…..GET HELP!

Beam me up, you are an idiot. You obviously have little to no experience in such matters or you would have channeled your "shock" into something more productive, like off line inquiries.
The dog holds a German "a" stamp. Are you challenging the SV as well as the AKC and even the WDA since you feel her associatiation with WDA makes a difference?
The Kirchenwald Kennel is one of the MOST reputable kennels in the states.

Let me put the record straight on this dog!

I know the dog, the breeder and the owner. When the x-rays were originally taken and submitted to OFA the owner was not experienced and did understand what a correct x-ray should look like. The dog was not correctly positioned. After they were submitted and rated, the dogs breeder, Gayle Kirkwood took Gavin to another more experienced vet and had him x-rayed again, these x-rays were submitted to the German SV and Gavin received an "a" fast normal rating.

I have personally seen both sets of x-rays and can vouch that in the first set the dog was not correctly positioned. His OFA rating is not correct! This dog is NOT DYSPLASTIC!!

Yes Gayle Kirkwood is a WDA director and has produced many fine dogs as a breeder and would not promote a dysplastic dog for stud!

Anyone who has had their dog x-rayed knows that you do not always get a good set on the first or even second try if the vet is not experienced! I have personally had a vet take several shots until I got the correct placement that was needed for the SV "a" stamp program.

Before making such comments in a public forum, on a dog which you know nothing of, please be sure of your facts..........

Chris Mandela

This is truely sad . I did see your information and you are right the dog is registered with the OFA as Mild dysplasia.
Perhaps the breeder is not aware of this. The dog may not be hers at this point as I believe she is a very honest Breeder and would not advertise a dog with hip dysplasia for stud service.

sorry WDA director not OFA - I was just in such a state of shock!!!!!!!!!

This dog is OFA DYSPLASTIC and being advertised at STUD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.offa.org/display.html?appnum=839924#animal


And this lady is a regional director of OFA and putting on the Sieger show next year???

YEA AKC!!!!

Hey wildthing - you two need to hook up