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Although I had purebred dogs as early as 1937, my first German Shepherd Dog did not come along until a decade later, a magnificent, huge dog of unquestionable soundness of character and calm nerves. He was so big, he could look over the tallest easy chairs with ease, and would stretch nearly to the top of the door to signal that he wanted to go outside. We made jokes about formerly having lived a block away, but one night we tied him to the house and the next morning found our domicile on the next block! He was the dog that caused me to fall in love with the breed. However, it was not possible to have the land and other things necessary for breeding until twenty more years had elapsed. That was when I moved to Toledo, Ohio, and began showing my own dogs in obedience and breed competition. I was good enough that others hired me to handle (in both types of rings!) for them. During the summers of the 1960s and early ’70s I went to shows in nearby Canada nearly every weekend, and throughout the year in the Great Lakes region of both countries. It was during that time that I met Tina Barber, a young woman with a great love for dogs. Over the years that followed, we kept in touch only occasionally. I had been saved in 1966, and when I learned that Tina had the same life transformation and assurance |
of eternity, we drew closer together. Our number of contacts multiplied. When I moved south and started judging for AKC, she asked me to judge and lecture at some of her Homecoming events. Eventually she got so turned off by the rejection of her ideas and the direction the American-lines GSD was heading, she decided to try making her strain of GSD into a separate breed. I watched the development of this Shiloh Shepherd breed-to-be over a greater period of time and with much closer contact than I believe anyone else in the sport has. Tina has had the tenacity of a Bulldog, the energy of a Border Collie, and the determination of a German Shepherd in the pursuit of her goals despite several roadblocks and setbacks. She has a monumental job in attempting to bind disparate and novice forces into a unified society whose goals are matched to hers. Whether she lives long enough to see it realized, the fun and challenge may be more in the trying than in the reflecting upon any success. I pray God gives her long life to enjoy this pastime (which it can only be in His eyes) but more so to have an impact for Him, on the lives she touches through this endeavor. —Fred Lanting Author, The Total German Shepherd Dog
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