Callie is a top-sized (per UK KC breed standard) rich big blanketed B / T short coat with a level top-line that derives from Old English Breeding
She has been hip & elbow scored & micro-chipped for further identity
She has produced 0:0 elbow scores & 2:2 hip scores
Her sister (same mother & her father derived from crossings between Callie’s uncle, dad & grandparents) was scored at 2 years of age & she received an elbow score of 0:0 and a hip score of 2:3
She carries the B / T gene and the pure black gene, when mated to B / T she produces rich black & tans & VERY black masked & dark blanketed puppies, and when mated to a pure black carrying dog she will produce VERY black masked & dark blanketed puppies & pure blacks.
She carries the short coat & plush coat gene. Plush coated puppies look like long-coats but they have a double jacket and thus can be shown within the UK show ring.
The Kennel that she was obtained from used to be famous for producing Dual purpose Champions (Confirmation & Obedience & Working Trials). This kennel was also famous for producing the International Dual Champion that held the BREED RECORD, who to the best of her knowledge still holds the record for the breed winning the most Best In Show At General Championship Show Status, despite passing away from ‘poisoning’ at a very young age, who sired several Champions including the GSD Champion who won Best In Show At Crufts, and whom the last GSD Dog to win the group at Crufts descends from.
In 5 Generations of her pedigree there are 13 CHAMPIONS
There may have been more, but due to the age of her breeder she no longer competes.
We purchased Callie at an older age than usual, and she spent her first few months camping over several days every week. We believe this is the underlying reason behind her boredom when entered into confirmation shows (a bored GSD looks terrible), and thus despite her being placed in a couple of open & Championship shows (e.g. 1st place in junior) and judges at a CC awarding & Crufts level stating that we should show her & that they would have placed her at least higher than our other bitch we decided to withdraw her from the show ring. It is a personal preference that our dogs only compete if they enjoy it.
In the one obedience class that I did enter her into she not only passed it but she won it.
On my breeders recommendation I did have a litter from her. Callie’s puppies so far have gone straight to the top of their classes, could carry out remarkable obedience at a very young age (e.g. drop on recalls before 16 weeks of age, out of sight stays, informal retrieves before 8 weeks of age), a couple have their good citizen awards (the rest only don’t as their owners had no desire to obtain them) and unsurprisingly they attracted homes such as a vet who used to compete in working trials, a couple of surgeons who wished for a dog for obedience and search and rescue, a home that wished to train for fun agility, a show home (one of her puppies has obtained a BOB, a BPIB, a couple of 1st prizes in the couple of shows that she was entered into), a home that is in training for show & agility & working trials & good citizen (and who declared at 12 weeks of age her puppy knew more than her border collie who she had trained obedience & agility), a home that has represented the UK in obedience at Crufts a couple of times and who is in training for the show ring good citizen agility obedience WALCS shows and possibly working trials, and a home that is in training for agility (their own father having been v. successful in field trials).
A wide verity of vets, people within the breed, etc. have declared their amazement at her puppies temperaments, and we have several times been contacted by people who have seen our dogs in the street & have asked for our details as they would like a puppy just like the puppy they have seen.
**** STOP PRESS July 2007 update ****
One of Callie’s sons takes a 2nd place at a General Championship show
As of the 8th July despite going to only a VERY few (3 out of 20 past 2007 Championship shows) limited Championship shows Callie’s daughter is the Joint 5th Top Puppy Of 2007.
The top puppy award only takes into consideration puppies that have made 1st, 2nd, and 3rd placements at Championship shows. So not including all of the other puppies that did not make one of these placements there are 46 other puppies upon the top puppy of 2007 list by the 8th July 2007.
*****
*** June 2007 update ***
Callie’s ¾ sable sister (same mother, and her father stems off crossings between Callie’d dad, Grandparents, and her mother’s full litter brother) that also has a very low hip score (despite being scored at over 2 years of age under GA) not only won her class in June 2007. But she also came away with RESERVE BEST IN SHOW!
Despite turning into a little monster who refused to stand or move properly within the ring one of Callie’s daughters takes a 3rd place at another Championship show. Her brother also took a 4th place at this same show.
As of the 25th June despite going to only a VERY few (3 out of 17 past 2007 Championship shows) limited Championship shows Callie’s daughter is the Joint 6th Top Puppy Of 2007.
There are 46 other puppies upon the top puppy of 2007 list by the 25th of June 2007.
****
2 puppies QUALIFIED FOR CRUFTS at their 1st Championship show at 7 months of age (having beaten a couple of dogs)
At the same show 1 puppy obtained her BRONZE GOOD CITIZEN AWARD & was also chosen as the examiners GOOD CITIZEN DOG OF THE WEEK
Unfortunately the owner of the 2nd puppy was unaware of the good citizen testing, as we are confident that she would have easily obtained it
The judge’s verbal & written comments on the puppies included:
Dog puppy: “A strong masculine head on a good reach of neck”
Female Puppy: “Feminine looking. Has a good shape. Good proportions. Movement was ok when she settled.”
Callie’s progeny goes onto take a 2nd & 3rd place at a second General Championship show with CC’s on offer
Her daughter acquired many admiring glances at this show
Earlier in the week her daughter took a 1st place, Best Puppy In breed, and a Pastoral Puppy Group 3.
In a Premier Open show that was also within this same week despite just making the class she took 1st place. Unfortunately she missed going into the group, which is a shame as we felt that she had a good chance of doing well within it.
In a General Open Show the following week she took a 1st place the judge commented that she was:
“Very pretty, lovely in confirmation, lovely on the move, and although my preference is not for the plush coat she was the best dog within her class”
Very successful people within the breed (including CH judges) have all been regularly favourably commenting on the bitch puppy’s pigmentation, feminine looks, frame (breadth & proportions), angulations, and strong low to the ground hock joints.
Recently one judge made the following comment:
“She is gorgeous, and if she stays exactly like this when she is older she will be beautiful”
I confirmed that this meant that he would like nothing changed within her, and he corroborated this.
The male puppy has also being given a KC good citizen award and 1st places at open show level, and the bitch puppy has also been placed having beaten much older & successful GSD dogs.
The dog puppy is also in training for obedience and we wish his owner all the best with him. We also wish the second bitch owner all the best in training her girl for agility & working trials & schutzhund. With extremely high drive & loads of intelligence we are confident that this puppy also has the potential to make her owner proud
Kennel - Merjuke
Breed - German Shepherd
Date of Birth - 20th July 2003
My Litters