IMPORTANT PILLARS OF THE BREED.

   by Dennis Fisher.

 

Note:  This article is one of many dealing with every aspect of the German Shepherd Dog - breeding, training, bloodlines, famous German show winners, and a great deal more, that appear on the author, Dennis Fisher's website. Visit  http://www.allaboutgermanshepherddogs.com to see these articles.

 

Famous names in the pedigrees of your dogs.

Over the years the structure, movement and appearance  of  the German Shepherd Dog has improved out of all recognition.  Photographs of  winning show specimens in the 1920' and 1930's show an animal so different to the modern German Shepherd dog  they  appear to be almost  of a different breed.

I  am fortunate to have in my possession an  almost priceless collectors item - priceless, that is, if you happen to be  someone vitally interested in the history of the breed and an obsessive collector of German Shepherd Dog memorabilia!

Many years ago, in the 1940's. while still at school,  I received a phone call from  an elderly  gentleman, Mr. Basil O'Connor.  It was someone   I hardly knew  but to whom I had spoken occasionally.  I had seen him walking with his German Shepherd, a very handsome dark sable Dog and  had stopped to admire  his dog.

The elderly gentleman told me that he had been watching me for some time training  my own German Shepherd in a sport field near to where he lived and  had been  impressed  by my enthusiasm.

He  suggested I should come to his house because he had  something  to give me  he felt I would appreciate.

The  gift turned out to be the  complete set of  a magazine - "The Alsatian" -  published in Britain from 1926 to 1929, but then discontinued.

Issues of the magazine  featured  photographs of  many the leading dogs of the period from 1926 - 1929;  famous dogs I had read about;  German and Austrian Siegers, German dogs that had recenly been imported into England, as well as British Champions. 

There was a wealth of information; discussions about various famous dogs of the time, reports on recently held shows; even a report by the "father of the breed"  Max von Stephanitz, when he judged a show in England.

 

                            

These are magazines I will always treasure, not only because of the generosity of the donor and the spirit in which the magazines were presented to me, but because, even to this day, I find them of great interest.

What is most striking is the amazing changes that have taken place over the years  in the development of the breed. There is a  photograph  in one of the magazines of  the 1926 "Sieger" "Erich von Glockenbrink".

 

                                  

                 1926 Sieger "Erich von Glockenbrink"

When one compares the movement of this dog, so highly praised at the time,  with that of one of the present- day "Siegers", the comparison is  startling.

Even when  one compares  photographs of winning dogs of the 1950's and 1960's with recent winners one can also see remarkable changes.

A  detailed  description of the leading dogs from the  beginning of the breed in 1899  to the present day  is obviously  material for a book rather than merely   an article.  So  I have limited  this article to a  study of famous  dogs to the period from 1995 - when the first "Sieger" title was awarded after the war -  to the present time.

The first "Sieger" show held after the war.

 Although an annual German Shepherd Dog Shows  "Sieger" Shows were held n Germany after the War, the title of "Sieger"  - Grand Champion - which had been discontinued in 1938, was only  re-introduced in 1995.   The first post-war German "Sieger" was "Alf v. Nordfelsen",  a son of one of the most   important German Show dogs of the post-war period. "Axel v.d. Deininghauserheide"                    

 

                               

 

 Axel v.d. Deininghauserheide - sire of Alf v. Nordfelsen.

 

                                 

1955 Sieger - Alf von Nordfelsen - first winner of the Sieger title after the  war.

Together with "Rolf v.Osnabrueckerland", also a top winning dog of the 1950's, Axel  had a profound influence on the development of  the modern German Shepherd Dog.

                                    

Rolf v. Osnabrueckerland - one of the most important dogs in the development of the post-war German Shepherd Dog.

Since  those early year in 1995, when "Alf v. Nordfelsen" was awarded the Sieger title,. there has been a remarkable improvement in the  structure of German shepherds. The gait of the modern German Shepherd  Dog has now improved to an extent that it  now almost unrecognizable from that of  the earlier Siegers.

Dogs now   move with greater harmony and  balance ,  spectacular ground-covering side gait, excellent  forward reach and powerful rear thrusts that they did before.  Every Sieger Show held annually in Germany has shown evidence of this.  

It is probably fair to say that the Sieger title winner every year has in most instances shown improvement  with regard to movement over the winners of previous years,

Years ago, when I attended  the 1978 Sieger Show, when the title of Sieger was awarded for the first time since it had been discontinued in 1973, I considered the movement of the dog  awarded  the Sieger title "Canto v. Arminius", the most exciting I had ever seen.

     Canto v. Arminius - 1978 Sieger - Sired by Canto v.d. Wienerau.

  But  the movement of "Canto" as good as it was,  cannot be compared with the effortless   gait of the 2005 Sieger,  "Larus v. Batu"

                      Laurus von Batu - Sieger 2005

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If  one examines the pedigrees  of today's top show winning Shepherds  in detail and goes back several generations, one finds  that, in virtually every instance,  certain names  feature very  prominently .   These are dogs that can be regarded as  PILLARS OF THE BREED

This article is an examination of  the bloodlines of  these dogs,  whose names  appear in the pedigrees of  most of today's show winners.   . A fact that should be borne in mind however, is that in judging the German Shepherd the main criteria has always been construction and movement rather than temperament.

The majority of  German breeders have focused their  efforts on  conformation and competing in the Show ring rather than  working trials.   Working ability has to some  extent been neglected.

 This is understandable.   Winning top  honors in the breed ring has always been regarded as being  of  primary importance,  It results in national and  international  recognition.  Furthermore, the financial aspect cannot be overlooked.   Top animals fetch astronomical prices from overseas buyers.   

This is not to suggest that temperament is overlooked completely. No animal with a unsound temperament could ever be placed in a top position at a Sieger Show.   But temperament is not the main consideration.

Attempts have been made to assess the temperament at Sieger Shows by the introduction of the "Test of Courage".  Animals who do not demonstrate pronounced  "fighting sprit"  are not considered for top honors. But  the "courage test" cannot be regarded as  a completely reliable test of temperament.

Training qualification can also not always be relied  upon.  The  fact that  a winning show dog has a  SchH 111 training  classification  is  also not always a  reliable indication  that the  dog has all the qualities required  of a successful working animal. It is very seldom that the actual qualifying  scores  receive any prominence.

The reason why  attention has been drawn to the  question of temperament in our discussion about the bloodlines of leading Show dogs,  is because it has now become  a  controversial issue in the German Shepherd Dog world and  should not be overlooked.    

There are many  working dog enthusiasts who maintain  the modern show winning  the Shepherd has not improved in so far as working temperament is concerned.   It is for this reason that most German Shepherd dog breeders of working stock  in Germany today  hardly ever use show winning animals in their breeding programs. 

When one  examines  the pedigrees  of  open class (conformation)  show winners  at Sieger  shows held  over the past five  years and compares  this with the pedigrees of  entrants in the " Bundessiegerprufung" -working class - one is struck by the fact that there is hardly any meeting ground

An examination of the bloodlines of ALL ENTRANTS, quite apart from  top winners in  the Bundessiegerprufung,   is  noticeable for an almost complete absence of the names of top conformation show winners.

With very few exceptions, it  is very rare  for the same  dog to compete in both  the conformation class and the working class.

S.V. Authorities in Germany are very much aware of this  sharp division between working dog breeders and those  who concentrate on  producing animals who will win in the conformation classes. 

 It is a problem that is receiving attention.  But it is a problem that is very difficult indeed to resolve

This division between Show bloodlines and  Working Dog bloodlines did not always exist.   If one goes back  quite a few years in the examination of  pedigrees of winning show dogs, one will find that very often their offspring featured very prominently  as successful competitors in working trials.

Here are some  top show specimens of earlier years  that  sired  a considerable number of  excellent working dogs that competed very successfully in working trials.   The names of the following V.A. dogs  feature even today in the pedigrees of current  top working dogs:

 

                                    

                         Frei v.d. Gugge  VA. 8, 1969  V.A. 7, 1970

                    (His name  appears in the pedigrees of many top working dogs today)

              (Sire: Chlodo v.Schloss Dalhausen  Dam: Connie v.d. Gugge)_  

                           (Chlodo was a Hein v. Richterbach grandson                                                                Connie was a Vello zu den Sieben Faulen daughter)

 

                           

                   Jalk v. Fohlenbrunnen (V.A. 5 1961. V.A. 4, 1962.V.A.2 1963)

                             Sire: Vello zu den Sieben Faulen.

                Dam: Gunda vom Fohlenbrunnen - Hein daughter

 (Jalk's name appears in the pedigrees of  a number of  top working dogs today)               HIs  grandson Racker vom Itzal  was the winner of the Bundessiegerprufung in 1971 with a score of 297.

                                

                                                       Bernd v. Lierberg (V.A 3 1967)

                          Sire: Vello zu den Sieben Faulen

                          Dam: Betty vom Eningsfeld                           

          (Betty was sired by the winner of the competition for  best working  dog -                 the Leistunsieger - Arko vom Riedersknapp - in  1958 and 1960 )

(Bernd also competed in the Bundessiegerprufunung working trials in 1969 -  the competition  for working dogs and was placed 21st. with a very high score)

  Bernd's name appears in the pedigrees of many top working dogs today

• "Asko Lutter",  a top working dog and one of  the best producer of top  working dogs in recent years   is a descendant  of "Bernd v. Lierberg"

 

                                            

                                           
                            Bodo vom Lierberg - Bernd litter brother

                                                1967 Sieger

 

                                            

                                                     Wanko von Maaraue (V.A 11 1981)(Sire: Boss vom Amalienhof - Bernd grandson whose name appears in the pedigrees of many top working dogs today

  Dam: Oschy von der Maaraue)

                                                                                                                                    

Derby von Adeloga

V.A. 11  1981, V.A 8, 1984,    V.A. 12, 1985

          Sire: Rico vom Michelstadter Rathaus  (Quanto v.d. Wienerau)

          Dam:  Amsel von Adeloga (1979 (Sieger Eros v. Malvenburg)

Derby was the Sire of  Cliff v. Huhnegrab, placed 2nd. at the 1989 Bundessiegerpruffung - working dog competion - with a score of  296.

Cliff v. Huhengrab was the Sire of Nastor vom Wolfsburger Schloss - 3rd. in 1997 and again  3rd in 1998 in the Workding dog competition.

 

Mutz von der Peltzierfarm

 

                                             

        Mutz  - V.A. 2 -Reserve Sieger in 1970

               Sire: Axel von der  Peltzierfarm 

               Dam: Heidi v. Haus Bickett.

(Troll v.d bosen Nachtbarschaft, one of the working dogs in recent years and also sire of  many top working dogs has bloodlines that go back to Mutz through his son   Anderl v.d. Kleinen Pfahl.                        

 

                   

                      Anderl v.d. Kleinen Pfahl

                V.A. 4 in 1974    V.A. 8 in 197

    Sire: Mutz v.d. Peltzierfarm     Dam.  Flora v. Eichbrunn

(Flora was sired by the Bernd v. Lierberg son Sirk v. Busecker Schlos)

In  previous years the names of top winning breed dogs often appeared in the pedigrees of  important working dog.  The working dog breeders made frequent  use of these dogs.

Nowadays however, one has to search very hard to find names of top show winners who feature  as sires  of dogs  competing  in  working dog trials.

There are only a handful of  breed winners that working dog breeders are prepared to use.  Here are names of a few V.A. animals with offspring that competed in the Bundessiegerprufung. 

 "Quartz dei Templari"  "Odin v. Hirschel"  "Jango v. Furstenberg"  'Eiko v. Kirschental", "Ulk v. Arlett"  "Enzo v. Buchhorn and a few others.   

It should be noted however, that virtually every instance the above mentioned dogs did not have many offspring that competed, only an occasional son or daughter!

Furthermore the offspring  that did compete did not perform particularly well in  the Bundessiegerprufung.  They were never placed in top positions.

In fact one has to go as far  back to  1997 to find one of the very few examples of a dog with the bloodlines of a top show winner being placed in the first three  in the Bundessiegerprufung.

"Nastor  vom Wolfsburger Schloss", placed third with a V' rated score of  288 points in 1997, was sired by  "Cliff v. Huhnegrab", a son of the V.A. dog  "Derby vom Adeloga"

 

                                

                                    Cliff v. Huhnegrab

      Sire: Derby v. Adeloga       Dam:  Venja von Wildsteigerland

Placed 2nd in the Working Trials in  1989 with a score of 296                                          Place 3rd, in 1987 with a score of 293                                                                       Placed 8th in 1988 and in the same year was placed V61 in the breed ring at the Sieger Show.

This is a clear indication that in recent years  top breed specimens are   very seldom  used by the  breeders of working dogs

It is unfortunate that the improvement in structure did not go hand in hand with improvement in temperament.  But this has not been the case.  

A discussion about the  bloodlines  of animals who have excelled  in working trials fall outside the scope of this article.  I hope to deal with in a later article.

               

          PILLARS OF THE BREED

                     

                   Quanto v.d. Wienerau

 

                             

              Mutz v.d. Peltzierfarm

 

 

                          

                          Canto v.d. Wienerau.

 

The improvement in the structure of the German Shepherd Dog  been brought about by the dedication of serious breeders who have made a careful study of bloodlines and have applied their knowledge in their breeding program.  

  But these successful breeders, whose animals have been consistently highly placed at Sieger shows, will admit that the element of chance and good fortune will always play a role.

Added to this is the mysterious and elusive factor of prepotency.   It is impossible to determine why one dog is able to reproduce his own fine qualities in his offspring.   Because of this exceptional prepotency, he becomes a pillar of the breed and is able to exert an enormous influence. 

 On the other hand, there are frequently extremely well bred dogs, superb specimens in themselves, who do not have this exceptionally rare  ability and fade into oblivion.

It is probably unfair to speak of prepotency only inter terms of the Sire, as there have been very many instances of exceptional brood bitches, who have consistently produced excellent offspring when mated to a great variety of sires

In our study of the bloodlines of the leading German Sires, it will be clear that there were really only a handful of dogs who could be regarded as remarkably  prepotent Sires,  able to exert an enormous influence on the modern German Shepherd Dog.

It will also be clear that even though these dogs were able to reproduce their own fine qualities, there were also often faults  carried on by their offspring.  

It is very important for the successful breeder and student of the breed to be aware of these virtues as well as the faults of these great dogs.

It is generally acknowledged that the majority of today’s leading show winners stem from the following  three dogs:   

Quanto von Wienerau, 

Canto von der Wienerau  

Mutz von der Peltizierfarm.

 

-------------------------------------- 

Quanto v. Wienerau.

 

 The study of the bloodlines of Quanto must begin with one of the most important sires of the post-war period Rolf v. Osnabrueckerland whose photograph appears below.

 The “Sieger” title  was discontinued in 1938 and was replaced with a system of awarding V.A (Vorzuglich Auslese) Excellent Select to a group of exceptional animals in no particular order of placing.  It was afterwards reintroduced at the 1955 Sieger Show, but this we will discuss later.

 

                  

 

 Rolf  was graded V.A. in 1950 and  1951.  He was a dog of rich coloring, similar in type of this V.A. sire, Lex Preussenblut.  He had an excellent shoulder, heavy bone, good head, sound temperament but rather short croup and limited hind angulation.

 Rolf was very widely used and exerted a profound influence on the breed.   The Rolf, son Arko v. Delog, although  not a particularly successful show winner himself, graded only S.G. (Sehr Gut)  produced the 1958 Sieger Condor von Hohenstamm.

 

 

                 1958 Sieger Condor v. Hohenstamm

 Condor was a very powerfully built, very masculine dog with excellent front angulation, strong back, good head and sound character, but also with limited hind angulation.  He was a reasonably successful sire and sired the 1952 Sieger  “Mutz a.d. Kueckstrasse”.

 

                                

                               1962 Sieger Mutz a.d. Kuckstrasse

 

Mutz however, unfortunately had very little influence on the breed in Germany.  He was later exported to England but here again he had little influence on the breed.

On a personal note, in 1962 I imported a very well bred bitch in whelp to Mutz. The litter was disappointing with regard to show potential,  because of the lack of the marked hind-angulation that was fashionable at the time, but the temperaments of all the pups were outstanding.

Condor von Hohenstamm owes his importance in the history of the breed to his grandson, Condor v. Zollgrenzschutzhaus, V.A. in  1965 and 1966.

 

                                                     

                                       Condor v. Zollgrenzchutzhaus V.A. 1965 and  1966.

 

The younger Condor was rather a small dog, 62 cm at wither, but was very well constructed, and had  a very good head.    On his Dam’s side he was a grandson of the 1959 and 1960 Double Sieger Volker v. Zollgrenzschutshaus.

Condor’s importance lies in the fact that he was the sire of the exceptionally genetically dominant  V.A. animal Quanto v. Wienerau, V.A  in 1969,1970,1971 and 1972.

 Quanto was a beautifully proportioned dog, masculine and with excellent front angulation, as were most of his ancestors, but with far better hind angulation.   His progeny for the most part inherited his excellent good temperament and his masculinity. However, the slight weakness in pastern, which Quanto possessed also frequently  appears in his progeny.

This is how he was described by Dr. Rummel at the 1971 “Sieger” Show, when he was placed V.A. 2, reserve Sieger to Arras v. Haus Helma.

 “Quanto vd. Wienerau” SchH11  (Condor. Zollgrezschutz-Haus – Yoga v.d Wienerau)

"A powerful dog, medium sized with  marked masculine character, he has kept his place in the V.A. group for the third time and has justified his rating by his outstanding progeny

In stance he shows harmony and good proportions with straight legs and  excellent front angulation  His wither is satisfactory, the back is firm, the croup very good and the topline very good.   In gaiting he shows excellent ground covering with a particularly front reach and effective hind thrust.  The dog is very suitable for breeding but the hocks and also the pastern joins could be firmer”

Quanto was a very popular,  dominant stud  and sired   a huge number of excellent dogs, including the 1963 Sieger Dick v. Adeloga  and the very important V.A. dog Lasso di val Sole.

 

 

                 

 Lasso was a dog of excellent type, exceptionally rich coloring and sound temperament who was frequently placed in the V.A. group.  Besides being a very successful show winner  Lasso also proved to be a very important Sire.  His name appears in the pedigrees of a great many leading show winner today

But as with all great dogs there were also some undesirable features in that he was somewhat loose in pasterns.  This was a feature passed down to some of his progeny.

 Because a friend, Colin Frankel,  and I  were  so impressed with Lasso when we saw him at the Sieger Show,  we  decided to  buy a top quality bitch with the specific purpose of  having her mated to Lasso.  The bitch we selected, Fara v. Bad Boll was a daughter of a well known top show winner Argus v. Aducht (Canto bloodlines).   On this occasion the resultant litter produced some excellent  show specimens.

                        

 

In selecting Lasso as the most suitable stud in Germany it appears we were in good company.  Herman Martin, also thought so highly of Lasso he acquired a bitch on breeding terms – Wilma v.d.  Kisselschlucht – and had her mated to Lasso.    The resultant X litter Arminius was to have a profound influence on the breed in   Germany.

 The bitch Wilma, was a daughter of the V.A. DOG Bredo v. Lichtburghof,  V.A in 1969, a son of  Joll v. Bemholt, (imported by the well-known English Breeder and good friend of mine Percy Elliot).

Joll was the son of the 1967 Sieger Bodo v. Lierberg.   It is possible that Bodo’s influence played at least some part in the importance of the X Litter Arminius.

 

                                             

                              1967 Sieger Bodo v. Lierberg

 

 Bodo, was a magnificent, masculine, male with excellent pigment and superb, string temperament.   A personal favorite of mine it was a great disappointment to me that he had very little influence in Germany, other than with those breeders involved in working trials.   He was virtually ignored in the United States where he was imported by a good friend of mine the late Erich Renner.

The X litter Arminius is one of very great importance in the development of the breed.  It included a number of top males and also the outstanding bitch Xandra v. Arminius.

A very good son. Xando was shown at the Sieger Show but when measured by Dr. Rummel he was found to be oversized.

 Herman Martin used the litter brother, Xaver, a very good dog but one which was known to be inclined towards over-aggressiveness, on the excellent producing bitch Palme v. Wildsteigerland.  The result of this mating was the remarkable Q litter Arminius that was to have such a remarkable  influence on the modern German Shepherd Dog.

 

                 

      Palme von Wildsteigerland - Dam of two famous Siegers - Uran and Quando

 

 Palme was a large substantial bitch. Her owner, Martin Gobl, chose   Irk v. Arminius as the sire of his U litter Wildsteigerland, because of Irk's medium size and exceptionally good movement.  Although  Irk was a fine show specimen and excellent sire, he can in no way be compare to his amazingly pre- potent son Uran who won the Sieger title in 1984 and 1985 and who produced a staggering number of excellent sons and daughters.

 Uran v. Wildsteigerland proved to be one of   the  most successful sires in modern German Shepherd Dog history.  He became Sieger  in 1984and again in 1985.

 

                           

 

 In awarding “Uran” the Sieger title again in 1985, Herman Martin described him in  the following glowing terms:

“Uran com Wildsteiger Land SchH 3 F.H.  (Irk v. Armius –Palme v. Wildsteigerland)

Inbreeding: Quanto Wienerau (4,5 – 5)  Gitta Asterplatz – Liane Wienerau 5-5)

"Large, medium strong, typical expressive male, dry and firm, with high wither, very good backline and good length and position of croup.  Good angulation fore and aft, excellent chest proportions, correct front.   Moving correctly in front and behind, he shows very far-reaching ground-covering giat with powerful thrust and good reach in front at all speeds.  The excellence of the 1984 Sieger, now 4 ½ years old has already been described repeatedly. And is based primarily on his noble and harmonious overall picture, his correct overall construction, his firmness and tightness in all parts.

He has even improved during the last year with maturity.  Excellent condition, untiring liveliness in movement as well as increased ring experience has further increased his outstanding movement.  The positive picture completed by his excellent showing in the courage and fighting spirit tests. I have already pointed out that his victory was also due to to his established family with sisters of better than average quality (sister this year V.A2) and the number and quality of his available progeny.  This progeny has in the space of a year improved out of all expectation.   So far there has never been a Sieger who has appeared with 70 progeny present who have acquitted themselves so creditably in all classes, including the open class.  He has to a large extent fulfilled the requirement that a Sieger should pass on to his offspring his anatomical quality.  The 1984 Sieger is deservedly again Sieger 1985     H.D. Normal.” 

 Uran produced animals with high withers and superb construction.   Although his own croup could have been a shade longer, he produced excellent croups for the most part better than he himself possessed. Most importantly, he produced uniformity of type.   An Uran son or daughter was instantly recognizable.  He produced 7 V.A. progeny.

In our assessment of Uran as a Sire, remarkable as he was, it must also be remembered that certain faults sometimes  appear in  his offspring.  Frequently male heads could have been more masculine, which is not surprising when one considers that this was a fault of his  Sire, Irk Arminius  and also  his grand-sire Pirol Arminius.

The pigment of many of Uran’s offspring could also been better.   In addition to Uran, his litter sister, Ulme was also an exceptionally fine show specimen, winning the reserve Siegerin title.

It is difficult to determine to what extent Uran’s excellence as a sire and remarkable prepotency was due to the influence of his male ancestors and the Quanto ancestors they represent.   It must be remembered that his dam Palme v. Wildsteigerland achieved the amazing distinction of producing two sons who became  Double Siegers  – Uran and his half-brother Quando v. Arminius.

 

            

                Quando v. Arminius  - Sieger  in1986 and 1987

 

 Quando v. Arminius must be considered  as important Sire as Uran in perpetuating the Quanto v. Wienerau line.  Sired by the Lasso di Val sole son, Xaver v, Arminius out of Palme, he was also double Sieger, winning the title in1986 and again in 1987.

Quando  was a large very well-proportioned, very masculine dog with high wither, good back and long, well laid croup and very good pigment.  He was well angulated in front and rear, although there was  minor criticism by some  that they would have preferred more hind angulation. Attention was also drawn, by some critics, to the fact  that his dentition was not perfect.

Quando  was the sire of  large, strong masculine sons who have carried on his line.

The “Q”line Arminius is important because, in addition to Quando, his litter brother Quino was a very good sire.  His litter sisters Quina and Quana also produced some fine animals. 

One of Quando’s most influential  sons was  Odin v. Tannenmeise, whose dam was Hasel v. Tannenmeise. 

 

                   Odin von Tannenmeise

 

  Hasel, an excellent show specimen in her own right, was sired by Dax. V. Wienerau who carried on the  Mutz von der Peltzierfarm line that we will discuss later.

 

                           

                           Hasen von Tannenmeise

Dax’s bloodlines are interesting. He  was a son of the V.A dog Jupp von der Haller Farm,  and was sired by the important Mutz son, Jonny von der Rheinhalle.

On Dax’s maternal line,  his Dam was the excellent producing bitch and Canto v. Wienerau daughter, Flora vom Konigsbruch.     Canto v. Wienerau will also be discussed in lenth later.

Odin v. Tannenmeise, bred in Holland, was an exceptionally good dog.  Strong and masculine, he was an animal of excellent type and proportions. When I saw him become Youth Sieger in 1986 I was so impressed with Oden I was convinced that he would become a future Sieger.  

Odin however, was a very sluggish mover and in the Show gaited without any real enthusiasm.  Although very self-assured and confident, he appeared to be  a very unanimated, somewhat disinterested, dog.   This cost him places in the very competitive Show ring, particularly at the Sieger Shows.  In 1987 he was V.A. 9 and in 1988 he was V.A. 6.

Odin’s value lies in the fact that he produced two outstanding animals, both became Siegers, Zamb v.d. Wienerau in 1982 and Jeck v. Noricum in 1983.

Both these animals have had an enormous influence on the breed.

 

                                                      1992 Sieger Zamb von der Wienerau

The Dam of Zamb v.d. Wienerau was the V.A. bitch Ica v.d. Wienerau.  Ica was a daughter of the 1980 Sieger “Axel v. Hainsterbach” – who was a Quanto v. Wienerau son.  His pedigree  reflects therefore  the influence of Quanto v.d. Wienerau both from his Sire and his Dam.

 Zamb has sired  dozens of V dogs and bitches  and a great many V.A. animals, such as  Esko v.d. Wienerau, who received the V.A.rating no less than three times in 1994, 1995 and 1996.

 

            

                                          Esko v.d. Wienerau

  I was fortunate to have had a son of Esko that I bought from the very old established Murrenhutte kennels of the late Ruth Stuttchen.

Although he matured into  an adult far too heavy, with too much depth of chest, to be a top show specimen, he was a delightful dog to own, with a delightful personality.  He was also an excellent guard dog and his bite in the test of courage was awesome.

Zamb produced a number of other fine show specimens including the excellent V.A. rated Nero v. Hirschel who was the sire of another fine V.A. animal,  Odin v. Hirschel.   Odin v. Hirschel is the sire of the 2003 Sieger Bax. Luisenstrasse.

 

                              

                        2003 Sieger Bax von Luisenstrasse

Although  Bax has not been as successful in producing quality progeny as one would have hoped, he certainly  produced some fine animals.   At the recent 2005  Sieger Show Bax had an exceptionally  good son in the V.A. class – Pakros di Ulmental, for whom a very bright future is forecast.  Many knowledgeable breeders predict  he will be Sieger in 2006.  Even though Pakros  is  still a young dog he is proving a very good sire.   A young Pakros son, Vegas du Haut Mansard, was one of the stars of the show and was the winner of the Jugendklsasse.

(This was written in 2005.  Pakros certainly did become Sieger, not in 2006, when the Sieger title was won by Zamp Thermodos, but in 2007.  Pictured below is a picture of the strikingly beautiful, exceptionally well-bred  Pakros, whose Dam Karma Oschentor, was also a Siegerin)

                      

                                         Pakros di' Ulmental

Bax also produced the outstanding bitch "Oprah di Fossombrune" who was V.A. 3 at the 2005 Sieger Show.

Jeck v. Noricum.

 

            

                                       1993 Sieger Jeck von Noricum

This second very important son of Odin v. Tannenmeise who carries on the Quanto v Wienerau line is Jeck v. Noricum who Sieger in 1983.

Jeck  was a large, powerful, substantial dog with very good expression, high withers, strong back and excellent length and lay of croup. His temperament was very sound.  He had good front angulation and very good hind angulation.   His gait was powerful but it was noted that in his away movement there was a tendency  for his hocks to be very close.

It is interesting  to note that the classification for the  x-ray of his hips was only “Noch zugelassen”.  There are some breeders  who might have thought  twice about breeding from a dog whose hips are not “Normal” or at least “fast normal”.  Had they done so they would have lost the opportunity to use a dog that has made an enormous contribution to the breed.

When we examine the influence Jeck has had on the modern German Shepherd through his many fine sons and daughters, it will be seen that there are scores of top show winners today who carry the blood of Jeck in their pedigrees.

He sired the 1986 Sieger “Visum v. Arminius” who has also proved his worth as a Sire, one of his most important sons being the V.A rated,  Italian-bred,  “Max Loggia  dei Mercanti, a dog with an exceptionally good gait

Max in turn has also proved to be a very good sire.  He produced the  very highly regarded, V.A. rated, Dux della Valcuvia, who was the sire of the 2005 Reserve Sieger “Quantum v. Arminius” and also the dog who was placed V.A. 7 at the 2005 Sieger Show  Marko della Valcuvia and also the winner of the bitch Junghundklasse  “Ania vom Agilolfinger”.    Quanto  also was the sire of the V.A 5 dog, “Zamp vom Thermodos”. 

The Jeck grandson, the 2000 Sieger “Ursus v. Batu” features very prominently in the pedigrees of today’s top winners in the recent Sieger Shows in 2004 and 2005.

                   

                      2000 Sieger Ursus von Batu

 

The Sire of Ursus,  Hobby vom Gletscheropf, was  a good show specimen.   A very  strong masculine animal, with high withers, firm back and  very good temperament, he had an especially strong head. Although  he was Italian Sieger in 1996 and V.A. 4 at the Swiss Sieger show, he had never been among the top winners in Germany.   He was V 41 in 1996  and V 22 in 1997.

It is interesting to reflect why Erich Orschler, certainly  one of the most knowledgeable breeders in Germany  decided to use “Hobby”  rather than a more popular Stud.  It is possible that what appealed to him about “Hobby” is the fact that he was an animal with a particularly masculine head.   He also had an excellent temperamenrt.

A further reason is probably  the fact that the Dam of  “Hobby” - " Quitta v. Ehrenfeste" was very well bred with an  excellent  pedigree.  She was a daughter of the very important Sire, Mark v. Haus Beck – (who we will discuss when we deal with the Canto v. Wienerau line)  - and her Dam “Innes von der Ehrenfeste”  was sired by the 1988  Sieger Eiko v. Kirshchental”

It should be noted however, that there has been some criticism of Hobby's Dam, "Quita v. Ehrenfeste" with regard to ear carriage.  Some feel that the faulty ear carriage and soft ears that occasionally appear in Jeck  progeny was due to the influence of "Quita".

The Dam of Ursus -  Verena v. Batu, was a daughter of Jeck’s half brother Zamb v.d. Wienerau  who we have discussed.     Verena’s Dam was a Cello v. Romerau daughter Maxi v. Batu.  In this way the important  Mutz. V.d. Peltzierfarm influence has been introduced  through Cello, an important descendant of Mutz.   Cello’s influence will be referred to later when we discuss “Mutz von Peltizierfamr.

Whatever the reasoning behind the choice of “Hobby” it certainly proved to be an excellent  choice.   The bloodlines of  Ursus  have been very prominent indeed in the show scene for the past few years.

The Ursus line has been carried on by   his most successful son on, the double Sieger “Yasko vom Farbenspiel”, Sieger in  the 2001 and again in 2002 and Yasko’s son, the double Sieger Larus v. Batu, an exceptionally beautiful dog with outstanding movement.

Yasko vom Farbenspiel, apart from being an excellent show specimen who well deserved his first place in  2001 and again in 2002,  has   proved to be a   dominant sire.  His Dam  “Connie vom Farbenspiel”, Siegerin in 1997, was a daughter of “Eros v. Luisenstrasse”.   “Eros”  carries the important  bloodlines of  Mutz vom Peltizerfarm through his sire Cello von der Romerau.

Yasko vom Farbenspiel - Sieger in 2001 and again in 2002.

Yakso,  has   sired a number of  exceptionally good animals, including the  2004 Sieger, Larus v. Batu who was the winner again  in 2005. He also sired the following excellent dogs:   “Erasmus v. Noort”  V2003, V.A. 3 in 2004 and again V.A. 3 in 2003

                             

                                       Erasmus von Noort

 

He was also the sire of Orbit vom Huhnegrab, V.A. 4 in 2004, unshown in 2005 because his owner and breeder, Heinz Scheeerer, was the Judge but V.A again in  2006 and 2007.

 

                                          

                                   

                                                  Orbit vom Huhnegrab

  Ursus is also the sire of the V.A. 8 bitch in 2003 “Hannie vom Team Fiemereck” and the  2002 winner of the Jugendklasse,  Quentin  Karenberg

                      Mutz von der Pelztierfarm                                                 

 

Mutz,along with Quanto v. Wienerau and Canto v. Wienerau was one of three pillars of the breed.

In the same way as our  study of Quanto v. Wienerau began with the study  of  Rolf vom Osnabruckerland, in examining Mutz’s background it is of interest to discuss   a very important ancestor whose influence on the post-war German Shepherd Dog in Germany and also in America was considerable, Axel vd. Deininghauserheide.

During the period just after the war no Sieger  title was awarded.  At the annual national show the top dogs were classified V.A.    In 1949 and 1950 Axel received this V.A. classification.  He was described as a  “medium size, powerfully  built dog with good chest of chest, good angulation, sure temperament, powerful outreaching gait with driving rear action development.   Back was firm and strong but rather long.”

Axel was noted for his excellent, firm temperament a quality he handed down to many of his descendants.   In , in the 1956 February issue of the American magazine “The German Shepherd Dog Review”, a well-known American German Shepherd Dog breeder, Margaret Fischer had this to day about Axel, whom she had seen  the previous year in Germany:

  “My special liking went to the great old,   Axel v.d. Deininghauserheide who ranks besides rolf v. Osnabruckerland as one of German’s greatest sires.  He is a dog of superb structure and extraordinary vitality and fire.  His gait alone was such that he could outrun even those ahead of him …his owner, and Officer in the police takes Axel regularly with him on duty …”

 Axel was the sire of  5 V.A. animals, including the first Sieger after the war, the 1955 Sieger Alf. V. Nordfelsen  and the 1957 German Siegerin “Wilma v. Richterbach”  He also sired a number of American champions, the most important of which was the 1957 Grand Victor “Troll v. Richterbach”.   Troll  who had a tremendous influence on the development of the breed in America through his son “Fortune of Arbywood” who was the sire of Lance of Fran-Jo

 Alex also sired the 1960 American Grand Victor “Axel v. Poldihaus” and the 1957 Canadian Grand Victor “Ero v.d. Auwallenburg”

In Germany the 1955 Sieger “Alf v. Nordfelsen” was very highly regarded as a dominant Sire who reproduced his own qualities to the extent that his sons and daughters were instantly recognizable.

An interesting feature about Axel’s blood is that it has proved particularly suitable for animals wit the blood of the second great deal we have discussed  “Rolf v. Osnabruckerland”

For example, if we examine the pedigree of “Troll v. Richterbach” we find that his Dam, “Lende v. Richterbach” was a daughter of the excellent producing bitch “Rosel v. Osnambruckerland” litter sister of Rolf’s and Dam of Hein v. Richterbach.

An examination of the pedigree of “Mutz von der Pelztierfarm” reveals that here again the combination of Axel and Rolf blood is  featured.   

The Sire of Mutz was Axel v. Pelztierfarm,  who was an Alf v. Nordfelsen grandson.

The pedigree of Axel’s dam, “Afra von Haus Bickert” reflected the  Rolf v. Osnabruckerland  influence through   “Regina von Colonia Agrippina”, a Rolf daughter.

Mutz was Reserve Sieger in 1970.  A very popular, dominant  stud  produced  7 V.A. animals. Here are extracts from  his Koer report:

  “Very expressive, medium size male.  Dry, sold bones with very good angulation. Forechest could be more pronounced.  Croup is slight steep.  Good front, good strong pasterns.  Good back, far reaching gait.   Confident and unconcerned.  Pronounced defence drive.  Lively, alert and fearless. Colour: Black and tan with grey markings. Black mask.  Strong head and good depth of muzzle.  Very good strength of back. Good strong pasterns and hocks…”

 Mutz had a particularly strong temperament  and for this reason was favoured by many working dog breeders.  His son, “Anderl vom Kleinen Pfahl, bred by Hermann Stiedl, but owned by Erich Orschler was well used by many who admired his working ability.  Many of today’s working dog winners carry the blood of Mutz through Anderl vom Kleinen Pfahl, for example the exceptionally fine working dogs Xato bosen Nachbarschaft and Quasy bosen Nachbarschaft.

It is interesting to note that Mutz’s influence on the modern German Shepherd comes mostly from his son “Jonny von der Rheinhalle” rather than his V.A. son, the “Jonny” litter brother “Jalk”.

Although Jonny,  was never in the V.A. class, as was his litter brother “Jalk” he proved to be a far more important source of “Mutz” blood.  This was mainly due to the  excellent “Jonny” son “Jupp von der Haller Farm”.

Jonny also sired  “Lump Osterbergerland”  who was not only a top breed specimen, being placedV2  at the 1980 Sieger Show, but he also produced some excellent working stock.

 Jupp, the sire of Dax von der Wienerau was mentioned earlier in our discussion  about the dam of Odin von Tannenmiese, Hasel vom Tanenmeise.

Dax was the Sire of  the very important “Natz. V. Hasenborn” who was placed in the V.A. class a number  of times, and finally Reserve Sieger  in 1986.

 The most influential of “Natz’s” many sons was undoubtedly “Cello von der Romerau”, whose Dam – “Quana v. Arminius”  was a  sister to the 1986 Sieger “Quando”.  Natz therefore represents a combination of the Mutz and Quanto v. Wienerau bloodlines.

 “Cello” was very widely used and sired some excellent dogs, including  the Reserve Sieger “Atlas v. Bad Boll”,  “Hoss v. Hasenborn”  “Cim Ecknachtal” and the very dominant “Eros Luisenstrasse”,

 “Eros”, mentioned previously, was the Sire of 1997 Siegerin “Connie vom Farbenspiel”, who is  the Dam of the Double Sieger “Yasko v. Farbenspiel”.

 He also figures prominently in the pedigree of  “Ursus v. Batu” as he was the Sire of “Maxi v. Batu  the Dam of “Verena v. Batu”

There is little likelihood of the name of Mutz v. Peltzierfarm ever disappearing from the pedigrees of top show winners.   An important “Eros” son, the V.A. rated Huppy v. Arlett,  produced the 2004 Reserve Sieger, Hill vom Farbenspiel who is proving an outstanding producer of  top  quality stock and whose services are very much in demand by breeders in Germany.

Canto v.d. Wienerau

                            

 Although Canto v.d. Wienerau died  young and sired relatively few litters,  because of his remarkable prepotency he is still regarded as one of the three most important dogs  who shaped the modern German Shepherd dog.

Canto was born on the 17^th September 1968 and sired by Hein vom Konigsbruch out of  the Jalk v. Fohlenbrunnen  daughter Liane von der Wienerau.

 It is interesting to examine his pedigree as this may provide clue to his quite exceptional prepotency.  In spite of having produced only a limited number of  progeny during the short time he was at stud, a large proportion  of these received the high classification of  Korklasse 1.  Six of these animals were V.A. in Germany.  He also sired two American Champions.

 Canto sire,  “Hein v. Konigsbruch”, born on the 10^th March 1965, was  a very interesting dog for a number of reasons.  Most important is why Walter Martin decided to use him as a stud for his Canto’s Dam, his excellent bitch, Liane von der Wienerau, a V bitch of exceptionally good breeding.

Although Hein’s Koer report was satisfactory he certainly did not have a very illustrious  show career in German.   In 1968 he was placed  in a relatively low position of S.G. 7 in the Open male Class  under Dr. Funk.  In 1969  he did no better under Dr. Rummel, being graded only  G because of his lack of working ability.

His “Koer” report describes him as large, stretched animal with harmonious lines, good angulation, ideal backline, and ground covering gait.  It also referred to his temperament as being sound.  His fighting spirit “kampftrieb” however, was described as “vorhanden” – present rather than pronounced.

In addition, he had not sired many litters before Walter Martin decided to use him.

Why then did Walter Martin decide to use him rather than more popular, proven animals who had already demonstrated their ability in the show ring and also their prepotency?

The answer to this, I feel, is because Walter Martin was a visionary with a remarkable eye for a dog.  Hein represented a departure from the mostly  square dogs of the time, with limited hind  angulation.  Hein  was  over-angulated compared to many of the leading dogs of the time.  He was a very glamorous dog and Martin recognized the qualities he had to offer.  

 Moreover, he was aware of Hein’s pedigree. His Sire “Fix zu den Sieben Faulen was a very good dog as was the sire of “Fix”,  “Asslan vom Maiweg”.    I remember seeing “Asslan” in Germany and was impressed with his beautiful clean lines and – what was unusual at the time – his very good croup.   In addition the Sire of “Asslan”, “Alf vom Walddorf – Emst  was an exceptionally good dog, who was also a very dominant sire.

Walter Martin  was clearly aware of the qualities of "Alf" and taking, what some people might have considered a gamble, he reckoned that in Hein, he would be able to perpetuate the fine qualities that "Alf" possessed.

 I remember seeing “Alf”, ten years old at the time,  at the home of his owner Walter Lueg and was  very impressed indeed with this outstanding animal.  Not only was he a very handsome  dog, even at 10 years, he  also had an outstanding temperament, bold but friendly.

 Alf’s breeding reflected the successful combination of  Rolf v. Osnabruckerland and Axel v.d. Deininghauserheide.   His Sire was Rolf and his Dam, Elga vom Villosahaus, was an Axel daughter.

Walter Martin must have considered that with his bitch Liane’s breeding he would not  have to be concerned with  temperament problems.  Liane was a daughter  an exceptionally good dog, Jalk v. Fohlenbrunne, who also had a background of very good temperaments.   Her Dam “Dixie v.d. Wienerau” was a daughter of the V.A. dog “Arno vom Haus Schwingel”

Moreover, Liane  was one of an exceptionally good litter.  Her litter sister Landa v. Wienerau became a Siegerin, and a  litter brother “Lido” was also an outstanding specimen, a very dominant Sire  with a very strong temperament.

 Hein was exported to the Tadellos Kennels of Mrs. Egger in   Britain at the age of 5 where he was reasonably  successful in the Show ring, winning two C.C. s.  He also sired some good stock in England.

The best assessment of Hein v. Konigsbruch”s  temperament  was made by my good friend Percy Elliott in his book “The Complete German Shepherd”.  This is what Percy Elliott wrote:   “Hein had little working ability and for this reason was downgraded to good  at the 1969 Sieger Show.  He was not shy, just a normal friendly enough dog and satisfactory if not too much was asked of him…”

I can agree with this assessment.  Many years ago I imported a young Hein son from Mrs. Egger.  My dog was a very lovable, friendly, good-natured dog but somewhat lacking in protective instinct; an ideal family pet. 

 Canto was described as a dog of medium size (64cm) and medium strong with excellent proportions.  His front angulations was very good indeed and hind angulation was marked. 

  Special mention was made of his very well laid, long  croup, a feature he passed on to many of his progeny.  Negative features included a head that was lacking in masculinity and also lack of strong pigment.   There was also a distinct tendency towards loose hocks which was particularly noticeable when he was a young dog

As a young dog he was placed 4^th – S.G. 4 in the Youth Class at the Sieger Show  in 1971 he was V.1 in the  open dog class.

 His temperament was not as bold as one would have liked and in this respect he took after his father rather than his mother.  It must also be mentioned that Canto is regarded as the first known  hemophiliac in the breed.  This was not discovered until later when it was found that his daughters began to produce affected males.

Although he died at the very young age of four he produced a vast number of exceptionally good dogs.

Very important Canto sons whose names appear in the pedigrees of  a huge number of  today’s top winners are the following.  Frei v. Holtkamper See,  Canto Arminius and to a lesser extent,  Argus Klamme.

Frei V. Holtkamper See  was sired by Canto out of Iris v. Sudfeld,  a bitch whose breeding reflected the valuable Vello zu den Sieben Faulen influence.  Frei was the most successful of  Canto’s progeny with 5 V.A. progeny, one of which, Zorro v. Haus Beck -  V.A  in 1981 – produced the very important Lasso v. Wiederbrucher Land.

Lasso v. Wiederbrucherland  in turn produced the exceptionally successful sire, “Fedor v. Arminius” who was V.A in 1987.   Fedor’s name is to be found in  the pedigrees of a vast number of top winning animals, in many instances through the important V.A. Fedor son, Mark v. Haus Beck.

Mark has proved to be one of the most important sires of recent years and is the sire, among many others, of the Sieger Kimon Dan Alhedys Hoeve.

Kimon is the Sire of  the V.A rated “Karly v. Arminius.   “Karly” has also proved to be an exceptionally good sire and produced the V.A animal “Jello Michelstadter Rathaus”, an important sire in his own right.

Canto v. Arminius the other very important Canto  v. Wienerau son was Sieger in 1978 when the title of “Sieger” was re-introduced  after having been discontinued since 1973.

Canto was an exceptionally good mover. When I  saw him at the Sieger show for the first time, I was  amazed at the fluidity and effortless nature of his gait. Although he produced better daughters than sons, he did produce  a very good animal in Sonny v. Badener Land, who in turn produced the Reserve Sieger to Uran – Tell v. Grossen Sand.

His litter sister Tina was Siegerin.

Tell produced the double Sieger “Fanto v.Hirschel” – 1990 and 1991 and also his litter brother, ‘Frei v. Hirschel”, who was also an important Sire in his own right, producing very strong temperaments.

The “Frei v. Hirschel” son, Amigo v. Belgier is considered by knowledgeable judges to be a ideal  source of excellent temperaments,  He is the Sire of a number of very good dogs who have done well at Sieger Shows, including the highly regarded, Italian bred, V.A. animal “Quartz v. Templari”

The Canto Arminius litter brother, Caesar v. Arminius, was also an important Canto v. Wienerau son.  Considered by many to have a stronger temperament than his litter brother, he was the sire of   the Dingo v. Haus Gero, Sieger in 1982.

Dingo was an exceptionally good mover with a spectacular gait.   Although widely used at first, and the Sire of 4 V.A. animals, Dingo  was later not favoured by German breeders as it was felt that he produced too many animals whose hips were suspect.

Argus v.Klammle.

Argus was sired by Canto out of  Zilly v. Klammle, who was later exported  to American where she became a Champion.  Argus was known to  be a dog of excellent character.

The bitch I imported, Fara v. Bad Boll in whelp to Lasso di Val sole was a daughter of Argus.    She also inherited the same firm, confident temperament as her Sire.

Argus’s influence continued mainly though his excellent son Argus v. Aducht who is represented in  animals sired by Manto  Overdinger Land and Miro Holtkamper See.

It is clear that Canto v. Wienerau’s influence though his sons and daughters has left an indelible impression on the breed.  He can truly be regarded as on the three pillars of the modern German Shepherd Dog.

Dennis Fisher - 2005.