The following chapter is one on the life of one of the truly great breeders and Rottweiler lovers this breed has ever seen. And were it not for Marianne, the breeder and owner of the legendary Ives Eulenspiegel, I would not have my wonderful Enigma! Thank you Marianne...
Miss Marianne Bruns has, we are told, been dedicated to but one truly great love in her life - the Rottweiler. From the time that she was a very young girl in grammar school to the present she has remained one of the most dedicated Rottweiler fanciers to be found. To date she has bred forty-three registered litters, and her kennel name, "Eulenspiegel," is to be found in pedigrees of famous Rottweilers throughout the world wherever the breed is known.
Along with being a good breeder, Miss Bruns is a highly successful trainer of her dogs. Both beauty and working ability are required of Rottweilers in Germany in order that they may qualify to be used for breeding and their offspring registered.
Upon completion of her judging apprenticeship, Miss Bruns became a popular Rottweiler specialist judge, and she has officiated in that capacity frequently in Germany, Scandinavia and other European countries.
The esteem with which Miss Bruns is regarded by her fellow fanciers is proven beyond a doubt by the fact that in the early nineteen-eighties, she became the first woman ever elected to become Chief Breed Warden and Chief Judge by the German Rottweiler Club (ADRK). A singular honor indeed!
Eulenspiegel Rottweilers are so named after the legendary Till Eulenspiegel, a jester and "teller of tall tales," who was buried in 1350 (and whose grave can still be visited) at the old city of Moelin in northern Germany where Miss Bruns makes her home. Surrounded by lakes and forests, graced by lovely churches and picturesque towers, this is indeed a charming spot.
For Marianne Bruns it all started in 1929 when, with the pennies she had earned by doing chores and had saved meticulously, she decided to buy her father a Rottweiler puppy to replace their guardian and house dog. At seven weeks of age, "Tell" joined the household; he became large, strong and impressive. When he was a juvenile of one year, the Bruns sent him off to a trainer. However, it was soon discovered that the dog did not respect this trainer for long, as the trainer had made the mistake of punishing the dog unjustifiably. But the dog had to be formally trained and had to learn the requirements. The ten year old Marianne solved the problem when she and Tell went to the local training class together several times each month. In 1931 she took him to her first exhibition, and they came home successful and happy.
In Tell's pedigree one found names like Sieger Arco von Torfwerk, a truly great transmitter of quality; the brothers Lord and Lenz, more formally Lord Remo von Schifferstadt and Lenz von Schifferstadt, grandsons of the famous Leo von Cannstatt; and dogs from the Felsenmeer kennel line. Miss Bruns fell head over heels for the Rottweiler breed and for dog training (Hundesport), but for quite a while nothing exciting or remarkable happened. Occasionally a canine fancier friend would bring a dog or puppy to Miss Bruns so that she would take care of it during their absence from home (boarding kennels did not exist during those days in Germany), and each time when the puppy or dog would leave her to go home, Miss Bruns would be heavy hearted and filled with sorrow. In 1941 the family had to part with Tell, and it was several months before a replacement came an it was quite a pitiful puppy which arrived - small, plagued by rickets, but with great temperament. This was the period during World War II when there was not enough food around to nourish a puppy properly, which undoubtedly caused the health defects. Just at that time Marianne Bruns came of age, and her first act, after having achieved majority, was to join the German Rottweiler Club (ADRK). Meanwhile the once pitiful puppy, called Hasso, had developed quite admirably, but in 1942 the German Army authorities came and took him away from his owners as they were in need of guard dogs.
So now the waiting game started all over again. Marianne Bruns finally got her first bitch, Gerte vom Korneck, form the first litter which was classified as Koerung and Leistungszucht, which signifies the highest degree of litter, as the Germans classify the litters depending on the titles and achievements earned by the dogs and their ancestors who breed the litter and whelp the litter. Gerte was rather small and soon after coming to the Bruns was afflicted with distemper which, fortunately, she survived. However, it left her with a certain weakness in her "backhand." This latter created a problem for her at the Schutzhund training and tests, especially when she had to scale the wall. Therefore it was necessary that she compensate for this by doing all other parts of the test so well that she could afford to lose some points during this particular exercise. Gerte is described by Miss Bruns as the most intelligent dog she has ever owned, and the two of them learned alot from each other.
Also at this period Marianne Bruns learned alot from the pioneers of the North German Rottweiler fanciers, taught her by such authiorities as Hell, Cornehl, Passich, Mudra, and Elbertrock. Gerte and Marianne succeeded in obtaining Schutzhund I, Schutzhund II, and Schutzhund III titles, and they were at the top of the competition.
Adda Eulenspiegel next was added to the kennel, the only puppy from Marianne Bruns "A" litter. She is described as being a "hard-nosed and sharp bitch."
Exhibitions during these times were few and far between, but eventually Gerte became "angekort" or "approved for breeding." But as so frequently happens with strong, robust bitches, in breeding there is not always a satisfactory result.
In the "B" litter came Barry, who had an extremely stable temperament and who accompanied a team of horses as a watchdog for several years and later, to the day of his death, was on duty with a security guard in a leather factory.
The "C" litter out of Adda, turned into a real shocker, having several long-haired puppies in it. Adda had deliberately been bred to a half brother as the Bruns wanted to ascertain whether or not their suspicion of longhairs in a certain line was justified and indeed it turned out to be the case! Cilly from the "C" litter was a "blind leader" dog for many years (comparable to our Seeing Eye Dogs in the United States).
The "D" litter again from Adda, brought Miss Bruns only one bitch; all others were dogs. Unfortunately leptospirosis struck these puppies and no medication whatsoever was available during these final war years and the period immediately following. Especially was true between 1946 and 1949, and it was heartbreaking to see the canine losses in Miss Bruns' section of Germany where every litter and many older dogs died of this terrible disease. Finally, in 1949, serum became available. Thus breeding began again at Eulenspiegel, and two litters were born, one from Gerte and one from Adda. The sire in both cases was the "Zonensieger" (a title given during those years after World War II as Germany was divided into four zones, English, French, American, and Russian; in this case it denoted "Victor of the English Zone"), Faust von der Mark, SchH I. From each litter a bitch was kept, and it was through them that Miss Bruns achieved her initial breakthrough to success in the Rottweiler world!
These two bitches gained their Schutzhund I titles at barely fourteen months of age. One of them, Ena, was named Best Juvenile and received the Hell Jubilee prize. Some years later, one of her grandchildren repeated that win. Ena's daughter, Sonne, was Number One at the World Victor Show in Dortmund in the young bitch class, and her other daughter, Prima was second in the open class. Ena's dam was the beloved Gerte, who sad to report, died just a few days before Ena had completed her Schutzhund I title.
Ena Eulenspiegel is still to be found in pedigrees today via the kennel name "Fruehstueckstube" through such famous dogs as BS (Bundessieger - Victor of the Federal Republic of Germany) Igor vom Haus Henseler and BS Emir von Freienhagen.
Two sons of Adda Eulenspiegel, Rex Eulenspiegel SchH III and Raudi Eulenspiegel SchH II, each received the predicate "very good."
In addition to Ena Eulenspiegel and Flori Eulenspiegel, Marianne Bruns also at this period owned another outstanding bitch, the Bundessiegerin 1954 (female Bundessieger) Blanka vom Eppenderferbaum SchH III, approved for breeding. From two of the bitches, one juvenile each was sent to England, Rudi Eulenspiegel and Quinta Eulenspiegel. Later, a Sonne Eulenspiegel daughter, Bim Eulenspiegel, also went to England. Sonne Eulenspiegel several times received the highest evaluation possiple, V-1 (excellent-1) and CACIB and a half-brother to Sonne became DDR Youthbest (German Democratic Republic Youthvictor). Cisco Eulenspiegel SchH III, a son of Sonne became an International Champion.
Then there was a Flori Eulenspiegel daughter named Holle Eulenspeigel Sch I that also received V-1 and CACIB.
Miss Bruns feels that she was less successful with her Blanka Eulenspiegel line. Nevertheless Blanka's son Wuni Eulenspiegel received a V-rating and CACIB. He is said to be existing yet in a bloodline in Sweden.
During this period, within one year Miss Bruns lost three bitches "through illness and deliberate poisoning" - the start of a very unlucky period for this talented fancier. Zierde Eulenspiegel, a daughter of Rex Eulenspiegel and Sonne Eulenspiegel, suffered a torn ligament in her knee and broke her hip. She had a Schutzhund III title and was approved for breeding. After she was cured she gave her owner one litter of two bitches, but only one of these could be saved. Bad luck continued; Miss Bruns had to change professions and move to a new residence, so her breeding program was interrupted, at least temporarily.
In 1959, Miss Bruns became a Rottweiler judge, at the same time as did two other very respected famous fanciers, Dr. Schmitz and Freiedrich Berger. Shortly thereafter Miss Bruns was approved as a Koermeister, which is a specialty judge who is qualifies to officiate at special shows where dogs are measured and tested to decide if they are totally correct for breeding, in both physical conformation and in temperament.
From 1963 to 1965 the breeding program at Eulenspiegel was completely at a standstill. Then in 1968 a new start was made with a male. Unfortunately it became necessary for Miss Bruns to place the dog elsewhere as she had suffered an accident and was unable to control and train an animal of his strength. Even today, she says, "I am still carrying a torch for him, and will never forgive myself for not having placed him in a more suitable home, as I have heard via the grapevine that he has suffered a stroke while working on the Schutzhund training grounds."
Next Baerbl v. Grevinsberg, Sch I, joined Miss Bruns, purchased as a proven matron that already had whelped three litters. She was the dam of the Klubsiegerin and Bundessieger Dolly v.d. Meierei, Sch I, approved for breeding , whose brother Dack v.d. Meierei was also a V-rated dog with a Schutzhund III title. Dack was also the sire of Anka and Asta vom Luhauserholz, both of which attained the titles of Klubsiegerin and Bundessiegerin and Schutzhund III. Unfortunately, and unknown to her, Baerbl was already ill when Miss Bruns acquired her. She produced one litter at "Eulenspiegel," two dogs and a bitch, of which only one survived, a male. This dog went to Finland and is being used in a Finnish breeding program.
Of this bitch, Miss Bruns writes "Baerbl was a most grateful dog, appreciated living in the home, and a short time after she joined us was able to obtain her 'approved for breeding' title. Oh, how much I could tell you about both of them, Baerbl and Gerte, both of which I lost much too early."
Needing a new bitch, Miss Bruns next acquired Dina von Kaiserberg. She was three years old and was one of four sisters each with HD or HD+ ratings, and all of them having achieved V-ratings in the show ring. As a partner for Dina's first litter at "Eulenspiegel" Miss Bruns selected the Baerbl v. Grevinsberg son, Flash v.d. Meierei, SchH III, approved for breeding, sired by Brutus v. Georgshof, SchH III, approved for breeding. In this litter of six pups, Miss Bruns achieved a good mixture of desirable traits and elimination of faults. Hatto Eulenspiegel Sch I became a V-rated dog. Hoppla Eulenspeigel SchH I was also a V-rated dog and approved for breeding. Halma Eulenspiegel was kept by Miss Bruns, and was rated high in the Youthclass. Halma has been an excellent producer; all the owners of Halma's progeny paraise the good temperament of these dogs. Halma is still in Miss Bruns kennel as this is written. She is now eight years old, "has been deliberately poisoned twice, and has had two caesarian births, once owing to a dead puppy a week overdue, once owing to a puppy which weighed eight hundred grams at birth and lived." Miss Bruns has not dared to breed her even once more and reproaches herself for not having kept a puppy out of her along the way, as she finds it impossible to buy back any of Halma's children, the present owners being so please with their great temperament.
Dina was bred again and produced this time, among others, Ilo Eulenspiegel and Ives Eulenspiegel. Both are HD +/-, both have achieved Schutzhund III, are approved for breeding, and have achieved V-ratings. Ives is an International Champion. His son and daughter, Dingo vom Schwaiger Wappen SchH III and the 1979 BS Dina vom Schwaiger Wappen SchH III, are approved for breeding. Ives was sired by Astor vom Landsgraben SchH III, who is a son of BS Dolly von der Meierei ex the Danish exhibition and working champion Thor PH (Polisehund - Danish title, Police Dog). Unfortunately Dina had to be put to sleep at ten years old; she was suffering from cancer. She certainly contributed well to her breed in the wonderful dogs and bitches she produced.
Miss Bruns now has two bitches in her kennels, Betta vom Schwarzwasser and Fledis vom Aalenersrion, both grand-daughters of Ives. Her future plans, so far as breeding goes, are uncertain due to illness. She can indeed rest on her laurels, if she so chooses, with the feeling of satisfaction that comes from truly worthwhile accomplishments. She has done inestimable good to the Rottweiler breed through her own dogs, her judging and her knowledge - a gentle, modest lady who truly exemplifies the highest type of dedicated fancier.
Reprinted with permission from T.F.H. Publications INC.
from - The Book of the Rottweiler
by - Anna Katherine Nicholas
