North American Lines

A blast from the past...

Here are a few more of the dogs who were influential
in the development of the German Shepherd
in North America.

Sel Am/Can Ch. Cobert's Reno of Lakeside ROM - (Reno was whelped in 1970 and the GSD world sadly lost this outstanding dog in 1985. At his last show in competition, he was 9 years old and picked up his 4th Select Title. His last time shown was in 1983 at the age of 13 in the Honor Parade. A fancier writes: "Reno was a very sound, correct dog. He was in many ways an ambassador to our breed, producing wonderful temperament...longevity...beautiful type...and contributed to our heritage. Many of his sons and daughters became great producers. Reno, also, greatly contributed to producing animals that had good hips." John Dehope writes about his best friend: "He was a dog that was truly loved. He was known as the people's Grand Victor.")

1972 US/Can GV CH Lakesides Harrigan ROM - (Harrigan was a top winning dog of the early 70's and sired 50 American Champions. He often gave dark eyes and good movement. Harrigan produced beautiful bitches with great type as well .)

1973 GV CH Scorpio of Shiloh Gardens ROM - (Scorpio is said to be a better dog than his sire, Ch. Mannix of Fran Jo, or Lance. He gave type like his father with bone, size and substance and excellent pigmentation. Unfortunately, Scorpio died prematurely of bloat and his sable brother, Spartacus, was used in an attempt to make up for Scorpio's death, but was not exactly same type.)

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2X Am. G.V. Ch. Campaigner's Gatewood Uzi, ROM, OFA H&E, HIC, TC, CGC, TDI, HT, CD, AOE

"Uzi" was crowned the title of Grand Victor TWO times, once in 1992 and again in 1994. (Only
one other German Shepherd in the history of the breed has accomplished this.) He was also awarded the Select Title three times. Uzi has won more titles than any other dog in the breeds history. A beautiful correct show dog, Uzi has also proven himself as an outstanding sire. His outstanding temperament and heritage led to his many titles. Uzi is owned by Joan Fox.

1976 Am GV Ch Covy's Rosemary of Tucker Hill ROM - (From the "Spice" litter, she has produced such greats as Ch. Covy's Mazarati of Tucker Hill, Sel Ch. Covy's Mercedes of Tucker Hill, Ch. Covy-Tucker Hill's Triumph, Ch. Covy's Starwars of Tucker Hill, and Am/Can Ch. Covy-Tucker Hill's Manhattan.)

At full extension the feet should be close to the ground. Many dogs
will reach past their noses but they finish with the extended foot way off
the ground, or lifting. This is wasted motion and not a good example of the
flying trot. The idea is to cover the most amount of ground with the least
amount of effort. Kicking up in the rear or lifting in the front are examples
of wasted motion and effort.

- Ken Tank, Professional Handler/Trainer/Breeder Since 1966

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Carico's Phoebe of TNT-KenTan, TC pictured at 11 months of age. In Phoebe's first time shown in open, she went Winner's Bitch and Best of Winners.

compared to West German Showlines...

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VA Hanko IV-RE, IPO3, 1VV1, KKL1
moving out at the 1999 Canadian German Shepherd Sieger Show.

Photo courtesy of Pat Saito.

AKC Conformation
There are two types of AKC shows -- All-breed and Specialty. All-breed shows are generally open to all recognized AKC breeds. Specialties are limited to one breed only.

Judging is done within the breed and within the sex. Classes for each sex are: 6-9 months of age, 9-12 months, 12-18 months, Novice, Bred By Exhibitor, American Bred and Open. The male classes are run first and the class winners then compete for Winner's Dog. That dog is awarded points towards the title of Champion (see below). Then the female classes are run and the Winner's Bitch is selected. The Winners dog and Bitch then compete against any Champions entered and the Best of Breed is selected, followed by the Best of Opposite Sex (if the Best of Breed is a male, this would be the best female, and vice versa).

If the show is an All-Breed show, the Best of Breed winners then meet the other Best of Breed winners within their group (the GSD is in the AKC Herding Group) and the Group winner is selected. The winners of all of the 7 AKC groups then compete again and the Best in Show is awarded. It is not unusual for the Best in Show winner to defeat 2500 dogs.

TITLE: Champion. Indicated by CH in front of the dog's Name.

To become an official AKC champion of record, a dog must earn a total of 15 points, which would include 2 major wins under 2 different judges. These points are awarded based on the number of dogs in actual competition--the more dogs, the more points. However, the number of dogs required for points varies with the breed, sex and geographical location of the show. The AKC makes up a schedule of points each year to help equalize competition from breed to breed and area to area.

Dogs can earn from one to five points at a show. A win of three, four or five points is called a major. The 15 points required for a championship must be won under at least three different judges, and must include two majors won under different judges.

The requirement of 2 majors makes it imperative that the dog have wins at large shows with large entries. This makes the title difficult to obtain and much cherished.