  |
Nicky's Puppy Love |
|
|
|
How it all began....... I started in German Shepherd Dogs (GSD) in 1965 when I got my first GSD as a six-month-old puppy for free. I was his sixth owner! The owners couldn't get him from under the trailer without dragging him out by his chain. They told me he was from a registered litter, but didn't get his papers. I took him, knowing he was a basket case, with the intention of putting him down, being certain he would be a fear biter...BUT he was the most gorgeous sable, and the first sable, I had ever seen. A friend loaned me her dog
training book and told me to give him I traced back all his owners
to the breeder, but she refused to release his papers because he was a sable out
of black/silver parents. I got a letter from AKC allowing me to put This dog trained ME to train dogs. I had breeders at shows marvel at him and wanted to breed to him if I could get his papers. He was awesome all the way around. I constantly had strangers approach me to buy the GSD they had "heard" about, but he was NOT for sale for any price. His intelligence was unheard of by all who knew him, and his reputation preceded him. He talked to me by taking my hand in his mouth and putting it on what ever he wanted. i.e.; the water faucet, the car door, truck door, the cupboard door where his food was kept, etc. He was truly one of a kind. He could think and make decisions without my help. He saved mine and my sister's life on two occasions in the early 1970's; once breaking a "stay" which he would and could hold for hours at a time if required while I was not even home. I have had many GSD's since, but never will I find one as intelligent as Nikki was...EVER. I have been asked many times to write Nikki's story. All who knew him still talk of him to this day. He died of old age at 15 1/2 yrs old. I will miss him forever and will never have another like him. He was a human in a dog's body. It took several years to love a GSD without comparing them to Nikki, but I now love each of my dogs with my whole heart and soul. Now I have a new Nikki. It was coincidence how I acquired him. I went to Bill and Pat Robinson for a show male and they brought "Nikki" out for me to see. He was one year old. and as dark a sable as my other Nikki. He was a basket case, but I knew he would come around. Exactly one year later, he was going into the show ring like he owned it with the biggest grin on his face I have ever seen on a dog. He took me around the ring demanding everyone to look at him...and they did. He took a reserve and I had only shown a GSD once before. Nikki takes my hand in his mouth and holds it, but doesn't put it on what he wants. He isn't Nikki 1 but he IS Nikki 2 and is now four years old. He is my only male GSD. The rest of the story... Due to a back injury from an auto accident, I can no longer show my beloved GSDs. I raise one litter of GSDs a year. My GSDs have the best of both worlds....great American beauty and the working ability of the German dogs. I have exceptional pets with beauty, but not too extremely angulated. They can work all day, as many of them are doing today. They have AM and CAN CH and Sel CH titles, as well as SchH 111, herding, and tracking titles in their pedigree. The best of both worlds. I have put points on my GSDs, but cannot pursue it further. I do have show quality pups in every litter. I now show Min Pins. I
got my first Min Pin four years ago for a pet. He is way oversized, black
and tan, and very smart. He casts like a bird dog when I put him on a seek
for something. He finds articles by air scent, not his eyes. He
could do search and rescue very easily. Even my friend that raises Sierra
Echo Aussies and hates Min Pins likes "Buckshot." He is I have a Red bitch, 2-1/2
yrs old, that has taken four reserves with me showing her while learning how to
show her. Don't Take I purchased CH Sargon Catch
Me If You Can (Chase) from Kampfer's Kennels and he and Ruby have produced his
first litter of five pups. I have high hopes for them. |
| ||||||
