The Official Newsletter of the Shiloh Shepherd Club of America In

The Official Newsletter of the Shiloh Shepherd Club of America
In this Issue
Letter from the Editor ............... 2
Club News .................................. 3
Chapter Updates ........................ 4
Tina Speaks: Super Size?? .......... 5
Shiloh Health:
Venomous Snake Bites ............ 7
Breeder Spotlight:
Guardian Kennels .................. 10
Conformation Corner:
Structure Basics 1 .................. 13
Shiloh Rehome & Rescue:
Happily Ever After.................. 15
Breeder Rehomes .................. 19
Gracie Initiative Update ........... 20
Event Coverage:
MAC Chapter Event ............... 21
CLAS Chapter Event ............... 22
Recent Champions ................... 23
Upcoming Events ..................... 24
Puppy News ............................. 25
Club Representatives ............... 26
It's summer! And here in Texas we are STILL inundated by rain. But we're
very excited, because this is PUPPY SEASON!
Editor, Content Coordinator
Anne Becker
Layout and Graphics
Margaret Baumgarner
Shiloh Health
Sue Olson
Breeder Spotlight
Vanessa Dutton
Conformation Corner
Anne Becker
Show News
Maya Jerome,
SSDCA Show Coordinator
Rescue and Rehome Stories
Jerry Miles
Thanks!!
We have so many exciting litters this year—matches that will really help our
gene pool keep expanding. Check out our upcoming litters section to take
a look!
To further help with making sure that the Shiloh Shepherd can keep more
genetic health and diversity for the future, more than 15 of our ISSR
breeders and breeders-in-training took a course on population genetics
through the Institute of Canine Biology. It was a fantastic learning
experience and a real eye-opener on what it takes to keep a breed healthy
as it expands. Anyone can take these courses—if you're curious, check
them out at www.instituteofcaninebiology.org!
In addition to puppy season, it's SHOW SEASON! Consider coming out to an
IABCA or ICE show in your area (you can check our handy shows and
events section to see when and where they are!). The Dutch Homecoming
happened this spring, and the Purina Farms specialty just happened at the
end of May. And people are talking about Homecoming in August! We’re
gathering all of our photos and looking forward to some major show
coverage in our next issue!
Our SSDCA Members Facebook group has been having some interesting
discussions on genetics, movement, and conformation! You can check
that out by searching for the SSDCAMembers group and joining up. There
is also the "Shiloh Shepherds" Facebook group, where you can post photos
and stories and read about our history, and find links to many articles and
interesting topics. We hope you enjoy our new Facebook presence, and
help us keep it lively by chiming in!
And now…I'm off to plan for upcoming LER’s and hopefully a show or two!
Enjoy the newsletter and the warmer weather. Time to get out and have
some fun with our dogs this summer!
Anne Becker, Editor
Page 2
SSDCA News
The Board is happy to announce the return of the “Central Lakes Association of Shiloh
Shepherds” (CLASS) SSDCA Chapter!
The Chapter represents the Midwest and their members are from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois,
Missouri and Iowa. Their membership is made of a diverse group of Shilohs and owners with
interests ranging from Search and Rescue, Protection Work, Therapy, Obedience or Rally, and
Herding.
The Chapter is currently recruiting and have setup a new website:
http://ssdcaclass.weebly.com. For more information, reach out to the
Chapter Officers using their Contact Us web form.
Responding to membership feedback that they enjoy participating in the Facebook community,
the SSDCA has made an effort to place new content and discussion into two new Facebook
groups: "SSDCAMembers," started by Lisa Barber as another place for us to share club news
and breed discussion to current SSDCA Members, and "Shiloh Shepherds" which was the old "If
it's not an ISSR Shiloh Shepherd, it's not a Real Shiloh Shepherd" group, re-named for
relevancy. "Shiloh Shepherds" contains short articles on breed history, notes on available
puppies, links to Learning Center articles, and informative posts that apply to all dogs.
We also have the "Shiloh Shepherd Puppies" group, which is for posting upcoming litters and
available puppies; we also hope to place new content on that page this summer to help out new
Shiloh puppy people with frequently asked questions
and useful links.
Please come join us--and join in the discussion!--on
Facebook this summer!
Page 3
SSDCA News
Central Southwest
States Chapter
Central Lakes Area
Shiloh Shepherds
Shiloh Shepherd
Chapter of Netherlands
Contact: Anne Becker at
Sparta Shilohs
vaitalla@yahoo.com
Contact: Sue Olson at
Karma Shilohs:
suberuby@aol.com
Contact: Zwanet Boer at Dutch
Pride Shilohs
info@dutchprideshilohs.com
For Upcoming Chapter Events for
CSSC, we are considering:
The CLASS Chapter held its first
official meeting in April and is
recruiting! They will be planning
their first events soon. Contact
Sue Olson for information on
joining and upcoming gatherings!
On May 16 we had our Dutch
HomeComing. Although it rained
the entire day, we still had a good
time talking to old friends and
making some new friends. Shiloh
owners from Belgium and
Germany came to the
Netherlands to meet everyone
again. We really enjoyed looking
at each others beautiful dogs and
some families came over to meet
the Shilohs for the first time, even
a Dutch family living in Sweden
came over. 19 Shilohs were
entered for the show and a few
others came just to support, so I
think people were able to see 24
or 25 Shilohs that day.
SHILOH WALK AT THE AUSTIN PET
EXPO
The CSSC is considering doing a
Shiloh Walk at the Austin Pet
Expo. The Pet Expo is two days
this year, so we could do the walk
either on Saturday August 1st or
Sunday August 2nd. We'll be
contacting members for input to
see if there's interest in this
event. If you're going to be in the
neighborhood, and want to be
kept in the loop, contact Anne
Becker at the email address
above!
CSSC POSSIBLE FALL SPECIALTY
The CSSC is looking at one of the
upcoming fall or winter IABCA
shows to hold a Specialty. We'll
be posting on the forums and
Facebook to get member
feedback about the best location
and dates. Please stay tuned and
be sure to participate in the
discussion, we'd love a big turnout!
Mid-Atlantic Chapter
Contact: Maya Jerome at
Silvermoon Shilohs:
myalnu@verizon.net
The MAC Chapter is planning an
event each month through out the
summer:
We will have another Shiloh Walk
planned for July and we expect to
have a family visiting from Austria
to meet the breed.
June — Winery Social
July — Walk on the Mall
Aug — Homecoming
Sept — Fosters Pub Social
Oct — MAC Specialty Show
Check the forums and Facebook
for more details on our upcoming
events.
Page 4
SSDCA News
By “MaShiloh” - May 26, 2005
Originally Posted on the Shiloh Shepherds Friends Forum
For those of you that don't want to deal with reading my emotional outburst, please
delete now. For those of you that may learn something from my tirades, via Tina's soap
box ... let me share!
I just read a statement on
the King [shepherd] list
that made me want to
jump on my soap box
again, but I chose to refrain,
because I think that OUR people
need to hear this even more!! It
was an innocent observation that
someone made at the last show,
when they met Freiya! She stated
that even at 9 years of age, she
was bigger then most Kings (males
included) & the biggest Shiloh that
she has seen
EDITORS NOTE
lately!! BTW .. she is our
“Samson” is sire to
Samson's dam .. Raymond's
dog, out of Betterways
Ruffy of IHOSS and
Kennel.
Joy of Rising Star!
My first reaction to that statement was .... OF
COURSE! Because what you are seeing at the
ARBA & Rarities shows are sliver shilohs!! Those
breeders seem to think that the Baker line is
where the size came from, and they are
inbreeding on it, but
getting much smaller
EDITORS NOTE
dogs! NO DUH!! There
are a LOT of tiny dogs The “Baker line” refers to
the dogs behind Sabrina,
in the Baker
one of the foundation
genepool! I saw
females.
Don Baker was
pictures of some of
them, one of the
her breeder.
females was only 22
Page 5
inches tall ... that's not
much bigger then a
normal (not Kiora/
Samson LOL) 4 month
old puppy!!! When you
inbreed on that, you
will lose size ... it's just
that simple!! When you
OTX (outcross) it to
small GSD's you are
going to lose even
MORE size! That's just
the way the cookie
crumbles!!
The reason that we had huge size when we did it
is because of the KARI - URSA lines. It was the
inbred Shilohs from my kennel that provided the
HEIGHT .. it was the Baker dogs that provided the
BONE .. combined properly we had some fantastic
results!! However, I also discovered that too much
of either one gave us horrible health problems ...
so in a nut shell ...
YOU JUST GOTTA
KNOW HOW MUCH
& OF WHAT LINE!!
That's how you
produce the true
Shilohs ... using
my recipe ... just
like the ISSR
breeders are
doing!!!
SSDCA News
What really gets me is that most of the
slivers went to my genetics seminars,
where I taught some heavy duty
principles that had to be adhered to in
order to produce the desired size. After all, you
have GOT to be a FOOL to think that you can get a
Lassie by crossing 2 Shelties together!! Yet from
what I can see, they are not following that formula,
and their dogs will just keep getting SMALLER!! I
am willing to bet that within 5 years you won't be
able to find a 3 year old splinter dog that is any
bigger then a normal GSD!!
Size has always been one of my biggest
concerns .. SIZE - HIPS &
TEMPERAMENT!! This is what I
preached for decades, and this is what
makes the Shiloh Shepherd what it is today, and
what it will be 20 years from now!! Granted, we
lost a bit of size with the Artus line ... but I
expected that to happen!! Now that we have
managed to resolve our bottleneck problem by
expanding the genepool, and getting back to the
original formula, I expect to be producing TONS of
super giants, just like we did in the past decades!!
Granted, the slivers have been stealing my name,
and dragging it through the mud ... but they will
NEVER be able to produce the kind of quality that
the ISSR breeders will be producing for many
decades to come!! THAT IS A FACT!!!
--Tina M. Barber, Breed Founder
EDITORS FINAL NOTE
Though we are still breeding to some smaller dogs
and lines to preserve the genetic variety we need, in
general we have seen a surge in the average size of
the ISSR dogs since Tina wrote this post. In 2007-8,
breed-minimum 26" females and 28" males were still
being seen quite a bit. Now, 7-8 years later (around 2
Shiloh "generations") females over 28" and males
over 30" are common. This is the ideal as set down in
our Breed Standard, and Tina always had faith that
we would get there.
Though the newest genetic science wasn't available
when Tina was studying the subject, new research
isolating the genes for size across many different
breeds and many thousands of dogs have proved
that she knew what she was talking about. The way
to get more size is, indeed, to stack your pedigrees
with large dogs and to breed to more and more size
to concentrate these genes. Once again, Tina was
ahead of her time!
Page 6
SSDCA News
By Sue Olson
According to the literature there are between 15,000 - 100,000 dogs and cats bitten by venomous
snakes in the USA each year. The statistics vary as there is no central tracking entity.
Here are a few interesting facts about snake bites:




90% of snake bites occur between April and October.

Highest snake bite fatality rates occur in Arizona, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, South
Carolina and Texas.
Rattlesnakes account for about 80% of dog envenomations in the US.
Poisonous snake bites may or may not have venom. If not it is called a 'dry bite'.
A snake's first instinct is to flee, not bite. The purpose of venom is to help the
snake catch small prey and is used for self defense only when necessary.
Make a point to know what venomous snakes live in your area of the
area you are visiting.
Canada is home to 4 species of venomous
Netherlands only have one venomous
snakes
snake.
1. Northern Pacific Rattlesnake - found in interior
British Columbia.
2. Eastern Rattlesnake or Massasanga - found in
the Georgian Bay are of Ontario.
3. Desert Nightsnake - found in a small portion of
southern British Columbia.
4. Prairie Rattlesnake - found in south
Saskatchewan and Alberta.
1.
The Common Viper also called an Adder.
Helpful Links:

Rattlesnake Vaccine:
http://www.redrockbiologics.com/rattlesnake_vaccine_faq.php

Veterinary Pet Insurance:
http://www.petinsurance.com/healthzone/pet-articles/pet-health/
Rattlesnake-Vaccine-for-Dogs.aspx
Page 7
SSDCA News
The United States is home to 5 species of
venomous snakes.
1. Copperheads
5 subspecies - Northern, Southern, Osage, Broad-Banded,
Trans-Pecos
2. Rattlesnakes
> 20 subspecies, at least 1 subspecies in every state except
Alaska, Hawaii, Maine and Delaware
13 subspecies in Arizona and 10 subspecies in Texas
3. Cottonmouth also called Water Moccasin
3 subspecies - Eastern, Florida, Western
4. Coral Snakes
3 subspecies - Eastern Coral, Texas Coral, Arizona Coral
Coral snakes and King snakes can look a
lot alike. Remember this little ditty: Red
on yellow can kill a fellow, red on black
venom lack.
5. Yellow Belly Sea Snake - only found in Hawaii
A venomous snake bite is an emergency! What should you do?
Do NOT do this
Do This
Page 8

Remain calm

Do not try to capture or kill the snake

Identify the type of snake

Do not use a tourniquet

Restrict activity

Do not apply ice or compression bandage

Seek immediate veterinary treatment

Do not cut the skin or try to suck out venom
SSDCA News
Whenever you are in an area where snakes might be have your dog
on a leash. Snakes are somewhat nocturnal so don't let your dog
roam at night. Copperheads, Cottonmouths and Rattlesnakes prefer
tall grass along ponds, streams, marshes, rocks and woodpiles.
Keep your yard as snake free as possible. Experts agree that most
of the snake repellents do not work. However, you should keep
vegetation trimmed way back, and keep lumber and woodpiles at
least 2 feet off the ground. There are snake fences that you can use to surround your property. You
can hire professionals to remove snakes. If you can get rid of mice and insects, you will cut down on
snakes because these are their food source.
There is a rattlesnake vaccine. The vaccine protects against Western
Diamondback Rattlesnake venom and may also protect against other
rattlesnake species. The vaccine consists of 2-3 shots given over a 46 week period with booster shots needed every 6 months. Links to
information on the vaccine can be found on the first page of this
article.
How to tell if your dog has been
bitten?
 You may hear a sudden yelp of pain.
 The bite site will be extremely painful.
 You may see 2 puncture wounds.
The dog will be observed for a minimum of
12-24 hours. Treatments may include pain
medication, IV fluids, anti-histamines,
steroids, antibiotics, and antivenin. Most
dogs do respond to timely treatment and
recover. The estimated fatality rate is 20%
for dogs bitten by coral or rattlesnakes and
receiving antivenin.
 There will be rapid swelling around the site.
 The dog may become weak or collapse.
 The dog may drool, have rapid breathing,
dilated pupils and pale gums.
 The dog may also vomit or go into shock.
 Coral snake venom is a neurotoxin. It does
Be careful handling your dog after
a snake bite. Even the most
docile dog can bite out of fear or
pain!
not produce much swelling but causes
drooling, vomiting, weakness, disorientation,
difficulty breathing and paralysis.
Page 9
SSDCA News
Vanessa Dutton in Alberta, Canada
Our journey into the world of the ISSR Shiloh Shepherd,
which led us to eventually becoming breeders, has
followed a bit of a convoluted path. We were long time
GSD people and after losing our
last one, we started looking for
“We were
another dog for our farm.
the shepherds that we'd had, we had never experienced
a dog with the structure, confidence, charisma and
sense of humour that Dacoona possessed. He was the
guardian of our farm, babysitter of our kids, and friend
to our cats; but most of all, he was the most intelligent,
easily-trained dog that thrived on being with his family.
seeking that
Shepherd of
old…”
We were seeking that Shepherd
of old--you know, the big solid
fellow that was a stable
PRESENCE on the farm? We
started our search and, to our disappointment, it
appeared that THAT GSD no longer existed. It was by
pure chance that we came across the ISSR Shiloh
Shepherd and found the dog that we were seeking!
We were lucky enough to get in touch with Northern
Lights Shilohs in northern BC, and that spring we
brought the new addition to our family home and our
love affair with the Shiloh Shepherd began!
There was nothing like this anywhere in western
Canada. We decided that it would be very selfish of us
to not share these amazing dogs and so we began
searching for a mate for him...which led us to Tina.
The most obvious place to look for mate
for our boy was, of course, the
Breed Founder's kennel.
In the period of waiting before our new girl came to us, I
"Dacoona" joined our family in 2000. When we got him, spent much time on the phone with Tina. It was through
these conversations that I began to understand what
we had no intention of becoming breeders - we just
wanted a great dog! Well, great he was. Even with all of she was trying to
Page 10
SSDCA News
accomplish with these dogs, and felt very fortunate to
have landed on the "right" side of the fence.
150 purebred cows
in February to
whelping litters (yes,
I sat in the whelping
The excitement about beginning my breeding program
pool with Lina for 18
and being part of something so special was
hours with her first
overwhelming. Everything crystallized when "Lina"
entered our lives and the rapid learning curve of being a litter). This was a
whole different ball
breeder began.
of wax.
“I had gone from
calving 150
purebred cows in
February to
whelping litters...”
There was much turmoil in the breed in the early days
as well. There were splits where breeders that I had
thought of as friends left to form their own registries
and there was much mud slinging and bad feelings. It
was a very confusing time for me as I began to question
if those that were leaving were right. It was then that a
phone call from Tina made the difference.
Lina was out of the Eve/Artus litter and I couldn't have
asked for a better girl to be the foundation
for my kennel. I heard much about the "Artus
drive" but Lina had none of that. She was the
most laid back, "stop and smell the flowers"
type of girl that you could wish for.
From Artus, she did get that amazing bone
and beautiful head that stamps so many
from his heritage, and those traits have
carried forward to my current breeding
program.
Out of our first litter came Chester
(Guardian's Smokin' Winchester) whose lines
have followed through in Zanthe (Dutch
Pride) and her many beautiful progeny that
continue to impact our breed.
My early years as a breeder, as I said, had a
steep learning curve. I had gone from calving
Page 11
We discussed what she was trying to do with the breed
and why the rules that she had set out were so
important. We talked about genetics, and loyalty -- but
most of all, we talked about the dogs and what made
the Shilohs that I had so special to me. Then we talked
about how those traits would be changed if the "recipe"
was altered. It was
then that I began to
understand the big
picture of the ISSR
Shiloh and I knew that
this was the path I
wanted to continue on.
In my early years as a
breeder, I relied heavily
on Tina's advice. She
had such an amazing
knowledge of the
pedigrees and "what
went with what" and
we spent much time
discussing the dogs
and future breedings.
Somewhere along the
road, however, I began
SSDCA News
to understand things like structure and function and the
genetic component to some of the health issues that we
were facing. I began to see how I needed a PLAN to be
successful as a breeder.
My priorities in my breeding program were not to just
produce puppies but to produce the kind of dog that
would be healthy with a stable, confident disposition. I
wanted the dogs with that heavy bone that I had come
to love and the
dogs with the
intelligence and
sense of humour
that made them an
integral part of a
family. I wanted
each of the people
that were blessed
with one of my
pups to be able to
experience the
incredible
connection with
their companion
that drew this
breed so close to
my heart.
We all know that we are not "there" yet and there is
much work to still be done but we are headed in the
right direction. Our understanding of our strengths and
weaknesses in our breed is better now than ever.
Cohesively, as a team, our breeders are looking at our
dogs and our gene pool and making a plan for not only
the long term survival of this dog that we have all come
to know and love as the Shiloh Shepherd, but to push
forward with eradicating many health issues through
proactive
programs like our
“...all I can say is TAKE THE
Gracie Initiative.
PLUNGE and your life will be
better for it!”
I have made many
lifelong friends
When we lost Tina, many were afraid that we had also
lost much of the knowledge that she carried. But in her through these dogs and each day that I spend with my
pack is made better just by their presence. If any of you
own way, Tina had imparted bits and pieces of that
are sitting on the fence, deciding whether you would like
information to various breeders in our organization. It
was not until she was gone and our breeders began to to add one of these dogs to your family, all I can say is
band together in an effort to continue her dream did we TAKE THE PLUNGE and your life will be better for it. And
if you are currently an owner that is considering
realize that we still had much of her knowledge. It was
breeding or joining our Breeder Training program, come
almost like Tina knew that we would need to work
and join us! I cannot say that it will always be easy, but
together to make it successful in her absence.
you will experience more support and commitment from
your fellow breeders than you can imagine, and find
Today, I see such incredible cooperation between our
breeders. The sharing of information and knowledge in friendship in the common love of an amazing dog!
order to allow us to make better, informed breeding
decisions is nothing short of amazing. Each successful — Vanessa Dutton
breeding and delivery of a healthy litter is celebrated by
the entire group and is looked at as a piece of the
puzzle in realizing Tina's dream.
Page 12
SSDCA News
By Anne Becker
"Balance" can mean different things to different breeds
and even to different parts of a dog, but when we are
talking about overall balance we are generally looking
for a picture of "everything in its proper place." A shortnecked dog looks odd to us; we might not be able to
put a finger on why it isn't pleasing but we know
something is "off."
Being able to figure out exactly what is "off" enables
you to understand the cause of it—and knowing the
faults in our dogs is a necessary part of making better
matches for them. This article aims to give a simple set
of rules for judging overall balance in the front part of
the Shiloh Shepherd.
First let's talk about neck. The Shiloh breed standard calls
you will end up with an incorrect impression!
for a neck that is "relatively long"--the same as many other
working breeds. Canine structure expert Pat Hastings gives a
simple way to tell if you have sufficient neck on your dog.
Here's how!
Meet Grizz, a handsome lad who's behind many of our dogs.
A Grand Victor, he's considered an excellent example of the
breed:
To find out if Grizz has enough neck, draw a line along his
topline. If his entire head is above that line, you are looking
at a dog with sufficient neck. You can certainly do this in
your head while looking at a dog, or from a good photo.
However, make sure that the dog is holding its head up or
Page 13
Why is having sufficient neck important? Think about it: if
the head of the dog can not be lifted above the back, how
can that dog swim without drowning? Answer: it can't. A
short-necked dog labors to swim, fighting to keep its head
above water. Its hind-quarters sink lower down, causing it to
thrash in the water to keep from drowning. Making good
forward progress without exhausting itself is out of the
question. So YES—adequate neck is important for a
functional dog! It doesn't matter that Shilohs are not water
retrievers—they should be able to do anything that a dog of
normal, sound structure can do.
SSDCA News
Okay, so back to our back-line! The higher the head is above
that line, the more neck you have. Since our breed standard
calls for a "relatively long" neck, we are aiming for more
above the line rather than less. Looking at the line and
imagining where his lower jaw would be if his mouth were
closed, Grizz certainly has sufficient neck per the breed
standard. His lower jaw would be slightly above the line.
What are the perils of a short neck? If caused by an upright
shoulder, it reduces the shock absorption of the front
assembly when jumping, and makes a dog that climbs or
jumps down from things a lot (jumping out of your SUV or the
bed of your truck every day, for example, or doing SAR work
which involves climbing over rubble or down rocky hillsides)
more prone to injury.
Here's a
puppy who
does not have
adequate
neck at all. It
has a short
neck—notice
how the line
intersects the
center of its
head.
In “Structure in Action” Pat Hastings writes, "Agility and
Obedience dogs with short necks have difficulty achieving
correct form; consequently, they may arch over jumps, which
increases stress on the front assembly… A short neck will
slow down a dog in Lure Coursing or Racing, as the short
neck is indicative of incorrect shoulders."
What causes a short neck? All dogs have the same number
of vertebrae in their necks. Some, like bulldogs, are bred so
that the vertebrae are shorter and more compact. However,
in most breeds, this is caused by a faulty shoulder
placement. If the shoulder blade is more upright than it
should be, it swings forward, and "hides" some of the neck
vertebrae. This creates the appearance of the short neck.
Page 14
The bottom line is that a short neck and its accompanying
upright shoulder is a single fault like any other. The dog may
have plenty of other good attributes that deserve to stay in
the gene pool. But such a dog should be matched to a mate
with a good neck (longer than adequate) and well-laid-back
shoulder per the breed standard. Breeding a short-necked
dog to a dog with only barely-adequate neck is probably only
going to give you a litter full of pups with the same fault.
There are many things that are related to the positioning of
the neck on the body and we will talk about one of those
things next issue: Spotting a proper FRONT! Stay tuned!
SSDCA News
By Jerry Miles
all changed in June of 2010, when our family took a
road trip to North Carolina for summer vacation.
Somewhere west of Wilmington, we stopped at a rest
area for a break. While walking up to the restrooms, I
came face to face with the
biggest, long haired, black
Thus began what
and silver shepherd I had
ever seen. After being
was jokingly
drawn like a moth to a
referred to in
flame and 10 minutes of
our family as
conversation, I learned
that he was called a Shiloh
“The Obsession”.
Shepherd, he belonged to
her daughter who was still
in the restroom, and he was, without a doubt, the most
impressive, friendly, and well behaved dog I had ever
met. As soon as we got back on the road, I told Tina
that I would give up my dream for a white shepherd if I
could have one of those, so I immediately got online
and started searching for Shiloh Shepherds. Thus
began what was jokingly referred to in our family as
“The Obsession”.
Hi! We are Jerry and Tina Miles. I have been a
Mechanical Engineer / Engineering Manager for a
copper tube manufacturing company for 25 years, and
Tina recently became a Substitute Teacher after
staying at home to raise our two children, Jessi (22)
and Josh (20). We have also been blessed with a
wonderful son-in-law, Dale, who is serving our country
in the US Army Reserves, and most recently with our
first grandson, Slade. We are owned by a white, plush,
5 year old ISSR Shiloh Shepherd named Yuri. He is a
New Zion Shiloh from the 2010 Dora/Lucky litter.
My uncle had a white GSD when I was very small, and
since then, I have always wanted one. I have been
around several GSDs over the years, but after we
started our family, I was never comfortable with the
potential for temperamental or territorial issues. That
Page 15
I was fortunate that my search first led me to several of
Ma’s articles, wherein I learned the difference between
a Shiloh, a splinter, and a
sliver, but most
importantly, through the
pictures accompanying
them, I discovered that my
dream for a white
shepherd was not dead
after all! I found a PDF of
a fascinating chapter in
Ma’s book called “The
Fabulous Four”, talking
about the genetics that
started it all. In it was a
picture of Goliath standing
(and I do mean literally
“standing”!) next to Tom,
and that sealed the
SSDCA News
fantasize about the day when I would be able to take my
place on someone’s “litter list”.
During this time, (February
“...confirmed to me
2011) the owner of a white
once again that
plush Shiloh in central
Florida posted on the forum
this was the type of
that anyone who was in the
dog that I wanted
area was welcome to contact
for our family.”
her if they wanted to meet
her dog. Since I was
scheduled to attend a work
conference in Orlando the next month, I contacted her
and we set up a meet at a local park. I was pleased to
get to meet Comet that day, and it confirmed to me once
again that this was the type of dog that I wanted for our
family. But we still weren’t ready.
It was over a year later, sometime during the late
summer of 2012. I was once again surfing the forum
deal. Through subsequent conversations with breeders and daydreaming about bringing a new Shiloh puppy
who were closer to us than New Zion (special shout out home, when I saw the post that changed all of my plans,
to Lilli Anglin and Deb Mayo for their help and support!), I and our lives along with it. Faye had posted a note
discovered the forum, and this was where I spent most
saying that she was looking for a new home for Yuri.
of my spare time for the next 18 months or so.
After quickly discussing it with Tina, I ran to the phone
and called Faye before she could change her mind. Faye
Of all the Shilohs that I saw and read about on the
was very up front with us in explaining the reasons why
forum, I kept coming back to this great big white one
she needed to find Yuri a new home, but at the same
named Yuri. He was born a few months before I
time, she let me know that she was willing to wait as
discovered
long as necessary to
Shilohs, and he
make sure it was the
“Do you see
had just gone to
right home. She had
live with his new
that? That’s what I
taken Yuri back to his
owner, Faye,
trainer (Jeanne Forbis,
shortly before I
want. When I get
Animal Magic Dog
joined the
my Shiloh, he is
Training) who had
forums. Every
worked with him as a
time
that
Faye
going to look JUST
puppy, so that he
would post a new
LIKE THAT!”
would be on his best
picture of him, I
behavior for his new
would show
owners. As a result, if
everyone in the
we were serious about
family who happened to walk by the desk, and
taking him, we would
the conversation would usually go something
have to drive to
like this: Me - “Do you see that? That’s what I
Sanger, Texas to meet
want. When I get my Shiloh, he is going to look
him and Jeanne
JUST LIKE THAT!” Family – “Yeah, ok. If you
together, and must
say so. Whatever.” And then they would walk
away shaking their head muttering about “The
pass their inspection.
Obsession”. Little did I realize that I was more
right than I knew. We were not ready for a
One of Yuri’s quirks is
Shiloh then, either circumstantially or
financially, so I continued to read, learn, and
Page 16
SSDCA News
that he can be a little slow to warm up to people, and
some people that he doesn’t care for, he just won’t have
anything to do with them. Would we be willing to drive
11 hours and take a chance that he would not accept
us?
knows, there was a period of adjustment while we were
establishing a new routine, and it was not all roses. We
had a few difficult times, but we stayed in contact with
Jeanne, and while it is not something we would have
thought about on our own, it is very important to have
access to someone who knows how to deal with
behavior issues, especially if you don’t. If you are
thinking of taking in a rehome or even buying your first
puppy, our experience would suggest that it is important
to have that support system already in place. Whether
So, after a few weeks of back & forth phone calls with
that person is a professional trainer, a breeder, or just a
Faye and Jeanne, we arranged a meeting in early
September. We took a 3 day weekend and headed out knowledgeable friend, when problem behaviors arise,
there is not a lot of time to look. In looking back now, I
on a mini-vacation to Texas. Whether we came back
recognize several places where a seemingly small or
with Yuri or not was entirely up to him.
insignificant problem could have mushroomed out of
control rather
Needless to say, we had a great trip, Yuri was everything quickly if we would
we hoped that he would be, and he came home to live
have handled it
with us. Little did he know, he wasn’t just coming to live incorrectly or been
“...we sort of became
with us, but also with our teenage son, all his rowdy
unsure of our
partners in seeing
friends who hung around, and three toy poodles who, to actions. We will
this day, insist that they outrank him in the pack
always be grateful
that Yuri has a
because they were to Faye for doing
comfortable and
there first! Yuri
this for us.
took it all in stride,
loving home for the
settled in, and
rest of his years.”
While it was not
quickly became
planned
to
be
this
one of the
way, ours was not
family. The
surprising thing is what I would call a
typical rehome. We didn’t just find a dog that was
that he still has
available and go get him. We didn’t just bring him home
more trouble
and he became ours. Faye had a lot of time, money, and
accepting rowdy
teenagers than he energy invested in giving Yuri the best start in life that he
does being bossed could get, and we wanted to recognize that. We didn’t
so much take him away from her, as we sort of became
around by a 7lb
partners in seeing that Yuri has a comfortable and loving
toy poodle.
home for the rest of his years.
As anyone who
has taken in a
new pet already
Page 17
Faye has become a part of our family too, and we very
much enjoy visiting a few times a year and sharing our
SSDCA News
What is it like to live with a
Shiloh Shepherd?
There are times when you would swear that the dog
knows that he is smarter than you, and he is laughing
behind your back because you haven’t figured it out
yet. I read all about their temperaments, their physical
stature, and their intelligence before Yuri came to live
with us, but nothing could have prepared me for his
incredible sense of humor. Sometimes, he will pull a
prank or torment one of the toy poodles just to get a
reaction out of them, and you can almost see him
laughing about it. He loves to have fun, and he wants
everyone else around him to join in. And then, when
it’s over, it’s over. His aloofness takes over, and he’s
ready to go lie down and survey his kingdom. His is
definitely a presence to be reckoned with.
In addition to gaining a wonderful companion and
family member, we have gained a whole new extended
family in the Shiloh world. We have become SSDCA
members, have visited New Zion, and have helped
transport dogs for
rehoming. We have
“Yuri” stories. About a year after we got him, she told
participated in our first
“...we have
us that she would be visiting in Kansas City, and she
show as “support crew”
gained a
wondered if that was close enough for us to
and we are very much
meet. Remember that since we picked Yuri up in
looking forward to doing it
whole new
Texas, we had never met in person, but had only talked again this year. These are
extended
by phone. We offered to pick her up at the airport and amazing dogs and
asked if it would be ok if we brought Yuri along. I have amazing people who raise
family in the
to say, I don’t know who was more excited when they
and breed them. We
met that day: Faye or Yuri! We feel incredibly blessed thought we were just
Shiloh world”
to be able to know her and to stay in touch. She is a
getting a dog, and what we
true friend.
found was a whole new
world.
It is hard to believe that 2-1/2 years have flown by. We
go on walks around town and around the City Lake. He Oh, and the white Shiloh that I visited in
has a Golden Retriever friend named Buddy, who is a
Florida? Comet? While researching Yuri’s lineage on
service/therapy dog. Yuri has been on trips with us in
the forum shortly after we got him, I discovered that
the RV, and if he can’t go along for some reason, he
Comet was one of Yuri’s litter mates! Small world,
has become a favorite with our vet’s boarding and bath indeed!
service. He will stay the weekend with them, and will
occasionally get a bath and nails trimmed while he’s
there. We call it his spa treatment, and he absolutely
loves it. It is a wonderful thing when you can get your
pet used to going to the vet’s office for fun stuff long
before they have to go in to be poked and prodded and
given shots.
Page 18
SSDCA News
The Shiloh Rehome Center is run by volunteers and we appreciate
all the help we can get. If you are interested in helping, please
CONTACT US and let us know how.
You can help by volunteering to:
 foster a rescue or rehome dog
 help with transportation
 perform a home check
 help with training
 or anything else
www.shilohrescue.com
Please CONTACT US if you:
 would like to adopt a Shiloh Shepherd
 need assistance to rehome your Shiloh Shepherd
 know of a Shiloh Shepherd in need of rescue
 want to volunteer to help or make a donation
On occasion, Shiloh Shepherd breeders will put a dog up for adoption. These could be dogs retired from
their breeding program, younger dogs that will not be used in their breeding program or dogs that were
returned to the breeder for various reasons. We list these dogs here at the Shiloh Rehome Center to help
the breeders in their rehoming efforts.
Female - Born Nov 14, 2009
Brown Sable, Smooth Coat
Located in New York, USA
Contact: New Zion Shilohs
(newzionshilohs.org)
Killer is our resident spitfire! This girl has a lot to offer and she
knows it! She has great drive and tons of confidence. What was
so neat to see with this girl was how great a mom she turned
out to be. When she was pregnant she went from "Miss
Attitude" to sweet and cuddly!
Page 19
SSDCA News
The Gracie Initiative is a
program to ensure that future
generations of Shiloh
Shepherds are free from the
lethal cardiac disease known
as GSDIVA by raising
awareness and offering an
inexpensive testing option.
Three years ago at Homecoming, the SSDCA breeders
voted unanimously to mandate holter monitoring for all
breed quality puppies as part of their health testing to
complete their adult upgrade. Most breeders have
taken this one step further and also monitor many pet
quality puppies as well. We encourage the testing of as
many pups as possible. Many of our breeding dogs were
too old to monitor reliably at the onset of The Gracie
Initiative. Therefore we need to collect data on their
German Shepherd Dog Inherited Ventricular Arrhythmia offspring to have a better understanding of this
inherited disease and how it impacts our breed.
(GSDIVA) is a genetic disorder that causes arrhythmia
(abnormal beats) in the heart. GSDIVA carries few signs
and symptoms before sudden cardiac death that can
The monitoring can be done by a doggie cardiologist, a
occur in puppies under
vet or a dog owner with
two years of age. If the
monitoring equipment and
puppy survives the first
basic knowledge of the
Holter Rentals Now Available! process. In the initial stages of
two years of life with this
disease, he or she will go
this journey, we found the cost
The Gracie Initiative has two holter
on to live a normal,
to range from reasonable to
monitors available for rent.
healthy life. Most puppies
quite expensive. A few
with this disease have
breeders bought their own
The rental fee is $100 USD for SSDCA
mild arrhythmia that they
holter monitors in order to
Members ($110 USD to non-members).
will outgrow without
monitor pups born in their
consequence or any
kennels and to lend them out
This charge includes shipping the monitor, to other breeders. The cost of
outward sign. These dogs,
however, can pass a
the human medical grade
shipping insurance, supplies, detailed
severe form onto their
equipment and supplies cost
instruction guide, evaluation of the tracing
offspring. Because most
around $2000. The cost of the
and shipping back the holter.
affected dogs do not show
test through the cardiologist or
symptoms, the only
vet costs between $200 and
Visit the website for more information:
reliable way to diagnose
$900.
www.thegracieinitiative.com
GSDIVA is to perform a
cardiac test known as
Thanks to some creative
Holter Monitoring. The
fundraising efforts and generous donations, Phase 2 of
puppy is fitted with a vest that holds a small monitor
the Gracie Initiative was launched on Valentines Day
that records the electrical activity of the heart for a 24
2015 with the purchase of 2 holter monitors and the
hour period. The 24 hour data is then transmitted to a
required supplies. We are excited to announce these
medical company that interprets the information and
monitors are available for rent through The Gracie
sends the results back in the form of a written report. If Initiative ensuring more dogs can be tested at a
a dog is GSDIVA positive, he is monitored by a
reasonable cost.
veterinarian and removed from the breeding program.
Page 20
SSDCA News
By Maya Jerome
On Saturday, April 11th three MAC members
traveled to Richmond, Virginia to attend Pat
Hasting’s seminar Structure in Motion. I have
attended many Litter Evaluations over the
years and even with other breeds that do
similar testing and I still learned some great
information.
The seminar was a full 8 hours and so chock
full of information! Topics covered included
how to evaluate the structural quality of
puppies, the basics of canine structure, the
weakest links, how to evaluate the structural
quality of your adult dog, and what can your
dog can do and what should he not be doing?
evening before but pulled
some puppies for us so
she could demonstrate
The thing about dogs is that the dog should be able to some things.
do the job that it was bred for and you should be able
to identify the dog by its head. You should be able to
There is scientific
tell what breed the dog is by its silhouette, and it
evidence that a puppy’s
should have the proper carriage and temperament.
structure at the age of 8
To do a quick evaluation of the dog, you need to draw
an imaginary box under the dog with the top line
across the back of the
dog. The head should be
above the line, the neck
should be in front of the
box and the rear legs
should be just behind the
box.
weeks will be what it will
look like as an adult. The
window for examination is
small, and it is 3 days
before they turn 8 weeks
and 3 days after. Beyond
that, the growth plates will
throw off your evaluation.
Pat Hastings has been
involved in the dog
world since 1959. Her
career has progressed
from owner-handler to
breeder, professional
handler, educator and
AKC judge for the
Working, Herding and
Non-Sporting Groups,
22 Terriers Breeds,
Junior Handling and
Best in Show. She has
authored many articles
that have appeared in
a variety of
publications.
When evaluating puppies, you should always have a
mirror so that you can see what it is you are looking
Someone had a litter of English Setters for us to go
at. One of the first things that Pat does when
over (my own pups were only 2 weeks old, so too
evaluating a litter is to test their temperament. She
young) and there were older dogs as well that she put takes the puppy and talks to it and cuddles it. When
up for examination. Pat had done the testing the
the puppy is comfortable with her, she turns it on its
Page 21
SSDCA News
back. If the puppy stays completely relaxed, they
have a very stable temperament. If the puppy clings
to her arm, it is insecure, and if the puppy refuses to
look at her, the puppy will live its life on its own terms.
This was totally against what I thought…and she
proved it by demonstrating on each puppy. Before
setting it up on a table for structure review, she would
pull it across the table with its feet dangling…the
puppy that was independent forced his paws on the
table and walked across it while in her arms. He did
not want her pulling him across. It was a great
demonstration. She then proceeded with the
conformation of the puppy.
One of the main things that she said that stuck out
was that when you stack your dog and it doesn’t stay
still, something is off on your dog. All dogs should be
able to stand still for review; it’s when they move that
they are trying to compensate for a fault.
and lifts the pup slightly off of the table. A dog’s true
structure will be seen in that state. It’s a great way to
see if a roach back is really a roach back.
Also, if both the puppy’s testicles are not down at 8
weeks, you should be concerned if only the right one
is down. Apparently, if the right is down, it is less likely
that the left will come down; but if the left is down,
the right will follow. She has no scientific reasoning
for this other than her observations of multiple litters
over the test of time.
If you ever have an opportunity to attend one of her
seminars, do it! It is well worth the time. She is very
down to earth and answers all your questions.
— Maya Jerome
Another way that she shows a dog’s structure is by
suspending it in the air. She places one hand under
the puppy’s jaw and the other under its groin area,
After an extended hiatus, on June 13, 2015, the
Central Lakes Area Shiloh Shepherd (CLASS) chapter
held a summer picnic at Devil’s Lake National Park in
Baraboo, WI. The day was rainy, but several die-hard
members endured the rain!
We enjoyed hamburgers and several salads for lunch,
sharing stories about our dogs and sharing feedback
for the future events and priorities
In addition to sharing lunch, the group held a business
meeting to discuss survey results, preferred
communication, digital presence, chapter funding
options and ideas for the next event to be held later
this summer or fall. After the business meeting
members participated in a basket raffle. Everyone
ended up taking home a prize!
Page 22
With no hope of a
break in the rain,
we adjourned our
event early so
everyone could
get out of the weather and into dry clothing. Watch for
plans for our next event to take place in Minnesota!
— Virginia Quintana
SSDCA News
The following dogs have earned enough conformation show points to receive their
Championship title!
Timbalands Killian O'Daysprings
Zions Teddy Bear of White Fang
Alaska/Timba
Champion
Queen/Kuma
Champion
RP's Wynn for Victory
Echo's Starr on the Horizon
Ginger/Piston
Champion
Isis/Kirby
Puppy Champion
“Killian”
“Tequila”
Page 23
“Teddy”
“Lyric”
SSDCA News
Important Note: Non-ISSR venue events can be subject to change with
short notice. Please check the organization web site for the most
current information.
Amazing Pet Expos are held in over
40 cities across the U.S. They are free to attend,
and you can bring your dog, making these great for
informal gatherings and socialization! Sometimes
an SSDCA Chapter will sponsor a Meet-the-Breed
booth at one of these Expos. You can contact your
local Chapter or visit the SSDCA forum or
Facebook page online to find out details!
Seattle Pet Expo
June 20th
Austin Pet Expo
August 1 & 2
Cleveland Pet Expo
September 12th
Nashville Pet Expo
July 11th
Memphis Pet Expo
August 15th
New England Pet Expo
September 19th
Richmond Pet Expo
July 11th
Denver Pet Expo
August 22nd
Virginia Beach Pet Expo
September 19th
www.amazingpetexpo.com
Windy City Pet Expo
July 25th
Oklahoma City Pet Expo
August 22nd
The ICE show venue is a casual way to
have fun with your dog! Sponsoring
conformation, "Rally Challenge", and awards for rare
breeds in every show, ICE keeps ISSR Shilohs
separate from other registries, so make sure you
register as ISSR! Keep an eye on or post to our
forums to find other Shiloh owners who might be
attending a given show.
Birch Run, MI
June 27 & 28, 2015
Fort Worth, TX
November 14 & 15, 2015
Perry, GA
July 11 & 12, 2015
Dade City, FL
March 5 & 6, 2016
Gulport, MS
October 3 & 4, 2015
www.icedogshows.com
The IABCA Show venue is a more
casual, combined rare breed and recognized breed
venue that offers a Rare Breed Best in Show
competition for Show Three (Sunday morning).
www.iabca.com
Page 24
Dixon, CA
June 13 & 14
Marietta, GA
July 18 & 19
Houston, TX
August 8 & 9
PurinaFarms, MO
June 20 & 21
Cleveland, OH
July 18 & 19
Chicago, IL
August 15 & 16
Allentown, PA
June 27 & 28
Spokane, WA
August 1 & 2
Birch Run, MI
August 29 & 30
Enumclaw, WA
July 4 & 5
Greeley, CO
August 8 & 9
SSDCA News
Angel Shilohs—Rhode Island
Minnie/Baron Facebook Group
Current Litters
 Minnie/Baron
Ladies of Lorn—New York
theladiesoflorn.weebly.com
Upcoming Breedings
 Bella/Gibbs
Silvermoon Shilohs—Virginia
myalnu@verizon.net
Current Litters
 Willa/Jack
AZ Shilohs—Arizona
azshilohs.weebly.com
Upcoming Breedings
 Mia/Killian
New Zion—New York
newzionshilohs.org
Current Litters
 Saffire/Gibbs
 Kaylee/Gibbs
 Angel/Guido
Upcoming Breedings
 TBA
Sparta Shilohs—Texas
spartashilohs.com
Upcoming Breedings
 Astra/Piston
Dakota Shilohs—Nabraska
dakotashilohs.com
Upcoming Breedings
 White Paw/Aslan
Echo Shilohs—Indiana
echoshilohs.com
Upcoming Breedings
 Envy/Liam
 Indy/Liam
 Soldotna/Yoshi
Flying Dog Shilohs—New Mexico
Current Litters
 Indie/Bruno
IHOSS Kennels—New York
ihosskennels.weebly.com
Upcoming Breedings
 Ohnyer/TBA
Guardian Kennels—Alberta
guardiankennels.ca
Current Litters
 Gillian/Lomax
Upcoming Breedings
 Atara/Koal
River Pack Shilohs—Virginia
riverpackshilohs.com
Upcoming Breedings
 Jolene/Aslan
Riverwind Shilohs—Oklahoma
riverwindshilohs.com
Current Litters
 RubyMoon/Kody
Upcoming Breedings
 Sophie/Aslan
 Lakota/Kody
 Ponzu/Kody
Victory Shilohs—Ontario
victoryshilohs.com
Upcoming Breedings
 Hemi/TBA
Strauss Haus Shepherds—NY & WA
strausshausshepherds.com
Upcoming Breedings
 Kalamity/Baxter
Terra Shilohs—New York
terrashilohs.com
Upcoming Breedings
 Nora/TBA
 Coco/Marco
Willow Creek Shilohs—Oklahoma
willowrockshilohs.com
Upcoming Breedings
 October/Voltaire
Dutch Pride Shilohs—Netherlands
dutchprideshilohs.com
Current Litters
 Skaya/Flynn
 Noa/Utah
Shahayla Shilohs—British Columbia
shahaylashilohs.com
Upcoming Breedings
 Audi/TBA
*Note: TBA used to represent “To Be Announced”
Page 25
SSDCA News
Executive Board of Directors
Advisory Board Members
President: Lisa Barber
Anne Abes
Vice-President: Olga Twombly
Anne Becker
Secretary: Karen Ursel
Vanessa Dutton (ISSR Liaison)
Laura Kathryn
Genetic Task Force
Michelle Schubring
Pam Dymond-Weed
Corinne Filipski
Grievance Committee
Pat Urso
Pat Urso
Olga Twombly
Barb Cullen
Lisa Barber
Pam Dymond-Weed
Vanessa Dutton
Olga Twombly
Karen Ursel
Membership Coordinator
Show Coordinator
Pending appointment contact:
Olga Twombly
Maya Jerome
Want to contribute to the next SSDCA News??
Send us:

Stories and photos of your Shiloh

Show tips and tricks

Show Results or event Summaries

Happily Ever After rehome stories

Any other newsletter suggestions
ssdcanews@gmail.com
Page 26
SSDCA News