How we got started in the Shiloh Shepherds.

  Well it started about 35 years ago with our first German Shepherd, Rafonals Shannon’s Shadow, aka Ralph.

After his passing we always wanted to get another Shepherd but with life and kids time passed and so it was many more years before we seriously started our search for another shepherd. But the breed had become something other than our beloved dog Ralph was, a strong secure well built confident dog. Even with our background in breeding dogs and active in showing dogs we were still unable to find a worthy dog. I had been actively on the look out for over two years scouting out litters I was told were coming and with no avail. The German Shepherds of today are small lacking in bone and sound conformation and worst of all their temperaments are just plain bad. They are very reactive both towards other dogs and humans.

  So one day after having befriended a local German Shepherd breeder for several months and seeing some of her pups at both AKC and International Shows, I was more than disgusted by the way 7 month old pups would growl at people from their crates and on grooming stands and had to be kept on short leads about the show so as to not, as the owner would say “ get up set” getting to and from the rings. Which is code for my dog jumps at everything, dogs and people so I have to keep her from doing that !

  As if that were not bad enough that same breeder had introduced me to a friend of hers, a top breeder with a TOP Multi titled Specialty and BIS winning German Shepherd bitch. She was at the shows that very weekend where I watched the same goings on with her dog ! The dog was crated at all times and was ushered to and from the rings with helpers to keep all other dogs and some people out of her way. Once she was in the ring it was easier and she would allow the judge to go over her. When judging was over the parade started over again to get the dog to the crate or outside.

  Well I had had it ! I came home and told Rick that we simply aren’t going to get another German Shepherd as they are just so unstable and conformation so bad that I won’t be seen with one or be part of what they find normal !

 I was near to tears when Rick asked me what about those nice big Shepherds that nice older lady has at the shows that you are always telling me about ? Oh Bev and her dogs !  (Siskiyou Shiloh Shepherds) YES, that was it ! Shiloh Shepherds ! I had watched her for years with her wonderful strong, large, correct, confident, calm dogs. They were just like our old dog Ralph ! But they were NOT German Shepherd dogs, they were better, what we would come to know and love....... the Shiloh Shepherd dog !

  Well that very night I got on the computer and found Bev’s email contact and phone number, then found that a litter of Shiloh Shepherds was to be due within a month. We took no time at all and with Bev’s help to whom we will be forever grateful, made contact with the litter owner (Island Mist Shiloh's) and secured a Shiloh Shepherd pup. We may not have gotten the dog I had been looking for but we actually did as the Shiloh Shepherds are the Old unspoiled German Shepherds and that was what we had wanted all along !