AUSTRALIAN TITLED WHITE SHEPHERDS
"Rip and June"
Owner: Lt G Gadsby (Qld)
(WSSDCA life member)
Mr Gadsby was involved with training Service dogs for the RAAF, Army and Navy during the 1960s and 70s. He has owned and trained two white shepherds - June (Police Dog 41) and Rip (Police Dog 251). The following is written by Mr Gadsby:
"Over a lot of years I did PR work for the RAAF with both my dogs, along with other security guards in my mustering ... I firstly taught the bitch, and later the dog to carry a raw egg in their mouth around an obstacle course, finishing with a jump through fire hoop. People didn't believe the egg was a raw one until the end of the demo and would throw the egg up into the air and it would break as it hit the ground.. I was , to my knowledge, the first man, to teach an RAAF dog to do that. Both my dogs did lots of little tricks, which I would incorporate into the demo along with the more serious skills they possessed.
Rip went through Cyclone Tracey, in Darwin, with me in 1974, and I vividly remember, when we came out of Darwin in one piece, and posted to Op. Command at Glenbrook in the Blue Mountains, we did a demo at Penrith Showgrounds ...and when we came out to start, the announcer introduced us as the man and dog that went through Cyclone Tracey, we received a standing ovation from the crowd. Lovely memories! Rip was officially presented to me, on his retirement, aged 10 years, by the Commanding Officer of 7SD Toowoomba, Sqn Ldr Jim Dunne during a moving official presentation. Rip was wearing a red coat with sergeant stripes on it. It was the first for an RAAF dog and received a lot of publicity."
"Calypso ET CD JD TDX"
(Endurance Test, Companion Dog, Jumping Dog, Tracking Dog Excellent)
Owner: B & D Sturrock - Victoria
"Ceora White Flash AOC"
(Australian Obedience Champion)
Victoria
"Alpenwolf Arctic Warlock CDX"
(Companion Dog Excellent)
Owner: M Gandert - Victoria
"Bayein Frosty Snowman CDX TDX"
(Companion Dog Excellent, Tracking Dog Excellent )
Owner: C Marschner - Victoria
"Josh CDX ET TD"
(Companion Dog Excellent, Endurance Test, Tracking Dog)
Owner: N. Van der Wel - South Australia
IN MEMORIAM
The memorial page is for past and present owners of White Shepherd Dogs that have passed away to pay tribute to their fabulous furred companions. When a special dog comes along that touches your life, they may only be with you for a short time, or they may be with you for what feels like forever. Regardless of their time on earth, each has a unique and individual personality with a story to tell. This page is dedicated to them.
"Odin"
"On the morning we where to leave for the 2008 Nationals, I found Odin with clouded eyes and laboured breathing in the kitchen. Even with the pain he was in, my dear boy wagged the tip of his tail at my touch. The morning was spent running tests to try and find what was wrong, but by afternoon Odin was gone. We came home alone, and then I saw it, a brown snake all but torn apart. Odin at 7mnths old, had faced this intruder alone without a sound. Where the snake was found was just around the corner from my three year old daughter Indy's bedroom, the thought of what could have happened made me feel ill. I have no doubt that Odin knew what he was doing, that his instinct to protect his family was greater than his own safety. When Indy had nightmares, she would tell us that Odin would always chase the bad things in her dreams away, he was her protector. This time the bad thing was all to real. Odin was our family, our companion, and he will always be remembered as our hero" -Schantelle
"Blaze"
"A ball obsessed, chicken herding, take on the world confident to intelligent for his own good White Shepherd. He loved us loyally with every beat of his heart, and won over friends and strangers alike with his unreserved affection for people in particular children. We where so privledged to have belonged to him, he was taken to soon from snakebite. Blaze is the catalyst and the reason for Brazen Kennels" - Rebecca
"Honey"
"Honey came into our lives at the tender age of 4 weeks. She was born close to our home in Traralgon. Honey was taken to my parents place everyday when we were at work to be raised/cared for due to her young age. My parents took Honey with them to Aged Care homes, where my father played old time music on a monthly basis, and she became the main attraction of these visits.
When my mother became ill Honey was her constant companion, she also let the family know if my mother needed anything by using a certain bark. This lovely lady was ANKC registered on the full register, which meant that her pups were also able to be registered with the ANKC (limited register due to rule changes), we found a mate for Honey and she had her one and only litter at 4 years of age. So anyone that has a Silverlodge dog in their dogs pedigree descends from Honey’s line.
She has both won and placed in the veteran class at our National shows since they were introduced with great pride and pleasure, she always knew she had done well by the grin on her face. Russell and I will miss our gentle lady, the matriarch of Silverlodge Kennels for a very long time."- Leeanne & Russell Saffron.
"Chara"
"Chara was born in SA and came to Victoria with one of her daughters Whitewolf Ruby (aka Ruby) in December 2000.
When we first met Chara Russell was taken aback to the similarity of her to the first white male we had (Bayein Butch aka Kiama) and that is the main reason that we brought Chara home as we had originally gone to pick up Ruby. Chara was the sort of dog that loved to be centre of attention and would roll on to her back to get your attention and of course a free scratch of the tummy. Chara had 2 litters and some of those dogs have gone on to produce some nice dogs.
When Ky – Hou was born Chara became his gran as she would wash him play with him and generally loved to have him around.
Chara will be missed greatly in our home by both Russell and I and the other dogs that she shared our home with for the last 8 years." Leeanne & Russell Saffron.