Sieger Dog Show 2012: At a competition for dogs, German Shepherds strut their stuff

JD takes top honour as dogs from around the country compete.

ISLAMABAD: Since becoming a recognised breed at the turn of the twentieth century, German Shepherds have been among the most popular dogs, both as pets and working dogs. The two-day Sieger Dog Show 2012, which opened here on Saturday, displayed that the popularity of the breed lives on, despite a great shift in dog lovers’ priorities.

The two-day show, jointly organised by the Kennel Club of Pakistan and German Shepherds Dog Club at Fatima Jinnah Park, has received 183 entries from across Pakistan in different categories.

“In the big dog category, German Shepherds remain one of the favourites even today,” said Imran Hussain, the president of the German Shepherd Dog Club (GSDC) management committee.

Originally developed, as the breed’s name would suggest, for guarding and herding sheep, their outstanding obedience, strength and intelligence quickly made German Shepherds a favourite as working dogs, especially in military and police roles, all over the world.

In Pakistan too, German Shepherds remains one of the favourites with kennel clubs across the country. Military and police breed and train dogs at special centres established at different stations in the country.

At the show, it was Dibs von Patem Bhattis’s day in the open category. Bhattis, better known as JD, was imported from Germany by Sajid Qammar and Suhail Farooq. JD was among the most beautiful dogs at the show, and with his victory medal for the open category, the long-haired dog was the focus of every pair of eyes at the show.

“I have seen some really good quality dogs of the right size and characteristics, but some of them lacked the proper training,” said Hans-Peter Rieker, a Germany judge. He was accompanied by Italian judge Luciano Musolino.

Reiker said that after coming to Pakistan following a 25-year gap, he was pleased to see the same love of his country’s breed of herding dog here. GSDC President Hussain said the high number of entries in the show served as confirmation that people had not lost interest in one of the great pedigrees.

Some of the winners for the first day were Rany Boghaus (female), owned by Hamid Rafique, and Rambo Boghaus (male), owned by Dr Nisar Ahmed Khan in the minor puppy categories, while Kissi vom Pallas Athene (female) owned by Malik Younus and Tahir Sheikh, and Fotos Noster Amicus (male) owned by Khwaja Naeem Saeed, won in the junior category.

These champion show dogs were competing for the top honour of representing Pakistan at the annual World Championship for German Shepherd Dogs held in Germany under the auspices of the World Union of German Shepherd Clubs (WUSV), which the GSDCP is a member of. Pakistan has had two dogs emerge victorious at the world championships, first in 1982, and most recently in 2010.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 4^th, 2012.

View pictures of the event here.