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von Stephanitz on
Kenneling GSDs
© 5 Feb 1999      Bobbie Impellizzeri

That the Father of our German Shepherd Dog Breed, Captain (Cavalry) Max von Stephanitz (who should certainly know, if ANYBODY should), absolutely and positively believed that the KENNELING of GSDs was anathema to the breed, killed the soul of the dog, and that kenneling should only be the "exception" and never the "rule?"

Think of the kennels you have visited (or run, or own) here in America, as well as in Germany.  How many times have you been astounded at the sheer number of dogs "kenneled" by famous (and not so famous) breeders?  How many times have you been appalled at the conditions under which many, if not most, of these dogs exist?  Have you seen dark garages and dank basements filled to capacity with grown German Shepherd Dogs crammed into airline dog-shipping crates?  Have you merely turned away in silence because you couldn't bear to contemplate the fact before your eyes?

Below are only a few quotes on the subject of kenneling from the Father of The Breed.

Pg. 279 - "All the wonderful qualities of character possessed by a good shepherd dog will therefore only be brought to light when he remains in the same hands for a very long time, preferably from puppyhood, where having obtained a footing in the house, he shares the joys and sorrows of the family...and our dog is completely ruined in mind and body wherever he is treated only as merchandise..."

Pg. 283 - "Whenever the dog is kept in an enclosed kennel - in order to keep him from doing any harm, or even not to suffer any harm, on account of his high monetary value, - he will not only degenerate physically, becoming stiff, sluggish and lazy, but will also become mentally torpid, and lose all his sharpness and vim....the dog who is kept in the kennel...is no better than a beast caged for show...Thus, kenneled dogs are liable, not only to become dull, but even mentally weak and mad; many of them acquire a craze for purposeless actions...Unfortunately these harmful consequences of kennel confinement do not show themselves all at once..."

Pg 452 - "We then once more arrive at the conclusion: work is an indispensable necessity for the shepherd dog; but kennel keeping will be a curse for him mentally and physically."

Pg 453 - "I have already spoken sufficiently, in Chapters 2 and 3, of the curse of kennel keeping in relation to the soul of the dog, and of its dangers for the breed, but as we have also seen, keeping in a kennel is anything but a blessing for physical development as well."

Think about it.

The German Shepherd Dog in Word & Picture
Rittmeister v. Stephanitz, Germany 1925


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