TOPLINE
German Shepherd Dog Club of IL, Inc.

Topline GSDC & the International Kennel Club of Chicago

TOPLINE OUT AND ABOUT FOR OUR BREED For the third year, Topline German Shepherd Dog Club took advantage of an invaluable educational opportunity by hosting a booth at the International Kennel Club Cluster of Dog Shows.  The IKC Show is held every February at McCormick Place in Chicago and is the third largest AKC all-breed benched show in the country, attracting over 10,000 purebred dogs from 150 breeds and over 100,000 visitors over a 4 day period.  At a benched show exhibitors are required to stay in the benching area the entire day with their dogs to answer questions about their breed.  The chance to see and learn about so many purebred breeds in one place attracts thousands of puppy shoppers to the IKC Show annually.  The theme for Topline’s booth was a quote by Max von Stephanitz, “joy in work, devotion to duty, and to master…”  Our members and their dogs were available to answer questions and provide information on training and responsible dog ownership.  Our dogs did us proud, showing off their calm, confident temperaments, demonstrating in a very visual way the partnership between good breeding and training.  Many of Topline’s schutzhund trained dogs were also on hand to meet and greet the public as well as participate in several Working Dog Sport Demos daily. The Working Dog Sport Demos were a wonderful hit, drawing large crowds.  During the demos we provided a brief history of the breed as well as the sport.  Topline dogs and handlers demonstrated excerpts from the tracking and obedience phases as well the protection phase, establishing to those present that the common thread through all three phases is maintaining a high degree of control and obedience.  The public was able to see first hand the need for our breeding stock to not only meet the physical standards established but also maintain the mental soundness and intelligence necessary to continue the work for which our dogs were bred.  It was evident from the feedback received that we accomplished our goal of showing the versatility of our breed while making clear that owning a German Shepherd involves a serious commitment of time and resources.  Our proudest moments came from the praise we received from the various Canine Officers who stopped by after our presentations.  They complimented our dogs’ work and praised us for how clearly our narration established the importance of breeding mentally sound, clear headed dogs.  Each was eager to share photos of their canine partners while recounting stories about on duty heroism and off duty moments when their beloved partners became family playmates and companions. During the long weekend our members were also able to educate the public about the importance of avoiding puppy mills and inferior breeders while explaining the benefits of adoption or purchasing from responsible breeders. We educated about the serious threat to our dog ownership rights by lobbying groups who pretend to have our animals best interests at heart while they work to whittle away at our rights to own animals.  We provided handouts about the German Shepherd’s structure, desired temperament, potential health and training concerns, responsible pet ownership and responsible breeding.  For the kids, we had Dog Safety coloring books along with Responsible Dog Ownership bookmarks and pencils donated by the AKC.  Our displays highlighted the many sides of our breed including an excellent display about the Military Working Dog War Memorial.  We also solicited donations to purchase animal oxygen mask sets for area fire departments. Working the IKC Show is a long and exhausting weekend for our members and dogs.  No one goes home with a new title or a trophy.  So why did a majority of our members turn out with their dogs to work this event?  Why were they so eager to volunteer their time and resources?  Booth space: $175.00, banners, posters, flyers: $300, parking and food (paid by members): $500.  The knowledge that we may have helped even one German Shepherd find the right owner or a perspective owner find the right German Shepherd or more importantly, decide this is not the breed for them before, not after they get that new puppy:  PRICELESS.

Topline is aware that showing a dog is an serious commitment of time and financial resources.