This past May i posted about wanting a Shiloh Shepherd and the difficulty of getting one in the UK. I had planned to get an Estrela but after really really researching this i learned there had been a lot of trouble with Estrelas guarding against all other dogs. This is not what I wanted to reluctantly gave up the idea.

Out of the blue I got an email from a lady in Switzerland who I had contacted some time ago. This September her two Shilohs had had the first Shiloh litter in Europe. This lady also breeds ordinary GSD's. She asked me if I was still interested. Anyway, the upshot is that we are flying to Zurich in November to choose one of the 3 girl puppies born (there were also 6 boys). We will stay in her house and get to know our puppy. Then reluctantly, we will have to leave her to socialize and train our girl until she has her pet passport at about 10 months when we will drive to Switzerland and bring her back here.

Just thought I would give you an update. Now we are trying to think of a suitable name for her.

If anyone has any tips they would like to pass on about getting an older puppy please do so. Also, if anyone wants to know the email address or web site of this breeder because they would like a Shiloh puppy themselves, please let me know privately and I will pass this on.

Regards

Laurie (Surrey)

Hi there my name is Vic and I have two wonderful animals one is a blue waimaraner and the other a silver lab they're 5 months apart
8 months for the lab and 3 months for the weimi and both are extremely intelligent and just a joy to have around.
My question to you would be what is an Estrella what can you compare it to in terms of another dog the same goes for the Shiloh can you please elaborate a bit if you don't mind?

Sinverely
Vic

Hi Vic
Are you dogs both boys/girls or one of each. I must say I haven't heard of silver labrador before. Is that like a cream coloured one.

An Estrella is closest in looks to a Leonberger and a Shiloh Shepherd is very much like a German Shepherd. They are usually bigger and hopefully have a lot less health problems and temperment problems than a Shepherd. But they are quite similar. There are now a few Estrellas (well, quite a few) in the UK but so far as I am aware, my Shiloh could well be the first in this country. So far, they are not recognized as a seperate breed in the UK but are in the US.

Hope this clears things up a bit

Regards

Laurie

Hi Laurie,
I've never heard of a Shiloh Sepherd. How much bigger are they and are they straight backed? I have German (straight backed) and Belgian Shepherds.

Sarah

Nice to see someone showing an interest in shiloh shepards ,i would love one ! i have been following them in America and they seem a super breed.I just put in shiloh shepard on my server about 2 years ago and it gave me the dog club of America. They have some lovely sounding dogs and it made good reading.I might be wrong but i dont think there are any breeders in this country..shame x

Hi

There are no breeders in the UK at present and unfortunately, the Shiloh is not yet recognized by the English Kennel Club but you could get one if you wanted to from the Swiss breeder I am going to.

Laurie

Hi there hope all is well....do you know of any breeders in the U.S. of Shiloh Sheppards e-mail address if you have would be great
thank you so much.

Sincerely
Vic Esposito

I put Shiloh Shepherd into a search engine and came up with:
link 1
link 2
link 3

Best wishes,

Sarah

Thanks for the links. They look exactly like my girls!! They have the lovely straight back, which I so love in "old-fashioned" German Shepherds, and which is getting more difficult to get nowadays. If you would like a photo of my girls, give me a e-mail. I can also give you the web address of the breeder of one of them, who breeds only the straight backed Shepherds.

Sarah.

Hi Sarah

I would love to see a picture of your girls. I am sure there are still some straight backed GSD's about but as you say, it is so hard to find them these days. This is why I am going for a Shiloh Shepherd. I think there I stand the best chance of very little hip/back leg problems.
What is your email so you can send me a picture of your girls

Laurie

Hi Laurie,
Email : sarah@torranvell.freeserve.co.uk

Sarah.

Hi all, what I really cant understand is that you all keep refering to straight backed shepherds well there are quite a few of us around who do breed these dogs maybe not shilo shepherds but straight backed shepherds without the health problems that have been mentioned ie hips etc, and most of these dogs are well bred and have the working capability as well as the looks, I have bred some that have doing working trials as well as showing, just thought I would mention it, without causing a rumpus

janines

I too prefer the English type of Gsd, and i breed and work my dogs and only breed from low scoring, healthy animals but i do prefer the long coats which is why i find the Shiloh Attractive

I own a beautiful longcoat english type GSD bitch who is nearly two years old. Do you breeders of the "old english type" have websites or pics of your dogs, as I often get asked where I got my bitch from and if I know of any english-type or longcoat breeders. The breeder from whom I got my bitch only breeds very occasionally, so it would be nice to know of other breeders of these quality, sound dogs.
Kirsty

Hi yeah we do have websites, would be interested to see your shepherd as well if you email me I will send you the addy of mine and some more of the more english Gsd

Janines

Hi Janines,
Nice to know there's still someone breeding and showing straight backs! I too own 2 straight backed GSDs and show one of them. We do reasdonably well, but still quite often get beaten by the Roaches. This weekend for example, we were beaten by one that was very obviously lame and had a wonky hip!!

Hi Maili Fan I know the feeling but its only happened once upto now but dont worry about it mabye some day that judge will actually read the breed standard

Janines

Hi there don't know to much about Sheppards other than the fact that they're beautiful and intelligent animals. Now for my question
I see people write quite a bit about the straight back situation what do they mean by that? and second the none straight back ones what do their backs look like? I have two lovely dogs a Lab and a Wimie and their backs kook pretty much straight to me or does the straight back
applies only to Sheppards?

Sincerely

Vic Esposito

Hi Vic,
There are generally 2 types of German Shepherd, the straight (working or English type) and the show(German) type. In answer to your question, the other (German) type has a very sloping, quite often roach or "banana" back. When they are set up in show stance, they look as though they're crouching down to pee!! It's entirely down to personal preference. I and a lot of other people prefer the English type, which is getting harder to get, which is why there seems to be a lot of interest in the Shiloh Shepherd. I had never heard of the Shiloh before looking at this thread, but having looked at the links shown above, I wish there were breeders in this country!! This is why I've now got a Belgian Shepherd and will be getting another next year!!
Hope this answers your question.

Sarah.

Hi all, I might add my bit there are in my opinion some really nice german lines out there, as there are English bloodlines like Mali Fan says its a matter of personal preference and I like a nicely sloping top line and a dog that can move, what a lot of people are doing now are combining the best of both worlds and the result that you should get is a shepherd thats balanced, that can move, and looks as noble as it indeed ought to, my girls have german and english bloodlines in there and I am not afraid to say that and YES my dogs have all been hipscored apart from the puppy that is and are all ok,

Janines

Hi Sarah

Link 3 is the most helpful - also look at ISSR rules and regulations page at linked at the bottom of that page.

laurie

Laurie,

I hope you are not paying too much for a Shiloh - although you are going to an awful lot of trouble for a GSD. Shilohs are nothing more than GSDs.

I have none the "breed" for at least 15 years and first encountered them when I used to help judging at rare breed shows in the U.S. I showed a GSD at the time and breeders I knew often got calls from owners of Shiloh dogs (I was in the same part of the country as the original kennel) who were disappointed because the dogs did not turn out as advertised. Not as big as they wanted and not the perfect temperament advertised. However, no breeder can absolutely guarantee size or temperament in a puppy.

The Shiloh stock is frequently refreshed with imported dogs from Germany - and if your really are interest in an "old style" GSD that is where I personally would go for a puppy. Or, to a breeder with import lines who is based in the U.K.

Don't get me wrong, some of them are lovely dogs, but they are honestly no different from other GSDs - apart from the fact that you will not be able to register them with the Kennel Club.

If you go through with this anyway, I hope you will be happy with your pup .. but I think you would have gone through an awful lot of trouble and expense for nothing.

Stacey

Stacey what is a GSD if you don't mind me asking?

Sincerely
Vic

Hi Parma5
A GSD is a German Shepherd Dog :)

Good morning Laurie please allow me to give you my e-mail address should we need to exchange views and info about our dogs.
(victor.esposito@goodrich.com) USA Danbury CT. have a great day

Sincerely

Vic

Hi Vic

Sorry not to have replied for some time been really busy. So this is just a short note to let you know I haven't forgotten you and will email you personaly soon.

Regards

Laurie

Hi Laurie
It's a really interesting website. I've heard of Shiloh Shepherds before.
However, apart from their size (which seems variable) they don't seem to be so different to many GSD's over here. Certainly the looks are out there, bred from good stock, with good health histories, including long coats, and certainly some breeders have very tall dogs (29") which of course fall outside the standard for the KC.
You mention best chance of having no problems with hips or backs. Is there no incidence at all of HD in the Shiloh line? If not, then they should be sharing the secret of their success with the rest of the shepherd world, to help eliminate the problems the breed suffers.

I have a young long coated shepherd, with a lovely straight back, and a beautiful shape and fantastic flowing movement. Here's hoping that her health is good, she certainly has the background to support it. She looks very much like many of the dogs on the site! In fact she's gorgeous.

Katrina

PS How can you possibly wait until pup is 10months before getting her (or have I read that wrong?)

Katrina Hello

I only wish that there was not HD at all in Shilohs. There is and also elbow dysplasia. It seems a risk we run in any big pedigree dog. Even dogs from good hip and elbow scored parents can have it I know. However, accurate tracking of all ISSR dogs should ensure that dogs with this are not bred from. Shilohs have become very (relatively) popular inthe States and there are a number of breeders who are breeding from all sorts of "Shilohs" sadly. This always seems to be the case where money is concerned as a pup is very expensive.

Of course, there are many lovely GSDs with no problems at all and I am not putting GSDs down at all. It is just for me, I am too worried to get a shepherd in case....... I am a dog walker and walk a number of them. Without exception, they are lovely dogs although some of them do suffer from lots of health problems, allergies, runny eyes, ear infections, etc etc. But then this is true of a lot of breeds.

Having only ever owned mongrels before (GSDx Retriever x and 5 lurchers) this is my first expedition into unknown waters. I hope and pray my girl will be hip, elbow, heart and everything else healthy and also that your girls is too. Only time will tell for us both. But at least I feel that I have cut the risk down by choosing a Shiloh....

I am so impatient to have her now but of course, she cannot come till she has her Pet Passport and that sadly, will be at about 9/10 months of age. However, I have no choice in this matter. I hope the breeder will send me lots of pictures and emails and we will also talk on the phone.

By the way, this breeder also breeds long haired GSD's so I hope she knows what she is doing.

Please feel free to email me and let me know how your lovely sounding girl gets on and I will let you know my progress too.

Best regards

Laurie

Hi Laurie
Thanks for your reply. I know only too well of the health troubles a shepherd can have, my last one (sadly lost last year) had both of her hips replaced, and suffered with anal furunculosis. However, I would not have missed a moment of her life for all the world. Also, she inspired in me a great love for the breed. So, now I have my young lady, and as I say, hoping that all goes well, I'm going to have her hips x-rayed when she is spayed in the new year, as we are planning on doing agility if she's ok.
If Shiloh's suffer from the same problems, what has made you decide to go for a Shiloh Shepherd over a GSD?, after all aren't they the same thing? What is it that sets them apart for you?
Always curious and willing to learn more!

Katrina