Principles for Breeding & Showing GSDs by Jason Lyle

Lyloak's Sugar Maple, TC, PT

My introduction to the German Shepherd Dog began in Kingston, Jamaica. My father bought me my first GSD, Hychas Janel. I called her “Beauty.” My family owned a number of German Shepherds and Doberman Pinchers that protected the school compound on which we lived. I began showing dogs in Jamaica and was a junior handler there often showing German Shepherds, Doberman Pinchers and even Rottweilers. When my family moved to New York in 1996, we brought back with us a young German Shepherd which my father had bred and we showed him here.


In 2000, my father purchased a bitch puppy, Signore Amber’s Lucia Mia, for me while I was a college student at the University of Maine. In 2004, I bred that bitch to “Dallas.” From that very first litter I kept the only bitch in the litter, Lyloak’s Sugar Maple TC, PT. “Sugar” has become my foundation bitch. In 2009, she was the number 6 Futurity/Maturity producing bitch in the county. She has already produced three outstanding progeny: BIF CH. Lyloak’s First Knight, BIF CH. Lyloak’s Fresca, and RFB Lyloak’s Isn’t She Lovely. At almost 11 yrs old Lucia Mia has been retired for several years now and is my home protection system. To date, I have owned/breed 4 Champions.

I have learned so much since being in the breed. In the remaining portion of this article, I would like to share a few principles which I have gained from my experience and observations about German Shepherds and applied to breeding and showing of German Shepherds.

#1—I recently heard the following quote; “Just when I thought I knew everything is when I really started to learn.” This is probably the most accurate quote about breeding and showing German Shepherds. One never knows enough—keep striving for a higher level.

#2—Malcolm Willis writes that “an inability to see the faults in your own dogs while seeing numerous (both imagined and real) in everyone else’s dogs is a major failing in some dog breeders.” You need to be your worst (or in retrospect your best) critic.

#3—Don’t get too attached to any dog in your kennel. Too often, breeders get attached to a specific dog or puppy in their kennel no matter how good or poor the dog is. Attachment to mediocre dogs often locks breeders in to mediocre dogs. This results because most breeders have facilities for a limited number of dogs. When the potential for a better quality dog becomes available they have no room in the kennel to add a new dog or grow out a puppy.

#4— Don’t keep males unless they have potential to be a top-quality male. In other words, build your kennel on bitches, you can use any stud in the county on the day you need him for merely his stud fee.

#5—If you are considering adding a dog to your kennel, it is best to add an older puppy or young adult, preferably at least 9 – 12 months or older versus a young pup. The older the pup/young adult the better. With an older pup, you will be able to know the status of hips, elbows, bite, teeth, ears, show attitude, record, etc. This information, of course, is not available when buying a young pup.

#6—Know the Standard and bred to the Standard. Don’t get caught up in fads or trends.

#7—Breeders should want everyone in the breed to bred good dogs. Obviously, I want to be as competitive as I can and breed the very best GSDs I can. However, I want everyone to improve their breeding stock and not fail. Breeders should want other breeders to bred good dogs and improve the gene pool. Breeding good dogs will bring benefit to ALL of us. We all need good studs to go to which are from different lines. Let’s encourage each other and improve the breed!

My wife and I, along with our daughter Selena, enjoy getting together at club activities. It is truly wonderfully that, through the German Shepherd, we can meet and form friendships with such a diverse group of individuals and participate in activities such as herding, obedience, and showing!

My Introduction to the German Shepherd Dog

CH. RMB/BIF Lyloak's Fresca

The ownership of my first German Shepherd Dog (GSD) occurred out of necessity. I had been appointed by The Salvation Army as the Principal and Administrator of the School for the Blind and Visually Handicapped Children in Kingston, Jamaica in August 1992. The school occupies approximately 12 acres in the Havendale section of the city. The compound is comprised of an administrative block, a classroom block, separate compounds for male and female students, a deaf-blind unit, as well as, a kitchen/dining hall and numerous smaller buildings. When I arrived in my new appointment, the school was experiencing a rash of unauthorized individuals who would enter the property and steal anything of value from fruit and vegetables being grown for the school’s consumption to the students’ laundry as it was placed on clothes lines to air and dry.


I purchased my first GSD, a young dog puppy, locally-bred and registered through the Jamaica Kennel Club. “Brutus” would become the first of a number of GSDs purchased to provide protection for our compound and discourage thieves from entering the property. Needless to say, the occurrences of theft diminished rapidly and become non-existent in a matter of months once my GSDs were introduced onto the compound. Not long after the purchase of Brutus, I was introduced to a breeder of GSDs whom I became a close friend. I purchased several puppies from Mr. Hughlet Charles and eventually used his dog, Ch. Kimbo of Hychas, to breed to an adult bitch I had purchased.

Among this very first litter, born under the kennel name of “Gailin,” was a very promising dog that I named Alex the Great of Gailin. Alex won the Best Locally Bred Puppy Award and I received the Breeder of the Best Locally Bred Puppy Award in one of Alex’s first shows in November 1994. Alex continued to be shown in the German Shepherd Club specialty shows (two per year) and the Jamaica Kennel Club all-breed shows (two per year). Alex was shown under a number of judges including Percy Elliott of England, Freddie Christensen of Norway, Fred Lanting and Ralph Ambrosio of the USA.

These shows featured a rather large entry of dogs, normally about 50. Another helpful element was the judge’s critique for each dog which was published with the show results in the club’s newsletter.

During my four years (1992 – 1996) in Jamaica, I bred and showed both GSDs and Doberman Pinchers. I was a member of the Executive and Journal Committees of the Jamaica Kennel Club in 1995 -1996. As I prepared to return to the USA in June of 1996, I contemplated selling Alex in Jamaica and purchasing a show quality puppy once I arrived home. I spoke to Ralph Ambrosio, as he judged Alex’s last show in Jamaica in April 1996, and inquired if he could help find a suitable puppy for me once I returned home. He encouraged me to return to the USA with Alex and show him. At that point in time, Alex had earned 13 points toward his Jamaican Championship (15 points necessary). This was the course of action which I took. Alex was shown in the USA and won Winners Dog in three different all-breed shows. I lost Alex several years ago; but without a doubt, one of the best decisions I ever made was to bring Alex back to the USA. A special thanks to Ralph Ambrosio.

In 2000, I purchased a bitch puppy, Signore Amber’s Lucia Mia, locally for my son who at that time was a college student at the University of Maine. In 2004, he bred that bitch to “Dallas.” I joined the Northern New Jersey German Shepherd Dog Club, Jason joined the German Shepherd Dog Club of Southern New Hampshire, and we both belong to the German Shepherd Dog Club of America.

Lucia Mia has been retired and is the home protection system for Jason in New Hampshire. Lucia Mia’s daughter (from the Dallas litter) is now the foundation bitch for the Lyloak kennel.

We recently (February 2009) completed the championship on our first home-bred champion: CH. Lyloak’s First Knight. Knight is from Lyloak’s Sugar Maple, TC, PT (Dallas daughter) and 2007 GV Ch. Welove Du Chien’s Army of One. Jason also finished (August 2009) a bitch—CH. Look Ma No Hands of Edan. Her call name is Widget. This bitch was purchased from Ann Schultz of Michigan. Widget is out of Select Excellent Ch. Welove Du Chien’s Rollins and I’ve Got It All of Edan. Widget was the Reserve Maturity Bitch in the Mid West Futurity/Maturity in 2008.

The 2009 Futurities/Maturities proved very successful with the following results:

Best in Futurity at the Great Lakes Futurity—CH. LYLOAK'S FIRST KNIGHT, DN203233/08, 12/23/07. Breeder: Jason Lyle. By: Ch Welove Du Chien's Army of One X Lyloaks Sugar Maple,TC,PT. Owner: Jason S. Lyle & Joe Bihari.

Best in Futurity at the North East Futurity—LYLOAK'S FRESCA, DN203233/07, 12/23/07. Breeder: Owner. By: Ch. WeLove DuChiens Army of One X Lyloaks SUgar Maple,TC,PT. Owner: Jason S. Lyle.

2nd Intermediate Bitch at the Northeast Futurity—DEPAHL'S FINESSE AT LYLOAK, DN216560/06, 01/11/08. Breeder: Owners. By: Ch. Marquis Stealing The Show X Ch. DePahl's Brandy. Owner: Jason S. Lyle & Denise Black-Hollister.

2nd Junior Maturity Bitch at the North East Futurity—DO NOT PASS GO OF EDAN, DN193502/02, 09/07/07. Breeder: Ann Schultz. By: Ch. Good To The Last Dropof Edan X You Go Girl of Edan. Owner: Jason S. Lyle & Robin Lyle.