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!