Made of Star Stuff

My birthday present this year is something wonderful.  A friend of mine from graduate school alerted me to a well-bred West German showline German shepherd that was available in Southern West Virginia.

We were looking for another male to add to our breeding program, and although I am fully aware of how closely related all German shepherds are to each other, we needed another line that was health-tested to mix into ours.

We have named him Sagan, WRF Made of Star Stuff for Darqueside, and his sire is Ajaks od Slankamena, a top winner in Serbia.

His mother was bred in Serbia and then imported while pregnant to West Virginia.  He was well-socialized and trained in West Virginia, because his owners, who run a boarding and training business, were going to keep him as one of their personal dogs.

He was initially named “Edward,” but I always wanted to give a German shepherd a science nerd name.  And since it was my turn to name the dog, this one became Sagan.

I have had him a few weeks, and I have to say this is the best dog I’ve ever had. He is biddable and smart. He is gentle and kind.  He loves kids.  He loves me. I know that he will eventually mature into something more serious and loyal, but right now he is the happy, goofy puppy who fears nothing.

The way he looks at me is the way a smart dog looks at person. He has become my office dog, and he lies by the door while I’m teaching my remote students. He knows that if I rise, the next thing will be a walk or a chance to play with the jolly ball.

He knows no evil. He knows only the joy of his lion paws tearing through the green grass.

I have never had one of this type before.  He is a sound moving dog, though not as flashy as our American dogs, but he possesses a profoundly good temperament. He is very similar to Quest, our 100 percent American male.

He is the best birthday present I have received in a long time, and he’s a very special dog.

I am absolutely certain that this is the breed of dog I was always supposed to have. I know there are lots of crappy German shepherds out there, but a good one is an awesome dog to have.