Sleddog Legacy Online

A "Must Have" Book

Last summer I had the unexpected honour to be invited to write a foreword or "letter of support" for a new breed book then in its final stages of editing, entitled The Shiloh Shepherd Story. Readers of this newsletter will ask, "what has this to do with legacy sleddog breeds?" Perhaps little at first sight, but having read Tina M. Barber's book a couple of times, I will say without hesitation that for anyone with an interest in Seppala Siberian Sleddogs, or in Chinook Sled Dogs, this book is unquestionably a "must have" item.

The book tells in simple, straightforward narrative the story of the birth and continued development of a new dog breed. I still can hardly believe the extent to which it would be possible to substitute "Seppala Siberian Sleddog" for Shiloh Shepherd Dog in many passages of this story -- the parallel situations are rather incredible. Moreover, the METHODS, the TACTICS, the GENETICS of Tina's endeavour have an applicability that is universal. The process described in this book -- along with the pitfalls, the backbiting, the destructive interference of the greedy and the envious -- these things seem common to virtually any "rare breed" and to any breed under developmental or preservation processes.

Practically speaking, this story is relevant to ANY dog breed, and to any dog breeder who cares very much for her breed and its welfare. Tina's story, her struggle to establish the Shiloh Shepherd Dog as a new breed and to keep it off the paths of destruction, cuts across breed lines because it tells a tale of the quest for genetic health and viability that is today's number one concern in responsible sectors of the world of purebred dogs. It highlights the failure of the umbrella registries such as CKC and AKC to provide an environment in which dog breeds can be bred responsibly in a full state of genetic health. If you care about ANY breed of dogs, this is the one book you should acquire and read in the year 2006.

The cherry on top of this publication is that it is highly entertaining and even exciting! Call it a "breed-development thriller" if you like. It is hard to put down before you've finished it. And it will leave you thinking very hard about the future . . . for Seppalas . . . for Chinooks . . . for Yakutia Laikas . . . and yes, even for Siberian Huskies and Alaskan Malamutes.

The Shiloh Shepherd Story is available in trade paperback edition from Shiloh Enterprises in Flatwood, KY; it can be ordered online at the following URL: http://www.shilohshepherdstory.com/orderForm.htm
The price is $18.99 plus $5 S&H -- as an added plus, you can order this book using PayPal online payment option (don't you wish that was always possible)!

This book has my highest recommendation -- not at all because I've written a paragraph in support of its publication. It's the other way 'round -- I wrote the "letter of support" because I think this story is one that the entire purebred dog community needs to hear. Tina's dedication, tenacity, and devotion to genetic health and responsible breeding should be an inspiration to the rest of us. Get it -- read it -- and realise just how difficult and demanding a job it is for anyone to develop and preserve a canine population as a legacy to future generations. It's a lesson we all need to take to heart.