Barbara Amidon
Newfield, NJ

Amber German Shepherds History

We Feel the dogs of Amber have greatly influenced the breed with sound temperment, structure and beautiful breed type and for this it was a great honored to win the Lloyd Brackett Award for breeding consistant Type.  I have had the privilage to judge the GSD Nationals 8'xs.  I have co-authored articles in books and magazines and was ask to narrate a PBS Television program "WIDE WORLD OF DOGS'.  I have also given lectures and Symposiums at New York in conjunction with the Westminster Show.  All in all it has been a great ride.  The dogs have given me great joy and many friends.

Barbara Amidon
Amber Kennels

Interview of Barbara Amidon taken from

THE GERMAN SHEPHERD BOOK
Assoc. Editor Susan Barwig
Published in 1986

My first experience with German Shepherds was as a young girl, seeing a motion picture about a war dog, “My Pal Wolf” and later for Christmas receiving a book, “Cop Chief of Police Dogs” by the late Reginald Cleveland. This was a last­ing love affair. We could not have a large dog at the time as my father was in show business and we traveled extensively. When we were ten years old (I have a twin sister, Jackie), our mother was tragically killed. We were sent to live with an aunt near Atlantic City, New Jersey. My aunt, knowing how much we loved German Shepherds, let us keep a stray male puppy. We called him Fury after a comic strip character. We obedience trained him and had him perform his tricks for the wounded soldiers staying at the Haddon Hall in Atlantic City. My twin sister was also to breed German Shepherds under the kennel name of Valiant. We co-bred 
Ch. Amber’s Valiant Robin ROM. 

While attending the University of Miami, I met and later married my husband, Harry. Shortly after moving to our new home, we bought our first German Shepherd. We called her Amber, hence our kennel name. Amber was of Grafmar breeding - not a bad bitch. She took a few firsts, but was not of great show value. At this time we had joined the local breed club where my husband was editor of the club magazine, “The Sunshine State Shepherd.” The magazine took honorable mention in the Dog Writers annual awards after only six months of publication. We bred Amber to GV Ch. Red Rocks Gino, a type to type line breeding. Out of this litter, four had points, some major, and one was highest scoring dog in obedience. Not bad for a first litter. I would like to add that before we rushed into breeding, we studied and went to quite a few shows. 

The second bitch we bought finished easily, winning a Working Group. She was Ch. Hessians Dark Amber. During this period we bought a lot of dogs, among them the great Ch. Perle Romerblut SchH Perle won the ‘59 Open Bitch class at the National. Perle’s daughter, Ch. Perle v Beckgold was one of the foundation bitches for Alan Sandell.  Perle was one of the finest bitches I have ever seen, possessing one of the best shoulder assemblies and beautiful hindquarter. I feel she was one of Ch. Troll v Richterbach’s finest progeny. 

After seeing the famous F-boys Fels, Fortune and Field Marshall, I decided to buy a puppy out of Fortune of Arbywood from Lorraine Clifford. The puppy was Doppelt-Tays Jerry who won a futurity and also finished his championship. I did one of the first breedings on the F litter. I bred my Fels daughter, Amber’s Cristl to Jerry, the Fortune son, and this produced many excellent progeny, among them Amber’s Phillida who, when bred to Ch. Bar Weirturchen, produced my top producing Amber’s Regina ROM. Regina had many Best Puppy wins and a major Reserve. She could have finished easily, but I used her for breeding instead. Amber’s deCloudts Cristi, my Fels Arbywood daughter, could not be shown because of a broken tail, but had an iron back, great shoulder and a beautifully angulated rear. Cristl was a sable, but by breeding up on her we got typey black and tans. We feel our quality comes from Cristl who also achieved ROM. (Regina is the mother of Ch. Amber’s Valiant Robin ROM and Robin is the mother of Select Ch. Amber’s Lolita of Zarzal.) 

Before I started breeding seriously, 1 had been buying quite a few SHOW QUALITY PUPPIES. Their breeders had written how great they were, so after paying a lot of money, and then having them shipped, I realized I was breeding better. I really like what I have produced and feel I have an excellent producing dam line. (1 feel you should like what you are breeding or else why breed them.) 

I have won more Futurities and Maturities as a small breeder than most kennels. I feel if you keep it small, you can really work with your dogs. 

I have had four ROM bitches the last few years and my stud dog, Amber’s Strider of Zarzal is now ROM. He has over 15 qualifiers for ROM so we are really pleased as his mother, Select Ch. Ambers Lolita of Zarzal, died young with only one litter — all males, one being Strider. 

If there is one quality my line is known to possess, I feel it is the outstanding fore assemblies and beautiful side gait. I do feel the Arbywood lines in the beginning is where the stamina and good quality are coming from. 

I decided to put in my application to judge about 13 years ago. I felt it would be a great opportunity to see and evaluate German Shepherds in different parts of the country. 

I am licensed to judge 22 Herding and Working breeds. My one disappointment in judging is to have never judged a Futurity or Maturity. I feel with my experience with puppies and being a breeder, I would be an asset. Plus the fact that I really enjoy the youngsters. 

I have been successful with all types of breeding lines, inbreeding and outcross. 
Ch. Amber’s Flair is line bred, Ch. Amber’s Louisa is half-brother to half-sister 
and Ch. Amber’s Valiant Robin is an outcross. I feel type to type is very important and especially knowing what is behind the lines or line you are breeding. This is six generations of my breeding, so I have an idea what to expect. To me, it is much more enjoyable breeding my own than buying a good one. I realize, though, that not all of us are cut out to be breeders. A lot of hard work, patience and luck are needed, plus an iron strong constitution. 

The breed standard is excellent if we would only breed and judge with it in mind. The quality of German Shepherds is terrible today. Show after show the comments are the same. it is hard to find a really good sound German Shepherd. What is the answer? Maybe to stop breeding to the so-called leading studs who are so incorrect and are producing a multitude of faults. Maybe we should use that sound well-bred male that is not being shown. We certainly need more masculine males as is evident at our shows. This, in my opinion, is the leading fault today. That and over rear angulation with that super straight front that makes a back look like a ski jump. 

I loved the stamina of the German dogs, but preferred the elegance of the American lines. I feel you can improve your breeding program by buying the best brood bitch available preferably one who has already proven she can produce. Never start a kennel with a stud dog -your bitches are the backbone. 

I usually only keep about four bitches at my kennel, breeding one or two litters a year at the most. I try to keep my puppies until almost five months of age. My dogs are all pets, not just show or breeding animals. If I kept more it would not be as enjoyable and I feel I would lose contact with my dogs. 

For the first time in years, I am keeping a stud dog, Amber’s Lets of Zarzal. He is full brother to Select Ch. Amber’s Lolita of Zarzal. They are both sired by the late GV Ch. Scorpio of Shiloh Gardens and the dam is Ch. Amber’s Valiant Robin. Both are ROM. Lets has won many Best Puppy awards, but he has taken a backseat to Lolita. I feel from the looks of his progeny, Lets will be an excellent producer. He has many with Best Puppy awards and some with points from the puppy class. 

My advice to people in the breed is to rely on your own good judgment. Breed the type of German Shepherd you feel proud to own. Breed as much as possible with the standard in mind. Breed for yourself. That is why there are so many successful breeders with different types and lines. You don’t have to ask for advice if you have your own ideas. If you speak to six different people, you will get six different opinions. I do have to say at this point there are those few that no matter how long in the breed, still do not have an eye, so therefore they will never know what makes a good specimen. Occasionally you will run into these people 20 years in the breed and never a winner. They rationalize by saying it is because shows are political, or judging is poor, when in reality they DON’T KNOW. Successful kennels are not kennel blind. They realize all dogs have faults, but learn to evaluate the overall dog. These people are honest when asked what problems their lines have and will not try to get you to breed to their stud dog unless it will be a good breeding. 

Nothing comes easy, but with perseverance and hard work you can breed that good one.