Received in January 2015

Hi Dagmar.

We just wanted to update you on Fallon(Akeila) from Yanka and Buddy. Fallon arrived as an eight week old after a long flight from Germanyto the west coast of Canada. Proudly stepped out of the crate, said hi to our old boyScout and has never looked back. She took the challenge by storm and is up to try anything we show her. She is a very smart dog, social with dogs, loves people, happy, healthy, and but has protective side when needed. We travel a lot and she comes with us everywhere we go. We have recently traveled in the western U.S., and
she is up ready to go every morning and loves the long car rides.

Everywhere we go people ask to meet her and ask about her breed, as a lot of people have not seen and long haired GSD before. She loves the attention. We are so happy to direct everyone to your web site for more information. We have taught her obedience, searching and tracking, and she has done some tricks classes as well. And recently she has made us very proud of how steady and confident she is in all situations. We decided since she was so friendly, we would like to train her to be a volunteer therapy/hospice dog. Annette went to the
meeting first and was told by St. John's Ambulance, who run the program here, of what to expect. They do not train you, but test owner and dog in all situations. We thought Fallon may not make it this year, but it would be good experience for them both and we could try again when she was older. Fallon, who is not even three years old, passed with flying colours, and the testers were impressed as she is so young, and they do not have many owners with GSDs apply. We were told after the test, that you can only try once with your dog, and can not re-apply later. Fallon clearly is a very balanced dog, capable of many different tasks and adjusts her energy level to the job at hand. They will start visiting long term care shortly and hopefully bring a few smiles to the residents.

Anyone waiting for the Yanka/Buddy puppies, it is well worth the wait.
For that matter, we are sure that any puppy coming from Barrett will make the owners very happy. We say this, hoping we too can have a second Barrett sometime soon.

Thank you Dagmar for doing what you do. Clearly you love the breed, and your dogs. House of Barrett-Changing the worlds opinion of the GSD, one puppy at a time.

Peter, Annette and Akeila(Fallon)

Ucci, an offspring of "Funny von der Martinskapelle" and "Yakko vom Haus Barrett" together with family and Santa Claus

Received in December 2014

Ucci is doing fabulous. His temperament could not be any better. And he does the funniest things such as collecting everything not tied down so to say (his toys, plastic container wrappers, his bones, slippers, etc) and carries them to his bed but doesn't chew them, rather he just hides them. Or he plays hockey with the plastic containers by slapping them around the house with his big front feet.

And outside - zowie -- he loves retrieving and bring it back. I use fake dog toy to simulate dumbbells and he carries them exactly in the middle as if he was in trail. Such a funny enjoyable dog; especially with the grand Children.

He is full of play and gets along great with my Pomeranian but I do have to say she ( Gucci the Parm) keeps him in line, active for she is fast and barks at him and he runs and sounds like a horse. Historical to watch!

We took most of the family and went to see Santa and I thought you would want a copy.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Ellery, an offspring of Olympia and Tyson

Received in February 2014

Hi Dagmar,

Well, it is almost two years since Ellery, we call her Lila, was born. And she has brought so much joy into our lives. She is beautiful, with a gorgeous head and face. She's a bit on the petite size in height, but she sure jumps high and far. I sometimes get nervous watching her as she files down the staircase 2 steps at a time.

Lila is quite the party girl…she loves to play, and finds everything funny. But she is the cuddliest girl we have ever had. Whenever my children return home, Lila finds her way into their beds at night. She sleeps with the newest arrival for a few days, eventually returning to my bedroom.

Lila has the sweetest disposition. She lays quietly while I groom her, cutting her nails, brushing her fur, cleaning her ears. She never gets upset. But, she definitely is not the best listener. When Lila is being spoken to sternly, she gets super close and rolls over saying, "Look at me, I didn't mean it, see I am so good, please rub my tummy." I know, we shouldn't, but we cannot resist her face. She tries so hard to please, and she makes everyone laugh.

Lila and her "sister" Evita get along wonderfully. They often remind me of two toddler sisters. I feel so lucky that they like each other. When I leave, they have full run of the house, but both just sleep together in the kitchen.

Lila is so wonderful, we couldn't ask for more. I hope you and your family are doing well. My husband and I look at your website every few weeks, and fall in love over and over again with your puppies. I wish I could have another, but two is enough for now.

Best and warmest regards,

Nadine and family

Lincoln an offspring of Yanka and Buddy

Received in January 2014

Hi Dagmar,
Hope this email finds you and your family well. Jeff and I wanted to send you a photo of Lincoln at 1 year. He has turned into an exceptionally good boy. He is amazingly active, but loves all people and dogs (squirrels and deer are another matter). As an offspring of Yanka and Buddy, he exceeds all expectations of their best traits. We know that the upcoming litter will be wonderful and anyone lucky enough to get one of their puppies will have a fabulous companion. As always,
Best Regards,
Jane and Jeff

Bär, the son of Funny von der Martinskapelle and Buddy vom Kuckucksland, together with his owner

Bar vom Haus Barrett is soon to be 17 months old weighs 88 pounds. Bar is German for bear. Bar is not as tall as the two GSD that we had before him, but he is longer, both were from Germany, both long hair and great dogs. Each had there own personalities, both faithful family companions. Hans (the second GDS) was my wife's dog and best friend, wanted to be in the area but not the touchy feely type. The first was Zeke well trained and a great protector, which takes a lot of time and training, I was younger then and more demanding at that time. Zeke was gallant, and obedient, never did anything he wasn't told to. Now we have only Bar, Hans passed two months after bar arrived at the age of 12 years 3 months. Bar is smarter than the other two, very loving, always by my side (or on my lap) when I'm home, or working in the yard or garden. He rides in the truck and John Deere Gator, loves to visit the neighbors. Bar has a Doggy Door and lives with us, he has access to a large run with a six foot fence, but he lives in the house. One other thing about Bar, he is a trouble maker. Everything in the house is locked up or put above six foot. I should have known that this was the way it was going to be from the start, example:

Bar arrived at Chicago Airport on January 2, 2012, things around the farm has not been the same since. When we picked him up after his long journey, put him in his shipping cage in the back of our large SUV to take him home, about 4 hour trip by car. I put down one of the seats to access the cage, my wife was driving and we had a life-long friend (before kindergarten) with us, they were both in the front. I let bar out of his cage and gave him a small dish of water, he drank it then came over and laid on my lap. After a while he got up, smelled around, walked back into his cage and peed, I thought that this dog was the smartest dog I'd ever seen for his age, but wait. Next I decided to give him food, been many hours since he had any. I knew that the rule with puppies is food in shortly poop out, but I was sure he would go to the cage just as before, well I was wrong. Now remember it is below freezing, in the state I live in you must wear a seat belt even in the back (so I'm tied down), so Bar ate well, then starts the smelling around again, into the cage he goes, out in a short while, but no smell. I expected an odor, but none, this is a great dog. Then off to explore the back of the SUV, just 6 inches past my reach he finds my cap. I grew up in a farm community every male in the county wears a cap. Bar smells it looks at me almost smiling, as if he knew I could not reach him, squats and poops in my cap, now I have other caps, no big deal. Remember I said it was below freezing, and we are in a vehicle in heavy traffic, with heat on and the windows up. Oh what an odor, windows go down, two women yelling at me, the three of us have a hard time breathing, and five miles to the next exit. Get to a gas station about ten minutes later, dump the hat and leave before anyone can stop us, where is Bar, asleep in the seat. We rode in the cold with the windows down for miles, my eyes still water just thinking about it. Since then I keep the caps hid.
Well that was the start. Bar has done many things, over the last year, like carrying a box on his head up the stairs, taking the can goods from the basement shelving to his pen in the back yard, through his Doggy Door. Last summer he found that he could get on the bed by himself; one night he chewed a hole in the down comforter, Mary Ann wakes up yelling that we had spiders in the bed. Turns out, after we turned the lights on that Bar was entertaining himself by slapping his paw on the bed so it would spew feathers through the small hole, which was directly under the ceiling fan. That night he was MY DOG, so I cleaned the bedroom, anyway Mary Ann was laughing so hard she would not have been much help, She loves to tell the story. Another instance we bought a new front load washing machine last fall and Mary Ann was getting ready to wash the sheets and pillow cases when she had a distraction, she came back, started the washer, said Bar was setting beside the washer where he was when she left the room for only minutes. She had not got the door closed, when she finished washing and when to put everything in the dryer, part of it was missing. You guessed it, Bar had taken what he could out the Doggy Door and in the process had shut the washer door so Mary Ann did not notice anything was wrong. There is not a day that goes by that we do not laugh at something that he does.

If you want a dog, go to the pound. If you want a member of the family, that is smart, loving, wants to learn, you can laugh at and I swear with, get a Barrett. Bar is fast, strong, faithful and loves everybody that comes to our farm. When he has a leash on he is one of the best manner dogs around, when it's off he is a bear. Bar is our protector; about three weeks ago along about 1:00 AM the coyotes came up behind the house and started yelping, way close to the house. Bar came into the bedroom jumped on the bed and raised cane, barking loud. I went to the back door and scared them away, Bar slept in the door way to the bedroom the rest of the night (he likes to sleep outside in the cold). I went back to sleep, Mary Ann read for a while, she said he would growl once in a while. No body or thing was going to get past Bar.
Some say we have spoiled Bar, Mary Ann will fix him chicken and noodles, we buy chicken livers when we go to the store, just for him, and if he gets low on marrow bones we stop everything and go to the butcher shop. This all being said, we raised our son them same way. Don't get me wrong we corrected our son as do we with Bar, I guess what I'm trying to express, is the fact that he is not just a dog. He's Bar vom Haus Barret, his I.D. tag reads Bar Patton, he's family. Just wish we'd got twins.

April 10, 2013
Randy Patton
Mount Auburn, Illinois, USA

Received in April 2013

Dame-Ziva, a daughter of Nora and Tyson

Received for New Years 2012

Dear Dagmar & Family,

Our Dame-Ziva (Tyson-Nora) has just turned 4 years old, so we thought it would be a good time to send you an update on her.
She continues to have endless energy. She never seems to get tired. She was very happy when she went outside this morning to find the ground covered in snow. She loves to run as fast as she can in the snow.
Ziva is a very healthy and happy girl. She has learned to live with her feline housemate. Although, she does like to "correct" the cat when he scratches on the furniture or doors. She knows that he should not do this and will offer her assistance by nipping at the cat's hind legs while he is stretched up in a scratching pose to make him get down. If that fails, she just knocks him down and holds him with her paw. She is a very efficient disciplinarian!
She also continues to exhibit very distinct BARRETT traits - she loves to have a toy in her mouth. She also prefers to select which toy she would like to play with at any particular time. Her toys are in a container and she will stick her head inside the container and toss out the toys she is NOT interested in until she finds the one that she wants that day. She is not looking for the same toy each time. One day it may be the small red ball, the next day it may be the chew bone and another day it may be the large pink ball, etc. She has very strong opinions!!
She is convinced that every bed (and sofa) in the house belongs to her. She loves to be very comfortable when she sleeps. She sleeps just like a person. She arranges the pillows until they are to her exact liking - sometimes even tossing them off the bed if she does not want a pillow that day. She is so funny, she makes us laugh.

Ziva is a very good guard dog. She is always alert and will defend her people & property, which seems to come naturally to her.
She is very smart and loves to be challenged mentally. I am always trying to think of games to play that work her mind. She loves to search & find things. She has an excellent nose for tracking. Hopefully, in the spring we can do some more of this type of training.
We have attached a few photos to show you - the first ones show her on alert for a stranger approaching, then there are pictures of her using her nose to find treats that are hidden in a puzzle (she must first identify which wooden peg has the hidden treat using her sense of smell, then she must remove the peg to reveal the treat), then her guarding the house by watching out the window for strangers and finally Ziva opening her Christmas present (she understands the concept of unwrapping presents better than most children!!).

We hope that you and your family had a wonderful Christmas and will enjoy a very Happy New Year!

Warmest Regards,
Susan & Michael Goldstein

Dame-Ziva watching out for strangers and looking for her Christmas presents

Uriel, a daughter of Nora and Tyson (view u-litter)

Received in December 2012

Hi Dagmar,

I was finally able to send some photos of our wonderful GSD, Uriel. We changed her name to Fiona, and call her "Fee". You cannot imagine how much we love this dog. She is more human than dog, she is so full of energy and so ready to play, but yet obedient and very sensitive to everyone in the family She is especially great with our grandchildren, as you can see from the picture. She is always carrying something around in her mouth, but then you said, all Barretts do this. She also loves the water and is always dropping her toys in the pool, so she can fish them out.

I must admit, we were a little hesitant at first, buying a puppy we couldn't choose for ourselves, but you sent us the perfect one. I have recommended you to several of my friends, because they think our dog is so beautiful and so smart...

A million thanks again for a most wonderful addition to our family. I always check your website and love seeing the puppies and the incredibly beautiful adults. I am sending along a few more pictures separately.

PS. Yesterday was her second birthday, so we had a big party.
Thanks again,
Pat Gordon

Hindy, a daughter of Indi and Yakko

Received in November 2012

Hundemama
I am doing well. I have two new teeth. My parents say I am too active, but anyway they try to be on my level.
Please find some photos – me and my “friend•, me and my favorite toy ( in principal I am playing with everything in the house, espesially with these things, which my parents think are not allowed),
and simply me.
I will keep you informed, now I am on a hurry as we are going for a walk
Best regards
Hindy

Xavier from House Barrett, a son of Queeny and Tyson

We have received an Email from Linda and John out of New York, the happy owner of "Xavier"

We like to share these lines with all the visitors of our webpge

Hi Dagmar,

I want to send you a picture of our beautiful Warrior (Xavier), from Queeny & Tyson. He is now 10 months old and I must say, probably the most beautiful dog we've ever had. And he is so loveable! He makes us laugh so much. I forget that he is still a pup because he is so big! He looks so much like his Dad, Tyson. Such beautiful color and long, long hair. People are always stopping to tell us how beautiful he is.

I thank you, Dagmar, for the friendship that has formed between us over the past year and a half. You were so patient as I continued to email you. And you always got back with me quickly to answer my questions or reassure me. This dog was well worth the wait!

I hope some day you can visit us in New York.

Sincerely,
Linda & John

Tuco from House Barrett, a son of Olympia and Tyson

We have received an Email from Donna out of Canada, the happy owner of "Tuco"

We like to share these lines with all the visitors of our webpge

February 14th, 2011

Just wanted to thank you again for all the work and love you and your family have done in breeding and raising these exceptional German shepherd dogs. I am so happy I found your website and have followed it closely over this past year. You provide all the information that people need and should be researching before bringing a GSD into there home. I know you have experienced losses over the years and yet continue to be committed to the future of this beautiful breed.
You have allowed us into your home so to speak and see for ourselves that these dogs are given all the right things ie breeding,training,socialization etc. Your standards are of the highest quality and I only wish that more breeders would follow suit.
Now about our Tuco, he is the brightest and smartest puppy.( i'm sure everyone says that) but he seems to learn things almost instantly! I noticed right from day one that he looks directly into our eyes. I am sure that he gets that from Tyson. He is confident, not shy or afraid of new people or things. He loves car rides, going to new places and is just curious about everything.
We are in puppy socialization class right now and I am just so proud of him.
Although we never planned to do sch training with him, he will continue into obedience classes and we will see where this leads. (I'll keep you updated on his progress). He is 20 lbs , very fuzzy so looks much bigger and super handsome.
I have to laugh that one of the other new puppy parent changed the name to devil! We were close to doing the same during week no.1, only to soon realize that these guys were born to work,are active and have brains. They want to please, need our patience,persistence and guidance to become the best that they can be. We love our Tuco very much, he is a lot of work and wouldn't change him for the world.
Sincerely and forever grateful
Donna Biber

Maxus from House Barrett, a son of Olympia and Tyson

We have received an Email from Michelle

We like to share these lines with all the visitors of our webpge

December 16th, 2010

Dagmar,

To all the German Shepherd lovers out there, who are lucky enough to get a long coat from House Barrett like my Maxus, which came from the Olympia and Tyson litter, you would be in heaven! Look at how handsome my boy is! Not only is he drop dead gorgeous, he is the biggest and I mean the biggest love ever! I live in Virginia in the USA and had Maxus shipped over here by Dagmar. This has been the best thing I could have ever done. Thank you Dagmar for this absolutely beautiful long coat German Shepherd by the name of Maxus that you picked for me!

In these pictures Maxus just turned 9 months old.

Michelle and Maxus

Dayna vom House Barrett, daughter of Nora and Tyson

We have received such a nice Email from "Dayna"

We like to share these lines with you

December 12th, 2010

Hello Mama Nora and Dad Tyson and of course family Anderson,

At first congratulations to mama and dad with the new born puppies. It is great to hear that there are so many brothers and sisters.
Hopefully you are doing well mom because it is a very intens occasion. Me and my family hope to see some pictures soon.
The families who will get a puppy out of this litter will be extremely lucky.
The children of Nora and Tyson are very intelligent with a high playdrive and very aimed at people.
That is what I hear from my family.

They are still very happy to have me!!!!
We all folow your site Dagmar and it is good to see that everything is going well.

Greetings from Dayna!!!!

Xabie from House Barrett, a daughter of Nora and Tyson

Kerry Krumbeck from Houston send the following lines to us to share with everybody

July 17th 2008

I would like to say a few words about my experience with House Barrett and the puppy I recently received. First, my little female "Xabie" from Nora - Tyson is everything I was hoping for. She's smart, loves the tennis ball, and anything that has water in it. This is my 3rd week with her and she already knows Sit, Down, and Go to Bed thru food treats. We do ball play and she's doing great: Take it - Bring, and Here. Xabie is playful, smart, confident, alert, affectionate, and shows a lot of expression.
I knew before the puppy arrived what I was getting thru the litter pages. Many evenings were spent looking over each breeding combination and the offspring they produced. By describing to Dagmar my likes, dislikes, and dog experience level she selected the perfect female from the X litter.
I also like that Dagmar titles her dogs in Schutzhund. This shows her commitment to a sound breeding program that's about more than just breeding long coats as in the U.S.
Once I decided to import a female Shepherd from House Barrett the hardest part was waiting and seeing other females go to their new homes that had deposits ahead of mine.
My vet gave Xabie a clean bill of health and commented that she was the finest female GSD he has seen in structure and looks. I could not be happier.
Kerry Krumbeck
Houston, Texas

Yoko from House Barrett

The Santos Family from North Carolina send the following lines to us to share with everybody

July 23rd 2008
Well, what can I say? I fell in love with dear baby Yoko from the moment I met her! She has the most wonderful temperament, extraordinary pigmentation, and she is as graceful as can be. My family and I have owned quality German Shepherds our entire lives and we must admit that Baby Yoko is the smarted little girl we have ever had. At nine weeks old….. she knows her name, goes in and out of the doggy door and is extremely alert and very feisty! When I talk about her….my friends say it sounds like I am talking about my very own daughter and I tell them "I am." In such a short time, Yoko has become such an important part of our family….my husband and I, my father, my two children, my two other German Shepherds and my American Bulldog.
It was my pleasure to work with such an exceptional person and breeder like Dagmar. She is honest, experienced and most of all cares about the kind of puppy that will be the best fit for your family. I am so thankful to have found House-Barrett Kennels and can`t wait to have another House-Barrett baby join my family in the future!!!!!!

Sincerely and Graciously,

The Santos Family

Yago vom Haus Barrett

M.C. and Beverly Rhoads send the following lines to us to share with everybody:

CONGRATULATIONS The fact that you are reading these testimonials tells me that you have already accomplished a difficult task. You have found the House-Barrett website where long-haired GSD's (German Shepherd Dogs) of the highest quality are found.

My wife and I have had German Shepherds for over 25 years now. We lost our beloved Oskar in December of 2003. He was a long coat and the most perfect friend a person could have. I tear up just writing these lines about him.

As you read these testimonials you will see similar stories about people who have experienced the great joy of living with GSD's and the deep sorrow of losing them. The common thread is that they come back for more.

I was told of the House-Barrett website by a German friend who was for many years herself a breeder of the GSD. You can see what a beautiful website this is but read between the lines and feel the love that Dagmar Anderson and her family have for these magnificent animals. If you're an animal lover, I'll bet you have observed the way people handle their animals and thereby accurately assessed that person's character. Dagmar Anderson is like that. What you see on her website is what you get.

A German Shepherd is not for everybody. Read the information on this site about their history and temperament etc. If you want a dog to chain to a tree in the backyard please hit ( CTRL ALT DELETE ). If you are looking for a highly intelligent animal that sleeps in your master bedroom and gives your family tons of love, affection and protection consider a dog from House-Barrett.

If you can travel to Germany to see these animals firsthand do so by all means. I could not afford to make the trip. We exchanged many emails with Dagmar. She got acquainted with us and we formed a kinship with her. It is difficult to send a substantial sum of money (not to mention trusting in them to choose the right puppy for you) into the black hole of the internet but have faith, you will be enormously rewarded.

We had to wait for some time to get the parents we wanted and then hope for the right number of males and females. We decided on a little boy from Melody and Gustl. Yago (see him in the "Y" litter) was born in August of 2004 and we picked him up at the airport in October. All I can say is the internet photos don't do these dogs justice. They are awesome.

If you choose a puppy from House-Barrett, don't wait for a small, shy little dog to arrive. Dagmar's puppies are big, bold and beautiful. What you will find when you open the shipping crate has to be experienced to be believed. Yago had been in his crate for about 15 hours. He knew his name and he had made no mess. He bounded out of the crate and had kisses for us. He knew he was going home. He rode on my wife's lap and didn't cry or whine.

Dagmar Anderson is available by email or phone and will answer questions and is a great resource. Don't assume that your vet knows everything about your dog. Scientific knowledge is one thing but a good breeder has a lot of practical experience where "the rubber meets the road".

If you require an independent opinion, email me at (oskarvinnie6@aol.com) I will give you my phone number if you want. I love to talk about these most special animals.

The best recommendation I can give House-Barret is this--I would buy another dog from them in a heartbeat.
M.C. and Beverly (and YAGO of course) Rhoads
Washington State, December 2004

Quindy vom Haus Barrett, a daughter of Cindy and Gustl

A wonderful letter we received from Sonja and family:

We would like to share our experience with everyone who is interested in getting puppy from the House-Barrett kennel. You will not only get a wonderful, beautiful, well socialized and healthy puppy, you will get a breeder who will be there for you 24/7 (this is not an exaggeration).

We decided to get a puppy in the summer of 2002. We were vacationing in Maine and one night, we found a beautiful German Shepherd in the middle of the dirt road, deep into the Maine woods. She was lost and clearly eager to be with people. We took her with us and the very next day found her owners. That night made us decide to get another dog. We have had a mix Shepherd for 10 years and after she died and we moved to New York City we didn't want to have another dog. However, one single night with that dog in Mane made us change our minds.

We have had very bad experience many years before with the breeder in New Jersey, so I decided to hit the internet and look for a dog in Germany. At that time I even didn't know that you can get a long coat GSD. Once I found out that such breeders exist, I found Dagmar's web page and after seeing her dogs, it was clear to us that we wanted to have one of them. It was love at first sight! Purchasing a puppy over the phone is a pretty scary experience. You cannot see puppies or parents and you have to rely on what you see on the web site. I talked many times with Dagmar and got a very good feeling. She put me in touch with a lady who already bought her dogs from Dagmar and I was sure that I will get a very good puppy.

We couldn't get a dog from the litter we were waiting for, because Indra produced only two puppies, so we went on the waiting list for the next litter. Little while later Cindy and Gustl had pups and we were getting one of them. I cannot describe what excitement filled our house. After 6 years without dog we were getting a puppy! It was almost like expecting a baby.

Quindy arrived in Boston one cold, December afternoon. Except for being a little smelly after such long flight, she was in excellent shape. She slept on my lap on the way home for five hours. She didn't cry, she felt very comfortable and was very sweet. When we came home, I gave her a short bath and she took it like a trooper. No fear, or tantrum or anything like it. Only two days after her arrival she "asked" to go out. We were all very impressed. She was the cutest and funniest little dog we have ever seen. Needless to say we loved her from the moment we saw her. She always had ideas what to do next. She was a little entertainer! We had such good laughs with her!
Then, it was time to return to New York. The trip was about 10 hours and she went through it with no problem. Since then, we have made many of these trips with Quindy and she always took it well.

Unfortunately, in New York she managed to find a glass and brake it and eat a piece of it. She had to have surgery and was unlucky enough to get complications from it which required another surgery. At that time Dagmar was talking to me on daily basis sometimes more than once. It was because of Dagmar that my dog survived. She told me what to feed her and how to care for her. Doctors here were absolutely useless. It took long time for Quindy to recover, but she did. I remember that one doctor suggested of putting her down. She would be surprised to see her today.

Quindy is a beautiful, self confident, outgoing dog. Her intelligence is incredible. I was very worried that after her ordeal with hospital she will become fearful and unstable. It didn't happen. She loves people and especially children. I can never take a short walk around the block with her, because so many people stop to ask where did I get her and what kind of dog she is. When she was still a puppy, she would never get scared of sirens (which are notorious for New York City) or other strange noises. She kept her cool in all situations. She loves other dogs, too. We bring her to the dog run every day and she plays with other dogs without any problems. When we go to Maine she accompanies us on our snowmobile rides or in summer she comes kayaking and swimming. Swimming is her favorite activity.

She has excellent sense of smell and without ever being trained to track she will let me know if somebody came home (she gets very excited in the elevator) or she would pull me through the park till she finds one of our kids or my husband. She knows all of us by name. One early Sunday morning (I was still in my night gown) I went to throw out some trash and locked myself out in the hallway. I knew that our doormen will be coming to pick up the garbage any moment, and I didn't know how to get back. My husband was on the phone in another room so I told to Quindy through the closed door 'go get Helmut". I heard her going away and barking, but of course my husband didn't react. Then she came back and barked and I told her again to 'go get Helmut'. She went again and barked at him and he finally realized that something was going on and opened the door. I was very proud of my little girl. She has to visit a place only once to know exactly how to get there. She knows for example, where my studio is or where my husband's office is. She will make the turn to the exact street where she has to go. I have tested her so many times and she never failed.

I cannot praise Dagmar's work with her dogs enough. She has unmatched dedication when it comes to caring for and training her dogs. She has become my friend and we still e-mail each other on regular basis. I must also mention her children who are very involved with raising the pups and are doing an excellent job. For that, we thank them all.

Sonja, Helmut, Meret and David Hofer,
Rangeley Plt., Maine, 2004

Wotai vom Haus Barrett, a son of Nora and Tabaluga

Ajax vom Haus Jack