Kleinen Wiese German Shepherds

Posted By Sandy Wilson on September 4, 2010

Aiko von der Kleinen Wiese

Producing good dogs generation after generation is not by accident – it is breeding with purpose and excellent genetics.  I also think that you must make the decision to keep high standards to produce the best dogs that you can, rather than make exceptions and lower standards for breeding.  I have  a vision in my head of what I want to produce and have always kept to those standards which I have set for myself.  I don’t want to make compromises when breeding, as the goal is to always try and improve what you have and make it better and also keep what is good in your genetics strong. Good breeding can be a challenge — there is so much to consider.  There is no way to control what is going to come to surface in each dog’s gene pool such as recessessives, etc, so when selecting a breeding pair of dogs, it can be quite  a challenge.  The better you know the dogs your breeding and the more homework you do on the dogs such as researching progeny produced and also what characteristics are coming out strongly from each dog, the better you are able to predict what might come out in your breeding.   You can’t just select dogs for specific traits to improve breeding, but you must look at the dog as a whole and what it possesses that makes it a great dog worth breeding.  Breeding is a crapshoot, but the better you know the dogs and the more reseach you do, will help you to “load the dice” to produce an outcome in your favor.  Finding dogs whose gene’s “nick” together are probably the best and when you find that special match of male and female, you can produce some very special dogs!

For me, dogs that posses natural herding instinct, genetic obedience,a full grip, a solid temperament, and good work ethic start from good genetics and we have been lucky enough to see the progression of these fine attributes through selective breeding.  This has been our goal since we started breeding our dogs, as we have never lost sight of it in our breeding program and we hope to continue breeding very selectively and produce good dogs.

Hera v. Fafnerhaus with “A” Litter

(Hera v. Fafnerhaus X Diesel v. Schulmeister, SchHI, AD)

Also important for breeding good dogs is structure, especially for working dogs.  They must possess solid structure and  movement, hips and elbows must be x-rayed and be free of any dysplasia (I prefer OFA at 2 years of age),  the dog must move properly coming and going thereby exhibiting true balance of movement and not extremes in any aspect.  Balance and freedom of movement are important in a dog’g longevity and also allows a working dog to perform to it’s fullest capability.  The well structured dog will have the ability to work for longs periods of time and possess good agility to do all different types of work.  You cannot merely base breeding decisions on a dog’s coat color, side movement, ear set, etc.; it is the dog as a whole that makes a a good dog worth breeding, not just one aspect.

Below you will see several photographs of several generations of dogs that have been carefully bred.  Below is Alf v. Fafnerhaus, known as Nicky, his son Dux v. Fafnerhaus, known as Luki, then two great grandsons, Aiko von der Kleinen Wiese and Caden von der Kleinen Wiese, and lastly a great granddaughter to Nicky, our little Delta von der Kleinen Wiese.  I know and have known each and everyone of these dogs personally and I can truly say that the fine qualities that I look for in a working dog have surely been passed down from generation to generation.  Nicky is a dog who I would love have all of my dogs be like – he is the vision of a dog that I want to always produce in my breeding program.  To me, he was the total package!

Alf v. Fafnerhaus working at Nickelsberg Farm – Nicky worked everyday his whole life – what a dog he was.

As I have mentioned in my earlier posts, Nicky was the last dog that was produced out of Schafermeister Manfred Heyne’s last HGH dog.  Nicky’s sire was Nick von der Stammherde Ramholz, HGH, and the dam was Margaret von Fafnerhaus, SchHI.  Together these two dogs produced one of the best herding dogs I have seen that still possessed the old herding blood and had the genetic obedience that Manfred always talked about.  His work ethic was simply incredible and his temperament flawless in my opinion.

Below is a Nicky son, Dux, who Manfred handpicked from a Nicky litter when he was in the US.  He took Dux back to Germany with him and titled him with a HGH and also used him for his everyday working dog to herd his flock of sheep.  When Manfred was too old to work Dux anymore, he sent him back to the place of his birth to continue to do the job he loved the most, tending sheep.  I know Manfred missed this dog terribly, but he had such love for Luki, that he knew that he would be happiest working as he had done for Manfred.  To this day, at 12 years of age, this dog still can move sheep and has such a presence.  What a boy he is – so proud — such HEART!!

Dux v. Fafnerhaus, HGH “Luki” – Nicky Son

Pictured above, Dux v. Fafnerhaus, HGH (Alf v. Fafnerhaus X Ussa von Kuchenthal, HGH), working on Nickelsberg Farm.  Dux or “Luki” as Manfred Heyne called him, was his last true working dog before passing away earlier this year.  Luki was very well trained by Manfred.   I was so lucky this year to have my boy Aiko work along side of him, herding the sheep together – it was really a sight I won’t forget and a memory I will have forever.  I have been extremely fortunate to have seen several of the dogs who Manfred had trained himself –  what dogs they were – Manfred was a genius when it came to dog training and breeding, but more than that, he loved these dogs with his heart and soul and loved the German Shepherd Breed for what it was originally bred for – real work, true intelligence, a dog with real spirit and with a zest for life.

Aiko von der Kleinen Wiese – Nicky Grandson

Aiko herding over 300 sheep at Nickelsberg Farm where his grandfather Nicky had once worked the same flock.  I know Nicky would have been proud of his grandson!

Aiko (Hera von Fafnerhaus X Diesel vom Schulmeister, SchHI, AD) is out of our Nicky daughter Hera.  Hera was our first true herding dog that had all the herding instinct and talent we could ever ask for.  She is obedient beyond belief and a super worker.  She was a dog that could do everything.  She could track, do protection work, obedience, agility and herd sheep – she is amazing.  We were so in love with these genetics, that we knew we had to try and save these special working dogs and so we decided to breed Hera.  We produced our Aiko von der Kleinen Wiese and also kept a daughter Arla von der Kleinen Wiese.  Aiko is so much like his grandfather Nicky – intelligent, possesses great work ethic, natural herding abilities and a wonderful temperament and balanced structure that allows this dog to trot all day.  We loved this breeding so much, that we repeated it later on and produced some very nice puppies.

Caden von der Kleinen Wiese – Nicky Grandson doing schutzhund work (Repeat Breeding “C” Litter)

Caden is presently training at the Calgary Schutzhund Club in Canada and doing very well.   Donna Brinkworth is training under the direction of Dan Waters and Training Director Wade Waters.   Best of luck to Donna & Caden!

Below is a picture of our Delta, the next generation and she is proving to possess those same wonderful qualities in these genetics that are so prepotent.  Delta is very obedient and extremely intelligent and so easy to train – she is really a joy to work with.   Delta is a great granddaughter of Nickys.  She is just a little over a year old now and really working beautifully on the boundary.  She is just starting out, but I see that she is so happy to work, and she listens so well!  She loves working the sheep and looks so forward to her weekly lessons and I see that each week she is progressing with great confidence.  Delta is out of our Arla von der Kleinen Wiese (Hera & Diesel) and Hawk v. Eichenluft, SchHIII.

Hawk was a nice match for Arla as he has such strong working dogs in his pedigree, a solid temperament, and he also comes from a line of intelligent dogs.  Best of all, I was pleased to find Hawk had some significant HGH dogs in his lines that go back to “good” old blood.  To me, it was so important to find a dog that nicked together well with our lines, but still have our lines be prepotent in the breeding and so far that is happening.  Hawk added greatly to our gene pool and we were so thankful to have the opportunity to breed our Arla to him.  Hawk is retired now and getting older, but what a super dog he is and in great shape.  Thank you Kandi and hugs to you Hawki (Click on Rokanhaus German Shepherds on the sidebar for more on Hawk)!

Delta von der Kleinen Wiese

(Arla von der Kleinen Wiese x Hawk v. Eichenluft, SchHIII)

Delta always seems to be in perpetual motion; she loves to play ball or do anything that involves going outside and being the center of attention.  Right now she is training for herding and we are going to get back to her tracking this Fall.  She is an awesome tracker!

Delta – she is an intense pup when at work!

More on Delta later as she progresses in her training with the large flock!

Category: Herding, Schutzhund, Tracking | No Comments »
Tags: Aiko vd. Kleinen Wiese, Alf v. Fafnerhaus, C-Litter, Caden, D-Litter, Delta, Dux v. Fafnerhaus "Luki", Hawk v. Eichenluft, Schutzhund, Sheep Herding

Posted By Sandy Wilson on July 18, 2010

AIKO

Aiko von der Kleinen Wiese (Hera v. Fafnerhaus X Diesel v. Schulmeister, SchHI)

Our boy Aiko is out of Hera v. Fafnerhaus and Diesel v. Schulmeister, SchHI. Aiko has some of the most outstanding herding dogs in his pedigree that ever lived and I am so happy that these strong genetics have passed down and are still so strong in these lines.  Aiko’s mother, Hera, is a daughter to Alf v. Fafnerhaus, also known as Nicky.  Nicky was the last dog produced from Manfred Heyne’s original herding lines.  We are so proud to see these herding genetics come alive in these dogs.

Each day we worked the dogs early morning and late in the evening to avoid the extreme heat.  Just so happens there was a heat wave, but that didn’t matter much to the dogs, they were totally committed to their job.

We worked different grazes each day and evening.  It was the first time Aiko had worked a flock this large and had never been to the Catskills to work in a strange place with other dogs.  Aiko was only interested in the sheep and his work.  He definitely had alot of ground to cover on the boundary to contain the sheep in these vast grazes.  The grazes that we worked were surrounded by all open space and the sheep could have taken off in any direction, so this was a good indicator to us that Aiko was strong enough to keep these sheep contained and he never lost one sheep.  It was really nice to see what a strong and dedicated worker he really is.   I think herding that many sheep is really a challenge to a dog, but it was one that he was up for and we were so proud that he handled it so well.  

Boundary around grazing area is wide and good for multiple dogs working.

These grazes were a considerable size as they had to allow for over 300 sheep to spread out and graze and so it was a lot of ground to cover all the borders, but Aiko is very much a thinking dog.  He would watch and observe closely to see where he needed to go to cover the boundary.  These dogs are so smart and they know instinctively where to be to put the  pressure on the boundary to keep the sheep in the graze.  Mostly the lambs were the biggest challenge as they don’t always follow the rules, so Aiko had his work cut out for him and I think he did a fantastic job – we were so excited just watching him work.

Watching over the flock!

Aiko worked very independently with a bit of help from his handler, but all in all he showed us that he can work a large flock with no trouble.  He works independently and very confidently along the border and definitely has the respect of the sheep.  The sheep were able to graze very close to the border with Aiko patrolling, but if a sheep was outside the boundary, there was Aiko to place them right back in the graze.  I think these dogs take their jobs so seriously, but they also get great joy in proving they are in charge of the flock.  I would many times see a border closely packed with sheep and Aiko would race down the boundary and you could see all the sheep move back   You could just see the smile on that dogs face as he pushed the sheep back and he knew he did a good job – these dogs just love their work.

Aiko vd Kleinen Wiese (Nicky Grandson) and “Luki” Dux v. Fafnerhaus (Nicky Son)  working the boundary together!

Aiko working the flock alone!

When it was very hot outside, we took Luki and Emma in to just let Aiko work the flock alone and he really took pride in taking charge of the whole flock.  I could tell he was really growing in experience and confidence in these few days that we really let him work!  It was great to see that he could work like his grandfather once did and now work along side Luki, a Nicky son.

Luki, Dux v. Fafnerhaus, was a professional HGH dog, who lived most of his life in Germany herding sheep as a full time job working with Manfred Heyne, a professional shepherd.  Luki was a great mentor for Aiko.  Both dogs patrolled along the boundary keeping the sheep perfectly under control.  I always find it fascinating to watch how these dogs work together and communicate silently – one dog covering one area of the flock while the other dog  covers another part of the graze.

It’s just so beautiful in the Catskills with the surrounding mountains and waterfalls, but what makes it memorable to me is watching these dogs tend to the sheep – it really gave me goosebumps as I observed Aiko move along the boundary, as I  so fondly remember watching Nicky, Aiko’s grandfather,  do the same years before.  All you hear is the sound of bird’s singing, sheep munching on grass, and the feel of the breeze on your face – doesn’t get better than that.

Sheep all munching nicely while Aiko patrols the boundary!

During the days we spent herding in the mountains,  I think too, my husband learned to trust his dog more and direct less and just let Aiko work.  It is so important in the relationship to empower your dog and make them feel good about what they are doing; this is achieved sometimes saying nothing at all and just let them enjoy working!  These dogs do not need constant praise.    It is what these dogs were bred to do – work!

Below are some candid shots taken while in the Catskills and also around the grazes while Aiko worked the flock!  You can see the lovely scenery of the Catskills in many of the pictures – the mountains are immense, the waterfalls are shimmering in the sunlight, and lay of the land just beautiful with rolling hills covered in lush grasses, wildflowers, and clover.

Baaaaaaa, Baaaaaaaa!

Category: Herding | No Comments »
Tags: A Litter Puppies, A-Litter, Aiko, Aiko vd. Kleinen Wiese, Herding, Wide Graze

Posted By Sandy Wilson on May 24, 2010

DELTA VON DER KLEINEN WIESE (Arla vd Kleinen Wise X Hawk v. Eichenluft, SchH3)

This weekend we decided to start tracking again; the weather was nice and there was plenty of moisture in the ground to hold a scent.  Delta is now 11 months old and hasn’t tracked the whole Winter, but now it’s time to start tracking again since she is a little more mature.  I set up a single straight track with one zig-zag to see how she would take a few turns and she did very well.  She is a very intense dog and really enjoys tracking, but she is still very young and immature.  She wants to blow through the track and she doesn’t even pick up some of the bait because she is too quick, so will have to work on slowing her down and possibly having her be more hungry to want to eat every piece of food on the track.

Delta above here really working and pulling hard on the track.  In hindsight, I should have picked a day with less wind, as the cross wind may  have made it a little more difficult for her tracking.   There were several parts on the track where she lifted her head and circled and so I want to make it much easier for her and build her confidence first.  I know she can do the work, but I don’t want her to get frustrated.  She loves to work and never quits.   Love this little gal!  She is one very, very active dog – always wanting to do some type of activity.  This is the type of dog that needs alot of mental stimulation.

Delta is a dog that loves to play and have something to do at all times.  Tracking, fetching the ball and doing little tricks, and herding the sheep are just a few of her favorite things to do.  This is a busy puppy!

AIKO VON DER KLEINEN WIESE (Hera v Fafnerhaus X Diesel v Schulmeister, SchH1)

Aiko (4 years old) is older than Delta and a much more mature dog who is methodical in his tracking and a real thinking dog.  He is a pleasure to take out and track with.  He has a very deep nose and great work ethic.  He keeps going and when you finish the track, he is looking for more.  Above is Aiko just starting his track; it was an  “L” shaped track with one turn and then a final turn that was short to find the Jackpot at the end of the track.  He had a great start to his track, and like with Delta’s track, there was some cross wind that made the track a bit more challenging.  Aiko lifted his head once or twice to catch the wind, but then found his turn and did a really nice track.  Again, checking the wind direction before the tracks are laid are so important when tracking with beginner dogs.  Aiko, even though older, started tracking only about 1 1/2 years ago, but he loved it and naturally did well.  He is confident in nature and a thinking dog.  He is the kind of dog that you don’t want to correct harshly, but needs just verbal correction and he fixes himself.  He is a sensitive dog that needs very little direction, and a dog who truly wants to please.  He puts so much effort into his work and you can tell he wants to do a good job.

Bill with Aiko well into the first leg.  Aiko is a natural nose down dog who will work for very little food.  He just loves the work and moves at a nice steady pace too.    The plan for Aiko is more practice and experience for him tracking.  I think also letting the dog problem solve is a big one!  You have to be willing to let the dog figure things out and then praise, praise, to  let him know he is doing the right thing.   I think also taking Aiko to more locations so he can get used to distractions and other surroundings will be a big plus for him to gain experience.

Aiko working with his nose deep into the higher grass.   Next time I take him out, I think we’ll try a different location and more treats to make it a positive experience.  As soon as we get the long line out for tracking, he just gets so excited.  Anytime there is a job to do – he is up for it.  It’s another story when he is going to do sheep chores, he is bouncing and jumping all over the place in excitement, but with tracking he sets himself right in the mind set of sniffing the track.  That’s my boy!

Category: Tracking | No Comments »
Tags: Aiko, Aiko vd. Kleinen Wiese, D-Litter, Delta, Tracking

Posted By Sandy Wilson on May 9, 2010

Aiko von der Kleinen Wiese

Diesel v. Schulmeister, SchHI   X    Hera v. Fafnerhaus

Aiko is a grandson out of Alf v. Fafnerhaus “Nicky”, who was Ellen Nicklesburg’s main herding dog for many, many years.  Nicky was one of the last males to be produced out of  Manfred Heyne’s  bloodlines.   Margaret v. Fafnerhaus was bred to Manfred’s Nick von der Stammherde Ramholz, HGH, to produce Alf “Nicky” von Fafnerhaus.     Nicky was bred to Ussa v. Kuchenthal, HGH, who was chosen by Manfred himself for breeding.  Nicky and Ussa went on to produce many progeny with strong herding genetics.

This breeding combination produced our Hera v. Fafnerhaus.  Hera is the foundation of our breeding program; she consistently passed down her strong herding genetics to so many of her pups.   Aiko is living proof that these herding genetics are still very strong.  We are so proud of him and we know Manfred would be too.

Today we had fun on Mother’s Day with the kids playing on the new trampoline.  While they played, my husband and I took the sheep out to graze with our boy, Aiko!  He  is in seventh heaven when he is out with the sheep.  Aiko is always so happy to work.  It was really a cool day in May after all the hot weather we have had over the past several weeks; even though cool, a very nice day to take the sheep out mid-day!

Aiko tending to the flock at Little Meadow Sheep Farm.

Bill has been working with Aiko since last Fall taking herding lessons and Aiko is coming along very nicely.  We are just thrilled with Aiko as he is such an honest dog – he is the kind of dog who is very handler sensitive and very wanting to please in every way.  Aiko hates to make mistakes and seeks to please – just a super dog and we love him so!

Aiko watching the sheep as he moves along the mowed boundary.

Aiko worked all four sides of the boundary today and did very well.  We cut the graze down a bit, so he had more work to do as our sheep numbers were down this year due to downsizing the flock last year.  Soon we hope to add some Blueface Leicesters to the group, which will be a nice addition to our flock.  I love the fleeces of the Border Leicester, but adding Blueface Leicesters is an extra treat for me since I love to spin – it’s truly like spinning butter – so smoooth!  Next year we should double our flock size and also have a wonderful mix of purebred Border Leicesters, Blueface Leicesters and some crosses – I can’t wait.  I am looking forward to seeing the fleeces we produce in the coming year.  The dogs will also love having a larger flock to herd – more sheep – more work!

The sheep are happily grazing the lush grasses of the pasture and don’t mind Aiko as he patrols the boundary keeping the sheep inside his confines.  He is a very smart worker, always counting his sheep and figuring out where best to be to keep the flock in order.  I love to watch him work – he takes his work seriously and instinctively knows where to be along the border to keep his sheep contained.  These dogs are a true asset to any shepherd.

After some herding, Aiko was ready for a nice game of fetch with his new stick!  LOL!  Aiko tries to always find fallen tree limbs to bring to us!  Gosh, if I could only teach him to pick up all the fallen branches in the yard and put them in a nice neat pile!

That’s MY BOY!

Aiko with his mother, Hera v. Fafnerhaus.  As you can see, he loves his gigle ball too!  Always seems to have a stick or a ball in his mouth – the dogs just all love hanging out together!

Category: Border Leicester Sheep, Herding | No Comments »
Tags: A-Litter, Aiko, Aiko vd. Kleinen Wiese, German Shepherd

Posted By Sandy Wilson on April 7, 2010

Aiko (Hera v. Fafnerhaus X Diesel v. Schulmeister) First day out for our flock with lambs in 2010!

Our Boy!

This weekend we decided to start getting our sheep back into condition after lambing season.  It’s always a challenge to call the sheep and have the lambs come too – it’s just not that easy!  The lambs don’t know what to do and sometimes the mothers are reluctant to leave the little ones.  But after the first day of tasting the sweet green grass, the mothers are much better by the second day!  The lambs are the ones that really need to get used to being led by the shepherd and kept in line by the dog.

Above is our Aiko working our flock for the first time this year.  He has been training this Fall in Knowlton, NJ at Kergloff Farm with Geary Loff and starting to really come along.  He has only been on sheep really since last summer and he has come along way.  He is the kind of dog that really wants to please and hates to make mistakes.  He is really the most honest dog and he is so good with our sheep.  Even with the lambs, Aiko is gentle, yet he gets them back in line where they should be – goodness knows, lambs are a challenge for any dog!

Above Aiko keeps a watchful eye over the new lambs – for that matter, the lambs keep a watch on me too while I am in the graze taking these  pictures.  Sometimes I feel something tugging on me while I am taking pictures and it’s usually my ram trying to eat my shirt, but for the most part, they are busy chomping on the fresh grass.  The lambs are quite intrigued with the dog, and are learning they have boundaries now!

The flock is spread out all over the graze we have, so not all the sheep are pictured, but Aiko patrols back and forth on his own with no direction from his shepherd.  He takes his job very seriously and loves his work more than anything.   When you say his name, his tail wags because he is happy working.  He is learning to really relax this year and also be better able to handle the lamb situation – the lambs are always running and jumping all over the place and they never follow the rules.  I get a kick out of watching them play and figure out exactly what grass is for!  Some of the very young lambs are not eating grass yet and are still just on mom’s milk, so they don’t have a clue – they are just loving life!

Here are just some purebred Border Leicester lambs hanging out – having fun!  They are all different ages, but most were just born recently several weeks ago.  They are all doing well and moms are great nursers for sure!  We love this breed for their long, lusterous wool, their temperaments and they also flock nicely for herding.  They are a mid-size sheep that are easy to care for – the ewes are good mothers, they have good feet, generally hardy and healthy, and I love their curious and friendly nature.  They are nice for large flock tending.  Just a few more ewes to go in the barn for lambing and then they will be on pasture all the time.

That’s all for now, but more to come on herding our flock of sheep.  All the dogs love to work, so it’s tough each giving them time on the flock when it’s early in the season.  Later on when we have the sheep out for several hours at a time, we can switch dogs or even have two dogs work the flock at the same time.

We are just now starting our little Delta in herding too and so it will be an interesting journey bringing her along as a youngster.  She is just full of herself and also has alot of energy that needs to be harnessed!  Can’t wait!   We’ll have updates as she comes along!

Posing for the camera - the lambs are just so curious!

Category: Border Leicester Sheep, Herding | 1 Comment »
Tags: Aiko vd. Kleinen Wiese