His Story
 

Dear Tina (Ma)

I wanted to write to you and tell you about an individual and his dream. I hope that you have the time in your busy day to read this without becoming bored.

A little over two years ago an individual was looking for his “dream dog”. He had always had “shepherds” but was tending to look at other breeds because of past experiences with breeders and the type of shepherds that were being bred. He was looking for the dogs he had remembered as a kid growing up, the Rin Tin Tin’s, the dogs he saw as a young Marine in Viet Nam, utilized as scouts. The big shepherds with the warm eyes who lived to please. Maybe time was playing tricks on his memory. Maybe there is no such dog.

After looking at numerous books and magazines on different breeds, he came upon a small advertisement in one of the dog magazines about a breed called a Shiloh Shepherd.

This individual, being a retired police officers of 32 years, was a bit hardened and skeptical of everyone that he met. His first impressions of someone were seldom changed and from past experiences, breeders were not high on his list. He read everything he could on this breed called a “Shiloh”, from genetics to feeding. Much of this information was over his head, but he read and read.

Finally he found the web site for Shilohs. It was impressive and it was informative. He contacted them via E-mail and filled out the necessary papers as to his background, and living area. This impressed him. Prior to this, if he had the money he could have bought the entire litter from breeders he had dealt with regardless of where he lived or how many dogs he had in his past.

The final step in his quest would be to speak to the breeder. Not an e-mail, and since Chicago is not around the corner from this kennel, a phone call would have to suffice in lieu of a face to face meeting. If this breeder was a salesperson and an “ass”, this search would end and good-bye Shiloh was his attitude.

The breeder asked him exactly what he was looking for in a dog. Without sounding like and idiot, he stated that he wanted a large boned shepherd with intelligence and a temperament that was neither aggressive nor shy. A shepherd with great hips and a shepherd he would be proud to have.

The breeder answered all of the man’s questions with direct and straightforward answers. There was no BS, just confidence in the knowledge the breeder had about the breed and the work that developed it. The breeder told him to read this and that reference about the breed—he was tired of reading. The breeder explained the agreements, contracts and guarantee on the Shilohs, and he agreed on all that was explained to him.

He stated that the agreement, contract and guarantee were “impressive, but he had only one question of the breeder and it would mean more than any legal document or guarantee. Would this breeder give him their “WORD OF HONOR” on fulfilling his imaginative description of a dream dog.

Without hesitation and with complete confidence the breeder gave their “word”. His feeling of skepticism was gone, and he trusted this breeder with his dream.

After numerous e-mails to the breeder, this individual was told that a litter was due in late December 2001 and possibly one of the pups may be [his] ideal dog. Upon completion of tests on temperament etc he was contacted and told that a pup was picked with the traits he requested and it was flown to Chicago on February 20^th, 2002.

From the first contact at the airport, the man knew there was something special about this dog. His ears were gigantic and standing up. His feet were huge and his black and born color was beautiful. There seemed to be an instant bond between the two and this bond would grow and so would the Shiloh.

The intelligence of this animal amazed the man and also everyone who came in contact with the Shiloh. It seemed that there was nothing that the Shiloh could not learn and learn quickly.

Since this man was retired, he and his Shiloh spent many hours together each day. If the man was outside, the dog was with him, never tied, never leashed except to go out in public places. The Shiloh grew to over 120 lbs of muscle and over 29 ¾ inches in height. His black coat shined in the sun and his eyes sparkled. He was the dream come true. A giant with intelligence and a temperament that gave the man confidence yet did not over ride his presence. Confidence not aggression.

The man and his giant black Shiloh were known by all of his neighbors due to their twice a day walks taken by the two. People would always ask about the Shiloh and always comment on his size and coat whether he was walking down the street or at the pet store. He was truly an impressive animal.

On February 27^th, 2004, the man took his dream Shiloh to the Vet to be neutered, a fairly simple operation with a doctor who had experience with shepherds and large breed dogs. The Shiloh was not nervous and confidently was weighed and given a brief check up. The vet commented on his size and coat and stated that his heart sounded as strong as he looked. The man smiled with pride and the Shiloh seemed to smile back.

The doctor explained that the Shiloh should be able to come home at approximately 5 or 6 that afternoon. At 2:30 that afternoon he received a call from the doctor stating that the Shiloh had come through the operation very well and to pick him up in two hours. At 4:15 the doctor called again, the man was thinking that the Shiloh was causing some sort of problem, answered the phone only to hear the doctor say he was sorry but the Shiloh had died in the recovery room.

The man’s heart broke. It could not be true. The dream dog was gone, no longer to run with his ears flat against his head, no longer to walk with the confidence he had, no longer to look upon his master and friend with eyes that beckoned for anything that would please him.

The man is not a stranger to death. He had experienced many losses of close relatives, friends and pets, but this was different. This was the death of a dream, the death of a friend that was totally and completely reliant on him and only asked for love in return for his total devotion.

The Shiloh was brought home and put to rest in the yard he knew and grew up in, the yard that he knew every blade of grass in. The house seems very empty now, but every now and then, the man “sees” something moving in the corner of his eye. As he turns, there is nothing there. It must be his imagination or was it a “dream”.

This Shiloh was with the man and his wife for two years. Two years of joy and pride. This Shiloh’s name was BARLOH, MAGNUM OPUS OF ZION, never to be forgotten.

The breeder was Tina (Ma) Barber whose “word” was fulfilled and kept. The Shiloh was named Barloh for her, Bar for the first three letters of her last name and loh, the last three letters of Shiloh.

Thank you, Ma, you gave me something that I will never forget, a dream.

Rich Sebock

P.S. A man can have more than one dream, and no two are exact. The second dream will be shared with more people than the first. Ma, sprinkle a little star-dust and make the imaginary a reality again!