My name is Barbara Brandt and I have been involved in dogs; showing, breeding and training, since I was 20 years old. My first show dogs were Shetland Sheepdogs. I had decided at about age 10 that this was what I wanted to breed and show. Here is Lancer's Ladie Colleen CDX, my first show dog.
But before I bred any Shetland Sheepdogs I got involved in Schutzhund and fell in love with the German Shepherd Dog. Here is Brandywine's Eden CD, my foundation bitch, surrounded by Shetland Sheepdogs.
Eden was the daughter of Bel-Vista's Bo Peep, from the Hessian bloodlines, and passed on for many generations the outstanding shoulders and floating movement of those dogs. Over the next 20 years I bred 12 litters of GSD, showed, trained and had great fun with them. My kennel name was Briarwood, no relation to the current GSD Kennel calling itself Briarwood.
I love the shepherds, they are a fabulous breed, but very difficult to show. Difficult physically to do all that running and they are extremely competitive. I will never forget Legend going RWD in an entry of 80+ males and losing to his littermate! That was a heartbreaker.
So I was sort of in the market for a more owner-handler breed when I went with a friend to an Afghan Hound kennel. She was an old hand at Afghans, I was just along for the ride. The kennel was Shylo Kennels in Watkins Colorado and there I saw my first Afghan puppies and my first black Afghan. He was 13 months old, very wild and feral looking with a short topknot that stood up and blew in his eyes, black black black triangular eyes that dared you to touch him. I was fascinated. He became Am Ch. Shylo's Don Diego (Zorro) and was the first of more than a few Afghans in my life.
I discovered that they are primarily owner handled and great great fun to show. A winning Afghan Hound has to have some presence and showiness on his own, the handler can't create it. They are unique, fun, beautiful and not for everyone. They fit into my household of (horrified) GSD better than I had any right to expect and got along well. In my first 10 years of owning them I bred two (fortunately small) litters, kept one puppy out of the first and two puppies out of the second. I finished some AKC Champions, dabbled in lure coursing, considered (briefly) agility competition and had a lot of fun with people who love Afghan Hounds.
And after a 10 year break and losing all but the youngest to old age, I am back in Afghans.
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