At Shefaro, temperament matters above all else:   Three St. Bernard breeders were on their way home from a specialty show. As dog breeders often do, they spent much of the drive arguing about which was most important -- type or soundness. They took a shortcut through a mountain pass, got lost & became low on gas. They then skidded off the road and found themselves trapped in a ditch. A snowstorm moved in and next thing they knew, they were stranded in the van with just a little water, no food and no gasoline to provide heat. Night was closing in and the breeders feared they would freeze to death before the road was plowed and anyone found them. The breeder who advocated that type was most important said, "let's send my St. Bernard for help -- he is a true St. Bernard type." Bounding out of the van, the big-bodied, magnificently coated and headed dog began leaping through the drifts. He made it a quarter of a mile and then collapsed, in too much pain to go on from his dysplastic hips. Watching through the window the second breeder exclaimed, "AHA! See, soundness is most important -- my dog is OFA excellent. He'll bring us some help!" Letting her dog out of his crate, his strong powerful leaps through the snow were magnificent to see. Unfortunately he only made it half a mile before freezing to death because his coat was incorrect. The third breeder watched this smugly, for she knew her dog had both type and soundness. She released her dog, the BOB winner from the specialty. On his sturdy limbs and with his perfect coat, her dog was a lovely sight to behold as he powered through the snow tirelessly. Mile after mile until he finally spotted a forest ranger, and promptly attacked and killed him, for breeder number three had forgotten about breeding for temperament.

On Sun 02/26/12 7:42 PM , mallmc@metrocast.net wrote: Dear Sherry, I've just spent the last 45 minutes mesmerized by the exquiste photos and wonderful information on you web sites. I've been doing rescue for many years and often hear people make sweeping statements about what particular dog breeds "can't "do. In my experience the individual can always rise to his or her full potential depending on the humans expectations and encouragement. I was delighted to see your dogs as therapy dogs, an area I have great interest in. I am in awe of the beauty of your Salukis and have just started the journey of locating a new family member. When I read you story about the Saint Bernards, I laughed but agreed and was impressed with the importance you put on TEMPERMENT. I see that your Salukis have found homes far and wide and wondered if you may be willing to share some information with me and possibly have a potential new family member in the near future.I look forward to corresponding with you and thank you for your time Sincerely, Monica