The Shiloh Shepherd is a breed that has been under development since 1962 by Tina Barber of Shiloh Shepherds Kennels. The breed was developed as an intense "re-creation" and variant to the German Shepherd Dog, to preserve the original qualities found in the old world style German Shepherd with soundness, temperament and health of utmost importance.
The Shiloh's general appearance is one of nobility and strength. He is powerfully built, elegant, well balanced, has a proud carriage and moves effortlessly. He is self-confident, courageous, very intelligent, steady and bold. A very versatile breed, the Shiloh is easily trained, loyal and devoted to his family, and always ready and willing to work.
There are two types of coats for the breed: The Smooth has a double coat of medium length with a straight, harsh, dense, close-lying outer coat and a soft undercoat. The Plush type also has a close-fitting double coat of medium-length and a softer undercoat, but the neck has a distinct mane that extends to and covers the chest. This variety also has feathering on the inside of the ears and the back of the forelegs.
The Shiloh comes in various colours, ranging from solid black to solid white (the nose, eye rims and lips must be solid black) and also shades of tan, silver, red, dark brown, sable and cream.
The Shiloh Shepherd's gait should be outreaching, elastic and seemingly tireless without effort. It should be smooth and rythmic covering the maximum amount of ground with the minimum amount of steps. At a walk, he uses long strides for both hind legs and forelegs. At a trot, even longer strides are used, moving powerfully but easily with coordination and balance.
Important Note:
The ISSR was the original breed registry formed in 1991. In 1998 the International Shiloh Shepherd Dog Club/Registry (ISSDC/r) was formed and then relinquished in late 2001. The club was then re-established again in 2004. Other registries now exist as well, namely the National Shiloh Shepherd Registry (NSBR), The Shiloh Shepherd Registry (TSSR), and the Shiloh Shepherd Breed Association and Registry (SSBA). It must be noted that, with the Shiloh Shepherd breed such a close relative to the German Shepherd Dog, the importance of learning about the breed and the Breeder before you buy cannot be stressed enough. It is strongly recommended that the breeding rules and regulations for all registries be reviewed.
There are several excellent articles and websites available on the Internet to help in your research of this breed:
- About Shiloh Shepherds — The Library Project — This website is an excellent place to learn more about the Shiloh Shepherd breed. It covers topics such as appearance and temperament; health concerns; listings of clubs, registries and breeders; and much more.
- The Shiloh Shepherd Learning Center — Sponsored by the International Shiloh Shepherd Registry, Inc. This site contains a wealth of information concerning the origins, health, and temperament of the Shiloh Shepherd, breed and club history, registry reports, health data, and training information.
- Introduction to the Shiloh Shepherd — Originally written in 1991 by Tina M. Barber, (Breed Founder) for the SSDCA, Inc. Updated and Revised 9/97
- The Shiloh Shepherd Dog Club of America
- The International Shiloh Shepherd Dog Club
- Dog Breed Registries in North America — What you need to know. Not specific to any breed of dog but a detailed article regarding breed registries and what they represent.
- Another Breeding Tool by Tina Barber — "Whether you are only interested in purchasing a puppy, or breeding Shiloh Shepherds in the future, investigating the Relationship Coefficient factor in your dog’s ancestry should be one of the most important items on top of your To Do list!"
- FAQs: Breed Specific
- Shiloh Shepherd Forums
- Yahoo Group - A Shiloh Shepherd Forum
- Information for the Potential Puppy/Dog Owner — This section of the Canada's Guide to Dogs website is not breed-specific but includes several must read articles covering such topics as determining whether you are prepared to bring a dog into your lifestyle; what to look for in a Breeder; as well as a selection of reference books on the subject of choosing the right breed for you.
Registries Rules & Regulations:
In researching information for the Shiloh Shepherd breed, it quickly became apparent that there exists a clear division of thought with the breed founder, the ISSR and the SSDCA on the one side and those breeders who have left the original ISSR and who now register their dogs with other registries (NSBR, SSBA, TSSR) on the other side. It is important to note that this representation of the breed is intended to be a completely unbiased view. As much as possible, we have included links to information that is strictly about the breed itself. As a potential Shiloh buyer, and in your research on this breed, you will soon see for yourself that the conflict surrounding this breed is very real and, because of this, one link that involves both sides of the issues and where much can be learned from all points of view is included:
- Talk Page for discussing changes to the Shiloh Shepherd Dog article — At this time, an article is being written on the Wikipedia website for the Shiloh Shepherd breed — If you are not familiar with Wikipedia, you can learn about it from here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia. — The article itself is simply a description of the breed including the breed history and can be seen at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiloh_Shepherd_Dog. However, the accuracy of the article was disputed and a discussion was then started. This is the "Talk Page" referred to here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Shiloh_Shepherd_Dog. (It should be read through from the beginning with Archive 1 being the oldest.) While sometimes confusing to the outsider, this discussion truly does show the discourse that exists from both sides and, if you are seriously considering the purchase of a Shiloh Shepherd puppy, it is strongly recommended that you take the time to read the differing points of view and often passionate discussions about the breed. While other forums do exist and are listed here, each forum is more one-sided and does not give as much exposure to the real conflicts as this Wikipedia discussion does.
The links provided here are strictly for information purposes and convenience in finding relevant details about the breed and/or breeders and should in no way be viewed as a recommendation, endorsement or support of any one site and/or point of view over another — as previously stated, this representation of the breed is intended to be a completely unbiased view.
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Health Issues:
If you are considering the adoption of a Shiloh Shepherd puppy, or any breed, it is very important to be selective in choosing a responsible and reputable breeder. Ensure that the prospective puppy's parents have all health clearances. Breeding of any dog should not be done until after they have been proven to be free of evidence of significant hereditary diseases. (For more information on selecting a breeder, see the articles on the main Breed Listing and Breeders page.)
Additional Health Resources:
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Breed Standards:
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Grooming Information:
- Grooming — This section of Canada's Guide to Dogs includes tips, articles and information covering all aspects of dog grooming along with a listing of Groomers from across Canada.
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Training Resources:
- Schutzhund — Schutzhund training concentrates on three areas: Obedience work, Tracking, and Protection work. Schutzhund measures the dog's mental stability, endurance, structural efficiencies, ability to scent, willingness to work, courage and trainability. Continue...
- Training — For information on training your dog, see this growing section of Canada's Guide to Dogs for tips, articles, as well as listings of training centres across Canada.
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Additional Information:
- Shilohs at Work! — From the ISSDC — The Shiloh Shepherd is a very versatile breed and is seen competing in several dog sports and activities, such as Agility, Obedience, and Herding. The Shiloh has also been known to work as a Therapy Dog, Assistance Dog, Search and Rescue Dog, and Livestock Guardian. Shilohs are frequent recipients of the AKC Canine Good Citizen Award and are also Champions in the show ring. To learn more about the versatility of the breed, please see: Shilohs at Work!
- Shiloh Shepherd Coat Colors — Shiloh Shepherds come in a variety of colors, patterns and two varieties of coat length. This is the place to learn more and see pictures of the many shades of Shiloh.
- Herding Dogs — A new section of the Canada's Guide to Dogs website which includes training and general information about Herding/Stock Dogs; listing of Stock Dog Clubs and Associations; listing of upcoming shows and events; and more.
- Clubs, Sports & Activities — This section of Canada's Guide to Dogs includes information on several dog sports and activities as well as listings of non-breed specific clubs from across Canada. (Note: For breed specific clubs, see the Breed Clubs section.)
- Working Dogs — Dedicated to the working dog. This section includes tributes; information on various dog jobs including Assistance Dogs, Police K9s, SAR Dogs, and Herding Dogs; plus listings of organizations from across Canada.
