Shiloh Shepherd Dog - History

History

The Shiloh Shepherd was developed by Tina M. Barber of Shiloh Shepherds (kennel) in New York, United States. In 1974, she began developing a new line of German Shepherds. Her goal was to preserve the type of dog she remembered from her childhood in Germany; dogs that are good family companions, exceptionally intelligent, both physically and mentally sound, and large in size.

Tina separated her foundation stock from the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 1990, and the FIC agreed to register these dogs as a separate breed. The name chosen for these dogs was "Shiloh Shepherd" after the kennel of origin. Shortly thereafter, the Shiloh Shepherd Dog Club of America, Inc. (SSDCA, Inc.) was formed to preserve and protect the future welfare of the breed. In 1991, the International Shiloh Shepherd Registry (ISSR) was established and took over registry functions from the FIC.

In 1993, The Complete Computer Place (TCCP), using a specially designed database program, officially started maintaining breeding records. This program tracked nine generations of pedigree and LMX (Littermate X-Ray Program) data and computerized all the older paper files. The ISSR continues to use this program to document vital data on each Shiloh Shepherd in its registry. Ms. Barber was active in the development of the breed as the President of the SSDCA, Inc. and Breed Warden for the ISSR. Tina Barber passed away at the age of 63 on May 30, 2011 in Warsaw, New York.

In 1997, during a period when the SSDCA was inactive, The International Shiloh Shepherd Dog Club (ISSDC) was opened. In 1998, the ISSDC opened their own registry, calling it the ISSDCr. The Shiloh Shepherd Breed Association (SSBA) was opened shortly after and assumed registry functions for the ISSDCr. The National Shiloh Breed Registry (NSBR) was established in 2001 and The Shiloh Shepherd Registry (TSSR) in 2002. In 2004, the ISSDC was reorganized as a parent club for the NSBR, the SSBA, and the TSSR. In June 2009, the SSBA was closed.

There are significant differences of opinion between the founding club and registry and subsequently established clubs and registries. The ISSR claims that the NSBR, SSBA and TSSR produce lower quality dogs with more health issues, while the three later registries claim the opposite is true. Non-ISSR breeding have outcrossed with Akita, etc. and do not participate in the genetic breeding program.