Dog breeders argue over the supremacy of East or West German Shepherds
Like 2 Dislike 0 Published on 21 Jul 2015
SHOTLIST
Berlin - 1 October, 2007
1. Wide, shot, Gerlinde Schulze (East German Shepherd breeder) with her friend and East German Sheppard puppy
2. Close up of puppy
3. Mid of East German Shepherds in the cage
4. Mid of Gerlinde Schulze
5. Wide of three East German Shepherds running around in the yard
6. Mid of two East German Shepherds
7. Close of paws, pan to face
8. SOUNDBITE: (German) Gerlinde Schulze, East German Shepard breeder, German (commenting the Eastern Dog image as 'The Wall Dog')
"It is completely ridiculous. There were many mixed dogs on the wall (The Berlin Wall). Many of them looked like the shepherds but were mixed actually. Let me make it clear, the East German sheppard was not developed to bite people on the Wall"
9. Close up, Gerlinde Schulze showing old GDR dog magazine
10. Mid of East German Shepherds
11. SOUNDBITE: (German) Gerlinde Schulze, East German Shepherd breeder
" Many people in the USA strongly support the East German Sheppard. Also in Belgium, Denmark, Sweden. Actually, there are people who want to have an East German Shepherds and are interested in its future"
12. Close of puppy
13. Mid of Garlanded Schulze with the puppy and grown up East German Shepherd Berlin, October 1st, Sheppard training ground, Berlin - Reinickedorf
14. Wide of entrance into the breeders club and training ground
15. Mid of breeding club sign
16. Wide of Harald Gyurko, enters with his dog (West German Shepherds)
17. Wide of Harald Gyurko, plays with his dog
18. Close of West German Shepherds
19. Wide of Harald Gyurko, plays with his dog
20. SOUNDBITE: (German) Harald Gyurko, West German Shepherd breeder
" I do not think the differences were dramatic. The dogs from the former GDR had a reputation of being marked by intense colors, bigger head and strong bones"
21. Wide of West German Shepherd, looks to the camera and then runs away
22. SOUNDBITE: (German) Harald Gyurko, West German Shepherd breeder
" I think it all got mixed today. Apart from the few breeders who still follow the clear GDR line as something special, I do not think there are dramatic differences (between German Shepherds today)"
23. Various of trainer playing with the West German Shepherds
24. SOUNDBITE: (German) Sieper Kott, West German breeder
"Naturally, the East German Shepherd does not exist as a separate race, it simply does not. There is only one race, the German Sheppard. The characteristics determining the race were same (in the east and in the west) even before the reunification."
25. Set up shot of Sieper Kott
26. SOUNDBITE: (German) Sieper Kott, West German breeder
"Today, we wish sometimes that more of the breeders from the east preserved their breeds, because they had some advantages which we would like to be able to use today."
27. Wide of young West German Shepherds in the field
LEAD IN:
Seventeen years ago (3 October 1990) East Germany was joined with West Germany - but today a burning issue is still causing animosity between the two sides.
It's dog eat dog as breeders argue over whose German Shepherd is superior.
STORYLINE:
On the anniversay of Germany's re-unification, some animosities between the formerly communist East and capitalist West remain.
And few are as doggedly contested as the fight over which German shepherd breed is the best.
Animal lovers the world over are familiar with the German Shepherd breed.
But to fully understand the heated debate, it is important to know that the German shepherd is considered an almost mythological creature Germany.
Supposedly it imbodies valued German virtues like loyalty, reliability and resilience.
First bred by Max von Stephanitz in 1895, the dog is Germany's most popular canine, with more than 2,200 local dog clubs across the country.
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