August 29th, 2010

Captain Max Von Stephanitz...

...is the main founder of the German Shepherd Dog breed.

Von Stephanitz was a graduate of the Berlin Veterinary College, and an ex-cavalry captain. In 1899 he was attending a dog show in Germany and was completely taken by one of the dogs there so as to purchase the dog immediately and to create and be the founder of the first ever Society for the German Shepherd Dog [also called the Verein fur Deutsche Schaferhunde].

German Shepherds are loyal, fierce, confident, poised, and an all-around great working dog. They are a family dog, and are born to be in protection of a pack [a characteristic needed if they are to think of sheep as theirs to protect]. They tend to be calm, enjoyable dogs in the home setting, can be guiding, healing dogs in the therapy setting, and can quickly become alert, eager workers in the police setting. They are one of the top dog breeds established in terms of their trainability, deeming them one of the most intelligent breeds known.

German Shepherds are patient, loving, and gentle (in the home setting), therefore making them a dog that is great with kids and other animals. But as with all herding breeds, they need to be regularly exercised and kept busy with mental stimulation. An hour or two worth of running in the morning will keep their energy down for most of the day, and a brisk walk at night will help them fall asleep.

German Shepherds are a versitile breed, meaning they can be in many different occupations and settings. They are capable of living in Northern Canada, just as they are capable of living in southern Mexico. Regular grooming during the summer season will keep them cool without allowing for risk of sunburn, sunpoisoning, or overheating from no barrier to the sun.
They can be companions, therapy dogs, police dogs, rescue dogs, livestock protection dogs, guide dogs, herders, seizure dogs, etc. They are the ideal dog to be in any of the aforementioned positions, and they have no issues in excelling in any spot they are placed.

German Shepherd Dogs commonly suffer from hip and elbow dysplasia, which can lead to arthritis. They can suffer from degenerative spinal stenosis, ear infections, bloat, and degenerative myelopathy. Von Willebrand disease is common in the breed, and one that should always be tested for given the chance.


Quick facts:
The first GSD exhibited in America was in 1907.
The "first GSD" was named Horand von Grafrath, formerly called Hektor Linksrhein.
The United Kennel Club first accepted GSDs into their registry in 1919.
GSDs are amongst the top 5 most popular breeds in the US.
The average lifespan of a GSD is 10 years.
Strongheart and Rin Tin Tin are now the two most famous GSDs in the film industry.
The Littlest Hobo, a television series featured in Canada, focuses on a stray GSD that helps people.
Ace the Bat-Hound, Batman's dog, was a GSD.




Here's your chance to talk about the German Shepherd Dog breed! Go ahead and reply. Tell us what your GSD is like. What is your favourite GSD in history? Is it your aunt's, or is it a military one? Do you know anyone who was saved by a GSD? Do you know any German Shepherd police dogs? How old did your GSD live to be?

6 comments posted by izzanomoly

August 27th, 2010

Friends!

Yesterday we finished a new section of the website. Now you can add friends to your account. Add members whose accounts you visit frequently or anyone you send messages to on a regular basis.

Rank

I made a small change to this. Before your rank was how many friends you had on your list. Since some people are just randomly adding members I've changed it. Now your rank is determined by how many members have you listed as a friend. Put your best friends at the top of your list and members you don't know as well at the bottom.

Popularity

Your popularity is based on two things. One is how many members have you as a friend, and the other is your rank on your friend's lists. The higher your rank and the more people who list you as a friend the higher your popularity will go.

1 comments posted by Admin

August 23rd, 2010

And the new BSK newspaper staff are...



*drum roll*

...

Chained #53154
Ninetails #33157
Choices/c.o.a.s.t #61238
Reagal #45435
FallenAngel #16595
Mythological/Ava #60994


Congratulations to everyone that was chosen! I have a schedule all worked out for days that things will be happening; and in accordance to who was interested in what, I'll be asking people if they'll do some of the things. ^^


But wait, there's more!
Swift #75859 will be given the chance to help out one of our staff with finding and fully covering the off-BSK news article that will hopefully be posted!
Bloody #69300 will be given the chance to help out one of our staff with topics for everyone to discuss politely and responsibly one day a week, so we all have a chance to express our opinions, and to be opened up to the other side of things!
Imperial Choice/Icicle #75420 will be given the chance to help host an SPCA Fundraising Contest every two weeks to keep awareness for the SPCA and the dogs that need to be adopted in check.



This way everyone who applied has a chance to be a part of the newspaper, since there weren't too many applications!
Congratulations to those who were chosen to be a part of the staff, and I look forward to working with everyone to make the BSK newspaper a great thing to see on the site!

1 comments posted by izzanomoly

August 22nd, 2010

Good morning, everyone!

My name is izzanomoly, the new BSK newspaper manager, and I'm taking this opportunity to tell everyone a bit about myself on and off the game.
I'm 17 years of age, and I'll be starting my freshman year of college in two or so weeks. I'm a certified CNA [nurse's assistant], and I currently work night shift at a hospital in my area. I have 3 dogs, a Jack Russell Terrier x American Pit Bull Terrier, a Siberian Husky, and an Akbash/Kuvasz/We'renotreallysure! I also have two tortoiseshell maine coon cats that are littermates!
I'm a board moderator, so you'll find me prowling around on the message boards often. I also have a few other accounts besides my main one, and they hold my "side dogs". My main breeds are Siberian Husky and Australian Shepherd, since they're also my two favourites, but I breed a few other breeds as well. I come on every day, unless extrenuating circumstanced have taken place.

If you have any questions about me, please feel free to ask. And if you have any questions about the game, I'm always more than willing to help!


Now, some of you may not have seen, but I'm looking for new newspaper staff! The application is on the message boards under "General", and you can fill it out and either post a reply to that topic, or message me [please don't post the application as a reply to this newspaper "article"!!].
I have received a few applications already, but there's plenty of room for more to be turned in! You don't need to have experience with any newspapers or public writing, and you don't need to be able to give me an article every day, so don't worry if you can't! If you want to be on the staff, take the chance and apply!
I'm accepting applications until tomorrow morning around 11:00 am EST. That's two full days that members would have been given to apply. I will be going over and choosing those members that I believe would best fit the newspaper, and will be posting the new employees tomorrow afternoon.


And so I'll end this with a few questions to everyone that reads this!
What would you like to see in the Newspaper? A weekly breed article, where we would talk about a certain breed, get first hand experiences, and things along those lines? Would you guys like an advice column, and if it did get opened up, would it be used enough for us to post it up every week or so?
And what name would you like to see for the newspaper? All name suggestions are welcome, no matter how short or long you might think they are!


Thank you!

0 comments posted by izzanomoly

August 22nd, 2010

Meet Bliss. She is a Wolf, and one of the many canines currently residing in the SPCA. She is three years of age, level 685, and has yet to be entered in any shows (due to the SPCA's numbers), though she should do well.

Strength: 35/100
Endurance: 2/100
Intelligence: 14/100
Speed: 16/100

If you would like to adopt Bliss or any other dog in the SPCA, feel free to stop by and do so! Each dog is only $50 to adopt. Questions? Comments? Our I.D. number is 23021.

1 comments posted by izzanomoly