http://www.minka.org/wynthea/books_frames.html

People still talk about Wynn and her kennel.   It's so sad to drive by and see how it's fallen into disrepair and part of the 25 acres have been sold.  Her friend and kennel manager is no longer in good health after a couple strokes.   The part of the property with the house and kennel are still for sale.  There's a good business opportunity yet.  It's in Landenberg, PA.  

There are but most people don’t own sheep anymore.   We have a few but they won’t use German Shepherds.

She sounds like the perfect dog.

It’s very difficult to make a living as a dog breeder today.

You would have to be so outstanding with additional work like authoring an authoritative book after you have been extremely successful in the show ring.  Otherwise breeding is a side job.  Few kennels can survive without name recognition.   

Breeding is a full time job for many working line dogs that will never see a show ring. They are bred for performance and people's lives can depend on them.  Stephanitz wanted his breed to be kept a working dog.

My late friend Wynn Strickland was friends with his daughter so she knew all about him.  She wrote the only authoritative book about the origins of the German Shepherd through facts not opinion and she showed her dogs and was an AKC judge for 18 years and earned over 200 AKC titles, a record still held posthumously.   There has never been a more knowledgeable person about the German Shepherd in America and she was well known for her work in obedience,  agility and breeding with an excellent eye for the breed.  We were good friends and we went to shows together and I would train with her and be her assistant.   It was a lot of fun.   Read her book The German Shepherd Today if you want to know the facts.  She never assumed what he thought, she got it from his daughter.

That was true 30 years ago, but we now have three lines that are so different they are almost different breeds.  Working line dogs should be able to work.  They are never found in a show ring unless it’s a working show.  Most show dogs today are American showlines, and a smaller number of West German Showlines.  The dog you had was a Showline.

She was very smart and playful,  loved all small animals and children.   She also liked men in uniform.   The employees at our business wore uniforms and she played with them.

Wynn Strickland wrote THE top book about German Shepherds.   She'd be about 100 now.  I live about 15 minutes from her house, still for sale with kennels, you could get it cheap.  

Most people don't have time to make a dog well rounded, to do it all.  It's very demanding and takes the whole family.