Meet Von Westlynn German Shepherds

I've been asked a couple of times, “How did you get started with German Shepherds?” Well, it’s a bit of a long story, so buckle up! It all started with my Mom, my Grandma, & the movie Beverly Hills Chihuahua, and an all-breed dog show back in 2012. I was born into the dog world, specifically the world of Shetland Sheepdogs. My grandma still breeds & shows Shelties so dogs are pretty much all I ever knew growing up. From the time I could walk, I was right there beside her learning the ropes. I was hands-on with everything, breeding, whelping, raising, training, and showing. I even got to show a Rough Collie in conformation for a complete stranger I met at a dog show when I was just 11 years old. That’s how deep into the dog show world I was at the time. Now, you might laugh, but my love for German Shepherds actually started with Beverly Hills Chihuahua. Yes, the movie about a tiny Chihuahua! I remember watching it for the first time and becoming completely captivated, not by the Chihuahua, but by Delgado, the German Shepherd. He was brave, noble, and incredibly beautiful. There was just something about him that sparked something inside me, and that spark later turned into a burning passion during an all-breed dog show somewhere in Michigan in 2012. I was there with my grandma, who was showing two of her Shelties at the time, and my mom (who somehow got roped into helping her wrangle the dogs, crates, & grooming supplies). I was mostly just there for the thrill of it all, wandering around, and soaking it all in. Dog shows are chaotic in the best way. You’ve got the sound of clippers buzzing, handlers rushing by with perfectly groomed dogs, the smell of hot dogs (the edible kind) and all kinds of grooming products lingering in the air. It’s a bit overwhelming, but also magical. At some point during the afternoon, I noticed a crowd gathering. People were oohing and aahing, dogs were barking, and there was this electric buzz in the air. Naturally, being my curious, and maybe a little nosy self, I tugged on my mom’s arm and begged her to take me over to see what was going on. She looked at me, then at my grandma juggling two Shelties, and said, “okay let's go look! What I saw next changed everything. There was a man giving a presentation about military and police dogs their training, what they do in real-life situations, and how they are selected. I was already intrigued, but then they brought out a dog unlike any I’d ever seen before. A Black Sable Working Line Male German Shepherd. He was big, muscular, intense, and completely focused. His ears were up, eyes locked on his handler, like he was reading his handler's mind. The handler gave a command, and in an instant, the dog took off after a decoy dressed in protective gear. The decoy was pretending to be a threat, flailing around and shouting. The German Shepherd hit him like a missile, fast, controlled, confident. Not wild or out of control, but with purpose. It wasn’t scary, it was actually breathtaking. I remember the thud when he latched onto the sleeve, how the crowd gasped, how my heart was pounding in my chest. That moment lit a fire inside me that no one could put out. I was hooked. I turned to my mom, eyes wide, and told her right then and there: “I needed, not wanted but needed German Shepherd! I often wonder what my life would look like today if she wouldn’t have taken me over to see what was going on View the full story on our website