When Dakota was a puppy, I got a message from Kathy Salvucci.
“Dakota looks like she is going down in pastern. If she is on puppy food, get her off and put her on adult food.”
I didn’t understand her concern.
“The pastern is between the knee and foot on the front leg. It should be 23-25 degrees. Hers exceeds that.”
“This can be the result of too much protein in the diet or a quick growth spurt. It can be a precursor to panosteitis (inflammation and pain as bones grow too quickly). You can correct it by switching to adult food.”
This is exactly what you want from a breeder—someone who will stay with you for the life of your dog, advising you and offering support.
Except Kathy wasn’t Dakota’s breeder. She was Blitz’s breeder.
That’s what made her special.
I met Kathy in 2009 when I was looking for a German Shepherd puppy. Boomer and Buster were pet shop boys. I didn’t know then that pet shops might not be the best place to find puppies.
But over the years, I learned about puppy mills and medical problems associated with poorly-bred dogs. I lived those problems with Buster.
From the time he was young, Buster had joint issues. Panosteitis in his early years. Arthritis in his later years. Both were manageable, but they meant multiple trips to the vet and thousands of dollars in bills over the course of his life.
I thought I might avoid some of that through better breeding. I made some calls that led me to Kathy. She owned Pine Hill German Shepherds in Mohnton, PA and was expecting a litter in about a month.
My first conversation with Kathy was not at all what I expected. I thought I was deciding on a breeder. It turned out, she was deciding on me. Was I a good fit for one of her dogs? Was my home a place a puppy could thrive?
So I told her about Buster—what a good dog he was, all the things I loved about him. I told her about his health challenges and that her price was more than double what I paid for Buster. I was willing to pay that price if it would save me the vet bills down the road, but I asked about assurances.
Kathy was refreshingly honest. She told me about the rigorous testing her dogs underwent to be sure they were free of genetic problems passed on to puppies. Joints certified. Temperament tested. Genetic histories reviewed.
Then she moved on to my bond with Buster.
“You need to be clear about this,” she said. “Do not buy a new puppy expecting it to be the same as your last dog. That won’t happen and you’ll be disappointed.”
“Each dog is its own journey. Let that develop without expectations for the best experience for both of you.”
My experience with Blitz was everything I could have hoped, and Kathy was with me every step of the way. I sent her pictures so she could follow Blitz’s adventures. She told me if she saw anything that concerned her. I asked for advice to keep him healthy and fit. She was always candid and accurate in her responses.
She was particularly frank when I told her people at the dog park questioned Blitz’s gait. I casually asked Kathy if he was okay.
“He’s perfect,” she snapped, clearly annoyed that the dog park “experts” would question her breeding. She hated dog parks to begin with. Too many things could go wrong in her view. Bad dogs. Bad owners. Health threats.
Moving past that, she continued, “He is bred exactly to the standard for German Shepherds.”
And she sent a link to an article titled, “Why Do They Walk Like That?” to illustrate her point.
I used Kathy and her website as resources over the years. I shared her wisdom with other dog owners who admired Blitz.
When it came time to look for a puppy for Alex, Kathy was my first call. Unfortunately, she didn’t have any litters planned until later in the year. Our need was immediate, and I told her why.
Alex found Dakota on her own from a breeder in Lancaster. I tried to keep in touch with him the same way I had with Kathy, but he wasn’t interested. Kathy, however, knowing how important Dakota was, watched her as if she was one of her own.
When she spotted the problem with Dakota’s front legs, she let me know. Alex changed her diet and Dakota grew up fine.
When Dakota’s ears took longer to stand up than most German Shepherds, she sent me a link to products and gave me instructions on how to correct it.
When Dakota went through her first heat cycle, she offered advice on how to handle both Dakota and Blitz.
Kathy was the perfect German Shepherd breeder for me. Her dogs were exquisite. Her knowledge was extraordinary. Her love for the breed shone in everything she did.
Blitz lived a long, happy life. He was my pride and joy. When he passed away, I called Kathy again.
Kathy kept a puppy from Blitz’s litter—purple boy, who she named Vinnie. Vinnie sired litters of his own, and his granddaughter, Condi, was about to be bred. I immediately added my name to the puppy waiting list and sent in my deposit. The cost had more than doubled since Blitz was born, but I would have paid almost any price for a puppy from Blitz’s bloodline.
A few months later, Maximus joined our family. Maximus, it turns out, is not at all like Blitz. I have done my best to let go of expectations and let his journey take its own course. He seems happy.
Last year, I got a message from my friend Nadine. She owned one of Blitz’s brothers, Major, who she says was exactly like Blitz.
“Kathy Salvucci passed away unexpectedly.”
So Maximus and his siblings are the end of the Pine Hill German Shepherd line.
As I was writing this, I went to Kathy’s website to draw on her wisdom once more. It was gone. I was afraid it was lost forever.
Fortunately, I found an old version in an Internet archive. I copied what I could and have shared some links below.
Thank you, Kathy, for everything you gave the German Shepherd community. Thank you for everything you gave me.
I was able to find and preserve some of the wisdom Kathy shared with me and I have shared with others over the years. Here some information you can review if it applies to you.
Questions to Ask When Purchasing a Puppy
Puppy Buyer Etiquette
Puppy Information
Another fantastic interesting story.
Thank you again Mitch for sharing