Drew has made many new friends through this website!  And we've learned what we suspected from the start... Drew IS very special, but so is EVERY Long Haired German Shepherd!  And they're all special in the same ways! Konig, who lives in Visalia, California, in a Placerville agility trial. That expression on his beautiful face says it all! Yes, it's NOT just Drew... We tell these stories and people think (1) "they're dreaming, no dog could be like that"...and (2) "how can Drew be that unique...?" Well, we are not dreaming, and Drew is not unique.  It seems that most if not ALL Long Haired German Shepherds are like this...  As far as we can tell, no other type of dog, not even the standard German Shepherds--who certainly are the world's SECOND best dogs--have the intellectual brilliance, perfect temperament, and sheer personality of these LH GSD's!  And don't just take OUR word for it... We met a new friend, Valinda Marston of Visalia, California, on July 14, 2005, when she came across Drew's website and sent us an e-mail.... "I have to agree that these are the most intelligent creatures, and yes, they DO understand English.  One day when I was out washing down the driveway, Konig was playing in the hose and started to rub his face on a plant...I said 'Konig don't wipe your face there, you'll break the plant.....go wipe your face on daddy'....and he DID!!  TWICE!! "Just last week, Neeka, our female, took a plastic toy away from him and took it into another room and laid down with it.....Konig went into the bedroom and got her favorite stuffed animal.....laid it in front of her and when she put her mouth on it, he retrieved his plastic toy.....you sure will never convince me that they don't reason!!" She goes on, to tell us more about NEEKA AND BRAYDEN.... "Our very first Shepherd in 1968 was a long coat that a breeder was going to 'throw away'.....and she was the most wonderful dog.  She was bred with a plush coat, and they produced only two long hairs.  "We did not have the forsight to keep one, and instead kept a plush coat.... a very nice male.  We since have been searching high and low and finally just chanced upon Konig 7 years ago -- who had been sold, and then returned at 3 months to his breeder when the buyer realized he was a long coat......THEIR LOSS....WAS OUR GREAT GAIN!!!! "When we took him back to the breeder to show him off at almost 2 years old, she was absolutely amazed at what a wonderful guy he was.  She then imported a pregnant female from Germany that had given birth to a litter of 10 that had 2 long coats and called me knowing I was looking for one.  Thus we ended up with Neeka. "I had looked at the Candle Hill website and contacted her; she didn't have any at this time, but is going to keep me updated.  Thank you so much for the recent picture of Drew -- her face and expression are exceptional.  What a privilege for you to have her in your lives.  We're off to an agility trial today so I'd better get packing.  I love your website.  Above is a picture of Neeka and one of her male pups from our 2003 litter....our son has him and lives in San Luis Obispo....we live in Visalia. "Brayden is a real character.   When they come and visit, I get out some of our agility equipment.  I got the tunnel out and he started running through it as fast as he could then stopped and rolled inside of it; since it was not weighted down, the tunnel started rolling around the back yard....we were laughing at him...and the more we laughed, the more he did it.....I told our son that we probably ruined him for agility (or we would at least surely have to retrain him NOT TO DROP and ROLL inside the tunnel)....but it was sure funny at the time....as you can see, below! "You can almost see him smiling as he entertained us!! Oh, I love these dogs!!!!!" Valinda Brayden, having fun rolling in the tunnel!   Click on my picture to e-mail me and my family! Gretchen was another friend of Drew's... Just as smart, but probably more mischevious, compared to some of her other acquaintances...  Gretchen also loved Whippy Ball, and lived with Marlene and Rock in Seal Beach, California, just south of Los Angeles.  She passed in October of 2014, just a month before Drew. Now, LongHair Libby lives with Marlene and Rock.  Meet Libby at the top of the Sable's Friends page... Left to right--Drew's mommy Jane, Drew, and Marlene at the Berlin Inn On Saturday, March 25, 2006, fortune brought Marlene Henry the thousand miles north of Seal Beach to Portland, Oregon, and while in town she was able to join Eric and Jane for Dinner with Drew at the Berlin Inn! After years of e-mailed correspondence, it was great for all of us to meet each other, and Ms. Drew greatly enjoyed the company, the outing, and of course the great food at the Berlin Inn.  Fortunately the inn had a tent over the porch for a German beer event, because it rained shortly before the meal was to begin, but the porch remained warm and dry under the canvas, and from her fork Drew dined on fondue, dinner, and here, in the photograph, had a taste of dessert.                        ___________________________________ Here's another GSD Drew has met through her website..."Bear", 11 weeks old in the first week of October of 2005, lives with Niels Larsen and his family in Yorkshire, in Great Britain! November, 2005 -- Bear is starting to remind us of Drew! (Look at those big paws!) How fast they grow up! Here's Bear in January, 2006! Two more of Bear, from around the first of February, 2006.... ...Although he's a third of a world away, and six years younger, Bear is looking more and more to us as if he were a littermate of Drew! Anna in Missouri! Katherine Kueper happened across Drew's website, and wrote, in October of 2005: "We are from the St. Charles, Missouri, area.  Anna was born 3-23-2000.  She has been with us since she was 8 weeks old. I picked her from the litter because she was so sweet, not knowing what it meant when the breeder said she was a long hair.  We get a lot of the same comments you do about whether or not she is a full shepherd, especially since I also have a standard coat shepherd.  Many people think she is a collie-shepherd mix.  She seems to have a lot of the same qualities as Drew.  She is very intellegent, loves to play frisbee and is very sweet and loving.  Since I work from my home, she is with me all day every day.  Anna has everyone that comes into my office trained to give her a treat as soon as they come in and before they leave. When I first saw the pictures of Drew, I was amazed at how much they resemble each other.  It would be interesting to see if they share any commom relatives. Anna is from West German show lines." Anna is gorgeous! And more and more we are becoming certain that Long Haired German Shepherds have a very distinct, sweet, and astoundingly smart nature.  There really is nothing in the whole animal world like them!  If you'd like to e-mail Anna's family, click on her picture.  And we look forward to all the new friends we meet through Drew's website! Vini, at 11 months! MEET VINI! Donna Gower writes, "Vini's birthday is on 28th November. He's the best companion anyone could wish for. His only problem is he's awful on a lead. He's excellent off the lead, but I can't let him off on the roads, as it's just too dangerous. He circles us whilst walking, and likes nothing more than a stream of water to wade in. We live in Bedfordshire, England. Looking at your website; Vini has a lot of characteristics that both Drew and Bear have. You can see similarities in their pictures, too. They're the best looking dogs in the world!!!" Vito is the friend and companion of Joanna Tomacari in Michigan, in the USA! Click on his picture to e-mail Vito or Joanna! Here's Vito! Drew welcomed Vito, who lives in the U.S. state of Michigan, into her circle of friends in the summer of 2007!  This handsome guy lives with Joanna Tomacari, who sent Drew his photo -- remarking that Vito was, here, catching a little time alone to relax, after a strenuous dog training session!  Vito is actually very well trained, and -- being a Long Haired German Shepherd -- is so intelligent and comprehending that he doesn't really need to be trained...just a few verbal instructions usually get the point across to him!  But, both he and Joanna greatly enjoying these ongoing training sessions, as she explains....  Joanna says, "When a dog is trained using positive methods rather than punishment methods, the relationship you see between dog and owner is so true and so real in that both 'want' to be doing what they are doing!  It is a joy to watch!" It's Jake in Australia! "I have been looking at your website for a few months.  Your love for Drew is inspirational and mirrors how we feel for Jake.  We live in Australia.  We had the most beautiful Shorthaired GSD until he was 11 years old, when he got bloat and we had to have him ‘put down’.  It broke our hearts – we cried constantly for two days.  Ray had always said that after George he didn’t want another dog, because no other dog could compare.  "Next thing he was circling adverts for GSD’s in the paper.  Before going to the kennel we had chosen from the paper, we checked them out with the German Shepherd Dog Club, and they were completely OK.  These dogs under the kennel name of Leberhine were magnificent.  There were 8 pups in total, but 5 had already been chosen by the time we got there.  Nevertheless all 8 puppies we allowed into the room.  Who was head of the pack? Who CHOSE us? The five “chosen” puppies were then taken away and we were left with the 3 we could choose from – 2 males and a female.  "Guess what – the pushy little male was left for us.  We wanted a male, but even if we hadn’t, there was no way we could have gone past this little dog.  He just bonded with us from the minute he saw us.  When we said we wanted that particular puppy, the reaction was, 'he’s going to be a “long hair” and can’t be shown'.  Our reaction to that was, 'we don’t want to show him, we just want to love him.' "We took that adorable puppy and named him Jake.  He is now 14 months old, and still got a lot to learn.  He is so different from George, and I’m sure that is more a dog thing than because he is a longhair opposed to a short hair.  We love him whatever, and really are convinced that longhairs are far more beautiful and far more intelligent. I enclose photos –- aged 11 weeks, 7 months, 12 months.  "I will keep in touch." -- Judy Hodson, May 30, 2007 In August of 2011, with Jake age 5, Judy e-mailed, "Jake wanted a toy that was placed on the kitchen bench.  I told him he couldn't have it until Glennys (a friend) arrived.  He immediately lay by the door to wait for her arrival.  Just one example of his intelligence - he understands everything that is said to him." If you have been reading through this site, you will have learned that again and again.  While researchers are trying to see how many toy names a dog can remember, the German Shepherds are learning our language and instantly understand everything we say!  As for those researchers: Talk about not seeing the forest for the trees...!! Hi Judy!  Thanks so much for the letter and the photos!  Jake is magnificent!  Readers, if you would like to e-mail Judy, just click on any of Jake's pictures!   Photos of Judy and Ray with Jake, demonstrating his Long Haired German Shepherd affection for each of them, are just below! Jake at 11 weeks Jake at 7 months Jake at 12 months Jake, with Judy Hodson, 2007 Jake, with Ray Hodson, 2007 Jake at two years, summer 2008. What a gorgeous guy! ...And here's Jake in early 2011, sleeping as Drew so often does...upside down! Since he's Down Under, he is inadvertently sleeping right side up with respect to those in the Northern Hemisphere of course! Jake, age 5, taken at Christmastime, 2011 Judy wrote us in January of 2012:   "Jake will be six in March, and is basically the same old Jake.  He understands and responds to everything we say.  An example:  I had returned from shopping, leaving the groceries in the car.  After a few minutes I said to Jake 'help me get the washing in' and he immediately ran towards the laundry door. What I intended to say was 'help me get the groceries in'.  Realising what I had said,  I then said the correct thing and he immediately ran towards the garage door.  He picks up on everything we say and do, even though we think he's not listening.  Clever clever dog!"   We were delighted to hear from Dawn at MondouCu German Shepherds in Michigan in January of 2008! "As a breeder of German Shepherds, I 'tripped' into the long coats about eight years ago, and my world changed.  We have been working hard since then; and while looking through different websites, we found yours. "I have bred for 20 years, and trained for 24. We have moved many of our future breeding plans to the long coat, because of what you and everyone else has taken notice of -- the beauty, exceptional temperament, and amazing strength the long coats provide. "Thank you for taking the time to put up a page to so simply explain the dogs from your eye. I'm including photos [at right]. This is going to be an exciting year for us, as we are going to start showing some of our crew in the UKC ring." --Dawn and Lori MondouCu German Shepherds Michigan, USA PS--To e-mail Dawn, click on any of her three photos at right!     Dawn writes, "This is Endy, my solid black long-coat male. We joke about him all the time. He is like our very own Bob Marley. Love him to pieces." "This is Aine. She is Endy's sister, and my son's faithful companion. She's an energetic, sweet. loving friend, and an excellent mom." "This is Ellie –- Deni & Aspen’s mom. Loving passionate, giving; beautiful sister of Endy & Aine, my baby girl, and Endy’s best friend." Here's Vixen... She's a friend with a remarkable story of defeating death twice -- and of forgiving the human race for what they did to her, and moving on to be the sort of dream companion that all these Long Haired German Shepherds have turned out to be . . . CLICK HERE to read her harrowing story (it has a happy ending!) and see her photos. 9-3/4 year old Drew runs with weeks-old friend, Hank Drew Meets Hank When Drew, at age 9-3/4, met weeks-old Hank -- also a German Shepherd -- unexpectedly in the Oregon Episcopal School Library, in Portland, Oregon, on May 9, 2009, Hank was full of yappy barks. Drew does not like to be barked at, but evidently took Hank's age into consideration. However, eventually he got on her nerves, and she deftly tripped him and dropped him on his back.  That pretty much ended the barks, and apparently cemented their relationship, since after that they ran around the library together -- and, as you can see, they seemingly did it in lockstep! In early 2011, Drew met Gwendee! Gwendee lives in Corvallis, Oregon-- some 70 miles south of Portland, in the community in which Oregon State University is located. Hsiou-Lien and John happened to be having dinner with their beautiful Long Haired German Shepherd, Gwendee, on the patio of Portland's Berlin Inn when Jane, Eric, and Drew walked in for their own dinner there.  Everyone hit it off right away, and have stayed in touch.  Gwendee's family sent us two photos of her taken at their Corvallis home -- one of them, clearly taken in wintertime -- to allow you to meet her too! In early February of 2012, Drew received this personal note from 3-month-old Bastian (see photo at right), and his person, Sarah Sellers: "Drew!  What a great story!  My mom totally thinks I rock, but, even more so after reading about you.  Wasn't it crazy the first time you saw snow?  I played like a dolphin in the drifts!  I love that stuff!  I hope I can find a nice restaurant for my birthdays [like your Berlin Inn] here in North Barrington, in the Chicago area.  Maybe I'll use a clip from your website to market some of my mom's local haunts.  Who knows?  I've got 8 months to find the perfect spot!" Bastian is knockout-handsome, and we look forward to future visits from him on this page, as he grows! Bastian, who lives near Chicago, at age 3 months -- in February of 2012     On April 13, 2015, we heard from Sharon Nelson in Los Angeles: "Looked at Drew's page and was overwhelmed by the love. Drew was an amazing dog who lived a princess life. Also, the last couple of years of Drew's life brought back memories of my Cody. I lost him to DM almost two years ago. He was just a couple of months short of his 12th birthday. I understand the level of care it takes to care for a disabled pet as that was our life for almost two years. Here is a picture of Cody in his pool. We got him an above-ground pool to swim at home. I felt it was our final gift to him. We had him since he was 8 weeks old and I miss him every day, but I am grateful for all the memories. He was a special boy." -- Sharon     THIS ENDS THE "DREW'S FRIENDS" PAGE. Future Long Haired German Shepherd friends will appear on the "Sable's Friends" page.  Send a good photo and tell us about him or her and yourself! E-mail them to us by clicking HERE