Joy in the Work

Ash's recall, trialing for his BH, Fall 1998

I was looking for this quote today, only to realize that it was on my website on some deeply buried page.

Trust is a sine qua non, and obedience is the foundation of every training; both go hand in hand, and both are inseparable. Blind and servile obedience is not rooted in trust, but in fear, and only rebels when out of reach of the whip. Such service we do not demand from our dogs, but an obedience which is joyful and always willing, founded on love for the master, and as such . . . founded on the satisfaction of a natural craving, which therefore must be consolidated by wise training from earliest puppyhood. With a young dog who is obedient in this sense—who waits upon the eyes and the mouth of his master, who comes joyfully when called, even from his feeding dish or his companions at play, because he knows he will be rewarded for his obedience by a kind word and by an affectionate pat, by a special tidbit, or as the highest reward, by a sharing in the activity of his master — with such a dog everything is possible later on, for joy in the work is combined with its accomplishment. This, as the outpouring of the power accumulated in the dog, is the result of sound nerves and a serviceable body build; and here again, it is a matter of breeding and training, both directed to a special purpose with a definite goal in view.

The German Shepherd Dog in Word & Picture
Max v. Stephanitz

This is what I want for and from my GSDs.