My Favorite Ole German Sheppard

I have a lot of fond memories of my childhood years. My family shared great times of vacationing and of enjoying our annual winter trip to the mountains for skiing. We shared every Saturday morning's breakfast together and we even liked to play games together on Friday nights. I truly loved my growing up years and I loved being a part of my family. My absolute favorite memory of childhood, however, is not a memory of my family at all, it is my memory of my favorite German sheppard dog.

I got my German sheppard as a birthday gift on my tenth birthday, so I guess you could say that the memory is in some way connected to the family who purchased Ruffy (as I named him) for me. I loved that dog. I had been asking for one ever since I was in first grade, and I guess by the time I was turning ten my parents realized that I was serious about wanting a German sheppard and that I probably wouldn't stop asking until they gave me one. So all of my childhood dreams came true the day I turned ten and came home from school to discover a brand new German sheppard puppy waiting just for me.

My four siblings were not thrilled about the birthday gift my parents had chosen. Apparently, they had each asked for an animal in the past and had never received anything more than a small tank of fish. I felt pretty good about the fact that I was the first one to receive a German sheppard for my birthday, even though I know it was only due to my nagging that my parents finally melted and agreed. I was very generous, for the most part, about sharing my German sheppard with my brothers and sisters. We spent countless hours that summer playing with Ruffy, trying to teach him new tricks, and of course teaching him when and where to go to the bathroom.

I guess my German sheppard became my best friend in a way that no one else had. I had some trouble fitting in with the other kids at school and so I quickly became attached to my German sheppard enough that it didn't matter what anyone else thought of me because I had Ruffy to go home to at the end of a long day.

Ruffy and I spent the next thirteen years getting along great. When it was time for me to head off to college, I left my German sheppard in the care of my mother, who did a fabulous job with him. I have nothing but fond memories of my German sheppard.

havana brown cat~!~

The British shorthaired breed bearing this name is the brown variety of the Oriental Shorthair, while the American version is a separate breed with a distinctive body and head type.

Though originally named for the brown color, a lavender frost color is also permitted in some associations.

The Havana is a very outgoing breed that loves following its people around.


breed Traits

Rather than attempt a Siamese body style as British breeders have done, American breeders have favored a more moderate body and head type for their Havana Browns. The British Havana Brown is considerably more Siamese in conformation than North American Havanas. The American Havana Brown’s distinctive muzzle, rich color, expressive eyes, and large ears make it distinctive and exceptionally striking among the American cat breeds.

The Havana’s coat is also distinctive. Color is very important to this breed: the coat should be a rich, even shade of warm brown, tending toward red-brown or mahogany rather than black-brown. Allowance is made for ghost tabby markings in kittens and youngsters.

History

The Havana Brown is a man-made hybrid of self-brown cats outcrossed with a variety of other breeds such as black Domestic Shorthairs, chocolate point Siamese and Russion Blue cats. The breed was created in the 1950’s by a number of English breeders collaborating together using self-brown cats that existed as early as the late 1800’s. Known as Havanas in Europe, these cats were first imported to North America in the mid-1950’s. Soon after their arrival, they became known in the U.S. as Havana Browns. Modern British Havana strains are reported to have an increased Siamese cat influence compared to the North American lines. The Havana Brown is recognized by the cat Fancier’s Association (CFA), the American cat Fancier’s Association (AFCA) and The International cat Association (TICA).

Appearance

All Havana Brown cats are a rich, glistening dark brown with just a hint of red. The colour must be even from nose to tail and from tip to root. Whiskers should be brown; nose leather and paw pads are a rose colour that harmonises with the coat. Since Havanas are a shorthair breed, routine grooming is kept to a minimum.

Personality

Havanas are gentle, intelligent and remarkably adaptable. They take almost any situation in stride, and with confidence and poise set about to rule whatever roost they are given. One-room walk-up or palace – it’s all the same to them as long as they have plenty of love and attention from their human friends.

Havanas make wonderful companions if you like interactive cats. Devoted, affectionate and constantly curious, Havanas want to be where you are, preferably right in the middle of the action. They want to help you read the paper in the morning, type on the computer in the afternoon, and prepare dinner in the evening. Their playful attitudes and ability to adjust to other pets and children make them great family companions. Unlike the Siamese, they are vocally quiet.

However, like the Siamese, Havanas need human interaction and don’t do well if they are ignored or left alone for long periods. Havanas are just not happy without humans around to love. If you work all day and have an active social life at night, consider a less dependent breed.
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