Zoa, Very nice post and I hope she takes you up on your fine advice. Evan says since I finished a dog Im not a "newbie". LOL. I will always be a newbie in my mind compared to some of the others out there. I understand where Sara is at in her quest. I know that even though I am new to the breed, I also have an obligation to the german shepherds whom I am learing about. It is my obligation to read, go to dog shows, ask what the difference is between a specialty dog and an all breed dog, ask people to show me the correct shoulder so I can touch it, feel it for myself, video tape the shows, and never quit asking questions. At the end of the day, it will then be up to me to do my best to breed my bitch/dog to the one that will move me toward my goal. It may not be the top winning dog of the day, but hopefully the things I need help with will be present. Talk to people that will recognize your enthusiasm. My list is endless of the people that have had an impact on me. As far as handling. Wow, here we go. If you want to show your dog yourself to have fun, show in UKC. I have gained a world of experience in this venue with the laid back atmosphere. I had enough confidence in my handling to show my male and female at the National in the Amateur Owner Handler class. I won the class with my male and a 2nd with my female. If you want to be competitive where the win will mean something, get a handler. They know by looking at your dog which judge will like their "type". They will know which place more value on side movement, coming and going, plush coat vs short coat and etc. I am not saying it cannot be done to do it by yourself, but it just depends on how deep your pockets are. There will be times when you have the better dog, but beaten by the pros. That is just the way it is, don't take it personal, but they will always present your dog better than you will yourself and sometimes that 1% is what is needed for the win. Good luck, Im still learning and didn't give up. Elizabeth Wilkerson ============================================================================ POST is Copyrighted 2011. All material remains the property of the original author and of GSD Communication, Inc. NO REPRODUCTIONS or FORWARDS of any kind are permitted without prior permission of the original author AND of the Showgsd-l Management. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Each Author is responsible for the content of his/her post. This group and its administrators are not responsible for the comments or opinions expressed in any post. ALL PERSONS ARE ON NOTICE THAT THE FORWARDING, REPRODUCTION OR USE IN ANY MANNER OF ANY MATERIAL WHICH APPEARS ON SHOWGSD-L WITHOUT THE EXPRESS PERMISSION OF ALL PARTIES TO THE POST AND THE LIST MANAGEMENT IS EXPRESSLY FORBIDDEN, AND IS A VIOLATION OF LAW. VIOLATORS OF THIS PROHIBITION WILL BE PROSECUTED. For assistance, please contact the List Management at admin@xxxxxxxxxxx VISIT OUR WEBSITE - http://showgsd.org SUBSCRIPTION:http://showgsd.org/mail.html NATIONAL BLOG - http://gsdnational.blogspot.com/ ============================================================================