“Breeding means thinking by generations”… ....this is a long-term-process the breeder has to deal with. At the Beginning stands an ideal, a goal, which the breeder must be focused on. Secondly, you need an extraordinary enthusiasm to follow that goal continuously. And last, you need an according realism to recognize, that as a breeder, you maybe will never reach that goal completely or at least approximately. My ideal in breeding German Shepherd Dogs is derived from our breeding standard, combined with my ideas of type, expression and character. My enthusiasm is aroused with every new expecting litter, with watching the development of each youngster and adult dog in my kennel. I am realistic enough to see, that the dogs are not continuously getting better. In fact, there are always more obstacles to overcome. Best way to convert my conceptions is a strong and firm breeding-family. The continuation of our motherline-generations is my priority. A healthy, typey motherline is for me still the best guarantee of successful breeding. The experience from working and breeding with these many generations in our kennel is the basis for every new plan in breeding. Show- or trial-results can never replace this experience as the founding ideas for thinking over the next stud-plan. There´s no place for "experiments" or "political breeding", because the German Shepherd is too valuable for that.. Successful and high placing dogs on almost every level of generations in our breeding do confirm my strategy. But: Success for me is, if the dog comes pretty close to my ideas and expectations. If he gets also high rankings and takes a good show-career, even better. "Bianca vom Hubertusschacht" is the tribal mother of all our dogs. Born 1978, she cames as a 2-day-old tiny foster-puppy to our kennel. She developed into a remarkable producing breeding female, which marked our breeding in type, anatomy and character over more than 10 generations in the meantime. I would like to invite you to see here, how our dogs developed since "Bianca" and to explore, where the present-day dogs "von der Zenteiche" have their roots..... Christoph Ludwig