HOME ABOUT NEWS PUPPIES OUR DOGS PHOTOS LINKS ARTICLES CONTACT

Neigepearl breeder, Brooke Taylor, was founder and President (2000-2006) of the first official club in Australia (now called the White Swiss Shepherd Association of Australia – WSSDCA), and is now involved in the White German Shepherd Dog Club of Victoria (WGSDAV).

As well as dedicating over 13 years to planning, developing and constructing a serious breeding program, Brooke has also been involved with training her dogs in several disciplines, such as obedience, agility, sheep herding and tracking. Brooke’s other strong interests are assisting others with training and behaviour advice and referrals, ethical breeding education around health and genetics.

Brooke has been an outspoken candidate for the breed, educating the public about responsible dog breeding and ownership. She has written many articles about the status of the breed, stressing the importance of producing the best dogs possible, sound in health, temperament, conformation and type. She is very passionate about the White Shepherd community working together and breeders not being motivated by politics, financial or personal gain, competition, egos and conflict. Brooke has fiercely encouraged the ideals of breeding for the ultimate goal of breed improvement to the breeding community. Sadly, there are many breeders using their dogs as a tool to try to attain some kind of form of exclusivity or personal empowerment. Brooke is unafraid to promote responsible breeding beliefs in manner that is conducive of the sole purpose and goal in breeding - putting the dogs and the breed first.

Brooke’s enthusiasm, openness, honesty and down-to-earth attitude, set her apart from many others involved in dogs. Without standing up for what is right, a community of people can quickly ruin a breed. Over the years, Brooke has worked selflessly at developing, promoting and improving the Australian bloodlines, as well as working towards their recognition.

Brooke’s journey into the breed first started in 2000, when she learnt of the controversy of the white German Shepherd and that they were commonly (and cruelly) culled at birth. Brooke passionately pursued the media about this horrible practice and promoted the dogs as equals, despite their unacceptable coat colour.

The official canine bodies in Australia ceased issuing papers for White German Shepherd litters in 1995, due to an unofficial change in litter registration procedures. Although the white coat colour was a ‘disqualifying fault’ in the German Shepherd Breed Standard and show rings, there was no official rule in place that should have stopped their registration in 1995. Only 10 years later, rules surrounding litter registration and allowable colours were put in place. As a result, many pedigrees of white litters were not kept since 1995, leaving several lines untraceable.

Brooke started the first independent Stud Book for whites (and white gene carriers) in Australia in 2000 with the help of her friend Jo who had a hobby club called the Friends of the White Shepherd Club in South Australia. Brooke set off on a mission to locate and track pedigrees and whites around Australia. She investigated and located many dogs and their pedigrees going through historical records in the newspaper classifieds in Melbourne’s National Library. To unite owners and create a community of enthusiasts, Brooke created an internet website for a new club, producing regular newsletters and organising social meeting days.

When memberships within the club grew, Brooke formed a committee of owners under an incorporated association which later became the WSSDCA, and conducted best breeding practices surrounding breed improvement and recognition the ultimate goal.

Brooke’s stud male born in June 2000, Whitepearl Karo was one of the club’s first stud dogs and held the title of best hip and elbow score for several years. His pedigree consisted of many ANKC German Shepherds, including ANKC whites, from when the whites were allowed to be bred from and registered. The gene pool was incredibly low at the creation of the official breeding program and owners needed a place to come together and exchange bloodlines. The club provided that avenue for the breed.

Brooke heavily engaged the media regarding the GSD Club’s recommended breeding practices surrounding the culling of white puppies, gaining support from animal welfare authorities, international breeders, providing evidence that there was nothing wrong with white coated GSDs that required them being destroyed at birth. This media attention subsequently brought the plight of the White German Shepherd into the spotlight. In 2002, a national television show ‘Burke’s Backyard’ approached Brooke wanting to produce a segment on the White Shepherd breed. The German Shepherd Dog Clubs of Australia (and their state clubs) removed the culling clauses from their breeding practices documentation before the filming started, in an effort to avoid a public backlash. This was a huge step forward for the whites.

Whilst in the role of President of the WSSDCA (2000-2006), Brooke worked very hard organising and conducting committee meetings, fun days and shows, and promoted the breed in magazines, newspapers and on television. She conducted the development of the Australian breeding program and corresponded with the kennel clubs in regard to recognition of the Australian dogs. Brooke felt that in order to produce healthy, quality dogs, a breed club needed to work together and provide guidelines that reflected such goals. In the end, Brooke chose to leave the club and resign as President, as she no longer felt that the club was functioning in a way that put the health and welfare of the dogs as its first priority. It is hoped that despite past personal grievances and politics, Australian breeders of both clubs can assess their motivation and goals in breeding, so they can focus on what’s best for the breed and move towards the future.

Brooke began another club in 2006 for Victorian owners, and founded the White German Shepherd Dog Alliance of Victoria, where she advocated a breeding program focused on breeding healthy, purebred bloodlines. As well as believing firmly in responsible breeding, the club helps members be responsible canine gurardians by way of education, training and management.

Brooke has been heavily involved in all aspects of the breed in Australia and is involved with breed improvement on a worldwide scale. She is also a certified DNA collector with Genetic Technologies and advocates DNA disease testing. In 2006, Brooke was invited to be a member by the committee of the Master Dog Breeders Association (MDBA), a first for any breeder in Australia to get an invite to. The MDBA is an Australian organization promoting elite and ethical dog breeding and educational courses for breeders who go above and beyond their normal breeding responsibilities.

Neigepearl dogs have appeared in the Australian media i.e. television and also major magazines/newspapers educating the public about the breed:

2002: Herald Sun newspaper article on culling practices within the German Shepherd clubs

2002: Burkes Backyard ‘Roadtest’ on TV

2002: Totally Wild segment on TV

2003: Herald Sun newspaper article

2006: Adore a New Breed magazine

2005/2006: National Dog magazine & Dogs Life magazine

2008: Herald Sun newspaper feature article for Damien & Jenna A.I. pups

2009: Herald Sun newspaper feature article for Super and Indy A.I. pups

2010: Local rural newspaper – Neigepearl Superb Vitality winner photo competition

2011: National Dog magazine article/s

For Neigepearl, breeding is an art form and also obsession to take the breed to levels of quality unseen of in Australia and hopefully world-wide. Neigepearl are very proud of their breeding program and thus look forward to a very exciting future!