Alida v.Flandrischen Loewen - Dobermann Review

Vale Alida vFlandrischen LöwenBy Alison KollenbergAeulogy in honor of Alida is not only timely, butrichly deserved, because here was a bitch whosegenetic influence is enormous, often equaling andat times surpassing that of prominent stud dogs. For abitch, whose number of offspring is limited by the natureof her gender, that is no mean feat. Apart from her daughter(Kalina vom Norden Stamm), the amazing depth andbreadth of her influence world-wide could be said to beunrivalled by any bitch since the post war period.Consider that her children, grandchildren, andgreat-grandchildren are to be found in more than 27Dobermann breedinglands. Amongst these aremany highly acclaimedand decorated animals.The numerous Siegers,Specialty Winners,National Champions,Best-In-Show winners,conformation and workingchampions and breedingchampions makesan impressive list whenviewed on paper.Bred in the purpleherself, Alida’s excellentphenotype and genotypewas able to consistentlyproduce animals that, inturn, themselves provedto be exceptional producers.This is borne out bythe number of countrieswhose leading stud dogsand bitches have had an obvious impact on the developmentand direction of the breed in these lands and aredirectly related to Alida in the immediate pedigree.Alida herself was no “soap bubble.” She came outof the key bloodline responsible for producing the greatmajority of Germany’s Dobermanns of significance.The same bloodlines, in fact, from whence sprang theUSA’s most significant producers of the early post-warperiod (see the Bloodline chart later in this article).Alida’s pedigree also combined in the immediate backgroundthe country’s two most acclaimed stud dogs oftheir era, successfully combining the “rough and thesmooth.” Namely the rough, robust power of the Siegerdog, Bronco v Zenn, SchH III, and the smooth, elegantnobility of the Sieger dog, Guy’s Hilo V. Norden Stamm,SchH III. Alida had 4 Bundessieger (German NationalChampions) in her first and second generations alone!Her mother, the Bronco daughter Alexa v. Heiderhof,SchH III, was also a Bundessieger, as was her sire, theHilo son, Ali v. Langenhorst, SchH III. Alida was, infact, a worthy royal daughter of a most royal house.Since being exported to the USA, Alida’s storyis best told by those more closely involved with her inthat country. But her life story in Germany before thistime has passed on great wealth to the breed there andelsewhere, and needs telling if only for that reason alone.Her story had a remarkable beginning to what was toprove a remarkable life.Alida’s mother, Alexa, was the smallest and leastimposing in her litter and, therefore, the last to be sold.But she blossomed like the proverbial Ugly Duckling,and by 1982 had becomeGermany’s top winningshow dog and alsoBundessieger at the earlyage of 18 months (anachievement later matchedby her daughter Alida, andAlida’s daughter Kalinaafter her). Alexa’s siblingswere also successful, withsix of them becomingchampions with SchH IIItitles. This was a highlyfertile family, as later seenby the large litters sheand her offspring alwaysproduced. It was notuncommon for them tohave litters of anywherefrom 10 to 18 puppies.Alida v Flandrischen LöwenTaking into account thatAlida’s family was alsoknown for its longevity, itcould be deduced that these factors, together with theirhigh individual prepotency, were key factors behind herfamily’s broad genetic sphere of influence.Around this time my husband, Jens Kollenberg,came on the scene. We had just returned to Germanyand were looking for a foundation bitch to take upwhere he had left off some years earlier. Reading theDV Club’s show critique books, it became apparentthat Alexa possessed those qualities he was looking for.A meeting was arranged to see Alexa with the view ofbuying or leasing her from her owner, Albert Rochtus.Neither proved possible, but my husband and her ownerpage 2 packet 1