Louis Donald
Author | SV Foreign List Judge (Retired) | ANKC Group 5 Judge | GSDCA Breed Surveyor
Louis Donald has been involved with German Shepherd Dogs since 1962. During more than 60 years in the breed, he has distinguished himself as a breeder, judge, breed surveyor, administrator, educator and author.
Louis considers himself fortunate to have had three important mentors, each of whom profoundly influenced his development within the dog world and his outlook on life.
The first was Ian Stirton of Australia, an All Breeds Judge who bred Louis’s first German Shepherd Dog. Ian devoted many years to educating and mentoring Louis, not only in the German Shepherd Dog but across all breeds. He instilled in him the fundamental principles of honesty and integrity, together with the conviction that the best interests of the breed must always come before personal ambition.
The second was Madeleine Pickup of the United Kingdom. Louis visited Madeleine many times, working in her kennels and travelling extensively with her throughout England and Europe. She reinforced his belief that a dog’s character, temperament and ability to fulfil its intended purpose must always take precedence over beauty. Madeleine also played an important personal role in Louis’s life, as it was through her that he met his wife, Gail, Madeleine’s great-niece.
His third mentor was Dr Walter Gorrieri of Italy. Louis spent considerable time with Dr Gorrieri, whom he regarded as the most knowledgeable person he had ever encountered on the structure and movement of the German Shepherd Dog. After many decades of further experience, study and judging, that opinion remains unchanged.
Louis entered the breed in 1962 at the age of 15. By 17, he had been elected to his first official club position as Vice President of the Canberra Non-Sporting and Working Dog Club. At 18, he became the club’s Chief Training Instructor, and at 20, its President.
By 1980, his Bratara kennel had become the most successful German Shepherd Dog kennel in Australia, having accounted for 160 Best Exhibit in Show awards. Its achievements included multiple Gold Medal wins at National events and six wins from six appearances in the National Breeders Group competition.
Bratara dogs also achieved Supreme Best Exhibit in Show wins at major all-breeds events with entries exceeding 5,000 dogs. One of the kennel’s best-known German Shepherd Dogs, Horand Prince Huzzar, known as “Kurt,” won 56 Best Exhibit in Show awards from only 65 outings. These victories included Best Exhibit in Show at both the Melbourne Royal and Adelaide Royal.
Louis became a fully licensed Working Dog Judge in 1974. In 1978, he completed his examinations in Germany to become Australia’s first fully licensed SV German Shepherd Dog Judge. At that time, he was also the youngest full-list SV judge in the world. He has since retired from the SV Foreign Judges List but remains an ANKC Group 5 Judge and a licensed GSDCA Breed Surveyor.
At the age of 26, Louis was elected President of the German Shepherd Dog Council of Australia, a position he held unopposed for approximately 20 years. During this period, he initiated or oversaw virtually all the major breed-improvement schemes that remain in use by the GSDCA throughout Australia. For many years, he was also the senior judge at the Council’s principal breed shows, where he judged the Open Dog class.
His international judging appointments have included the English National, together with appointments in Italy, South Africa, Singapore, India, the Philippines, Iceland, New Zealand, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Hong Kong.
In February 2017, Louis was appointed WUSV Continental Director for Oceania, a position he held until December 2018.
Alongside his judging, breeding and administrative experience, Louis has devoted much of his life to studying canine anatomy, movement, breed type and the functional development of the German Shepherd Dog.
He is the author of The Definitive German Shepherd Dog, an extensive reference work that attracted readers in 85 countries. His latest book, Herding and Droving Dogs: History, Anatomy and Locomotion, expands this work across 51 herding and droving breeds. It combines breed history and international breed standards with detailed chapters on canine anatomy, biomechanics and locomotion, illustrated through outstanding examples of each breed.
Through his books, lectures, judging and mentoring, Louis continues to share the knowledge accumulated over more than six decades, guided by the principles established by his mentors: honesty, integrity, respect for functional purpose and an unwavering commitment to the welfare and future of the dog.
Louis Donald
Author | SV Foreign List Judge (Retired) | ANKC Group 5 Judge | GSDCA Breed Surveyor
Louis Donald has been involved with German Shepherd Dogs since 1962. During more than 60 years in the breed, he has distinguished himself as a breeder, judge, breed surveyor, administrator, educator and author.
Louis considers himself fortunate to have had three important mentors, each of whom profoundly influenced his development within the dog world and his outlook on life.
The first was Ian Stirton of Australia, an All Breeds Judge who bred Louis’s first German Shepherd Dog. Ian devoted many years to educating and mentoring Louis, not only in the German Shepherd Dog but across all breeds. He instilled in him the fundamental principles of honesty and integrity, together with the conviction that the best interests of the breed must always come before personal ambition.
The second was Madeleine Pickup of the United Kingdom. Louis visited Madeleine many times, working in her kennels and travelling extensively with her throughout England and Europe. She reinforced his belief that a dog’s character, temperament and ability to fulfil its intended purpose must always take precedence over beauty. Madeleine also played an important personal role in Louis’s life, as it was through her that he met his wife, Gail, Madeleine’s great-niece.
His third mentor was Dr Walter Gorrieri of Italy. Louis spent considerable time with Dr Gorrieri, whom he regarded as the most knowledgeable person he had ever encountered on the structure and movement of the German Shepherd Dog. After many decades of further experience, study and judging, that opinion remains unchanged.
Louis entered the breed in 1962 at the age of 15. By 17, he had been elected to his first official club position as Vice President of the Canberra Non-Sporting and Working Dog Club. At 18, he became the club’s Chief Training Instructor, and at 20, its President.
By 1980, his Bratara kennel had become the most successful German Shepherd Dog kennel in Australia, having accounted for 160 Best Exhibit in Show awards. Its achievements included multiple Gold Medal wins at National events and six wins from six appearances in the National Breeders Group competition.
Bratara dogs also achieved Supreme Best Exhibit in Show wins at major all-breeds events with entries exceeding 5,000 dogs. One of the kennel’s best-known German Shepherd Dogs, Horand Prince Huzzar, known as “Kurt,” won 56 Best Exhibit in Show awards from only 65 outings. These victories included Best Exhibit in Show at both the Melbourne Royal and Adelaide Royal.
Louis became a fully licensed Working Dog Judge in 1974. In 1978, he completed his examinations in Germany to become Australia’s first fully licensed SV German Shepherd Dog Judge. At that time, he was also the youngest full-list SV judge in the world. He has since retired from the SV Foreign Judges List but remains an ANKC Group 5 Judge and a licensed GSDCA Breed Surveyor.
At the age of 26, Louis was elected President of the German Shepherd Dog Council of Australia, a position he held unopposed for approximately 20 years. During this period, he initiated or oversaw virtually all the major breed-improvement schemes that remain in use by the GSDCA throughout Australia. For many years, he was also the senior judge at the Council’s principal breed shows, where he judged the Open Dog class.
His international judging appointments have included the English National, together with appointments in Italy, South Africa, Singapore, India, the Philippines, Iceland, New Zealand, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Hong Kong.
In February 2017, Louis was appointed WUSV Continental Director for Oceania, a position he held until December 2018.
Alongside his judging, breeding and administrative experience, Louis has devoted much of his life to studying canine anatomy, movement, breed type and the functional development of the German Shepherd Dog.
He is the author of The Definitive German Shepherd Dog, an extensive reference work that attracted readers in 85 countries. His latest book, Herding and Droving Dogs: History, Anatomy and Locomotion, expands this work across 51 herding and droving breeds. It combines breed history and international breed standards with detailed chapters on canine anatomy, biomechanics and locomotion, illustrated through outstanding examples of each breed.
Through his books, lectures, judging and mentoring, Louis continues to share the knowledge accumulated over more than six decades, guided by the principles established by his mentors: honesty, integrity, respect for functional purpose and an unwavering commitment to the welfare and future of the dog.