I always admired German Shepherds for their looks, intelligence, versatility, trainability and loyalty
to people. I acquired my first shepherd in Hungary right after WW II. He was a sable male, very masculine with excellent temperament. I trained him and he traveled with me everywhere for the sport of it and also for protection. By 1952 I decided to get involved in breeding and in 1953 I had
my first litter. I really enjoyed watching the puppies grow and to learn how they changed month by month. I got more and more involved and had more and more litters. One day, however, just by luck
I was riding a bicycle in the city of Miskolc and spotted an exceptional 4 month old male puppy. The lady who owned him said he was not for sale. I couldn’t get that puppy out of my mind so I found out her address and visited her and the puppy many times, negotiating with her in length until I finally bought him. I named him Rex. I began to train him and compete in conformation. He ultimately
became three time Grand Victor in Hungary, which earned him the title of “Victor Forever”.
To this day I don’t believe this title has been awarded again. Also, when he achieved Grand Victor
the third time, it was at a large all breed show similar to Westminster where he was also Best in
Show. In that same year he was also awarded the Best Working Dog in the country. They were
judged according to international rules for attacking, tracking, retrieving, etc.
Then came the Hungarian revolution and we decided to escape in December of 1956. We left
behind a home we just purchased and a kennel of thirteen purebred German Shepherds.
My wife, and 3 year old son, Joe Jr., (photo) a few relatives, and several other friends left together from Miskolc towards the Austrian border a couple hundred miles away. We carried little but the clothes on our backs. About ten miles from the border in a barn we met 22 others taking shelter
also with hopes of crossing the border into Austria.
We decided to stay as a group, but it wasn’t easy. None of them wanted any part of Rex. They felt
that a dog would bark or run about and give us away. I was adamant though and finally won out. Rex stayed and became our leader. He could see, hear and smell where we couldn’t. If there was
danger ahead he would warn us. All around us were border patrols. Rex headed our party,
sometimes on the loose and sometimes on leash. He was trained for night patrol so I went ahead of the rest with Rex as we neared the border.
Suddenly he froze and signaled with a low growl that only I could hear. He was trained that way.
(He knew to be very quiet when the situation called for it.) He was pointing straight ahead to show
it was not safe that way. We retreated about a half mile and went another direction for a while, and suddenly stumbled on a trampled down barbed wire fence that meant the border.
We crossed into Austria, but just as we made it, we heard many shots from the direction where Rex had warned us.
We knew then that Rex had saved our lives. We stayed in Austria for about 4 months living
in a refugee camp. Nevertheless Rex went with me every where. We were registered with the US Counsel to come here but word was that the quota for the US was closed. At one point a US official said that “if we let you come to the states, your dog probably can’t go.” I said “then I’m not going.” They must have thought this man is crazy or he loves his dog more than anything. I think that
helped in the decision to let us in.
I arrived with my wife and son in the United States on April 25 1957. Shortly we ended up in Corning, NY where the First Presbyterian Church had sponsored us. Rex did not come with us, but stayed behind in Vienna at the Austrian Humane Society. They would hold the dog until we were settled. After we sent a telegram the humane society shipped Rex to Kennedy Airport. The members of the church were so giving of themselves, one member and his son even flew me the two hour flight in their own plane so I could be with Rex sooner.
Newspaper publicity started immediately. Reporters, a dozen or so were waiting at the airport as we landed. TV interviews followed, then an agent approached us and shortly we were touring with Superman & Lois Lane. That was followed with appearances on TV, movies and stage shows. Rex came to be known as “Rex the Wonder Dog.”
I had my first litter in the US in 1958 from a female I bought named Kobeil’s Jeta bred to Ch Wotan v Richterbach, a german import. Out of this litter came Agnes Gold of Bihari Wonder, my original
Kennel name, later shortened to Bihari’s Shepherds.
In the fall of 1959 I decided to move the dogs and my family closer to New York City because of my involvement in show business. I bought a kennel in Nanuet NY, 20 Min north of the city. I trained problem dogs and started breeding on a larger scale.
Agnes was bred to Ch Sel Bernd v Kallengarten, ROM and produced Ch Falk of Bihari Wonder, CD owner Horst Bomke. Connie Beckhardt then bred a Bernd daughter, Ch Cobert’s Ernestine, ROM to Ch Falk at Bihari Wonder, CD. This produced Ch Cobert’s Melissa of Lakeside, ROM . Melissa bred
to GV Ch Lance of Fran-Jo produced the notable Ch Lakeside’s Gilligan’s Island, ROM . All of which became top producing dogs. Agnes was also bred to a German import ;Petz aus Tolbiacum which produced Gaty of Bihari Wonder. Gaty bred to Ch Arap v Wallen Steinpark produced Ch Tina of
Bihari Wonder. At that time I was breeding German to American bloodlines for what I thought
needed repairing. I purchased German bitches from Mr. Loeb and bred bitches to his top import males. I travelled to germany with Mr. Loeb to the 1964 Sieger show and bought a top male, Greif v Asterplatz from Mr. Walter Martin. (click to photo). This was a male out of the second Jalk vom Fohlenbrunnen and Dixie V.D. Wienerau litters. I bred my Tina bitch to Greif and this produced my first champion, Ch Nando of Bihari Wonder. At that time I also bred Massa v Gurkenland to
Ch Bernd and produced Ch Sel Omar un Dargo of Bihari Wonder. I bought Ch Asta v Haus Bernius, bred in Germany to Dolf v Lierberg. This produced Ch Velo of Bihari Wonder and Ch Vero of Bihari Wonder, CDX whose owner and trainer was Klaus Eifert.
Asta’s second litters that followed with Jalk vom Asterplatz produced Ch Bihari’s Ozzi, Ch Bihari’s Olga, Ch Sel Bihari’s Circe, Ch Bihari’s Cita and Obedience GV. OCH Bihari’s Uncle Sam owned and trained by Dick Galbraith.
Starting in 1964, I went to the Sieger show with Mr Loeb every year. I usually purchased 3 or
4 dogs each year for breeding or showing. Some went to be finished like Ch Asta v Haus Bernius,
Ch Asta v Sennerblut, Ch Quando v Monchberg, Ch Volker v Rathof, and Ch Kim v Feuerball.
Also, Agnes Gold bred to Greif v Asterplatz producing Pax of Bihari Wonder. She was bred to Ch &
2x sel Omar un Dargo of Bihari Wonder – This produced Ch Sel Bihari’s Narvik of Bunker Hill.
Another German-American combination produced Ch Sel Little Sonja of Bihari Wonder owned by
John Lucas. I then bred to the top Am Ch Lance of Fran-Jo and Ch Eko-Lans Paladen. My import
bitch Helma vd Sturmwolke bred to Paladen produced Ch sel Bihari’s Klodo I, CDX, owned & trained by Herbert Merkel. Also, around that time I bought a 10 week old female from Alice Zygmont, Anton’s Jesse, she came to be Can GVx Can Siegerin & Am GVx Ch. Anton’s Jesse. Another notable dog,
(this one I co-owned), was Ch shaft of Del-Shire. He came to be Can GV, Can Sieger and Am select 3 times. Another good combination was a lance daughter, Lenarle’s Deverau bred to Ch Volker v Rathof, which produced Ch Bihari’s Ike. His sister Eka then produced with Ch Shaft, Ch Bihari’s Fashion, as well as many Futurity winners. This made Shaft & Ika eligible to be in the top
10 Futurities Sires & Dams.
Other notable dogs are Ch Bihari’s Deuce, & Ch Bihari’s Kelly, finished and owned by Billy Rossi.
More recently, however, I’m proud to own Am & Can Sel Ch Woodhaven’s In Search Of, TC ROM,
who has been a top producing male for the last 3 or 4 years. He has produced many champions both in the US & Canada. In Search Of, or “Indy” as we call him, was bred to our Am & Can Ch Madeb’s Hellraiser and produced Ch Bihari’s Houdini owned by Janice Staley, Ch Bihari’s Fanta also Best in Futurity, and Ch Bihari’s Hella. Then Indy bred with Bihari’s Vena produced Ch Bihari’s Alexes,
Am Ch Can GV Ch Bihari’s Drol, owner George Werner. Ch Bihari’s Dakota, Ch Bihari’s Night Raven owned by Dr Jerry and Ann Soll.
My goal right from the beginning was and is to have better shepherds year after year whether
I bred them or purchased them for the best desired qualities of the German Shepherd breed; temperament, structure, movement and showmanship.
My success continues to this day, and god willing for years to come!
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