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English edition · limited print run

The German Shepherd
Simply Amazing

By Ján Sudimák – breeder, dog trainer, international judge for conformation and performance and breed survey commissioner. A book on the breed's history, 26 world bloodlines and about 2,000 photographs.

Cover of the book The German Shepherd – Simply Amazing by Ján Sudimák

What's inside

A bloodline reference, not just a photo book

  • 26of the world's most renowned bloodlines, clearly structured
  • ~2,000photographs of breeding dogs in show stance
  • 4,000+stud dogs in the appendix, arranged by bloodline
  • 10years of work on the book

What the book covers

  • How to choose and acquire a puppy
  • The history of the breed and a short biography of its founder
  • The breed standard
  • A detailed description of 26 bloodlines
  • Choosing breeding partners, what makes a brood bitch and a stud dog, inbreeding
  • Rearing puppies, preparing for whelping and anatomical faults
  • Upbringing and training from puppy to adult dog
  • Judging at shows, breed surveys and performance trials
  • Appendix: more than 4,000 stud dogs arranged by bloodline

The main impulse for writing the book came from my friends, who told me, word for word:

“It wouldn’t be fair for you to take all your knowledge with you.”

Its aim was to capture my many years of experience, general expert knowledge and insights from practice. I worked on the book, on and off, for about 10 years.

— Ján Sudimák

Translated from Slovak

The book’s motto

What all the generals of the world failed to do, a single breed achieved: it conquered the whole world.

What experts say

Read by the people who shaped the breed

Prof. Dr. Heinrich Meßler, longtime President of the SV and WUSV

Prof. Dr. Heinrich Meßler

Longtime President of the SV and WUSV

The combination of historical depth, clearly structured bloodline documentation, and the remarkable visual material makes this book far more than a classic photo collection.

Dear Mr. Sudimák,

thank you very much for sending me your book “German Shepherd – Simply Amazing.” Please excuse my late response – only recently did I find the time to go through your work properly and with the attention it deserves.

I would like to sincerely congratulate you on this impressive publication. The combination of historical depth, clearly structured bloodline documentation, and the remarkable visual material makes this book far more than a classic photo collection. It is evident on every page that this work is the result of decades of practical experience, reflection, and genuine commitment to the German Shepherd Dog.

In my view, it is highly valuable that this book reaches an international audience. Especially today, when the breed is often discussed in a simplified or polarized way, your work offers a differentiated, factual, and experience-based perspective that is both refreshing and much needed.

Perhaps at some point it would be interesting to do a podcast interview or a similar format, to talk about your breeding philosophy, your long-term experiences, and the background to this book. I would personally enjoy such an exchange very much.

I would also greatly appreciate it if you could keep me informed about how the book is developing on the market and what further steps or projects may emerge from it.

Once again, my sincere compliments on this excellent work, and thank you very much for sending me a copy.

Pierre Wahlström lifting a championship trophy

Pierre Wahlström

Top-level trainer, breeder and international judge, WUSV World Champion; bred a female that won the WUSV World Championship

This is a book that truly deserves to be called the German Shepherd Bible.

This is a book that truly deserves to be called the German Shepherd Bible.

It is written with profound passion, knowledge, and understanding of the history of the German Shepherd Dog and its bloodlines.

This book is an absolute must-have for every serious and responsible German Shepherd breeder around the world.

I can wholeheartedly recommend this outstanding book, a book I proudly refer to as the Bible of the German Shepherd Dog.

Jan Redder, professional photographer and German Shepherd breeder

Jan Redder

Professional photographer and German Shepherd breeder

A solid reference work for breeders who wish to improve and preserve the breed.

The book The German Shepherd Simply Amazing, written by author Jan Sudimák, Breeder from Kennel v Eqidius and Judge is a wonderful book for the enthusiast and breeder of our beloved breed. Beautifully written with photos and covering all facets, both beauty and training.

A solid reference work for breeders who wish to improve and preserve the breed. A beautiful book to have on your bookshelf.

Jozef Šuster

President of the Union of Kennel Clubs of Slovakia · his text appears in the book

Reading this book, one feels as if the author were personally sharing his many years of experience.

Reading this book, one feels as if the author were personally sharing his many years of experience. With a little imagination, we can picture him sitting across from us, leading a conversation in which we keep learning something new and interesting. We are brought back to reality only by the extensive appendix of German Shepherd bloodlines, and it is easy to imagine a true devotee of the breed unfolding it every day and, through it, admiring the history of breeding.

Translated from Slovak

WUSV World Championships

Our bloodlines
at the world championship.

Most dogs at the WUSV World Championships carry Eqidius bloodlines in their pedigrees, up to 5 generations back.

The experience that made this possible is written down in this book: choosing breeding partners, rearing puppies and 26 bloodlines.

All achievements 
dogs at the championship had our bloodlines in their pedigrees
WUSV 2026118 / 136
dogs at the championship had our bloodlines in their pedigrees
WUSV 2025 · Nova Gorica73 / 119
dogs at the championship had our bloodlines in their pedigrees
WUSV 202460 / 140
different dogs from our kennel identified in their pedigrees
WUSV 2025 · Nova Gorica16
Niké Egidius appearances in their pedigrees
WUSV 2025 · Nova Gorica56×

The author

50+ years of hard-earned experience, distilled into one book

My name is Ján Sudimák, and I am a German Shepherd breeder, international conformation and performance judge, breed survey commissioner, and founder of the world-renowned Eqidius kennel. For more than 50 years, I have dedicated my life to breeding, training, evaluating, and understanding this extraordinary breed.

Through this unique publication, I share a lifetime of experience and knowledge gained over decades of hands-on work with German Shepherds. In this book, I explore the breed’s history, present some of the most influential bloodlines in the world, and offer practical insights into breeding, puppy rearing, training, and the principles that have guided my work throughout my career.

— Ján Sudimák
  • Devoted to dogs since 1963, when he was ten years old
  • International judge for conformation and performance
  • Breed survey commissioner (Körmeister)
  • More than 250 performance trials of various categories with several dogs
  • Competed at the Slovak and Czech championships with 7 dogs of his own breeding
  • 2nd place at the 1987 Slovak championship with Bert Egidius, under a demanding 500-point evaluation
  • WUSV World Championship 2012: Witz Eqidius 2nd, Geischa Eqidius 3rd
Ján Sudimák signing a copy of The German Shepherd – Simply Amazing, with kennel trophies behind him

Limited edition

Get your copy

The Slovak edition (2024) is sold out. The English edition is available now.

Ján Sudimák beside the graphic presentation of the major paternal bloodlines