Unity in Diversity, the World Cup: Germany from the perspective of a dog blog

I'm sure most of you remember Maxdog of South Africa - our valiant Golden Retriever who is now waiting for his Maxmom at the Bridge. Living Life to the Max is Maxmom's blog that continues on without her precious Maxdog. Filled with great photos of South Africa and pooches Tammy, King Toffee and Tommy, Maxmom is sponsoring a month-long event for those us who would like to get into the South African-World Cup Spirit, UNITY in DIVERSITY. Hit the button on my sidebar to travel to South Africa and Maxmom's blog. There you will find out all about UNITY in DIVERSITY! ALL the cool dogs and cats will be there - you snooze, you loose!

I'm sure I missed a German dog breed. I'm sure I missed thousands of great German recipes. Each country that I am blogging about during The World Cup is so rich with respect to its heritage and history. After my own country, the United States of America, I chose countries to blog about that helped to create the dog breeds that I have lived with and loved. (Not all of my dogs have been purebred but all of them have had a little of this or a little of that can be traced to one of the lovely countries I have chose to mention.)

Flag of Germany

The flag of Germany was adopted in its present form in 1919. It was readopted with the new constitution of 1949. It is a tricolor, made of three equal horizontal bands coloured black (top), red, and gold (bottom).

The Best German Sausage Recipe

by Helen Polaski

To prepare German sausage recipes, keep in mind what type of sausage stuffers you will be using. One spice can change the taste of the meat, so be careful. You don't want to wind up with Italian sausage when you were hoping for something a little more Bavarian.

Ingredients You Will Need:
3 pounds boneless pork shoulder or pork butt
3 teaspoons sage
2 ½ teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons marjoram
1 ½ teaspoons crushed red chili peppers
½ teaspoon savory
½ teaspoon cayenne chili pepper
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon allspice

Because pork shoulder is usually very fatty, you shouldn't need to add any additional fat to the mix. If the meat is too lean, add about one cup of ground pork fat.

Chill the meat before you place it into the grinder. Grind the meat, and then spread it out in oversized bins. Sprinkle the spices over the meat, and work it in with your hands. When the sausage is thoroughly mixed, chill it for about an hour before pushing it through the sausage maker. If it is too cold, it will be too hard on the machine and the casings. If it is too soft, it will be too sticky to work with.

Cooking With German Sausage
To get the real German taste into your sausage, add onion and caraway seeds to the boiling water or, better yet, boil the sausage in beer. Don't forget to add some spicy mustard to the table, plus plenty of dark bread. German sausage is great when smeared with mustard and wrapped in a slice of bread with sauerkraut and or with fried onions and peppers added to the mix.

♫German National Anthem♫

The Deutschlandlied

Unity and Rights and Freedom
For the German Fatherland
Let us all strive for that
Brotherly with heart and hand

Unity and Rights and Freedom
Are the foundation for happiness
Bloom in the glow of happiness
Bloom German Fatherland

Anthem History: The "Deutschlandlied", the German national anthem, dates back to the liberal national movement of the 19th century. The words stem from the pen of August Heinrich Hoffmann

The "Deutschlandlied" was initially unable to compete successfully against other songs. After 1871 the Prussian royal anthem "Heil dir im Siegerkranz" ("Hail to Thee in Victor's Laurels"), which had been designated the imperial anthem, was sung wherever Emperor William I appeared. Not until around the turn of the century did Hoffman's song become popular.

In 1922, in a speech marking the third anniversary of the Weimar constitution, Reich President Friedrich Ebert publicly proclaimed the "Deutschlandlied", although the term "national anthem" was not yet used on that day. In his speech, Friedrich Ebert stated: "Unity and right and freedom - in times of internal fragmentation and oppression, this triad from the poet's song voiced the longing of all Germans; may it now accompany us on our arduous path to a better future."

After the end of World War II, the newly founded Federal Republic of Germany had difficulty reaching a decision on a national anthem. In contrast to the federal flag, no provision was made for an anthem in the Basic Law. Not until 1952 was an arrangement reached. In a letter dated 29 April 1952, Federal Chancellor Dr. Konrad Adenauer asked the Federal President, Prof. Dr. Theodor Heuss, to "designate the song by Hoffmann and Haydn the national anthem. At state functions the third verse should be sung." President Heuss gave his consent in a response dated 2 May 1952, after his prior attempt to initiate a new anthem had proved unsuccessful.

After the reunification of Germany, in an exchange of letters in August 1991, Federal President Dr. Richard von Weizsäcker and Federal Chancellor Dr. Helmut Kohl designated the third verse of the "Deutschlandlied" the national anthem.

German Shepherd Dog

The German Shepherd Dog originated in 1899 at Karlsruhe, Germany due to the efforts of Captain Max von Stephanitz and others. Derived from the old breeds of herding and farm dogs, the first German Shepherd Dog exhibited in America was in 1907.

The first impression of a good German Shepherd Dog is that of a strong, agile, well muscled animal, alert and full of life. The breed has a distinct personality marked by direct and fearless, but not hostile, expression, self-confidence and a certain aloofness that does not lend itself to immediate and indiscriminate friendships.

Sidenote: for many years in the UK German Shepherd Dogs were called Alsatians. Why? Because the name was considered to be less aggressive given what Germany did to the British Isles during World War II. Also, this breed is one of only a few where the word 'dog' is a part of its AKC registered name.

♥ Tony♥

1985 - 1997

Tony was my heart dog in every sense of the word. When he died I felt as though a part of me ceased to exist. There are NO words to remotely touch or adequately express the immense grief I felt when I was faced with living the remainder of my life without him at my side. Tony was not my dog. I did not own him. He and I were friends - friends who shared our days and nights and highs and lows together for twelve, short years. He was mine and I was his - without question.

Rottweiler

Robust and powerful, the Rottweiler is happiest when given a job to perform. His intelligence, endurance and willingness to work make him suitable as a police dog, herder, service dog, therapy dog, obedience competitor and devoted companion. An inherent protector, the Rottweiler is self-confident and responds quietly and with a wait-and-see attitude to influences in his environment.

 Great Dane

The breed was originally developed by the Germans to hunt boar, a ferocious animal. When no longer used for hunting, the breed changed to one of a companion and estate guard dog. Great Danes have gentle and loving dispositions, making them excellent family companions, but as with all dogs, they should be supervised around young children.

 German Pointer (Short-haired and Wired)

The origin of the German Pointer is not clear, but the source of the breed seems to have been the German Bird Dog, related to the old Spanish Pointer, and various crossings with local German scent hounds and track and trail dogs. The German Pointer thrives as part of an active family. He is an even-tempered, intelligent and loyal family watchdog that has enthusiasm for its work.

Dachshund

Dachshunds were first bred in the early 1600s in Germany. The goal was to create a fearless, elongated dog that could dig the earth from a badger burrow and fight to the death with the vicious badgers. The Dachshund, meaning "badger dog" in German, is a lively breed with a friendly personality and keen sense of smell. Known for their long and low bodies, they are eager hunters that excel in both above- and below-ground work.

No mention of the Dachshund would be complete without a shout-out and a photo of the fashion icon of the dog-blog-world, Lorenza.

Affenpinscher

The Affenpinscher (translated from German as Monkey-Terrier) is a peppy dog that has the face and impish nature of a monkey. This wire-haired terrier-like breed acts like a bigger dog as he proudly struts around. One of the most ancient of toy dogs, the Affenpinscher originated in Central Europe (Munich, Germany and France), where they earned the nickname "little devil with a moustache.

 Doberman Pinscher

Although the roots of the breed are relatively obscure, it is thought that the Doberman Pinscher originated in Germany around 1900, taking its name from tax collector Louis Dobermann of Apolda, who desired a medium size dog to perform as a guard dog as well as companion. The properly bred and trained Doberman has proved itself to be a friend and guardian, and his intelligence and ability to absorb and retain training have brought him into demand as a police and war dog.

Oktoberfest is a 16-day festival held each year in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, running from late September to early October. It is one of the most famous events in Germany and the world's largest fair, with some six million people attending every year.


!YES! USA - 1 England - 1 (June 12)