About Us

Susan owned a German Shepherd Dog when she was a small child and fell in love with the breed. Over the years, several mixed breed and a few purebred dogs came into her life but her heart always belonged to the first dog her family ever owned, Heidi, the German Shepherd Dog.

In 1989, without a clue on how to buy a dog from a reputable breeder, she purchased a German Shepherd Dog puppy and named her Dakota. While taking obedience classes and with the encouragement of the instructor, Susan became interested in showing in the American Kennel Club ("AKC") obedience ring. Dakota excelled at obedience and shortly obtained her obedience title.

It was at these shows that Susan first observed the conformation (or breed) ring and thought she might want to pursue that also. She quickly realized that while Dakota was terrific, friendly, outgoing, and highly willing to please, she was not breed ring material. Dakota did not conform to the German Shepherd Dog Breed Standard as adopted by the American Kennel Club. In fact, Susan realized that she had purchased Dakota from someone who was not a reputable breeder and was nothing more than a backyard breeder or small puppy mill. However, Susan did meet many new German Shepherd Dog show enthusiasts and armed with much new information she embarked on the journey of becoming better educated about her chosen breed and the betterment of the breed.

Since that time, Susan has become better educated and continues to educate herself about the German Shepherd Dog, their conformation, behavior, training, nutrition, and showing her dogs in both the obedience and conformation rings in both AKC and UKC (United Kennel Club) sanctioned events. Susan has been a 4-H leader and taught dog obedience. Susan has been a long time member of the Rocky Mountain German Shepherd Club and the German Shepherd Dog Club of America. She is a former member of the Laramie Kennel Club and taught dog obedience through that club to its members and the outside public. While in northern Colorado, Susan worked doing breed rescue and continues to refer people to breed rescue. Over the years, Susan has gained the respect of her peers and the many people she has placed her puppies and older dogs with. Follow these links to happy puppy buyers and to our family and friends candid photograph page.

Susan re-married eight years ago to John MacArthur. John served in the United States Navy and retired as a Lt. Commander. John has become an integral part of Chenoa German Shepherds. He serves as chief financial contributor, chief pooper scooper, head of carrying and toting of crates, grooming supplies and boxes, and many other items needed at dog shows, and all around unpaid kennel help. In other words, Susan could not continue her love of showing and the occasional breeding of this exceptional breed without John’s assistance.

When John and Susan married they became a blended family. John has three adult children, Megan, John Craig, and Kevin who just got out on his own and is in his second year of college. Susan has one child, Christina. Christina is happily married to a firefighter and they have three children. Chenoa is a family affair and when Kevin was younger he showed dogs in both junior showmanship and the breed ring. See us in the show ring.

John and Susan - March 2004.
I apologize for the formal picture, however it is the only one I had of the both of us. Enjoy our site, it is filled with lots of useful information, and please feel free to contact us with any questions.

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