What are my girls physical flaws and strengths - Page 3

 To reach the pinnacle of any pyramid, one has to first climb the steps of failure.  But don't think you can ask a "successful breeder" a thousand questions to learn and then buy a dog elsewhere.  That fish won't fly.  Want to succeed?  Buy from a breeder or importer that's been successful....uh you know, owned some winners and I don't mean a first place at a local show with only four dogs entered.  They make great "training" grounds but only in classes of 12 or more will good places have any meaning.  

  When ever I ask an opinion, or am offered one, I politely ask the person what their background is.  If you have never bred, owned a VA, V or a Champion, then seriously what is your expert opinion worth?  This database used to be loaded with breeders that I met at shows whose dogs were successful, you know, they won.  I'd like to read from each of you what any of your dogs have achieved at sieger shows in this country, or better yet the German sieger show, since 2000.

It must be lonely at the top, paranshep.

Paranshep:   Correct me if I am wrong, but I think you are saying the dogs that should be bred are the superior dogs, and I agree with you about that.  I think though, we may disagree about what is superior, and here in lies the crux.   I would always buy a pup from a  superior working pedigree and superior working ability displayed by sire and dam who perhaps have only a "G" rating than from  "VA" rated sire and dam who are dismal in the work. 

In your 2nd post, you say:   Now before you choose to go off on some tangent, all the dogs that were given a ranking had to pass the bite work the prior day in the titled dog and bitch classes.  Most already have a Sch 2 or Sch 3 title, same as that given to any self respecting "working dog".  However in addition to having the same working titles, they have to be "anatomically" correct, not just built and designed for a singular purpose such as so many poor breeders feel the working dog should be bred for. 

Are  you are saying you feel the work of the VA and V dogs is equal to that of working line dogs?   Are you saying that the conformation of VA & V dogs makes them more suitable for various types of work and that working line dogs are only capable of schutzhund?  If this is what you are saying may I ask what brought you to this conclusion? I think it is very unfortunate, but many show line breeders seem to breed for the singular purpose of producing pretty dogs that can win in the show ring, the titles and bite work are as unimportant to them as cumpulsory exercizes in the figure skating world.  I see lots of working line dogs being utilized not only in schutzhund and police work but SAR and herding too.  I believe the new SV Breed Warden even acknowledged the weakness of the work in the showlines and is taking steps to correct this.

In your 3rd post you state:    This breed is now over 100 years old.  It has evolved like everything else, the car and airplane are good examples.  Today they look nothing like they did when built by Ford or flown at Kitty Hawk.  So why breed a dog that looks like something bred 100 years ago? 

Why not breed the dog to look as he did 100 years ago or even 50 years ago?  Can you tell me how the modern GSD is superior to the dog that was bred into the 1960s?  The idea that the modern showline dog could even keep up with those dogs in any venue is to be perfectly frank, a joke.  By your own admission fewer and fewer dogs are being used for herding.   Not all progress is good, sometimes people who are given too much power are allowed to dictate changes that suit his purpose and not the breed.  A certain look or fad can become exaggerated, especially when utility becomes an after thought.

SmartGuy:  I am not an expert in conformation and have never claimed to be.  You mention this is your first dog in schutzhund and that you are going to title her, breed survey her and the same thing with your male.  I think that's really great and I hope you do it all with your dogs and have fun along the way.  I will say I hope you didn't buy these dogs with the purpose of eventually breeding them.  In my opinion, titling and breed surveying are not everything when it comes to breeding, just part of what should be mandatory.  I think becoming a breeder should be the culmination of years of being a student of the breed and the work.  One thing is for sure, I wouls recommend an honest workingline breeder with "G" rated dogs over some breeder who thinks trophies on a wall has anything to do with quality GSDs.

Paranshep

Your absolutly correct. I have seen the light. Thank you for bringing me into this world for the first time. Now ill just follow in your footsteps and go BUY all my dogs from other people who have done all the work for me and say they are my dogs. My dog mite not ever win a show but Im pretty sure it was the captain himself who said the heart of the dog and its character are the most important part of this breed not its conformation. I will take an "ugly dog like mine" who will fight untill the end over a dog that was breed to walk funny and call itself a GSD. What good is it to have the shell of a Ferrari and the engine of a go-cart. Talk to me when YOU do the hard work it takes to get tittles for your dogs instead of paying for them.

I agree she's not breed quality but probably the perfect dog to get your feet wet with. No need to buy a $5000 pup to learn on. It's great that your training and even contemplating the show stuff. I'm trying to get my daughter into the show part because I want nothing to do with it for the above reason.

"As for "smartguys"  comments regarding my parents not hugging me enough.  They never had to, I never required a lot of stroking by others.  I see life as simple, "winning is everything".  If I got an "A" in school, that meant I was smarter than the guy who got a "B".  If I won the spelling bee or the math contest(as I often did) that also indicated superiority.  That's why they have numbers like 1,2 3, 4 etc.  If your dogs are always behind mine in any line then I don't need your opinion, I got the blue.  Your still trying."

That has got to be the saddest bunch of shit I've heard in awhile. Winning is not everything, it's what you learn as you go. If you win yet learn nothing in life, your still a looser. Many a student sucked at school and is actually a genius, so the "A" theory goes right out the window too. Sounds as if someone has a superiority complex. Maybe everyone hated you or still does? All you can grasp to is my dog is better than yours? Sad...

You asked for it, P'Shep. Looks like smartguy knows who you are and that you buy your dogs and titles. You're busted!!! Smart guy, ain't he? 

You could have saved yourself a lot of typing by simply offering a positive critique of his bitch in a respectful manner, sort of like an SV judge would do.  I'm guessing you don't fancy workinglines. Am I right? At any rate, you are a very knowledable person albeit pompous. Have a good day. I have to go feed Blitz his bon-bons, he's reclining on the couch waiting.