Who are our new USA Sieger + Siegerin? - Page 8

sunshine: But in my estimation Ronaldo is a very good dog. He is better than his trainers.

I've known Ronaldo since the summer of 2004 when he was still in the 12-18 month class. When he was shown (as a SchH3 at the tender age of 24 months) at the April 2005 USA Sieger Show in Carson City and handled in the performance test by his German trainer, the official Crystal Video does not reflect any "belly slinking" by Ronaldo--although he was definitely a "work in progress". 

When I next saw him handled by Steve House at NASS 2005 in Pittsburgh, Ronaldo was belly slinking (on my personal video) during the free heeling. I have seen the same behavior in several subsequent performance tests. JMHO--the dog has lots of heart but has received too much cranking for obedience/control--not enough bonding and teamwork with his handlers.

Shelley Strohl: Ronaldo works so well that its tempting to search his belly for a zipper, lest there be a gray working dog beneath his beautiful black and deep red exterior!

Perhaps too many trainers have been meddling with his zipper?

Maggie, This is a discussion important to those to whom the breed and intehrity of the breed is important. It is hardly a character issue and any accusations of jealousy are fallacious, at best. :-) However, your uninformed, if not sheerly gratuitous, tirade leads one to wonder about the reason for your misplaced tirade. Are we to understand that YOU have a Ronaldo puppy or have bred to him? If so, your posts say far more about your character than anyone else's. Just MY opinion.

 Well, *I* have a Ronaldo puppy of whom I am very proud.  She was the female youth sable who went SG8.

This was my very first experience at a show.  People had warned me about the backstabbing, etc., but I was pleasantly surprised.  Everyone was very nice, supportive, friendly, very mature and professional and pleasant.  It was a wonderful experience.  And Randy Brent was a fabulous "guide", showing me around, making me feel at ease, helping me, telling me what was going on and who's who, etc.  He continuously stressed good sportsmanlike behavior and exemplified it as well.

Randy especially pointed out how everyone was supportive of each other, congratulatory of each other, etc.  No bashing of someone's dog behind their back.  Randy didn't have one negative thing to say about anyone.

I didn't see Ronaldo's bitework as my girl Onni was in heat and I was with her elsewhere.  I don't know anything anyway, I'm just a novice.  But however Ronaldo did, I would wish that Randy receive the same high-class treatment he portrayed.

It may be true that Ronaldo performed poorly. But Randy was nothing but the epitome of good sportsmanship and gentlemanly diplomacy; I hate to see that rewarded with public insults. Surely a class-act person can express their opinions especially regarding the dogs they did like, with dignity and respect and without public bashing of dogs they didn't like.

Jayne, your pup is probably very sweet.   Honestly though, no one is bashing anyones dog to hurt their feelings!  They are discussing its work, after all these are working dogs, not someones child who will get their feelings hurt.  Only the adults owning them or who has one of the same breeding get their backs up, and I don't get it.  How can one discuss the breed, and where the breed is headed without discussing how these dogs work?!  Afterall, isn't that what this is all about?  The show, the  bitework, the obedience,,,, are we not supposed to be striving to breed GREAT German Shepherds?  If that were not the case, all this would be pointless, and those dogs would all be spayed and neutered!

Step away back and look at this from the point of view of the German Shepherd as a breed, not as a baby.

Excellently stated, Red Sable. Jayne, You have a wonderful puppy that you enjoy and well you should! Please don't personalize the discussion. No one is bashing Randy, or his dog. People have stated their observation of the dog's pwrformance in Chicago and elsewhere. If anything, the discussion has, once again, pointed out the short-shrift show line dogs get in terms of training, and that that deficiency works to their (and the breed's) disadvantage and detriment. The example of the proposition is always "somebody's" dog. Notably, there is apparently no dispute about the short-comings of this dog's training. One year, it was a VA import that ran. Some said the dog was simple appropriately named, and that was also before everybody had a camcorder and internet access. :-) The point is that the VA rating is being cheapened and the people who care most about that, one would think, should be concerned.

Jayne241  - well said.  

Mystere - you just don't get it, do you.  

Red Sable - Quote:  "Honestly though, no one is bashing anyones dog to hurt their feelings."    Think about that statement; actually THINK about your entire post !!

I TOTALLY AGREE with Louise. GOOD DOG....Beat the HELL out of the dog, DOG TRAINING!!! So much for some EXPERTS! Too bad that it is not done to the people that do this to the dogs!
JMO!

 

Good gravy maggie.  You are the one who doesn't get it.  Take your dog to a doggy class, where everyone can ooo and aaah over it,  and forget the Breed standard altogether.  Let's hope no one says anything negative to you, as we know you couldn't handle it.

Louise, wise words indeed. The voice of reason yet again, thank you!

Maggie, I do get it and have for years. It's called "kennel-blindness" and usually involves denial. Please enjoy your puppy!