QUESTIONS & ANSWERS - Page 3

GSD fan -- contemplate this --- fi you do not expect a 6 month GSD to sit while you arte out of sight -- then that is exactly what will happen -- i do not state this in critism -- but i have never met you -- you have polace dsome very nice post -- my intention is to have you refect -- when i train with my friends --we constantly remind oursleves -- trianing is teaching and attitude -- if you do not teach and you do not do - or think your dog cannot /will not do something --- that will be exactly the end product -- not to be showy or bragging -- my intention is to have you thjink and perform better -- my 20 week old learns to hols a postion and when i am oput of sight --- not for an hour but it even at that begins to learn and do it -- so ??? ... i won't even tell you what it can and will do at 6 months -- and BTW that is without even a correction ---

Devon -- showing is tough -- it is a whole other world -- i after all the years of being in the GSDs am still taking a lesson -- i was in germany at one of the biggest regional shows -- walking along i saw a man walking a very nice female -- very goos structure --good temperament -- move mnot to bad -- he was very upset -- almost cursing as he was no longer in the ring ?? well trying to better myself i asked him why he was so upswet and what happened that he was no longer in the ring --- he told me --- the judge stated there was to much red in his dog -- granted the dog did have a lot of red -- my first thought was " so what " and my second thought was boy o boy --- even a good dog .. is difficult to show !!-- don'yt be discouraged -- the most important thing.... -- is Love [for your dog and the dog for you ]

Howdy LMH, if ever you find yourself at this side of the Atlantic, just give us a call, you are more than welcome to join us! Good Luck and much success with your dogs. Regards Sue

Thanks for the invitation, Sue. Sounds like you have a really fun group. If only....

ALPHAPUP- Yes you did make me really think about it. I suppose my point of view is more related to people trying to train pups and getting frustrated things don't progress quickly. Therefore some people may put too much pressure on a pup with correcitons. Not to say Natz works his pup with alot of corrections, he hasn't indicated either way. My point is not to have high or unrealistic expectations of a "child", more can be accomplished and expected of a more mature dog. Not to say that it can't be accomplished at a young age, but there's more than a few ways to teach the same thing and each dog is different, but the important thing for a pup is to keep it fun. I would also like to point out that from other posts you indicate you have ALOT of time to train. I could only dream of the ability to make training my dogs my full time job. I use every spare minute I can, even running my dog through a track on the way to pick up my daughter at daycare. My point is, If I had the time you do, there's no doubt my dogs would be at a much higher level than they are, but I do what I can, and I dream of having a job like yours. Take care, Melanie

DEVON - When you purchased your black/gold dog was he or she sold to you as "Show Quality"? What age was she when you bought her? With a puppy of 8 weeks say there is no real guarantee that this puppy will develop into a top show dog, but of course if this puppy comes from a breeder who has bred for many years and has the knowledge of knowing what he/she is breeding, then some puppies can be sold with certain guarantees and most of these breeders will sell these puppies with a written agreement regarding such things as ears/teeth and hips etc. BUT some will sell just about anything to the unsuspecting buyer or novice saying it was bred from this and that father or mother and it "should" be OK. If you were sold this puppy for show and she is not what you expected or you think you have been duped then approach the breeders and tell then of your concerns and see what reaction you get. Be prepared for the brush off, it happens over and over and too many times in not just this breed, but in the dog world as a whole. Another question "What is your dog's temperament or character like (not when she is with you at home) but when she is in the show ring - is she fearful, timid or does she show any aggression towards the judges"? It may be her temperament that is letting her down, as well as her overall appearance and/or construction. Many of us have been in the position you are in now and it is a horrible feeling, like I said you have to choose what you really want to do in the show game. Only you and your family can make these decisions. It is very very hard to move a dog on as you feel it is not right to rehome a dog you have come to love, especially if you buy a puppy and have had it for many months. As I said, watch and learn before you make any final decisions and purchase any more dogs for yourself. Showing is a very tough hobby and many of us have made many mistakes and some of us never get it right no matter which turn we take.

to toots and devon: that is as long as malcolm griffiths has nothing to do with it.

Hi there NO PEDIGREE - I was one of those duped by Malcolm Griffiths and although I will never forget what happened and WILL NEVER FORGIVE him for what he did to me, I have moved on from this and started up this thread to try and help people with problems in the hope that we can get some RELEVANT AND CORRECT answers to their questions. I am not like many others and WILL NOT use bad language and threaten people just because I have been duped in the past. I may curse and rage in private, but in saying that I am not afraid to tell of my experiences, especially the bad ones and will warn people of what to watch out for. MG is not the only one who cheated me over the years, but these incidents are all past history and have been dealt with in the manner I thought fit at the time. LETS GET BACK TO BASICS AND HELP OTHERS TO AVOID THE SCUM IN THIS BREED as this is the only way forward. This is not to say that I will not be conned again in the future, but I am now much much stronger and will deal appropriately with whatever comes my way without being bitter. Devon probably does not even know who MG is so please do not let this thread end up like the 2-Day one. If you have anything constructive to say to Devon lets hear it - help them to overcome the obstacles they face - I am sure you have much knowledge you can impart with here - let's do this to help not impede, thanks. I have bred a number of litters over the years and I feel that I have been fair with my puppy buyers and no matter how many years it is since they purchased their puppies from me (most of them being pets of course) I still have contact with many of them and still have time to discuss any problems they may have even if their next puppy is from a different source. Remember that today, compared with many years ago, there can be dire consequences if we are NOT HONEST with our puppy/dog buyers - communication and knowledge of the law is easier today than it was say 20 plus years ago and Court looms large these days if you are not careful, although the bad ones still meander on regardless of these facts, and in my opinin the more that are caught the better it is for the rest of us.

Thanks for the advice.No i dont do any ob with her.I dont put any pressure on her or do i use any correction.Im trying to get her to focus on to me so i can show her,She goes round very well if im in front of her as soon as im out off sight she doing a meat an greaton on every one.As a little pup even now i play with a ball,raggers tyre kongs exc.I dont see the point off being hard on her it would put her off showing and is not the done thing!! Any way she enjoys herself shes very social.

Hi Natz, you are doing the right thing keeping your little girl social - this is the most important thing. If she performs well while seeing you that is a great thing as we find many of the dogs at our Training Club go totally over the top if they see their owners and they have to stay hidden and only shout or use a whistle or similar. She is still a baby and she has a short attention span - the secret is not to cram too much training in at once - small amounts over a short period and then play and then repeat - it is amazing how much they actually learn and how fast it happens. Sometimes it is our frustration that blinds us from the actual progress of the puppy, but one day it just clicks. You should be over the moon that she is so social - this is exactly what you want - she will eventually mature and work well for you - never deprive her of social contact with dogs/people and even strange objects. Encouragement with reward, be it food or favourite toys, not chastisemen, this is the secret. Sometimes a firm voice or check with the word NO does not go amiss, because soon you will know when she may try to take a loan of you when she gets older. I always find the adolescent stage quite difficult, just like stroppy teenagers. Best of luck with her she sounds just great to me.