I'm a backyard breeder........... - Page 6

The point is... you are reproducing puppies for the purpose of reproducing puppies and that in itself is wrong.  It doesn't seem you have set goals in mind. No one will (more than likely) purchase your puppies to be anything more than pets because your dogs are not titled. No where do you mention health testing. And the main reason... no decent breeder would ever call themselves a "backyard breeder". The term is meant for people who "casually" breed dogs for the purpose of making money but not for th better of the breed as a whole. How are you contributing to the breed? Thousands of puppies die yearly in the pounds. People should either adopt a pet (if they are to be strictly a pet) or purchase from a top notch breeder who has an interest and dedication tot he breed. The "middle of the road" people just don't do it for me.

On an entertainment note it's great your child thinks the dogs are treated better than he is and that you supplement your mommy dogs with food, LOL. It is also wonderful that you vaccinate and deworm your puppies. Yah know what though??? That is EXPECTED not something to brag about, lol.

OMG.. why did I even respond? lol

I Guard Int....Beautiful pictures on your website....

Jenni78:

You missed my reply. A "Marko" bloodline dog, would be worthy of breeding, as long as he too was of good conformation, too preserve the bloodline. Right now, you go look for a showline dog and all you can find is Canto/Quanto and Mutz. Eventually, most GSD pedigrees will look more at home as a Jeff Foxworthy punchline. Your dog may be a GSD if his family tree/pedigree looks like a christmas wreath...  As to breeding your dog, that is a personal decision for you to make.  Hopefully, I've answered your question.  If you're not satisfied with my answer, cry me a river.

As to "Testing", I only wish breeders did as much testing on the buyers as they wish they did on the dogs themselves.  The basic reason there are so many dogs in the pound is because owners do not separate their dogs, or restrain their range when there is the posibility of a female in heat.  Now, the majority of the folks flogging the dead horse of letting breeding to those who are dedicated to the breed like some cult's priests might be  the breeders of overpriced dogs.  I see folks here paying ridiculous amounts of money for a dog, and whining because the dog they squandered thousands of dollars on is a dud.  A dud from a fine knowledgeable and dedicated breeder. 

While it would be great if every GSD had a job, or sport, the reality is that many are bought as pets.  I know of the cae of WUSV competitor's offspring that was bought as a pet.  Truly a waste of a fine dog, but in the past GSD's were fine as family pets.  It is only through the obsessive compulsive specialization of both lines that breeders have turned an excellent generalist herding dog into a niche dog for competitors.  This they have called "improving the breed".

If the OP was competing for the sales of pups with the breeders of these improved GSD's, I can see why they'd get rankled, but I doubt that she's going to milk a couple of grand out of each one of her pups.  Maybe the concern is that she'll do as well as they do and help make the breed popular.  There'll still be a sucker willing to pay a few grand for a dog...  Some of you did.

LOL...I guard...shameless promtion...... No one seems to want to admit that breeders all want to improve the breed to perform only in their particular venue...... Not the breed as a whole....... Show, sport, pet, working lines all go in separate directions....... Talk about improving the breed has no more meaning to me than the term back yard breeder......... And you have no control over either in reality........ High ideas and tall talk but in the end, until someone takes the GSD back to the field to herd sheep there will never again be the standard that created this breed........ So you might as well except these different standards being bred today. People will always let their pets breed, right or wrong it's out of your hands..... Offer help and advice, not condemnation. And try to keep to the original standards when ever possible. I think the original poster meant to stir you up to begin with. It worked.

Moons, I agree with you 200%. When the breed was producing a great dog that could work or be shown or in most cases be a pet....then the typical breeders of that time PRODUCING those dogs did not go through a syllabus of criteria to be respectable breeders producing respectable dogs. Today, the specializations of the breed has people with limited knowledge of the breed spouting out criteria like they are Alfred Hahn. And in most cases these people don't even know who Alfred Hahn is/was yet they are experts on improving the breed.

More than three....starchar,
And what happened was progress, and of course mad men went to war.

That being said, there are dogs out there who still carry the original intent of the breed....
Probably in someones back yard.

Brent.

"I have always said that only the best of the best should be bred. "


^ This x10.