SL/WL - Page 1

I have read a lot of interesting posts here. I don't know about the divide being worse on the internet. I think the thing is SL people love their dogs & think they are the best, WL love their dogs & think they are the best. I personally think that is the way it is. Of course we should all think our dogs are the bomb, they are our dogs aren't they?
My bitch is when people think just because you have a SL it can't do anything.
I believe not all dogs are an IPO dog. That is why I personally feel there should be other "breed worthy" titles out there. SV has recognized the IPO-R and believe me if anyone thinks Search & Rescue work is easy come train for it.
Nothing easy about it & just like bite work it's not for every dog!
I think its awesome when dog lovers can come together & see the good in other lines of dogs & walk away. I love this breed, I prefer the SL but I also know that to get the drive of a WL you have to bring that WL drive to the table. Not saying there aren't driven SL dogs there are.
Like I said, I am new at all of this, it's my release. I work hard at my job and on my down time my dogs & my motorcycle are my sanity, my peace keeper so to speak. I have met a lot of great people in the dog world & hope I can continue progressing.
Have a little female almost a year old that has over the top drive, a SL from Germany. Love her, but raising her I see a huge difference in her & our 4 year old male, night & day.
Thanks for all the comments & I look forward to growing & learning as I go.
Leslie
 

Leslie, we talked about this earlier.
For breeding in Germany you need the breed survey, IPO-R "only" is not enough.
That said - no breeding without at least some  bitework.

If you're into motorcycles you may be able to appreciate this comparison. There are many brands of motorcycles. Some like Harleys, some like Hondas, some may even prefer another brand. They all are motorcycles to some degree.

In the dog world there exists sort of the Harley mentality. If it ain't a Harley, it Ain't,,,, well you get the drift. So goes the debate between the SL/WL. Most of the people that want to debate the issue are not equipped to offer an opinion other than something to the effect, my dog is better than your dog because,,_______ (insert something here). The something is usually some broad statement that makes little to no sense and the person with the opinion has little to back it up.

By now most are weary of the stupid debate and refuse to argue the point. Chances are you will get a bunch of people responding to this in such a manner. Just sit back and see who knows something and who posts things that makes them look stupid. It usually doesn't take long before they start coming out of the woodwork. Grab a beer and some popcorn.

lober agree wholeheartedly, all that matters in any breed is that the dog is genetically healthy of mind and body, the breeder has both business ethics and a genuine concern for the welfare of the living beings they produce and they market their dogs honestly re their potential capabilities whether that is a family pet, sport dog, "manstopper" or whatever.

the rest is just politics usually promoted by breeders trying to elevate themselves by discrediting  another breeder or the odd occasion like myself newbs recently fallen in love with the breed trying to defend some horse-shit notions based on mythical romantic descriptions of the breed.

i mean if the experts knew so much we would not have any number of sub-breeds within the breed and their manufacturers all trying to claim they singularly have the correct version/product......commodity and ipo would be recognized for what it is, just another sport.

the only valid breed test imo uneducated opinion for the german SHEPHERD is SHEEPHERDING. whatever individual traits make a gsd good for flyball, IPO, LEO, SAR, service/therapy is all intrinsic to what makes a dog good at and capable in the practical tending of sheep  (not to be confused with sheep gathering). 

given that basically nobody does practical sheep herding anymore then is it open slather on what the gsd actually is today, nobody has any more of a correct opinion than anybody else, basic sound health and sound temperament aside.

i own one gsd, it is my first one.

 BUT, Harleys are assembled in the US, Dog 1 although some parts are  imported.

Much as I love the look and sound of Harley Davidson machines,
I have to acknowledge that the Japanese bikes are topping the
charts for both performance and reliability, so if I were buying one,
I'd probably give in and get a  Kwak ...
 
...but I prefer my dogs to be bred in Europe rather than Japan - word
has it that some Japanese, like those Chinese kennels we discussed,
are competing to breed GSDs with those big ugly heads.  

Hundmutter,

You wouldn't necessarily need to switch. Just look closer at what's out there like any sensible GSD person would do and there are European motorcycles. Why thump around at 80 or so when you can cruise at 120 and have another gear!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f388g5ktSAk

As with GSD's, it depends on who you talk to as far as HD reliability and performance . We've owned both, preferred the HD's just as we prefer a well bred GSD with the will to serve. Easy to find the HD, not so much the dog.

Support Am made products, Dog1.

Since we're talking Harleys... I think whichever dog camp you're in- SL or WL, much like buying a Harley Davidson, you're also buying into a certain lifestyle. It is seldom that you see an HD rider who doesn't also have the t-shirt, jacket, buttons, patches, etc and they often take part in the group rides and all that comes along with the HD experience. Same goes for the dogs. If you're a WL advocate, you will also be doing the bitework, training, attending the club meetings, etc. SL has their cliques and events also. So, imho, it has a lot to do with what YOU want to do as well as what you want to do with your dog.