IPO vs "Real Dog" - Page 3

If you’re trying to talk about “real dogs” as those that are in the working field…what you need to realize is that they are not breeding dogs. They’re too busy day in and day out and have too much money invested into them to risk some of the diseases that come along with breeding dogs. There is no way any department would ever have an intact female working…anyone that has had one knows that they’re not the same during their heat cycle and there is too much environmental risk to have an intact female working the streets. So to call sport dogs with environmental issues a detriment to the breed is incorrect because those are really the only dogs we have to pick from when it comes to breeding. We have to trust the breeders in that they don’t breed dogs with environmental issues, but unfortunately, most people have an issue not breeding once thousands of dollars have been invested into a dog for purchase, training, titling, and even just living expenses. That is an issue with that particular breeder/person and not a problem that can be blamed on the sport of IPO.

What needs to be stressed and remembered is that the majority of IPO titled dogs are never bred. A far greater majority of males that are titled are never bred. The majority of dogs that are bred, produce a handful of puppies and generally do not affect the breed as a whole in any meaningful way. In the United States, the vast majority of puppies go to homes where they will never be worked or bred.

Sounds like 'real dog' ranks right up there with 'true family protector' etc. that you see on half the websites and descriptions of the breed out there. I wonder what % of owners of the third most popular breed in the country understand the truth.

Not sure what that percentage is, but Mithuna knows them all by name.

Susie, I would change "real" for "well balanced"
A well balanced dog can be a policedog, a family protection dog, a sportdog and a familydog, but people tend to go into extremes one way or the other
same is the case with agression, I want controlable or directed agression, many people think a dog with agression will bite everything and everybody, handler includet, that is no balanced dog but overagessive or out of control dog, also dogs with to much preydrive can bite owner/handler, again unbalanced
on/off switch or on 24/7 again unbalanced dog

Duke, the OP asked for "IPO" versus "real" dogs -
a "well balanced" dog should be the goal for every camp...but a lot of people forgot.

Mithuna, I guess I am more "real" than you ever will be.

well susie, many of todays IPO dogs are not well balanced in my book(read not suitable for various other jobs) as mr von stephanitz intended

Von Steph never trained a dog in his entire life and apparently was not even a successful breeder.

He wrote good prose.

When people start the intonation of the elusive "Real Dog" being remembered from the glory days gone past, they aren't talking about well-balanced dogs with an "Off" switch. It always implies a notable civil dog who never gives his ground and needs to respect a deserving master before the dog will obey his orders. 

A "Real Dog" is more like Rin-Tin-Tin, Buck, Cujo, and Old Yeller, all--rolled -in- one. You know, the type of dog that only a handful of exceptional people on Earth can handle (and definately not you!), or manage to get obedience from the dog. They prefer to sleep outside on a bed of nails they are just that tough. Who invented the "Off" switch for dogs any way?

"True family protector" is the advertising sell for a dog that will defend without having to be trained. That is a good thing because family's won't bother with training for the most part. Most will know CPR and how to give a Narcan injection instinctively or with only a little basic training. ;)

 

Funny how people that train dogs spend hundreds of hours in selection, imprinting, training, testing.....to conclude what a dog's strengths and weaknesses are. Others (that don't train), just assume it by virtue of breed.

 

Yeah its a gsd so its a true family protector, insert flowery max quote on your website for proof, and wait for the puppies to sell.

People always need to keep in mind that 99% of dogs doing sport are only expected to act that way on the days they do the sport. For most it's one day a week. Outside of sport...they need to be normal dogs, normal citizens, and pretty much never bite someone. I know some of the people here don't accept that concept because for them it doesn't work...but the fact is...most club people do not want their dogs biting anyone off the field. An IPO dog is not a "professional" and it's not asked to be one.

Please substitute real dog for well balanced, hat tip to Duke. Sorry, I don't know all of the lingo.