This American Show breeder says - Page 12

Not me! Mystere, LOL 

Let's see, for starters, I would call a professional someone who competes with a dog for prize or money. (Like you!) Also someone who employs a dog in a specific job, like SAR, Police K-9, cadaver dogs, military handlers, etc. I don't think someone who uses a dog for a disability would qualify, their dog would be a professional but they would not. Okay Maggie, you can help me out with whomever I missed, thanks.

Now, you are probably going to bring up pet hoarders, but really let's admit they aren't the norm, they have other issues.

I still think we pet buyers have lots of clout.  We may not go through dogs like some go through underwear, but there are alot more of us.

If we all bought from the breeders who bred dogs like Max intended it would weed out alot of the cruddy breeders IMO.

Beetree, I think you are operating under some misapprehensions. 1. The vast majority of schutzhunders do NOT turn over dogs like underwear. The dogs are most often raised from 8 week (or so) puppies, trained, trialed and titled. They live with us for LIFE. Nearly everyone I know, or know of has an old titled dog whose age is 8+ (mine is now 11). They also have a younger dog in active training and preparation for trials ( mine just turned 2). Some also have a puppy coming along. Those with the means (temporal and financial) may have more than one dog they are actively training. The dogs are as much a part of our families as yours is to your family. 2. Prizes and money??? Where? Not in USA or DVG. USA specifically prohibits any such thing , as the sport is NOT to be (potentially)corrupted by the puseuit of cash and prizes. You train and title for the joy and satiafaction of proving your dog and your training. Okay, some may not consider trialing a "joy." Personally, it is not my favorite thing. I LOVE training; I hate trialing. Some think it rocks. To each his own. 3. My dogs are companions, some might say pets. They sleep in the house. Everything about the house and vehicle caters to their needs. My schedule of activities factors in the dogs, their training and their needs. I have gym membership I hardly ever use, but I have been known to chauffeur my male to his indoor swimmings sessions and massages. Meanwhile, I haven't had a real massage in years . :-) My dogs have more toys than some human kids. Not training equipment-toys. 4. Professionals, IMO, make their living from the breeding/selling/training of dogs. I don't make any income from dogs and few schutzhunders do. Most of us work for a living...and to support our dogs, as well as an expensive hobby called schutzhund aka playing with dogs. We purchase homes, vehicles, clothing, and plan vacations around activities with the dogs.

   All we need is education.  Our clout comes in our buying power. 

We can also influence others through our dogs.

I know pet owners on here who take their dogs(with good conformation and the proper GSD temperament)  out in public and show  people what a well bred GSD looks like.  Some take them to conformation shows, they may not win, but anyone watching (without a white milky film over their eyes) will be able to see the difference.

I know I`ve influenced two of my neighbours with my dogs that I know of for sure.   Not many  but better than none.   Who knows, maybe I`ve influenced more that I don`t even know about!  

I've thought about entering my dog in an AKC show...just to see what goes on and how far down the line (LAST, I predict) my dog would be placed.

Many breeders today breed for their clientele instead of breeding for what the dog was created to be. I have heard too many American breeders tell me they wouldn't use a particular dog with drive or strong temperament(And it was exactly what they needed!!) because their clientele couldn't handle those type of dogs. I used to argue with them that then these people don't need this breed and should get another, BUT don't change the breed to fit "your" clientele. Now I am weary and just keep quiet, in many cases the breeders have never trained their own dogs and yet want to breed dogs that require structured activity.....Oh so sad!!

Mystere, I probably have a lot wrong, but you also just said you pretty much have three dogs at any given time. One of them will most certainly be a puppy. Just for the sake of discussion, let's say you represent the average decent minded professional HOT dog person. How many puppies will you have purchased within a ten year time frame?  You keep your dogs and do not  rehome or sell after their competing days are over. I hope you admit this is not the case for some dog "professionals" who view their animals as a commodity only? Or can't be bothered supporting an inferior animal or one deemed not acceptable for their purpose? And it has been mentioned breeders in the sport/show arenas often play the odds with keeping back multiple pups to find the special ones.  And I guess we'll never know what kind of percentages they comprise, but if you don't mind, what would you say to be a fair guesstimate?

And RS, I think my GSD is a great ambassador for the breed, just because everyone who has met him pretty much loves him. He remembers everybody and makes them feel special, but just have me leave and everyone knows whose dog he is. Still, I don't think it is the pet buyer who is deciding that Black and Tan dogs are yesterday's news, the everything looks better in Red. That is the type of clout I think we pet owners lack. We get what's left of the breeders decisions, not visa versa. IMHO

Beetree, Please read my post again. I made it very clear that I have TWO dogs: I have an 11 yo Sch 3 male I raised from 8 weeks, trained and titled myself, and a 2 yo I am training. There is no 3rd dog. Frankly, I would love to get another puppy in a year or two, but I just don't have enough yard or time. :-)

I do know people with three dogs. NONE are professionals. Neither am I. Why do you insist upon calling people who are training and titling THEIR OWN DOGS, however many, professional? Do you really think ANYONE who does do any training or working with a dog a "professional"? That is truly stretching the word beyond any meaning.

Secondly, you are again misapprehending. You have apparently thoroughly confused "show breeders" and their activities with those who train. Their is very little intersection between those two set groups (there WAS a future use of those algebra days!!). Very, very few show folks in my experience ever train. Yes, they have LOTS of dogs. Yes, they breed and hold back puppies to see how they grow out. Yes, they re-home lots of 7-8 yo bitches, to make room for new breeding bitches. Yes, a much larger proportion *could* be called "professional," because they  do make significant income from the sell of puppies and breed multuple litters a year. And,finally, yes, there are a few working line breeders making a living in large part from puppy sales. Some of them also "recycle" dogs. Others keep their retired dogs until they die. ...just like pet folks.