Breed Improvement Suggestions for the UK GSD Breed Council - Page 15

I do not believe in reinventing the wheel.

The goals and standards have changed over there so many times, take height early 20's they bred 26in plus, then 1928 went for dogs under 24in, then in the 30's they decided it was ok to breed oversize dogs again, this as changed every decade.

Each National Breed Warden imposes their own ideal on what wins and breeds, when the warden changes the goals change.

DP, what about some new tyers then?  We need "things" to change here in the UK... now-ish!

Beepy of course we cannot go back but we need to put in place something that will reverse the trend. 

Reason suggested a two teir system of registrantion.  We have health test, we have breed surveys, we could give gradings.  So, the German system is not that unreachable.  I think it was on this thread that Reason also metioned that some time ago his/her club held a breed survey with a shutzhund judge judginhg a working test.  This would have been, I presume, an unofficial event but I bet they had fun.  Shame that they didn't push this further.  Anyone want to have another go? Maybe that would be the start and both breed and working could come together and see what each is about, oh and have some fun because those with breed dogs that only wanted a breed survey could opt out of the working test. Some will not want to do it, that is their right.  WE need to improve the breed and to do tht WE need to work together without making it to difficult otherwise it will not happen.

However I cannot see the KC making all this mandatory.  The BC could push for  a two teir system so that those that wanted could opt out and still register their pedigree GSD's with the KC.  Should I write to them (giving my real details), I assume that members of the BC come on here and are reading this post?  Who would I write to? 

Of course the KC need to remain a revenue eaner, that is why a two teir system maybe acheivable.

Jess

Jesse, the only way suggestions can be weighed and hopefully taken forward is by presenting them to the people who are involved with the Breed Council, they also have dialogue with the Kennel Club and it is only through this path can anything really be achieved.  I understand it will be a slow process.  A friend of mine who has been following this thread has already emailed the secretary of the breed council and apparently her letter might get put in the GSD Magazine.  I've done my letter but I put it in the post and also sent one to the Kennel Club and I am waiting to hear from both parties.

Have a look on http://www.gsdbreedcouncil.co.uk/committee.php   for contact emails.

Thanks, Beepy.  Will have to get onto that tomorrow.  Off to club now and also Post Office Closeurs to fight.  Blood hell I feel like a warrior

Jess

They should secretly video a full Breed Council meeting, put it on a DVD and distribute it around all GSD breeders in the UK. That will ensure that everyone realises what a waste of time each meeting is. It will also explain why nothing or very little is ever progressed for our breed. You have to be at a Breed Council meeting to fully understand how bad they are. I seriously advise anyone who feels inclined to express their thoughts and idea's on Breed Improvvements in the UK, to do so directly to the Kennel Club. At the very least ensure that anything you send to the Breed Council, through your Breed Club (correct procedure), is allso sent to the Kennel Club. That way you ensure it finds its way to the Kennel Club. I would also suggest sending the DVD of a Breed Council Meeting to the Kennel Club.

Email To KC this morning at 9:26 am

VIDEX - you have lots to say but seem to want to do nothing to improve the breed for the future.  As I have said I am young enough to hopefully see the dogs change for the better, having watched them change so much from my childhood - and not for the better.

If people dont put forward suggestions and try and improve things here in the UK then nothing will change.  As a breed it has the ability to do so much and after being out getting wet with my mob this AM I dont want to see things get any worse.  Singe's comment further back about the enquiry she made shows how bad some breeders are out there, I have been lucky with most of my dogs as I have had breeder support throughout the life of the dogs, but many people on receipt of their puppy are cast adrift and that is the end of it.

For the breed to improve it is not just the dogs that need to change its the breeder too (in many cases) and this can only be done with the KC and Breed Council.

                                                                             The Most Important Test of All

When selecting for breeding it is essential that Character & Temperament be always first and foremost in our minds. Yet when it comes to having a purposeful system in place to accurately assess the correct temperament of the dogs we breed from we fail miserably. The Character assessments (or for the most part lack of them) given to the dogs regulary promoted in the show ring are at best inadequate but mostly a joke. The over enthusiastic double handling used to attract the dogs attention is in many cases also used to distract the dogs attention away from the approaching judge or any direct one on one eye to eye contact, over the years many have perfected this diversionary tactic down to a fine art and whereas it helps sub standard temperaments win trophies it does far more lasting damage to the breed to our breed than a pair of not so perfect hips or elbows ever have.

The 'Old Brigade' taught the nervous dogs to stay stand and so they did like statues with fixed gaze too frightened to move with only their Tail telling the real tale. Now we have horns, squeaky toys, twirling balls on ropes and any such manner of different things to attract or should that be distract the dogs attention, so the breed show ring proves nothing about a dogs temperament or mental ability to do anything more than see, hear and gait endlessly around a ring. As hip, elbow, dna and other such schemes are already in place and widely used (albeit not to the 100% extent we would prefer) getting 100% usage will always be an uphill battle unless , when it comes to accepting litter registrations, the Kennel Club can be persuaded to act in the best interest of the breed rather than its own financial coffers.

However , even if every breeder used every health scheme available and KC only registered puppies from fully tested parents with acceptable scores, as long as we still Do Not have a properly devised character testing system in place, we will always be potentially breeding sub standard Shepherds. Even the assessments performed during a Breed Council Survey are (in my opinion) far from adequate, as it leaves untested many of the necessary attributes required of a true Shepherd character whilst allowing obvious failings to go unnoticed or worse still be blatantly overlooked, which depending upon the connections between any combination of four (dog, breeder, owner and surveyor) happens on a regular basis and please nobody show themselves up by trying to convince us otherwise. It happens everywhere else in the world, yes even in Germany and it certainly happens here too. The only difference is that in Germany and elsewhere  dogs undergo the Courage Test in open view of everybody before they can be awarded the highest breed win accolades and though for some even this is not perfect, it is far superior to nothing at all. 

Continued