GSDCA Lawsuit - Letter of Clarification from the AKC - Page 4

Would really like to know why bubbabooboo is so jaded about this sport? I get being disappointed with the decisions that have 'watered it down' and sure one could argue that the dogs that pass today could not pass several years ago. but still, to be that bitter???

I have read other posts on this board and honestly feel that you, bubbabooboo, have some really positive helpful information and you also do not participate in dog sports, maybe i am just not in the know here, so why the hostility???

The trail in Nov 2008 was put on by Good Shepherd Schutzhund Club. It might now show it on paper, but we did it.

We supplied all the equipment, checked for all documents for most of the entrants (and sent them in all at once), kept all scores, the judge was a WDA judge, the helper was a WDA certified helper, we on tracking field chosen by our club president (Joe Tackett),  and a WDA track layer did the tracks.

Being my first trial, I helped with set up and take down, and was enlisted as part of group.

Our club even asked to do a demo in between classes, we did it, and it was not well received by the audience .

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I'm not sure if bubbabooboo's comments about the current state of Schutzhund sport are appropriate for this particular topic, but he does have a valid point about dropping participation levels among GSD owners within the Continental United States. 

People here have to keep in mind, its not easy to navigate the rules of scorebooks, certifications etc, clubs being few and far between, with some IPO clubs even asking people whom belong to AKC clubs to sign agreements to leave those AKC clubs.  In the USA, IPO is turning into an elite "golf" type of sport, expense-wise, and has little to no interest in grooming those under 30 years of age (in contrast, not necessarily so with AKC junior showing).  If the GSDCA doesn't find some way to "hand hold" a batch pf youngsters into the future of "working dog sport", I can't say the long term outlook is good. 

Dream on, Sitasmon--Before the AKC letter came out all you and your bud's could say is that the AKC would never allow biting dog sports and the GSDCA couldn't have two different type of conformation shows. Now that the AKC AND the WUSV have supported the GSDCA all you can say is the GSDCA is going to lose interest---Dream on----You should be looking inward at your organization and trying to figure out what drove so many people away and created what we have now.  Of coures that would entail asking hard questions and we all know everyone who asked questions either left or were driven out of your organization.  Dream on

Why not support both of these shows, Sitasmom et al? It's supposed to be all about the dogs, not all about the people. How can one more competitive SV show be bad for the breed?  I know breeders in many breeds, but the GSD breeders take the prize for being more about their own personal goals and wants than doing all they can to benefit the breed. Will the GSDCA EVER do anything right?

BTW, SM,  don't count on the GSDCA "loosing interest" and "dropping out". Since you're not a member and have probably never even seen the membership roster or read "The Review" you wouldn't know that there are in fact MANY members of that club who own German dogs and some are officers, committee chairs, pro handlers, licensed judges, trainers...... Goldfarb, Gleason, Fasano, Smith, Wagner, Bowles to name just a few.

I have looked at the pictures in the review for many years, . one breed- one standard- and maybe one day one club? 

There's more information in the Review than photos. Look at the names of the dogs that are titling in AKC performance venues and then check the membership list to see how many from known German breeders are GSDCA members.

There was a German Shepherd Dog, the SV, AKC, GSDCA long before any of us got here, they survived world wars, severe economic downturns and so far  the popularity "curse". I would imagine they will all be here after us. To think the GSD cannot survive without any of us is quite egotistical, imo.

What people do within the orgamizations is really up to the individual. While I don't agree with the dog the AKC/GSDCA has brought about, there are certainly members that have not accepted status quo and do produce good representatives of the breed. And they do seem to be on the increase.

ILMD ... The SV is losing 2% of it's membership or more per year and accelerating downward as are all of the GSD IPO organizations due to greying out and average age but primarily as a result of low numbers of youth entering.  "Reported" SV membership is now just "over" 60,000 and a few years as in 4-5 earlier it was 66,000 in the WUSV head count so down 10% in a few years.  The SV is a marketing co-op for German and European GSD breeders and has been since shortly after WWII when it branded the red/gold and black saddle GSD.  The GSD will continue but the SV and their attempt to brand the SV form of the GSD as the only authentic form of the GSD looks like it is fading like Champagne or German red wine in comparison to the best the world has to offer.  Only some sparkling wines can be called champagne as a marketing gimmick but California and other wine areas are making excellent sparkling wines and consumers don't care about the label as much as taste and value.  The Chinese are buying European GSD in large numbers and will flood the Asian market with GSD in the future.  Don't confuse the SV brand of GSD or any of the US based IPO GSD organizations or the GSDCA as representing the majority of GSD owners in the USA.  In the USA all of the warring GSD organizations are losing members at about 3%-5% per year and accelerating downward due to corruption, favoritism, trial rigging, and no youth wanting to enter their little self serving circus.  It will go faster in the USA as the infrastructure is weaker and we don't have the benefit of selling dogs to ignorant Americans to keep the boat afloat as do the Europeans.  We have ignorant American GSD buyers in the USA but they have been sold a lie by the SV about titles and show rankings to convince them that imported is better than domestic.  The latest change in the SV rules to allow over size males is a marketing gimmick because the Europeans have too many over size males to sell so they change the standard and the over size problem goes away on paper at least.  The over size male GSD are known to have more hip and elbow problems yet marketing is more important than the breed when it comes to selling dogs to foreigners and especially the Chinese.  European GSD mills like Anrebri are becoming more marketing than dogs with emails flooding inboxes about dogs for sale and many for sale are not from the Anrebri kennel.  The GSD will go on but the fate of the GSD is not tied to some has been organizations that have outlived their usefulness to the breed and have trampled on their young for money and politics.