Any AKC Breed Champions with SchH Titles? - Page 2

I didn't get that from her question, Gina. At any rate, I have long thought that if more of us showed our dogs not only at USCA and WDA conformation shows but in AKC shows, we could slowly change both the public and the AKC judges' perception of what a "correct" GSD is. The GSD's I've seen in AKC shows are ok, I guess, but they're just sort of there whereas our dogs, exuding self confidence as they do, have a much more commanding presence.

I purposfully kept my query generalized. If German import or American lines, any with SchH titles. Very intersting Martin about Opium. In one of my earlier posts, I mentioned about an AmLine Shepherd that is supposedly the best dog the herding tester had ever seen in herding. Keith, yes you are correct, I am one for changing things from within by example not placing a value on good or bad and not discrediting one or the other. On both sides of the fence the breeders have put alot of time, love, money, sweat and tears. I did show my own pup at an all breed show about a year ago and he wound up with a blue ribbon. The AKC GSD breeders were very nice to me. Came to me, liked his bone and color. When I told this to someone who imported a very big dog to the USA, he scolded me for promoting the AKC. I see it differently. The same as also getting AKC obedience titles on my dogs. Why not show our nice dogs off? The unfortunate thing with AKC obedience is, that you will find most of the dogs are spayed or neutered that are competing and are not part of concerted breeding efforts. Lastly, our club put on a GSD Specialty Show and I took my pup down to the conformation ring. And yes, he made them stop and look. The professional photographer wanted to photograph him and an artist make a study of his head. Yes, your dogs will make a wave. Sunshine

Good for you! Your handle on this board reflects who you are.

Goes to show that the smart breeders will recognize the good dogs regardless of their pedigrees.

I Have shown my American bred male in an AKC show several years back and he placed first in two separate shows. Fortunately, he inherited a lot of structural qualities of his German grandfather. He is a SchH2 now and ready for his SchH3. At those same two shows I also showed my import German bloodline female and she placed third and fourth in big classes. However, both AKC judges told me they did not like "German dogs" and they bred "American GSDs". Of course, they did not know my male was half American bloodlines (full of champions) and half German bloodlines (full of Siegers). The female also has many Siegers in her background, including Jeck Noricum as her grandfather. The experience did not make a positive impact on me and I was sad that there seemed to be such a division and that there were clearly real abberations in the ring that the judges preferred (in other classes). I never showed again in AKC and went on to show both and Kör both in the SV style ring. Of note was that many, many spectators came up to me and wanted to know who my dogs were and said how much they liked them. The AKC diehards just felt we were a curiosity and that was why we placed. All the AKC people who learned the dogs were Schutzhund trained dogs were freaked out that someone would do Schutzhund with any dog. I was freaked out by the complete lack of drive and rote, robotic obedience I observed in much of the obedience competition that same weekend.

Many years ago, my husband owned a beautiful German import. In summer of 1994, he showed him at an All-Breed AKC show and finished dead last. Joe approached the judge afterwards and asked why. The judge was nervous (I guess he did not like to be questioned) and gave him the advice: "Your dog is just pet quality. I know because I have been a breeder and exhibitor myself for over 20 years". Now, I do not know the judge's name, but I think I would still recognize him today. What an insult! Our pet quality male was Sam vom Haus Burow, SchH3 KKL1a, who received the rating of VA-5 at the 1995 USA Sieger Show in Conover, NC under Ernst Rückert. May our Sam rest in peace! That was our experience with AKC shows! No more. Chris

Hodie, It's a good chance your imported female might have done better under an AKC judge who was not a breeder or breeder-judges like Dan Smith or Morton Glodfarb who themselves own and breed to and from imports and have finshed a few of them to AKC Championships. It's not news to any that it's not always the dog that loses, sometimes it's the handler and if the judge does know him or like him, your dog might not get the placement it deserves. Contrary to the popular opinion on the board, not all AKC GSD judges are GSD breeders, many come from other breeds and they are more likely to not go for the extreme dogs loved so well by the breeder judges. As far I can remember, the judging of the GSDCA nationals has always been awarded to breeder judges, the membership votes every year. I belong to this club and there's been sort of an ongoing debate over the extreme dog vs the more moderate one like Ch. Kismet's Sight For Sore Eyes, Dallas. He didn't do too well at specialty shows judged by breeder-judges, but went on to win many BIS's under judges from other breeds. LOL, go figure. I guess expecting an import to do much at an AKC show would be like expecting an Am line to do well under an SV judge, the deck is stacked against either ever happening. As far as the Am breeders shunning the imports, well, that cuts both ways too LOL. I could point out that all SV judges are also breeders and some are actively breeding. An AKC judge is not permitted to breed after he obtains his license.Does that keep them any more honest than the SV judges? Probably not, it just looks better on the surface LOL. All dog shows are political in one way or another. It's the nature of the beast.

Blitzen, Your observations are probably correct in most respects. However, is it really true that AKC judges can not be breeders after obtaining their judging license? Based on my limited experience with AKC shows, 7-8 years ago, this was absolutely not the case. Both judges of the shows I entered told me they were breeders of the American variety of dog! Yes, I am also aware that handling can make a world of differnence. But ALL shows have some political component? I hope not!

I'm sorry, you are right, Hodie, they are not prohibited from breeding, AKC doesn't encourage it, but they don't disallow it either. Just off the top of my head I can think of quite a few breeder judges in many breeds who are actively breeding including the already mentioned Dan Smith and Morton Goldfarb. I don't know what I was thinking. You don't think there are some politics at some level at any show? LOL, I do, but in all honesty all my experience is at AKC events, so you could be right about SV shows. Not saying every dog that wins only does so because of politics, I would have given up on it years ago if I felt that way, but there is never an all breed AKC show without politics of some sort. I didn't mean to suggest your handling might not have been up to par, I meant that your face was not known to the judge.

Hi you all! Thanks for all the information. It looks like we came up with only 3 dogs that have an AKC Breed Championship and SchH title. Have to admit the dog that fascinates me most is Opium. Does anyone know more about this bitch and when she achieved her titles etc. and if this happened recently or many years ago? Was she ever included in the AmLine gene pool (litters etc.?). Merkel's website does not give much info. I personally did not pursue showing in AKC but may revert to it should I have nothing else to do with my dogs and have some extra cash, time and fun in doing it. Sunny