Showline at BSP - Page 4

I guess what I was trying to say is this: even as a show line owner and fancier, I'm not sure show lines really have anything to contribute back to the breed at this point.  Maybe a rare one here or there (but as noted in this thread already, several of the SL known for work have not produced the same), but for the most part I don't think there's enough there genetically because of the bottle neck in the pedigrees and genetics behind the dogs, even the supposed better ones.  But, I am sure there are a good many people out there with great show lines that are good in the work.  Doing the work and earning fair titles are one thing, but breeding and sustaining the proper temperament, drives, and soundness is something much more and requires more than what an individual, well-trained and competitive SL dog can offer.  I think most people who are truly working their SL dogs concede this point, and that is why it's not always as obvious especially to pro-working line people that won't even look at a dog and handler b/c the dog is black and red.  We are not out there to compete at the BSP or campaign our dogs for working breedings or to prove anything.  I think many SL dogs don't really make a splash b/c the handlers are like me - I am both a novice handler as far as SchH and I also choose a dog that is competitive in a lot of venues (besides SchH I train and compete in agility, conformation, obedience, rally obedience, herding, pet therapy, Dog Sport, and plan to also do dock diving and weight pull with my SL).  If I really wanted to be competitive at a high level in SchH I'd stack the deck in my favor and get a working line dog.  Since I am not a breeder I don't really have to consider anything when purchasing a dog other than my own reasons, and I like being active in a variety of venues with several different clubs.

I am fairly new to the German Shepherd breed. I currently own my first German Shepherd. She is a working line female, 2.5yrs old who just received her BH. I am not going to express my like or dislike for each line...I will say this though, which is a pretty major point. I believe that working line people are very serious about schutzhund, they want to compete, and not just compete to pass. Most want to get high scores, and compete again, and to see how many titles their dog is capable of. For them, they are interested in the sport, and hey, if a nice dog comes along with great scores that you want to breed, then they do. Show line people are not so into the sport IMO. They only get schutzhund titles on their dogs so that they can breed. This is wonderful that they do it the right way, with titles and all, but that is where it ends, for most anyway. Personally, I am more of a working line Shepherd person myself. I want to compete in the sport. And if I happen to own a great dog, with nice temperament who works really well, then I will breed. I do not want to add to the many dogs already sitting in shelters  :o(         I have also seen a few Show Line dogs who have solid nerves and work like hell, but again, being owned by show line people, the dogs probably don't get the points, or the high standings that they could get if owned by a working line person.