Ursus Free? - Page 1

I see ads proclaiming the dogs are Ursus free. Which Ursus are the ads referring to and what do these breeders have against Ursus?

Ursus von Batu http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/gsd/pedigree/6186.html He's in so many pedigrees, it's not that they have anything against him, just that they have lines with out him in the pedigree. There may be some things about him that few people don't like, but it's mainly how much he was used.

well -- i have ursus/yasko/larus progeny -- no complaints --but for the record -- ok there are a lot of GSD on his lines ..and even from a great number of his other progeny -- so let me understand the connotation / or someone please set me right -- i feel quite versed but don't claim to know everything -- here goes : ursus .. one of the greatest dogs VA 1 and produced other VA s annd VA 1 -- so that means he has great phenotype and genotype ?? yes ?? -- now --- uran wildstiegerland -- also cinsidered one if not the greatest -- everybody wants to line breed to get that golden dog ?? --- [ and i am vehemently opposed not to line bredding in theory .. but how the line breeding has been done the last 20 yearts] so what is the problem with ursus in the pedigrees and for those linebreeding enhtusiats -- seeing what ursus hhas produced -- please explain to me -- WHAT is the problem ?? -- or is it a matter of ploitics -- or is it that if one keeps ursus blood there may be a better dog than ursus produced according to the line breeding theory ??- i am at a total loss here -- seems like a lot of politics and hypocrisy to me -- unless i think amiss again someone please explain

It's exactly as neuen-Polizei says. The Ursus Batu is an excellent dog, but his excessive use for breeding will cause a lot of grief for the next one (1) two (2) or three (3) generations to avoid excessive linebreeding on him. It is similar to so many years ago when the VA-5 Lasso di val Sole was used very extensively for breeding. The Lasso was a wonderful dog and everyone loved him, including me. We now know that too much Lasso can cause an issue with front legs that are a bit short. At least he is a long way back in pedigrees these days, but that was not true five (5) or six (6)generations ago. Hence the modern 2,3 linebreeding rule as applied to any common ancestor. Bob-O

Bob-O -- yes i understand that -- but two points --- first --there remains a lot of other dogs wqith 2/3 linebreeding and amny other pedigrees with multiple dogs line bred e.g. 3/4 4/5 etc etc.-- so aren't those detrimental traits being recapitulated too ?? -- and ok --ursus a good dog no doubt --- so my larus daugher i bred to an outcross , anothjer dog non linebred -- so the dogs have great streucture and drive -- three of my last litter as puppies doing puppy ring sport -- ok not stated to impress -- BUT ursus/yasko.larus blood but a good outcross -- if i kept the progeny to breed i would look again for a suiable mate , maybe more fresh geneitcs -- meanwhile i kept the great ursus traits but then complimnted -- --- so what is this hype about ursus free all about ?? what is wrong with ursus and a great outcross ?? F1 generation to F2 generation to F3 generation ??? still at a loss -- when i hear ursus-free -- makes me extremely contemplative

ALPHAPUP, those "fresh genetics" are the reason for some breeders to purposefully avoid Ursus and advertise that fact. Some people want to linebreed to him, others want to outcross like you do, and others either want to keep an option for adding him, or to keep the lines free of him. I'm not trying to say that Ursus is a bad dog in anyway, he's already proven otherwise. Jeff

Alphapup, I really like Ursus and it is no doubt that he produces well. I actually posted before you, then walked away before I clicked "Submit Comment". My post was not meant to counter yours. I have noticed the "Ursus-free" statements as well, as well as "Fero-free" and "Mink-free". At first I thought that people were being snotty and disrespecting these fine dogs, but I am later of the opinion that it is possibly a selling point for other lines-an sales angle so to speak. You are correct about crossing the fine Ursus, Larus, or Yasko (Ursus' son) traits with some other excellent lines. This will make it possible to carefully reproduce these qualities. Bob-O

My thoughts are that you can have too much of a good thing. Ursus is a wonderful dog and used correctly the bloodline can be very valuable. I think that people will advertize Ursus free breeding because some of the breeders that have quite a bit of Ursus in the line may be looking for a way to bring in some new blood. Sometimes it is forgotten that any dog too many times in the pedigree is not good. Along with good things you may have to live with the bad things if any dog is in the pedigree too many times.