If you had a Magic Wand.... - Page 5

I like the look of the BM pic.

There is a reason why the last remaining working breeds look like that and the others are lawn ornaments.

Not me. I have to like to look at it if I'm gonna live with it.

BlackMalinois, yeah, BUT if the people were picky enough, you can find BOTH in a dog. You just have to be picky and you have to pass up a lot of dogs and you have to spend the money to find those kinds of dogs. Dogs who have the "total package" are not cheap. I think my Veronika von der Prinzenbruecke looks very very much like the dogs of yesteryear. The problem is most people ONLY care about a couple things, or even worse, one thing. Take a look at what's happened to VA dogs...breeding for one thing only is never a good idea. 

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Above, at 5 months- a stocky stage for most GSDs. She is even more "old style" now, in her maturity. I'll try to post a pic when my upload time isn't so slow. Many would call her ugly. 

 

 

I don't know what others think, but to me Veronika is beautiful. I would have no problem living with a dog who looked like her.

Personally I find it subjective at best and ignorant at worst to call dogs beautiful or ugly, WTF?

Breeders in particular should not be using such subjective language, this is precisely the problem...IMO.

Everyone is entitled to their personal subjective tastes but we are talking about breed improvement not beauty contests.

Hate to tell you, but it's not possible to look at an animal 100% objectively. Everybody's eye is drawn to something. One of the reasons we get the breeds we do is because we like how they look.

You could show me two dogs that meet the standard in the same ways, and I'm still gonna prefer one over the other.

Of course it's subjective. I don't think we need to explain that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I believe you were the one who said the standard was good enough for you and I agreed. I find Veronika quite a good fit for the standard. What say you, Pete?

Thanks, Koots. I didn't say *I* thought she was ugly. I'm just admitting that some might say that due to her rather moderate type, average color, etc. Personally, from a standpoint of ability to work, her amazing athleticism, ample drive, and sound temperament, I find her beautiful, as I do wolves and even coyotes (which she resembles when she's out of coat, lol) or anything/anyone else whose form is well-suited to it's function.
 

I think Veronika is an excellent type that stands well on her feet with a balanced structure that should faciltate agility, speed and endurance. Her overall demeanour is active, attentive, curious, intelligent and alert.

She is neither beautiful or ugly as such terms have no place in describing dogs..,......,................................. OK fuk it alright then, she is a cutey for sure, made my heart skip a beat, dam it.

Xeph " One of the reasons we get the breeds we do is because we like how they look".

That is not a Universal truth. I previously owned two show line GSD ( one female and another male ). They were good looking ( the female placed at a show ), and the male was out ofan import from the Von Bad Boll Kennel. I cannot even recall either of those dogs barking at anyone ( such a disappointment ). I would want a dog solely on how the dog look.

On Veronica I would go for a deeper chest and a slightly larger head.

Well I would not want a 'deeper chest' or a 'larger head' on that VERY nice, 5 MONTH OLD, BITCH puppy ! It is precisely nonsense like that, Mithuna, that has led to those in the breed trying to monkey around with the way it "looks, above everything" taking us down the route the S/L GSD has gone.