what determines a VA - Page 3

Guess you can't explain the importance of credibility or respect to someone that cannot comprehend. I just thought that a dog awarded VA should honestly be a VA. Sorry that you don't agree and are willing to compromise with excuses about compensating travel,offering out VAs to apease and build the entry level, giving VAs to keep a kennel in business, doing favors, letting a family member handle their first VA (even if the dog is not really a VA), politics or maybe even bribery (not to mention you seem to be hung up on sexual favors). It should be about the quality of the dog and only those that are of that caliber should receive the coveted title. Anymore it is not even a reflection of the dog's performance but the owner's money, friends or deals or the judges status or the kennel name. How terribly sad. It is a sport and as in any sport, the field should be fair. Why not let athletes take performance enhancing drugs? Baseball, Football, horse racing or any sport, what is the big deal about keeping the competition honest and fair? It is a sport and if you were passionate about it you would understand why it should be protected and kept clean. It has nothing to do with "bitterness" but more so ethics.The wrongful awards are not just cheating the public or even the rest of the competitors but the future of the breed. Just my opinion.

@Spaetzle, Are there ANY dogs in Germany that you feel are worthy of VA? Politics aside? What about the "American" dogs...which are the "worthy" VA's in your opinion? Serious question by the way. Am not trying to instigate,just want to know your perspective on this as it seems that you are quite passionate in your beliefs and I was curious as to how you arrived at them. Thanks

Well of course, dshlerner. I think that Yasko Farbenspiel is beyond a doubt one of the most influential stud dogs in SV history. He is a most beautiful dog and he and his progeny have had a positive impact the future of breed. Erasmus van Noort (a Yasko son) very impressively following in his sire's history. The list of successful progeny of Yasko is too long to mention. Truly VA quality. Pakros d'Ulmental is also a dog worth seeing. He brings in some excellent bloodlines and I think his progeny will prove to be the quality we should expect from a VA. Esko vom Dänischenhof another notible VA dog. Chipsi van de Herdersfarm (son of Natz vom Steigerhof another impressive male). I personally really liked Dux and am very impressed with his progeny as they come more to the shows. There are many really great dogs to note and they define the quality attributed to VA. In the United States I think that Urban vom Gleisenauer Schloss was very nice to VA and a dog enjoyable to watch. Kerry vom Torberg is a great moving dog and I look forward to seeing what he can produce. Kennels that I have been following the progress of Herdersfarm,Trompetersprung,Stieglerhof, Elzmündungsraum and Karanberg. They seem to be consistently breeding nice dogs that work well (I am a fan of Orbit von Tronje). So if I am to spend my money these are the places I think that I would be looking. I think that you can see that "certain" kennel names are not on my list and I think that the VA has too much to do with the name of the breeder more than the quality of the dog. So them I don't wish to own. I think that Italy and Argentina have come to a very high level of quality in their breeding and have some very impressive dogs coming to the shows. Do you have any preferences dshlerner?

Hi Spaetzel, Yes,I do have preferences...don't we all? I must say that I am inclined to agree with the dogs that you have mentioned as being top quality,esp Natz Steigerhof and his awesome daughter Chipsi!!! While I am not a big fan of Yasko,I very much like Erasmus.I also like Baru and what he has produced. My personal picks for future top producers would include the likes of Lauser, Orbit(already one),Pakros,and Karat's Ulk, among others.I look forward to seeing the progeny of Bravos v. Steffen-Haus,Idol v. Holtkamper Hof,Dux de Cuatro Flores,Ken v.Elzmundungsraum,etc...I think they have the potential to carry the breed forward...we shall see! Regards