Vote for work or show - Page 5

Didn't read any of the above, but will vote.

Every time this subject comes up, I get this mental picture in my head of one of the "ladies" in a Russian beauty pagent.  You know, the factory worker that comes down the runway looking not so good (putting it mildly) that they have used in commercials on TV,  I also get the picture of the American supermodel coming down the same runway, looking fine, but probably not a very good factory worker, but maybe is an excellent one.

Point is.  An ugly dog, like an ugly child, will only look good to its owner.  A show dog will look good to everyone, and maybe, just maybe, might be a good worker.  Like someone recently wrote here.  I can lose weight but you can't fix stupid.

Well, a show dog can learn to work but a working line dog probably can't ever attain the looks of the show dog.

My vote.  I vote for show lines if you like good looking dogs.  I vote working lines if you like good working dogs.

Chocolate and vanilla folks.  There is no correct answer when if comes to taste or likes/dislikes.  Chocolate and vanilla.

i vote working everytime.  I'm the only one allowed to be a couch potato in my house.  We want to see some video of the great show dogs that do well in the B and C phase.  i want to see one of those behemouths going over the a-frame and the jump.  If there are so many great show line dogs that can work why do they not post the video on YOUTUBE.  Why is it that so many show dogs do poorly and fail in the grip work at the BSZS.    I want to SEE the great showline workers, not merely hear about them.

Kyle

KYLE this is a very simple reason on why those dogs perform that way at the BSZS.  It's called a conflict in interest, there is not much we can say to change the way it is.  There will always be those of us who like working ability in our dogs but others will always have more interest in the dogs looks even though that is all subjective to who is looking at the dog.  Maybe it's time everyone picks up a tug/sleeve and starts training and weeding all the bad dogs out, again this will never happen. Some people just do not care about dogs that work.  Take the Ford mustang for example a car that was geared for acceleration why does it come in a V-8 and V-6, simply some people dont want the heart of the beast just the looks. Just my opinion

Very good analogy SharpDawg. Not to mention fat lazy non working dogs are easier to care for. Throw him in the backyard, throw him some food and call it good. My working dogs are addmittedly a little more work than the pets I have had in the past. I have to take out special times in day to excersize these dogs and work their brains a bit or my neighbors would hate me and I frankly would probably hate my dogs. Notice I said times(plural). That means when I was working outside of my home I ran my dogs as soon as I got in. Wake up or give myself time again to take them out (before) work too. 15 minutes once a day is minimal at best. I get away with it for short periods, too much heat, too much rain/cold weather but for the most part, my dogs will tell me to step it up again. ie barking too much, digging, not listening to commands they damn well know, like home or kennel. Sure sign they didn't get what they needed is a refusal to go back in the kennel.

I SAY VOTE FOR A WORKING AKITA HE HE HE  I HAVE ONE SHE CAN HIT THE SLEEVE IN 2 SECONDS  TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH  THOSE AKITAS ARE NOT GOOD FOR THIS SPORT  THEY HAVE BAD TEMP

I had showlines for many years, and after all is said and done, I've decided there is usually something wrong with their brains or their bodies.  I love my older showlines male and he was proving to be worthy of the work.  (VA1 bred by the way.)But at only four years broke down with spondylosis and cauda equina and relegated to house master and couch potato.  Then I've had others that were beautiful and placed very well at shows but could never have handled the protection work and courage test IF it were done in a fashion to truly test the dog.

I have moved to working line dogs as I got tired not so much of the dogs but of the BS from the bottom to the top in the Sieger Show world.  Now I think I can knowledgeably say that anyone who thinks working line dogs have to be ugly and not meet the standard is not at all familiar with the work being done by kennels like:  Mohnwiese, Schliffslache, Satoris, Bracheler See, schwarzen Troll, cap Arkona, etc.  All of whom are working line breeders who pay attention to and breed KK1 dogs that are beautiful looking but have that wonderful working attitude in spades.  Then on the show side, there is Haus Dexel and Arlett, showline breeders that are trying to incorporate and keep alive the working temperament.  And I know there are many others doing this work.

After experiencing the solid, confident, trustworthy and yet so resilient temperament of a good working lines dog, I am SOLD>  but still want the beauty of form whether it be in a sable, bi, or black and tan body.  I still love the form but it must, oh must follow function!

Strangely enough, my retired show male has decided to become an intellectual.  I guess physical retirement has caused him to reflect on the meaning of life or whatever.  Maybe devouring novels feeds his need for mental stimulation.  He used to satisfy himself on the stray kleenex or napkin, but his week his diet has included Hoyle's Rules (guess I won't be able to figure out those bizarre poker hands anymore), a John Grisham novel and a Stephen King novel.  I'm so happy he has my taste in reading material.