Biggest threat to the GSD breed in the USA - Page 2

Maybe the unrealistic prices on the German Shepherds has someting to do with the slowdown!!

Crazy over-inflated prices (since when is a PUPPY worth $1500-6000???), nasty back biting attitudes of quite a few American breeders, the recession, too much supply and not enough demand....I think those are the major things that will have an effect on the breed in the States over the next 10yrs.

As far as Hillary's good "pedigree"   ROFLMFAO!!!!!! 

I live in a little dump of a house, but it's OUR little dump, no mortgage; we're almost done paying for 2 of our cars, 'though we did just buy a new gas miser...recessions come, and go; each one leaves the poor a little poorer, and the rich a little richer...the gap between the haves & the have nots widens. Expensive purebred dogs, hell, even mutts, are a luxury that many folks want, but too few can afford these days.  Hope it changes, but if you want to accurately predict the future, look at the past, and project forward. The price of gas scares me more than anything. jackie harris

Glad i am not the only person on this site who struggles to keep there head above water, Its hard over here to keep things going but i  own my own house Have not got nothing saved,  but also do not owe anything to no one, We have the Pigeons and the Dogs and have a couple of Beers after Dog Training ,dont smoke or have holidays, but what we do have is ours, nothing on tick,  just normal people

Steve

I am lucky because I get my disability retirement from work until I reach the age I would have retired at if I hadn't gotten injured.  I am currently trying to finish my graduate degree (so when retirement comes, I will be able to support myself), pay back my undergrad student loans and still pay bills. I don't even want to think what my grad loans will be.  My son is going to college next fall on student loans.  The loan interest rates are higher than the interest rates on cars, homes, credit cards.  Ouch, but it will be worth it I hope.  I keep telling my son to focus on his degree not how big his loan total will be.

We have had to cut back on dog training costs, vacations, holidays, to name some.  Thank goodness for the Harley and warmer weather so gas won't be such an issue.  I am lucky because I have my family, dogs, health, good friends, and a home.  I barter with my wonderful trainer (no gutter minds) for his time, all my friends get together for "training days" and pool our knowledge and have a good old time.  If nothing else, doggie people are resiliant and will help each other out as I have found.  As a Firefighter/Paramedic, I have seen people at their absolute worst and never ceased to be amazed at the depth people will go to to hurt others, just when I thought I had seen it all, someone would rise above and beyond and restore my faith in humanity.  That is what I like to focus on, that is what I need to focus on.  Good people will prevail.

Ok off my soapbox now before I fall....LOL

<<Some say these factors will result in inferior GSDs being bred in large corporate "puppy mills">>

Who says this?

Recession or not people will always live above their means, as in the guy that likes to gamble every weekend but cant pay his medical bills, that is just the way the USA works.

As far as seeing more puppy mills taking advantage of the situation, possibly. But I will say those pet store dogs aren't much cheaper then a breeder. Atleast not the one I went to. I say a really cute little dog, that looked like my little terrior mutt, they wanted 900 dollars for him! I was in total shock!

But I do think more back yard breeders that could care less about the dog or puppy and where it is going to just might look at this as an chance to make some fast money from some poor uneducated people.

If people are not going to buy from  ethical breeders that do things by the book,  why would people go to a pet store, or a BYB  and pay just as much? I think that there will be more  purebred German Shepherds,  (And other breeds) that are going to rescues, and some ending up being euthanized at local Dog pounds due to the fact that people could not afford to keep them.

Dawn

Vote Ron Paul !!  He is America's last hope.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3MLTvYBQy0

Anyone on this board (okay, an exageration there obviously), would be as good a President as Ron Paul.  He is weird.

As the recently deceased William F. Buckley once stated on Meet The Press "I would rather be governed by the first two thousand people listed in the phone book, than the faculty of Harvard University".

Nothing against Harvard from me, but his statment makes the point about politicians and academics.  Originally, politicians were to do their term and then "move on" and let someone else serve for a while.  But, of course, it is a sweet gig and most have made it a career.  No one, whether you or I like them or dislike them, should be allowed to serve more than 6 years.  Period.

I can't stand the Clintons (for about 3 dozen reasons), Obama scares me because we know very little about him (we actually know more about the "feelings and thoughts" of his wife and pastor who is his mentor, and they both hate the U.S. and/or caucasions.  McCain does not know if he is a Replican or Democrate and as the saying goes, "if you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything".  He stated that he would not "waterboard" an insurgent prisoner, even if he knew that not doing so would cost the U.S. 50,000 lives.  His moral high ground attitude can and will (if he is elected) cost lives.  Everyone we have ever fought, tortured our guys a lot more than we tortured them, and that moral high ground has not helped us in standing at all.  What country "likes" us?  So much for moral high ground.

I hate to say this, but of the three, I wouldn't mind McCain or Clinton if they are the best we can muster.  But Obama, naw, I'll pass on that one.  No matter which one becomes President, I will weather it and do fine, but Obama is a wolf in sheeps clothing.

As to some of the "other" past candidates, I am highly suspicious of anyone who spends 20 or 30 million of his own money trying to get a job that pays 400 thousand a year, for just four or at best eight years.  He is obviously an ego maniac, or an idiot, or knows that there is a pot of gold in there some where, to be pillaged.

Just my humble opinion.

Where is the next Ronald Reagan?  Now there was a guy who made me proud to be an American (actually I have always been proud to be an American, but you get the point.  That was a "high spot" in our history)