DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AMERICAN & GERMAN IMPORTS - Page 2

Doryc11 wrote: "I think the german lines are much less likely to have hip problems due to the breeding requirements by the SV." Facts which I can offer you for further thinking: SV quotes only 33,23% of the (elite) population as being x-rayed. Apparently 57 % of these dogs have sound hips (HD-1). Taking into account, that a minimum of 10% (in reality the figure will be higher) of bad results are never submitted: (the x-rayed pop. going up to approx. 44,23%), the level of "sound hips" drops to merely 44%. Scientists estimate only 20-25% off all GSD's have perfect hips, they should know, they treat the others. All in all, you will be a very lucky guy/girl, if you end up with a non-dysplastic dog. I will pray for you.

I know of a breeder who strives to produce good looking dogs that can work like the "working line" dogs.Randy Tyson-Witmer in northern california.Don't just take my word for it.Anyone who is in the SF bay area are welcome to visit our club, Menlo Park Schutzhund club and see the dogs at work and judge for yourself.I am a proud owner of one such dogs (Valee vom haus tyson) whom I can confidently say that I can put up against any "working line" dog.He has the fight drive, hard grips and he is also very pleasing to the eye with dark full saddle and a dark brown-red color.His litter mate, Vox vom haus tyson is a K-9 dog.

Of course, you can find good working dogs of all descriptions. Google "Ve-Lin's Kaiser the Role" (aka: K9 Conan) if you want to see a German Shepherd with undeniable working ability who would most definitely not be approved of by most on the board. (Hint: he's the wrong color.)

Ve-lin's is a known breeder of white shepherds that can work.I am hoping to find a dog with Kaiser in his lines to breed River to after she passes her OFA. I was raised on a farm and am a firm believer in an animal has to be able to work or it has to go. Both River and Kylee have been taught a little herding (kind of hard to do alot of training in a 5000 sq. ft. yard with no livestock). As soon as I get out of this city and back to the county they will have the training finished and be put to work. http://home.earthlink.net/~velinsnews/index.html

The difference? About $1,000-$80,000, hip dysplasia issues, untraceable (or difficult to trace) ancestry, and breeders that think a 150 pound GSD that looks like a GSD crossed with a Mastiff is "an excellent specimen of the breed" and brag about how big their pups end up when full grown. UCK! NOW, I am being a bit over the top here, however, my point remains. Many American GSD breeders do not follow the German Standard for the GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG. Many of them do not even know it exists! This is a shame, in my opinion. I am not referring to any and all breeders residing in America, but specifically to breeders who buy two AKC registered pups from completely unknown/untitled/non-hip certified parents, and then breed them, thinking that they are producing "Great" dogs because they're "papered" and the parents don't bite you for looking at them cross-eyed. The second type of American bred GSD's are those breeders who have chosen very nice GERMAN LINED dogs, and then breed them in the United States. The resulting puppies are technically American bred, since they were bred and born in the US. I am NOT referring to these people (as I happen to be one of them!)

Probably the biggest difference is that in Germany there is a governing body that controls breeding and has requirements. Unlike AKC who has no real control and does not have a strict standard. Don't believe me go to a pet store and look at those poor examples of breeds. They are all AKC registered and don't even look like the pictures in the AKC book. Another big difference is that there is really no weight limit in AKC german shepherds. So we now have the 150+ pound KING Shepherds. The german shepherd was never meant to be that big. Then as Americans we had to improve on it, look on the internet, "panda shepherds" Pi-bald, "old fashion shepherds" (actually just long hair shepherds), King shepherds,the list goes on,everyone looking for a gimmick. I prefer working line shepherds but would take a german show line over what I have seen in the US. Yes my dogs are technically bred in the US, but they are german lines. i import all my breeding stock. I am sure someone will come up with a great american line dog, but they are rare, not the norm. Lets improve the breed the proper way, breed to a stricter standard not come up with gimmick dogs.