WORKING V.S. SHOW - Page 1

I HAVE RECEIVED MANY INQUIRIES AND SUGGESTIONS TO MY E-MAIL GSDONLINE@HOTMAIL.COM WHILE SEARCHING FOR A PURELY AGGRESSIVE CIVIL MALE IN CANADA. 2 WRITERS ASKED I START THIS THREAD WITH MY RESPONSES TO THEM. FOR TIMES SAKE, YOUR LIKELIHOOD OF SUCCESS IN SPORT OR ANY WORK (HERDING, SCH, KNPV, SERVICE)IS BEST GUARANTEED BY BETTING ON THE WORKING LINES. THAT SAID, I CAN SPEAK FOR MANY FRUSTRATED HANDLERS, TRAINERS AND DEPARTMENTS THAT THERE IS NO GUARANTEE. THE BIGGEST PROBLEM WE FIND IS THAT LIKE IN ANYTHING ELSE IF ONE CLOSES THERE MIND TO OTHER LINES THEY COULD REALLY BE MISSING SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY. LIKE I HAVE MENTIONED, OUR SHOW LINE FEMALE FOR PHASE C CAN OUTWORK SOME GREAT WORKING LINE MALES. FURTHER COMPLICATING THE WORKING LINE IS WE HAD A PERSON WHO WOULD NOT EVEN CONSIDER ANYTHING OTHER THAN OLD CZECH/DDR LINES. NOW I WILL ADMIT THAT PERCENTAGE WISE THESE WERE SOME OF THE TOUGHEST DOGS BAR NONE I HAVE EVER SEEN AND WORKED. VERY CIVIL, BUT DULL. THEY SEEMED TO NEED AN ENERGY BOOST COMPARED TO WEST GERMAN LINES AND ALL OF A SUDDEN SOME MIXING WITH GREAT RESULTS STARTED TO HAPPEN(FOR SPORT). WE NOW SPEND ALOT OF TIME AND MONEY YEARLY RESEARCHING POTENTIAL DOGS. WE HAVE FOUND THAT IF YOU PLAY PERCENTAGES AND ARE DOING SPORT THEN A WORKING LINE IS THE BEST BET. IF YOU WANT TO SHOW THEN A SHOW LINE IS GENERALLY THE BEST BET. BUT, AND THIS IS A BIG BUT, BUT WE HAVE FOUND THAT WHEN WE FIND THE INCREDIBLE STANDOUT FOR OUR NEEDS THERE IS A WIDE RANGE OF PERCENTAGES OF WORKING OR SHOW OR DDR OR WESTERN LINES. OUR PROGRAM IMPROVEMENTS AS WE ARE SURE OTHERS SUCCESS IN WHATEVER THEY ARE DOING HAVE COME AS A DIRECT RESULT OF LOOKING ONLY AT THE DOG AND NOT CONSIDERING ANYTHING OTHER THAN THAT. AFTER THAT, HEALTH IS THE MAIN CONSIDERATION. TO ADD TO THIS POINT JUST TAKE A LOOK AT HOW MANY SHELTER OR RESCUE DOGS HAVE BEEN RESCUED AND HAVE BECOME TRUE STANDOUTS AT THE WORK THEY ARE DOING IN WHATEVER WORK FIELD. I KNOW OF A FEW MYSELF THAT I HAVE WORKED WITH THAT ARE OUT ON THE FIELD LIVING OUT THEIR LIFE WITH A PURPOSE TODAY.

Hi GSDONLINE, i just started my own kennel, actually my first litter has just fallen. Forgive me, for i am practacly only a novice to breeding ( neverless i have been around GSD my entire life )i intend on the old saying : " Put the best together, and hope for the best ! " Do what ever you want, it¿s not about Show - and or - workingline, its about what you see in each single dog ! If you can picture the potencial of a "workingdog" in a showline and you train the dog in the proper way, the "showline dog " will make a perfect working dog !And guess what, it also works vice versa ! Only problem there, you have to find the right judge to recognice that !!(that is, if you are really into it ) Just one thing i will say is, if you intend to work or do something with your dog, its wise to take a close look on the bloodlines of your future companion or partner, it will safe you a lot of headaches in the end. Hoping, that i was able to get my point across, without to many mistakes, sincerly Ulli

I agree 100% with you Oskar1.I will even go as far to say that there should not be such a thing as working or show or 'specific' lines.The GSD should be a TOTAL dog, one that can excel at working, show and most of all a family companion and guardian.Every GSD should have the mind and body to endure herding in the fields all day long, have the drive to selflessly protect his/her handler or owner, stand attentive for a physical examination by a judge, and most importantly be gentle as a lamb while children have fun with them.I am a novice also, and I must say that I think that it's a big mistake to 'specialize' in working or show lines.These dogs are losing, whether it be in body or mind or even both.Big improvements are really needed, and I see a lot of showline breeders doing it, which is surprising but very good at the same time.As of late, there are working gsd's that are very very structurally correct and they are being used wisely by the showline community.A really good one is Javir vom Talka Marda.Beautiful dog, and he was bred to Kleopha Wildsteigerland who is herself a magnificent specimen.Bottom line, there needs to be more show dogs competing in the BSP and more working dogs competing at the BSZS.Owners and handlers need to be commited to diversifying their dogs and judges need to stop being biased.