Suplementation to improve Pigmentation - Page 2

VomFelsenHof, I have nothing against show lines. I have a problem with "some" people who likes to cheat the system and actually go out of their way to demolish the breed. PERFECT example! From Jan’s posts that quoted David Payne’s article about assisted coloring and dying. I think it’s totally dishonest and disrespectful. I would breed to a show line, only to a show line that has perfect hard gripping bite work, with very nice pigmentation (WITH NO MAKEUP!!) and to a dog that has very good character and temperament with super health ;)

The GSD comes in a variety of colours. Yellow and black is a perfectly acceptable colour and has nothing to do with pigment. The "modern" red is nothing but a temporary fad. A few years from now people want to see black up the ying-yang for example, who knows. There is a difference between pigment and colour. Few people know what the difference is. A yellow and black or a tan and black dog can have much better pigment than a deep red and black, but of course all most people see is the colour, and mistake it for pigment. A good dog has no colour and really should not be an issue other than be that of personal / popular taste. Nutritional supplements are no more cheating than giving vitamins, premium dog food, and the like. It does not fake the colour, it just enhances what is already naturally there. External colour treatment of the hair is a different matter, but will still not change a dogs pigment.

Many of the "premium" kibbles that are commercialy available have beta carotene from plant sources. And I agree that supplements are not a cheat, they just enhance what is already there. A supplement is not going to make a dull dog great, but it will enhance a good dog. Just as giving glucosamine will not cure HD, it might protect a good joint. Making blanket statements about any section of people is bound to be an error, Brittany. You have been banned from other places for that type of comment, I would have thought that you might have learned to be a bit more tolerant. I have not met more than a few "win at all cost" GSD showline people. It is true that there are some that make the rest look bad, but for every bad one there are many more good ones, they just do not get the press that the others do. back to supplements, my dogs LOVE chewing raw carrots. If that makes me a cheater, too bad. My big headed sable boy is never going to win any beauty contests anyway, but he loves him some carrot! Oh and I add fish oil to kibble too, it gives them a shine, damn what a cheater I am. Lorri

I totally agree with DH, supplements cannot improve what isnt there already. I give my dogs sea kelp in the winter months which is said to improve pigment. Dying a dogs hair is another matter entirely and is cheating.

I agree with all who say that colour enhancing supplements, like carotene contining products, are OK and basically serve to bring out or enhance the dog's true genetic colour. But I also think that the current emphasis in shows on the strong black saddle and face, with deep red colouration on the rest of the body, encourages people to dye dogs to conform with this colour prejudice. There are many dogs of wonderful character and conformation that do not conform to this current colour prejudice and I wish the judging would start to reflect this. By the way, I would caution also about overfeeding dogs with concentrated carotene as it is bad for the liver.