2008 NASS Impressions - Page 3

Bob-O

The 2008 North American Sieger Show is hosted by the GSDCA-WDA not the GSDCA.

Preston,

Thank you for the critique, we will work harder in the future. A few corrections, Dr. Landau did not Chair last years NASS.  We did run out and have additional catalogs printed, 100 on Friday. This year we went through 379 catalogs. Not sure which direction you came from but we had three signs out. The construction near the entrance prevented us from having larger signs.  If you were there on Friday I am sure you saw the flood caused by the broken water main. You have no idea how much the people involved in NASS 2008 care about the WDA, without them there would be no NASS.  And then you would have nothing to complain about.

Oh and we can use all the volunteers we can muster for NASS 2009 in Calfornia.

Danny J. Spreitler
NASS 2007 Chair
NASS 2008 Chair
President, GSDCA-WDA

Bad job, Mr. Spreitler, no time for excuses.  When the basic public needs of such are large show are missed, it shows that there has been very poor planning.  There should have been an official booth with a large sign set up with a show chairperson in charge to respond to any problem.  I spent 30 minutes searching for the show chairperson or any official or even the official show booth.  No-one knew where anything was.  Nobody knew anything.  Six foot wide direction signs for the show should have been put up.  One can buy them at any stationary store for about $10 each and hand letter them with magic markers and glue them to stakes, or staple them to stakes.  The location could have been posted on a site map. Okay, so Dr. Landau didn't do the 2007, why couldn't you have done this show to at least the same standards.  I drove five states and 14 hours for the worst organized large GSDCA show I have ever been to in 40 years.  Why go to one of these when you can't find out which dogs are what and who owns them, or who to contact for a stud service.  That defeats the whole purpose of the show. If you want the WDA to grow you better get control over this mess fast. Why didn't ever post that you needed help with the show.  This kind of stuff is the reason I never joined the GSDCA.  All the infighting and status ego games on the board have been legendary and are still continuing.  Petty disagreements between board members, lawsuits (you know what I am referring to!) and all the many games turn off many.  The GSDCA always wonders why so few young people ever want to join.  Now you know.  The crazy politics drive newbies away quickly.

Sorry to say but when you noticed that catalogs were sold out early Sat. morning you should have sent someone out to copy more at a quick copy place. If you had no one you should have announced that you needed volunteers to help, that more folks showed up than expected.  I for one certainly would have helped out. I suggested more catalogs get printed immediately and it fell on deaf ears, because no show official cared. You could have gone out and rented a portable sound system that worked from a rental store on Friday when you knew the one you had didn't work correctly.  Think of all the money that could have been made if you had enough catalogs.  Sell them for $30 each.  You could have sold at least 200 more.  There were many folks who wanted to purchase food and beverages that couldn't find any.  The show could have been a virtual gold mine for the GSDCA.  Instead it generated a pittance. And sorry Shelley, this shows little or no respect for the attendees.  At least the competitors seemed to be treated okay.

Very good point Blitzen.  Many would buy Marked show catalogs later for a good price ($35-40 each).  This could start a new trend and would help promote the WDA.

One more thing, Mr. Spreitler.  I do not like complaining and when a job is done well, I will give credit.  But you need to know personally how many spectators were put off with the unavailability of show catalogs. There was a lot of angry remarks by spectators about this. You miss the whole point of my remarks and discount them by suggesting I just like to complain.  Far from it.  I would rather have been able to find the place right away, have been able to buy a show catalog and identify the best GSDs and hear the judges critiques of them and their progeny.  These are the reasons I drove 5 states to attend the show.  You miss my point completely.  Just keep it up and the WDA will stay mediocre.  

This is bad for business and the WDA needs to know this and make certain it never happens again. You could make up for it by taking one, marking it with all the placings and bitework ratings, placing copies for sale as Blitzen suggests (or at least posting it on your NASS 2008 website) and announce here and on the other GSD sites like "the list" that it is available. Until the GSDCA board stops it's petty games and lawsuits, many will never have anything to do with the GSDCA.

Preston, just read your critique.  I wasn't able to go to NASS as travel is extremely difficult for me these days. Helen Gleason is a very nice lady with whom I have exchanged emails and I wish her the best in judging at the National. Helen does know a correct GSD when she sees one and has emphasized that dogs will not run around her ring, they will trot, since a multitude of physical flaws can be hidden at a run. I think she will be able to handle the handler shenanigans - you know what I mean. BTW, the V rated bitch she had at NASS whelped a litter 5 months ago.

I had heard that Kenlyn was going German to some extent.

I would be in a WDA club if there were one in my area, but there is not.

And of course, you could always step up to the plate and help out with organization next year. Shows always need volunteers and you'd be in prime position to get a catalog and personal photographs.

People, do you know that if you are a GSDCA member of one year or more you get to vote for judges at the next National? SchH people could be joining and adding their influence for correct dogs.

Preston: There had been a "call for volunteers" post on the WDA website for months.

Nadia, it wasn't advertised on this website.  Besides, it was my understanding that one must be a member of the GSDCA in order to volunteer to help out in any WDA show.  I am not a member of WDA and don't visit their site.  I did go to their NASS 2008 site for show information, but saw no request for help there.  The show site gave no mention that unless you are going to be there at the very start of the show on Friday, you won't be able to buy a catalog/program.  And of course no catalog/program was posted on their web site to refer to for those with laptops that couldn't buy a catalog/program. GSDCA board is too whacky for me to get involved. I do not respect this board.  Too many petty games, petty allegations, immaturity, infighting, lawsuits against each other.  They won't even allow honest critiques, they must be "cleaned up" first.  Most on the board don't know the standard and wouldn't know a correct GSD under any circumstances. If they did, how could they breed and show American Shepherd Dogs which in my view aren't even real GSDs anymore (except for a handful which are okay). If you like weak non-working temperament, long backs, steep croups, sickle hocks, pushed forward fronts, small bitchy heads on the males, weak bone, poor color, and dogs that can lift and hold in the front while their rears overdrive the dogs up and forward, then the regular GSDCA shows are for you.  It will be interesting to see if the roof actually gets repaired in time for this years GSDCA national and there is no mold problems from all the massive water leakage from the storm when the roof was blown off. 

Having the NASS in California next year is probably not the smartest move.  It is always best to have it in a central US location.  That is fairer to everyone and tends to bring more people to the show. 

I should have mentioned that 1 year or more members of the GSDCA also get to vote for board members. Don't like the bums? Throw 'em out.

All organizations have politics. The Hanrahan/Eisenberg kerfuffle comes to mind from UScA and I know there have been more. Why, this very board has been known to blow up from time to time.  I don't know of any DVG madness, but undoubtedly there has been some simply because people are involved. 

From his remarks, it is obvious Danny Spreitler just doesn't get it.  To advertise a WDA Nass dogshow and then not provide enough catalogs for sale is technicallly false advertising and misrepresentation.   How many spectators would have attended the show if they were given informed consent in advance that they probably would not be able to buy a catalog? How many would have flown in or driven long distances if they were told this in advance.  The lack of availability of show catalogs ruined the show.   Mr. Spreitler doesn't care, offers no apologies, can't understand why this would be a serious issue and ought to resign.  His remarks show a cavalier attitude and an arrogance which is bad for the sport and the breed. The WDA needs to get some leadership that is committed and dedicated to getting the job done at every level and has the organizational skills to see that it is fully accomplished.   With proper management and leadership there could be a flood of folks shifting from American Shepherds to the real deal, West German Import Blooded GSDs.  This would be good for the breed in general and good for the folks who now show and breed these West German Import blooded GSDs. Managed properly this shift can provide new markets for quality puppies and older GSDs of West German showline bloodlines.  That is why the show catalogs at any Nass show are so important--they provide business contacts for those who want to sell quality West German showline blooded GSDs.  The SV is a well oiled machine and gets the job done.  Look at how successful it has been establishing a world market for quality GSDs. 

The word is out and American Shepherd folks are catching on, their breed is dying out through far too much linebreeding and poor selection for extreme sidegait only (improper as it actually is in most cases)--it is bankrupt genetically, has no male or female type anymore and the dogs do not look like real GSDs anymore. The handwriting is on the wall.

Let's face the facts, when puppy buyers visit kennels with American Shepherds and then visit kennels with West German showline Import blooded GSDs, 90% of the time or more, they greatly prefer the typically bold, secure and outgoing brightly pigmented black and red, West German blooded puppies.  The more they study the standard and the more they see the West German blooded showline GSDs, the more they reject the American Shepherds and want to switch to the West German blooded showline GSDs.  The flood has begun.

My thoughts in no particular order:

1. Show grounds were nice, close to the hotel and easy to access.

2. There were no extra charges for parking and show entry. I was very pleasantly surprised at this.

3. People need to bathe dogs, need better effort to accommodate them.

Dogs:

1. The 12 month male was excellent.

Paris von Frankengold in 9 month females was very nice also. Many nice ones, these just stood out to me.

2. Of the top 3 males, I thought Liedo and Gorbi were the better movers. This really showed up in the off lead.  

3. Overall, a very good show and an enjoyable weekend. Not having a catalog would have been very annoying. I shared mine several times.

Rik