SchHBabe's USA article on Capt. Max - Page 2

Good article and very well written Yvette.  Thank you for your dedication to the breed and the sport.  I suspect max would have been a form follows function kinda guy. 

It looks like I'll be purchasing a copy of this back issue.  I just got my membership in last week...so next issue is my first one :)

I've got the first english translation from 1924 - I found it on abe books for 91 dollars I believe.  It's held together by a string...but I'll have it rebound...and even in bad condition the book is worth more to me.  They had a couple of copies of the book - and for anyone in Chicago (or anyone who has a library that does an exchange program) I think the University of Chicago library has a copy of it as well.

I really look forward to reading all the articles!

~Cate

i take it 99% of you drive do you think henry ford would be happy with what ford produce now   you bet he would times change technology changes people change everything moves forward nothing stays static because if it did we would still be living in caves some things change for the better some for the worse but change they do and personally i believe he would be happy with how far the breed has came it is after all the number one breed in the world

jim h

Sorry, I must disagree.  The founder of our breed is most likely spinning in his grave.  This breed was founded as a working breed, and that ability was of the utmost importance to Captain Max.  Popularity has nothing to do with quality.  Popularity has to do with  watering down the breed to the point it looks like a GSD but does not have the heart or mind of a GSD,  just to satisfy the masses,  by those breeders who would turn a blind eye to what the dog is supposed to be, just to put money in their pockets.

I agree with Sue - Ford was a businessman...from what I can gather of his books Stephanitz was more of an idealist when it came to his dogs...I dont get the impression that he was trying to sell a product or increase popularity - he created something and he wanted it to do what he wanted it to do.  I think that perhaps he had more of a vision that matches the current Dutch Shepherd - an understated, generally unknown breed used mainly for working with litte emphasis on showing.

~Cate

Jim H, in what ways do you think the modern GSD is superior to its ancestors? 

Conversely, what do you believe to be the weak points in the modern GSD?

This is an opportunity for dialogue, and I'd like to hear your perspective. 

Yvette