Your thoughts and opinions wanted: Question #1 - Page 2

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by beetree on 18 February 2009 - 03:02

 "Function has become too specific," very interesting,  how does that make it different from being "static"?

Uber Land

by Uber Land on 18 February 2009 - 04:02

well, I am not familiar with the term static,  probably meaning the same thing.

alot of breeders breed for one thing or another,  not for a dog who can do multiple services

jletcher18

by jletcher18 on 18 February 2009 - 04:02

tit for tat,  lets not forget the underlining problem.

of course functions have become too specific (static).  because we as humans want it that way.    as long as the majority of people want something special, there will be a breeder to fill the bill.  when  we realize that OUR specific needs are doing the breed a disservice, then and only then,  will the breed come back together.  well, thats how i see it.  not likly to happen in the majority, but im getting started now. 

to error is human, to forgive is to be a dog.    thank dog they are better than us.

john

VonIsengard

by VonIsengard on 18 February 2009 - 04:02

Poor temperment and bad health, hands down 2 biggest issues that take precedent over structural/size/color faults, in my opinion.

by beetree on 18 February 2009 - 05:02

Think of it as not changing an aspect, when faced with some other fundamental change. So if no one herds sheep anymore, what do we do with the sheepherders? We make police dogs, maybe? Fierce teeth gnashing man stopping machines? That is an example of NOT being static within the purpose of a working breed,  but being very specific in service.

by Get A Real Dog on 18 February 2009 - 05:02

I always question GSD people's use of the word "structure" it seems to me it is used more as a physical size and shape of what someone thinks a dog should "look like" vs actual structural ability to do the work.

To me structure means are the structurally able to perform what they were designed to do.

With that said, I think one of the biggest problems with the GSD right now is trans-vertabral segment. The only GSD I ever owned had it, a Sch washout I got my brother for a pet, has it, a friend of mine just performed surgery after her dog chewed her tail off, and I know of 2 others that have/had it.

I think, and so does my ortho specialist, this is a bigger problem than HD for several reasons....

1) Not many people are screening for it.
2) unlike HD/ED most dogs are not able to work beyond the age of 5. There are alot of dysplastic dogs out there working. Every dog I know that has had TVS or Cauda Equina end up being in severe pain or lose sensation in their rear end/legs preventing them from being able to work.
3) The end results are cauda equina syndrom that is just terrible. Extreme and/or phantom pain which can cause a dog to self- mutilate, loss of urine/bowel function, etc, etc.

So for me, the question of structure is not what a dog looks like in relation to a written or percieved standard, but what the dog is physically able to do and the Trans -Vertabral segment is a big problem that will likely get much worse if breeders to not start screening for it.
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my .02

jletcher18

by jletcher18 on 18 February 2009 - 05:02

Poor temperment and bad health

are these also not issues that have come from bad breeding?

back to my original point.  all of the major issues are due to poor judgement in breeding. 

so the same dog that could be a herding dog,  with different training couldnt be a police dog?

john

jletcher18

by jletcher18 on 18 February 2009 - 05:02

to me structure is how the dog is put together.  much like the framework of a building,.   conformation, while relying on the dogs structure, implies the outward appearance of the dog.    hd and tvs would be structual problems.  something wrong with the framework of the dog. 

john

Uber Land

by Uber Land on 18 February 2009 - 07:02

GARD
How do you test for this problem? trans-vertabral segment
is this a back x-ray?
years ago my uncle had a husky who chewed his tail off, I wonder if this was the dogs problem.  I associated it at the time to being nuerotic or something.  but after reading your post, I would think that was what plagued him.

Princess

by Princess on 18 February 2009 - 16:02

Temperment ,size, and roach back. Some of the show dogs hurt me to look at .





 


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