Looking for some feedback please. - Page 2

Thanks everyone for your comments, I very much appreciate it.

I'm not concerned with the "snarky" remarks as I too belong to many other forums (have so for many years) so I understand the (even though I don't find it mature) need to "test the waters" with the newbie.

I am not knew to the world of Shepherds, in fact I know quite a bit, it's the pedigrees I am 'new' too. Learning about what lines and such are best or most workable, etc. is what I am looking to really 'get into' even though I have no interest in breeding at all. I would still like to know all I can.

Anyways, I look forward to chatting more and 'meeting' everyone. Thank you to all who have commented so far. I will be checking back. :)

Liz

 Yoschy, Grief, Fero and Nick vom Heilegenbosch are the pillars of the modern day working lines

Cheers 

 also look at Veit abd Valet. The blood is hard to find but they were the Timmy Troll of the 50s . I fyou have some blood then its good

regards

hard work and smart training and dedication can propel even a marginal dog beyond your expectations...if you're able to correctly tap into the dog's temprement(hard,soft,indifferent) and train in a way that enhances the dogs available drives(food,play,pack)then you should be able to do as well as anyone else.the "show/working" cross has produced acceptable(yet not overly driven)capable dogs,and not everyone aspires to "regional/national level" competition.look at the major events(archives)and you'll see that for the most part,the dogs that consistantly land on the podium are of the "traditional working bloodlines"...even the "DNF'S and ALSO RANS",if you go into a training program with the idea that"well,my dog is a show/working cross,he probably won't do that good",then you've handicapped yourself from the start!...train and enjoy your dog,train smart,get a system that works for you and your dog and you'll do well......good luck!

Thanks again!

I'm not looking to win any awards or anything to be totally honest. I want my dog to enjoy a few sports, be able to get out there and do different things, and mostly spend some quality time with him doing what a dog is suppose to be doing (working).

 

If I enjoy doing it, possibly my next dog will be of better lines and bred for sport/competition.

I am a graduate student at the moment so I do not have the time to be 'really serious' about it. This is more for my and my dogs entertainment and enjoyment. He is doing well at Tracking and is really surprising me with his OB (already heels naturally while looking at me the whole time.. lucky me!). I would like him to be certified as a Therapy (was choosen by the breeder for this reason) dog because I have just graduated with a BSc. in Psychology and am off to Grad school in the fall to complete my 4 years as a trained Psychologist - I want him to work with me.

As far as the dogs mentioned ("old /good blood"); can anyone tell me anything more so I can understand what is meant by "good/old blood"? More specifics on the dogs being talked about?

Thanks again!

 the dogs I mentioned are not good for human behavioural superimpose and therapy work as a psychologist. Keep away from them you will do yourself a favour. If you want to understand the human dog spiritual link then yes you can study these lines on workaholism Hyperactivity and ADHD etc etc


cheers

I've lightened the picture so we can actually get a good look at your pup. You need to get a better picture of him. It's very hard to tell much about him from this photo. He does look to have excellent bone, but that front left pastern looks to be too long and soft. It could be just the way the light is falling on it, though, or the angle of the photo. He seems to have inherited a long upper thigh and rather upright front from the American side of his pedigree, but again, I may be wrong, and need to see a photo where he's properly stacked to be sure.  I suggest you take a picture in full sunlight, and get right down to the dog's level, and make sure you're parallel to his body. In this photo, his rear is slightly slanted towards the camera, so we can't see the outline of his chest very well. Get someone to help stack him properly, and maybe even a third person to attract his attention so his ears are up.

Viet, Valet and Vroni von Busecker Schoss all appear way back in your dog's pedigree. (Viet and Valet were littermates, Vroni was from a different litter.) The Busecker Scholss dogs were not handsome or pretty, but were known for being sturdy and sound had having an excellent work ethic. Bernd v. Lierberg is in there, too. Here's what a well-known breeder has to say about Bernd and his brother, Bodo:

 One drastic example of the widening split between German and American bloodlines in the 1960s is "Bodo vom Lierberg SchH3, FH". He was the 1967 German, Dutch and Belgian Sieger (Grand Victor), was sold to America, but didn’t make US Grand victor and ended up contributing very little to the breed. His brother, "Bernd vom Lierberg Sch3, FH" being as similar to Bodo in look and temperament as only a twin brother can be, remained in Germany and became THE most famous working dog ever since. They were the last all-in-one "universal" working and show dogs. Any real working Shepherd breeder in the world would give just about anything to have the name Bernd or Bodo vom Lierberg in his/her pedigree.

Martin Wahl
 

Lord v. Gleisdreck, who appears several times in the ped is a very well known East German dog, one of the pillars of those lines. I believe someone already mentioned Troll von der Bosen Nachbarschaft, another superb working line dog. A VA showline dog, Dingo von Haus Gerro, is there too. Here's a well-know video of Dingo gaiting: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIFpKL0qRQ0 He had superb movement, and was the 1983 Bundessieger. There are two other Siegers that appear way back in the pedigree several times (Uran and Quando). (Both of these dogs, along with Palme v. Widsteigerland appear in nearly every showline pedigree.)

If you've been into Shepherds for any length of time, I'm sure you know about the weakness of the American line dogs in the bottom half of your pedigree. However, it's only a small part of the pedigree, so, if you're fortunate, your dog may take more after the German lines in terms of temperment, nerves and work ethic. (And there are some good American line dogs out there, too. Not all of them are flightly nervebags, incapable of working.)

There are some excellent dogs way back in your dog's pedigree. That's what was meant by 'good, old blood'. Unfortunately, I can't tell you very much about the more recent ones, as I don't  know anything about them.

WOW.. THANK YOU very much for taking the time to explain.

Great information and really informative post.

I appreicate it!