Breed for personality and drives or for looks? - Page 3

Rebel:  I am speaking of the overwhelming majority of the American Show Shepherds, not about a few good breeders & not about dogs from the past.  Unfortunately, the breeders of this type of dog have thrown away any consideration for what the dog is supposed to do in favor of what it looks like trotting around a ring in one direction.

You can go Shilo if you want big and no work. Many mixed breeds look like GSD'd and make great pets. The pounds are full of them.

The original post is to vague to comment on. You can breed show to working and get better structured working dogs but you can also get not so pretty low drive pups. Everything is to chance there is no secret formula that will work for all combinations.

While some personality traits may tend to be familial, a good personality or a poor one (depending on how one defines it) is hardly heritable--more likely environmentally conditioned--coupled with training and the bond created between the dog and his owner and/or handler. 

However, if you really do your homework, you you need not sacrifice either drives or correct conformation with either show and working lines (according to your preference). At the same time do not neglect such factors as longevity, constitutional vigor, freedom from disease, orthopedic soundness, etc.

Because my background is with showlines that can really work, I look for well-balanced drives, drive-containment (very important), and correct (not perfect always) conformation. However, I would rather have a middle-of-the-pack, V-rated dog with a strong work ethic than a top VA-rated dog lacking in this factor.

Once in a blue moon, one may come up with a dog such as Jeffrey's Bazi where there are few sacrifices in either work ethic or conformation.

**Boy, we are coming up with some incredible things to ponder. 

When one looks for a spouse or "partner" (sorry, had to put that in there for the show guys), do you look for a shitty personality, laziness, and a face and body that would break mirrors?  No, you look for the hottie with a good job and has an incredible personality and sense of humor.  Breeding should be no different.  I think that working breeders that breed bad conf. should be shot and show breeders that don't even try to follow the breed's standard for personality and drive should be shot as well.

**sarcasm

"Which dog would you choose? Would you choose looks with low medium drives over character and high drives? Would you choose dogs that you personally observe, rather then taking peoples advise on a dog?"

I would say that you need to figure out for yourself what you are looking to breed. You must have some sort of goal for the type of dog you are trying to produce before you start to breed. If you are looking to produce solid working dogs then only breed against solid working dogs. If you are looking to produce showline dogs then only breed against solid showlines. If you are looking to create pets then don't breed, there are enough pets out there already.

I want it ALL.

Shelley Strohl,  do you believe it is possible?   

My smiley means I really think you are not serious.

What would Stephanitz  say?

I pick my GSD's like I pick my women.  Personality first, then looks a close second.  I care very little if she can work.  I will take care of the work.

Some may pick their women for their work ethic first or only.  We have a name for them.

If I picked my women like I picked my dogs I would have a......

 5' foot ,100 pound, speed freak, bar fighting, biker bitch

I had a dog like that once or was it a girl in a bar back in 1993?

I think I had both