Why are Showlines generally priced higher than Working Lines?? - Page 8

Demand drives up cost of anything....simple fact. The WGSL dogs have a demand that is worldwide. Especially, countries like US, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Pakistan, China, Japan, South Africa, Europe, etc. These countries have disposable income and are often captivated by the exterior appearance. On average this consumer, (of WGSL), are the least knowledgable of the breed and training. The WL consumer tends to be much more educated about the breed and what should be reasonable expectations of the breed. If you don't acquire a dog to work or train, then health, drives, and structure are not as important. So if you take a large consumer base that is looking to get a dog that allows their lack of training/breed knowledge not hurt them, and believes the beauty of the dog is the richness of color pattern as opposed to the utility.....then you have recipe for charging absorbinant prices for the privilege of owning a beautiful dog. To show you its not about SL, the American showline dog does not fetch this kinda of price, nor does it have the international demand. Why???? Think about it????

The s/l gets more exposure and promotion. Most puppy buyers of s/l are looking for a pet or to cash in on breeding.

More folks buying w/l actually have an idea of what a GSD should be and what they are looking at. You are not going to find a lot of people who have experience in what they are doing, shelling out $2500 for a pup. There is just a smaller market for the w/l in the U.S.


I have s/l, but I'm not an apologist for the direction they have taken. It is what it is.


In reading through Chaz's posts, I find very little to disagree with.

Quote:  

Why are Showlines generally priced higher than Working Lines?? by Tihannah on 23 April 2011 - 00:04	Tihannah Posts: 33 Joined: Sun Jan 24, 2010 08:38 pm
I'm partial to Showlines, but just curious to know why?

Much better PR. HA HA

Thank you, Rik A. I wasn't trying to impune the whole line. I know there are Sl breeders that focus on improving the working ability, just as there are WL breeders that don't have a clue. When I look at WL breedings, I see a lot that I wouldn't pay for.

why do they cost more?  I think it's easier to sell them really.  You have dogs that are generally calmer, have much softer features so the "cute" factor comes in, and you have the whole "champion" facade behind them.  Most people don't know jack about dogs or breeds or much of anything.  They just fall in love with words and decide that's what they want. 

Why not combine them?  there are a few SL's that I'd consider, but they are few and far between.  A lot of the really good workers I have seen are merely middle of the road for what i've seen with working line dogs. 

also, I don't like their "conformation"  a lot of them don't look like the "ideal" standard to mee.  They are too big to me a lot of times.  They aren't nearly as athletic as the dogs i've owned.  Their faces getting to droopy and soft looking and too uniform in a recessive coat pattern for me to think they have better conformation.  I think the standard is a guidline, any dogs that fits that guideline should then be judged on what it brings in terms of health, temperment and working characteristics. 

Please don't give me the bs argument about having run the dogs for hours everyday just to get them to behave.  You know what i've done with my dogs today?  Nothing, not a damn thing.  It's after noon and i've done nothing with them.  The got let out to pee for about 1 minute around 10, than ran out, went and came right back in.  You know what they're doing now?  Sleeping by my feet. 

Granted everytime I move in my chair their up and ready to go, but they settle right back in when they realize we're not going anywhere. 

i'm lazy today, usually i'm not, but they are more than capable of doing absolutely nothing and behaving when i'm not up to my normal self.  and if I decide to get up and go on a 20 mile bike ride with no breaks, they'll be more than happy to run right along side of me.  I like that.

THAT'S WHY. 

Zdog, That comment was meant to offside the comment made by someone else that said all Showlines run from their shadows. I asked them to please not generalize the whole group, in case you didn't catch that.

Perhaps that comment may have had more credence had that person even been able to spell shadows.

"THAT'S WHY".  Oh please Rico, you have made me laugh so hard milk came out of my nose !!"THAT'S WHY"  hahahha!!!!!!!  What a silly goofball!

I have not been here for a while and I have forgotten the fun here PDB.
I know why the prices for show dogs are higher then working dogs. It's the Orientals of  Chinese descent!!!! No really. They love show dogs and  are willing to pay exorbitant prices. My friend in Czech was offered $40000 for a show dog and he refused not because he did not like the price, but because he loved his dog and they showed up unannounced 6 mo later and offered him 150000 !!! And that  is 25 years ago. ( Consider inflation). This my answer: "It is it is a fad !"
Prager Hans