Breed for personality and drives or for looks? - Page 1

I would like to ask a hypothetical question.
I hope my post doesn't create drama over showlines vs workinglines.


If you have a nice black and red Showline female that you're wanting to mate. You have couple of nice looking show line males( you personally don't know both males, however you do get a nice comments from the breeder including several other people) that you're wanting to use. You know the owner that has a working line male that has dynamite working drives, and has the sweetest temperament that you want in your lines. You also really like the dog, however the male doesn't have the best of bone including conformation, but he is a medium size dog (your bitch is large size) and has KKL1.

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?

Depends on who the people are concerning the advice.  I know people whose advice I'd take in a heartbeat, and other people that, if they said "Do this", I'd do the opposite and figure I stood a good chance of getting what I wanted, LOL.

There are also other studs in the world.  When given a choice...take it all.  Find one that suits you better than the ones mentioned.  Find a working male with a conformation you really like, a sweet disposition and over the top drives.   They exist. ~  Veronica

It sounds like you are trying to get the best of both worlds. The best of Show, and the best of Go..The hopes would be to get offspring with the best of bone and conformation. The plan is that these physically perfect pups would also have the dynamite working drives of the sire.

The problem is that like produces like, but that characteristics don't always blend to give the desired result. 9 times out of 10, you will end up with a litter of pups with the weak conformation of the sire and the working drives of the dam.

Brittany, can I ask you a question that is not hypothetical: why are you asking your hypothetical question? Could you explain, please? Is there any practical purpose?

People! You are lucky - you have enough time for hypothetical questions. And for hypothetical answers as well.

I`m from Russia. Lots of people here are trying to restore GSD`s working ability. We have a lot of problems to solve to be able to really compete, not just take part in WUSV... 

Breed for personality and drives or for looks? Are you serious? Hasn`t life itself given the answer yet?..

Olga

"Take this trouble for me: Make sure my shepherd dog remains a working dog, for I have struggled all my life long for that aim."

Rittmeister Captain Max von Stephanitz
1864-1936

I think it would be important to ask what type of people the majority of your puppies will be sold to are. I do not think a lot of puppies go to serious show and working homes, so let us assume most of your litter will be going into pet homes. You do not want dogs that have too high of drives placed into family homes. The dog will just end up coming back to you.

I personally would prefer and take the working ability (drives) over the "looks".  Do you know how disappointing it is to see an abosolutely gorgeous dog that you are expecting to be a "knock your socks off worker" and when it comes time to put on the show you're ready to fall asleep?  But if you're just looking for a nice family dog to putz around with then one would probably pick the prettiest dog and not care too much if it even wants to track, bite ect.  It's all in what the owners expectations are and hopefully one can be realistic in setting the goals of each dog they own as they are all different.

ALL I want to say is "SHAME ON YOU ECHOMEDOWS" for trying to sell a so called rescue dog. Many very good reputables rescue org. work very hard to place the dogs they bring in. They too work long and hard with the dogs but they never expect money in their pocket because of the time they put in these dogs. These people do it for the love of the dogs not MONEY. The adoption fee goes right back into the rescue to help other dogs. They also have the dog spayed/neuterd BEFORE it is placed. What you are doing is just WRONG and UNETHICAL. You are right when you say you can do what you want but how do you sleep at night knowing what you are doing?

Denise

Sorry, I put this in the wrong discussion

Why don,t you guys get a razor and hack away some where else.

 Well hypothetically there is a "golden middle"

                                                                                        The german shepherd dog was, is, and always will be a working dog  no matter what the AKC division he is in. A working dog must work first and formost so if he is running a herd,chasing a perp, finding drug,or protecting his master this is what must be bred for the work. 

looking pretty in a ring and being medium to low drives is not a breedable quality no matter how pretty he or she is,