TO BREED OR NOT TO BREED! - Page 1

There has been a lot of messages on this Database, about faults in the German Shepherd and not breeding a shepherd with these faults - minor or otherwise!!! 

Of course where possible, we should all breed to 'Standard', however surely breeding from a so-called 'Top Dog' that has all the visual attributes a Shepherd should have - wonderful pedigree, marvellous show results, excellent working ability, top qualifications - but has hidden known faults that are hereditary as well as all the other attributes ie. epilepsy, heart problems, pituatry dwarfism, soft ears, etc. etc. is wrong?........or is this ok?

What about these fantastic dogs that have proven awful hip/elbow status and should never be bred from in the 1st. place? But they're 'Top Dogs'!! It's ok!!

What about the dogs that are bred from with awful temperaments? But they're 'Top Dogs'!! It's ok!!!

Surely a minor fault that has no health issues is far better to accept and not to 'make waves' about?

Anyway, I think that we should all be concerned about the various colours that are now available to the discerning puppy buying public - pandas, chocolate, whites with 'birth marks', panda and liver sables, it goes on and on!!! They should never be Kennel Club registered in the 1st. place!!!  

Sorry I'm getting carried away.............or perhaps I should be?!!!!!!!

Please note:- no contradiction intended.

Last paragraph is another issue and meant as a joke, though I am not laughing at the seriousness of it!!!

I agree with what you say entirely, but at the end of the day its the power of the S.V. that govern as to what bloodlines are going to be at the top so the showgoers and breeders just follow on like sheep or they wont win  !!!!!.   Also very few of the breeders & showgoers that are relatively new to the dog world have no idea whatsoever as to what faults or virtues that dogs before their time carried and produced .........  another era that doesnt exsist !!!!!  L.O.L. !.

 Don't forget whatever dogs do not appear within the generations of the printed pedigree just don't exsist either  !!!!!!  .......... L.O.L. !

As far as the U.K. Kennel Club are concerned there is no hope whatsoever while they continue to register abominations like ........ continuous litter Brother & Sister matings & the progeny from these also mated together & registered with no questions asked !!!!!!.  This is disgusting practice and it happens all the time,  unfortunately the poor unsuspecting public ( who the majority of puppies are sold to )  are under the big misconception that if a dog is K.C. registered it has to be a very good dog ........... POOR FOOLS !!!!!!!.

It's pretty much no brainer, Ginnymay. Dogs that routinely produce serious health issues should not be bred at all and that is the way it would go in a perfect world. In the real world, it's about money and big egos. It's the responsibility of the breeders to be the caretakers of their chosen breed, NOT the registery agencies like the UKC and the AKC. They are not watchdogs for every single recognized breed, they register them, generate paperwork trails to try to insure correct parentage, and hold dog shows.  Even if these agencies wanted to regulate breeders, here in the US it would be in violation of the breeders' constitutional rights and a civil suit would surely result. 

Don't forget even the SV doesn't say that one can't breed GSD's unless they follw their guidelines to a "t".  They are more like a breed club and only prevent indescriminate breeders from registering GSD's with the SV. Breeders can still breed and register GSD's in German with other organizations if they chose, so the SV rules don't stop them from breeding substandard dogs.

It's a lot easier when an organization is dealing with only one breed. When there are multiple breeds, then the rules must apply acrossed the board to all. Can you imagine the chaos and complaining that would result if the UKC or theAKC would appoint breed wardens to evaluate all dogs of all recognized breeds prior to their being bred? It would  be like expecting the police to be held accountable for all the crime since it's their job is to arrest the criminals before they did the bad deed .

In the end it is and will always be about good ethics. Either breeders have them or they don't.

The truth is we have two major problems.

1. People who breed for the money.

2. People who have no ideal what they are doing.

That being said we still have many breeders today who are producing high quality excellent GSD's and are actually improving the breed. The trick when obtaining a new GSD is to find the correct breeder to buy from.

http://kerschberger.com/GermanShepherdTypes.htm

We should first experiment on breeding better humans before commenting on what (all) breeders are doing wrong.  What if we started to seek mates for only their looks/health/mental health.   That would certainly improve this world.   The dogs we, responsible breeders breed, are much healthier than all the human beings I 've encounter.  Mentally and phsysically.   And yet we keep at it making bad decisions in choosing partners and breeding with them. 

Also, genetic health issues quite often appear much later in a dogs life.  So, what shall we do then?  Disqualify all its offspring?  

It is truly up to the buyer in todays' world with no matter what  you purchase to do your homework and decide if the expressed value is the quality you seek.   Many, too many, don't want to do that work.  Breeders and buyers alike.  Hence my link above with what happened to the German Shepherd dog.  And now what is happening with 'designer' dogs.  ie:  mutts.  

Inch by Inch the SV will implement new directions the breed should take.   Recent addition, the elbow certifications.  I still  hear that many breeders  here in the USA do not certify the elbows with the SV.   Only the  hips.   Where that is odd, as the elbow stats are much better than the hip stats.  So, not much to fear.  

Gina, that's too funny. It reminds me of when I was younger and not necessarily looking for a "mate"-just checking out a girlfriend or potential girlfriend. I always thought it was important to take a look at her mother and sisters. No more comments after that, LOL!

Regards and Happy Thanksgiving,

Bob-O

Just because a dogs a so called top dog, doesnt automaticaly make it the best to breed.

JMO.

And  believe breeding humans for superiority was attempted once before.

I do believe people are the problem ho.

An maybe there needs to be a universal standard for the breed, with a few new idea's on evaluating the total GSD.

naaaaaww  would never get anyone to agree on that. ..

Dont judge the book by its covers.... Genetics and Hard work played a crutial part in the GSD evolution... Not judging and patronizing by details and exagerations....  Remember that the GSD was founded and moulded as a helper of mankind... "Utilitarian pupose..." The GSD is designed not only to look this way but to act and think this way...  I feel in love with the breed because of its... INTELLIGENCE and UTILITARIAN purpose... If you have no use for the dog and you are just keeping him for VANITY... a caged animal... SHAME on you...  He is happy working... even if it working only as a companion to people who need them... But if you can't live with the GSD STANDARDS... don't breed... You're better off be breeding other animals... The GSD masters took a lot of effort to evolve the breed... If you love our breed... Keep its standards...

Fanstatic site on the various GSD types.   I had read it once before and forgot ot bookmark it, I did not make the same mistake this time.  Thank you for posting it!