leaving the breed - Page 1

I have been struggling with the direction I am going NOT in this breed, but what I am doing on the whole. I love this breed, but in many ways am unhappy with the direction I see it going. There are things I like about lots of different types of dogs... I never liked poodles until I dealth with 2 standards that I trained for service dogs and was shocked to find a few things in their temperaments strikingly like gsd's. None, of this really matters other than to say I have a pink papered female that I want to find a home for. Catja vom Muhlbach http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/gsd/pedigree/476094.html She is a nice feminine female, playful, nice drive. I have 3 children she has been good with, though in all complete honesty, I do not trust her entirely. She has never growled, made any attempt to bite at the kids, but it is simply a subtle feeling I get. I am not desperate to sell her and I dont want to make money from selling her. She has beginning training in all 3 phases, but since I do mostly service work, she has a lot of targetting and service training, and only a small amount of actual bite work or tracking. I never wanted to just breed dogs and kind of do it half way. Neither did I want to cater to top competitors. My desire has always been to train and provide outstanding dogs who serve, both as actual service dogs and as great family pets. I dont want to sell puppies for 1500 just because I can. I want to sell puppies for 500 so that people like me can dream about not only a outstanding temperament dog, but a nice looking dog as well. I have come to the conclusion however, that unless I am willing to "change" the breed into what I want it to be, that is hardly possible. I am not a geneticist and do not feel that I am capable of pairing bloodlines to better the breed and since I dont like the idea of producing puppies just because they might be nicer than the guy down the street, I feel that I need to maybe just focus on training and find the occasional dog that fits that criterion. catja does not fit the criterion for a service dog for a couple basic reasons. First is that she has received bite training and cannot be certified through delta society as a service dog. I dont need hate mail on this. It's not my decision. secondly she is higher drive than would be effective for some service positions, though she would be great for a hearing dog or a psychiatric dog, I do not have a listing for that and she is already 3 years old and would need to be placed quickly. long story is that if someone who would work/play/love her wants a great dog I would sell her for 2000 plus shipping. ready, set, go..... let the hate mail begin!!!

Wow, if I didn't already have an 11 mo. old female puppy, and a 5 yr. old male, I'd snap her up in a minute!

You won't get any hate mail from me. Been there, done that, got out of one breed for a number of reasons, thought I'd go with this breed and found out it's actually more political, less healthy and much shorter lived than the one I left. I'm sorry to hear your decision as you have always sounded like a level headed person and breeding for service dogs and family companions is a fine goal IMO. Frankly, I've not missed breeding one bit and placing puppies has been about the worst experience of my life, about 25% of them were returned for one reason or another, mostly stupid. Now when I want a dog I buy one. Good luck placing your female.

I have trained and liked other breeds very much - I liked the standard poodles I trained, their temperaments and willingness to work is very good! Pit Bulls, even some terriers - but I'd never own one of them, I like them but they just aren't my breed. I'll stick with this one. What you or other people do, is up to you. Hope you find what you are looking for in another breed. molly

Hats of to you, at least you realized this is not the breed for you, instead of just taking her to the pound you try to place her with some one who likes and know the breed. We need more people like you in the our dogworld. Hope you find the right place for her. There is NO need for hate mail to you. Brigitte

I think you are doing what's right for you and her. Good luck.

It is very fulfilling to actually see someone who has a very real idea of what he wants to do and real goals to boot...I applaud you for your convictions...I am not a breeder and the last time I had a litter was 4 1/2 years ago...Just haven't had the time...knowledge...experience or dogs to do so...But saying that I now have the time to put towards a litter...I have more knowledge of what I want and how to get it...and I also now have dogs that are worthy of breeding...I am with you von symphoni...I have always had a goal of breeding German Shepherds and producing dogs that are a step in the right direction of bettering the breed...and to sell them at a very reasonable rate...which most people can afford...I now see a real trend in selling GSD puppies for $1500.00 or more...I have a goal of selling them for 1/2 that price or less...I want to produce good quality German Shepherds that everyone can afford...Instead of them buying something for $200.00 to $500.00 and having a very poor specimen...I wish you luck in your endeavors and if there's anything I can do to help out...let me know... ~Bob~

It's a breed of dog. Not a lifelong oath. Life's too short. You have the character to do what you feel to be be right. I admire you for the service you provide and for the conviction to take a new path. I'm sure your girl will find an excellent home as she sounds like an excellent dog. Dawgs We are an equal oppurtunity pod. Are you still moving in?

I am not really "switching breeds" perhaps I worded that incorrectly. I have a border collie as well that is I'm pretty sure possessed. Mostly what I have trained for service work has been labs and lab crosses and sadly, I dont care much for them. They fill a need and they fill it well, but they fill the need partially because they are (at least the ones that make the service cut) ... for lack of a better term... plodders. Necessity demands that they dont mind sitting for sometimes long periods with little to do, without losing their minds. I am going to be travelling some giving seminars on training service dogs and we homeschool and my children will be travelling with me because I want them to learn this as a service and as a real life "school" so we will be schooling some on the road and I will also be taking a trained service dog with me. I am pretty sure by this time next year I will be bald from pulling my hair out, but it is a commitment that i really want to make, it has been part dream, part nightmare. But I want more than anything for my children to grow up giving, not always taking. I am not desperate for Catja to go, but I want to do right by her too and sitting at home in a kennel, even though I have help that will play with her and continue training, is not really what I want for her. As to the pod.... I am not a huge fan of pea-green..... can my little corner be purple!!??

Interesting that you mention Standard Poodles. In "The Intelligence of Dogs" Dr. Coren says that many people rate them as one of the top watch/guard dogs. They just don't look the part. Good luck with your future ventures