some breed history - Page 1

Here's a link to some interesting reading for those interested in breed history.

http://www.nsgsdc.com/breedhistory.shtml

Thanks, Blitzen, that was very interesting. Many of the names that were mentioned from both sides of the pond are in my Kali's pedigree, which of course made it all the more interesting. jackie harris

Someone here on the database already gave me that link .

Very interesting.  Thanks for sharing that.

Teri

The power of selective breeding................there must be  a  similar story about the split of the workinglines and showlines.

Interesting history, but I take issue with the impression that Canto and Lance were positive influences on the breed. Canto was a hemophiliac, produced a lot of piss-poor temperament in addition to a host of health issues and IMO Lance of Fran-Jo should never have been allowed to breed, let alone show up several places in a 4 generation pedigree as was so often the case.

SS

Thanks Blitzen

It's all subjective, Shelley, some will agree, some disagree. It find it interesting to learn how the breed has evolved and changed in the US and then try to understand why. It truly is all about selective breeding and that's not always based on the quality (or lack of) of the dogs themselves. Too many times personalities AKA peer pressure dictates which dogs are bred to which dogs. Breeding to a better dog should be the only goal, but too often it's not.

I don't know the ins and outs of the SV world, but I do know what it's like in the AKC world and it's almost impossible to generate any interest in any litter of any breed if it's not sired by a winning dog.  It's been that way since I entered my first AKC show in 1970. I guess that explains why Lance was so popular since he clearly wasn't the best example of the breed at the time nor was his production record the best as far as health and conformation went. He was a big winner, ergo he had to be a great dog since all the judges said he was; how could so many judges be wrong?  His name alone sold puppies to the "right" owners, people who would show them to their titles. 

I don't know if that sort of thing happened with the SV dogs,  but I suspect it did and still does.  Maybe one day someone will write a similar article about the imported lines and how they have evolved herein the US. I'm sure there are many on this board who could do just that.

The thing I don't understand is why temperament and intelligence aren't always number one in every breeding program. Without a smart & stable dog you either end up with a pretty dog that doesn't work and gets snappy if asked to engage, or a hard driven dog that wants to call all the shots biting when s/he chooses; and all kinds of unpleasant variation on these.  You need the foundation of a sound temperament in conjunction with brains (the willingness & ability to learn) to build off of, without this what's the point, you may as well play Russian Roulette (it's no wonder vicious dog laws are on the raise).  Once you do have this "clear head" then comes physical prowess followed by the drive to work and take advantage of this physicality; and last comes aesthetics.  I think this is just logical/practical. 

Selfishly I want a dog that I can teach things to and who wants to be taught by me. No matter how pretty or correct the conformation or how much 'ball drive' a dog might have s/he isn't worth a whole lot to me if s/he isn't interested in bonding with me, overreacts to anything new, lacks curiosity, unwilling to take direction ...  I'm not a breeder and only have the knowledge of a "fancier" but I do know why I favor GSD and what I want from a pup; and the SL aren't cutting for me and the WL can be intimidating because there's so much emphasis on "hard drive". Bottom line for me I want a dog I can live with, work with at my pace, and enjoy spending my time with. I don't buy GSD's very often and I invest a lot of time, energy and love into the few I do bring into my family, and frankly I'm concerned that this type of GSD - the flexible intelligent versatile worker - is becoming harder and harder to find. This might be no small feat but I would like a solid, healthy dog that wants to be part of something and it frustrates me that politic and personal power trips continue to harm this great breed.
enough of my ranting:)) Susan
p.s. and yes I know by no means is this isolated to GSD or even dog breeding but is in fact an unfortunate reality but my hopes are that there will always be good folks around who can keep in mind the big picture:)

Justcurious, a few years ago I read that the breed is losing it's will to serve. I don't remember who said it or where I read it, but that statement left a very lasting impression on me.