Your Opinion of Morgan's Echo of Airin, please - Page 1

Good morning everyone!

I'm going to ask you to look at my 7 month old black and tan girl and tell me what you think.  Unfortunately I can't get it to download here but if you look her up by name you will find her most recent picture, semi-stacked.  I would like honest answers regarding her angles, back, head, color etc.  To me she is beautiful but I would like to know how she measures up conformation wise.  I have thick skin but would appreciate if no one makes useless, snide comments about her pedigree.  She is what she is.  She has awesome prey drive and is a hard bitch.  She is very smart and right now we are doing basic obedience with thoughts of going into Schutzhund when she matures.   We took her to the local club and they were impressed with her drive and hardness at 12 weeks.  She weighs 65 pounds.  All honest, thoughtful comments welcome.

Respectfully,
Deb

www.pedigreedatabase.com/gsd/pedigree/578919.html


More response with less work for the commenter.

I would like to know something more about the Noblecroft dogs. Do you have any information? I see a resemblance to my guy, so I'm afraid I'm biased in your favor.

Thanks Okie!  Computers confuse me.  I saw Ember's brother this weekend.  He's looking good.  How's your girl?

beetree,

I can see the resemblance too. 

I can tell you Noblecroft is located here in Wichita.  They do have a decent looking website if you google them you will find it.  It is owned by Antoinette Faulkner.  She has shown in conformation and obedience that I have seen for myself.  I understand that she has shown some dogs to championship.  She does not do Schutzhund.  Last I knew either she or her daughter are the only handlers.  I did not realize this pup was out of her lines when we bought her.  (Knew the kennel name, just couldn't put my finger on it at the time) Rumor has it and I don't know that it is true but I was told she breeds bad hips.  I have had Echo's hips X-rayed and the Vet was very excited to see how good they look because she had heard the same.  We're keeping our fingers crossed until Echo turns 2 years so we can see how she turns out.  I am very encouraged by what we saw. (the Vet does Xrays for OFA so she knows her stuff)

Deb

Ember is as full of beans as usual. We are trying to wait for a day it isn't POURING to make a run up to AirCapital.

Okie,
I hear ya!  All it has done up here is pour and this weekend isn't looking to good either.  Looking forward to meeting you and Ember.  Eamon is almost always there so hopefully you will get to see him.  His owner is really nice, actually everyone there has been very nice and helpful. 

I'm still waiting on comments.  You guys normally do better than this.  Come on, bring it on.
Deb

Well, sometimes people on this board hold back, because their mommas taught them "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all!" And most have very few nice things to say about American line GSD's!

SInce I own a bitch who's a mix of American and German Showlines, I'm going to throw my hat into the ring here.

If i hadn't seen the pedigree, I wouldn't have known your dog was 100% American lines!  She has very nice pasterns and feet, while very many American dogs have weak pasterns and hare feet (toes too long, not arched.) Her front assembly (shoulder and arm) is too upright, but you will be very lucky to find an American dog without this fault, and yours looks better than most.

She has good, dark pigment and a nice feminine head and expression. Her head is not overly refined, as is the case with many American bitches (and dogs, too!) Her topline looks really good to me, except for her croup, which is too short and steep.  She has good bone, is not overangulated in the hind, nor does she have the overly long upper thigh so common in most American bred dogs. Yes her thigh is long, but not exaggerated. She does not seem to have the loose ligamentation which allows the American dogs to put their hock flat on the ground when being stacked, and when trotting, though if you'd tried to put her in the extreme show stack you usually see with these dogs, I might have to change my mind about that.

All in all, I think she's a really nice looking bitch, though your chances of getting a conformation title on her in the American show ring is probably around zero. Sad, but true.

How is her movement? Does she trot on her hocks, or on her feet? Is she agile when she turns, or does she tend to bunny hop? Bunny hopping is very common in American showline due to the loose ligamentation, and indicates weak hind legs and possible dysplasia.

As you know, the most important thing in schutzhund is a dog's drive. Is she ball crazy? Does she love to bite pant legs, and anything else she can get her mouth on? Does she love to play tug? Does she have good nerves, and recover quickly from a loud noise, or being hurt/startled by somenthing? Then, you may have a dog capable of doing schutzhund.

If so, CONGRATULATIONS!

There was a thread on the PDB awhile back about AKC champions with Schutzhund titles, and only a handful of names were on the list. If you can title this girl, you will be in very special company!

Good luck with her!

 She could double serve as a can opener if you can't find yours....

 The American Shepherd should be clasified by the AKC in its own catagory. Sorry, I just don't like much of the American Shepherd. Maybe if the AKC actually did something to limit breeding or put in place restrictions like the SV does, it would be more of a respectable breed here.

Ditto what sunsilver said.  A nice surprise conformation wise!  Good luck with her!