Just a ? - Page 1

What is a GSD? Reading all of these threads, I'd like to know what the ideal GSD should be.

"Don Corleone, I am honored and grateful that you have started such a wise thread.  And may your first answer be an intelligent answer.  I pledge my ever ending loyalty........"

I think the ideal GSD goes back to what Captain Max originally intended which I think most of us have read. 

Some qualities include:  "a working dog, direct and fearless, but not hostile, expression, self-confidence and a certain aloofness that does not lend itself to immediate and indiscriminate friendships. According to the GSD Standard, the dog must be approachable, quietly standing its ground and showing confidence and willingness to meet overtures without itself making them...."

I think you see a lot of GSD's out there that are not bred to the standard but trained to the standard. 

I love it. A good thread . Hopefully no drama
hank

I started this thread after reading threads about tough dogs, just sport dogs, etc. I didn't expect to get much of a response. Reading the threads on here lead me to believe that there are just too many ideas of what a GSD should be. You have multiple people breeding for the betterment of the breed in too many directions. The sport breeders are breeding for more prey and higher points on the field. While doing this, I believe some other characteristics are being forgotten. This is a generalization, but for the most part I think it is true. The show breeders are totally breeding for conformation. Another generalization, but again, mostly true. Pet breeders are just breeding. I don't know if the know exactly what they have. Maybe I'm wrong in what a GSD should be. When USA first went to the all GSD national, I thought it was bad, but the one thing that I believe has changed the GSD tremendously over the last few decades is the Malinois. I think too many breeders are trying to make the breed into a Malinois. I have nothing against Malinois, but if that is what you want, go buy one.

The GSD is a utility dog who's beautiful form enables him to be a sport dog, a police dog, an agility dog, a shepherd, a show dog, a prized family pet and a helper for the disabled. A dog who's balanced temperament enables it to be courageous, loyal and steady for work as a therapy dog, seeing eye dog, a detection dog, a sport dog, a police dog, a protection dog AND a loyal best friend and spokesman for the breed.

SitasMom, I guess I don't understand the "beautiful form" statement. To me there are two separate forms and I don't see a dog doing both police and show. Can you get more in depth? Just trying to understand.

There is only one German Shepherd Dog breed - if you look at VA list - the development from the first years to about 1935  - we have a very good example of what a German shepherd should look like. The breed started with pure ability and was molded into a breed of ability, beauty and function - and all while Max had control. When the main use of the GSD changed from purely shepherding to a police/border patrol dog they gained substance, because they were to slight of stature to take down and hold a man.

In present day, the working lines are being bred back to what the beginning dogs looked like prior to their refinement (va list 1907, 1910, 1911), and God only knows what the show line dogs are being bred to look like.

In my opinion, the present day German Shepherd should be somewhere in between the present day working and the show dogs.  They should be dogs with graceful form and the ability to work. Or dogs with the ability to work and also have beauty and grace. They should look much like the dogs Max created towards the end of his influence. He was breeding towards a goal.....and its well documented.

To me Gerda vom Beckotal and VA1 Utz vom Haus Schütting are excellent examples of a beautiful German shepherd that had ability and function. Hussan vom Haus Schütting also, but he may have had many problematic traits.....

V Enno vom Antrefftal  1975 bsp v1,  V Kazan vom Anger 1975 bsp v9 are also examples of form and function that was joined together beautifully!

I guess I either hit the nail on the head.........or I was sooo far out in left field that other opinions were useless.  

Sitasmom you said the GSD's beautiful form enables him to be a versatile working dog. However it is well known that it is the function that drives the form. So that is why the captain must have insisted his vision of the breed he created be always capable of the work, not because we just happen to find the form beautiful.

What creates the divide I think is for some the work is sport, others protector, or active companion, etc. etc. Lucky are the ones who actually have flocks of sheep! The showlines are accused of having the work of being beautiful and not much else.

And the work for dogs continues to change and I think and hope the future always has a job for the GSD to do.