GSD health status ???? - Page 1

Do you consider the GSD in America to be a healthy breed relatively free of genetic life-threatening diseases? Do you think workinglines are generally healthier than highlines or vice versa or no difference? In your experience, what is the average lifespan for a GSD male? A female? Please ignore this if it's a repeat of a post I've been trying to send to the list. Seems my messages are getting lost in cyberpsace today. Thanks.

Blitzen, As you know, I have had experience with all bloodlines and hundreds of GSDs in the past 10 years. The GSD is no different than other breeds. All have diseases which are more common than found in other breeds. Some commonalities exist in large breeds, some in smaller breeds. There are some diseases which are very selective in that they are almost never seen in any but a single breed. I think it is clear that the average lifespan for dogs, including GSDs, varies, just as it does in humans. Lifespan is, of course, dependent on a number of factors, including genetics, proper nutrition, access to and use of appropriate medical care when required, etc., etc. I have dogs here who are over 13, including my dog Thor. I also have had GSDs or know of GSDs who have died at age 8 or 9. Personally, I do not think it makes much difference as to whether a dog is male or female. I have a rescue female here who is almost 14 and still relatively robust and healthy. She is from high German bloodlines. Thor is part American bloodlines. I know working bloodlines and have had dogs here who exhibit this same variety in longevity. One thing I do tell all my clients is to keep their dog lean. I would estimate that about 98% of all dogs, all breeds, brought here are grossly obese. This includes the many GSDs who come here for boarding and training. If obesity does not contribute to other ailments, certainly we can be sure it does compromise the ability of the dog to move. Merry Christmas.

My dogs have mainly been from working lines out of both East and West Germany. I have always had females and they live to about 13-14 years of age. To be honest I have never had any health problems with them. No HD etc... I only have one female at this time and the only problem she has ever had is getting "yeast" or a bacterial infection in one ear. I have to keep it clean and dry. She is almost 7 years old. Her mother and grand-dam never had any health issue. Her Sire is now about 11 and still living. I had had one female from VA Sire and V Dam and she also had no health issues at all. I sold her when she was about 1.5 years old. I got lucky years ago as we had a local trainer/breeder of drug dogs which is where I got my first GSD. Guess I can count my lucky stars.

Blitzen, I think overall our dog is a healthy breed, but just like any other living thing there are issues that can affect the quality of life. Most caused by the small bowl of genetic soup from that our dogs were developed, and to a lesser extent those caused by poor prenatal care. Lifespan? We all know from ten (10) to fifteen (15) years, but the "Lucky 13" club exists for a reason and is not a huge club. Is there a difference between males and females? Can't say. The oldest one that I ever had lived just past eleven (11) and succumbed to kidney failure. Are working-lines healthier? Their promoters certainly think so. Their detractors say that the reason they have such a high food/prey/hunger drive is because they have an insufficient digestive system and there is perhaps a bit of truth to this. But, we all know that no one purposely breeds dogs to have an insufficent digestive system so there must be some other qualities. In the end, there were once two (2) dogs and two (2) bitches who essentially produced every GSD that we see today. Our breed has been fractured into at least three (3) different lines, and these represent essentially manufactured dogs whose phenotype and genotype was selected for a certain purpose. Beauty or work, or some combination of the two (2) distinctions. Tossing all stereotypes aside, there are show-line dogs who can do serious work and serious working-line dogs who pass muster very well in the conformation ring. Not the norm, I know. Compare it to horses to some end. Some carefully-selected specimens interbred purposely to produce those for hard work and some for fast running, and seldom one who can do both. But, horses were developed for hundreds of years-thousands in some cases, and our GSD is barely more than one-hundred (100) years old. Still an infant in terms of human-assisted evolution. So, one might say that this infancy means were are not yet at the final dogs. That could be very true, and none of us will be here to see what happens when the breed enjoys it's two-hundredth anniversary. How will the dog look then, how will it act, better than today, in whose opinion? It is still a small bowl of genetic soup. Sometimes when stirred a pea appears on top, sometimes an onion, sometimes a carrot. The peas, onions, and carrots are always in the soup, regardless of whether the soup is hot, warm, or cold. That's the best visual picture that I can offer concerning genetics when we humans do not assist, or interfere with the evolotion of a breed-however one wishes to view it. Bob-O

Bob-O ***Sometimes when stirred a pea appears on top, sometimes an onion, sometimes a carrot. The peas, onions, and carrots are always in the soup, regardless of whether the soup is hot, warm, or cold.*** thats a great analogy! I can't think of any better way to put it. Well said.

Yes Bob and you reminded me I was hungry and needed to cook dinner. =)