World-wide breeding registry - Page 1

I have been reading this message board off & on for years, and all along we have been bemoaning that fact that no effective registry for "acceptable" GSD breeding exists. Well, through the miracle of the internet, we are in a new age of information and communication. Why don't we initiate such a registry ourselves? IMPOSSIBLE, you say! How in the world could that work? PLEASE read the book "The Starfish and the Spider: The unstoppable power of leaderless organizations." Read in that book how Wikipedia works - how anyone can submit an article, how anyone can comment on or edit that article, how anyone can remove corrupted information. They end up with an incredibly extensive, AND ACCURATE body of information. It works because there are countless people out there willing to give their time to share good information! I envision coming up with a set of standards, probably based on SV's, having the registering of a breeding/litter entirely voluntary, monitering each other through local contacts and knowledge, and offering something like the "Good HouseKeeping Seal of Approval" to any breeding accepted by the registry as meeting its posted standards. Eventually GSDs with long pedigrees of registry-accepted breedings might be considered better GSDs..? And/or be more valuable or more desirable for breeding, certainly more healthy and possibly longer-lived than non-registered breedings. Please read the book, and let's revisit this when some of you have read it. I personally do not have the internet savvy to set this up, but I am 100% convinced that it can be done! The best effects would be quite long term, but what wouldn't we do to better our beloved breed? Let's put our efforts where our mouths are and just do it. Respectfully, Roberta

Hi Roberta, i am not with my son, as he is saying " dady, you are getting old !", but i have a tendency to more and more see the "real" life taking place. As much as i would like to see something happening that you wish would be there, i doubt that it will happen. After all, we had so many chances to switch things for the better, we either denied to go all the way, or we ignored them for the benefit of ourselfs. With the invention of the net, things changec dramaticly. Guys/girls who are willing to share their knowlege became objects to be critisized for what-ever-reason, and many of them just gave up. The ones who stayed with it, had a hole lot to swallow, but kept their grounds and are now respected members of the apropiat communitys. For the ones who gave up, ican really understand that they did, but i am very sorry that they did, because i believe i could have learned a lot from them. To sum it all up, if i need to read a book, that tells me how to interact with my surroundings and how to do it "right" to our beloved breed, that should be the day when i give up my breedings and my dogs. Neverless, thank you very much to point out, a maybe different way to have things done. But honestly, all it takes is allready there, just needs to be obeyed. With the best wishes Ulli Dresbach

sounds like a good idea, maybe too idealistic. lets start with something more simple, say a FCI recognized breed club here in the states? one that monitors breeders and dogs, and keeps track of the records. seems like that would be the easiest way to do it. john

All that you propose is already in place. There are three GSD standards: FCI, AKC/CKC and KC. They cover most of the world. The FCI clubs regulate breeding as is. In the US the GSDCA has a Breeder Code of Ethics. Two organizations in the US and one in Canada promote breeding according to SV rules. People already have all these choices. The starfish concept works on the basis of everyone actually wanting to contribute. Not everyone wants to do that. If starfish concepts were that effective in the real world, they would have surpassed traditional spider concepts a long time ago. Take Open Source for example: why is anyone still willing to pay for Microsoft Office if they can get the same thing for free in the form or Open Office (free Open Source software, been using it for years). Because people have a natural tendency to follow, and elect a leader, and to step up as a leader, while much the rest is too complacent to make the extra effort to even keep the starfish alive. Wikipedia not having a leader? There is somebody who brought it into existence, somebody who makes sure the original vision is maintained and keeps it on track according to that vision. It is run by a foundation, who decides what happens to its fate. Since it is not profit based the head needs little protection. With the GSD everyone can choose to breed according to existing standards, rules, ethics and quality control measures. No need to reinvent the wheel. You cannot force people to make these choices. If you can motivate them into these choices then you are stepping up as a leader, put in the effort and will eventually want to protect your vision and investment of time and effort. No longer starfish. Starfish is based on the willingness to contribute. Who will want to do that without having their own agenda come into play? People cannot even keep this site in half decent shape.

Thank you for your comments. DH - you are right. There is no need to reinvent the wheel re: standards or ethics. And this very site has all the raw pedigree info, plus the chance to see line-breedings for any given pair. But what does that mean in terms of traits in the progeny? I have been rethinking what I wrote above. What I am really looking for is comparative info on the progeny of many different dogs, such as: where is HD cropping up?, Missing teeth or gonades, over or under size, over or under drive(s)...etc, as well as all the good traits that we are all looking for. It seems to me that this info is in the minds of many different, experienced, individuals around the planet, including breeders, judges, handlers, owners. It was an information data base like that, that I was proposing. (Forget the "Seal of Approval" stuff, that wasn't really the point) Am I missing some existing source of such information that you all know of? Maybe years of research and study that many of you experienced and long time breeders have done to guide your breeding programs is the only route to this kind of information. I confess I was hoping to share some of that expertise. My thinking was that many small, well-meaning, "hobby" breeders would avoid poor pairings if they had access to more and better information. "Starfish is based on the willingness to contribute." - very much so! Perhaps such contributions are not compatable with the business and economic aspects of dog breeding. Ah well! Back to the drawing board. Always thinkin... Roberta

HD already has the ZW and the a-stamp, with results published in a database you can purchase from the SV every quarter. Not 100% but a good guideline. For other faults and issues you talk to breeders, go to shows, go to trials, take stock of what you produce yourself, etc. Everything you need is already there, but its a lot of work and its a job that will never be completed. Few breeders bother because it is so much work, or stop short when they think they have enough information. Or when they have formed certain opinions. There will never be a breeding manual for producing perfect specimen only. And how boring that would be. Diversity is what makes things interesting. Diseases and dying are natural, we just have an unnatural relationship with them. We do not look after ourselves, our own health, our planet, do not raise most of our dogs the way they should be, follow our personal agendas when breeding, yet we are obsessed with wanting the maintenance free dog? Imagine what would happen if dogs lived on average to 18-20 years and mostly trouble free? There were no major diseases to worry about and temperament issues. What would that do to the dog population? In a society with a very short attention span, a throw away attitude and the need for everything new and better next year, or rather tomorrow. What would that mean for all the dogs that will be put down? Perfectly good and healthy and otherwise long lived animals will be going to waste. Because the demand for the ideal and young and useful dog will not cease. That demand will create a huge overflow of aging but otherwise perfectly good dogs, many of which will be disposed of. That is what it will mean. Too many perfectly good dogs already being trashed at present day when their productive years are over, or their pretty years, or their active years. Be careful what you wish for. *** The Starfish aspect of breeding is not compatible with the ego, lol.