German Shepherd Breed split into 2 - Page 3

It says a lot about the versatility of the breed that it can be so fragmented (working with several variations/German show/American show/English show/Middle of the Road and whatever else people breed them for) and still please so many people.  I see no advantage to the breed to split it at all, some of the types are already perilously inbred, over time the other types will be too.  None of them are the Crown of Creation, but if the proponents of any the types start thinking they are by making them a separate breed there will be only one outcome in the end.  In the word of Jefferson Airplane and John Wyndham - "You will have no place to go and you will obtain the stability you strive for, in the only way that it's granted, a place among the fossils of our time."

Margaret N-J

Split whatever you want but don´t call it German Shepherd....

I always tried to tolerate the American way

no BH
no AD
no show rating
no SchH or herding trials
no breed survey
no HD/ED results
no DNA (not sure about that point)

for breeding....

what else do you want to change to make life easier ???

OK, people don't like the splitting idea (too bad for the white shepherds I guess).  Corgi's, Briard/Beauceron and smooth coat collies/rough collies, are some other breeds that comes to mind with two named types of what is basically the same dog.  What about having officially identified sub-groups separating by coat type or some other characteristic like Dachshunds?  Doesn't seem unreasonable to me.  I personally would say there is a huge difference between the older american line shepherds, both work and show, and eastern european bred shepherds.  They are so different in fact that the rear femur, tibia, metatarus of an american line shepherd are of a totaly different proportianal size and length when compared to a eastern european shepherd.  I understand the versatility argument, but whats happening here is really no different than what happened to the cardigan corgi's and pembroke corgi's over a long period of time.  The impossible part is actually having the many groups representing the various german shepherd types coming together and agreeing to separate the sub-types, then actually try to further thier JOINT support of each other to a larger mutual benefit for everyone.

Although not tied to breeding, the AKC does have an equivilant to herding, show rating and the BH.  The problem is that american breeders of show lines don't think its in thier best interests to get involved in these dogs sports because they can selll thier dogs without it.  If people demanded to see some vetted titles before they buy pups like they do in Europe, you would see the AKC titles are difficult and carry some value, even if they are not as demanding as Schutzhund or ring sport overall.

susie, I couldn't have said it better.

Mackenzie, you generalize a lot. I highly doubt you live by the breed standard as much s you say you do.

@1020, my whole point is that the s/l dog should be able to work, whats the point of creating a dog for ppl to teach to walk a certain way, to show off to others...........now if thats your thing then by all means have at it, but the dog (if its wants to where the prestiges name of GSD) should be able to work (herd protect)..........a show hounds should still be able to track, a show golden retriever should still be able to retrieve. what makes a GSD herding protection.......... u cant be best in show GSD if your not first a GSD.............in germany a dog must be sch1 @ least to be bred, thats their attempt to make sure that this is a GSD worth breeding cause in theory @ least we know its a quality GSD IMO looking pretty @ some show doesnt make you a quality GSD, it makes you a pretty dog............................

P.S IM FAR FROM HITLER

Capt. Max said it best....

1020ma - In forty years in the breed I have always bred towards the breed standard because that is the ONLY way.  That is my last comment on this thread because it is not worthy of further discussion.

Mackenzie

Bee tree, you say I 'cannot deal' . What can I not deal with?

Just an expression Dantes, meaning I think you most likely wouldn't mind, never seeing a SL for the rest of your life.