Critique this dog - Page 1

First off, I'm an owner and not a breeder.  I've posted an ad for Ares' breeder because he's not very computer savvy (and to tell the truth, managing a pregnancy seems to be more work than I wnat to take on), but in looking at his pedigree, he seems to be a good specimen.  I've owned Ares since he was about 4 months old and he's always struck mas to how confident, attentive and protective he is.  Ares is now just shy of 18 months of age and I believe it is time to have him trained tor work or show.  While I've had a few GSD's in my lifetime, I was never motivated to show or compete any of them until now.  Ares' pedigree seems to indicate a pretty good disposition for work, but everybody seems taken aback by his looks and demeanor.  He's currently a bit over 90#, has a very strong ball-drive, gets along well with most other dogs and humans and has better speed than most GSD's at the local off-leash dog-park and a very light stride/gait for a dog of his build.  When I walk him at night, he's very protective of any approaching stranger and when he's at home, he is more territorial than most of my previous four GSD's.

Since there seems to be a wealth of knowledge here, I figured it is as good a place as any to seek some direction on how best to make use of his assets. to make the best out of his assets.

what is his pedigree?  nice looking boy.

He looks to be very solid, perhaps a bit over weight.  Nice and compact, good color.  Nice overall - I'm not seeing any glaring faults and I like his expression.  Do you have a local Schutzhund club you can visit?  I would check into that for a hands on critique and they can watch you work with him and give you direction.  Whatever you do, enjoy him.
Deb

He is a beautiful dog and It is nice to see you want to do something with him.
There is a schutzhund club in your area.
You might try this link.  http://www.mokanschutzhund.com/index.htm
I am sure there is another one ,but I can't find it right now.
Good luck and Happy training...

Bonnie.

Thanks for your opinions.  In looking at his forebears, and some of the dogs advertised in the advertisement, I realized that Ares is a pretty good looking specimen, but I want to get a more impartial opinion from those who know more than I do.  I did do a link to his pedigree on this site, but in the event it went unnoticed, it is:
http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/gsd/pedigree/593901.html

As to his bulk, it is mostly hair.  Luckily, as of 2010 there will be TWO varieties of GSD  in Sieger Shows- the StockHaars (wither hairs about 50mm/2") that currently compete, plus the LangStockHaars (wither hairs about 75-100mm/3-4") that have an undercoat. But actual Langhaars (wither hairs 125mm/5" and longer; the coat parts over the spine and there is little or no undercoat) aka Long Coats remain banned.  Ares barely qualifies as a LangStockHaars, so we may yet see how he does.

I looked up MOKAN and they apparently operate out of St. Joseph, MO. It is about an hour & 15 minutes from where I live.I'll see if there are any more local options.

 If you want know more about your dog look also on less obvious aspects. I would especially be  concerned with lack of HD  info on this pedigree and the one which is there is not that good. If you are going to breed this dog then that would be what I would focus my attention on and not as much on the obvious but cosmetic traits like  long hair, size and so on.
 Prager Hans
http://www.alpinek9.com

Well, Prager;  As I said, I'm not an expert (or anywhere close to it), so I look at what I can easily understand. That is why I put him up here for your consideration and opinion. Give me some time to study and research, and then I'll be able to look below the surface.  As far as I know, neither his sire nor dam are competition dogs at this time.  However, if we go a couple of generations back, hips seem to be good on all sides of his family.
According to plan, Ares' is getting OFA'd at 24 months of age.

My basic consideration when I bought Ares was temperament.  I watched the litter for over an hour looking for behavior that might disqualify a pup from consideration.  My plan was to keep Ares for the rest of his life and I wanted a dog with a temperament that would be conducive to that. 

My original intent for getting him OFA'd was to make provisions for surgery if it became a likely event, but it now seems that  it may be convenient for other reasons.

I agree with Prager, but will go further to say, there is nothing exceptional here that warrants breeding.  The pedigree is that of a wonderful companion dog...but....OFA??? and multi-generations of untitled dogs.  If you were to consider breeding this dog, it would position you as just another BYB....the GSD world does not need another BYB. 

Enjoy your dog, appreciate your dog....but have him neutered.

charlie319
I am sorry if I came across little too harshly. It was in no way my intention. Just  stated the facts as I see it.  My first dog here in USA was rtoo dog from non titled lines and he produced several S&R  dogs and Police dogs. If you want to train your dog and title him and maybe breed him do not let this stop you. Always try your best on research though. No learned man  fell from the sky.  If you produce pets this time around, so be it. Some of the most important task dog can have is a being a pet.  You just never know some may be a police or S&R..... You will learn  and maybe one day you will be producer of great blood line.  
I would not be as harsh as Idog at all. Titles do not mean much to me and I do not recommend neutering or spaying except as a medical necessity. You are on the right track. You want to learn. That is great! Dont give up. Never.
Prager Hans
http://www.alpinek9.com

Prager:

I didn't take it as harsh.  I've seen some of the posts by some folks here and it was fairly mild...  Just because Ares is not titled, does not mean that he may lack a foundation to build upon.  It just means that the owners of his recent forebears were not into showing or working their dogs.  Granted, a title or two does give a measure of certainty as to what a given dog may produce, but it is only a measure.  When I got Ares, he ws the "replacement player" for a female I lost to bloat, so I was not thinking much about working or showing him, but he's grown up quite nicely and it is only fair to develop him.   If he progresses as his ancestors achievements indicate that he can, he may not win a show title, but he should get at least to SchH I or II.

As for the BYB remark that Idog made, it doens't bother me.   I live in a duplex and have to take Ares on 2 or 3 walks a day plus 3-4 trips to the local off-leash dog-park weekly.  If I got a female to breed, I'd have to wear her as a hat...  That would definietly be a "bitch"...