[ SHOWGSD-L ] Re: Another way to look at it.
- From: Anne Utter <rautt75@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: showgsd <Showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 23 Feb 2015 18:58:07 -0500
If the GSDCA breeders stop breeding, performance may go on. But there would be
no need of a standard anymore since everyone would just breed what they want to
breed.
No standard, no goal. Eventually, would the GSD even look like a GSD -
herding/working dog?? A proper structure and temperament, good health
genetics are needed and therefore a standard and the Breeders of quality GSDs
are needed. I always thought that the conformation shows were first
established to showcase the breeding stock (none are altered). It can't be
just a "pretty" show. But without Conformation shows, where would the GSD be
in a few years? JMO
Anne, GA
Sent from Anne's iPad
> On Feb 23, 2015, at 11:43 AM, Evan Ginsburg (Redacted sender "elg440@xxxxxxx"
> for DMARC) <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> Tedi raised a good point, I had not thought about. Most of the breeding is
> done by the conformation people. We provide the performance dogs, and few of
> the performance exhibitors breed litters.
>
> I am not sure what that means, or how it impacts entries, but if we
> conformation people stop breeding litters, (which many have), were are the
> puppies going to come from? I know when we get calls for puppies, we have
> trouble finding anyone with litters in Southern California.
>
> Evan
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: cinosamgsd <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: tinky91147 <tinky91147@xxxxxxxxx>; David Fritsche <d_fritsche@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Cc: edwinx <edwinx@xxxxxxxxxxx>; Showlist <showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Sun, Feb 22, 2015 5:35 pm
> Subject: [ SHOWGSD-L ] Re: Interesting Decline Conformation
>
> Conformation entries are on the decline in all breeds.....this is a fact.
> All breed clubs/shows are folding left and right. There are many causes which
> I think everyone has touched on, but the bottom line is that people are just
> not breeding dogs any more. The big kennels are gone. The breeders are
> gone. Conformation is primarily a place for breeders to showcase their
> breeding stock. It is not something that the single pet owner generally gets
> involved in and if they do they almost always bring a single animal to a show
> and only do so periodically. Lose the breeders and you lose the entries.
>
> Cindy
> From: Terry Cochran <tinky91147@xxxxxxxxx>
> To: David Fritsche <d_fritsche@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Cc: "edwinx@xxxxxxxxxxx" <edwinx@xxxxxxxxxxx>; Showlist
> <showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2015 8:01 AM
> Subject: [ SHOWGSD-L ] Re: Interesting Decline Conformation
>
> I use to think that until I photographed the Great Dane Specialty here in
> Phoenix. Total entry 89. It was the same number of entries they had last
> year.
>
> They were worried that I was a GSD photographer. Was I going to be hard to
> get along with? Would I make their dog look awful? I am sad to say that we
> do have a poor reputation among other dog fanciers. On the bight side, one of
> the judges had been to our national and was proud of the fact that he was
> mentored by Jim Moses. Was amazed at the size of our ring and said he would
> have never been able to see he dogs being shown so far away.
>
> I asked the president of the club how many professional handlers there were
> there and she told me three.
>
> Our entries are declining because we are a "Handlers Breed" if you want to
> win you need a professional handler. We have done a very poor job of bringing
> young folks into the group. The young families go to the German ring where
> they have a better chance of winning handling their own dog. And yes they are
> there in the German ring, and in the German training classes.
> The American specialty ring will soon be a thing of the past as we die out.
> We have young handlers but we are running out of young owners and breeders.
> Is there a way to turn this around. I really don't think so.
>
> Things change,
>
> Terry
>
> On Sat, Feb 21, 2015 at 8:24 PM, David Fritsche <d_fritsche@xxxxxxxxxx>
> wrote:
> I’ve stated my opinion on this before, but since it is a current discussion,
> might as well refresh it.
>
> There are lots of reason advanced that are introspective and blame the trends
> on us. Although we could do better and be more friendly and cook better
> lunches and…. These are not the problem. The problem is cultural. Our culture
> is changing.
>
> The modular family has declined over the past several decades and will be
> extinct if trends continue.
> Those families that do exist have far more draws on their time and
> competition for their attention. There are graded activities for each member
> of the family that keep the family car going 70 different direction 8 nights
> a week.
>
> Sports and activities have changes also with far more active and dangerous
> activities drawing attention. A dog show you say? How many people will be
> eaten, will fall through the air without a parachute, will do 12 flips in the
> air over a fire pit… ???? What, run around in a circle for a few minutes and
> get pointed to?
>
> I love it, you love it but you have to understand the details yourself and be
> able to set ringside as judge. Then it is exciting. Otherwise, for the
> current culture – not so much.
>
> I still love it and do not want to change it and want to be able to get out
> to more shows. But like many of my peers, I am older now and at some point I
> have to make that mark in the sand: No more dogs. My ability to handle them
> and care for them decreases and I do not want to leave a bunch of dogs to
> themselves when I die – and that is an inevitability that is slowly chasing
> me down.
> Dave
>
> From: showgsd-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:showgsd-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
> On Behalf Of edwinx@xxxxxxxxxxx
> Sent: Saturday, February 21, 2015 9:31 AM
> To: dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [ SHOWGSD-L ] Re: Interesting Decline Conformation
>
> So why ( if in fact ) are we slowly going the way of the dinosaur ? Dogs are
> just as popular ( if not more so) in our society as they've ever been! I
> still get chocked up when I see a guide dog, or a police dog taking down the
> bad guy... Why is OUR sport suffering? Is it us? Not blaming, just asking!
> Too many lurkers on this list! Give your opinion, join the discussion, or
> start a new one! Stormy WILL protect you! Look at at all the ridiculous
> things I post! Raiders moving back to LA.... God lets hope so ( Sorry
> Zoe..lol) FB
>
> Sent from Xfinity Connect Mobile App
>
> ------ Original Message ------
>
> From: Evan Ginsburg
> To: freelist
> Sent: February 21, 2015 at 8:07 AM
> Subject: [ SHOWGSD-L ] Interesting Decline Conformation
>
> those numbers do not report what is really happening to the core and life
> blood of the Sport, Conformation.
>
> What do we do? Face the facts. Recognition of the problem with facts is the
> first, easiest, and most obvious step.
>
>
>
> Linda brings to us a most interesting issue and study. I printed out two
> lines from the post that set forth the real issue.
>
> There is a saying, GI, GO. It means, garbage in, garbage out.
>
> Here is the problem. If you start with the statement that the "life blood of
> the Sport, Conformation", then you have created a problem not based on fact.
> It is clear, Conformation is not the life blood of the sport, any longer.
> Every other facet of dog shows is growing, except Conformation. So, is it not
> time to stop clinging to the theory that the part of the sport we on this
> List love, and keep saying it is the life blood, when it is not? Maybe it
> used to be, but the figures tell us it is not.
>
> Then, at the end the article says, "Face the facts". So, let's face the
> facts. Conformation has become something less than the driving force for dog
> shows. That is not a good thing, nor is it a bad thing. It is the "fact" and
> we need to face it.
>
> It is true that we want it to be the "Life Blood", but wanting won't do it.
> We love conformation, but the majority of dog show entries show us that what
> we love is not what is the "life blood" of the sport.
>
> When we recognize the facts, we can figure out what to do about it. Do we
> want to increase Conformation when the majority of dog show entries don't
> desire that? Maybe so, but if we do that, we need to do it with the
> understanding that we are pushing against the tide. There is nothing wrong
> with "tilting at windmills", so long as you know the windmill is going to win.
>
> Not that there is anything wrong with that, so long as you know what the
> facts are.
>
> Evan
>
>
>
>
>
>
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