[ SHOWGSD-L ] Re: Breeding Dogs is an Artform, not a Science
- From: "myjoygs@xxxxxxx" <myjoygs@xxxxxxx>
- To: inflight@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, zrockenstein@xxxxxxxxx, rbuffdogs@xxxxxxxxx, hickoryhillgsd1@xxxxxxxxxxxx, showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 30 Sep 2010 13:15:44 -0400
People want to know why entries are down, why attendance is down? When is
he last time that the MAJORITY of people sat GLUED watching the dogs at dog
how and were "OH MY GOD I HAVE GOOSEBUMPS!!! LOOK AT THAT DOG!!" about the
ame dogs in classes deep in quality? We have few *truly* excellent dogs at
hows anymore, when it used to be the majority were very good.
Kathaleen,
You are definately right on in the above statement. I remember going to shows
and the excitment and goosebumps when two or three or more outstanding quality
dogs were battling it out for 1st place and the judge kept working them and
working them waiting and the excitement escalated at ringside, people were
stomping, clamping yelling..... how many of those shows have we attended
lately. How many shows have you gone to and wish you owned the winners because
they truly excited you..... its something to think about
-----Original Message-----
From: Kathaleen Strong <inflight@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: zrockenstein@xxxxxxxxx; rbuffdogs@xxxxxxxxx; 'Hickoryhill'
<hickoryhillgsd1@xxxxxxxxxxxx>; showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Thu, Sep 30, 2010 12:56 pm
Subject: [ SHOWGSD-L ] Breeding Dogs is an Artform, not a Science
Breeding quality dogs is an **ART** tempered with a lot of RESEARCH (not
cientific, historical), some logic and a lot of common sense free of
motion and thoughts of money.
Too many people nowadays are taking that which requires those things in
hose proportions and OVER-THINKING the situation and forgetting this is not
bout numbers, it's about being a living breathing form of art. If you
uestion someone's belief that a trait like bad backs or bad fronts (two of
he most difficult traits to keep and the hardest to get back when you lose
hem), then you have been spending too much time either getting lost in the
etails or listening to the self-styled "guru's" of the style of dog we see
ver and over again, with incorrect shoulders, croups and middle-pieces
eing held together by a handler and a leash.
Showing, breeding, and watching dog shows has always been for those true,
ndependent dog people --- a visceral experience with instinctual responses
nd a level of electrical enjoyment. A body response to the sight of a
eautiful living piece of artwork which when the body responds favorably,
he brain pays attention and looks at the reasons why that gorgeous dog is
unctioning as the standard describes. Over and over again, I hear from
eople who have gone to big shows where the quality used to be deep and say,
yeah, the entry was nice. There were a couple of good ones, but you know,
was bored... nothing really got my heart pumping."
People want to know why entries are down, why attendance is down? When is
he last time that the MAJORITY of people sat GLUED watching the dogs at dog
how and were "OH MY GOD I HAVE GOOSEBUMPS!!! LOOK AT THAT DOG!!" about the
ame dogs in classes deep in quality? We have few *truly* excellent dogs at
hows anymore, when it used to be the majority were very good. Most shows
ou go to now have people either zonked out, BSing with about the weather,
ports or the price of tea in china instead of the dogs, or griping about
ow long the show seems to be taking or the fact we have 2 shows in one day.
oes anyone remember that shows used to start at the strike of 8am and OFTEN
eren't over until 6pm, with few breaks. You didn't see what you see now
utside the ring -- you saw, people enthralled and enthused by the dogs IN
he ring.
True, independent dog breeders who know that Breeding quality dogs is an
rtform has little to do with Scientific Tests and X-rays or what their
ocal "Heffe" told them is a good dog to breed to or which puppy is the one
hat they should keep. But there's another problem -- how many people
reeding dogs are truly, independently knowledgeable enough to even be
reeding? How many aren't relying upon the dictates of their handler or
friends" to decide Who to breed which bitch to and which puppy should be
hown from the resulting litters? If we had more independent breeders, we
ouldn't have nearly the types of dogs we have now in the ring, resulting
rom dogs who wouldn't have gotten a sniff at a purple ribbon in the ring 15
ears ago, let alone a sniff of a bitch to breed to or the designation of
eing a "top producer".
But in the end.. it's about learning that the standard is the blueprint,
t's the artiste breeder who turns it into a living form. The artform of
reeding dogs requires that specific traits are chosen over other traits
hich if left to nature's devices, the dogs would not necessarily exhibit.
o, when people question statements like, "why breed to an extreme, that's
ot what the book says" -- in practical breeding, dogs who have traits which
re "extreme" (as compared to what is the norm), not every puppy will
xhibit that trait, but the idea is that enough of them will exhibit the
ore "extreme" trait you were looking to incorporate in your breeding
rogram.
If the true, independent artful breeder does not make selections based upon
ncorporating some extreme (extreme does not mean only rear angulation) as
ompared to the norm, they will eventually end up with mediocrity.
election and the compensation theory is the key. Certainly you do not
reed to a dog only because they are "extreme" in the trait your want to
ncorporate into your program, or correct on your bitch, they should also
xhibit a level of correctness in the other areas.
Kathaleen
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POST is Copyrighted 2010. All material remains the property of the original
author and of GSD Communication, Inc. NO REPRODUCTIONS or FORWARDS of any kind
are permitted without prior permission of the original author AND of the
Showgsd-l Management. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Each Author is responsible for the content of his/her post. This group and its
administrators are not responsible for the comments or opinions expressed in
any post.
ALL PERSONS ARE ON NOTICE THAT THE FORWARDING, REPRODUCTION OR USE IN ANY
MANNER OF ANY MATERIAL WHICH APPEARS ON SHOWGSD-L WITHOUT THE EXPRESS
PERMISSION OF ALL PARTIES TO THE POST AND THE LIST MANAGEMENT IS EXPRESSLY
FORBIDDEN, AND IS A VIOLATION OF LAW. VIOLATORS OF THIS PROHIBITION WILL BE
PROSECUTED.
For assistance, please contact the List Management at admin@xxxxxxxxxxx
VISIT OUR WEBSITE - http://showgsd.org
NATIONAL BLOG - http://gsdnational.blogspot.com/
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