In a message dated 12/5/2004 3:41:26 PM Central Standard Time, Santanagsd1954@xxxxxx writes: To those who know the Shepherds and have traced their progeny down the line for years, like myself, the pedigree has proven to be a definite advantage. Are you also tracing the pedigrees of the dogs that live long and healthy lives? If so, then I gladly offer my thanks. That is a control which would be necessary for a scientific study of breed health where bloodlines are the target. If you were doing a study about crime rates and their causes, you could find the highest crime afflicted five square miles in the country, and the odds are good that you would also find at least one church within that five square miles area. With that, one could draw the conclusion that a church in the area is a cause for a high crime rate, especially if the researcher's goal was to prove that unlikely point. The reality is that most American lines do go to a relatively few number of dogs. I don't intend to get deeper into that debate again except to say that I still disagree that a mathematical equation is of any use to determining how narrow a gene pool might be. What it does guarantee is that if you trace any American pedigree back far enough, the odds are good that you will find one or more of that "relatively few number of dogs," and that is much the same as finding a church in a high crime area ... if logic is the guide. I would also like to interject one observation that I feel is important to this sort of study. It has been a little more than a year and a half since Peggy and I last entered or even took a dog to a dog show. In that time, unless you count "one" loose stool, none of our six dogs have been sick in any way, shape, or form. I cannot say the same for when we were out and showing regularly. Our six dogs range in age from about a year and a half to nine years of age and their daily routine, including feeding, has not changed at all ... except for the elimination of stress from dog shows, traveling, and exposure to other dogs. With that, I am not suggesting that genetics is not a factor in breed health. Certainly it is a factor, but we should be careful to keep our minds open to all possibilities. Tom Langlitz ============================================================================ POST is Copyrighted 2004. 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. 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@xxxxxxxxxxxx VISIT OUR WEBSITE - http://www.showgsd.org ============================================================================