Hi Jackie, Love your post, and I believe we all love this great breed of ours, and in the beginning it can be dishearting but I also believe you have to be tough enough to take a hit from the side and still get out there and show what you like. Yes, we all sling mud at one time or another in the breed, and non of us are without sin, but... we still talk to each other like family, NOT AFFAID TO SAY WHAT IS ON YOUR MIND. We all agree to disagree When Gail had the Review, she did her best,and a very nice job, Now, Susan Casey has the Review and can show her best ability. Sometimes you have to bring in a "new breath of fresh air" ( maybe that's not the right word) to see. I don't know Gail or Susan at all, the last couple of reviews are pretty sharp, something new and different. So, lets get our ad's ready, (i'm already late!) See you all at the National! Yours In Breed Marie Fedorow Regal Thunder www.mhcable.com/~rthunder From: <MarcatoGSD@xxxxxxx> To: <showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Thursday, August 17, 2006 11:07 PM Subject: [ SHOWGSD-L ] Make it STOP!! (long) For the last week and a half I have listened to people BICKER about a magazine. A magazine for crying out loud! The Review is a GREAT thing, we can agree on that, and Gail Sprock was a GREAT editor while she was well, we can agree on that. Susan Casey is now a GREAT editor, I think we can agree on that. But we can't agree on anything else. It's disheartening and sickening. I don't remember when I joined this list. I do know I've been on it for over a year, probably going on two. I've been a member of the breed for 7 years now, and in the general dog fancy for 4. I have learned a lot of great things on this list, but I've seen a lot more fighting than comaraderie round here. Also disheartening. Our breed is the greatest breed in the world, but quite frankly, we probably have the most divided breed in the entire dog fancy. Their are divisions in the breed, and amongst the people. We own a breed that is so fiercely loyal no other dog can compare to it. We own a breed so versatile, as many times as SAR, narcotics, and Patrol dog groups try, they always come back to using the GSD as their dog of choice, because no other breed is as versatile as they. Our breed can track, protect, detect drugs, search and rescue people, be therapy dogs, guide dogs, hearing dogs. No other breed has this versatility, ours does. But the people....I love the majority of you guys, but I have seen so much disloyalty, backstabbing, badmouthing, mudslinging CRAP it is no wonder that people don't have an interest in our breed or our sport. The working line people think the showlines are weak nerved and too refined, bred only for gait, and their character is lacking. The Am Line people think the German dogs are coarse, too drivey, and have sh*tty movement. The West German people think their dog is the perfect medium, because it passes schutzhund requirements, but isn't so high drive it can't live in an average family home, and isn't so low drive it just wants to sit on a couch. The pet people think the show dog people are snobs, the performance people think the pet people don't know anything, and son on and so forth. The specialty people think less of the all breed people because the all breed judges "don't understand GSD movement". Malarkey! It drives me absolutely insane. In order for a person to be heard, they have to join the GSDCA. In order to be taken seriously, they must join the GSDCA. In order to have any imprint on the breed and "get in" with other breeders, they must join the GSDCA. That's not true you say? That sure is the message I got! I was specifically told I wouldn't be heard til I joined. Well, I joined. Been 11 months, I still don't have my membership card. Luckily, Kathy Tank and Dania Karloff were kind enough to help me on this matter and it's getting resolved. Thank you to both of you! I'm more than willing to help ANYBODY around with puppy socializing and whelping anytime. I WANT TO LEARN! I want to be able to travel places with other Shepherd people here in WI, and go to shows. I want to be able to have opinions without being considered stupid or novice, simply because I don't agree with somebody elses assessment of a dog. I'm HAPPY to help hold dogs at a show or take a dog back in for somebody if they need an extra hand. I'm HAPPY to simply help another exhibitor exercise and potty their dogs when they need help. I am HAPPY to write in a catalog for an exhibitor that is trying to watch and hold dogs at the same time. I am HAPPY just to be around dogs! A friend of mine up in Canada shows dogs. Her breed is Shepherds. Not once, but twice, she's been ousted last minute as a handler for a professional. So, guess what? She is now refusing to show another Shepherd until she gets her own. She loves the GSD, but not the GSD people. She stated that the majority are snarky, backstabbing jerks. She's going to find somebody she really trusts for her next GSD and will purchase a puppy from them, but she will not show Shepherds for anybody else. Our breed is lacking in juniors. Our breed is a hard breed to show, yes, but that's not the only reason. I've asked more than one junior why they don't want to show a Shepherd. The answer is rarely because they're a hard breed to show....juniors love them because they're flashy and require skill to handle, which they could show off. They say that at one point or another they tried, but got nowhere. Our sport is shrinking. The fancy of dogs is becoming less and less a hobby and more a job because people can't find majors, or because they have an "all breed" dog instead of a "specialty" dog. If people would spend less of their time being insulted every time somebody disagreed with them and more time listening to the other side, they might still disagree, but at least they'd be enlightened! People do NOT like being treated as if they're ignorant just because they don't see how something one views as beneficial they view as detrimental! Nobody gives anybody any credit of intelligence! A judge doesn't pick your dog "They don't know anything about breed type or movement!" Heaven forbid the judge just doesn't like your dog. So many people leave the ring angry saying "How could they put up that sh*t dog. Couldn't move for crap." Movement is important, but it's not the be all end all, especially if the dog isn't even doing any herding. I love this breed with such a passion, sometimes I'm moved to tears just by watching my boys in the yard. Are they breed champions? No. Are they Siegers, or V/VA rated? No. Are they national obedience competitors? No. But what they ARE are two of the hardest working, friendy, family loving Shepherds I have ever met, and they are a credit to their breed. It's not John Q Public that makes our breed look bad. It's us, with our crappy behavior towards others, and our "this line sucks, that line rocks", and our "They don't know anything, rather than educate them, let's just bash them!" For crying out loud, MAKE IT STOP! - Jackie ============================================================================ POST is Copyrighted 2006. 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 - URL temporarily deleted due to AOL issues ============================================================================ ============================================================================ POST is Copyrighted 2006. 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 - URL temporarily deleted due to AOL issues ============================================================================