In a message dated 9/28/12 6:55:14 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time, scenecrest.geo@xxxxxxxxx writes: *** Depends on why they are unsound, if they could pass it on or not. If it is an inherited unsoundness they should never place. This subject has perplexed me for a few weeks now. Let's be honest, it is because one of the top winning dogs is rumored to be sterile. It has tested our perception of what is a dog show, and what is the purpose? It has generated some great opinions and different perspectives. I have seen both sides of this, and as a judge, listening to Jack and Mort, realize that we only judge from inside the ring. What then could be the purpose of showing a dog that is sterile? I first thought it made no sense at all. Then as I thought about it, I realized that we are seeing from outside the ring, what a dog can be that matches the standard. The general public is being shown what a German shepherd should be, and overall, this is a great value to the breed. What we seem to miss is we are mixing the three elements. Judging, breeding, exhibiting. I do not agree that the judge should try to affect the breeding in the future. I know some judges have put up some things, to show what we should be doing. I think that is wrong. it is not their job, and is a chore that they should not even consider. They should only judge what is in the ring, in front of them on that day. Then we seem to combine breeding and exhibiting. That is also wrong. When we exhibit, we are trying to come as close to a perfect dog, one that meets the standard, as we can. We show that dog in the ring. It is again, not the job of the exhibitor to control the breeding in the years ahead. Now you come to the crux of the question. Who protects the breed, who affect the future of our animals, who is responsible for the future generations of German shepherds? It is the breeder, and should be only the breeder. The breeder who looks to the exhibitor or the judge to tell him or her what to do, is not doing the right thing. The job of the judge and the job of the exhibitor is not to plan or influence the breeding. It is up to the breeder. When we call someone a breeder/exhibitor we do a disservice. It is two different roles. I have come to the conclusion that the judge has a specific duty to select the dog presented to him on that day, with no consideration of anything other than our standard. The exhibitor has no other job than to show the best animal he can, to the best of his ability. It is the breeder who will protect out breed. It the GSDCA who will set the standard. The obligations should not be mixed. Evan L. Ginsburg gsyrfund.com Asgard German Shepherds _http://www.asgardgsd.com_ (http://www.asgardgsd.com/) Where Type Movement and Temperament come together ============================================================================ POST is Copyrighted 2011. 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 SUBSCRIPTION:http://showgsd.org/mail.html NATIONAL BLOG - http://gsdnational.blogspot.com/ ============================================================================