[ SHOWGSD-L ] Ramblings from the outside looking in...
- From: Schipstar@xxxxxxx
- To: showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 16 Jun 2005 13:22:47 EDT
In a message dated 6/16/2005 12:04:18 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
Showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
It might be good for our breed were it not the third most popular. Maybe
when it gets smaller, the quality will improve. Certainly the top dogs today
are
better in many ways than they were twenty years ago. Along with the rise in
quality, is a reduction in numbers.
Why is it so hard to understand the connection?
Not that there is anything wrong with that?
Speaking again as someone who is sort of on the outside looking in, but I've
been around the breed for a long time and have been active in dog shows a very
long time... My "first breed" were GSDs. In the early 70's, I think there
were a lot of really nice, sound dogs around. I was VERY young, and could be
that I was ignorant and uneducted, but that was my perception at that time. I
had the privilege at the time of working for Erich Renner, and he had some VERY
nice dogs, so maybe I just saw the best of the best. I was a total sponge
around him, he was a tough guy to work for, but he also was a wealth of
knowledge, and I feel I learned a LOT from him, and others as well. I watched
the
breed at shows all the time, even though I only had a "pet" (sired by Bodo). I
was in love with the breed.
Although I didn't personally "show" GSD's, I eventually became involved with
another breed (my version of "a poor man's GSD"), and learned a lot about my
own breed, became very involved in the "politics" holding offices and being on
the boards of my local and parent clubs.
I LOVE dogs in general! My quest to learn all I could about ALL dogs, caused
me to also became a student of every breed I could. I own hundreds of dog
books, and any time (in my used book store forays) I would come across a
"parent
club sanctioned breed specific book" I'd buy another book about a particular
breed, read it from cover to cover and study their standard. I would then
watch that breed at shows, talk to breeders and exhibitors and ask questions
about their breed, until I feel comfortable that I understand that breed, and
move
on to the next one. And the breed I've watched the most all these years,
besides my "own" breed, of course, were the GSD's, my first love
From the outside looking in, as time went on, I became dismayed at what I saw
as the WAY over exaggerated angulation, and what appeared to be a lot of very
unsound dogs. I felt that the breed was losing it's correct balance, sound
minds in sound bodies. I noticed that a lot of the dogs were very very hyper
and almost anxious, and realized that I didn't really like what I saw as the
"direction" the breed was headed in. At around the same time, the breed was
incredibly popular, and maybe in answer to the call of the almighty buck,
everyone was breeding GSDs and there was one in every other backyard.
I am a dog trainer, I've worked a lot with dogs who have "behavior problems"
(often owner created) and have done all sorts of "doggy" stuff over the years.
I do a lot of public education now, with regards to getting, training,
caring for dogs (and other pets as well). Over the past many years, I've
worked
with a LOT of GSDs who had temperaments that made me cringe. Made me wonder
what the breed had come to. I realize that "pet dogs" and "show dogs" may be
completely different animals, but at the same time, the pets represent the
breed
in public, maybe even more so than those show dogs, and so, they become the
dog that people form their opinion of a breed based upon.
The stories started about the GSDs being untrustworthy, (they turn on their
masters you know) and a lot of health issues. Of course hip dysplasia is the
one that everyone always knows about, but there were many more issues as well.
As the breed started "losing popularity" and became less numerous, I
continued to watch them at the dog shows. I lost my last GSD in 1989 (she was
born in
1970), and at that time, I began to look for another, but none ever really
caught my eye and gave me that feeling of "I've gotta have one like that".
My opinion only of course, but I dread hearing that my "other" breed is
gaining in popularity. I think that this is so destructive to any breed it
happens
to. Being #1 can be a death sentence to the health of a breed. If you look
at history, I think there is a pattern in dogs becoming "the most popular" and
being "ruined" by their very popularity. Needless to say, this is largely
because the puppy mills start pumping out poor quality dogs in volume.
But it's also because a lot of "newbies" are attracted to the "game" of shows
and breeding, as just a fun "past time". They're uneducated, but right off
the bat, a LOT of the time, they think they know it all, and therefore CANNOT
be educated. These newbies are into that "more is better" mentality, and doing
what the "fashion of the day" dictates, which not only physically can have
negative effects on a breed, but also, because they don't bother learning about
bloodlines, they often concentrate on only one piece of a dog that THEY feel
is important, the over all balance of the big picture is forgotten, and things
like temperament and over all health, etc. are cast by the wayside. Then, the
"show biz" thing loses it's attraction, they get bored, and move on to
something else, but the breed that was once #1 has to pick itself up and fix
the
damage that has been done to the gene pool.
Gradually, in the past 7 or 8 years, I've seen more and more dogs who I
really felt were good GSDs. I became excited again about the breed, and
started
feeling again, like I had to have another. Maybe it's just MY imagination, or
maybe I just got used to it???? but I feel that the dogs are going back to
being more correct, less extreme, and maybe able to do the job they were
originally intended for (form must follow function for me).
I love watching the breed at the shows now, and getting "goose pimples" over
a lovely, balanced dog or bitch, who moves like a dream, and also has a
wonderful correct GSD temperament.
I'm fortunate now to share my life with a wonderful older Champion, and a new
baby who I'm in love with. I've dying to brag about her, but wanted to wait
until I got some decent "posed" photos of her to send my brag to the list.
I love this breed, and I feel that they are SO much better than even 10 years
ago. I for one, do not get upset at smaller entries, or less popularity of
the breed, because quality is much more important than quality, and popularity
is often a very destructive thing.
These are just my ramblings, from the outside looking in, I hope I didn't
offend anyone, but being popular isn't necessarily the most important thing in
the world, I for one am GLAD and relieved that there is no longer a GSD in
every
other back yard.
Lynn
Lynn Brown - Ebonystar Schipperkes/Angelsgate Rescue
Post Office Box 92283 - Long Beach, CA 90809 (562) 428-9832
...special dogs for special people since 1972
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