[ SHOWGSD-L ] Standing around looking pretty all day
- From: Barbara Galasso <uwish@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 14 Nov 2005 20:10:25 -0500
Nothing more pretty than a dog that has beautiful breed type....I'm sure
we all agree on that. Nothing more pretty than a dog who walks into a
stance and set's himself up..........but he does that because he's built
properly. But our breed was not meant to stand around and look pretty
all day. It is a functional breed that was bred for a purpose and in
order for him to fulfill that purpose, it must be able to move
correctly, and in order for him to move correctly, it must be built
correctly. If you want pretty, go to the breed of dogs that were not
bred to be anything but a companion to man, like the toy breeds. You
can put ribbons in their hair and pouf them up to look as pretty as you
want.
IMO, there were more pretty dogs at this years National than there were
moving dogs. I can count on my one hand how many I thought could move.
(I'm talking males here). I do not think one should sacrifice type for
movement or the other way around. I believe most of our standard is
about structure of the GSD than it is of type. Having proper structure
would mean that it moves properly. Having the look of eagles, again
IMO, means it has the proper structure, bone, head, secondary sex
characteristics. It doesn't say anywhere in our standard that it should
have pretty breed type. The way I read it, it talks about structure,
movement and temperament.
In one generation you can get pretty. Try getting shoulders, bone,
head, chest, movement, etc. in one generation. This shows IMO, what a
good breeder is.............is when he can get the things that the
standard requires, not just what is pretty to the eye. We have all had
beautiful puppies that were just that, beautiful and if they couldn't
move, we sold them into pet homes. They are pretty pets. Ask most
breeders which puppies they hold onto when they are picking out their
best ones...............time and time again, the answer will be the
puppies that can move. Why, because they have the proper structure.
MOST breeders do not hold onto their puppies that can't move that they
are considering for showing just because it's pretty. It's the mover
that will catch their eye time and time again. That's what makes the
star stand out from the mediocre puppy.....pretty or not. All of us
have owned at one time or another the ordinary dog, and some of us if
you were lucky, have owned a superstar. Personally speaking, I've loved
all my dogs, superstar or not, but I find it most unattractive when a
GSD can't move. And I've owned pretty with beautiful hindquarters, and
toplines......pretty standing, yes, but couldn't move out of its own
way. I have also been privileged to own some superstar movers, and once
you own that kind of movement, everything else pales next to it. You
could watch them move all day, they float, they suspend, they cover the
ground, the shoulder opens, the rear drives. Now to me, that's pretty!
Once you own it, you want it again, and as I said it takes many
generations to breed a great mover unless you start out with one.
Pretty is common in today's ring, movement is a rare gem. I want that
rare gem again and won't be satisfied until I get it again. So if you
got movement in your lines, keep it because as you could see by this
years National, it's the hardest thing to get. As always JMO, Barbara
Galasso
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