Contrary to some of the statements made previously , the GSD is the premier working breed in the world. I'm not sure why people would think that they do lots of things well but do not excels in anything. The GSD pretty much EXCELS in everything it is asked to do. I think that is because of its base in tending. Tending is FAR different than what the BC (who I'm sure most Americans think are the premier herding breed) does. A tending dog needs incredible stamina, strength and power to deal with large numbers of heavy sheep that are worked in areas where they must be contained and confined. The dog must posses tremendous strength of character to not only control the sheep but also defend the shepherd from attack. Shepherds were subject to attacks for bandits as well as just people who did not like them. It was considered one of the lowest occupations and often shepherds were beaten up by the local townies out for fun on a Saturday night. The dogs worked without command and seemed to have an innate ability to know what to do when. These were dogs with very high prey and defense drives yet were easily trainable and manageable by one person. Von Stephanitiz really did not invent or create the breed but more preserved it by taking these shepherds' dogs and breeding them selectively for more than just their abilities on stock. He eliminated hanging ears, wire-coated, and brindle dogs through defining a written standard and breeding for not only working ability but also conformation. However he continually warned that the ability to work must be first and foremost. He also recognized that this dog could do much more than tend sheep and he realized that sheep herding was not a practical way to test the dog's work king abilities due to the decline in agriculture. Thus he developed Schutzhund and promoted the dog as a military and police service dog. This is why the SV continues to require working titles as well as show titles. It is also why the HGH, or German herding title, is considered the same as a Schutzhund title. However, there are now fewer GSDs actually tending in Germany than other breeds, mostly due to the popularity of the breed and its increased value. Many shepherds cannot afford a register ed dog, and many GSDS were sold instead of kept as tending dogs. I like to think that our dogs still have this uncanny intelligence that enables them to differentiate so well between friend and foe. I've worked lots of other breeds of dogs, but none have that almost human ability to think that a German shepherd of good character has. These are dogs that tune in very closely with their person, becoming partners not just one that responds to a command. Combine this intelligence with a correct, sound body and you have a dog that does most everything very well indeed. Lastly, is this a dog for everyone? Frankly I have found many GSDs so much brighter than their owners. Americans want a dog that is a friend to everyone, a dog they can put put in the yard within a fence either actual or invisible. A dog that will sit for hours with its endlessly empty mind until the owner decides that maybe today he'll take it jogging or throw a toy for it. I think our society maybe more of the issue than the ability of the dog. So many want a dog that responds to a command with lightning speed rather than a dog that thinks. The thinking dogs may present too much of a challenge. Susan ============================================================================ 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 ============================================================================