Well, I have Yahoo and her signature came through fine for me. I see my name is arriving in the e-mail address too so don't know if Yahoo has a different setting for sure than AOL. I do not believe it has anything to do with how long you are a breeder or show it is all about knowing a good GSD as with so many I see know there is a problem. It is too easy to get Majors today where years ago it was different. If you only need a small number of dogs in a class you can invite friends to bring their dogs for them. I believe it starts with knowing and being able to follow the breed standard as I wonder of what I see, hear from others if it is followed by some judges. Old saying in the horse world of trainers and breeders that are judges you scratch my back and I will yours. Not always are the breed standard followed otherwise the spooks, bad movers, poor conformation dogs would not be placing. Theresa -------------------------------------------- On Wed, 5/21/14, dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: In a message dated 5/21/2014 11:06:16 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time, inflight@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx writes: The part that gets a bit old Evan, is people who continue to drink the purple Koolaid and tell the rest of the world "oh.. she's just bitter, everything is just hunky dory." I have always enjoyed Coolaid. I used to drink it all the time. I seldom drink carbonated drinks, and I don't do alcohol. So, I like Coolair, and for me, everything is pretty good. I hate being an old fart, but I accept what I have caused. -- how many members does this GSDCA now have? I never kept count of the members, all I know is that many of my friends are members, and many are not. It doesn't effect me how big the pond I choose to swim is, just how deep is the water. How many dogs does it take to create a major? Again, I usually look at the entry, check the catalog and then decide if it is a major. A number of shows don't make it, and the other weekend we had majors on both sides. That is about how it always was. The AKC changes the number, and keeps the effort to finish about the same. I have one bitch with both majors, and another with one. I hope to finish them both, but it still isn't easy. That is what makes it so much fun. I just looked at the point schedules across the country. For regions on the continental USA, a 3 pt major in dogs is a low of 6 and a high of 11, for bitches -- a low of 8 to a high of 13. The average rounded up: 8 males/9 bitches. For a MAJOR??? Who cares? Just look at the number who finish each month, the same as it always has been. I never did like getting home at ten o'clock from a show, and I don't care what the point schedule is, I am going to try to win under it. What do I care how many dogs it takes? I only care how I can win the points. If it means I have to beat 100 dogs, I will try. If it means I have to beat 10 dogs, I still will try. That is the system I choose, and so far it seems the same. Except I get home earlier to watch re-runs of Gilligan's Island. Then you look at the point schedules of other breeds -- in a lot of regions.. some "rarer" breeds have higher point majors than GSD's do? I don't see how what others breeds do, has any impact on me. The GSD has enjoyed immense popularity for years. According to AKC statistics, the GSD has been in the top 5 of breeds since 2003 -- and number 2 in registrations for 2012 and 2013 That has nothing to do with the AKC shows. Most people don't show dogs. We have to be about ten degrees off plumb to enjoy this, but then again, I never did understand those who love quilting. --- and it takes 8/9 to make a major? I checked the number 1 and the number 3 dogs -- their numbers are at least 25-50% more to make majors -- They still actually need numbers over 40 for 5pt majors, while 5pt majors in GSDs --the highest is 27.. the average is: 18 dogs/18 bitches. I miss the point. We set a standard. We try to meet the standard. We get judged by how well we do that. The points are only a system to reward us for success. If you think it is easier to finish a German shepherd than a Collie, talk to the Collie people. Pretty sad for our breed, and so disastrous for tabulations -- how can anyone compare the ROM points gained by dogs of yesteryear's progeny.. when 3pt majors took 3 or more times the animals with this? When a "big" show was as big as what some recent Nationals have been. Talk to those who have shown in Specials at the Nationals and not gone Select. Talk to those that have the strength of character and the funds to show at the current shows. Talk to those who get to brag they finished their dogs. Then you will hear how disastrous it is. NOT! Smoke and Mirrors, putting one's head in the sand, and wearing rose colored glasses all the while dismissing anyone who has the temerity of speaking the blunt and honest truth as someone who's opinion should be disregarded because they are "bitter" -- is pretty much what I expected -- but the straight goods are.. you can live with your illusions, or you can just keep defending whatever "this" is. As a past professional magician, and with a great grandfather, grandfather, aunt, uncle, mother and myself as illusionists, I find that interesting. I find nothing about the sport as being less than a real challenge, a chance to win, the ability to enter or stand back. To me there is nothing more real than entering into competition and seeing who can win. Not being involved and then dismissing it, seems a bit naive. I'm signing my post this time.. just so anyone who wasn't able to read "showgsd-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; on behalf of; Kathaleen Strong [inflight@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]" on their email knows who the "nothing worse than someone who no longer shows or breeds" person is: While I didn't see Kathaleen's name, I knew who she was. She remains one of my favorite persons, and someone who had great success with the breed. She bred some great dogs, and was someone I always tried to learn from. I respect her opinions, but do not agree with them on the point of our current sport. But, we all should listen to Kathaleen. She has a great deal of knowledge, and her opinions will always have value. Evan ============================================================================ POST is Copyrighted 2014. All material remains the property of the original author and of GSD Communication, Inc. 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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/ ============================================================================