[ SHOWGSD-L ] Re: What are we actually breeding for?

  • From: gsd0110@xxxxxxx
  • To: lfossland@xxxxxxx, showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2008 10:20:19 -0500

Lee,
My dogs live primarily in the kennel...... but I have a large yard that the 
dogs are turned out into several times a day.?We rotate dogs in the house so 
each dog gets some time in the house and I play ball and tug with them every 
day so that each dog gets fun time and feels special.

Teresa , my wife, feeds dogs and?cleans the kennel in the mornings and helps in 
the afternoon.... What I am saying is that she does a substancial portion of 
the work.?(I do most of the play.... unfair but it works for me... LOL) 
?Teresa's pet peave and the one fault she can not tolerate is a stupid or 
schitzo dog.? If a dog isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer or has a screw 
loose she can not live with it.? If a dog was the next GV and he was schitzo or 
not too bright he'd be living at someone else's house.? The list of things she 
can not tolerate includes in appropriate fear response??? (ie thunderstorm , 
fireworks, gunfire, wind)? and we returned a dog to her breeder years ago 
because she was just plain stupid.? Teresa's?reasoning is that these are 
working dogs.? They are guardians, herding dogs, seeing eye dogs, avalanche 
dogs, cadaver dogs, service dogs, personal protection dogs, and police dogs.? 
What good is a police dog that is on a track when it is storming and runs
  for the car at the first clap of thunder?

That is not to say that the dog shows no fear because fear is an intelligent 
response to danger.? But it is in appropriate for him to cower in fear of 
anything.? It is natural for a dog, seperated from his owner, to have some 
anxiety but to be completely frazzled to the point where he will not eat or 
sleep is inappropriate. 

I have a bitch here for breeding now to Hoss.? She was upset when her owner 
left her; but she hasn't missed a meal... she slept every night.... and she has 
played ball twice a day every day (except yesterday when it rained cats and 
dogs)... she comes when she is called and she isn't concerned with the other 
dogs who hate her...LOL?? When she has puppies I would not hesitate to 
recommend her puppies to anyone for any reason.... not to mention the fact that 
she is a GREAT mover and beautiful... she is a rock. ?I am sure she will be 
thrilled when her owner comes to get her but she is not unhappy here.

I have German Shepherd Dogs.? I don't have Golden Retrievers.? Anyone who knows 
my dogs will tell you that I have dogs who not only look like German Shepherd 
Dogs they ARE German Shepherd Dogs.? Even during good times I show 10- 15 
weekends a year... at most 30 days of showing..... the other 335 days a year 
they live with me.? I'd be really embarrassed if someone broke in my house and 
didn't get attacked by a dog.

I want to win at dog shows but I am breeding for German Shepherd Dogs.

Gary Lewis
Garter German Shepherd Dogs
Home of:
Lisa of Fran-Jo Anne Isle ROM
BOM Ch Yankee of Fran-Jo Anne Isle



-----Original Message-----
From: Liane Fossland <lfossland@xxxxxxx>
To: showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Thu, 11 Dec 2008 4:08 pm
Subject: [ SHOWGSD-L ] What are we actually breeding for?



Just recently I was entrusted with a show dog to keep for a little while. I
felt very honored over the faith people had in me to be in charge of such a
valuable dog.
First off, I must say that I do have several GS's, although show dogs they
have always been house dogs and only go into the kennel (only have one) in
case of an urgency.

So, here comes this dog, sees the big yard and takes off racing back and
forth. Well, I guess it needed to let go and have some fun. It became
serious when it had no intention to listen to me and proceeded to take my
yard apart bit by bit starting with the furniture pads, the garden hose, the
plants, sprinkler heads etc. It actually ran circles around me. You may
laugh, but it was not funny after a while.  I finally caught it and put it
in the kennel from which it barked incessantly for the entire time it was
there (several hours).

My point is this: I can have a dog that can perform in the show ring but
also has manners in a family situation, get along with other dogs, come when
called and act decent. Why are we

allowing a dog to be strictly a kennel dog that is only to be taken out and
put on a leash when it's time to go into the show ring just to return to the
kennel again on a leash. No wonder this dog goes nuts when there is too much
freedom. It cannot handle it. But is this really what we want? Isn't there a
little more to a German Shepherd?

I have learned so much from my dogs by interaction and in a home situation.
They give you so much more in return than you give them. I would never want
to have just a kennel dog. What a waste! 

JMHO - Lee F.



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============================================================================
POST is Copyrighted 2008.  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 - http://showgsd.org
NATIONAL BLOG - http://gsdnational.blogspot.com/
============================================================================

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