I agree with you, Cyndi. Personally, I would like to see a performance title and a Health Award of Merit required in order to receive a Select award at the National. Side gait is nice, but it is not enough. A German Shepherd Dog is more than that!!!!  Zoa Dr. Zoa Rockenstein www.riverrockshepherds.com Home of: Ch. RiverRock's Hotel California (Callie), RiverRock's Straight From The Heart (Sera), RiverRock's Karlotta v. Kenlyn (Karla), and RiverRock's Heart of the Matter (Luke)  ________________________________ From: Cynthia Flautt <caretti1@xxxxxxxxxxx> To: "lindenhillgsd@xxxxxxxxxxx" <lindenhillgsd@xxxxxxxxxxx> Cc: showgsd-l <showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Thu, July 8, 2010 9:07:37 AM Subject: [ SHOWGSD-L ] Re: What is the recipe for long term success? Recenty, I've talked to some serious obedience competitors who say they have had a hard time getting a GSD with good hips/ elbows. Both were buying import lines. One gal bought an import pup that started limping (front) at 4mo... Xrays said UAP... The breeder would not replace or refund $... Said it was due to an injury... That gal gave up and got an Aussie. Another gal (different state) bought several, several from import lines, from different breeders... All had bad hips. She recently got a pup from Am show lines, that also have obedience titles.....I suggested she have prelims done at 6 months.............Many Am show line breeders are using OFA....but maybe if they also put obedience/ performance titles on their dogs, the serious obedience folks would buy "American". This could possibly spark an interest in conformation........ The parent club could put more emphasis on the dual titled dogs.....wouldn't it be nice if dual titled dogs were the rule rather than the exception?...... A change of attitude would have to occur, however...kind of like the way attitudes slowly changed with select dogs being OFA'd. Originally there was resistance to it, but over the years more and more are OFA'd........just some random thoughts while sitting in the airport! ~Cyndi Flautt Sent from my iPhone@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > We've been talking a lot lately about the lower entry numbers and > overall demise of conformation, which results in fewer sales for > show and pet animals for breeders. We can all come up with reasons > why this is the case, and some of those are debatable and perhaps > controversial(nawwww - meee). > The one thing I've noticed is an upswing in puppy/sales calls that > inquire about whether or not our puppies are from euro lines or not, > and an increasing dis-interest in the am. lines, even tho we do a > great job explaining that the choice of the consumer is really the > "breeder" and not the puppy and that a good dog is a good dog > regardless of origin. The key reason, right or wrong, appears to be > temperament. Whether or not we've earned that reputation does not > matter, that is the marketing aligned against us. > > Here are a couple of thoughts bouncing around that I would like to > share and get some feedback and perhaps develop a more comprehensive > proposal to the PC. > > Time to accelerate: > > I think the AOE is a good start but requires more depth or meat. > > >  � Time to make more advanced working degrees(CDX, UDX, etc..) the > minimum standard and get up to par with the Europeans. >  � And it's high time to add the champions version of this as well > (COE or what ever) >  � Time to consider awarding these degrees to dogs owned by non-me > mbers as well(its the dogs stupid) which may assist in driving membe > rship in the club that is supposed to be managing the breed in this > country. > > Our TC needs to be stronger in my opinion > > >  � Perhaps three evaluations or three evaluators(yes more local ev > aluators) >  � Stiffer criteria or publish the scores. >  � I've spent enough time as have many of you as the weird strange > r(yah I know if the shoe fits) to know that some of the dogs passed > are dogs I wouldn't own let alone breed to. We have to get serious a > bout this. > > Time to consider working degree, and temperament requirements for > the select dogs.(perhaps selects are even eliminated in favor of > AOE1, AOE2, etc....) > > Ok, now this is really out there....... > > Create a new regional and national show(non-akc) that incorporates > many working dog components with conformation in the same ring or > during the same competition for evaluation - stressing owner handled > if possible. Maybe this is where our futurities(or a version > thereof) need to go...... > > OK then let it fly > > regards, > > M > > === > === > =====================================================================> POST > is Copyrighted 2010. 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@xxxxxxxxxxx > > VISIT OUR WEBSITE - http://showgsd.org > NATIONAL BLOG - http://gsdnational.blogspot.com/ === === === === ================================================================buying import lines. One gal bought an import pup that started limping (front) at 4mo... Xrays said UAP... The breeder would not replace or refund $... Said it was due to an injury... That gal gave up and got an Aussie. Another gal (different state) bought several, several from import lines, from different breeders... All had bad hips. She recently got a pup from Am show lines, that also have obedience titles.....I suggested she have prelims done at 6 months.............Many Am show line breeders are using OFA....but maybe if they also put obedience/ performance titles on their dogs, the serious obedience folks would buy "American". This could possibly spark an interest in conformation........ The parent club could put more emphasis on the dual titled dogs.....wouldn't it be nice if dual titled dogs were the rule rather than the exception?...... A change of attitude would have to occur, however...kind of like the way attitudes slowly changed with select dogs being OFA'd. There was resistance to it, but over the years more and more are OFA'd. Sent from my iPhone=========================================================================== POST is Copyrighted 2010. 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@xxxxxxxxxxx VISIT OUR WEBSITE - http://showgsd.org NATIONAL BLOG - http://gsdnational.blogspot.com/ =========================================================================== ============================================================================ POST is Copyrighted 2010. 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@xxxxxxxxxxx VISIT OUR WEBSITE - http://showgsd.org NATIONAL BLOG - http://gsdnational.blogspot.com/ ============================================================================