[ SHOWGSD-L ] animosity
- From: Gsdman2@xxxxxxx
- To: showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 21 Dec 2004 01:36:01 EST
In a message dated 12/20/2004 6:00:34 PM Central Standard Time,
GSD0110@xxxxxxx writes:
The reason there is so much animosity is the fact that people fear what they
do not know....
I think I can speak for many of my peers on this subject. The reason for all
of the animosity, at least from an American show person's point of view, is a
long history of being insulted. I don't believe that the insults are always
intentional, but they never seem to end nonetheless. Unfortunately, the
import enthusiast is generally convinced that their dogs are the only route to
good
character in the breed. In fact, an often mistaken belief that American Show
lines are always weak in character is usual, and often stated by the import
enthusiast as they tell us the good they believe their dogs can do.
I would not deny that there are a few dogs with my lines in their pedigrees
that are weak in character. If anyone boasts differently, they are blind or
lying. However, I can say that I have never bred to them, I wouldn't, and so
that is a rarity and not the norm. I suspect that most breeders on this list
hold exactly the same opinion. Character is important to me ... perhaps as
important as it is to any Schutzhund enthusiast. That has always been the case
and it will never change. In fact, I have dogs that I believe would have done
well in Schutzhund, or in just about any task they could have been raised for.
The fact is though, that they were raised for the conformation ring. That
was my choice, and it is the choice that nearly all the people on this list
made. For many performance enthusiasts, that is a point of shame, and
unfortunately that is often stated ... another reason for animosity.
As a conformation enthusiast, structure is important to me. After all, that
is what our dogs are being judged on in the ring I show them in. I cannot
look at a GSD with anything but a critical eye for its structure. That doesn't
mean that I blatantly criticize just to hear myself talk, but the tendency to
see what is physically wrong with a dog is part of my being because of so many
years in the conformation ring. In my own defense, I can only say that the
GSD's physical characteristics are just as important to any work that it will
do
as its mind is. I think that is a fact that is ignored by some performance
enthusiasts ... more reason for animosity (from a conformation person's point
of view).
The solution is simple, but it will never materialize. We should see the
value in everything the breed will do for us. Respect for whichever venue a
GSD
enthusiast chooses for their dogs is just too scarce. We've become a society
that needs to see titles for reassurance that the dog we might use is good
enough. In fact, that is a terrible lack of confidence in our own judgment. A
few people have dedicated their time to attaining that "perfect dog." They are
after a dog with only the top titles on both ends of the dog's name. As far
as I know, that has never been achieved and it is unlikely that it ever will
be. Even if it is, there is no guarantee that dog will have any producing
ability. It is a thousand times more likely that the nearly perfect dogs will
not
have the best titles on both ends of his or her name, and it is up to good
breeders to find those dogs, using his or her knowledge and intuition.
Structurally correct GSDs with excellent character is a matter to be handled
by good breeders. Dogs with titles is a matter to be handled by exhibitors.
These are two separate entities and one does not always have everything to do
with the other. Great dogs can come from any country, and what they are
raised for does not change their genetic worth at all.
Basically, this is a "my dog is better than your dog situation," and the
natural reaction is to say, "prove it." Unfortunately not enough people are
able
to evaluate the dogs and then trust their own opinion as proof. Instead, they
demand titles without regard for the inconsistency of so many different
playing fields. For that matter, there are so many inconsistencies within each
playing field, that the whole idea of using titles to imply genetic worth could
actually be destructive in some cases. I'm sure many conformation people just
cringed, but all I can say to defend that statement is this ... Have you ever
seen a Champion that you didn't think deserved the title?
There are many reasons and prompts for animosity, and most of them start with
a holier than thou attitude. I've found that in most cases the folks with
that attitude still have a lot to learn about the breed, but when has that ever
stopped anyone from stating their opinion?
Tom Langlitz
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