Hey all you long coat lovers and UKC people, check this out! - Page 7

Blitzen: Until the SV changes it's rules, a longcoat is a fault regardless of how anyone feels about them personally.

And, as such should be realistically priced $800-1200--the same as a cryptorchid--JMHO.

If I were a GSD breeder, I'd certainly consider a longcoat to be pet quality and would price it accordingly. I'd also require neutering  and sell it with limited registration as I would with any dog with a  serious fault.

Mystere: Coats are sold on limited registration. In fact, I believe/hope all the pet home sales are on spay/neuter contracts..

In this case, a fool and his money are soon parted. Why would any sane soul be duped into paying $2500-3500 for a limited registration LC pet with a spay/neuter contract?  Mind boggling!

I'm really, really, really getting tired of the longcoat bashing. I own a GERMAN SHEPHERD and am made to feel like I don't belong here. I ought to have my head examined for even thinking about getting into Schutzhund, as I can only imagine what kind of snobs I will encounter in the sport dog world.

Triodegirl:

Don't let this stop you trying Schutzhund with your dog.  Just find the right club and people to help you.  There is alot to learn for both you and your dog and it is really amazing to see your dog progress.  My dog's fur is on the long side and she is also a european show line, but it does not stop her from working.  Actually it makes her sucess all the more sweeter.  So go for it and keep us informed on your progress.

Cheryl

triodegirl, I dont train in Sch AND I dont show.  So where does that leave me?  Someone on this board somewhere and probably other smart people too have said, grow thick skin.  There will always be people we disagree with and there will always be helpful people and there will always be bone-heads.  Try to find the best and PM them, create a friendship and generally speaking, those types of people that you find friendly and helpful, often hang out and are friends with other friendly and nice people.  I think personally most people here are probably pretty good folks.  Collectively, it's like a dog fighting or a baby crying.... one starts and the others join in, it snowballs into a sesspool.

You can do it, if you want to do it. Set a plan and don't let others decide your path..... grass hopper, or as we call our daughter, weedhopper.

Lisa

Of course coats can be trained and trialed, the SV has not prohibited that. They only say they shouldn't be bred and they won't do well in conformation classes at SV shows.  Not a big deal to most I know who own longcoats.  How many people really go all the way with any GSD unless they have a lot of spendable cash lying around in their sock drawer?  They will do as SW does, show at UKC shows, the path of least resistance,  where major faults in all breeds are traditionally overlooked in favor of the owners having fun and coming back for more of the same.  Or they will train their coats in Sch, SAR, and other venues.  A few will do both, not many.

While  the SV's ban of longcoats sounds as if it should prevent coats from being Koered and achieving higher placings at SV shows, it really doesn't work 100% as there will always be those who trim their dogs prior to their being shown. A few genetic coats will always slip through the cracks and get their Koers. If the DNA test for coat status were made a requirement along with all the other things the SV feels are necessary, that would pretty much prevent a genetic coat from obtaining a Koer or a V rating. The technology is here, why not use it if the true intent is to keep coats out of the gene pool?

I paid a reduced rate for my longcoat. Frankly, I wouldn't pay more than 1.5K for any 8 weeks old puppy, stockhair or longhair. That's nuts!!

Wow, I agree with Louise about something....  It's good when people who are out for personal gain bring the rest of us together about the GSD breed..

Triodegirl, I have a guy with a LC that comes out to training 1-2 times a week. Over reacting and calling names I am sure will get you kicked out of your local clubs faster than your dogs coat lenght!!!

It is not the owning or training or competeing of your long coat that the breed lovers get upset about... It is when someone wants to breed the fault knowing and not caring about the outcome.

• Do you think you would have the dog you own today, if we did not breed to a standard ?
• How many generations do we have to breed dogs outside the GSD standard before we have something else?
• Why not own an American German Shepherd? Look how few generations it took to make some freak looking crippled dog out of good German stock!!! Think about it....
• Where the parents of your LC from German dogs within the standard? Many of you are saying yes...
• So how many of you would go back to buy a longcoat from two parents who are within the standard and how many would go to a long coat breeder who is not breeding to the GSD Standard???

Thanks for the great post Blitzen.

Triodegirl -

  Finding a club might be difficult and haing a thick skin is definetley key - lol, I still catch alot of crap from the boys in my club, though they have accepted my girl...though it is a more laid back club than most...and we have a ton of different breeds for as few people as we have.

  The important thing with a club is to go there and show them you want to work and to not waste their time. 

  Blitzen - as far as showing in the UKC - many of those showing there also have no other choice - do keep that in mind.  Unlike the AKC the UKC recognizes the majority of the breeds from the FCI - one of the ones that pops to my mind is the Dutch Shepherd.  Many of the Leonberger people show in the UKC - and I think their club is far better than most as far as its requirements.  Its not all about bad showing.

  As far as the standard - no one is really breeding to the standard these days - they are breeding to their interpretation and the judges interpretation of what will win.  In America that is an overly angulated dog - in Germany it is a roached black and red wonder, in the working lines - well...there are so many different looks in the working lines because they dont care so much for the structure as long as it can work.

  Each person has a different idea of what is right and as a result the standard has become little more than a loose guidline to everyone.  For me - I'd rather have a UKC Ch. with long black hair and solid working structure than a red and black wonder with a roached back and a VA rating.  For others they'd rather have the red and black wonder - thats their interpretation, and I have my own...I tend to like the one that I have in the Captain's book.

~Cate