Biggest threat to the GSD breed in the USA - Page 1

Pedigree Database

Premium classified

This is a placeholder text
Group text

Premium classified

This is a placeholder text
Group text

Premium classified

This is a placeholder text
Group text

Premium classified

This is a placeholder text
Group text

by Preston on 16 March 2008 - 07:03


by Preston on 16 March 2008 - 07:03

It's no secret the the American dollar has been falling in value the past few years as pegged against international oil prices.  We are in recession now in the USA.  The last few years GSD registrations have been decreasing in number in the USA.  I have been told that is true in Germany also.  Many factors are responsible for this in the USA such as inflation, need for folks to work more hours having less time for dogs, less disposable income after rising expenses, therefore less money to spend on breeding, showing or training GSDs and less buyers of GSDs. 

Of course, the tendency for the public at times to view the breed as too aggressive, the ongoing animal rights efforts to pass very restrictive breeding laws which would make it difficult for anyone but the wealthy to breed GSDs (no more hobby breeders unless they are very well off).  Some may feel that this is ultimately good for the breed. Could it decrease the ignorant, uninformed backyard breeders of junk DNA?  Can anything good come from this?

Some say these factors will result in inferior GSDs being bred in large corporate "puppy mills" which proposed legislation strongly favors (easy for these large institutional commercial breeding factories to meet the restrictive laws being proposed and supply pet stores with GSDs that are so inferior genetically that they are not real GSDs anymore).  Certainly we have seen a significant rise in the cost for Americans buying GSDs in Germany and/or Europe and importing them into the USA due to the falling value of the dollar compared to the Euro.

Not since the early 1970's have I heard of breeders having such a hard time selling puppies.  Maybe I'm only hearing from those i the midwest, maybe it is fine other places.  Is the financial crunch in the USA the biggest threat to the GSD breed in the USA now?  Some economists believe that the receswsion in the USA will spread to others countries such as in Europe and the recession may be worldwide.  Only time will tell, but it appears that the USA is in for a hard ride economically for the next few years at least.

 

 


by Speaknow on 16 March 2008 - 08:03

Couldn't agree more, Preston. Worst of all, it's a vicious circle insofar oil contracts are written in US dollars (US citizens better prey OPEC doesn't decide to switch to Euros, lest the bottom drops out of the US dollar completely!) OPEC isn't interested in increasing output in return for an ever weakening US dollar, and the latter weakens because of the consequently high oil prices - your classic catch 22! Meanwhile the US housing crises is probably only still at the half-way mark. I've got limitless faith in George Bush to pull us through though ...

Dawn G. Bonome

by Dawn G. Bonome on 16 March 2008 - 13:03

 People cannot keep their houses with forclosures. There are reports  about people leaving their pets behind after there houses have been forclosed. People cannot keep their houses, they are going to buy a 3,000 dollar or more German Shepherd?  I don't think so!  The German Shepherd Dog market is flooded with puppies galore. I live in the Midwest also.

JMO, but things will get better eventually. There is a doomsday atmosphere out there and it is affecting the Stockmarkets and everything else! The United States has gone through hard times in the past, (The Great Depression),  and we will get through this also.  My dad used to tell us that "You kids do not know what hard times are". My dad was a depression kid, and the family lost their house. They survived, and did get the house back. Our generation is not used to being without. Just remember if it happens here,  the rest of the world will feel it also...eventually!

Things will get better!

Dawn Bonome

 

 

 

 

 


by WiscTiger on 16 March 2008 - 13:03

Personally I would like to see less people owning GSD's.  The GSD isn't a good match for many people, so some breeders try to breed what a segment of the population wants.  If that segment isn't buying then there will be no need to produce the softer GSD.


blueshep

by blueshep on 16 March 2008 - 13:03

Thank's for the positive Dawn! Get's old listening to all the negative news day in and day out. The media just drives me up a wall with all there negativity.


animules

by animules on 16 March 2008 - 14:03

Dawn,

So true.  There are always economic cycles,  many of us just have never really felt the effects before.    Things will turn around, it just will probably not be tomorrow, but they will improve again.


steve1

by steve1 on 16 March 2008 - 15:03

Is it that bad in the USA, a recession.Could it also have something to do with the Election for a new President. and who will it be, Maybe Mrs Clinton,

She has a good Pedigree with the advice of her Husband, who i think myself did a very good Job  for his country, as has Mr Bush in his period of office

Steve


by Do right and fear no one on 16 March 2008 - 16:03

I do not find that there are not "enough" buyers of GSD pups out there, but I do find that there is a higher resistance to the previous "going rates" for them.  Because of the economy or because of more choices (read: supply and demand), the prices are coming down.  The ecomony and weather factors have made selling horses almost non-existant.  People are giving horses away because they either can't find enough food for them (shortages c/w the weather) or when they can find food for them, it costs 3 times what it cost last year.

I can not tell you how many people around here (southern Ohio) have offered to give me free horses.  This same concept may be affecting the GSD "trade".  Money for food, working longer hours, expected high prices asked for by the breeders, etc., all factor in.

Personally, I also like the fact that fewer will have this breed.  The fewer that have them, the more "special" they are.  But, it is a circle.  The fewer there are, the more they will cost, which brings us back to where we are now.

What would happen if all of the supposed lovers of GSD's, just did not breed ANY pups for two years?  Would the prices soar?  Would the GSD's in all of the rescues and pounds find homes?  Would some people who breed for money, go hungry?  Would the breed change for the better or for the worse?  Would the military and police jobs suffer?  Would it make any difference at all, except for the money made from their pups?

Of course I am not naive enough to think that anything like a breeding moratorium could happen, but it may be fun to predict the impact.

I would like to add a comment concerning the economy, that is not about dogs.  I am lower middle class and get by just fine.  Sure, we have to make choices, and those choices are the difference.  I play poker with a man that consistently loses approximately 40 dollars every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night.  He is retired and constantly complains about the state of the economy, blaming President Bush, and also complaining about the coast of health care constantly, because he has several medical problems.  He stated that he can not afford to pay his medical bills and is not going to.  Period.  Now, keep in mind that his pension is about the same as mine, and he is losing approximately 150 to 160 dollars a month playing poker (that is the amount I see, there may be other circumstances on other nights at other locations).  But yet, he can not afford to send more than 10 dollars a month to his medical bill creditors, according to his own words.

I also know many that smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol  and buy many lottery tickets, that constantly harp about not being able to afford gasoline. ???

Yes, the gas prices are making it harder for me too, but....

It is about choices.


4pack

by 4pack on 16 March 2008 - 16:03

I'm one of those people that keeps plugging along at my own pace. Never had allot of money but always have what I "need" and pay my bills on time. Been renting my home for 6 years and now that the bottom has fallen out, I am going to buy it. Nowhere to go but up, from here. I'll put what changes I want on the home, as I can afford it and when the economy is back on the upswing, sell. I just picked up my newest addition, great little female pup. Built new kennels for her and her brother. I'd like to switch jobs, but now isn't the time. I save on gas working at home and I couldn't make this much doing anything else in my town. With my gas guzzler (10.2 mpg) now isn't the time to waist driving to and from.

Yes things are slowing down, (even my business) but I can still pay my bills. All this recession has done is bring people back down to reality. They all extended their credit, bought boats, bikes and trailers, houses they can't afford and more. Me I just kept plugging along and I'm still here, not over my head, with my dogs and plans for the future. Not everyone is in over their head and not just people with money are going to take this opportunity to spread out. Things should be OK again in 5 years or so. By then my dogs should be titled and maybe we will move on with a breeding or 2. Don't know until we get there.

I know I'm not he only one out there with plans for purchases in the near future. Dogs may not change hands as fast but I doubt the breed will suffer any detrament due to the economy. Hopefully those that make their living off of dogs will be forced to get a real job and the "hobbyists" can keep going on because we don't rely on this for the cash flow.  I have owned at least 2 dogs(at a time) my whole life, good times and bad. Feeding them has never been an issue. Sure maybe some wont have the funds for a stud fee or to raise a litter. I'm hoping people will take a hiatis from producing and focus on tialing, learning and improving themselves and their dogs.






 


Contact information  Disclaimer  Privacy Statement  Copyright Information  Terms of Service  Cookie policy  ↑ Back to top