Improving the breed - Page 3

Susie you are very very right. For example the "long coat" but not limited to that. Americans can and will ruin any and all breeds of working dogs.

A dog can have a good protective nature, and WILL defend you if the need arises, and also have a good "Lassie" temperament. That is what a typical GSD is supposed to be. That is also something we are unfortunately losing.

They ARE out there, and if you know where to seek, it´s not that difficult to find them ( I´m talking about my area, Northrhein Westphalia ).
It´s not the main problem to find them, it´s a problem of society and lifestyle.
In a urban surrounding it´s almost impossible to own a "real" protection dog, and even over here in Germany a lot of people aren´t able to handle this kind of dog any more, ALTHOUGH there are clubs at every corner.
Times do change -- the start was the BH trial decades ago, followed by agility and several other "fun sports" .
The end of Schutzhund ( called IPO now ...) is a matter of time.
 

Dawulf
Possible, but not likely, with todays dogs. Chances are if you have a Sch bred dog I can defuse it with a ball or towel
 

Many many dogs are that way, Paul, I won't deny that. But, I have met/know a couple that are not. One in particular, WILL bite, and HAS bitten for real before, protecting his owner... but one day, I remember, shortly after doing SchH work we were all hanging around and he jumps up on my lap and gives me kisses. THAT is the kind of dog I like... one that can be real, can also do sport like he means it, then 30 seconds later is walking around being a ham and giving kisses. But if someone were to pop out and go after his owner, this dog would not hesitate. He is an excellent dog IMO, and if he produces himself, one I would not hesitate to get a pup from.

Good luck, Paul.

Working a great dog is the most fun you can have with your cloths on. lol

Thanks Blitzen

Paul, WTH are you talking about regarding "the Longcoat" and Americans?  The long stockcoat existed in the breed many, many years before the average-Americans jumped on the 'imported GSD' train. It's been in the breed since it's inception. And it's not just Americans who like the long stockcoats as companion dogs--so that's a ridiculous claim to lay on this shore. 

Plus, there's not a damn thing wrong with the long stockcoat. Just because the SV decided to throw it under the bus back in the late 90's doesn't mean they had any good or valid reason to do so--and I've yet to see, hear or read any basis for that decision since they made it [and believe me, I've watched and searched for it.]  The half-assed way the SV has 'reconsidered' that ban by allowing the long stockcoats back again, but shown in separate classes and registered in a separate studbook--is a face-saving move on their part, and I suspect that in another ten years or so the separate classes will be tossed out, the stud book merged with the 'standard stock' book, and the long stocks will again be as there were prior to the initial madness of the June 1997 revision of the breed standard.

As for 'improving the breed', while I will concede that it's not going to be done in the few generations most people who are 'checkbook breeders' generally stay in the game, every litter that is NOT bred with an eye on, at the very least, MAINTAINING  the breed as it is meant to be according to the SV breed standard, actually does harm to the breed as a whole.  Improving the breed needn't take hundreds of litters and decades of time, however--as science progresses, breeders everywhere will be able to actually improve the breed by identifying carriers of health issues such as pancreatic insufficiency, malabsorption syndrome, epilepsy, degenerative myelopathy and other ailments that plague the breed, and breeding to minimize, and in some cases even eliminate, those problems.  Those discoveries could come as soon as tomorrow, and be affecting the breed's health for the better by next week as the conscientious breeders reexamine the matings they have planned for their breeding stock to factor in such breakthroughs in genetics.

Oh, and BTW, that SV breed standard DOES allow that some pups from any given litter will be super-hardass, beartrap-mouthed one-person dogs, with other members of the same litter being less hard, slower to trip their trigger, more willing to share their affection across an entire family and that group's extended family, and everything that falls in between the two ends of the spectrum.  There is no place for cowardice, most definitely, but the dog Paul Garrison says he needs in his day to day living is NOT the dog the majority of other people need for their lives...such as guide dogs for the blind, search & rescue dogs, and the like.  The breed was NEVER meant to be a dog with a single purpose--it was developed by the founders to be a utility dog, able to do whatever job you put to that dog.  That is why biddability is every bit as important to the composition of an excellent specimen of the breed as is courage, intelligence, structure and health. Without biddability, you do not have a true companion and partner in your work.

Hexe
That is the cool thing about America we can have any type of dog we want .....today, but what about tomorrow? No I am not looking for an everyday GSD but we have such a water down version of a protection dog that most are crap. We need some as you would say " super-hardass, beartrap-mouthed" dogs to put some balls back in to these nothing but toy, sport dogs that they were never intended to be that many are breeding for.  Oh please name me one working breed that has been bettered after coming to us in the USA.

I agree that biddably and versatility are very important but not in every dog. But in general. What is missing is the man-stopper part of the dog and he was bred for that.

"it was developed by the founders to be a utility dog, able to do whatever job you put to that dog."

That is a pie in the sky idea. Yes they should be able to do many jobs to some extent they make shitty dogs in lots of other things. They can not do it all. If you do not believe this just take 10 GSD duck hunting, hog hunting, ect.

Schutzhund = Protection dog
A protection dog is not some prey driven monster trying to get the sleeve no matter where it's at.

very good post hexe!!  I agree, the long coats have been in the breed for DECADES!  They can/will pop up out of many breedings, and that doesn't make them any less a good GSD just because they have longer hair.