Rules for collecting and shipping frozen/chilled semen from Germany to USA - Page 6

Staatsmacht, you are German, you know that we, the members elect the delegates who later on elect the board of directors, so the presidents are the choice of the SV members...We are living in a democracy. Do I like all the decisions made? No. Do I believe in democracy? Yes.

It´s silly to say the SV doesn´t care about "flavor of the month". The restrictions for stud dogs became MORE during the decades, not less.
The control system became MORE effective, not less.

I´m always wondering about the people who are talking about any "favored" lines, and at that point there is no difference between showline and workingline breeders/owners. Nobody is forced to breed to any dog or line in special. That said, nobody is forced to breed to "the flavor of the day". People still are allowed to use common sense, there is no rule that says " Breeding is only allowed to champions".

There are 2 kinds of people who do so:

• People who make money with dogs
• People who want to make money with dogs

I tend to stick with the people who care about the breed ( Was a learning process for me, too...) I make my money with a regular job, and gladly there still are a lot of people out there thinking the same.

If you think that 50€/breeding for a stud dog owner is too much ( that´s around 6.25 % of the regular stud fee in Germany ), that´s okay with me, but I think different. I like the support of SV.

I think AI/frozen is way too much trouble for anyone trying to make a quick buck.

THIS!!! I agree with zdog that there are too many lazy breeders, but seriously AI is not something that I believe they utilize, at least not in this breed.  They breed 2, 3, 4 of their own females (sometimes back to back) to their own single stud dog, or to whatever stud is nearby, or easy access due to friendships with other breeders.  That is what lazy people do.  On one hand, AI makes it possible for breedings to happen between dogs that are days or continents apart, but on the other hand it's very tricky to coordinate and NOT cheap.  I had someone use my male for an AI with fresh chilled semen and it didn't take (semen was evaluated on both ends and fine, both dogs have produced, both will breed naturally).  That was after 3 (? maybe more?) progesterone tests, her paying for the collection and shipping (unfortunately the only repro vet near me is one of the more expensive practices in my area), the surgical insemination, and then the ultrasound. I don't even want to guess what all that cost.

I think doing AI with dogs that are already proven producers and have no issues mating normally is fine, just someone's choice if that's how they want to spend their $$$.  I personally prefer live cover since it seems the success rate with AI and GSDs is very low and to me it looks like the cost of travel, even for a few days, might be the same or less depending on the part of the country.  Most of the ones I hear about do not take.  I don't know that I would do it if I had a female, but I don't have a female and that would be my choice.

and I'd agree, right here and now, today, AI is not for people looking to make a quick buck.  It's far too involved right now and the only people really doing it are those with mostly good intentions.  But change the variables, and you'll change the players.  Right now, it is easy to sell puppies from Germany with "X" 5 generations back.  When Germans can now send over semen from "X" American breeders now have that much more marketing potential.  Or instead of making breeding decisions with the future in mind and mixing genetics and force them to trial, train and show at least some dogs some of the time, they'll be able to just keep dipping in the well of an already famous dog.  WHy spend 5 years and thousands on training and travel and trialing, you can just AI with your dog you already did that with 10 years ago.  Over and Over and over again.The market is already flooded with certain blood lines.  I think this will just continue and add the the drowning of those breeders that do make very careful breeding considerations and advance this breed.

I just hate to limit options available to experienced, well intentioned breeders because of how some people choose to market their dogs.  It's the same reason I don't support any of the AR agenda as far as setting arbitrary regulations for breeders on things like how many dogs you can have, exactly what surface they are kept on, where they whelp, etc.  It never helps or rewards people that are already doing things right and restrictions don't seem to stop those who aren't. 

The last 4 GSD puppies I've raised have all been bred in the USA from dogs living in the USA with the exeption of one stud (and the dam was the reason I got that pup, not because the stud was in Germany and at the time I felt it was a gamble not being able to meet him or learn more specifics).  The very first GSD I owned was a working line adult I got from a USA breeder and she was bred here.  I think the "import" or "German bred" marketing works more on pet people or people who think a $5500 puppy is "better" than an $1800 puppy because it costs more.  Those types of buyers and breeders do not influence my own decision about how to choose the dogs I train or how I might breed the dogs I own.

Personally I am glad that my female was inseminated with frozen semen from her g-grandsire. There were only 2 puppies and one has been everything hoped for and is very much like his sire in all ways. It was impossible to find a living dog with the same or a similar pedigree.