If you had a Magic Wand.... - Page 2

I'd like all dogs to have a minimum working/temperament certification. One where their nerves are tested to a minimum standard and that standard includes more than just obedience.

Yes, Westminister. Hundmutter is in England, I think, so she was probably thinking of the Royal Family...

BV, yes, that would be ideal, but with the ASL's - baby steps, baby steps... 

Some of them can work and do have nice, correct movement. Here's 2 pics from my files that show that's true:  You can ge the dog's names by right-clicking on the photo.

Both these dogs represent my ideal gsd...female in my previous post and her brother, today.

 

 

Female

 

I don’t care too much about conformation or aesthetics, I just want the dogs to work. I’ve met enough dogs from all the lines that prove there is working ability there, but when those dogs aren’t bred to the ability is lost. Watch any dog show and the highest title most dogs have is a CD. A lot now have a CGC and it’s bragged about like it’s a miraculous accomplishment that only the most special dogs in this world can achieve. It could be the ugliest dog in the world and as long as it can perform its job I wouldn’t really care what it looked like. Problem right now is that we’re selling “low” titles as a major achievement. CGC, HT, even BH is being used as a breeding title at this point and only because its at least SOMETHING above what someone that’s not doing anything is doing. I can post some pictures of my dog around livestock as well…doesn’t make him a herding dog. I can post pictures of my dog barking, and even a video of him doing an escape bite and long bite, doesn’t make him IPO titled. Too many breaks being given to people when it comes to breeding dogs and “working temperament.”

Beetree's right, it was a typo ! Meant to write 'Westminster', of course; probably something about the Royals on telly in the background as I typed ! (It's Xmas, we get a lot of that this weekend !) Although I could see a day when Xeph comes over to exhibit at our Windsor Show; not quite as prestigious as Cruft's but pretty big - and for type, generally more ASL-friendly than Germanic, probably, as it remains one of those few shows where 'Alsatians' hang out in numbers !

I know what you intended, Sunny, but looking at your post from a perspective of a board participant living in Europe ...

Joan, nice dogs! Yup, that's what they SHOULD look like!

Love the playful expression on the female's face in the 3rd photo.

 

BV. agree with you. When one of my dogs was in a class of about 30 dogs getting the CGC, I could NOT believe how low the standard was set. Very few dogs were capable of walking nicely on a loose leash, and even fewer were paying close attention to their handlers.

The professional trainer who had helped me prepare for the test, and had come along to watch said: "I'm probably going to be seeing a lot of these dogs in my classes soon!"

I want the breed

- to be within the FCI standard conformationwise ( I don´t care if it´s a VA or a G rating ),
- to be healthscreened ( HD/ED ),
- to be free of allergies
- to be titled either in IPO or something adequate, be it Mondio, Ring, or something else
- to be breed surveyed ( cause I am interested in a breed besides being interested in working dogs )

I want people to understand that

- a working dog breed must have the proven ( not assumed ) ability to work
- any dog used for breeding has to fit to the breed standard
- any dog used for breeding has to be healthy

I want the officials of SV

- to stick to the rules ( be it sport or conformation ) and
- to judge according to the rules

I want breeders ( pet owners? ) to understand

- that not every dog is breedworthy
- that it´s not about health or conformation or working ability,
but about all of it...

Sunsilver, quick question: is it possible for a winning dog from a Canadian SV show like the Schutzhund regional that you reference go on to achieve Canadian Champion status in purebred beauty competitions run under Canadian Kennel Club auspices ? Would that win count as a qualifier, or part of a points addition if you are still running Points evaluation ?IE is that even technically possible, setting aside the question of conformational 'type' ?

If I had a magic wand my house would be clean and I would have a never ending packet of Tim-Tams.

Susie I couldn't agree with you more (although it seems difficult to convince some people that what the Germans accept as 'proof' of 'working' ability counts for anything, set against the Personal Protection Dog / non-Sport view ...);
but have you owned at least one dog you felt met EVERY point on your list and was your 'ideal' dog made flesh, which is what I think Mith was asking ?