Jen, how´s little Mohawk doing? I´d love to see a side pic...

For susie

 

German Shepherd Dog - Female

G Eika vom Haus Ming 

SCHH 2, POLICE BOMB-DOG
 Kkl 2 

Dam born : 28. July 1995

SZ  9105644
Hip: SV: HD a-fast normal (a2) - Elbows: Not known

 

 

 

   

Linebreeding

Linebreeding - 5 generations		Inbreeding coefficient
Occurrences	Ancestor	Wright's	Hardiman's
2 - 2	SG Mink vom Haus Wittfeld	12.52%	12.55%

Thank you, mrdarcy, I misunderstood - now it makes sense.

One of the fallacies I keep on hearing is that Working line dogs are too extreme to live with a family etc and this statement keep on getting reinforced by people who don't have any experience with these excellent dogs. I suppose they must be referring to sport-dogs that are specifically bred for extreme drives for flashy in-field sport performance, but useless otherwise for family and other day-to-day stuff.

I have 2 GSDs, both of whom are WL dogs.  They go at 200mph when they are outside doing their duties, with tireless energizer-bunny type energy, but when I bring them into the house, they totally calm down.   They tiptoe around babies and toddlers.  Both of them sleep inside the house. Very, very protective, but have the intelligence to discriminate between a threat and a non-threat.  When on a long road-trip (say over 14+ hours), these same energetic dynamos, literally go to sleep in the travel-crate, with not a single whine for the entire trip's duration.  

What the WL dogs bring to the table are unflappable rock-solid nerves, courage, health and excellent temperament that the GSDs of yore were known for.  This is from my personal experience, and I sincerely hope they don't get structurally or temperamentally diluted from where they are now.

I am in my seventies retired after almost 50 years of training dogs for  multiple purposes. These days i spend my time hiking with my pack, hanging around training fields and occasionally giving some advise.

I must say the (sportdog/hate labels) today look like aliens to me. They are not the germanshepherd i know. When i hear them barking monotonously outside the pitch without any expression. 

Generally over exited with wide pupils or eyes that look like they are on drugs. No sign of discern or abel to think for them selfs.

That is what i miss, that almost humanlike intellegence and connection.

Perfect (sir yes sir dogs) that complete their task well, but leave the impression that it is all they can do period.

I guess time has a lot to do with this, we used to give a dog the freedom and time to develop and be a dog first in the old days.

And then there the apprence trend. I don't think a GSD should look like a malinois or in extreem cases like a coyote.

I don,t think any breed should change to fit in any activity like Nike changes it's sporting footgear. Dogs are not commodities imo.

I ask myself is this the way foreward with our breed.

To me the GSD is the most versatile breed on the planet. And i must say i never met a dog that is totally useless, every single one had it's one talent and worth.

Useless live only in our mind.

Trends come and go, hope this one won't less for long.

Just an oldman's grumpy opinion.

 

Nice post, Allan.

Allan, thank you for your post.  I am younger than you, but I, too, remember the days when the GSD was one breed that could 'do it all'...guide dog for the blind, police dog, schutzhund dog and loyal family companion. Alas, those days are gone, but there are still some dogs out there that are able to work, then sit quietly at home or in their kennels.

I recently got a working line female, with certified police dogs on both sides of her pedigree. She had been in her crate for 14 hours, as her flight was delayed by weather. Then, it was another 1 1/2 hour trip home. She made not a single sound, and she's actually better in her crate than my showline female, who starts to whine and fuss when we turn into the laneway to the training field!

And no, she doesn't look like a coyote...

 

 

LOL......here's one of my WL "coyotes" as a 5-month old:

 

AAYKAY;  I would take him/her in a heartbeat.  Really a pretty puppy, love the by-colors.  BOL with the pup,  Nan