The Perfect Mix
At our kennel we do promote or produce angulated cookie cutter show dogs. We promote family pets that are healthy OFA hips/elbows, DM tested, normal backs and even temperaments of German Lines Only. How do we accomplish this? By mixing the types. Straight back working lines bred to show lines. This brings diversity (A Good thing! Hybrid vigor!) Breeding and showing one “type” imposes restrictive conformation standards on them & artificially shrink the gene pool. I see no reason the gene pool be so small, and fanciers of “their type” so narrow minded. Isolation of the 3-4 different types of German Shepherds is hurting the breed and there is talk of eventually divide the “types” into a separate breeds (narrowing the gene pool even more). Most show Fanciers cant agree that the other “type” has positive attributes that would enhance their own dogs. However; in order to win titles and shows, they must conform to their “type”, breeding only within that particular gene pool. Thus forcing Breeder’s who want titled dogs to line-breed.
It is now practiced, promoted, and preached that cookie cutter dogs be produced and stay within their “type” so
they all look the same because they are all related to “x & y Champion dog”. They are forced to think this way because they have
to do this in order to win. Politics are huge in the ring….”That dog has x&y in his pedigree, he must be a winner.”….Common sense has gone out the door for what family pet owners want. Average people on the street see these “show dogs” as “Something wrong with their legs or back.” How come an average person sees this and not a Judge? The only conclusion I can come to is they are blinded by years of brainwashing and pushed their strange views on what
Breeders are supposed to breed. None of Max S. (GSD founder) had dogs that looked anything like what is being shown today in conformation. How can they say this is the standard of the breed! Who changed the standard and how did we get so far off the original stock? Average GSD pet owners are not brainwashed, they know what they see and don’t like it….for good reason….It doesn’t look healthy and it certainly is not normal.
Diversity has always made things stronger to stand the test of time. But in order to do this we must first tear down the blinders and stereotypes, have open minds, and embrace and appreciate what we do not have that someone else does and likewise and work together to produce an even better outcome. Use ALL positive resources available!