There’s no denying that the German Shepherd dog is one of the most intelligent of all breeds. There’s not too much that this dog can’t do with proper and consistent training. It takes a caring owner to put the time and work necessary into training his dog. But this breed learns quickly. It’s just that the owner must do his part to insure that this dog’s capabilities are realized.
I was looking at the German Shepherd Dog of America’s website this morning at the different obedience awards that one may achieve at the National Specialty show. Upon further observation, I wanted to see how many dogs who achieved their conformation titles (champion) were also awarded obedience titles. Let’s take a look at each one of these titles and how they are earned.
Award of Excellence (AOE) – The parent club describes it as (and I quote): “This title is awarded to the animal who has reached the highest of all goals - to become the Total German Shepherd Dog. The animal must have superior conformation, trainability and be sound in both mind and body.” To achieve this title, the dog has to pass the temperament test. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if every German Shepherd could attain this title – to not only be recognized for their beauty but for their brains as well? Many Grand Victors, Victrix’s and Selects have achieved this title showing that you can have it all!
Agility Victor/Victrix _ Agility courses are created with obstacles the dog must perform correctly which includes tunnels, jumps, etc. Records from 1998 until 2008 show that nine dogs have won this most prestigious title. I didn’t notice that any one of them was a champion at the time they were awarded this title.
Obedience Victor/Victrix – As stated on the Parent Club website, and I quote: “This prestigious and difficult to obtain title is awarded to the highest combined score in the Open B and Utility classes. Dogs meeting the following criteria will be awarded the title. The requirements are:
a) A combined score of not less than 380 points.
b) May have no disqualifying faults as described by the AKC standard for the GSD.
This is to be verified by an AKC approved breed judge at the time the award is given.
c) Spayed/neutered dogs who otherwise meet the breed standards are acceptable.”
From 1968 until 2009, 15 champions have been awarded this honor!
Performance Award of Merit (PAM) – As stated on the Parent Club website and I quote: “Given in recognition and appreciation of animals who display the versatility of the breed by performing in a variety of different performance events. To be eligible for this award a dog must have completed titles in three (3) different performance areas including: Obedience & Rally, Tracking, Herding, Agility, Working Dog Sport, or GSDCA-WD.” The requirements for this title is much more advanced so I recommend anyone interested in learning what is required for this class to check it out at: www.gsdca.com for a better description. From 2001 – 2006, I see listed five champions who have received this award.
So yes, a German Shepherd Dog can have it both ways, beauty and brains. Can all German Shepherds earn an obedience title? Yes! Can all German Shepherds win a conformation title? No! For my readers who are not a German Shepherd Dog Club of America member or for those who just own a beloved pet, let me explain to you the difference and why not all German Shepherds can be awarded both these titles. Like all breeds that are recognized by the AKC (American Kennel Club), they all have a breed standard. The breed standard tells you what the proper conformation and temperament for a breed is supposed to be. If your dog has these necessary requirements and is registered with the AKC, then you can enter your dog in conformation classes for him to be judged with other dogs who meet the same requirements.
With obedience dogs, your dog doesn’t have to meet the requirements of conformation as set forth in the breed standard. He does however, need to pass the requirements for each level of obedience titles. So as you can see, all German Shepherds can be appreciated for the attributes of his breed. So although your dog may never hope to realize his championship (because he lacks the breed standard requirements), he can still go on proudly to achieve his obedience titles. Whereas, a dog who has achieved his championship title, he can also be trained and entered in obedience trials to attain his obedience titles.
So all German Shepherds regardless of their conformation attributes can be recognized for what this breed has become known for, their superior intelligence. Some have asked why more champions don’t achieve an obedience title as well. I’ve talked to some breeders about this. Some of them have told me that they are afraid to take away their exuberance in the show ring. They feel if they start teaching them to heal for obedience that they won’t pull out for the show ring. However, some of them are not against putting a conformation title on them first and then doing the obedience later.
Let me tell you what goes into producing winning dogs in the conformation ring. It’s not just about another pretty face. These dogs are trained just like the obedience dogs are, but only with a different goal in mind. From the time the German Shepherd puppy is born until maturity, his dedicated breeder has hopes and dreams for the special puppy of the litter. This puppy learns the basics of show dog training from a very early start. Belonging to many dog show lists, all one has to do is look how many people start stacking their youngsters in a show pose before they barely are weaned from their mothers!
The show dog puppy learns how to stack up for a show pose and hold that stance. He learns to have his teeth looked at just as the judge will do when he's in the show ring. He learns to stand for examination. He learns how to pull out on a lead. This is important for the show dog puppy. He will not be trained as an obedience puppy would who needs to be trained to heal by his owner’s side. This is not acceptable in the conformation ring. The German Shepherd is judged (among other things including his conformation and temperament) on his movement. In order for the judge to evaluate his movement, he needs to see the dog pull out ahead of the handler.
The show dog puppy as he matures is exercised and/or road worked. He is taught the ever “subtle” art of double handling from an early age so he knows to look for his owner when the dog is in the ring. It is important for the show dog to look alert when his handler shows him. A show dog has a certain “presence” in the ring. If he is a special one, all ringside and the judge will know it by the aura that surrounds him.
So like the obedience dog who needs hours and hours of devoted and constant training, so the show dog does as well only in a different way. Some dogs are born to be great. And although they may have all the potential to be so, unless their owner recognizes the need for training and conditioning these dogs, their potential can never hope to be realized.
As we can see every German Shepherd born can serve a purpose. It is up to his owner to bring out the best in his dog. While every German Shepherd isn’t meant to be a conformation show dog, every German Shepherd can and should achieve some degree of obedience training. I applaud and love it when I see conformation champions who also have obedience titles. Their owners have taken the time to bring out the very best in their animals and have recognized that the German Shepherd is not just known for their beauty, but for their intelligence as well. In fact if you were to ask the general public what they thought about our beloved breed, I would dare say that most would comment on this breeds mind and all the services that they provide to man.
My rating: obedience titled dogs: (4), conformation titled dogs: (4), obedience and conformation titled dogs: (4+++++++++++++++)!
Showing posts with label geman shepherd breeders. Show all posts
Showing posts with label geman shepherd breeders. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
THE DEFINITION OF LOVE - D-O-G-S!
I’m always amazed at how happy my dogs are to see me. I can roll out of bed, hair disheveled, with a cranky disposition talking to myself, with arthritic limbs limping across the floor and there stands my dog wiggling her body, making sounds of delight, tail knocking against everything, with eyes filled with love…………..how do they do that? If I go out of the house for just ten minutes and return, you would think by looking at the reaction of my dog that I’ve been gone for ten days! She’s jumping all over me, licking me, talking to me, and you would have thought she lost her best friend by the way she’s acting. And that’s just it……we are their best friends. We are their everything! How did we get so lucky?
Dogs don’t have any sense of time. So if we are gone ten minutes or ten days, it’s all the same to them……we were gone. That’s all he knows. Now we’ve returned and he’s so happy to see us again. Any time away from us is too long in the dog’s eyes. I told you in another article I’ve written, that I believe that dog’s are co-dependent animals. They’re attached to us at the hip. We know that all animals (in fact all living things) have a purpose here on earth. What’s the dog’s purpose? What reason was he put here? I feel God put him here to be a companion to man and what better companion can a man have than his dog?
When you think of it, it doesn’t take too much to make a dog happy. Food, water, and shelter are the requirements for all animals to live a normal life. However, the dog is the happiest when he is a part of our lives. Besides his basic needs, the dog has an enormous desire to be a part of our lives. The German Shepherd Dog is not content being a kennel dog. Because of his exceptional intelligence, he’s the happiest when given something to do and when he’s with us. These are hard working dogs, but at the same time a fun loving dog. He loves rides in the car, going to the park or beach. He loves taking a walk or a hike. Just watch how happy he is crashing through the woods or high grass. Watch him as he rolls on a freshly mowed lawn kicking his legs every which way. Life for the dog is wonderful. Why? Because he’s doing things with us. These are activities that require human interaction. This is when he’s at his best. It’s almost like he’s saying, “Look at me. Aren’t I smart? Aren’t I talented?” They love the applause and attention that they get when they are doing something with us. They thrive on the “good boy”, “good girl” reaction they receive from us!
Because the dog wants to please us so much, when we chastised them, you would think that their whole world just fell apart. No one can deny that these dogs are very emotional. Just take a look at the way they put their heads down, the lively brown eyes that we saw a few moments before are now “sad puppy dog” eyes. The tail may be tucked and he may slink across the floor and go lay down over in the corner. The one that he adores is unhappy with him and he reacts in a defeated “child like” way.
No where is there more of a pure love than what we receive from our dogs. Nothing is asked of us and so much is returned. If a person gets mad or deceives someone else, then the other person might hold a grudge or leave the deceiver. With dog’s, it doesn’t matter what you do to them; they’ll still love you no matter what. Stupid, you might say. Maybe even foolish some will say. The dog loves blindly……with no judgment or preconceived idea of what you should be or what you should look like. In his eyes, you are fine just the way you are! It’s amazing that they can love so strongly, yet they don’t hate. They may fear, but they don’t hate.
I am convinced that dogs are on another level of consciousness altogether than you or I are. Their senses are much more attuned to things than you and I am even aware of. They know when storms are coming sometimes before we do. They know when we are blue, lonely or depressed. They pick up on our emotions without being told that we are feeling that way. The dog can sense our moods. Many times their sense of smell can detect that we have a medical condition even before we know about it. If a dog’s owner dies, it’s not unheard of that the dog will moan the loss of his best friend.
It matters not what type of food you feed the dog, just as long as you feed him. It doesn’t matter that you don’t live in a mansion, just as long as he’s by your side. It doesn’t matter if you’re an old “fuddy duddy” just as long as you’re his “fuddy duddy!” It doesn’t matter to the dog that you just yelled at him to leave you alone and go lay down. Nope, just as long as you reach out and pet him once again. You can be miserable to the entire world that knows you, but to your dog you’re the best person on this earth.
The man may domesticate other animals and love them as much as he does his dog, but many times the other animals love is more restricted. No one makes a fool of themselves for their owner like the dog! Might as well face it, the dog is addicted to love!
When you think of it, the dog is a wolf that’s became domesticated. The wolf is a known predator that uses his intelligence when stalking his prey. When the wolf became a pet to man, he also became submissive to the human’s will. Make no mistake about the German Shepherd Dog (and in fact all dogs) that know how to read their masters and many times can play them to make the master do his will. They have learned through the years what works with us and what doesn’t. They’ve learned to “bargain” with us knowing if they do something we like, they’ll get rewarded for it. Some times they’re one step ahead of us.
When one thinks of all the love that they have had in their lifetime, I bet not one of them can compare to the love that they’ve received from their dog. No one could ever duplicate the purity, the selflessness, the forgiveness, the wholesomeness and joy that a dog is able to give. Oh we may have loved people better than our dogs, but we’ve never received from another person the kind of love that we receive from a dog. It’s impossible for a human to do! With a human’s love, there are too many conditions. With the dog’s love, the only condition is that you show up!
My rating: dogs love: (4), peoples love: (1 – 4)!
Dogs don’t have any sense of time. So if we are gone ten minutes or ten days, it’s all the same to them……we were gone. That’s all he knows. Now we’ve returned and he’s so happy to see us again. Any time away from us is too long in the dog’s eyes. I told you in another article I’ve written, that I believe that dog’s are co-dependent animals. They’re attached to us at the hip. We know that all animals (in fact all living things) have a purpose here on earth. What’s the dog’s purpose? What reason was he put here? I feel God put him here to be a companion to man and what better companion can a man have than his dog?
When you think of it, it doesn’t take too much to make a dog happy. Food, water, and shelter are the requirements for all animals to live a normal life. However, the dog is the happiest when he is a part of our lives. Besides his basic needs, the dog has an enormous desire to be a part of our lives. The German Shepherd Dog is not content being a kennel dog. Because of his exceptional intelligence, he’s the happiest when given something to do and when he’s with us. These are hard working dogs, but at the same time a fun loving dog. He loves rides in the car, going to the park or beach. He loves taking a walk or a hike. Just watch how happy he is crashing through the woods or high grass. Watch him as he rolls on a freshly mowed lawn kicking his legs every which way. Life for the dog is wonderful. Why? Because he’s doing things with us. These are activities that require human interaction. This is when he’s at his best. It’s almost like he’s saying, “Look at me. Aren’t I smart? Aren’t I talented?” They love the applause and attention that they get when they are doing something with us. They thrive on the “good boy”, “good girl” reaction they receive from us!
Because the dog wants to please us so much, when we chastised them, you would think that their whole world just fell apart. No one can deny that these dogs are very emotional. Just take a look at the way they put their heads down, the lively brown eyes that we saw a few moments before are now “sad puppy dog” eyes. The tail may be tucked and he may slink across the floor and go lay down over in the corner. The one that he adores is unhappy with him and he reacts in a defeated “child like” way.
No where is there more of a pure love than what we receive from our dogs. Nothing is asked of us and so much is returned. If a person gets mad or deceives someone else, then the other person might hold a grudge or leave the deceiver. With dog’s, it doesn’t matter what you do to them; they’ll still love you no matter what. Stupid, you might say. Maybe even foolish some will say. The dog loves blindly……with no judgment or preconceived idea of what you should be or what you should look like. In his eyes, you are fine just the way you are! It’s amazing that they can love so strongly, yet they don’t hate. They may fear, but they don’t hate.
I am convinced that dogs are on another level of consciousness altogether than you or I are. Their senses are much more attuned to things than you and I am even aware of. They know when storms are coming sometimes before we do. They know when we are blue, lonely or depressed. They pick up on our emotions without being told that we are feeling that way. The dog can sense our moods. Many times their sense of smell can detect that we have a medical condition even before we know about it. If a dog’s owner dies, it’s not unheard of that the dog will moan the loss of his best friend.
It matters not what type of food you feed the dog, just as long as you feed him. It doesn’t matter that you don’t live in a mansion, just as long as he’s by your side. It doesn’t matter if you’re an old “fuddy duddy” just as long as you’re his “fuddy duddy!” It doesn’t matter to the dog that you just yelled at him to leave you alone and go lay down. Nope, just as long as you reach out and pet him once again. You can be miserable to the entire world that knows you, but to your dog you’re the best person on this earth.
The man may domesticate other animals and love them as much as he does his dog, but many times the other animals love is more restricted. No one makes a fool of themselves for their owner like the dog! Might as well face it, the dog is addicted to love!
When you think of it, the dog is a wolf that’s became domesticated. The wolf is a known predator that uses his intelligence when stalking his prey. When the wolf became a pet to man, he also became submissive to the human’s will. Make no mistake about the German Shepherd Dog (and in fact all dogs) that know how to read their masters and many times can play them to make the master do his will. They have learned through the years what works with us and what doesn’t. They’ve learned to “bargain” with us knowing if they do something we like, they’ll get rewarded for it. Some times they’re one step ahead of us.
When one thinks of all the love that they have had in their lifetime, I bet not one of them can compare to the love that they’ve received from their dog. No one could ever duplicate the purity, the selflessness, the forgiveness, the wholesomeness and joy that a dog is able to give. Oh we may have loved people better than our dogs, but we’ve never received from another person the kind of love that we receive from a dog. It’s impossible for a human to do! With a human’s love, there are too many conditions. With the dog’s love, the only condition is that you show up!
My rating: dogs love: (4), peoples love: (1 – 4)!
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