What does the average person in America think a German Shepherd Dog looks like? Now clearly I’m not talking about a breeder or a show person. I’m talking about “John Doe” that lives down the street from you. How would he describe the German Shepherd Dog? What would he say he looks like? What would he say about the disposition of this breed of dog? Are we the breeders representing the German Shepherd Dog the way most people think of them? Or have we designed a dog that most people wouldn’t identify as the “average” German Shepherd?
If “John Doe” came to a dog show or if he looked up kennels on the internet, I dare say he would be faced with many different types of German Shepherd Dogs being represented. Just take a look on Facebook at all the breeders and the pictures of their dogs on there. I have never seen such a variety of German Shepherds in one place.
What does the general public think a German Shepherd Dog looks like? I bet if you asked them, a majority of them would probably describe a black and silver or black and light tan dog to you. They would probably describe an ordinary looking dog with a protective type of personality.
I was disappointed the other night when I was watching “The Dog Whisperer” and a poll was taken asking the general public which dogs were the most aggressive breed. I knew that the Pit Bull would be the first dog people would name. However, the German Shepherd was rated as being the most aggressive right under them and then followed by the Rottweiler! It doesn’t look like our breed has such a great reputation! I’d rather them be listed as a protection breed for their family and loved ones rather than an aggressive breed. It really is two different things, in my opinion.
If a person “Googled” the words German Shepherd in the search window, thousands of breeder’s names and kennels would come up. Now if you went on those web sites, many times you would see a dog that looks different from other people’s dogs on their websites. Oh sure you’d see the same noble looking head with his ears standing up straight on his head that most people would associate with this breed. But many times this is where the similarity would end. You’d see many different colors of the German Shepherd Dog’s coat. You’d see short coats and you’d see long coats. You’d see average sized dogs and monster bone sized dogs. You’d see American style German Shepherds and you’d see German style German Shepherds. You’d see light pigment. You’d see deep, dark Mahoney red pigment. They’d be straight backs and there would be roach back dogs. You’d see short backs and long backs. Some would stand straight and look boxy and others would be slopping with their rears close to the ground. This could all be very confusing to "John Doe" for he wouldn't know what the standard for our breed is. All he would know is that they all looked so different.
When one talks about one of “those” designer breeds, are we too not designers of our breed the German Shepherd Dog? If you were to look at the first picture of a German Shepherd when this breed first became recognized and look at it now, you would think that it is a different breed. So indeed, we as breeders have designed the German Shepherd Dog and how it looks today! We changed the whole look to the dog. In many ways for the better, I believe. But we have designed him to look a certain way and not the original way at all. I wonder what the breed will look like in another twenty years or so. Should we be changing the looks of the breed so much? We have a standard, but I see very few dogs look like what the standard calls for. Because a breeder is a designer of sorts, he will have bred for a certain style of dogs. Many kennels have generations of their lines in their breeding program and one only has to look at their dogs to know that this is from their kennel.
Are we all heading in the same direction with the same goal to breed the best representative of the German Shepherd that we can? Or are we all doing our own thing and designing a dog that doesn’t really fit to the standard at all? Take a look at the dogs on some people’s websites or on Facebook. Have we created a designer dog or do they look like the standard set for our breed? You decide!
My rating: Breeding to the standard: (4)
Showing posts with label german shepherd dog food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label german shepherd dog food. Show all posts
Monday, December 20, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
THEY WALK AMONG US
I touched on this subject a little bit last week, but I wanted to write about it some more because education is always a good thing. I wrote about the black German Shepherd female that was used as a brood bitch for a fighting dog operation. They used this bitches puppies as bait dogs for their nasty “hobby.” I also reported that she was rescued and is spayed living with a family. The reason that I’m re-visiting this subject so soon is because of a few things that I saw and read this morning.
I belong to Face Book. I never thought I would really enjoy it as much as I do. I’m not however, one of those people that is on it 24 hours a day. I check in a few times a day because there is always some new up to the minute news that is added. Besides there are a ton of German Shepherd Dog people on there. There are lots of pictures and lots of conversation and some enjoyable activities I partake in. This morning there was a video about a book that is due to be launched in October called “Oogy.” I watched the video and it told of a story of a pit bull puppy used as a bait dog like the black German Shepherd’s puppies were. His story wasn’t any different. He too was used and abused like all the other puppies for this horrific act of violence. Most of them never come out of that ring alive. And the few that do are damaged beyond repair. Oogy is one of the fortunate ones that made it out with his life but Oogy is terribly disfigured. When you look at his head face on, it looks lopsided. One side of his face is severely scared and his one ear was totally torn off his head. He is a funny looking character and some might call him downright homely. But once you get past his unattractive head, the thing that catches your eye is the spirit of this dog. It is the spirit of this dog and the smile on his face if you will, that lights up an otherwise unappealing face.
This is what I wanted to touch on today; the spirit of the dog. How can dogs that have been so badly abused and tortured, love and trust a human being ever again? I am totally amazed and in awe of these dogs that have had their lives almost taken from them at the hands of a human being (????) turn around and give and accept love from us ever again. How can they be so forgiven of man? How can they allow the hand that abused him to now stroke and love him? How do they do this? Is this what is called blind faith? Are they what some call, “just a dumb dog” after all? What separates the dogs tolerance of unfairness from that of mans? Most of us would lash out and protect ourselves or at the least never forgive extreme abuse from anyone. What makes the dog so darn forgiving? Why does he tolerate so much from man? Some may say because man is his main source of his food supply. Without man feeding the dog, surely he would starve if left to his own means. Or maybe he would be forced to turn to his ancestor, the wolf and learn the “call of the wild” methods of survival once again.
Do you think that the dog has been so domesticated by man that he will accept anything and everything that man does to him? When you think of it, man is all the dog knows about. He is so far removed from his ancient ancestors (the wolf) that his need to survive is so dependent on man. Man is the alpha in the pack when a dog is involved and like in a pack in the wild, the subservient members will take just about anything from the alpha including being beat up, mauled and sometimes killed. Is this why the dog tolerates so much from man? Is this why he would give up his life for man? It could very well be.
So no matter how long we domesticate the dog, way down deep in his DNA, he is programmed for his need to have a pack leader and because of this (in my opinion) he will take whatever is given to him as his lot in life. So if he is born in to a life of abuse, he will suffer silently just as he would if he was one of the lowly members of a pack in the wild. Take a look at the animal programs about animals that live in packs. The lowest member of the family is often the one that is mistreated, picked on and sometimes killed by the alpha or those in higher authority. Could this then explain why the dog tolerates so much abuse from man?
I received an e-mail this morning from one of the rescue groups that I send this blog to a very interesting but disturbing letter. Those of you that don’t belong to my e-mail list don’t always get everything that I send to that group or the things that they send to me. Last week I wrote a letter to a Free Cycle group that I recently joined. I mentioned it here on my blog as well. However, on my list I forwarded the letter that I wrote to one of the owners of that list. My concern was that they now will be offering animals to people on their list. She reassured me that the majority of the people on her list were all for this, so I was voted down. It is something new that they are doing. I saw a turtle listed there a few days ago and someone already claimed him. I’ll be watching what other animals that they list as well.
Well anyway getting back to today’s e-mail from one of the rescue lists. It was a very well written and informative letter about a woman that is a “collector” of animals. She used Craig’s list to make money off of the animals that she adopts from shelters. They are left in cages in their own urine and feces. It seems that this woman is contacting breeders about puppies that they have advertised. She gets the dogs and abuses them for her own sick, evil mind and then re-sells them. Because some people are very desperate to find homes for their puppies, this person could call them and sweet talk them in to letting their puppies go to her. PLEASE BE CAREFUL! There are a lot of “not so nice” people roaming the streets looking for unsuspected victims!
Be aware of lists and groups and social websites. Predators walk among us. I just heard of an incident last night from a teenage girl that I mentor who had a page on My Space. She contacted me and copied and pasted something someone wrote to her. I told her not to respond to him at all. Her aunt and uncle made her close her page down. So we have to be careful with our children and our animals. It truly is a jungle out there but unlike the animals in the jungle who hunt and kill to survive, there exist in our world those that hunt and kill for the sheer pleasure it brings to them.
From the book: "THE LUCIFER EFFECT: UNDERSTANDING HOW GOOD PEOPLE TURN EVIL"....Social psychologist Zimbardo is best known as the father of the 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment, which used a simulated prison populated with student volunteers to illustrate the extent to which identity is situated within a social setting; student volunteers randomly chosen to play guards became cruel and authoritarian, while those playing inmates became rebellious and depressed. With this book, Zimbardo couples a thorough narrative of the Stanford Prison Experiment with an analysis of the social dynamics of the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, arguing that the "experimental dehumanization" of the former is instructive in understanding the abusive conduct of guards at the latter. This comparison, which is the book's core insight, is embedded in a sprawling discussion about situational influences that cobbles together a discussion of the psychology of evil, a strong criticism of the Bush administration, and a chapter celebrating heroism and calling for greater social bravery. This account's Abu Ghraib focus will generate demand.
My rating: Social networks and lists: (1 - 4)
I belong to Face Book. I never thought I would really enjoy it as much as I do. I’m not however, one of those people that is on it 24 hours a day. I check in a few times a day because there is always some new up to the minute news that is added. Besides there are a ton of German Shepherd Dog people on there. There are lots of pictures and lots of conversation and some enjoyable activities I partake in. This morning there was a video about a book that is due to be launched in October called “Oogy.” I watched the video and it told of a story of a pit bull puppy used as a bait dog like the black German Shepherd’s puppies were. His story wasn’t any different. He too was used and abused like all the other puppies for this horrific act of violence. Most of them never come out of that ring alive. And the few that do are damaged beyond repair. Oogy is one of the fortunate ones that made it out with his life but Oogy is terribly disfigured. When you look at his head face on, it looks lopsided. One side of his face is severely scared and his one ear was totally torn off his head. He is a funny looking character and some might call him downright homely. But once you get past his unattractive head, the thing that catches your eye is the spirit of this dog. It is the spirit of this dog and the smile on his face if you will, that lights up an otherwise unappealing face.
This is what I wanted to touch on today; the spirit of the dog. How can dogs that have been so badly abused and tortured, love and trust a human being ever again? I am totally amazed and in awe of these dogs that have had their lives almost taken from them at the hands of a human being (????) turn around and give and accept love from us ever again. How can they be so forgiven of man? How can they allow the hand that abused him to now stroke and love him? How do they do this? Is this what is called blind faith? Are they what some call, “just a dumb dog” after all? What separates the dogs tolerance of unfairness from that of mans? Most of us would lash out and protect ourselves or at the least never forgive extreme abuse from anyone. What makes the dog so darn forgiving? Why does he tolerate so much from man? Some may say because man is his main source of his food supply. Without man feeding the dog, surely he would starve if left to his own means. Or maybe he would be forced to turn to his ancestor, the wolf and learn the “call of the wild” methods of survival once again.
Do you think that the dog has been so domesticated by man that he will accept anything and everything that man does to him? When you think of it, man is all the dog knows about. He is so far removed from his ancient ancestors (the wolf) that his need to survive is so dependent on man. Man is the alpha in the pack when a dog is involved and like in a pack in the wild, the subservient members will take just about anything from the alpha including being beat up, mauled and sometimes killed. Is this why the dog tolerates so much from man? Is this why he would give up his life for man? It could very well be.
So no matter how long we domesticate the dog, way down deep in his DNA, he is programmed for his need to have a pack leader and because of this (in my opinion) he will take whatever is given to him as his lot in life. So if he is born in to a life of abuse, he will suffer silently just as he would if he was one of the lowly members of a pack in the wild. Take a look at the animal programs about animals that live in packs. The lowest member of the family is often the one that is mistreated, picked on and sometimes killed by the alpha or those in higher authority. Could this then explain why the dog tolerates so much abuse from man?
I received an e-mail this morning from one of the rescue groups that I send this blog to a very interesting but disturbing letter. Those of you that don’t belong to my e-mail list don’t always get everything that I send to that group or the things that they send to me. Last week I wrote a letter to a Free Cycle group that I recently joined. I mentioned it here on my blog as well. However, on my list I forwarded the letter that I wrote to one of the owners of that list. My concern was that they now will be offering animals to people on their list. She reassured me that the majority of the people on her list were all for this, so I was voted down. It is something new that they are doing. I saw a turtle listed there a few days ago and someone already claimed him. I’ll be watching what other animals that they list as well.
Well anyway getting back to today’s e-mail from one of the rescue lists. It was a very well written and informative letter about a woman that is a “collector” of animals. She used Craig’s list to make money off of the animals that she adopts from shelters. They are left in cages in their own urine and feces. It seems that this woman is contacting breeders about puppies that they have advertised. She gets the dogs and abuses them for her own sick, evil mind and then re-sells them. Because some people are very desperate to find homes for their puppies, this person could call them and sweet talk them in to letting their puppies go to her. PLEASE BE CAREFUL! There are a lot of “not so nice” people roaming the streets looking for unsuspected victims!
Be aware of lists and groups and social websites. Predators walk among us. I just heard of an incident last night from a teenage girl that I mentor who had a page on My Space. She contacted me and copied and pasted something someone wrote to her. I told her not to respond to him at all. Her aunt and uncle made her close her page down. So we have to be careful with our children and our animals. It truly is a jungle out there but unlike the animals in the jungle who hunt and kill to survive, there exist in our world those that hunt and kill for the sheer pleasure it brings to them.
From the book: "THE LUCIFER EFFECT: UNDERSTANDING HOW GOOD PEOPLE TURN EVIL"....Social psychologist Zimbardo is best known as the father of the 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment, which used a simulated prison populated with student volunteers to illustrate the extent to which identity is situated within a social setting; student volunteers randomly chosen to play guards became cruel and authoritarian, while those playing inmates became rebellious and depressed. With this book, Zimbardo couples a thorough narrative of the Stanford Prison Experiment with an analysis of the social dynamics of the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, arguing that the "experimental dehumanization" of the former is instructive in understanding the abusive conduct of guards at the latter. This comparison, which is the book's core insight, is embedded in a sprawling discussion about situational influences that cobbles together a discussion of the psychology of evil, a strong criticism of the Bush administration, and a chapter celebrating heroism and calling for greater social bravery. This account's Abu Ghraib focus will generate demand.
My rating: Social networks and lists: (1 - 4)
Friday, July 23, 2010
DOG BREEDING PROBLEMS - (Conclusion)
Mastitis is an inflammation and infection of the mammary glands. I only had this happen once to one of my bitches. It was very painful for the bitch and lots of work for me. One of my breeder friends is going through this now with one of her “first time mother” bitches. It got so bad for her bitch that she was bleeding and now she has had to take the puppies off of the mother at two weeks of age and has been bottle feeding the new babies.
Mastitis if localized to one gland by show no signs of illness. If it spreads throughout the mammary gland, she may show signs of illness. The bitch’s mammary glands should be checked daily for signs of warmth, pain or hardness. Her milk should also be checked daily for color and consistency. If the bitch has mastitis her milk may be off color and clumping. She may run a fever and even refuse to nurse her puppies. Upon diagnosis of the condition, treatment will depend on the severity of the condition. Treatment may include antibiotics, hot packing the affected glands and milking out the affected glands. If the milk remains normal, the puppies can continue to nurse from the affected gland.
When the uterus gets an infection and inflammation it could be caused by a condition known as Metritis. The symptoms will usually be noticeably 3-7 days postpartum and include fever, foul-smelling vaginal discharge, lack of appetite, listlessness, lack of maternal instincts and decrease in mild production. A diagnosis is confirmed through blood work and x-rays. The reason an x-ray is done is to make sure that no fetuses have been retained. The treatment for a bitch that has metritis is antibiotics and fluid therapy. Having the bitch spayed is curative if she is able to handle the surgery.
Pyometra is an infection in the uterus in which the uterus fills with pus. This is typically seen 2-12 weeks after a heat cycle. The symptoms you may see are vomiting, listlessness and an increase in drinking. If the cervix is open, a discharge from the vagina is seen. If it is closed then no discharge is seen. A diagnosis is made by a physical exam, blood work and x-rays. Ideally a vet may want to spay the bitch. If the bitches’ condition is caught early enough, she will need to be stabilized before surgery is attempted. If the breeder wants to keep this bitch for breeding, antibiotic therapy could be tried, but it usually is not successful.
Subinvolution of placental sites occurs when the uterus does not fully repair itself after delivery. This results in a vaginal discharge beyond the normal six weeks postpartum. Usually treatment is not necessary as the bitch is healthy and able to become pregnant again.
Because subinvolution of the placental sites, metritis and pyometra may all have a vaginal discharge, a proper diagnosis is necessary as metritis and pyometra need to be treated.
When uterine prolapse occurs, the uterus is pushed out of the body through the vagina. Treatment consists of manual replacement of the uterus or an ovariohysterectomy (spay).
Normally in a bitch the size of a German Shepherd, retained placentas a rarely a problem. Usually the placenta is passed within 15 minutes of each puppy and the bitch may eat it. Treatment may include an oxytocin injection.
Sometimes a mother will show a lack of maternal instinct for her puppies. I have never had a bitch do this although I had one bitch that was what I call a “dense” mother. She’d nurse and clean her puppies just fine, but lack of normal German Shepherd intelligence is something she didn’t display when it came to taking good care of her babies. She was very people oriented and cared more about you coming in to greet and pet her than nursing her babies. She would stand up in the whelping box and step all over her puppies. I leased this bitch and although beautiful in breed type, she was in “another world” when it came to true German Shepherd intelligence.
Some think that a lack of maternal instinct for a bitch to care for her puppies is due to genetics and the amount of maternal drive the bitch’s dam showed for her offspring or it could be illness or stress due to the owners own level or stress or poor environment. Sometimes a first time mom will need several days to find out what her role is being a mother and will need assistance from the owner in helping her until she does. She may need to be made to lay down for the puppies to nurse and be praised when she shows interest in the puppies. If she is going to come around and care for the puppies, it should occur within several days.
Also sometimes if a puppy is very large or is not positioned in the birth canal correctly, the bitch may have a difficult time delivering the puppy. I’ve seen puppies stick their little heads out of the birth canal only to be sucked back up inside the mother again. This always makes me nervous. You have to wait until the bitch produces another contraction and many times you will find yourself having to gently grab the puppy and pull when she is having a contraction. This can be painful and a tough birth for her and hard on you if you are delivering the puppies by yourself. It’s always better if you have the assistance of someone else so that they can hold the bitches head while you gently remove the puppy. No matter how gentle you are, the “momma” dog is going to feel pain.
So although most German Shepherds don’t have too many problems when it comes to whelping a litter, sooner or later you will run into one that does. Good luck and here’s wishing all of you happy and healthy litters of newborns! Oh yeah, the next time a pet person asks you “Why do you charge so much money for your puppies,” show them this article!!!!! Who ever said there was money to be made breeding dogs hasn’t tried it yet.
From the book: BREEDING BETTER DOGS....DogRead book of the month March 2002 This book was chose to be on the prestigious 'DogRead' ... as a book selection of the month. We only do 12 books or videos a year. The author comes on line for the whole month to answer questions on the book. To be selected for this group means the book or video MUST be one of the very best it its field. treshell owner DogRead..........This is an exceptional book. Easy to understand, gets you involved and interested in a subject that might scare a few away. I love it and often go back to remind myself of the basics.
My rating: Breeding should be done by educated breeders: (4)
Mastitis if localized to one gland by show no signs of illness. If it spreads throughout the mammary gland, she may show signs of illness. The bitch’s mammary glands should be checked daily for signs of warmth, pain or hardness. Her milk should also be checked daily for color and consistency. If the bitch has mastitis her milk may be off color and clumping. She may run a fever and even refuse to nurse her puppies. Upon diagnosis of the condition, treatment will depend on the severity of the condition. Treatment may include antibiotics, hot packing the affected glands and milking out the affected glands. If the milk remains normal, the puppies can continue to nurse from the affected gland.
When the uterus gets an infection and inflammation it could be caused by a condition known as Metritis. The symptoms will usually be noticeably 3-7 days postpartum and include fever, foul-smelling vaginal discharge, lack of appetite, listlessness, lack of maternal instincts and decrease in mild production. A diagnosis is confirmed through blood work and x-rays. The reason an x-ray is done is to make sure that no fetuses have been retained. The treatment for a bitch that has metritis is antibiotics and fluid therapy. Having the bitch spayed is curative if she is able to handle the surgery.
Pyometra is an infection in the uterus in which the uterus fills with pus. This is typically seen 2-12 weeks after a heat cycle. The symptoms you may see are vomiting, listlessness and an increase in drinking. If the cervix is open, a discharge from the vagina is seen. If it is closed then no discharge is seen. A diagnosis is made by a physical exam, blood work and x-rays. Ideally a vet may want to spay the bitch. If the bitches’ condition is caught early enough, she will need to be stabilized before surgery is attempted. If the breeder wants to keep this bitch for breeding, antibiotic therapy could be tried, but it usually is not successful.
Subinvolution of placental sites occurs when the uterus does not fully repair itself after delivery. This results in a vaginal discharge beyond the normal six weeks postpartum. Usually treatment is not necessary as the bitch is healthy and able to become pregnant again.
Because subinvolution of the placental sites, metritis and pyometra may all have a vaginal discharge, a proper diagnosis is necessary as metritis and pyometra need to be treated.
When uterine prolapse occurs, the uterus is pushed out of the body through the vagina. Treatment consists of manual replacement of the uterus or an ovariohysterectomy (spay).
Normally in a bitch the size of a German Shepherd, retained placentas a rarely a problem. Usually the placenta is passed within 15 minutes of each puppy and the bitch may eat it. Treatment may include an oxytocin injection.
Sometimes a mother will show a lack of maternal instinct for her puppies. I have never had a bitch do this although I had one bitch that was what I call a “dense” mother. She’d nurse and clean her puppies just fine, but lack of normal German Shepherd intelligence is something she didn’t display when it came to taking good care of her babies. She was very people oriented and cared more about you coming in to greet and pet her than nursing her babies. She would stand up in the whelping box and step all over her puppies. I leased this bitch and although beautiful in breed type, she was in “another world” when it came to true German Shepherd intelligence.
Some think that a lack of maternal instinct for a bitch to care for her puppies is due to genetics and the amount of maternal drive the bitch’s dam showed for her offspring or it could be illness or stress due to the owners own level or stress or poor environment. Sometimes a first time mom will need several days to find out what her role is being a mother and will need assistance from the owner in helping her until she does. She may need to be made to lay down for the puppies to nurse and be praised when she shows interest in the puppies. If she is going to come around and care for the puppies, it should occur within several days.
Also sometimes if a puppy is very large or is not positioned in the birth canal correctly, the bitch may have a difficult time delivering the puppy. I’ve seen puppies stick their little heads out of the birth canal only to be sucked back up inside the mother again. This always makes me nervous. You have to wait until the bitch produces another contraction and many times you will find yourself having to gently grab the puppy and pull when she is having a contraction. This can be painful and a tough birth for her and hard on you if you are delivering the puppies by yourself. It’s always better if you have the assistance of someone else so that they can hold the bitches head while you gently remove the puppy. No matter how gentle you are, the “momma” dog is going to feel pain.
So although most German Shepherds don’t have too many problems when it comes to whelping a litter, sooner or later you will run into one that does. Good luck and here’s wishing all of you happy and healthy litters of newborns! Oh yeah, the next time a pet person asks you “Why do you charge so much money for your puppies,” show them this article!!!!! Who ever said there was money to be made breeding dogs hasn’t tried it yet.
From the book: BREEDING BETTER DOGS....DogRead book of the month March 2002 This book was chose to be on the prestigious 'DogRead' ... as a book selection of the month. We only do 12 books or videos a year. The author comes on line for the whole month to answer questions on the book. To be selected for this group means the book or video MUST be one of the very best it its field. treshell owner DogRead..........This is an exceptional book. Easy to understand, gets you involved and interested in a subject that might scare a few away. I love it and often go back to remind myself of the basics.
My rating: Breeding should be done by educated breeders: (4)
Thursday, June 10, 2010
GOD MADE THE DOG, BUT MAN DESIGNED THEM
I mean if you think about it, your common sense will probably tell you that the German Shepherd Dog, the Doberman, the Saint Bernard, etc. weren’t born looking like they do today. According to my research there are 157 types of breeds of dogs registered with the AKC. Not one of them looks too much like they did when their breed was first registered. I wonder what the first dogs that stepped foot on this earth looked like.
I mean God didn’t design the German Shepherd Dog or any of the other breeds we see at the dog shows today. Wow, when you think about it, that’s quite amazing. Of those 157 registered breeds, not one of them was designed by God! He never designed a dog to look like the German Shepherd Dog or any of the other breeds either. He just sent us a dog. So although God made the dog, man designed them.
Take a look at some of the first pictures of our breed. They appeared to lack bone, substance and strong heads. That same dog today probably could never compete in the conformation show ring with today’s dogs. So man saw something that he liked and tried to improve upon it. I wonder what the original German Shepherd’s temperament and personality was like. Were they stronger in personality than today’s dogs? I mean if man designed the structure of the dog, he must have been influential in this dog’s temperament and personality as well.
So then God didn’t make the German Shepherd or the Doberman or the Great Dane. He just made a dog and he was called a dog by people of that time. There weren’t any different types of breeds to choose from. If you wanted a dog, you got A DOG. You didn’t get a German Shepherd or any other type. At that time, I guess one type fit all. And then man being what he is…..never satisfied with what God gives him in the first place decided he could do it better. Some wanted a dog with courage. Some wanted a dog to carry around. Some wanted a dog to go hunting with. So man set about designing a dog that would fit his needs. He kept designing and designing and designing until he designed 157 different types. And he’s still designing……that’s why we have what we call now days, the “designer” breeds. Isn’t there any one breed of dog that suits all people? Apparently not!
I always hear moaning and groaning and grumbling from breeders about “those” designer breeds. People get angry that they’re charging such high puppy prices for those “mutts!” Hey weren’t our German Shepherd mutts at one time as well? I admit that when I hear the prices that some people get for these dogs that my “feathers get ruffled” as well.
I remember one time seeing a couple have a lovely looking “mix” bred dog. I commented to them that their dog was very pretty and asked about what breeds their dog came from. They proudly shared that information with me and proceeded to tell me that they spent a couple of thousand dollars for her. “What…..a couple of thousand dollars for a mutt?” Yes, I admit this bothered me knowing that breeders of pure bred dogs were having a hard time getting a decent price for their pedigreed dogs. But some people got restless once again and felt there weren’t enough different breed types of the 157 that are registered to satisfy them. So some people got busy designing some more breeds for the future and yes, we’ll continue to see newer and newer breeds entered in the All – Breed shows as the years go by. I wonder how long it takes for a new breed to be recognized by the AKC.
Do you feel that we’ve “come a long way baby” with the German Shepherd Breed? Have we improved on what the “designers” of yesterday had in mind for our breed? Do we have better German Shepherds today than what we did years ago? Are they better structured to do the work that they were meant to do? Are they better movers? And what about the health of our breed? Do you feel that we have genetically improved on the health of our dogs? Are we seeing better hips and elbows in our breed? How about the character of the German Shepherd? Have we bred for improvement in this area as well?
I wonder of the dogs that breeders are breeding today how many of them serve in the military? How many of them do police or rescue work? Where do the Hollywood studios buy their German Shepherds from? Have any of you breeders been approached from a Hollywood studio to buy any of your puppies? Do the Seeing Eye agencies call you up and ask to look at your puppies for use in their programs? I think some of these organizations breed their own dogs. I thought that I read that somewhere one time. Does anybody famous own one of your dogs? Where do these different people go to when they are looking to buy a dog? After all we breeders are the designers of the German Shepherd Dog.
So God made and gave man the dog to be a companion to him. But some of us wanted more than a companion and set about designing them to be exactly what we wanted them to be. So what do you think, did we do a better job? Did we get it right? Has man designed a better model?
From the book: "GOD'S MESSENGERS: WHAT ANIMALS TEACH US ABOUT THE DIVINE"....."The best animal book ever, A breathe of Heavenly fresh air, Anyone feeling nostalgic about the sentimental angel books of the 1990s will appreciate this collection of animal stories, a follow-up to the Andersons' book Angel Animals. Through nearly 70 vignettes, the authors attempt to answer the classic theological questions: Is there a God? Why do bad things happen? And does God reunite us with loved ones? Some stories are moving and well told; two of the best are "Ferrets Are Made of God," in which an autistic boy gains confidence through the love of his pet, and "A Hamster's Legacy," where chaotic sixth-graders learn to care for others. Many of the sketches are tributes to animals-dogs, cats, horses, dolphins, snakes, squirrels, you name it-that rescued or comforted or inspired their humans. Others veer into silliness, though who wants to argue with someone who believes her late beloved dog is sending messages from beyond? As the authors point out, "Animals have a talent for bypassing the mind and going straight to the heart." All the stories are purpose-driven, either including a lesson or followed by personal questions for reflection: "What if the messages in dreams aren't merely workings of our subconscious minds or the result of what we ate before bedtime? Has an animal communicated with you in a dream about a matter of great importance?" Though much of this book's spirituality would appeal to anyone with romantic views of God and nature, some of its more imaginative accounts overstep the beliefs of any traditional religions."
My rating: All German Shepherds are wonderful: (4)
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