...Panda Shepherd? Really?

[DanL]

They've been around for a while. Just another fault that people try to make into something it isn't, like the whites, the "old school" giant ones, etc.

[Dekka]

i have met some.. they show through the RBCO.. i will see if I can dig up some pics.

[dobesgalore]

Fault or not, it is a pretty shepherd.

[Lilavati]

It is very attractive! I'd fall in love with that at a shelter. Now treating it as a "rare breed" . . . . that's a little different.

[Dekka]

personally I am fine with the idea of making it its 'own' breed. That then sets it up for people to not muck about with GSDs.. do health testing have their own standard etc... to me its far better than messing about with an existing breed. (i would love all those people out there who love the puddin jrts and think they should be breeding them call them something else and do it ethically)

[Lilavati]

Originally Posted by Dekka

personally I am fine with the idea of making it its 'own' breed. That then sets it up for people to not muck about with GSDs.. do health testing have their own standard etc... to me its far better than messing about with an existing breed. (i would love all those people out there who love the puddin jrts and think they should be breeding them call them something else and do it ethically)

You have a point. The problem is that such things are often an invitation to the millers . . . you'll have a few ethical people working really hard, and a bunch of bybs and millers riding on their work and talking about their special breed

[Dekka]

yes, but that happens with any breed. As soon as you make it a 'legitimate' breed with its own registry, code of ethics, standards etc then it makes it easier for people to find out who is a miller/byb and who is decent.

[release the hounds]

considering that a GSD is a working dog, and very few breeders in this country prove their dogs in any venue or work, i'm guessing there isn't a single "ethical" panda breeder anywhere. There's very few ethical GSD breeders, show breeders included. They're the biggest bunch of windbags playing lip service to things they know nothing about concerning their breed of dogs.

[Dekka]

can't say that i have ever heard the Panda or Shiloh breeder say that their dogs are working dogs (in a practical sense) so can't say I am offended by their lack of work.

You can still be ethical (from an animal welfare point of view) and not work your dogs.