What Would You Change?

Equinox

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#2
Lifespan and health.

I was going to say popularity, but to be honest, I like having so many breeders to choose from and so many other GSD people to chat with.
 

Laurelin

I'm All Ears
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#3
SIZE. I'd add about 10-15 lbs. 20ish lbs would be perfect. Seriously if they came in a 20-25 lb package, I'm not sure I'd have anything else.
 

MicksMom

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#4
Popularity. It's causing health and temperament issues because of bad breeding, and really giving Labs a bad name.

ETA- oh, and the split between field and breed dogs. Both have gone to the extreme. We've all seen the field bred dogs who look like they're part Great Dane, and the breed ones who look like part Rottweiler. To me, the perfect Lab is in the middle of the two.
 

Locke

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#5
Health! If I had to choose one specific health issue to eradicate, I think it would be bloat. It's scary to think that some poodle breeders are recommending their puppy buyers to get a gastropexy done during spay/neuter. I understand wanting to safe guard your puppies/puppy buyers against experiencing bloat/torsion, but if the breeder feels the likelihood of having bloat is that high, SOMETHING NEEDS TO CHANGE!!!!
 

*blackrose

"I'm kupo for kupo nuts!"
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#6
Ooooh, that's hard.

Size, maybe? Not that I want ALL of them to be smaller, but I wish there was a portable option. Like, 35-50 pounds vs the 85-90 pounds that Abrams is pushing. That would be nice.

Oh, and I maybe wish retrievers didn't have to eat All The Things. And we're more gentle with toys.

Otherwise, they're pretty much prefect. But if we're talking Labs, then yes, I really wish there was a more moderate type. I dislike seeing the show steer bench type and the oversized snipey field dogs.
 

Snark

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#8
Health and their attractiveness to macho morons who shouldn't own ANY dog.
 

Finkie_Mom

It's A Red Dog Revolution
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#9
The only thing I would change is that sometimes they were a LITTLE bit easier to focus on the task at hand. When outside/in new environments they HAVE to check out everything. Even when working, I can see their radar dish ears turning and if they are, say, in a stay, they are usually not watching me, but are scanning the environment while waiting for the next instruction.
 

Kootenay

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#10
barkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbark
Aaaarrrggg, yes this about Jasper (not that Collies are really my breed of choice). But seriously. Why so much barking!?! That's definitely my biggest complaint about him. Such a nice family/farm dog otherwise.

My breed of choice is Malinois and clearly, they are perfect (lol). I'll live with the quirks.
 

Southpaw

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#11
Health! Juno is pushing 5 years and I feel like she's entering her geriatric years. It's as if I'm just waiting for her to get cancer or for her heart to explode.
 

Miakoda

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#12
Popularity, the appeal to street thugs, and the huge variance in size and structure that has NOTHING to do with functionality (originally there was a variance because form followed function, but now big heads, big chests, floppy fleas, and rare diluted tricolor dogs reign supreme).
 

meepitsmeagan

Meagan & The Cattle Dog Crew
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#13
Longevity for Boxers. One of the only reasons we are even considering adding another ACD is that realistically Boxers don't live that long. They wouldn't all be seniors at the same time. :(

ACD's would definitely be structure. A little leaner for a lot of them and definitely a lot more rear angulation. Temperament needs a lot of help too.. too many byb ranchers breeding dogs who aren't the greatest with people.
 

JacksonsMom

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#15
Size. I wish Yorkies would come in a 10-20lb package from good breeders instead of the standard 7lbs and under.

oh and no docked tails.
 

elegy

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#16
BCs: The BARKING. And the reactivity.

Pit bulls: the extremely high number of very shy and very handling-intolerant dogs that I've been seeing lately. So many dogs screaming "bite risk" to me :(
 

Fran101

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#17
As much as I love Merlin's bunny butt, I would like to see the breed go without docking.

Oh and Merlin is a very quiet dog but the aussie bark thing would probably make me hesitate on getting another. I was shocked when I went to an aussie meetup how many dogs were just barking non-stop and people were joking on how it was pretty normal.

Less shedding would be nice. Love the wash and wear dirt-resistant coat but don't love how it sticks to my leggings lol
 
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#18
Mastiffs it would be shedding and drooling, I LOVE everything else about him, but I won't have another due to the drool and the shedding....I need a mastiffpoo, mastidoodle lmao.
 

Katem

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#20
Health/lifespan. I don't mind the drooling, I frequently use my sleeve to wipe his mouth if I don't have a drool rag handy. Buuut other people commenting about the drooling gets annoying. Especially when they see he's got a slinger and try to dance away from him to avoid being rubbed against. He wouldn't slime you if you didn't make yourself such an appealing target.
 

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