Past or Present?

[LauraLeigh]

Originally Posted by Renee750il

German Shepherds? Check out this page and make up your own minds past to present

OMG.... Those dogs look so... so.... ugh.... what a darn shame!! I would take a 40's/50's dog any day!! Todays look, umm... ready to collapse!

If I were to get a GSD... I would have to dig and dig, until I found a farm somewhere with a GSD that had not been changed so much.

[YodelDogs]

Originally Posted by RedyreRottweilers

Do you think your breed is better or worse than it was 20 years ago?

Temperament has improved dramatically in the past 20 years in Basenjis. Conformation changes have not been drastic although heads, especially eye shape, was consistently better in the past.

Are there dogs of the past that you feel you would like to use if the semen was available and you had the right bitch?

Absolutely. I could list some of them but no one here would know who they were.

[Doberdogs]

I am actually doing some work with archive photos, they go WAY back to the 50's. I notice some good and some bad in terms of conformation. I don't think it would hurt to use lines 20 years ago, the breed IMO has improved since then with the individuals that are committed to bettering the breed and not just breeding randomly, but there are so many different lines to consider with very different looks and temperament. The only problem is you need to know the lines in depth, know that information you can only get by knowing the dogs, so you have access to longevity information, health, temperament, faults, strengths, working ability, etc. information not always easily seen just looking at a pedigree and photo.

[release the hounds]

you don't have to go to a "farm" to get a good GSD. you just have to go to the right breeder. I wouldn't take a GSD from most breeders that are out there, there's a lot of bad ones. But there also some good ones that have excellent working dogs and they're always looking for somebody to work them. Problem is that most of your general dog owners don't want to.

[Renee750il]

Originally Posted by release the hounds

you don't have to go to a "farm" to get a good GSD. you just have to go to the right breeder. I wouldn't take a GSD from most breeders that are out there, there's a lot of bad ones. But there also some good ones that have excellent working dogs and they're always looking for somebody to work them. Problem is that most of your general dog owners don't want to.

Know anyone who is breeding good 65-80 pound dogs, nice springy hips, no slope, aloof temperament, independent streak, not leggy, ready to hunt, herd and guard without having to be told what to do . . .

[release the hounds]

I know a few. The dogs are out there. The vast majority are oversized, no drive, no heart fluffballs, but that seems to be what the public is buying. Some of the working breeders I know will give their "good" working dogs away just to be sure they go to somebody that will use their potential. My bitches weigh 63 and 58lbs respectively and can go all day, I couldn't ask for much more. I know nobody unwanted is coming near without a good fight and I know they aren't going to go off when they aren't supposed to.

[Renee750il]

RTH, that is wonderful to hear I'd really thought the classic GSD was nearing extinction.

[Lizmo]

Originally Posted by Renee750il

RTH, that is wonderful to hear I'd really thought the classic GSD was nearing extinction.

Yeah, they are around. . .http://www.wmconsulting.com/herding/.../img_5802.html

Really big, nice structure. And if I remember, I think he's from good lines.

[Renee750il]

Originally Posted by Lizmo

Yeah, they are around. . .http://www.wmconsulting.com/herding/.../img_5802.html

Really big, nice structure. And if I remember, I think he's from good lines.

Thing is, for a classic, real old fashioned GSD, you don't want a big dog. You want a dog in the 60 pound (+/-) range. GSDs were never meant to be 90+ pound dogs.

[DogstarAcademy]

Renee - look at the Eurosport dogs (Czech lines- most of the ones on their site for sale are imported dogs they're brokering but they also have their own breeding program) - I've been exceedingly impressed with every dog I've met from them, including the pet quality ones.