Simple question: what have we done to the German Shepherd?
Old style German Shepherd Dog
Crufts 2016 best of breed winner.
What happened?
Max von Stephanitz, the creator of the German Shepherd wrote:
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“The breeding of Shepherd dogs must be the breeding of working dogs, this must always be the aim or we shall cease to produce working dogs.
“In contradistinction to working and utility breeding is ‘sport’ breeding, which produces a temporary advance but is always followed by deterioration, for it is not done for the sake of the DOG, nor does it make him more useful, it is done for the vanity of the breeder and the subsequent purchaser.”
As with so many breeds, sport and fad breeding led to more severe evidence of natural traits, and therefore to bad breeding situations that had nothing more in common with working ability.
– he added –
“This may seem nice to the faddist, however, for the true lover of Nature, who doesn’t engage in matters based on eye appeal, it appears as a strange caricature.
“Over-sized, massiveness, height, racing ability, straight front or tucked up racing dog body would be for the shepherd an adverse perception leading to the death of the breed.”
4 comments
i am soo sick of breeders and especially judges that have no concept of working dog.
stop all this crap and go back 30 years and start breeding correctly.
I was horrified to see the dog running around the ring obviously in difficulty, its spine from the back view was snaking and its back legs were very wobbly. If my dog looked like that I’d have him straight to the vet! Is it really possible for a so called expert on the breed to find this poor deformed dog best of breed? It makes Crufts look completely irresponsible and obviously blind! Disgusting and very sad.
I have 2 beautiful Czech line sable german shrepherd dogs. I have been told that this line is becoming more popular for police and and those using them as working dogs as the german shepherds breed in this country due to the “THE SHOW LOOK” can no longer cope with the work due to back and legs problems. Seeing that german shepherd on crufts broke my heart. When older poeple see me out with my 2 boys they comment that they look like the german shepherds of their childhood.
Long overdue attention to what the German National Breed Organizations (S.V.) has allowed to happen to a once noble working breed. Breed enthusiasts are grateful to Dr. Helmut RAISER and the dedicated, and willing members at RSV2000 for the global approach to changing gloom to sunlight for the GSD
Max von Stephanitz and foundation S.V. members have been rotating in their graves for years !
Not much longer, breed improvement is moving in the right direction.