# Biggest Breed Problem



## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

What would you say is the biggest breed problem with the dog that you have now?


----------



## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

AKC recognition. I like what the Border Collie people have done.


----------



## Russ Spencer (Jun 2, 2008)

Public/Local govt misconception of a properly trained GSDs benefits to a community. Example: BSL. 

This is NOT the only breed targeted but it is my breed.


----------



## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

OOOops, I am in the wrong spot


----------



## Jeannie Helton (Aug 10, 2008)

*IMO....  *

*In general, the misconception of the Rottweiler as a breed:*
- Yahoos thinking they are something they are not and wrecking the dog, and the breed, through byb.
- Inexperienced owners getting more than they bargained for and wrecking the breed's reputation
- Peoples poor perception of the breed because of yahoos and inexperienced owners giving the Rottie a bad rep
- BSL legislation based on peoples fears AND evidence as a result of YAHOOS doing stupid crap with their dogs, and inexperienced owners with out of control dogs.

*My personal dog, who is still a growing puppy of 11 months:*
- The front end structure is lacking (E-W in front; somewhat shallow in the chest)

*As a breed over all:*
- The true Rottweiler temperment is lacking in a LOT of dogs out there. There are not many true-to-standard Rottweilers anymore; a lot more rott-n-wiggly dogs out there than there used to be even just 30 years ago. Hard to find the good working dogs anymore.

BTW - I'm not a breeder. ;-) 

Jeannie


----------



## Tim Bartlett (May 21, 2007)

The internet. Put together a halfway decent website with a few good photos of dogs biting and you can sell too can sell working Malinois.

Used to be in order to find a working Malinois you had to be a member of a club, know someone who knew someone who bred Malinois. Now the planet is over run with breeders of working Malinois. I cannot tell you how many emails I get that say "I found you on the internet. How much is a puppy?" Needless to say, we do not sell pups to those folks. 

In fact, I think the internet is compounding the pet overpopulation problem as well as breed specific problems as well.

Lisa


----------



## Tim Bartlett (May 21, 2007)

Oops! You mean my individual dogs? Breed as in physical type? 

Feist- a little longer than square, slightly cow-hocked, a very nice fluid mover, by far our most versatile athlete and out of four days of AKC shows has 9 pts and a major. Now has all top four incisors knocked out.

Villier-oversized, blue, bandy legged, long and coarse. The hardest and most forceful character of our dogs but god bless the little old lady AKC judge who tried to check his teeth or testicles.

Leila-too straight in the front, big white foot but a very "finishable" bitch. Ideal temperment for AKC with a forward, friendly attitude. 

Loki-looks like a show dog with tons of coat and tiny ears. The most petite of our family but very correct- a Mondioring 3 before he was three years old and the only one who will never be bred (unless it is to a Border Collie to make Malincollies)

Lisa


----------



## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

I'm thinking also in terms of the working, herding, and sporting breeds and how this Breed Specific Legislation is putting a false title to them. BSL has listed other breeds as problem areas, but not as much as these three. Too often folks are breeding and then breeders are finding issues that come back to bite them. 

I had a German Shepherd that was cow hocked, missing premolars, ears that didn't stand and it came from AKC showlines stuff. I got it and never knew issues were out there. What a quick study I was in this area. The Border Collie for example is a nice herding breed, but it must have a job or an outlet for the energy which is in it. Often, I get calls from folks who see my website and think I'll take over the family pet. 

The problem with doing any breed rescue work is knowing the dog's lines, issues that lead up to the problem, and then trying to rehome the animal is a proper place. I've seen many nice Pit Bull Terriers that were little love bugs! Rottweilers are big and some breeders are creating monsters that end up with health problems. Some of the other breed problems are were there aren't enough of some type of animal to breed with or to compare quality. In the Delaware and Maryland areas we don't have many Bouvier des Flandres, Giant Schnauzers, or Black Russians. If a person is interested in these breeds, they're almost stuck...Just a few of my thoughts.


----------



## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Way to many JRTs in the rescue groups and the pound. To many people saw that "sweet little Eddie" sitting on the couch of the Frazier show. They didn't look into it far enough to know that Eddie (Moose) was on his 3rd owner before he found someone that knew how to handle one of the little bassids. 
There was also a kids program with a JRT that was always getting dressed up in costumes. :roll: 
The JRTCA has similar rules and regs as the "real" BC folks. If it's registered with the JRTCA then NO AKC registration. The show folks just changed the name to Parson Russell Terriers and got them in the AKC. :-& :-& 
In my AKC competition years the BC was recognized in the "Miscellaneous" class. The "real" BC folks fought for years against recognition. Money talks!


----------



## Steven Lovitt (Sep 5, 2008)

Jeannie Helton said:


> *IMO....  *
> 
> *In general, the misconception of the Rottweiler as a breed:*
> - Yahoos thinking they are something they are not and wrecking the dog, and the breed, through byb.
> ...


As a Rottweiler owner and lover over the last 10 years (with rescues) I agree with the above. Would add:

Probably preaching to the choir. So I'll just say. AKC/ CKC, North American breeders who breed for conformation show ring blue ribbons, etcetera. They breed for type that will win shows and that ruins working breeds. Not just working abilities, the over all quality of health in the working breeds! :-({|=


----------



## Michelle Reusser (Mar 29, 2008)

Shows and registries. Public misconception that they are mean dogs and thats why the police use them. (As Jeff would say, "how retarded").


----------



## Steven Lovitt (Sep 5, 2008)

Read a do you walk your dog thread and thought of another! Average "pet" owners who do absolutely nothing with their working breed dog.. Its sad how many perfectly good dogs end up on petfinder for example because of lazy owners!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## Lyn Chen (Jun 19, 2006)

People mistaking hyperactivity with drive in the GSD, and breeding dogs that can't settle and with paper-thin reactivity. Then the real good dogs are looked over for the ones that look really good on the field but are a mess inside. It's difficult to find the lines I like, anymore.


----------



## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

Biggest problem(s) for my breed (APBT) are dog fighting and irresponsible owneres - specifically those who obtain a dog for image enhancement. The attention of the media is not helping and people who get them to prove a point (they're lovers not fighters  ) but are no more responsible than those who obtain a dog for image enhancement do a great deal of damage as well.


----------



## Michelle Reusser (Mar 29, 2008)

Lyn Chen said:


> People mistaking hyperactivity with drive in the GSD, and breeding dogs that can't settle and with paper-thin reactivity. Then the real good dogs are looked over for the ones that look really good on the field but are a mess inside. It's difficult to find the lines I like, anymore.


Lyn I absolutly agree. Many breeders are trying to breed GSD's to be Malinois and they just aren't the same. I say if you want a dog like a Mal, get a freakin' Mal. The GSD's main claim to fame is it's stable nature. Breeding for a drive off the charts GSD isn't a GSD if he is hectic. The lines you want are still out there. My male is a perfect example. I do think his thresholds are a little too high though but that is good for calming down all of these spastic freaks everyone has been breeding of late.


----------



## Lyn Chen (Jun 19, 2006)

Michelle, is it fair to say your boy (I'm assuming Baden?) gets it from Troll Millinda? Or elsewhere? I notice your other dog comes from Nick, whose work or else progeny I find a little hectic. How do the half-brothers compare? This is interesting to me as I would like to avoid this hyperactivity that GSD folks nowadays seem to value (probably because the Mal people have been trying to tell them for ages their dogs suck because they're slow ), but also recognize that dogs like Nick do bring in aggression which I also like. 

It is a sight to behold when you see a dog with so much intensity and power without having to show off.


----------



## Lyn Chen (Jun 19, 2006)

Anne Vaini said:


> The attention of the media is not helping and people who get them to prove a point (they're lovers not fighters  ) but are no more responsible than those who obtain a dog for image enhancement do a great deal of damage as well.


Good point. I actually have more of a problem with people who get a breed with a high prey drive, and loads of strength and character, and insist that by giving them lots of love they won't 'lash out' like those 'poor abused dogs that bite kids you see in the news all the time'. I've met one man who was very offended I crossed the road while he had his pit bull on a leash, because the dog I had was a tiny dog. Nevermind that I had no way of knowing his dog wouldn't hurt mine. Then there's those who refuse to obey the muzzle law, unfair as it may be to discriminate against their breeds...


----------



## Sarah ten Bensel (Mar 16, 2008)

My GSD dog is a bit too tall, but within the standard just leggy. 

In general, I wished they lived longer.


----------



## Michelle Reusser (Mar 29, 2008)

Lyn Chen said:


> Michelle, is it fair to say your boy (I'm assuming Baden?) gets it from Troll Millinda? Or elsewhere? I notice your other dog comes from Nick, whose work or else progeny I find a little hectic. How do the half-brothers compare? This is interesting to me as I would like to avoid this hyperactivity that GSD folks nowadays seem to value (probably because the Mal people have been trying to tell them for ages their dogs suck because they're slow ), but also recognize that dogs like Nick do bring in aggression which I also like.
> 
> It is a sight to behold when you see a dog with so much intensity and power without having to show off.


I think all the dogs in Baden's first 3 are stable dogs. He probably most resembles Tom in his drives and work. My other dog is a young female, I have not done much with her but enough that I wouldn't call her totally hectic (just an ADD crack addict) but she does have lower thresholds than my male, way more energy (you might call it hyper) but she doesn't pace all day in her kennel, get destructive or bark excessivly unless you spray a hose near her. She also has more speed, all of which I asked for but she is a bit too Mal like for me. I think she will calm with age. Baden was a very serious calm pup from the get go, whereas Dasti will probably find her head in years to come.


----------



## Lyn Chen (Jun 19, 2006)

LOL oops sorry didn't notice she was a female...my younger male has Yoschy on the mother side. The father is a calmer dog than the mother. My dog's not crazy *crazy*, but say you take out a leash, he will just jump excessively and shiver, even pee, in excitement. Very reactive dog. I mean, nice protection work, excellent grip, and loads of forward aggression but I do wish he can control himself a little. At times I get the impression he's a little 'flakey', despite his relatively good performance in training.


----------



## Rachel R Phelan (May 26, 2008)

No one where we live knows what a Dutch Shepherd is. Usually people ask the following:

1) Is that a pit bull? (seriously, they do)

2) What shepherd mix is that?

The neighboring county just banned pit bulls in the city we used to live in, and now any shepherd mix or anything that "looks like" a shepherd, or a GSD must be muzzled in that city. Thank God we moved, however our we can't take our dog to our old pet store now because of the muzzle law. And we are not going to put a muzzle on our well behaved Dutch Shepherd dog. 

I took my pup to a park for a hike over the weekend and everyone was scooping up their children so they didn't get eaten by the big puppy with the radar dishes on his head. Of course, Nico didn't even pay attention to them he was watching me and generally indifferent to the people, but I felt bad for him anyway. As the old saying goes, the more people I meet, the more I love my dog.....

So, in North East OH no one knows what a Dutch Shepherd is, at least we haven't encountered anyone. But the way things are up here, it may be a blessing in disguise. 

Have a great day!


----------

