Rant Of The Day

For most people a German Shepherd is a German Shepherd is a German Shepherd, unless of course they are ignorant or uneducated and then it's an Alsatian! To most people the general consensus is that it's a medium to large black and tan dog with "sticky-up" ears! Well that's fine, in the majority of cases that is what it is!
Well my mother bless sees anything with a GSD on it and buys it for me. She got this coaster for me as she thought it looked just like Orin the last time she saw him. Steve told me off for not hiding the shock on my face and said I should have accepted it gracefully, but on what planet does that look like Orin?  Oh don't get me wrong I appreciate the thought, it's a lovely gesture ... but I'm not even sure that is a GSD!
There is no doubt I'm a GSD snob and I'm horrified by some of the examples I see. Bad breeding and greed contribute to some awful examples being born and breed from. A disregard for the standard and health tests contribute to a large number of dogs who merely resemble the breed. I have always felt that if you are going to do it, then at least try and do it right. My difficulty in picking a puppy to keep from the last litter maybe proving the point that I am close to getting it right as really any could have had a show career.
Please don't forget that when I sit there criticising an example of the breed there is a line I don't cross. My criticism is always of the show dog and not of someones much loved pet. Like many others I put my dogs in the show-ring allowing them to be openly criticised by some but equally praised by others. Under some judges they win, under others they loose .. judges interpretations of breed standards vary that is why we go, that is the game we play. We meet up with friends, we laugh and cry, we mostly have a great day, we bitch about this that and the other on the way home and then share our day on social media. We store the memories good or bad and close the door on the day, we move onto the next show always remembering our dogs are pets who go to shows and not show dogs.
A photo never lies, well it does. A bad photo is never forgotten and best not posted. Yesterday I was shocked to see a photo posted by an exhibitor of her "show bitch." Now these people are reasonably new to showing but I can't imagine how anyone could look at that photo and think it was a photo that would do a bitch justice. Again remember my criticism is of the show dog ... as harsh as it seems there is nothing about this bitch that appeals to me. She has a masculine head, no angles, she's as short coupled as a Belgian and is even as faded as Asha already. (and she's a puppy) I decided to go on MYKC and check the breeding .. Oh right well I can see that she couldn't be much better and due to her dam being bred on white lines then her colour will only worsen. Sad really if they want to show that they have started off so badly, but maybe they bought a pet and then decided to show. Good luck to them we all started somewhere, but if I was the breeder I would suggest the photo be removed and kindly explain why.

Honestly I can't for the life of me understand why people are breeding whites to black and tan? Is it because the white gene pool is so small? Whites really don't do it for me. White dogs generally have more health problems and the colour is not practical for work like herding sheep or for guard duties. In one case they would stick out like a sore thumb in the other they would blend with the flock! "Ah," I hear you shout .. "But you had a white dog!" Well yes, but where rescue is concerned conformation and colour simply don't come into it do they! Finlay was a rescue dog, a dog in need and will probably be a one off here, but if the situation was similar again of course my door would be open to a rescue dog .. despite his colour!
So there you go, yes I am a GSD snob. I like a dog to be bred right, to look right and move right. Nothing takes my breath away quite like an impressive GSD on the move. I have been known to get emotionally at just watching dogs gating, Ch Gayvilles Xera and Ch Quant vom Kirschental come to mind. I'm passionate about the breed, obsessive maybe. The breed, the shows, bloodlines, health tests, and the friends that come with it, well they are such a huge part of my life. To be honest along with a few other passions, i guess they are my life. I'm now hugely excited about Orin ... and also I'm already making plans for Kaiah! If you are interest in Blanik's future then keep watching this space.