Breed Improvement Suggestions for the UK GSD Breed Council - Page 11

Although new to the site, I am not new to shepherds although I have not shown for at least fifteen years, breed improvement has always been high on my list of priorities. I read this thread with interest and there are many good suggestions on here. Having shown and worked shepherds it seems to me that the most important thing is producing dogs that are capable of work and are correct to the breed standard.  Perhaps a dream, but some people on here seem to be putting the effort into achieving that and to my mind they should be applauded. 

Just re read the opening post

ie looking for suggestion to improve the breed

There have been a few isolated suggestions ie hip score elbow testing BH AD etc etc

The only all encompassing one to date is my own

My suggestions would be

The GSDL BAGSD and Breed Council meet and AGREE criteria for a two tier pedigree registration system

The base tier as today ie registered from registerd parents with NO conditions

The HIGHER tier we ask the  KC to recognise our criteria and when application is made and fits the agreed criteria they re register the aniaml concerned (maybe with a different colour cert) like in Germany

To further promote that the breed clubs actively promote and advertise the two teir system

All the above only promotes and does not FORCE change

You see i can be REASONable

Has anyone got any constructive comments for or against this surely with the implementation of this system there would be a optional goal for us to strive for

Reason - can I suggest you put your suggestion in writing to the clubs concerned and see what feedback you get.  I have put forward my suggestions to the breed council and KC.  It is only by people of the breed putting forward their suggestions that things will change.  All the comments on this thread will not make a change if they dont get escalated further, and the more people who write hopefully the greater chance of some of things being implemented.

Reason - can I suggest you put your suggestion in writing to the clubs concerned and see what feedback you get.  I have put forward my suggestions to the breed council and KC.  It is only by people of the breed putting forward their suggestions that things will change.  All the comments on this thread will not make a change if they dont get escalated further, and the more people who write hopefully the greater chance of some of things being implemented.

I have read a lot on here about different conditions that affect GSDs and how testing will help better the breed but the one condition that is not mentioned is EPI.  This seems to be swept under the carpet, this condition is more common than people realise or care to admit.

People are commenting on this thread about creating a healthy dog for work or show, but if EPI is not addressed there will still be dogs out there suffering from this dreadful complaint which is hereditary.

Unless you have owned a dog with this complaint you cannot realise how heartbreaking it is to see your dog starve to death in front of your eyes while the vets try to find out exactly what is causing the constant diahorea, even when diagnosed its not an easy complaint to manage and the dog is affected for life, they dont get better. 

I hope breeders will consider more research into this complaint along with other inherited problems. 

Reason Wrote

The GSDL BAGSD and Breed Council meet and AGREE criteria for a two tier pedigree registration system

The base tier as today ie registered from registerd parents with NO conditions

The HIGHER tier we ask the  KC to recognise our criteria and when application is made and fits the agreed criteria they re register the aniaml concerned (maybe with a different colour cert) like in Germany

To further promote that the breed clubs actively promote and advertise the two teir system

All the above only promotes and does not FORCE change

This is the most sensible way to start.

Anonymous people on here HIDE from SCRUTINY - WHY? Because of bullies like you videx. 

LOL - well said Marge.

Jess

THOUGH OTHER FORUM READERS MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN THIS REPLY THAT I RECEIVED FROM A PERSON WHO WAS ADVERTISING A LITTER &  I HAD THE TENACITY TO POLITELY  ASK ABOUT THE HIP SCORES OF PARENTS, when I received the replay that the mother wasn't scoredI then replied thus....totally unoffensive I would say ??

thank you for your reply, I am sorry but as the mother hasn-t been hip scored I am not interested in a puppy.??

This was the barrage of abuse & insult that I received from;

Many thanks for getting back to me. However, i am slghtly confused by your response.  After looking at your "show-type" shepherds on your website, i would have thought that the lack of a hip score was the least of your worries.  You clearly have a desire to produce animals with an inability to function correctly - with only appearance and adherence to a welfare-compromised breed standard that is important to you.  If you wish to make money from one breed that cannot walk properly and one breed that cannot breath properly - well, that's your decision. 
 
As you may me aware, the hip scores for all breeds of dog are not worth the paper they are written on - unless the dog has been allowed to lead a normal life up until the scan, and not restricted until 12 months old as is common in the "show world".
 
We are confident in our German Shepherds as this line was started over 40 years ago, so we therefore have vasts amounts of data for survival rates and health issues.  To date, we have never had to have a dog put to sleep due to hip problems until over the age of 11 years.  If this was the case in show-type shepherds there would be no need for any hip scoring.
 
Please keep in mind that away from the show ring, there are more important things than what is written on a piece of paper.  Experience and dedication to animal welfare is, in my opinion, much more important that winning trophies.
 
Regards
 
Craig
 

TO SAY I WAS SHOCKED BY THIS IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT,

SADLY I FEEL THE BREED WILL STRUGGLE TO MOVE FORWARD IN ITS HEALTH ISSUES WHEN WE HAVE PEOPLE WITH THIS OUTLOOK, IGNORANCE & LACK OF CARE FOR THE BREED IN OUR MIDST..

DOES ANYONE OUT THERE KNOW OF THIS PERSON ??????

Hi Ross

I travel up to a vet in Out Rawcliffe near Preston, although not as cheap as the Southampton one, it cost me £192 including BVA for hips & elbows 2yrs ago, he will only do them if you agree to submission, not like some other vets, he is excellent and does xraying 3x a week, predominately working gundogs. Deffinately cheaper than my local vets including petrol costs, most of all he has good ethics which not all vets do.

Pam