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I was at an agility trial yesterday, and there was someone there with a GSD clearly out of American show lines. The dog had a lovely head, great temperament and was jovial and outgoing. But its movement was awkward and ungainly and I didn't like how it looked running the course. It looked like all the dog's concentration was on keeping control of its rear end. It was a shame. However, one of my favourite dogs to see run is a GSD out of Czech working/sport lines. She's wonderfully put together, petite and INSANE when she's working. If she has a job to do she's going to put her all into it, and then some. She's just off the charts with that lovely drive the breed is known for, and she's put together in a sensible, attractive, functional way. It's quite interesting to see how these two dogs function in the ring in a state of drive. I can't say I love what the GSD has devolved to as a breed in America.
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Dec 10, 2012 19:59
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| # ¿ Apr 28, 2024 01:00 |
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Here's a good article describing how nurture can affect nature: http://paws4udogs.wordpress.com/2012/12/10/its-all-in-how-theyre-raised/
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Dec 12, 2012 00:30
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I politely disagree with your post, Warbadger. I think the issue is that we're using terms that describe the appearance of a behaviour (aggression, in this case) but not the small things which contribute to it. Things like cortisol thresholds, neophobia, drive, etc are all key players in how a dog's temperament forms, and I believe that these things are tied to genetics. We have dog breeds that are so specialized in certain tasks that I am surprised that people feel that there is no genetic component to their temperaments. You're not going to be able to take a Border Collie from sporting lines, hand it to a handler with herding championships and expect him to be able to win with it. Nor are you going to be able to give a GSD pup from your neighbor's litter and expect it to earn its SchIII. Success in both herding and Schutzhund depend on the temperament of the competing dogs in how they respond to frustration. These dogs first need to be born with a genetic predisposition to their work, and it can then be fostered by an accomplished handler to bring it out in the dog. A predisposition is just that. It's not a promise about how a dog will turn out by any means. As a dog trainer, being aware of it is more preferable than believing that it doesn't exist.
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Dec 12, 2012 18:39
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I don't really have many well formed opinions on what I like in GSDs, but here's a dog I think is pretty nifty. And I like plush coats, okay. His name is Kastle and I think he's probably about 18 months old, so he has yet to fill out entirely. I just like how moderate he is. Also, he's only about 55 pounds, but he seems to have the presence of a much bigger dog. I think he's put together quite well. I don't know poo poo about GSD kennels, but he's Kastle van het Basjes Huis     Here's a video of him running flyball at one year old (a little early to be doing flyball in my opinion, but he runs nicely). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-Xel8fBJCg
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Dec 13, 2012 14:46
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Warbadger posted:- and the pure white color remains the norm in many other herding breeds where it does not appear to be considered a disadvantage. Which ones?
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Dec 18, 2012 22:16
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Skizzles posted:I'm personally really interested in how dogs who are clicker trained do at Schutzhund compared to ones trained the traditional ways, so I love that sorta stuff. I think Denise Fenzi does some sort of protection sport training, and she does it mostly through R+ and P-. My understanding is that in general dogs who are clicker trained to do the sport are a little flat and lackluster compared to those who are trained more traditionally. Filboid Studge posted:Schutzhund does seen to have a macho punishment thing going on. It's not really a macho thing. It's that the dogs who participate find nothing in the world more reinforcing than biting and tugging on that sleeve. How are you going to get a dog who will out a sleeve reliably if there's nothing more in the world he wants? You're either a) going to have to utilize punishment or b) you're going to have to make a dog who likes other reinforcement better. I think the reason a lot of the clicker trained Sch dogs are flat is because they're working for reinforcement but may not find the work itself reinforcing. a life less fucked around with this message at 22:35 on Dec 24, 2012 |
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Dec 24, 2012 20:52
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More and more I'm finding that it's incredibly important to actually meet the sire & dam, see how they work and how they operate when not working. The dogs look really nice on paper. In my search for a breeder of potential future BCs I'm finding myself much more inclined to get a dog out of someone who I know, whose dogs I know, and who I can keep in touch with easily. I want that support, and I want the breeder to be proud of what I accomplish with their pup. Wildhaus looks wonderful, and I really like what I've seen of them. But I'd really want to meet with them in person to properly guage how well we'd mesh before I puchased a dog. The smaller breeder also looks quite nice. The sire is lovely to look at, though I can't say I'm crazy about the look of the dam. You may get a better breeder experience from someone smaller, assuming her dogs are of equal quality to Wildhaus. Since they're probably not, I see your conundrum. A lot of people say that you should buy the breeder, not the puppy. So start talking with these people and meet their dogs if possible. See how things pan out. Sometimes it's just a matter of one breeder having a puppy available when you're ready, and the other requiring you to wait.
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Jan 21, 2013 17:44
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Yeah, from what I'm hearing, I'm not terribly impressed. The biddability is a huge issue for me and I would not have any interest in a pup who was not.
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Jan 22, 2013 15:43
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Yeah, if you have a very specific idea of exactly what you want/expect in a GSD I would have zero issues going with a breeder. There are loads of wonderful dogs in rescue, but GSDs these are renowned for having weak temperaments and even weaker structure. I also like having a dog from the very beginning so you're not spending excess time bonding with the dog before you can get to the fun training. But I'm weird like that.
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Jan 23, 2013 17:00
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I'd probably drive the hour, if these people really seemed to know what they're talking about. No one is going to force you to "correct" your dog if you don't want to and I'm sure there's plenty more to be learned there. Plus, corrections shouldn't come until a dog is well versed in an exercise, so it'd probably give you a good long while before you have to decide whether you want to use them. Agility is also awesome. IPO is so danged demanding.
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Apr 3, 2013 20:12
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I like what he's doing there. Really good motivational confidence building and some great techniques for building both drive and precision. I think you'll also have a great time.
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Apr 29, 2013 19:16
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Where is he from? He looks much more slightly built than a traditional GSD. Looks like he could be a killer sporting dog, should you decide to go that way. 
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May 8, 2013 19:21
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Triangulum posted:
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May 8, 2013 20:34
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This girl posts her progress with her (loving amazingly gorgeously beautiful) puppy on another forum I frequent. Love her. The videos she posts show a really amazing progression as the pup matures. I expect you do be doing this with your dog ASAP. http://youtu.be/6HLsCruyjHM E: Because I'm smitten. 
a life less fucked around with this message at 21:07 on Jul 29, 2013 |
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Jul 29, 2013 21:04
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Triangulum posted:I swear I recognize this dog/handler team from another forum. Regardless that dog is really lovely Dog's name is VP Carma vom Oz Haus. Not being a GSD person, I have no other info for you. I would steal that puppy in a second though. Looks amazing. Want her.
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Jul 31, 2013 15:27
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Instant Jellyfish posted:Here you go. I love that fuzzy little GSD too Oh my god. Onyx is the prettiest loving Mal I've ever seen. 
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Jul 31, 2013 15:47
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Jul 31, 2013 16:01
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I'd be curious to hear about the training you do, both with client/club dogs and your own. 
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Oct 9, 2013 12:02
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Neat. In my classes, I've yet to see a GSD who didn't have some degree of reactivity. It seems to surprise a lot of novice owners despite the issue being so prevalent in the breed. I think it's wise to keep the size of the dogs moderate. I really like the appearance of immature GSDs -- they're more slight and finely boned with prettier features. If I had a GSD I'd probably want it to be no more than 65 pounds if at all possible. So good choice on the smaller pup. Hope he turns out the way you want.
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Oct 9, 2013 14:52
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I was at a convention yesterday and they brought in a police dog to do a demo. I was there with a bunch of my trainer friends, so it was really interesting watching the demo and chatting about what we saw with people extremely well versed in dog behaviour and with a strong penchant for reinforcement-based training. The handler brought the dog out on a prong collar, and the dog was obviously extremely stressed. While the officer talked about the program he asked for the dog to stay seated next to him. It was throwing every avoidance behaviour it could (crouched low, stress panting, averted gaze) at this time. Then it was time to actually demo some behaviour. The officer pulled out a different collar and the dog became a totally different animal. The dog was active and focused on the task at hand (in this case, a blind drug search). Despite the dog still wearing the prong (and the leash still being attached to it) you could tell that the new collar acted as a safety signal to the animal -- it knew that it wouldn't suffer any punishment for its behaviour so it performed its job with confidence. Another task, another tool. The dog loved the bitework. It had its x-back harness put on, and again the dog's behaviour changed starkly. It was hypervigilant and when it caught sight of the guy with the sleeve it crouched down and whined/screamed at the end of its leash until it was released. The demo dog was something they called an Italian Shepherd. They said it was basically a Malinois/Mastiff ~75/25 cross, but it looked like a black Mali with a squat, hosed up front end. Its elbows were jutting out from its body at an almost 45 degree angle. It was an ugly little thing, but pretty powerful and with great toy drive. I always find watching these protection type demos fascinating since they tend to train in a completely different way, and I'm always interested to check out the various methods & their results. Despite the obvious stress, I think the dog performed well. Here are a few blurry photos from it. Full sleeve  Hidden sleeve 
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Oct 28, 2013 18:38
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Walked posted:I'd ask this in the puppy thread, but this may be more breed specific. I'd be a little concerned that fear issues are cropping up already, however fear periods are common in GSDs. A lot of people mistake taking the dog lots of places as socialization. It's not. It's exposing your dog to a new situation, and ensuring that your dog is successful. If you take your dog to the park and it's frightened, then you take your dog to the store and it's frightened then you take your dog to meet your neighbour and it's frightened you're not helping your dog learn how to cope, and you very well may be reinforcing its fear. So, instead, take your dog to a new place. If the dog is successful (happy, engaged, focused) then move on to the next place. If your dog is not successful (anxious, barky, fearful, shut down) then decrease the intensity of the exposure, but continue going back to the same place until your dog succeeds. It may take 2 visits. It may take 10. Here's one of my favourite articles about socialization: Don't Socialize the Dog! http://www.clickertraining.com/node/3953 I imagine it's more pronounced near the house because that's the area where she's most familiar, and therefore most confident to express how she feels. Or she's learned "this is what I do when I see X in place Y". If it's the latter, it's just about training a new behaviour, which you'll do via the above suggestions.
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Nov 14, 2013 17:13
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Oxford Comma posted:So I'm on the cusp of adopting a cute 4-year old GS/Lab mix from the Berkeley CA shelter. I'm wondering if being crossbred will reduce his chances of contracting hip dysplasia. I know that reading the tea leaves in this is hard to do, but overall....? I just had to put down our 14 year old pit bull for hip dysplasia so its kinda on my mind. Unfortunately Labs are pretty badly pre-disposed to hip dysplasia too. It'll depend on the health of the dog's sire/dam, and its ancestors. You can take the dog in for an x-ray if you're concerned.
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Nov 21, 2013 02:35
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If it's a temporary limp, I'd not think much of it. Dogs do dumb stuff sometimes, and normally it works out just fine. If it persists more than a day, I'd restrict exercise for a week or two to let it heal up. If it continues longer 1+ week, or persistently reemerges I'd probably take the dog to a vet for an exam.
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Dec 19, 2013 22:23
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Christ, just get a puppy already. The rest will work out later.
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Jan 25, 2014 14:21
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Triangulum posted:Here's some video of Vecna's training sessions from this weekend. Right now Vecna is learning Fanny Gott's switch game using two helpers. I don't think he quite understands that barking activates the helper even when there are two on the field but he's getting there. I don't know what his deal was with his lousy grip this weekend but hopefully working more on carrying and cradling will help up his possessiveness. What's the wrap for? Is that to help find front? It's interesting to watch your other videos -- it's such a foreign methodology and sport to me! Very neat to see. One that that immediately struck me was how Vecna barely glances at you during the bitework. And yet obviously the obedience aspect of IPO requires intense handler focus. It's fascinating to see how it all balances out in the sport. E: I'd forgotten about Gott's switch game. It looks fun, and looks like it could help build speed in a lot of different venues. Will have to try that out myself at home this week. a life less fucked around with this message at 17:43 on Feb 3, 2014 |
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Feb 3, 2014 17:37
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Triangulum posted:
Right now it looks like it's a tool to get his butt swinging out in front of you properly. I know Fenzi uses something similar (I think she calls it "fly") but it's normally at a greater distance. Could be a drive building tool though. Cohen's fronts have gotten SO BAD. SUCH ANGLE. I'll probably have to introduce her to platform work to fix it too, but I've been too lazy to make an actual platform.
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Feb 3, 2014 22:09
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I'll let you know when she emails us the class handout haha
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Stacking can give you an idea about structure, not just for conformation.
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Apr 22, 2014 15:41
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Dust Radio posted:Eh, he's a mix and I wouldn't dream of breeding with all the extra dogs there are out there (so he's neutered), so I don't see the benefit of an idea about his structure, either. Analysing structure is cool. It can give you an idea of how a dog moves and how each part of its body is used. It's not solely a "is this dog worthy to breed?" thing but a "will this dog's body give out with use?" thing. Ideally you want a dog where all its bits and pieces balance the others out. If your dog has poor structure, you'll know to modify activities to meet its needs and keep a better eye out for pain and discomfort. Here's a page I just googled which should explain things better than I can. http://misteldobermans.com/doberman_gait.htm From the photo above, he looks well balanced.
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Apr 22, 2014 18:49
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You can, but it's not good for the coat. Basically the blade shreds the top coat when you use it. I have a dog with a similar coat and I use a comb, a slicker and a curry brush. A double row pin comb gets a considerable amount of fur out. A blow-out from a forced air dryer is probably best for getting rid of excess coat.
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Jul 1, 2014 20:23
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I say wait for your perfectish puppy. But the bonus of having a dog who you know will gel well with your home is pretty huge.
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Jul 22, 2014 00:42
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Hey! I know Parker & Titan's handler! She's great! And she's an awesome photographer too. <3 She & Parker apparently have more finds by far than the rest of the K9 unit in the PD. I recognized Parker from the last photo, and I had to scroll back up to take a closer look at the others. Small world!
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Feb 17, 2015 16:29
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| # ¿ Apr 28, 2024 01:00 |
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EXTREME INSERTION posted:My mother grew up with a lovely German shepherd who died young of very, very bad hip displasia. This was back in the 60s-70s. Have the major genetic problems with the breed been fixed at all? I've been considering getting pax a buddy maybe a year from now, and love GSDs but also don't like beloved pets dying early from preventable genetic diseases :/ Overall, not really. You can mitigate the potential issues by purchasing a puppy from a quality breeder with minimal issues in their lines. I would not be grabbing a random GSD puppy from, say, a Craigslist ad or anything.
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Sep 28, 2015 17:22
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