Possibilities Of Having A Quality German Shepherd Dog That Can Also Perform On Working Trials?

There are German Shepherds dogs, I have known, that have excelled in the show ring and have achieved high honors in working trials. In addition to these exceptionally fine qualities, because of their very strong, in-born protective instincts, they have also been wonderful guardians of the home. Truly all-purpose dogs, which is the vision von Stephanitz, the founder of the breeder originally had in mind

I truly believe it is possible. But I must qualify this statement. The possibility of owning an exceptional all-purpose dog like this today, is highly unlikely.

Why is this so? There is a very simple answer to this question. For a number of years there has been sharp disagreement and conflict in Germany - the home of the breed - between so called "show breeders" and "working dog" breeders.

In recent years the majority of German breeders - with very few exceptions - have focused their efforts on conformation and competing in the Show ring rather than working trials. Working ability, to a large extent, has been neglected.

This is understandable. Winning top honors in the breed ring has always been regarded as being of primary importance. It results in national and international recognition.

Furthermore, the financial aspect cannot be overlooked. Top animals fetch astronomical prices from overseas buyers.

Any overseas visitor who attends the national, annual German Shepherd Dog breed show - known as the S.V BUNDESSIEGERZUCHTSCHAU - usually held in a gigantic football stadium in different venues in Germany each year, is absolutely amazed at the thousands of visitors it attracts from every corner of the world.

At every annual "Sieger" show, the title of "Sieger" is awarded to the winning male and the title of "Siegerin" to the winning bitch.

Quite apart from the top winning male, even animals finishing in the top twenty positions are often bought by overseas buyers - from countries like Japan, South America, England, Taiwan, the United States, and - more recently Eastern European countries - for prices one usually associates with a top model motor car!

Is it any wonder that most breeders concentrate on breeding a dog that can win top honors in the breed ring rather than working trials?

The controlling body for German Shepherds in Germany, the S.V. (Verein fur Deutsche Schaferhunde) is very much aware of this sharp division between working dog breeders and those who concentrate on producing animals who will win in the conformation classes.

It is a problem that is receiving attention. But it is a problem that is very difficult indeed to resolve.

The S.V. is also well aware that in recent years there has been a deterioration in the temperaments of many dogs being bred.

Many dogs, even those coming from the most successful top winning bloodlines, lack the boldness and courage that was once one of the most important attributes of the best German Shepherd Dog specimens and considered to be an essential feature of the breed.

It is unfair to suggest that temperament is overlooked completely. No animal with a unsound temperament could ever be placed in a top position at a Sieger Show. But insufficient attention is placed on soundness of temperament.

Attempts were made to assess the temperament at Sieger Shows by the introduction of the "Test of Courage". Animals who do not demonstrate pronounced "fighting spirit" are not considered for top honors. But the "courage test" cannot be regarded as a completely reliable test of temperament.

Animals are trained to bite the protected arm of an "assailant". But there are occasions in which some dogs appear to regard the entire exercise as an enjoyable game. One is left with the distinct impression that if the "assailant" were to discard the "arm" and throw it to the ground, the dog would be quite satisfied to continue biting the padded object rather than attack the man.

This has been borne out by the fact that there have been occasions when people, who have purchased dogs from Germany, with papers proving they will willingly bite the padded arm of an "assailant", are surprised to find that when an intruder has entered their home - without a padded "arm" - the dog has not reacted as they were mistakenly led to believe he would!

Training qualification can also not always be relied upon. The fact that a winning show dog has a SchH 111 training classification, is also not always a reliable indication that the dog has all the qualities required of a successful working animal - or even that the dog has a strong protective instinct. It is very seldom that the actual qualifying scores receive any prominence.

There are many working dog enthusiasts who maintain the modern show winning German Shepherd has not improved in so far as working temperament is concerned. It is for this reason that most German Shepherd dog breeders of working stock in Germany today hardly ever use show winning animals in their breeding programs.

When one examines the pedigrees of open class (conformation) show winners at Sieger shows held over the past five years and compares this with the pedigrees of entrants in the " Bundessiegerprufung" - the competition held for working dogs - one is struck by the fact that there is hardly any meeting ground,

An examination of the bloodlines of all entrants in the Bundessiegerprufung, indicates an almost complete absence of the names of leading show dogs.

With very few exceptions, it is also very rare for a dog to compete in both the conformation (show) class and the working class.

The situation some years back was not like this. This sharp division between Show bloodlines and Working Dog bloodlines did not always exist. If one goes back quite a few years in the examination of pedigrees of winning show dogs, one will find that very often their offspring featured very prominently as successful competitors in working trials.

To return to the question posed at the beginning of this article: "Is it possible to have an all-purpose animal that is a top class show specimen, an excellent guard dog and a winner in obedience working trials?"

Yes, it is possible! Dogs of this exceptional quality are rare - but they do exist - even today! Many of them also have the pre-potency to reproduce the fine qualities they possess in their offspring.

But if you are someone who has genuine ambitions to own a super dog like this, before you go ahead and buy a German Shepherd Dog, you will have to spend a great deal of time and effort learning more about the breed, especially about the bloodlines of the top winning dogs.

Make it your business to ask questions from knowledgeable people who have been involved in this fascinating hobby of breeding top quality German Shepherds for years. Many of them will be only too pleased to help you.