GSD's through the ages! Discussions

Very interesting link.personally prefer the earlier dogs to the more recent ones.

Think I found my ideal GSD



http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/german_shepherd_dog/dog.html?id=26737

over a 100 years apart

those early dogs are just stunning. I'm pleased that my Ranger looks more like them than the more recent ones

They do look quite similar!!

Peter was an example of crossing the races, his sire was already mixed blood from the northern races and his dam bloodline came from the herding dogs of Thuringia in central Germany

I thought they looked similar too!

Sorry for being uninformed Pam, but what does crossing the races mean? A mix of breeds, or just a mix of early types? Very interesting.

it means a mix of different herding breeds at that point in time the excessive inbreeding was only just begining to define a new breed
each region had their own type of herding dog similiar to the different types of Huitehundes ie tiger, strobel, gelbbacke, schafpudel, fuchs, schwarzer some of these have both prick ears and drop ears

Thanks Pam - really interesting. So Peter wasn't a blueprint at the time then ... just part of the experiment to find the ideal herding shepherd dog then?

yes just part of the plan to develop a national breed

I'm preferring the 60's,70's and 80's dogs too. They seem to have "beefed" them up a bit now don't they?!

What I still don't understand is why in the "modern" show shepherd they stack them in such a way as they look roach backed and yet they never used to do this.

When and why did it change??

maybe ask the Martin brothers they are the ones that have had the greatest influence on the breed and not just in Europe

sorry Kirsty it was a bit flippant that answer and you would be able to anyhow they have been dead about 15years

Walter's von der Wienerau kennel and his brother Herman had the von Arminius kennel
Herman was also the SV president from 84-94

much is corrupt in Germany like other countries were a lot of money is involved!

LOL thanks Pam.

Do you agree with all the changes that have taken place in the WG showline over the last 20 years?

In the 90's and the first 1/2 of the 2000s conformation and working ability was better but too many sharp temperments, now some lines conformation is worse but temps better
My ideal would be the conformation and working ability of my Vorhanden Storm with the temp of Zandi (Daro/H. Odaxa)
Too many VA dogs are the same family, and too many breeders dont know beyond the 1st 3 gens behind their dogs, too many imports again same family!
I started looking a few months ago for a dog I want next year, I doubt it will be from here (UK), not sure which country yet but want fresh bloodlines from pre the Martin brothers, possibly France as some lines there you can trace back 15+ gens to before the split