[martemchik]

Health testing is the big one for me, but how do they raise champions? How many champions do they have in their lines? Do they show consistently? It's just interesting that for someone that shows, probably pays 1000s in entry/handler fees to get a champion, doesn't health test.

I could really care less what the facility looks like, what the dogs are fed...they don't pass on those traits to the puppies. There's a reason why the grocery store foods are still on the market, most people still use them.

The weird thing with other breeds is that many of them don't have a temperament test/requirement. There is a temperament standard, but not really the Schutzhund type test to prove it. Germany has the SchH1 requirement to breed, and its poured over to the United States as people want to live up to the "founder's standard." With other breeds...especially what are commonly referred to as companion breeds, its too much of an expectation to expect people to go way out of their way to test temperament in ways that their customers don't even care about.

And yeah...the awesome part. The worst place to gauge a dog is in their home environment...its where they're comfortable, and they have been "trained" in a way to act in a certain matter. If the breeder thought his dogs weren't going to impress you, probably wouldn't invite you over, or lock up the problem dogs. Its the same with GSDs...you can come to my house and think mine is awesome, but the true test is when he's out and about in a higher stress situation. No breeder will invite you over if they have a crazy/aggressive GSD...unless they're trying to impress you with their "guarding skills."