Some observations - is it in the lines

[jocoyn]

Ok - the nice thing about a 9 year old dog is that there are no new dreams or aspirations. I have what I have and I just thought it may be a fun pedigree to dissect.

All flaws are on the table - some from me, some from genetics I would guess.

cyra vom alyeska - German Shepherd Dog

Cyra is my 9 year old female and observing the differences between her and my other dogs

Cyra: Hyper, spinning, airsnapping, chewy on a tug, thrashes side to side, not calm, not focused, never has been. Always has been very distractable. Very intense little dog though. Dog agression (I control her but I do not trust her-when the dog is in her pack she is fine-she wanted to eat Beau the first 2 weeks I got him [but I was prepared and the intros were slow] and then she fast became his "bud"). Absolutely rock solid around small kids. She enjoys all people; actually she is very social to a fault. I never have felt any particular bond with her. We care for her, enjoy her antics, Shake our head and sigh (she has severe HD which she is not aware of). She does very snappy obedience but is by no means an obedient dog

I already see in Beau a, much more focus even as a 6.5 month old puppy. I think I will have to earn his respect but when I ensure it is there will have a solid ally. I never needed to earn Grim's respect. Grim is very handler soft and worships the air that I breathe and the ground I walk on. Grim has good concentration and work ethic. Beau is so focused when he is after something (like searching for a ball) it is eerie.

but........actually........what DO you see in Cyra's pedigree? It is just a fun question - there are some well known oldies in her pedigree who are certainly buried in more recent dogs.

[BlackthornGSD]

From Crok you get lots of prey drive and hardness and aggression--and dog aggression. Can get an "insufficiency" of pack drive (dog/handler relationship)--a dog who is not naturally obedient or respectful of the handler.

In her pedigree, I would have hoped that the Maneiche would compensate for the Crok.

You also can get a dominant/sharp handler-resistant type of dog from Fax.

Blacky v Neuen Lande himself had beautiful obedience and nearly got a perfect 100-100-100 his second time in the BSP in 1993, but he crumbled in the protection. I was told that he was a dog who had been so overtuned to get the obedience and tracking perfect that he couldn't take the pressure. I've heard other stories of him having nerve problems in the stadium crowds. All the same, he was an amazing working dog and while I wouldn't want to linebreed on him, I do think he brings many good things to a pedigree. You can see his performance record here: Blacky vom Neuen Lande - working-dog.eu

The lack of focus... I don't know where that comes from.

Her father's half brother, Asko, (same mom, different dad) has a bit of a reputation of adding a bit of the crazy -- but I've never heard speculation on where it comes from.

[jocoyn]

Maybe the term is not focus. When she wants something she is very intent on it and the rest of the world disappears, but it has got to be something SHE wants - not something YOU want her to do, if that makes sense. It is the whole partnership thing.

She is the one who chased a goat through a fully charged cattle fence, twitched when she took the shock and kept on after it as though nothing happened.

[Mrs.K]

Gildo was a very social dog. He was a dream family dog in the house. Very good around kids and literally babysat us many times. People called him crazy, too much and nasty, little did they know how great of a family dog he was.
He was kept with four other intact males, Olko vom Baerenfang and Gildo were together from the beginning till the end. Gild was buried in the backyard of the house in Mannheim by the way. He went pretty much any place with us. On Vacation in Denmark, Switzerland, Austria etc.

[BlackthornGSD]

Originally Posted by jocoyn

Maybe the term is not focus. When she wants something she is very intent on it and the rest of the world disappears, but it has got to be something SHE wants - not something YOU want her to do, if that makes sense. It is the whole partnership thing.

She is the one who chased a goat through a fully charged cattle fence, twitched when she took the shock and kept on after it as though nothing happened.

Sounds like a Crok granddaughter that belongs to a friend of mine. She's now 11+ years old, worked as a mobility service dog, pulled a wheelchair, etc. HARD HARD dog, very high drive. Worked in schutzhund but had to stop b/c she would bite anywhere, not just the sleeve and was thinking about aggression toward the person holding her line (because the owner was unable to bc of a back injury). No natural obedience--even now, as an old dog, will choose to do the opposite of what asked. Wicked smart--as in she schemes and gets into trouble. She can get out of almost any crate, can undo latches and clips. At the vet following a surgery, woke up from sedation, let herself out of the crate, let all the other dogs out. Owner had told them they had to use a padlock on the door, but the assistants hadn't done it b/c she was drugged. Very dog aggressive, mild HD.

[phgsd]

Originally Posted by BlackthornGSD

Wicked smart--as in she schemes and gets into trouble. She can get out of almost any crate, can undo latches and clips. At the vet following a surgery, woke up from sedation, let herself out of the crate, let all the other dogs out. Owner had told them they had to use a padlock on the door, but the assistants hadn't done it b/c she was drugged.

That sounds like my first GSD - she was a Jalk Lindenhalle granddaughter. Super smart but used her brains against you, escape artist, she once let herself out of her crate and Djenga out of the kitchen and opened the front door of our apartment door so they could go exploring...

Although she was a very soft dog and overly sharp with people so different in that aspect.

[jocoyn]

Cyra is not to be trusted around small animals. When I was trying to work her, I had it under control but now she keeps the yard clear of critters. Richard Shook took her for me for about a month when I broke my ankle in 2005. She caught one of his pigeons in flight and dispatched it. He laughed about it.

At least she is not an escape artist. [Unless we count the time we pulled her off the fence hanging upside down from a wire-I will give her this, she has never tried to bite me when I have extricated her from the pickles she got herself into] She is smart though. Grim was so much easier to train because he just wants to make me happy. She wants to reinvent the wheel and was always trying to change up the game.

[Mrs.K]

Gildo brought a lot of herding instinct but he also went hunting for small prey. Especially rabbits.

[jocoyn]

Don't tell Beau that; he has some Gildo too.

[Mrs.K]

No worries, I won't. ....pssst....Beau...did you year?