How easy is it to fix?

[Dainerra]

Pat Trotter asked this question at her seminar last week, so I wanted to toss it out to the GSD breeders. Name the 4 hardest "problems" to fix in your line, #1 being the most difficult (multiple generations to correct, if ever) and #4 being the easiest (see an improvement in only 1 or 2 generations).

After you all have thrown out your ideas, I'll let you know what she said.

[Dainerra]

I had originally posted this under the genetics section, but I'm wondering if anyone even saw it? So I moved it to the general breeding section.

Pat Trotter asked this question at her seminar last week, so I wanted to toss it out to the GSD breeders. Name the 4 hardest "problems" to fix in your breed, #1 being the most difficult (multiple generations to correct, if ever) and #4 being the easiest (see an improvement in only 1 or 2 generations).

After you all have thrown out your ideas, I'll let you know what she said.

[wolfstraum]

From watching dogs train, trial and show:

1. Lack of resilience (ie -hardness, ability to accept corrections in training, stand up to adversity in work)
2. Lack of fight drive (work is a game, if it becomes hard, quitting rather than taking it up a notch)
3. Stablity in nerve strength - environmental and social nerves
4. Propensity of breeders to make fashionable structure over functional structure (ie Frank Lloyd Wright - "Form follows Function") further destroying character and working ability


The easiest to "fix"

1. Color/pigmentation
2. Minor conformation flaws - considering functional structure, not the minutia of show quality - adding more substance overall, toe in/out etc.


All this overshadowed by random greed evidenced by overproduction of poor quality ("just a pet") pups in this breed flooding the market to the point of destruction of the breed and thousands of unfortunate individuals.

Lee

[Whiteshepherds]

Originally Posted by Dainerra

Pat Trotter asked this question at her seminar last week, so I wanted to toss it out to the GSD breeders. Name the 4 hardest "problems" to fix in your breed, #1 being the most difficult (multiple generations to correct, if ever) and #4 being the easiest (see an improvement in only 1 or 2 generations).

1. Hardest: Any illness or defective structural problem passed down through recessive genes or genetic factors we don't completely understand yet. (EPI, Cryptorchidism, HD etc.)

2. Breeder mentality and depth of knowledge as it pertains to their breeding practices.

3. Public opinion

4. Easiest: Temperament, structural, cosmetic and health issues caused by known factors

#2 could be the hardest to change but even a great breeder can't control what he or she doesn't yet understand so I gave it the second spot.

[Andaka]

In the ASL, I would say the hardest thing to fix would be temperament, second would be fronts, third would be bad feet.

The easiest things to fix or add are color and rear angulation (that is why so many ASL's have too long a stifle, it is sooo easy to get.)

[Dainerra]

some very good points so far..
I'll post after a while and tell you her ideas

[BlackthornGSD]

1) Temperament/nerves

2) health

3) conformation

4) drive

[cliffson1]

For the breed of German Shepherd, I agree with Christine's first three in the same order. The fourth one,(drive), is more complicated for me as you can introduce or delete drive, but drive really has to be introduced only if the nerve is present to handle it. But nerve/temperament is clearly first for this breed, it is easiest to lose and hardest to bring back. It should never be compromised. Health has to be broken into the health issues that are inherent in the breed and other health issues that are created as result of bad breeding.

[Doc]

1. Nerve
2. Health
3. Temperament
4. Specific Structure

[Fast]

Who is Pat Trotter?