Breeding for vigor

[Blanketback]

This is taken from Ernest H. Hart's The German Shepherd Dog (pg. 92):

"Four important characteristics must be incorporated in your breeding lines if you wish to gain the greatest good from their potential:

1. Vigor: Loss of hardiness or vigor with its allied ills such as lower resistance to diseases, appetite loss, finicky eating habits, etc. must be
diligently guarded against."

I found this very interesting, since I too have a "finicky eater" and I assumed that I had created this little fussy monster. Either that, or he just doesn't like his food, or it didn't agree with him...I have a few excuses, lol! But what do you think? I always thought "vigor" meant healthy, with good stamina. I didn't think it related to the notorious fussy eater that the GSD can sometimes be.

[Liesje]

I know of a few breeders who take food drive very seriously, even to the extreme (looking FOR some level of food aggression...puppies that are *really* pushy about food and extremely possessive of it).

[Wild Wolf]

When you think about it, vigor keeps animals alive without us. Lower resistance to disease would get a dog killed quickly living out on it's own, appetite loss and finicky eating habits will leave a dog picking at scraps at the end of the day and therefore will be malnourished and likely waste away.

Those may seem like insignificant things, but they can mean the difference between life and death if left to fend for themselves.

[holland]

I am not sure owners don't sometimes just create fussy eaters though-my current dogs have always been good eaters-but Ror's food drive has increased as she has gotten older-have no idea why-maybe it was just training

[carmspack]

look at vigor as the ability to thrive , not just survive.

[carmspack]

this is vigor --- Carmspack Trust Urban Tracking Dog Excellent 12 years old and looking GREAT !!! http://birchbarkhill.blogspot.ca/

[Blanketback]

She's beautiful - Happy 12th Birthday, Trust!!

It's interesting to me, to think that the "finicky eating habits" could be something genetic, or at least something that you could try to breed out - if I'm reading it correctly.

[cliffson1]

Food drive is a primary drive....as is sex drive. There are dogs with very weak libidos and very easily intimidated in trying to breed....these things are good barometers for knowing your going in the wrong direction in breeding.