Would Max be Proud of what his Breed has Become?

[robk]

Originally Posted by Konotashi

Last night I got to thinking - would Max von Stephanitz be proud of what the German shepherd dog is today?

I can honestly say that I don't know enough about the origins of the breed to say that he would or wouldn't, but here's a few things I was wondering.

What do you think he would think of how popular his breed is? The good and the bad? (BYBs, the good breeders, etc.) Do you think he would be upset that so many GSDs are simply 'pets' rather than out in the field?

What do you think he would think of the different lines?

What do you think would be his preferred line?

Do you think he'd like how the dogs today LOOK?

Anything else you guys would like to add? I didn't get much sleep last night; I know there was more I wanted to add to this....

Anyway - thoughts?

Yes, I think he would be proud. For all the problems in the breed, its still probably the most successful breed in the last 100 years. Sure there are many dogs with no working ability and there are major health issues in the breed, but most popular breeds have these same types of problems. In general, there is no other dog that I would rather have and if you want a working dog there are tons of great people breeding great dogs.