Breeding Goal For GSD

Photo: Qvido Vepeden
Bred in: CMKU (ČeskoMoravská Kynologická Unie - (CZECH REPUBLIC)) FCI
Date of birth: 11.03.2012
Height / Weight: 65 cm / 43 kg

Dog breeding, alike breeding any other animal, is a dynamic process, and has to have a transparent, clean and meaningful goal. It is important for a breeder to stay focused on the science and art of breeding – especially when it comes to breeding working dogs like German Shepherds that was actually created to work with man and not to be kept with family as a token of status and pride. Successful breeders look back often times to check what are those things that were advised yesterday and are still important today, and what are those that should be filtered out.

With the increasing popularity of the breed – especially after the world war II, breeding GSD became a livelihood for many people around, and the practice is carried out even today. These days the people who do not even understand the breed properly are breeding these dogs to earn a living, which is a serious concern. The result is the rise in the number of backyard breeders who run after look, rather than working ability, still cannot come up with puppies with correct expression and proportion – the two major criterion for 'look'. The concept of breeding for working ability started to diminish at a faster rate; and today there are only a handful of breeders in the world who keep their focus set on the producing structure for actual working ability. DDR Line - East Germany Working GSD Has Maintained Its True Heritage. However, it's less popular.

Fact is that a few original breeders across the globe, who responsibly do it right, can't make money out of breeding German Shepherd Dogs.


Breeding for look:

Breeding for look has only started during the mid 19th century. A trend has developed to breed for look. So-called breeders tend to breed head turner GSDs with rich tan marks, big bones and huge volume. These dogs are much different from what is actually demanded for the working ability. Unlike breeders, who are inclined to produce head turner show piece specimens, the breeders of DDR and Checz lines are way more focused in producing actual German Shepherds that are more effective while working with police, military and sentry etc. and are more able to work under stressful situations, in any environment and in different terrains.

Breeding just for look unfortunately gave rise to a number of problems – especially anatomic, physiological and psychological defects, some of which have gone to such a degree that they are transmitted to progenitors genetically, having balance problems, with back issues and hind quarter issues.


Breeding for working ability: 

The idea of breeding for working ability is gradually fading out with time. Up till the first phase of 1960s German shepherd breeders did not any choice but to breed according to the what was advised – breeding for working ability. But in the fag end of 60's lots of Creative things started to be taken into consideration to produce award winning specimens, that could be further bred with a goal to produce dogs with conformation for championship – rather than for actual workmanship.

Breeding German shepherds for working ability– doesn't necessarily mean that they would have to be bred to work only as shepherds for herding sheep. The goal should to producing dogs that are physically healthy, anatomically perfect and mentally stable to work as army dogs, sentry dogs, police dogs, sniffer or drug detection dogs, and not to be forgotten, as therapy dogs, companion dogs, seeing eye dogs... which means producing specimens to fit in all faucets of work. The breeding goal for original working line is aggressive eradication of dogs with slightest indications of dysplastic hips or elbows and weak temperament. Simultaneously the goal is to breed dogs with straight toplines, large and strong head, strong and bones, perfect agility. The working dogs are bred for innate strength, athleticism and ability to work under stress and in all weather... in one word – a perfect functional dog.

A Note About DDR and Czech Lines German Shepherds 

On the contrary, the DDR Line - Deutsches Demokratische Republik Dogs (German Democratic Republic) – East Germany in English and the Czech lines - German Shepherds in the Czechoslovakian Republic have always been the finest examples of working GSDs. Both there lines used to have a single motive – breeding original working dogs for police and soldiers, and they still carry their heritage with pride.

DDR - Deutsches Demokratische Republik German Shepherds are actually bred for working as border patrol dogs, war dogs, sentry and the likes. In the past most of their training used be carried out during the night for night maneuver exercise sessions. The Diensthundefuehrer ( Dog Team Leader ) used to be responsible for the overall maintenance, care and training of the DDR border patrol dogs. On the other hand in the Czechoslovakian Republic breeding GSDs had just one single goal, and that is breeding original working and service dogs. The breeding for Czech GSDs was carried out in a single highly organized kennel that was owned and maintained by the Czechoslovakian army, with approximately 30 staffs working in the kennel per day. Czech dogs were bred to trigger the ingrained protective instincts and were trained to protect their handlers (border patrol force) when attacked by any illegal intruder. Simultaneously these dogs were also responsible for stopping these offenders while they attempted to escape.


Take away from this chapter 

The breeding goal of German Shepherd Dogs or any working breed should be producing dogs with purpose. Breeding demands immense responsibility – NOT TO EARN A LIVING OR TO WIN CHAMPIONSHIPS. Compared to the yesteryears, today's breeders have loads of scopes to use technology and methods to determine the goods and filter out the bads. Breeding German Shepherds or any other breed should have a well formulated program supported by science and NOT by emotion.
 
A couple of good reads here: The 5 Basic Instincts of German Shepherd Dog that the modern breeders need to restore. It's the need of the hour!

Schutzhund – The Breed Evaluation Test: Developed For German Shepherd Dogs