May 23, 2011

My GSD is blue and I am wondering would it be best for the working lines to not breed him even if he is titled and scores high on his hip x-rays?

Full Question:
I just recently ordered your DVD regarding Building Drive and am can't wait to receive it. I have a 9 month old GSD purchased from a reputable breeder. My original intention was to have a GSD with good hips and sound temperament. The breeder strives for those qualities as well. While vacationing in October, I had the breeder board him, and when I picked him up she said he is a strong candidate for getting a sch title. My question is regarding the fact that he is a Blue. The spectrum of opinion ranges from people thinking he should be neutered to a sub sect of people that breed for blues, whites and livers specifically (and in my opinion irresponsibly). I understand that a blue is a serious fault for a show dog, but it is not a disqualifier. I hope that my dog Quint von der Graf, aka Lobo (DN18638602), will be judged, when he trials (sch), for his ability and not his coloring. He has strong drives, a strong desire to please me, and hard, full grips. I am a member of a multi-breed sch club in Pine Bush, NY. I love the people and dogs, and it has become the locus of my hobby/social life.

My main question is regarding breeding him when he gets his titles (I plan on going up to Sch3) and satisfactory OFA certifiation. Would it be best for the working lines to not breed him even if he is titled and scores high on his hip x-rays? And I don't want to breed him just because some people think blues are cool--strictly because of temperament and hip scores. He is a great grandson of Troll Vom Haus Milinda and Grim Z Pohranicni Straze.

I love your site and have spent many hours on it already.

Respectfuly,
Bill
Cindy
Cindy Cindy's Answer:
The color or look of the dog is not judged in Schutzhund events. The dog and handler are judged on how well they execute the exercises.

We would never breed a blue dog, I know some people may but blue or liver colored GSDs are not what we want to incorporate into our breeding program. In Dobermans (which used to be my breed) the blue coloring goes hand in hand with a multitude of health and skin problems. In my opinion, there are plenty of great dogs out there with correct color and pigment to use for breeding. I think you should train your dog and have a great time with him. He sounds like a nice dog.

Thanks for the kind words, and let me know if I can help you out with any training materials in the future.

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Expert Dog Trainer Cindy Rhodes
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