I'll try to make this short..lol AKC is "Big Business" I applyed to get my kennel name registered..just for the sole purpose that NO one else could use it.. I want my kennel name to be a "Stamp"..on the pups that will be produced here.Not in "Quantity"..."Quality".Their response to me was that I had not had "Enough" litters...in so many years. My response to them was to question..if they had a program in force to inspect breeders..Thats a joke!!!!! ANYONE with a male and female with AKC papers can breed... lol. In steps the puppy farms. What I would like to see happen..is for AKC..to step up to the plate..and require a "show dog" to also compete in working..on some level.It makes me sick to watch.."Westminister"..and the announcer is calling out the breeds.."initial genetic purpose"...That is BULL!! .False Advertisement!! It should be STOPPED!! USA has some good goals set...but they are way out of bounds in ref to the potential breeder that is not able to title both parents.That would be me.If they stand on this..there will be a small gene pool.that people will buy from...or breed to. RESULT...will be abnormalities..Same as horses...whether racing or show. Candace

It isn't a matter of 'big business' it is called meeting their requirements.

5 litters in 5 years. Thats not an impossible task. That does not fit the profile of a puppy mill. It is a rule. It is not one you need to like, but it is what it is. 5 litters in 5 years can be obtained with a single brood bitch. They have that requirement to keep the passive person who thinks they might start breeding to make a little money (who will consequently quit in a year or two) from registering kennel names that won't be in existance for more than a passing whim. The kennel name is registered for 5 years.

If you have produced less than that amount it is quite unlikely that there are people just waiting to steal your valuable kennel name, people try to steal ones with a valuable production record.

5 litters in 5 years doesn't cut it.

Not to mention, the DO inspect kennels. Not all, but they DO, their inspections consist of record keeping, housing, identification, etc.

If you breed and register your litters, they have the right to inspect you at any time.

The rest of your tirade I generally agree with...

I agree with the minimum litter requirements, for just the reason Deanna outlined. It keeps the pretenders from clogging up the kennel registry.


I'm in the same boat though, I can't register my kennel name. . .and I don't plan on breeding more than 2 litters in the next few years.

Tough noogies!!

Candace, If you don't like the system then don't breed in the first place! It's that simple. There are already too many GSDs out there.

Okay..I agree with the 5 litters in 5 years.I had only 3 that were test litters...which I learned a great deal from. As far as the inspections..they do periodically check housing ;records etc.for a specific reason...usually a problem. The inspection I was talking about was for the many breeders..who base their breeding upon simply having the registration certificates..and breed relentlessly because the male and female have "papers".No research done.Pups are sold to someone who always wanted a certain breed and the dog is screwed up..genetically and physically.So in essence, I am saying that AKC should set forth a standard somehow to inspect the breeders intentions..for the registered male and female...instead of just passing out certificates for a few dollars.Not to control them..but educate them. BUT that won't work either because there are so many of those breeders that get by financially..because they have a litter that will financially make ends meet...to buy school clothes etc etc. Yes It highly upset me when my kennel name was not approved..The "slam dunk"..lol came at the same time when I finally got all the paperwork together on the import bitch that I did not own who is the dam of my two cornerstone pups.I did alot of footwork..lol God Bless Sabine with the SV..for getting her Beschienigung out.The dams name is Jana von der Prachtallee.She was imported and co-owned..then owned by the previous co-owner..rated SG one time out..then the owner had problems..bred her..she killed her first litter..not her fault.I walked the second owners through how to treat her..she had that litter..I purchased two.No one will ever know the full potential of Jana as she is with people who are totally screwed up..drugs/alcohol.She fell through the cracks because of peoples circumstances.The sire of my pups fell through the cracks as well.Jazena is one of the pups of Jana.She will be two next April.I purchased a male to be specifically bred to her...in the future.He will be two next month.His name is Boss vom Friebele Froi.He placed in the top three in three different regionals last year.Due to circumstances again..I have been blessed.My main concern..is when I breed..Will the pups coming out of untitled parents..stand a chance..and fall into the right hands. I DO NOT care about sales. As far as the "System" goes..I am always one to "Buck up" lol. Candace

Candace, no one that gives a crap about doing anything with their dogs will buy from untitled parents, unless they have seen the dogs in action. There are already dozens on dogs from German lines in shelters, so why create more? I think you need to concentrate on treating your dogs better before you go creating MORE of them. Get them off of that pedigree crap, title them (even in obedience is something), think long and hard about why people would actually want to buy a dog from you. Frankly I can't see any reason except if you sell your dogs for the lowest amount of money and then the dogs are going to suffer tremendously!

What are your goals for your breeding program? I can't see anything beyond producing puppies, and that makes you no better than the puppy mills you rant about.

If you try and "Buck up" a system that has been used to breed GSDs for over 100 years and was put in place by the founder, you will inevitably "F- up" your dogs. Just start volunteering for rescue if you don't believe me.

Lauren,I appreciate your bluntness. I have been involved with rescue but no longer want to be a part of it...as the amount of dogs and horses that need to be rescued will only go up...due to people and lack of knowledge and compassion/understanding of the individual animal.Even though I have been approached many times on training.."Basics" I refused and gave advice.My time is consumed with training my dogs.It warms my heart..totally when they go to an accomplished trainer (so -called) lol and in the end..they pull their dog..and ask again the simple advice I gave them..in which they utilize and it works for their dog. Lauren, I do not plan on having any litters in the near future.Possibly one..maybe. with my one and only american bred shepherd crossed with a "select" sire (AKC lingo).That breeding is a work in progress..None of the pups will be sold "Cheap"..The placement of the pups will be correct.....for the purpose of the future of both sire and dam.SAR and AKC showing. Lauren ,you are right about Titling my dogs...that also is a work in progress.With Hans ( Jana's son by a Steffenhaus male line etc)..I will easily put a CD on him...then give him time to mature.His sibling Jazena was mature the day she was born..lol Females usually are lol.A CD on her would be easy... Danka who is by a "Select" american shepherd out of an import bitch..JUST to improve the ligaments by two well -known American exibitors/breeders...Danka is 9 months old.I really feel sorry for her dam whom has been bred limited to improve american shepherds..and she has has not been able to show her individual potential.She is not titled.But she has been in the right hands.She is a Shanto's Xano daughter out of Merto's Palme. Danka could easily get a CD..but I am sitting back and observing her hardness..pack wise..carefully.Boss by Indo vom Geesthugel whom is by Vando vom Moorbeck is out of a wonderful..solid line of Kirschental...is also a work in progress.You had asked me what are my goals in my breeding program.Do you know that there are many police departments that don't have the budget of 15,000 dollars plus to import a dog already trained in tracking..whether it be drugs..or bombs..or cadaver work..and water work? My future breeding "Program" is not emphasising on what titles my dogs can achieve..and a metal on my back...so I can sell for Big Bucks.That is not my agenda. Candace

I hate to break it to you, buy you need to quit smoking whatever you have if you think that any police department is going to want an American line dog! Most of the people I know that want a pet don't even want an American line dog!

It sure sounds like you don't have any goals for your breeding program, other than produce more mediocre pups, the same kinds that the shelter is already full of. The average shelter dog can get a CD too. To be able to justify breeding IMO you need to show that your dogs are SIGNIFICANTLY better than the best dog that is put to sleep because of lack of homes.

If you really want to help police departments quit breeding so they have less crap to wade through. I have seen way too many people like you that want to produce pets and nothing more. They are called BYBs. Sorry, the rhetoric is just too familiar.

Lauren, I can't understand why you are being so hard on her. Sure, it's not the way most working dog kennels operate, but so what. Think of the upsides. Police dogs everywhere are stuck in their crates or tagging along with their handlers during their off hours. Imagine how much more fun they'd have trecking off to Westminster on the weekends. They would be the ultimate K-9 embassador, and then everyone would want a GSD.

lol