Yep, I didn't think I was alone when I wondered about this. Makes me feel normal anyway. I often feel guilty for not rescuing dogs in need of love and attention. Especially after seeing one. I used to just wonder through my local shelter but it became too painful knowing that most of them have a future appointment with a needle. I've been trying to get into working with animals for awhile now with no success. It's a poor mans way of surrounding himself with love and affection only dogs can give. Wish I had tried earlier in life because I'm now 50 and life feels like it's slipping away fast. After all nobody wants to hire a 50 year old anymore. I do have an interview with a nearby city as an animal control officer in the morning. I'm crossing my fingers. Maybe, someday I'll find that special woman that's a dog crazy as I am too. I know it's too much to ask. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Glenn

Glenn, my coach at that time ( Gottfried Dildei ) was a GSD trainer and while he would train anybody, he prefered to work with GSD's as he understood their drives the best.
And as he pointed out to me, SchH was originally created with GSD's in mind, so GSD's would naturally do best at it..........which seemed true up until Mal's started winning so frequently, lol.

Thanks Will. I wonder what Max himself would think about the Mals? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Glenn

Glen, to answer two of your questions here. First, Connie gave a pretty good explination of earthdogs. To be a little more specific, any dog that hunts it's quarry under ground is an earth dog. Most are terriers. A few are Daschunds.
My two (Border Terrier and JRT) are pretty much retired now. The Border is two old and the JRT is to beat up from a Kamikazi life style. He's never used the back steps on our deck (5ft above ground) or the lader to get out of my sons tree house, 10ft above ground. I've had 5 different terrier breeds in the last 30+ yrs, show dogs, competition dogs, hunting dogs, pets, and would never give them up in their retirement. I do understand people that do this. It's just not a part of my makeup. As Connie said. I know MANY people that work terriers, that have found good homes for the ones to old to hunt. The traditiona method of "retiring" a working terrier is to put a bullet in it's head on a last final dig, and bury it in the hole you just dug it out of. The "honorable" <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> way of ending their hunting days. Unfortunately, there are a few that still do it this way. My dogs have always spent their last days getting spoiled as house dogs. Now....if I can just get my JRT to stop whippin my GSD's butt once a month. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I was born with a working GSD in the house and I'll die with a working GSD in the house.

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Now....if I can just get my JRT to stop whippin my GSD's butt once a month.

Hehe.... my brothers little terrier mix try’s the same thing. What is it with the little guys? Total Napoleon complex, he respects my Husky but seems to think my GSD is there solely for his entertainment... probably a smarter dog than I give him credit for, the husky would love an excuse to make a snack out of him.

I'm definately with you on that VC. Thunder is my first working GSD, but if I live long enough, he wont be my last. I love my terriers, but DAMN! What have I been doing the last30+ yrs?!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Take Robert VanCamp's response and insert "border collie" wherever you see "GSD"... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

My family had Shelties while I was growing up (my parents still do, in fact.) The first dog I ever trained was a Sheltie for obedience (like shooting fish in a barrel, really.) I had always been a border collie fan, though- the blame for that can be equally divided between being a lover of working dogs in general and a built-in enjoyment of anything Scottish. So as soon as the timing was right I brought a border collie home.

There have been times in recent memory that I have been sorely tempted by those "ugly brown dogs," and FR has come DANGEROUSLY close to usurping sheepherding as my fave dog sport. I even had a sweetheart of a Mal in my home for about six weeks and it nearly broke my heart when he left. But......I can say with all honesty that I will never be without a border collie by my side. I may or may not ever have that coveted Ring III dynamo I've wanted for years but my heart tells me that I have found my breed.

although i didn't sell my previous dogs, i've switched from german shepherds to a dutch shepherd and love him...

I had several breeds of dogs growing up. I was a APBT fan in the 80's. I started into scenthounds in 95' and I had beagles, coonhounds, coyote hounds. I enjoyed this but over the course of 10 yrs all requried expenses, time, effort, frustration of breeding ,training really got to me <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> I sold out all my hunting dogs this year and purchased a Mal pup. Couldnt be happier with the pup; Sasha is doing great and is so nice to have only one dog to train and care for. I am glad I did my homework and jumped at the opportunity to purchase this pup. I was looking at AB or another breed, but glad I bought a well bred Mal from working lines.