Quote: Ingrid Rosenquist

 Quote: Chris Duhon

Well, I don't know about anyone else, but I looooved those pictures on the studs page, didn't see any dogs there though. he he he he he

I'm sorry, what can I say.....bad boy, BAD BOY

LOL, I am female and even I noticed that while they might like their dogs big, they sure like their skirts short ;-)

And their shirts low......geesh a good lookin muscled up, tan guy in BDU pants and combat boots and I might even like the stud page.....hee hee HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!

 Quote: Chris Duhon

There simply is just not enough information available for correct conclusions on the abilities and genetics of this bloodline with out getting on the inside to fully investigate.

<groan> You are bad! Be sure to report back on the biddibility of the line

Chris, you are so unselfish with your knowledge. You are constantly helping people on this forum, the least I could do is check it out for you.......or can I at least go with you? I just hate to see you stretch yourself so thin.

 Quote: Michael_Wise

Chris, you are so unselfish with your knowledge. You are constantly helping people on this forum, the least I could do is check it out for you.......or can I at least go with you? I just hate to see you stretch yourself so thin.

GUYS!!!!!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah, forget about the product being sold, just remember to get the "right" clothing when you go to sell it, be it cars, hamburgers, or now dogs, I guess.

 Quote: Kristen Shepherd

Anyway, like I mentioned before I dont want something enormous!! Just a GSD with a little more substance I guess. I'd be more than happy with one between 90-100 lbs!....

Way too big for a GSD. The substance of a GSD is not his/her weight. It's his working ability, temperament, character, stability, intelligence. I can tell you that if my GSD weighed that much, it wouldn't be something to brag about. I'd be working on slimming him down. If I happened to encounter a GSD that needed rescuing and happened to be way too big height-wise (and therefore weight-wise) for a GSD, that's something entirely different. But I sure would never go looking for one that big intentionally.

Keep to the standard and what really makes for a good GSD. To me, loving the GSD is loving the standard.

Firstly,

The jokers in this thread provided me with a great laugh just when I needed one

Next, to the OP. I know what it is like to want a breed...only with my own modifications I have always been a pointy eared dog fan, but for me a smaller size was something I was very interested in for my purposes.

I have to agree with Sandy and others that we must not go looking to mess with breed standards for our wants and desires. Did you know that there are folks out there breeding mini-labs and goldens for big money? (BTW the dog in my signature is NOT a mini-golden) Just like there are breeders trying to cater to those that want big GSD. These dogs are being bred with $$ in mind, not working ability, temperment, health, breed standard...they are just trying to feed a niche....

If you want a bigger dog, maybe there is another breed that would have the characterisitics you are looking for, instead of trying to mess with the GSD standard.

I was able to find a dog with the drives and size that suited my needs, even though his ears are floppy I still LOVE pointy eared dogs and when I am ready for all that comes with the breed standard including size...I may have one yet

What is your major priority...to have Sch prospect or have a dog you "like the look of"? If it is a Sch prospect, than you may have to comprimize on the "big and fluffy".

JMHO,

 Quote: sandy moore

 Quote: kristen shepherd

Anyway, like I mentioned before I dont want something enormous!! Just a GSD with a little more substance I guess. I'd be more than happy with one between 90-100 lbs!....

Way too big for a GSD. The substance of a GSD is not his/her weight. It's his working ability, temperament, character, stability, intelligence. I can tell you that if my GSD weighed that much, it wouldn't be something to brag about. I'd be working on slimming him down.

Sandy, how big is Lear? How old is he now?

It is a little presumptuous to say you'd be working on slimming him down if he weighed 90lbs...not all 90lb GSDs are fat at all. If you meant if Lear weighed 90lbs, then I apologize.

What would you do (everyone-not just Sandy ) with a dog who wasn't really that tall, not too terribly long, had ribs showing, and did obstacles like a Malinois? Would you dismiss him for being over 90lbs? I don't think 90lbs is that huge for some GSDs, depending upon bone structure. I think Ed's raw menu even uses the example "90lb male".

I think when we dismiss a dog solely on size, whether too big or too small, we are hurting the breed. Just like people who breed 2 mediocre dogs JUST BECAUSE their hips are good, we've hurt the breed in terms of working ability. Weight is just a number, and just one factor. Ever see two people who look to be waaay different sizes and it turns out they weigh the same? Or two people who look the same but one weighs 20lbs more than the other? I have seen 65lb GSDs whose size I envied, until I watched them struggle to do something my 90-something pounder does with absolute ease. There are too many variables to dismiss a dog purely on weight, if we want to maintain true working breeds. First and foremost, CAN THE DOG WORK? If so, then who cares what he looks like or how much he weighs?

Please understand that I am talking about dogs that are just over the standard...not 120-150lb freaks.

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d33/Jenwilliams918/dogs627054-1.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d33/Jenwilliams918/7-9-07060.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d33/Jenwilliams918/dogs627048.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d33/Jenwilliams918/caleb91506036_edited.jpg

I copied some links to pics of my dog so you can all see that I'm not talking about some bizarre, Shiloh/King Shepherd-ish creature, and that 90lbs is not necessarily fat! Caleb is fairly muscular for a GSD, and his head is the size of a cinder block. It absolutely HAS to add to his weight.

It may be possible to go to a good breeder who breeds for all the right reasons and find the occasional larger specimen....maybe. Even then, it would be paramount that everything "health and structure" related is in order. I kept a male puppy from our last litter (my Murphy) because I knew he was going to be pretty darned big, but with all of the drive of our 'normal' pups. I like big dogs too (and I'm a 5'2" chick like the OP), but would never breed them large intentionally for all of the above-mentioned reasons. The hight/weight limits on the working breeds are definitely there for a reason, and I agree that those who breed for size don't pay much attention to anything else. Also, the dogs tend to be overweight so that they can claim a larger size and weight. It's a scary thing from a health perspective. The size of my dog (he's a lean 95 lb Dobe) means that I always have to be that much more aware and careful in regards to exercise and feeding, and he's not going to be used for breeding -ever- because of his size. So far, I'm very pleased with this guy; but I'm very aware of the challenges of working with a large dog with a lot of energy and a strong prey-drive. It can be...um....cumbersome. In spite of having done all my homework, knowing the health of my lines, careful feeding/work, I feel that the jury is still out on how well Murph's big frame will serve him over time. He's got a nice, solid, heavy bone structure but he's still too big for his breed, which puts him at risk.

Kristel, were you replying to me, or did you just click 'reply' after my post?