I have loved reading all your responses to Jim and his desire to breed GSD. The one thing that struck me, and I am not a breeder, or a professional trainer, or anything like that is this: sometimes the desires we have in our heart are good, but we mess them up by rushing to make them happen. Jim, The bottom line is that you must love the dogs you are wanting to breed and have thier welfare at heart first and the welfare of the breed. If you rush ahead and try to dive in before you have sufficient experience you could have a real disaster on your hands. Pups that are not what you thought they would be and no one to take them.
How will your other dogs do with these dogs you want to guard your property and make sure the intruder is taken down?
My advise, as an observer is this, go slowly, even if you think you are ready, go slowly. I believe dogs need to have a caregiver and trainer with their best intersts at heart. They are more than machines to do what we want them to do, though we do train them to be obedient. My heart is sad for the dogs that are purchased with our goals in mind and not much research or learning done by the owners. WHen things get really rough, they are basically abandoned with half their training done, then passed on from family to family and eventually probably put down because they are given the label of "bad" dog. I am concerned about the dogs you may get too soon.
I am sorry I do not even know how to express what I am feeling as I read your posts, an excitement for you, a new adventure a new desire, but a sadness because I did not hear once about your love for dogs or their breed.
Perhaps Ed could interject his life of experience with breeding and raising dogs. One thing you can tell about Ed is that he loves dogs and he loves the dogs he raises and his goal is to better the breed. I am scared for you and your prospective dogs if you rush ahead too soon. Please, there is not "one book" that can give you all you need to know about breeding, you need life experience and time to develop your program.
just my two cents.
Sharon Empson

Just a question - given this large assembly of protective dogs at large in your fenced in area, could be seen as target practice or a poisoning opportunity for some punk?

Kind of a challenge due to the sheer biomass of dogs. Just wondering if all these fortifications could increase your likelihood of being singled out for trouble.

I would be sure to patrol the fence each day and ensure its integrity due to liablity concerns should they get out, particularly if you are regularly "invaded" by bicyclists who tend to incite dogs by just pedaling by.

The Kuvasz breed has fascinated me for the last few years, and I was very close to researching breeders to try and locate a quality dog, but I went with another GSD instead. Everything about them just interests me. Ancient breed, power, protect pack, if I were not training in SchH I would absolutely look hard at this breed.

Before I reply to each of the comments individually let me express my gratitude for sharing your knowledge and experience.

Additionally, let me express a political view as it seems politics dominates the dog world as it does the real world. Philosophically I think Mike J. Schoonbrood has expressed a viewpoint that is completely consistent with my own. In regard to 'blood' I am an extremist. I am not looking to breed for profit not that I am averse to making money. But that's not what is driving me.

Someone mentioned the L word, love and that I've not used the L word; if you refer back to my first post I did in fact use the L word. However, I don't think love should play a role in good dog breeding. In fact, I would be inclined to put dogs down as puppies if they didn't meet certain criteria so as to stop the proliferation of inferior genes. Genes interest me a lot and I'm interested in better genes not weaker ones. We have too many 'pets.'

As for the suggested other breed, I thought I was getting that regal, noble line in Pyrs; they are truly great dogs; I enjoy them immensely; and my Blueticks are lots of fun too; talk about spirit; they got it; and they ain't just any ordinary blueticks either they are Gascon Hounds, yet another endangered breed; they are big blueticks not your rabbit hunting midgets but the big cat dogs. More on this later.

I'll respond to your comments individually as I find this discussion most informative.

Thank you.

 Quote: Jim Giles

Someone mentioned the L word, love and that I've not used the L word; if you refer back to my first post I did in fact use the L word. However, I don't think love should play a role in good dog breeding. In fact, I would be inclined to put dogs down as puppies if they didn't meet certain criteria so as to stop the proliferation of inferior genes. Genes interest me a lot and I'm interested in better genes not weaker ones. We have too many 'pets.'

I am a naturalist; in nature only the strong breed the females; the alpha runs off or kills the weaker males; the females have no say in the matter.

I like alpha males; I don't like down breeding excellence.

Thank you.

Jim,

I have not been privy to this thread as I have been away at a 4 day bomb narcotic dog seminar.

With this said - your comment in the previous post indicates a serious lack of understanding of what goes into breeding working dogs - or breeding dogs in general.

You are so far off the map with that comment that I hesitate to go there - in fact I wont.

Nature has never bred ONE police service dog - not one. Man has studied genetics, learn how temperaments and drive go together to effect off spring and then bred working dogs.

As far as your comment on CULLING goes - well I think that's about the dumbest comment I have heard in a long time. To begin with you don't have a clue about what you're doing - then you're going to kill puppies with incorrect genes. You don't even know what correct genes are.

I have bred over 350 litters of German Shepherds - the only reason to cull is for obvious medical problems (IE, pups born with serious birth defects). To say you're going to CULL a puppy because it doesn't have correct genes !!! What kind of bull shit redneck arrogant statement is that?

This thread is closed.

After closing this thread Mr Giles started a new thread. It seems he and I have the same opinion of one another.

While Will deleted the thread I did get a chuckle out of the following quote from the deleted thread:

"You impress me as just another corrupt cop with a big mouth who can dish it out but can't take it.

You smell of the female hormones that obviously dominate this forum."

I have to say that quote made me laugh. Needless to say Mr Giles will no longer be gracing us with this archaic opinions.