Steve wrote: "Is it not true that Max Von Stephanitz used nothing but pure herding dogs to produce the German Shepherd, even though their were plenty of “Attack” breeds in the country at the time."
I don't think you understand Steve. Once again you make the mistake that the German shepherd's dogs were not protection dogs as well. And no, Max did not use only herding dogs, he also used dogs that were herding dogs that did other jobs.
What "attack" breeds are there that do not come from herding dogs used on cattle or sheep. . .I don't think there is one. . .other than some of the Mastiff breeds.
Rottweilers, Giant Schnauzers, Belgian Shepherds, Bouvier, Beauceron, Doberman. . .I can't think of one. They were all formed from herding and guarding stock right around the same time into the "attack" breeds we have today.
In continental Europe there were two types of herding dogs (basically) droving dogs and tending dogs. Most of our working breeds come from those two disciplines. . .disciplines that included protection duties. . .from bad people.
The Old German herding dog IS also a protection dog. Protecting his flock and shepherd from thieves, bandits, robbers, killers, vagabonds etc.
By the 1900s there were almost no preditory animals left in most parts of rural Germany. . .or most of the rest of continental Europe. The guarding job spoke of was guarding and protecting the flock and handler from people.
You need to do some research to understand what that old herding dog is. He was also an attack dog. The HGH, a herding title, still contains a protection test in the examination. And untill not so long ago it required the dog to BITE, or attack, in order to protect the handler.
You are assuming that the "pure herding dog" was something different than the herding dog who is trained for a different type of work. Same animal, same charateristics necessary, same drives, different training.
I don't know if Horand carried the white gene, but it has nothing to do with the argument.
I said that it is a natural color produced among the working lines, untill it was culled from them. It isn't the color of the dog that makes it bad, it is the breeding and genetics of selecting dogs using only the criteria of color that makes them bad.
Just because there are a few colored dogs in history that can work doesn't mean that bloodlines of entirely white dogs bred by pet and show people can work now. There is NO working line of white german shepherds. If there were still working lines that produced white GSDs then there would be white dogs that can work, but there are not.
Max culled white GSD puppies, BTW.