©  Copyright 2007. The information is copyright. It may not be reproduced without permission from the author Dennis Fisher email denline@lantic.net Permission will be granted to reproduce the contents or certain sections if acknowledgement is made of the website details http://www.freedogadvice.com

 

The conflict between breeders of show dogs and breeders who concentrate on breeding working dogs.

An in-depth study and comparison of German Shepherd Dog  Show Bloodlines and German Shepherd Working bloodlines

                                by Dennis Fisher.

A huge gap exists today  between Show German Shepherds and Working German Shepherds.   Breeders of the two groups follow completely different paths.

Is it possible to find a way to bridge this gap?

  An important question for all serious German Shepherd Dog breeders

Is it  still possible to  breed top-quality, dual-purpose German Shepherd Dogs today that can win Breed Shows and also  excel in Working Trials?

 

Many believe it is virtually impossible, at the present time, to breed a dog that can win top honors in the Breed ring and  also excel in Working Trials.  They feel it is an unrealistic, unattainable goal. 

Few would argue, however, that if it could be achieved, it would certainly be very beneficial for the breed.   

Are you are someone who feels it is impossible to change the present situation, unsatisfactory as it is?    Or are you an optimist, like I am, who believes something can and should be done?

The present situation should not be allowed to continue.  It is important to find a way  to bridge the gap between German Shepherd Dog Breeders who concentrate on breeding show dogs and working dog enthusiasts, who focus on breeding dogs that perform well in Working trials, regardless of their construction.           

The “von Stephanitz” objective

When the breed was originally founded by von Stephanitz, more than one hundred years ago in 1899, the declared and primary objective was to breed an animal that was not only physically appealing but also useful.

 Von Stephanitz made it abundantly clear that the German Shepherd Dog was essentially a working dog.  His  views with regard to the importance of breed shows   – and he judged a great number in many parts of the world - were just as definite: 

“The efficiency for work must count far more with the Shepherd Dog Breeder than the honors of the show ring ..."

 The views of von Stephanitz have been so well publicized over the years, most serious breeders of German Shepherds, all over the world, are well aware of the original purpose for which the German Shepherd was bred.   

 It is an unfortunate fact however, that many breeders today, in their efforts to produce animals that will attain high honors in the show ring,  choose to ignore this.   

 The reason for this is clear and understandable.    In order to breed animals that will excel in the present-day highly competitive show ring, it is necessary for these breeders to use, almost exclusively,  what are known as “show lines” .  

 In order to breed an animal with the desired, angulation, shape and the spectacular ground-covering gait necessary to achieve the highest honors, they concentrate on “show lines” and completely ignore “working bloodlines”.

Many serious-minded breeders are aware that, by doing so, they  are often  obliged to sacrifice a great deal, especially with regard to temperament.

 It is an unfortunate fact,  that a number of animals that enjoy marked success in the show ring, do not have the bold, self-confident, fearless temperament and natural protective instinct that is such a desirable feature of the breed and an essential requirement of the working Shepherd.

It is true, that in order to achieve high honors at shows, and certainly at the annual German S.V. Bundessiegerzuchtshau -  Breed show-  males must have SchH3 working qualifications.  

But the poor performance of many animals, in the  “test of courage” at recent Sieger shows, even though they do have these SchhH 3 qualifications, is an indication that this qualification  is not  always a  reliable indication of the animals courage and  protective instinct.

 On the other hand, most top working dogs perform exceptionally well in this phase of the working trials.  Their temperaments are very much harder and they work with tremendous enthusiasm.

 In addition to their tremendous energy, intelligence, self-assurance and willingness to work, most competitors in the Working trials display the very desirable, natural, in-born, protective, guard-dog instinct  often lacking in many of the top show dogs

Even though there are many   “Show” breeders who admire these qualities and would like to include them in their breeding programs, they are reluctant  to do so.  The reason for this is because, in appearance, most modern “working dogs” do not conform to the accepted breed standard with regard to  conformation, angulation, body proportions and structure.

 It is unfortunate that the great majority of Working dog breeders appear to have adopted the policy favored by many architects -   “form follows function”.   To a very large extent, most working dog breeders ignore the breed standard.   

It important to keep in mind that the official Breed standard for the German Shepherd Dog,  - unlike that of many other breeds -  is not based on arbitrary, aesthetic considerations  It is based on purely,  practical considerations.

The flying, ground-covering gait,  an essential requirement for  top breed winners,  can only be achieved if the animal possesses the correct angulation both front and rear.  This is  very clearly described in the breed standard.

 The oft-quoted phrase:  “If  a German Shepherd is built correctly,  the animal  will move correctly”,  may have become something of a cliché, but it is has  sound factual basis.

 The  desired angulation, both front and rear,  as clearly described in the standard, is based on   mechanical principles.   Ideally, it provides for an effortless gait that allows the maximum efficiency of movement with the minimum of effort.

 The problem with too many “show breeders” is that they focus so much on gait and the structure necessary to achieve the much-admired harmonious movement, they pay too little attention to the equally important quality of temperament.

Working dog breeders are also at fault, but for a different reason.    They place too much emphasis on highly developed, dynamic,  extreme,  “prey” drive, and ignore many of the basic requirements of a well-structured Shepherd.

 As a result,  there is at present  a very sharp division between those breeders who breed animals  intended for the show ring and breeders, who have no interest at all in the show ring, but whose main objective is to breed animals that will excel in working trials.

At the present time, there are virtually no working dogs of note with the physical structure, angulation and appearance to enable them to compete with any degree of success in the breed ring

Neither are there dogs with “show bloodlines” able to compete successfully and achieve high marks  in working trials.

 This is the unfortunate  situation today and it has been so for some time.   In recent years no more than a handful of working German Shepherd Dogs have competed in the annual  German Sieger “Breed” Shows.   And not one of them has been highly placed.

 Most breeders of show dogs today  are understandably  reluctant to use  top “working dogs”.    And it  can  be appreciated why most  working dog breeders do not  use  show dogs in their breeding programs.

 There are a number of reasons for this unfortunate state of affairs.  It  has continued for a long time and  recently  appears to have become even worse    

Even though the situation does appear to gloomy and the possibility of   bridging the gap between the two groups seems  unlikely,  it is important to remember  that the situation wasn’t always like this.  The division was not as marked in the 1980’s and early 1990’s as it is today.

If we can pinpoint the reasons for the deterioration in the situation, it may perhaps be possible to find ways to bring  about the necessary changes.

                   AN EXAMINATION OF RESULTS IN THE “BUNDESSIEGERPRUFUNG” - 
                   (THE ANNUAL WORKING TRIALS) -  HELD IN GERMANY EVERY YEAR

 An examination of show results in the 1980’s and early 1990’s will reveal that there were a considerable number of dogs with “show bloodlines” that competed in the annual working trials.  Some of them did  well  in these working trials and were well placed.

 However, if we examine the results in the last few year, and study  the pedigrees of the SIRES of the animals entered, we will find  there were very few animals with clearly  identifiable “show” bloodlines in the last three generations, were  even entered in these Working dog competitions.

If we study the pedigrees of the DAMS  of the dogs entered, we will find the name of an occasional well-bred bitch from show lines  featured.

This is a very sad reflection on the working ability of our modern breed winner.  Why are working dog breeders not making use of them?

It is an interesting exercise to examine  some of the  photographs of the dogs placed first at recent Bundessiegerprufung (Working dog Competion) held annually - the dogs awarded the Sieger title,

It is  also very revealing to examine the pedigrees of these Siegers  and note the almost complete absence of top quality breed dogs in the last three generations.  On rare occasions the names of breed dogs appear in the fourth generation.    How did this situation arise and what can be done to correct it?

Below are details about seven recent working Siegers, starting from last year, 2007,. and going back to 2001.    

BUNDESSIEGERPRUFUNG 2007

The winner of the Sieger title in 2007 was  Falko vom Wolfsblick.

                     

                          Sieger 2007 "Falko vom Wolfsblick"

Falko is a handsome, very well pigmented German Shepherd with an outstanding working temperament, but he is certainly not an animal that would do even reasonably well at breed shows.  But then his breeder had no intention of breeding a dog that could compete at both levels.

FALKO'S PEDIGREE

His Sire "Falk von der Wolfen", also an outstanding working dog, was a slightly better breed specimen and once received a V rating, but he was also a dog that would be completely overlooked  at  important breed shows.

His Dam "Luna Westfalenpross" was also not  a well-constructed animal from the point of breed. She only received a "G"  rating.

One has to go back in  Falko's pedigree four generations to find evidence of   even one top quality breed specimen - Wanko v.d. Maaraue.

BUNDESSIEGERPRUFUNG 2006

The winner of the Sieger title in2006 was Caro vom  Morfelder Land 

                           

Here again, it is  clear  from the photograph that the sable  Caro would certainly not be well placed in a breed show, not because of his colour, but because of his general construction.

Interestingly enough, the  conformation, from a breed persepctive, of  his Sire Branko vom Salztalblick is reasonably good and he did receive a V grading at one breed show.  Branko was sired by a well known producer of quality working dogs Rocky von den Zingelgarten.

                                                

                                                        Branko vom Salztalblick

Caro's Dam, Buffy vom Morfelder Land was only graded S.G

An examination of the pedigree of Caro reveals no breed dog of any note for five generations.

BUNDESSIEGERPRUFUNG 2005

                            

The winner of the Sieger title in 2005 was Ellex vom Salztalblick, whose breeding was very similar to that of the 2006 winner Caro vom Morfelder Land.   He was sired by Rocky von den Zingelgarten.

Examination of  the pedigree of Ellex  shows one has to go back four generations to find evidence of a dog with a good breed background, Uwe von Kirschental.   Uwe himself was not a dog that distinguished himself in the breed ring.  He was essentially a fine working dog, but his bloodlines represent an interesting mixture of breed and working stock.

BUNDESSIEGERPRUFUNG 2004

                      2004 Sieger  Falco vom Guldenen Winkel

                     

The winner of the Sieger title in the Bundessiegerprufung for 2004, Falco vom Guldenen Winkel, pictured above, and owned by the world authority on training German Shepherd dogs for competion, Dr. Helmut Raiser.  Falco would certainly not do well in a breed show.   This is not surprising  when one examines his pedigree.  

One has to go back to the fifth generation to find the name of a  breed dog like "Bernd v. Lierberg" and to the seventh and eight generation to find names of top quality breed dogs like Jalk v. Fohlenbrunnen  and  Klodo aus der Eremitenklause.

Dr. Raiser has  of course been competing  in the Bundessiegerprufung  for years  and has a remarkable success record. On numerous occasions dogs he owned and trained were either placed first or placed in the top ten.

It should be pointed out that Dr. Raiser was not the breeder of these dogs, he was  trainer and owner.  For example  the winner of the Working Dog Sieger title in 1982 was  Drechsler vom Warnautal, an exceptionally fine working dog whose winning score was a remarkable 298.   The dog was bred by  Karl-Heinz Schmitz.

Drechsler's pedigree did not include the names of any well-known breed specimens.  He received  a S.G. not a V grading and he was not a dog that would have been ignored at a breed show.

There were other dogs however, that Dr. Raiser owned that were very well bred.  One particualr  dog that comes to mind was Heck v. Godewind.   Heck was also an exceptionally good working dog and was placed second at the 1970 Bundessiegerprufung.   Bred by Helmut Dreistadt, his  breeding represented the very best breed show lines.  His Sire was the 1967 Sieger Bodo and his Dam,  Gunda von Godewind was a daughter of the 1962 Sieger "Mutz aus der Kuckstrasse".

BUNDESSIEGERPRUFUNG 20003

The winner of the title this year was Attaque von der Adelegg  pictured below.

                       

Here again we have a superb working dog, but one that could never hope to be well placed in a breed show.  His grading was only G.  Attaque's pedigree reveals no breed animals of any note for four generations with the exception of the well-bred "Fanto v. Aminius",   It is therefore not surprising that his conformation was not that of a well-bred breed specimen.

BUDESIEGERSSPRUFUNG 2002

The working class Sieger in 2002 was  Anosch von Adelmannsfelder

                   

Anosch , with his high wither, good hind angulation and well-developed chest, presents quite an attractive picture in show stance.   He is a very well pigmented dark grey sable, a colour that I  personally find very attractive even though there are not many to be seen in breed shows.  In fact one of my favorite breed dogs - the Reserve Sieger Timmo v. Berrekasten - is similar in colouiring.

His movement from, a breed perspective however,  was not satisfactory as his back was very loose and he lacked forward reach and hind thrust.

Even though he was graded Koer class 1, his show rating was only G.

The Sire of Anosch was Boris vom Saltztalblick - bred by one of the best known breeds of working dogs.    Boris was graded on Koer class 2 with a show grading of G.   His Dam, Beike von der Treppelmuhle was koerclass 1, but also received a G grading.

The pedigree of Anosch shows no well-bred  breed dogs of any quality in four generations, with the exception of  the Munko v. Hasenborn son Into zum Adelingen Holze, a dog I happened  to know.

here again we have an example of  of one the best known working kennels - the Salztalblick kennels of  Willi Muller - neglecting breed dogs competely in his breeding programme

BUNDESSIEGERPRUFUNG 2001

The winner of the working dog Sieger title in 2001 was Bastin vom Kokeltal.

                        

                         2001  Working Class Sieger Bastin vo Kokeltal

Bastin was an exceptionally good working dog that was a consistent winner  in working trials  in Germany and was later imported into the United States where he continued his remarkable successes.

Bastin did receive a Koerclass 1 rating and he was graded S.G but he was not an animal that could have competed in breed shows.  His Sire, Bernt vom Bamberger Domplatz who was graded only Koerclass 2  as was his Dam, Fatma vom Teuchwald.

Bastin's pedigree  shows one breed show quality animal, Wanko v.d. Maaraue, who appears in the third  generation.  It is quite amazing how often  the name of Wanko - who was V.A. 11 in 1981- appears in the pedigrees of the very best working animals.   Why the working breeders didn't  use other top breed animals  as well as  Wanko is something of a mystery.

From this brief survey of the working class winners at  recent German National working dog competitions, the Bundessiegerprufungs, from 2001 to 2007,it will be clear that these seven animals - although superb working dogs - were certainly not breed specimens of  any merit.  Their  breeders obviously paid little or no attention to the construction as laid down by the breed standard.

But this  was not always the case. Below you will find photographs of  some earlier Siegers and highly placed working dogs that were also good breed specimens.   The reason for this is because the working  dog breeders at the time made use of top breed dogs.  

Let us turn back the clock to 1974.

BUNDESSIERGER PRUFUNG 1974

The winner of the Sieger title in 1974 was Enno v. Antrefftal bred by Helmut Merle and owned by one of the most successful  trainers in the history of the Working compeition, Fritz Biehler.

It  will be clear from this photograph - taken more than thirty years ago - that Enno would not be completely overlooked at a breed show even today. He had an excellent Koer reports, was rated Koer class 1 with a V rating.  Enno was later imported to the United States.

If we examine Enno's pedigree it will be clear why he was both an excellent working dog and also a good breed specimen   His Sire, discussed elsewhere on this website, was the important V.A. dog - V.A. 8 in 1969 - Frei v.d. Gugge, - a dog with an exceptionally good temperament.

His Dam, "Fee vom appenhainer Forst"  was also an exceptionally well-bred animal, whose bloodlines went back to the V.A. rated Jonny v.d. Riedperle, a son of the 1955 Sieger "Alf v. Nordfelsen"

Illustrated below is a photographs of  Enno's father, the highly rated Frei v.d. Gugge.

 

                           

                                                Frei v.d. Gugge

The Sire of Frei. - Chlodo vom Schloss Dalhausen - grandson of one of the pillars of the breed Hein von Richterbach -  was also a good show specimen, V 23 at the 1966 Sieger Show.

The Dam of Frei,"Connie v.d. Gugge" was also a V rated animal of excllent breeding.  She was a duaghter of the well-known very successful Sire, "Vello zu den Sieben Faulen"

Not only was Enno v. Antrefftal an exceptional working dog himself  himself - at the 1974 Bundessiegerprufung when he won the title his score was an incredible 299 - he sired two working Siegers, the 1976 Sieger "Drigon von Fuhrmannshof and the 1978 Sieger "Falk v.d. Eichendorfschule".

                                 

                              1976 Sieger Drigon vom Fuhrmannshof

(Enno was also the grandsire of the 1986 Working Sieger  Aco v. Burg Esch, who was sired  by the Enno son "Bingo vom Schaumberg".   A photograph of Aco appears a little further down.)

Enno also sired the V.A. dog "Roland von der Wohrabrucke, pictured below.

                       

           Roland von der Wohrabrucke - V.A. in 1979

In 1983  and for a number of years afterwards, the working dog breeders were still making use of breed dogs.

 1983 Bundessiegerprufung

 The Sieger in 1983 was DJANGO VOM CASTELL.

The Sire of Django was Gundo v. Noriswand, bred by the well-known breed judge, Ernst Ruckert. Gundo was a grandson of the 1973 Sieger "Dick von Adeloga".

The Dam of Django was Bessie vom Castell, whose breeding represents a combination of the best  show lines and working lines..  Her Sire was the 1971 Working Sieger, Racker vom Itzal,   a good Koer class 1 specimen with a V rating and grandson of Jalk v. Fohlenbrunnen.

1984 Budessiegerprufung

The winner of the Sieger title in 1984 was Perry vom Bellstein

                      

As can be seen from the photographs, Perry was a  good breed specimen in addition to being an excellent working dog. He was a very well bred dog and his pedigree included the names of some leading show dogs.  His Sire, "Enno v. Bellstein", who was also a good working dog, was sired by the well known V.A. dog, Anderl v.d. Kleinen Fahl..

"Anderl", who was owned by the well-known breed Judge,  Erich Orschler of "Batu" fame, was one of "Mutz v.d. Peltzierfarm"s best sons, from the point of view of conformation and temperament.

Perry's Dam, "Susi v. Lirschental" was equall well bred, coming from a combination of the best breed and working lines.

1989 Budessiegerprufung.

In 1989 breeders were still not neglecting show suitable show lines, which were being used with discrimination.   The winner of the Sieger title was Aco v. Burg Esch, who picture appears below.

 

                                                                        

Aco, as can be seen from the photograph, was a reasonably good breed specimen, certainly better than many of the dogs competing in working trials today.  His Sire was the son of the  1974 Sieger, "Enno v. Antrefftal", referred to previously.  His Dam, "Otti v. Bielkopf", was the daughter of an excllent breed dog, "Dock v.d. Kieferseck", V.A. 5 in  1976, and V.A.7 in 1977.

THE SITUATION FROM 1989 TO THE  PRESENT DAY.

Every year there have been  less and less animals entered in the Bundessiegerprufung whose pedigrees reflect the influence of  good quality breed dogs.   Sometimes the name of a bitch from well-known  show bloodlines appears in the pedigrees  of the Dams of these dogs.

THE TITLE OF UNIVERSAL SIEGER

This was a title introduced in 1997 with the idea of encouraging breeders of show dogs to enter the working dog competition.  It is certain an excellent idea but judging from the breed quality of the dogs that have won the title, this has not been the success that was hoped for.

 The winner of  the “Universalsieger” title last year in 2006 – a title, introduced  in 1997, and   awarded to the highest placed dog in the Working trials also entered in the Breed Show – was  “EYK AUS DER  EICHENDORFF-SIEDLUNG”.                        

                              EYK AUS DER  EICHENDORFF-SIEDLUNG

 “Eyk” was placed  74^th  in the working trials.   He was placed 139^th in the Breed show  with a  grading of only S.G.

 An examination of the pedigree  of “Eyk” will reveal the reason for his poor placing in the breed ring.  There is no evidence of “breed show” bloodlines  for at least four generations in the pedigree of his Sire or his Dam.

 His Sire, “Tom van 't Leefdaalhof”, was a very good working dog himself and sired excellent working  stock.  “Tom” is himself the offspring of excellent working dogs bred by the well-known “Haus Antwerpa” kennels that specialize in working stock and appear to have no interest in the breed ring.

 The Dam of “Eyk”,  “Fenzy vom Fegelhof”  also comes from very well known working stock.  Her sire was  the very well known “Troll von der bosen Nachbarschaft”, an  excellent working dog and exceptional  sire of many highly-rated  working dogs.

 One has to go back a long way in the pedigree of  “Troll von der bosen Nachbarschaft” to find  an  important  show dog,   “Mutz v.d. Peltzierfarm”.

 Is it any wonder that the 2006 “Universalsieger” “Eyk"  was not able to achieve a higher position in the breed ring?

An  examination of dogs that competed in the “working trials” in the 1980’s and early 1990’s will show that the situation was very  different in those years.

As we will see, when we examine details of these earlier working trials,  there were a number of dogs entered that were sired by very well known “show” dogs with excellent “show bloodlines”. 

WHAT IS THE REASON FOR THIS MARKED CHANGE IN THE BREEDING PRACTICES OF THE DIFFERENT GROUPS  THAT TOOK PLACE OVER THE YEARS?

Why do present day Working Dog breeders not make use of top show dogs?

 One  reason may be the fact that in recent years there have been  very few dogs from “show” bloodlines entered  in working trials.  The working dog breeders have therefore not had much opportunity to assess  the  temperament and  working ability  of show dogs.  

In addition, the limited number  of dogs with “show bloodlines” that did compete  in the Working Trials during the past few years, did not - with very few exceptions-  do particularly well.

This may be a possible reason for the decision of working breeders to ignore animals with show bloodlines completely and concentrate on “pure” working lines.

Another reason could  be that  Working Dog breeders, attending  breed shows,  noticed  a marked  deterioration in the temperament and “fighting spirit” of some of the  winning dogs..

 Whatever the reason, the fact remains that the split between  the two groups has been to the detriment of  the breed.

Both groups are  to blame for the situation.  

Far too many  “show” breeders have done a disservice to the breed by attaching too little importance to basic temperament requirements;  while  the majority of  “working dog” breeders have also harmed the breed by ignoring structural faults.

In spite of the negative attitude held by many with regard to the possibility of breeding a German Shepherd that is a good breed specimen and also a good working dog, there are  optimists who believe  it is  goal  that can  still  be achieved

An  examination of dogs with “show bloodlines”, that competed  successfully in the working trials in earlier years   may help to identify which  “show bloodlines” to use in order to breed  dual purpose dogs.

 It  may be unrealistic and over-ambitious  to expect to breed an animal, so exceptional in both structure and temperament, that it could become a dual ‘Sieger”,  the top breed specimen of the year and also the best working dog! -  (after all, there has  never  been a Nobel prize winner  who was  also an  Olympic Gold Medalist!)  -   but  there is no reason  why it  should not be possible to breed  very good dual purpose dogs.

There is no reason why we should not be able to breed show dogs with far better temperaments and working dogs with  much better conformation.

Our objective  should be  to breed a German shepherd that has the first-class, intelligent, responsive  temperament necessary to do very well in Working trials, and also the excellent construction to be very well placed in Breed show ring.

 The  first step  towards achieving this goal, should, I believe, be a detailed examination of the pedigrees of dogs with show bloodlines that were very highly placed in earlier working trials.

This will help us identify the names of dogs whose names appear most often  in the pedigrees of leading Working dogs.  Clearly  these were show animals who, in addition to being top show specimens, were also known to have exceptionally good temperaments.  

In  our future breeding programs, it   is the bloodlines of these animals, and the best of their present-day progeny,  on which we should focus our attention.

POSITIVE SIGNS:

 Even in  the present unsatisfactory situation,  where there is such a distinct split between the two groups,  there are a number of  positive signs. There are a small number of  “show dog” breeders who  are very discriminating  and do  make  use  of certain selected  “working” dogs in their breeding program.

 For example, Peter Jansen, founder of the old established “Pe-Ja” kennel,   is  currently using the  very well-constructed dog, grey dog he bred, “Benny v. Haus Pe-Ja” -  coming   from  predominantly working lines - on  his  bitches,  bred from the very best  “show bloodlines”.

 

                             

                                                   Benny v. Haus Pe-Ja

 “Benny”, a very good  working dog, and also a fine show specimen,  was  placed  a very commendable V49 at the 2006 “Sieger” show.  "Benny v. Haus Pe-Ja's"  Sire,  the "V" rated, "Metin v. Stadfeld", was also a well constructed dog, with many excellent qualities.

There are also a  number of other  old-established "show"   kennels, who  are anxious to preserve the reputation they have built up over the years  for breeding show quality stock with very strong temperaments.   They  make a point of  using  excellent show quality dogs- not necessarily V.A. animals  - but dogs  known to have particularly good temperaments.

The "Arlettt" kennels of Margit and Mathijs van Dorssen,  from the time they were established  as far back as 1972,  have also paid special  attention to temperament,  more especially because they were personally involved  in show  training and also training for   working trials themselves.    One of of the first dogs Margit van Dorssen trained, "Elke von der Rosenmatt", sired by "Canto  von der Wienerau" was a bitch with a very strong  temperament that also did very well  in breed shows.

They have continued to the present day with their policy of  making sure the dogs they use for breeding are not only excellent show specimens,  but also have very good working temperaments.

It is not surprising  their outstanding 1995 Sieger,  "Ulk von Arlett",  was not  only a superb show  with an exceptionally good temperament, but  also the Sire of  many dogs  with strong   temperaments. This did not happen by chance.  It was,    to a  large extent,  due   to "Ulk's"  breeding.  An examination of his pedigree will reveal  it   represented planned  breeding from a continuous line of very good bitches that were not only good show specimens,  but also had  excellent  temperaments.

 As  we shall  see,  when we examine dogs with show bloodlines that competed in the annual  working trials in Germany, a number of  dogs sired by "Ulk" did very well. 

I have personal experience  of "Ulk's" ability as a sire of  animals with excellent working temperaments.  A dog I owned and trained some years ago, an  "Ulk" son, was one of the best working dogs I have ever owned and one of the easiest to train.

"Ulk" was  such an important  Sire of dogs that did well both in breed shows and working trials,  his pedigree will be discussed at length later. 

Another  example of a very old established Kennel that  bred top quality dual purpose animals many years ago  and continue to do so today, is the  "Maaraue"  kennels of  Alfred and Ellen Muhlbauer.   

 

                                      

                                           Wanko von der Maaraue

 

In 1978  they bred the very important dual purpose. show dog  and working dog, "Wanko von der Maaraue" , V.A. 11 in 1978.  "Wanko" was  sired by "Boss vom Amalienhof", a very good show dog and  excellent source of working bloodlines. The grandsire of "Boss" was the legendary "Bernd v. Lierberg" whose name appears in the pedigrees of  the great majority  of the leading working dogs today. 

 

                          

                                                      Boss v. Amlienhof

"Wanko's"  dam, "Oschy v.d. Maaraue", and also his grand-dam, "Ceyla v.d. Maaraue", whelped as far back as 1971,  were also bred by Ellen and Alfred Muhlbauer.  Here, once again,  we see evidence of  breeding from  a continuous line of bitches with excellent temperaments.

"Wanko" was  used extensively by  both show and working breeders.    The Muhlbauer's continue today  to make use of  quality show dogs that  have very strong temperaments in addition to excellent construction.

An example of this  policy is to be seen in the breeding of  their present stud dog, "Focus von der Maaraue",  graded "V" excellent  at the Sieger Shows in 2004 and 2005.  "Focus" is a dog with a particularly good temperament whose outstanding bite-work in the test of courage  at these Sieger Shows, stood out 

"Focus" was sired by "Alf vom Laubenheimer Ried", an excellent show specimen - V 22 at the Sieger Show in 2000 - and  also  a  dog with a very strong temperament.  "Alf" was sired by the Reserve Sieger in 1996, "Cash vom Wildsteiger Land", a dog whose bite work in the test of courage was so dynamic the spectators burst into spontaneous applause.

The dam of "Alf vom Laubenheimer Ried" was "Keggi von der Maaraue",   a bitch bred by the Muhlbauers.  Her  breeding represents five generations of "Maaraue" breeding.

Recently Ellen and Alfred Muhlbauer   used  an exciting young dog, "Tiras vom Roten Feld",  V 22  at the most recent  2006 Sieger Show.  He is   a dog that combines excellent conformation with very strong temperament.

The above are three examples of  old-established Kennels that continue to regard temperament as one of the most important factors in the breeding of a quality German Shepherd Dog.  There are others, but not enough  kennels at  present are paying sufficient attention to temperament, particularly  the natural protective instinct that should be the hall-mark of the German Shepherd Dog that von Stephanitz envisaged.

THE S.V. IS WELL AWARE OF THE SPLIT BETWEEN 'SHOW DOG BREEDERS' AND 'WORKING DOG BREEDERS'.

The S.V. is very well aware of the undesirable rift been the breed and working fraternity. In his annual address in 2002, Peter Messler,  President of the German S.V. at the time  – the controlling body for the breed  in Germany,   made a special point of drawing attention to this widening gulf between breeders of “show” and “working” stock. 

It came as no surprise that Mr. Messler made his plea for some solution to the problem.  As he pointed out, it   was not a situation that had suddenly come about.  It had been in existence for many years.  But he drew attention to the fact that   the division between the two groups was growing.

 Unfortunately Mr. Messler’s plea appears   has fallen on deaf ears. The conflicting interests  of these two groups  were too deeply entrenched for any dramatic changes in policy.  In fact since 2002 the division between “show” people and “working” people has grown every greater.

 In  2002 it was still possible to find a few  animals  competing  in the annual working trials held in Germany – known as the S.V. Bundessiegerprufung – with “show” bloodlines. 

 But, as has already been mentioned, in recent years there have been fewer and fewer dogs with “breed show” pedigrees that competed in the working trials

THE 2006 'BUNDESSIEGERPRUFUNG' - WORKING TRIALS.

An examination of the pedigrees of every one of the more than one hundred   dogs competing at the 2006 working Trials - the Bundessiegerprufung  - will reveal it is necessary to go back at least  three  generations –  in many instances even six and more generations -  to find any evidence of a well-known “show dog”.

  Obviously Messler’s plea has indeed been disregarded.

 Is there any chance that the trend may be reversed?   Many are resigned to the fact that the situation is unlikely to change.  But in every field – the breeding of German Shepherd Dogs as well – there are optimists.  I count myself as one of them.   There may be a glimmer of hope!      

 It should be the goal of all serious German Shepherd Dog breeders,  irrespective of whether they are breed “show” dog or “working” dogs, to  give meaning to  Von Stephanitz’s ideal of  a dog that combines, strength, versatility,  firmness of nerves, intelligence, willingness to work,  and all the attractive physical features that we have come to expect in the modern German Shepherd dog.

 For the  detailed examination  that  will follow,  we will go back as  far 1982 in our survey  of  dogs  with show bloodlines that competed successfully in working trails.

 Before we continue with this survey, it is  interesting to go back somewhat further than 1982  – to 1967 – when the German S.V. became  aware  there were  problems with the “fighting spirit” of the top show dogs and decided to take positive steps  to  remedy this.      

 If you happen  to have be an “old timer”,  involved in German Shepherd world for a good many years – as I have been – or if you are  a serious  student of the history of the development of the breed – you  will know  that  in  1967  it was decided  to conduct the  first “test of courage”   at the annual Sieger show.

BODO VON LIERBERG

                   

At this 1967 Sieger Show the winner and Sieger was “Bodo v. Lierberg”.    Not only was “Bodo” a very powerfully built dog, with excellent gait,  his temperament was  superb.

 A very good friend of mine,  Erich Renner,  imported Bodo into America  soon after he had won the Sieger title.    Erich, an experienced all-round, handler and  trainer and German Shepherd Dog enthusiast,  who was also a Director of  the   “Seeing Eye Dog Foundation” considered “Bodo”, a dog with the  soundest temperament he had ever owned.

Erich Renner, unfortunately now deceased, told me how much he regretted the fact that  “Bodo’s value was never fully recognized or appreciated in America.  “Bodo” could have made an enormous difference to Shepherds in America, especially with regard to temperament and firmness of ligaments.

 “Bodo”, quite different in structure to the extremely angulated dogs winning at Shows in the States at the time, never did as well at  breed Shows  as Erich had hoped.  As a result he was little used.

At the 1967 Sieger Show, a litter brother Bernd v. Lierberg, was placed V.A. 3.

BERND V. LIERBERG

                     

Although not the equal of Bodo as a show dog, Bernd was a dog with an exceptionally fine working temperament.  The  Germans recognized this  quality and  placed Bernd  higher than would normally have been the case.

 It is to their credit that they did.   A vast number of the very best working dogs in Germany over the past few years, and still today,  are descendants of Bernd v. Lierberg.

It is interesting to examine the pedigree of Bodo and his litter brother  Bernd v. Lierberg. Their  Sire, was  Vello zu den Sieben Faulen , bred by the very successful Kennels of Heinz Roper.  “Vello”  was  67 cms. and oversize, but  otherwise  a very good specimen, with a very sound temperament, and an excellent Sire.   He was a descendant, through his dam “Grill zu den Siebern Faulen”,  of  the famous pillar of the breed  Hein v.  Richterbach.

 But the value of Bernd as a working dog was probably more due to the influence of his Dam – the V.A. bitch “Betty v. Eningsfeld”,  a daughter of a famous working dog Sieger “Arko v. Riedersknapp”.

 Breeders of  working dogs in Germany were  of course aware of the value of  the “Bernd” bloodlines and make full use of him.  It is a great pity that the “show”  breeders in Germany did not make sufficient use of Bernd to any great extent. This was probably because they were not sufficiently impressed with his show quality.

 Had his better constructed brother, “Bodo”,  remained in Germany,  it is highly likely that he would have been  used to a considerable extent by the show fraternity.   He could have left his mark to a far greater extent on the breed in Germany

 “Bodo” did   sire  a number of excellent sons and daughters in Germany before he departed to the States.  He was certainly a very impressive animal, with a superb temperament and many excellent qualities. In my opinion, American breeders criticized  “Bodo’s   lack of angulation and minor structural deficiencies far too harshly,  

  Insufficient attention was paid to his  excellent qualities, such as muscular strength, firmness of ligaments and of course, ideal temperament.  For this reason I believe useful purpose will be served by listing some of his   important sons and daughters.

BODO VON LIERBERG PROGENY.  

JOLL V. BEMMHOLT

One of the most important dogs that “Bodo” sired was “Joll v. Bemmholt:   “Joll” was a very handsome, dark dog with a very strong temperament,  highly placed V5  by Dr. Funk at the 1968 Sieger Show.

 My  friend, the well-known English breeder and Judge, Percy Elliot, recognized, “Joll’s qualities  and breeding potential and  imported him to England.  Even though he was quite different to current winning dogs at the time, he enjoyed a fair amount of success in the Show ring  and sired some very good sons and daughters in England.

 He also left some fine sons and daughters in Germany, including “Hardt vom Spruhturm”. V.A. 8 in 1970 and V.A. 7 in 1971.    Hardt’s pedigree is very interesting indeed, because  his Dam, “Anka vom Junglingsquell” was daughter of a famous working dog, “Mike vom Stalhammer”.

“BREDO VOM LICHTBURGHOFF”

The  real value of “Joll” however,  lay in the fact that  he was the Sire of  “Bredo vom Lichtburghoff” V.A 10 in 1969, under Dr. Rummel.

  “Bredo” in turn sired a bitch that was to have an enormous influence on the breed in Germany, “Wilma von der Kisselschlucht”.    “Wilma” proved to be a remarkably good producing bitch.

“Wilma”, when mated to “Canto v.d. Wienerau”  produced another exceptionally good producing bitch in “Flora vom Konigsbruch”.  She was the  dam of some fine  animals, such as  “Dax v.d. Wienerau”,  “Nick v.d. Wienerau”  “Reza von Haus Beck” and a host of others.

“Wilma’s” greatest value to the breed however was the fact that, when mated to the important V.A. dog, son of “Quanto v.d. Wienerau”  and excellent producer, “Lasso di Val Sale,  she produced the  X litter “Arminius”,  a litter that was to exert an enormous influence on the breed.

THE 'Q' LITTER ARMINIUS 

This was  a litter  of superb quality that included  “Xaver von Arminius”.    Mated to the “Nick v.d. Wienerau,  daughter “Palme v. Wildsteiger Land”, “Xaver” was the Sire of  one of the most important litters in the history of the modern German Shepherd, the “Q” litter Arminius, that included, “Quando”  “Quana” and “Quino”.

“Bodo” sired  a number of other important “Bodo” sons,  such as    the V1 dog at the 1969 Sieger Show, “Bodo von der Paderquelle”,  “Verus von der Ulmer Felswand”, also imported to England by Percy Elliot, and exceptionally good  working dogs such as   “Hasso vom Lahlblick”’ “Alf v. der Haus-Bockler Strasse:  “Heck von der Godewind” and many others.

                                      

 

 “Bodo” was also the sire of the V.A. bitches, “Malve v, Grubenstoltz”, V.A 5 in 1969 and “Biene zu den dreizen Buchen” V.A. 7 in 1966.

 Because I  also  admired “Bodo” tremendously, as soon as I was able to find a  “Bodo” son reasonably  near  my home, I  took advantage of this opportunity to use him

 The  dog I used, the “Bodo” son,   “Condor vom Luffe Park” had the additional advantage of being a daughter of “Karla vom Hexenkolk”, a daughter of the “Siegerin” “Assie vom Hexenkolk”.

“Karla” was sired by “Gero v. Haus Elkemnann”,  an animal with far more angulation than most of his contempories.  V.5 at the 1962 Sieger Show, he was  far ahead of his time and  proved to be an important producer.

Not surprisingly, the litter sired by “Condor v. Luffe Park” was of very good quality and exceptionally good temperament.

 The reason I have drawn particular attention to the progeny of  “Bodo v. Lierberg” is because I believe that by  using animals with his bloodlines -  even  though it does mean  researching  quite a good back -  could  be very useful  in producing animals with exceptionally good temperament, working ability and firmness of ligaments.  It could help to bridge the gap between show animals and working animals.

AN   EXAMINATION OF DOGS WITH “SHOW” BLOODLINES THAT COMPETED IN THE ANNUAL BUNDESSIEGERPRUFUNG -  “WORKING TRIALS” - FROM 1982.

The  detailed examination of dogs with “show bloodlines” competing  in  Working Trials that follows, has been done in an attempt to identify the particular  “show bloodlines”  that were  favored  by breeders at the time   wanting  to breed  “dual  purpose” dogs.

The working dog breeders at the time were  obviously  aware  which show dogs had first class  temperaments as well as excellent construction.

It will be clear from this examination that certain names keep re-appearing. These were obviously dogs that had achieved high honors in the breed ring and were also known to be  animals with very strong temperaments.

 This information could prove useful to present day breeders who consider it is still possible to breed quality dual-purpose dogs.

Obviously  research will be necessary to trace suitable  present-day progeny of these dual-purpose dogs of the past.   But it is research that could prove well worthwhile.

 1982 is a useful date to start our exercise.  It represents twenty-five years of breeding, during which time there have, of course, been a number of changes. In spite of these changes, the fundamentals remain very much the same.

 A good German Shepherd must still  be a strong, athletically built animal, able to move with powerful, ground-covering strides.  It must  be a  versatile, all round, working  animal capable of performing the wide range of  duties for which it was originally bred.  

Nothing has changed with regard to temperament requirements. The German Shepherd, according to the standard, should have steady nerves, be alert and interested in his surroundings,  good natured, courageous,  with a keen, protective instinct. 

 This was the general standard by which dogs were judged in 1982 and it is still intended to be  the  basis of judging today, in 2007.

1982 ‘SIEGER’ NATAN V.D. PELTZIERFARM.

The winner of the “Sieger” title in 1982  was  “Natan v.d. Peltzierfarm”, who was also the winner of the title the previous year in 1981.   If one compares photograph of Natan  taken in 1982, with photographs of  recent  “Siegers”,  there are clearly certain  differences, particularly with regard to front and hind angulation.

But the differences in appearance are not so marked as the differences one often sees today,  between certain dogs with “working” bloodlines  and some leading show dogs.

 Let us return once more to our discussion with regard to  the possible reasons for the striking differences in the physical appearance  once sees nowadays of winners of breed titles and winners of working dog titles

It is a difficult to determine what the exact reasons are and how they came about, but by examining some of the top dogs in both groups over the years, we will attempt to provide some insight into how the differences developed .

 If we examine the pedigree of “Natan” the 1982 Sieger,  who was also the Sieger in 1981, we will see that  his Sire, Quax vom Bubenlachring, his grand-sire Reza von der Wienerau and his great-grandsire,  the important pillar of the breed “Quanto  von der Wienerau” were all top show winners, all V.A. dogs.

“Natan” was clearly the result of concentrated “show” bloodlines. It is not surprising that he was so highly regarded and became a double-Sieger.

 It so happened that “Natan”, in spite of his excellent breeding, unfortunately  did not turn out to be a very dominant  sire.  Although he was used a great deal, he did not breed any animals of particular note.  But that is another story!   The riddle of pre-potency is a fascinating subject. It will be dealt with in an article I will write shortly.

 What follows in the next few pages is an examination of the pedigrees  of dogs  of “show bloodlines” that performed well at the annual working trials over the past twenty five years.     

 If you are the type of person who finds the detailed study of  German Shepherd Dog pedigrees  interesting  and  informative -  as  many serious German enthusiasts do -  you will find this section instructive and probably helpful.

 If however, you find  statistical information of this kind boring and uninteresting ,  I  suggest  you skip this  section and go straight to the  final section  that follows.    

This  Section is Summary of the main points raised in this in-depth analysis of  how the problems between show breeders and working dog breeders arose.    It also deals with a detailed   analysis of  show and working dog  bloodlines in an attempt to identify which “show”  bloodlines  are  the  more likely  to be assistance in  breeding  a “dual purpose” dog.  

You will also find  positive  suggestions, in this Summary,  how the problem can be resolved and  the unfortunate situation improved.  

DOGS WITH  ‘SHOW’ BLOODLINES HIGHLY PLACED  IN THE 1982 WORKING TRIALS.

“GRANDO V. SCHLOSS CRAILSHEIM”

 The  third placed dog in the 1982  working trials,  was “GRANDO V. SCHLOSS CRAILSHEIM”, who  achieved a very impressive score of  295 points out of a possible 300.  He was  bred from the finest show bloodlines!

When considers how competitive these working trials are, where  the difference in a   marks can result in the loss of several positions, it will be appreciated what a creditable performance being placed third really is.

  “Grando’s  sire was “Datscha vom Patersweg”,  V.A.6, at the  1974 Sieger Show; V.A. 4 at the 1975 Sieger Show, and Italian Sieger in the same year.

                                

                                       Datscha vo Patersweg

 

 His Dam,  “Anka vom Colico Hermes”, was a daughter of  an important breed dog  “Pascha von der Bayern Waldperle”, V.A. 6 at the 1972 Sieger Show.

 “VELLO VOM HAUS RUIKEN”

The sixth placed dog  was “Vello vom Haus Ruiken”, sired by Vello von Unterhain”, an important “Quanto v. Wienerau” son.

                            

                                          Vello vom Unterhain

  “NATS VON AROLSER HOLTZ”

The  eleventh placed dog was “Nats von Arolser Holtz”, bred by  a kennel that  still active today in the working field  and one that has consistently made use of certain, selected “breed” dogs over the years.

It is interesting to trace the breeding pattern  over the years of  the founder of the “von Arolser Holtz” Kennels, Horst Sitzmann,  still very active today.  If Horst Sitzmann decides to us a dog with “show bloodlines” you can be absolutely certain sure  this dog has a very strong temperament.

Natz sired a considerable number of top working dogs and was used by many of the important working dogs kennels at the time, many of which for example the  Jungen Hansen and Emsbogen kennels are still active today

WIENERAU DOGS WITH WORKING TEMPERAMENTS.

It is interesting to reflect on the fact that “Nats” was sired by “Ulrich von der Wienerau”,  bred by Walter Martin.  The name of the late Walter Martin is always associated  with the development of the “modern” show-type, German Shepherd.  This is quite understandable as he played an enormous role in  the emergence of  the glamorous  type of dog dog winning at shows today with marked hind angulation,  greater height at wither, longer croups and sloping backs. 

A great many  of the younger breeders today  are under the impression  that all  "Wienerau" bred dogs have temperaments  that  make them quite unsuitable for working competitions.  This of  course is quite erroneous.

An examination of the pedigree  of  Ulrich v.d Wienerau" the Sire of "Nats" , presents an interesting exercise.   It represents an interesting combination of the  very best show winning breed dogs who also happened to have exceptionally good temperaments.

                                  ULRICH VON DER WIENERAU  

                   

"Ulrich" was sired by an excellent  dog, "Olden v. Asterplatz"   V17 in 1970. 

                               

                                      Olden v. Asterplatz

In addition to being a fine show specimen. Olden was also a dog  with an excellent  temperament who passed this on to many of his progeny.  He was the Sire of the winner of the 1977 Working  dog competition ("Budessiegerpruffing")   "Eck vom Charlottenhof" who achieved a remarkable high score of 298.

The Sire of "Olden",  "Nico v. Haus Beck",  in addition to being a first class top show specimens, V2 a the Sieger show in 1967, also proved to be an excellent sire. He was used by the leading show kennels, including the von Haus Schuetting kennels of  Dr. Funk.  Nico  produced top show dogs like "Rebel v. Haus Schuetting"  V.A. 7 at the 1969 Sieger Show and "Fedor v. Grunen Luckener"

 

                                 

                                         Nico von Haus Beck

Not only did "Nico v. Haus Beck" produce top show specimens, he was also used by the leading  working dog kennels such as the well-known "Bungalow" of Manfred Schmidt.  A "Nico v. Haus Beck" son  "Nanouc v. Bungalow"  was a top working dogs.

 

                              

                                     "Nanouc v. Bungalow"

 

                        

The Sire of "Nico v. Haus Beck" was the 1961 Sieger "Veus v.d. Starrenberg", the son of the 1955 Sieger "Alf v. Nordfelsen.

                                

                                                   1961 Sieger "Veus v.d. Starrenberg"

 

From this survey of  some of  top show dogs,  it is clear that there were many occasions  in the past when these dogs  were used by both breeders of  show dogs and breeders of  working dogs. Although the objectives were  different,  both groups of breeders were satisfied with the results they were able to obtain. 

The construction of  many of the top working dogs of the past  was infinitely  better then than it is today.  

This will be obvious when one compares the illustrations of many of the top working dogs of previous years  with the winning working dogs today.

It is certainly true that from the point of construction there has been a marked improvement in the modern top winning German Shepherd as compared with previous top winners.  But can one say the same with regard to temperament.

Before we  continue examining the pedigrees and photographs of  some of the  top working dogs of previous years, it is appropriate to make some comment about  dogs bred by Walter Martin  with the "Wienerau" prefix.

 The name of  the late Walter Martin and his “Wienerau” kennels  will come up a great deal in our  examination of  dogs with “show” bloodlines that competed in Working Trials.

                    WALTER MARTIN AND THE ‘WIENERAU” KENNELS

Walter Martin, who I was fortunate to meet on a number of occasions,  was  somewhat of a controversial character. Some found him blunt, opinionated and off-hand.    I personally found him forthright, outspoken, exceptionally knowledgeable and very pleasant.

 There appears to an impression by some people  in the German Shepherd Dog world,  that Walter Martin was too  a large extent  responsible for the present  huge gap that now exists between “show people” and  “working people”

Whether there is any basis for this belief will be discussed  at some length later

Continuing with our survey of dogs, highly placed at the 1982 Working Dog trials, with the bloodlines of top br