Improving the breed - Page 1

It is a lofty goal for breeders. It also implies a problem from the start. 

I found this quote by K. Grossman, from this thread: http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/forum.read?mnr=22262-check-out-this-showworking-cross&pagen=1

It would take several generations of selection and line breedings to reestablish any sort of predictability in the outcome.  It's a pretty long and complicated path to "improving" the breed.

So, when a new breeder with say, less than 5 or even 10 years makes this claim, how valid can it really be? Or is it a sales pitch with a wishful bent? How long in years and what accomplishments would a breeder need, to be a breeder who is truly able to verify such a claim? 

If a new breeder has a mentor with many, many years of experience, knows genetics and bloodlines. If new breeder sets out goals and discussed with his/her mentor, breeding stock is carefully selected and approved the the mentor, the learning curve is shortened considerably (also the consistency of puppies). Each breeder (new or experienced), has a different idea of what the perfect GSD is. Some want to be VA, others want to be UWSV, still others want herding, SAR or therapy is the perfect work as their goals. Some breed just for crazy drives, other for color and gait.

On the other hand, if a new breeder just goes out and purchases a few dogs, not knowing bloodlines and genetics, it could take much longer then 5 or 10 years to get to the place he/she wants to get.

To quote Dave Chapelle who quoted "Lil Jon" "Whuuuut?"

Is that how you started Sitasmom? I thought you started breeding about maybe tops, five years, by acquiring pregnant  titled bitches from overseas? Would that by considered your mentor?

The big problem with improving the breed is what do you do with all of the culls? Few dogs produce better then themselves, but lets say you do.  Then after you do all of that and you do produce the "perfect" dog and you breed the crap out of it  hoping to produce more "perfect dogs" and its health fails at 4 years old. Then its "oh shit" not the perfect dog at all. It sucks because you do not know what you really have until it too late.

Improving the breed requires a lot of breeding and a lot of breeding produces a lot of culls. There are only two methods that insure culls do not reproduce. One is that the breeder spays/neuter every non breed quality animal or ends it life. One is expensive and the other is harsh.

At it again Beetree?  WTF

Bubba and Paul and Nansgsd and Sitasmom....thumbs up. Seems the disrespect from some just keeps pouring out :-/

I started by purchasing some excellent bitches that were bred under the direction of my mentor and shipped to me. I chose 2 dogs without my mentors guidance and approval (Honey and Bravo). Honey doesn't have a place in my breeding program, and is now spay. Bravo has the temperament and working drives we're looking for - so far. His bloodlines throw a wrench in the program as my mentor is not as familiar with them as she'd like to be. Time will tell if he will be included into the program, for now he's my trial dog. The most difficult part of being a breeder is that if a dog doesn't fit, no matter how much you personally like it, it must be replaced with another. Space is an issue, as so many rules and regulations concerning dog ownership limit the number of dogs a hobby breeder can have at any one time.

Are you improving the breed, Nan? Thanks for your participation with your explanation, in advance.

Also, I appreciate the detailed and thoughtful PM response I received, and really, all poster responses who want to discuss this important idea.
 

Unfortunately, Joan does not understand any thing properly, again.