Comment to 'German Shepherd Dog'
  • Thanks for posting that article. It is probably the most thorough and comprehensive examination of the separation between working and show that I have ever read. As is so well documented, it is a problem that has been going on for a long time and is getting worse. The reasons for the divide are complex and numerous, made worse by the changes in attitudes of the general public towards the aggressive nature of "working dogs" as exemplified by the many rule changes that have been made in recent years to the working trials, including changing the names and terms used. It is partially for that reason, I believe, that the show line dogs have become softer and more like pets than police dogs. There simply is no benefit to do otherwise, as the vast majority of dogs bred for show go to pet homes anyway and the few that actually go on to have top level show careers don't receive any extra points or ranking for having a crowd pleasing courage test performance or high scores in their working trial book. The judges don't care so the breeders don't care either.