JoyV

Judges and breeders. It becomes a vicious cycle. And the way judges get accepted by breed registries, such as AKC, is also to blame. When someone first becomes a judge, it is for a specific breed. They must demonstrate a high degree of knowledge of the breed standard used by that registry for that breed. To add additional breeds within the same group, they need only demonstrate a small degree of specific breed standard knowledge due to the assumption that dogs within the same group are similar. So even if the standard used is good as to structure for working ability, the judge may not understand what is in that standard. So when the GSD standard calls for a slight slope from withers to croup, the tendency to go with 'if a little is good, more must be better' creeps in. So the judges are influenced by what the majority of breeders are presenting, and the breeders are breeding for what the judges are selecting. The result is more and more slope. The pulling hard on the leash, lifting the front while digging in with the rear, is another such case this time starting with the specialty shows of the parent club. They emphasized strong rear propulsion. But judges in all breed shows who did not understand, saw dogs whose propulsion was too great for their inadequately angulated forequarters, raise their front up while leaning into the leash to hold them for a stride to long for their front legs to make. The exaggeration of rear angulation increase to fore angulation decrease was exasperated by judges who saw the movement of the lifting front as being prancing which they thought was good because it is in some other breeds. I once was at an AKC show competing in obedience where I saw a GSD who was so crippled that she walked completely on her hocks. But when she trotted, she threw herself into the leash and flew around the ring. She wound up with best of breed. I later asked the judge why he chose her. He said she pranced so eagerly.

In Europe, the exaggeration went a different way and you see roached backs (from the standard wanting a slight arch over the loins) and crouching hindquarters which are actually being bred to be shorter than the front legs.

In the US, there is the 2nd oldest registry, the United Kennel Club (UKC). Unlike the AKC, it wasn't founded by elite sportsmen but by h****rs and farmers. It has always been more work oriented than the AKC. You will still see some good GSDs winning UKC conformation. BTW, no professional handling is allowed in UKC shows.

JoyV

Yes they were bred to multitask. So are good at many things but not the best at anything. This may sound contradictory when I say they are the best guide dogs, but that is because being a good guide dog takes doing a number of things which must work in conjunction, and do them well. They are told by their partner the direction, or even the destination, and must navigate the way to get them their safely and efficiently. They may need to detour and make their way back on route on their own. They must watch for obstacles including as slight as sticks or pebbles which might roll under their partners feet, overhead obstacles high enough to normally be ignored by dogs yet low enough their partner may bump into them.

The reason I believe GSDs are so good at this is what they were bred to do. Unlike most sheep herding dogs, they weren't simply used to gather the sheep and drive them from point A to point B. Once a pair of GSDs brought the sheep along roads and traffic to the designated grazing place, which varied as they were between crop fields; the shepherd walked the dogs around the perimeter a few times until certain the dog knew the boundaries. Then the shepherd left the dogs to do their job of keeping the sheep safe while keeping them inside the perimeter and OUT of the crops, while he did other tasks or brought other flocks and dogs to other grazing areas. The dogs were on their own and had to make independent decisions. And because they were also bred to protect the sheep and their lambs, their watching out for others less, especially the young or weak; those traits t***slate well into so many different jobs.

Rose42

That doesn't sound contradictory at all. They are real thinkers.

I think they are a fantastic breed. I've seen them herd too and in multiple styles. I know nothing about herding but its fascinating to watch.