I have a prediction to make that I hope doesn't come true, I predict that GSDs will be the next 'in' breed of dog, the dog everyone has to have. If you've seen the film 'I am Legend' you'll know why. Today one person has stopped me in the street and two have sent me texts asking if I know of any shepherds looking for homes, or anyone breeding them. It's not unusual at all for people to ask me if I know of any 'whatever' breed of dog or if I can find a good home for a dog, I'm well known in our area as the dog lady! It is unusual however for 3 people to enquire about the same breed in the same day :(

Oh Lord I hope not, there are enough problem/poorly bred at the moment
Chris

Heavens forbid... ..they are not a breed for novice owners......and novice they would be getting a breed of dog on the basis of a film :rolleyes: And there are too many badly bred GSD's about, overbred too. 

Wouldn't mind seeing the film tho.....

They always have been, worldwide they are the most popular breed.  May not figure as highly in the UK in KC registrations as the Labrador, but they are the breed I see with th highest priced unregistered litters of pups.  I know very few GSD's around me who are KC registered dogs.  Bristol has always had it's own GSD breed specific training club, as did/has Bath.

GSDs can be wonderful dogs but as someone else has already stated not a dog for novice dog owners
me personally I couldn,t imagine never having a Shepherd around.
It always sticks in my mnd what the breeder of my first girl told me that Shepherds are not everyones dog and I totally agree with her on that.
People can be afraid of Shepherds purely because they associate them with service dogs and what they have seen on television shows and sometimes seem to think teeth , ears  chase and catch (eek ALSATIAN)

A well behaved Shepherd is an absolute joy they need a lot of work putting into them but will reward you until the day they die with their total and utter devotion. I,m very raw at the moment after losing one of mine unexpectedly on Christmas Eve so excuse the rambling as she was an absolute lady never a moments trouble but my younger one most defenitely is not a dog for a first time owner if anyone had takenher as a new puppy expecting all sweetness and light they certainly would have been in for a shock.
I do hope Shepherds don.t become designer dogs there are far too many of them in the wrong hands already and more than enougth in rescue kennels as well
Sharon

Sadly the designer dog syndrome, deliberate breeding of non standard, whites, very alrge long coats etc has been around at least 10 years.  Temperament seems not to be a criterai in many of these litters, and we see the results in training class, highly nervous aggressive or very shy animals.  Few with the rock steady biddable proud temperament they should have.  Health issues abound too, especially in poorly bred litters wehre no health testing is carried out.

GSD are gorgeous dogs and I love them to bits, my OH doesnt like them tho because they look like wolves apparantly! :rolleyes:

I couldnt and dont want to imagine the chaos unwell bred GSD would cause in terms of the poor animals structure and beautiful nature, its hard enough to get one nowadays that wont have problems later on in life with its back legs.
Why does that happen? As they are strong dogs and others like Mastiffs dont suffer with leg problems do they? or do they?

They do. 

Why does it happen, because people don't practice positive selection to avoid problems by testing.  any domestic animal has been taken out of nature where survival of the fit3est would happen.

All breeds and non breeds have mutated genes some of which if combined in a certain way or with others cause health issues.  Mutaion is hwo evolution occurs.  If the mutaion gives the animal an advatage it will reprocuce because of thsi.  If at a given time it is a disadvantage it doesn't survive in high numbers.

Cicle Cell anaemia in peopel is an interesting hereditary condition.  the reason it became so establisehd as peopel with this gene were resistant to Malaria, so when malaria took a toll on the population thsoe with this trait survived and passed it on to their children.

Those that have become established in our breeds are thsoe possibly not noticed until animals had been bred from, and if there was a bottle neck in teh gen pool such as when the breeds numbers became low or a popular sire had more than average influence and passed on a trait.  thsi is then compounded byu thsoe eho entiher know or care what genetic inheritance theri dogs ahve,a dn why these problems sem to be worst in the most popualr and exploited breeds and good breeders take al human steps to limit or eradicate problems once recognised.

Harder are the problems that are directly linked to our selection for particular features in soem breeds, and the ethical question with some breeds is should breeders breed away from the desired hyper type to one less exagerated to gain a healthier animal.

cruciate ligament problems and hip dysplasia are common complaints for mastiff type dogs.

Buying a dog on the basis of a film is ridiculous! However, if people have researched the breed and are sure it is the dog for them I suggest they check out their local rehoming centre. My sister in law recently rehomed a dog from our local RSPCA and their were 6 German Shepherds in the 1 centre. Plus as a young dog/adult the temperament is known and the prospective buyers can be informed on the whether it is the right dog for them.

>Buying a dog on the basis of a film is ridiculous!

It may be ridiculous but the explosion in the dalmatian population (and those in rescue) following the Disney films proves that a lot of people do it.

I saw 'I am Legend' and thought the dog was the star but I know enough about the breed to know that the one on screen was exceptionally trained and your average GSD in the average home, produced by the average BYB simply isn't going to be like that.  Unfortunately, Joe Public just see a dog of a certain breed, think they're all born like that and open the free ads where a multitude of BYBs and puppy farmers will be ready and waiting to exploit the breed of the moment :-(

>It may be ridiculous but the explosion in the dalmatian population (and those in rescue) following the Disney films proves that a lot of people do it.

You're absolutely right. :( Never underestimate the stupidity of some of the Great British Public.

Hush Puppies and Basssets, Dulux and Old English Sheepdogs.

Andrex and Labs, Turner & Hooch for DDB (in fact the DDB was almost unheard-of in the UK before that film), Beethoven for St Bernards ...

ah! almost everyone i know calls them by these names not their own! its madness. i can see why someone might take an interest in a breed they've seen on tv or in a film but honestly do people go from "oh...thats a nice looking dog" to buying one instantly? madness, why do these people not do research? the internet makes it so easy to learn about a breed, from sites and forums such as this. looneys. looks like GSD's might go the way of the rottie and the staffy then...heartbreaking

I thought the GSD had permanant problems from a young age (Meaning me at a young age) with the way it stands, all leant forward, untill I realised it was a trait and how it stood naturally!

Breeds like the Bulldog I feel so sorry for with people chucking out these non breed specific types (Who have it hard enough already with breathing etc because of theyre squashed face, Hope I got that right!) with back yard breeders/non KC registered breeders I have seen some real sorry state Bulldogs who couldnt even walk at a fast pace without gasping for breath :(

Its true what was said about the film 101 Dalmations as well, they suddenly exploded onto our local park when that film come out, and I learnt the apparant sad truth about how some 'breeders' will kill puppies if they do not have good markings fit enough for a purpose.....Someone on here tell me that just isnt true... :( :(

And probably the film 'Snatch' (British Gangster film by Guy Ritchie) had something to do with SBT's being popular all of a sudden.

Another is after Babe came out, everyone wanted a pig! :D :D :D Well......I did! :D :D :D

>I learnt the apparant sad truth about how some 'breeders' will kill puppies if they do not have good markings fit enough for a purpose.....Someone on here tell me that just isnt true... 

It isn't true. :) It used to be true that patched puppies (they're the ones with large splashes of colour at birth) were humanely put to sleep at birth because very few would find homes, but that's no longer the case, and hasn't been for at least 20 years.

Thank you so much for that JeanGenie! :p :p :P :P  (((Hug)))

I had wondered as I thought 'How could they get away with it nowdays?'' but Im so glad its not true to this day as the Dalmation is one of my favourite breeds.

Why wouldnt the patched puppies find homes because of there markings? Just curious now as Im not really sure what Dalmations are used for .........? Did it effect there working life? and why are puppies born white...and then develop spots? :D :D :D Im all curious now!!

Basically up until recently (it started in about the 70s and early 80s) puppy buyers were very particular. If they wanted 'just a pet for the kids' they usually got a mongrel from a local litter that was usually 'free to a good home'. If they wanted a pedigree dog then they wanted a 'proper' one, and a mismark just wasn't good enough - they were definitely seen as second-rate. If they were spending pedigree money they wanted potential champions! Nowadays buyers aren't so particular - whether that's universally a good or bad thing is a moot point! ;)

Dalmatians should be born pure white (although the spots are visible on the skin when the pups are still wet from birth) and the spots start appearing from about 10 or 12 days. (I'm told English setters are the same.) The breed has had many uses over the centuries but its most famous role is that of carriage-dog; an easily-visible guard dog that would trot alongside or underneath horse-drawn carriages.

I never knew thats what they were used for Quite an honurable job, and they deffo look the part trotting next to a carraige which is horse drawn!

Thanks JeanGenie! :)

not so particular about markings etc if not showing but particular about quality of dog/breeder would be nice :rolleyes:

This is exactly why most sensible folk do not want 'their' breed to go BIS at Crufts............

Exactly. Demand for the BIS breed always surges immediately after Crufts.

We had a sudden surge in enquires in our breed (basenji) after it went BIS at Crufts and that was without the owner/breeder of the dog doing any tv appearances thankfully or any other advertising for that matter. It is just aswell I don't have a breed that are easy to get hold of on a whim and are usually born in the winter so after Crufts has been on the TV. So by the time the next puppies are available they have not bothered to wait.

GSD are pretty dogs.  I know I would never have one though.  The closest I came to "having" one was dating a man with a GSD guide dog. 

The movie craze does help with the "in" dogs, makes sense?  I know a lot of people that got dalmations after 101 dalmations came out, and then shortly "got rid of" the dogs when it became to big, or whatever.  The the Saints, with Bethoven (sp?), and so on and so on. 

Right now, its still the Chinese Crested with the movie New York Minute with Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen.  Crested have become really popular, although many many people dont realize the amount of work needed for a crested.  They see the hairless dog, and think, ok no grooming.  That could be the furthest thing from the truth.  Sun lotion, clothes, etc, oh my, if they only knew.

My sis watched a movie once, and fell in love with the Puli.  Since then, she has done massive research on the breed, and knows that when she gets a dog, the Puli is for her.  I dont see anything wrong with that (I mean there is a moment, when you look at a breed, and you fall in love with the looks, then research).  But for people to say, Oh, this dog is in, so I gotta get one right now, without thinking about what it really entails, then that is to much.  I would never sell to them, and I hope my "Puppy Questionare" does enough to rule out these types of people!

This is going to sound strange , but.......I always love the smell off GSDs!
Never had one but I would if circumstances allowed.
Surely they cant smell different to others?
Karen ;-)

I have 2 GSDs and I grew up with them as my brother used to breed/show and is never without at least 1 GSD, and the DO have a smell all of their own :D.  My brother reckoned it was because they have a certain oil in their coat  They smell particularly strong after they've been caught in the rain .

Feel free to come and have a sniff anytime :D :D :D

Glad to hear that I'm not crazy then.....my little aussie has a very similar smell and I just love it!

Karen :D

I met a Keeshond on the London tube when I was in my teens.  Fell for the dog.

My ex husband wanted a GSD as that was the dog of his youth.  for me they were too big and strong and we compromised and got a BSD, but the black Groenendael as I love the way black dogs shine in the sun.  Love black horses too.

When I lost my girl at a young age I had become a single parent with two small children, a toddler and a pre schooler.  Much as I had loved my girl the breed was afar to high maintenance and needy for my circumstances.  I remembered the Keeshond I had met and also there was a lovely bitch at ringcraft, but felt that the breed was just a bit too small for me, and could use one with less grooming needed.

Did my research and luckily enough discovered my breed.  Visited them at a show and liked their attitude to people and other dogs.  The rest is history and I found the perfect fit  for me.  Even now the children are pretty much grown up I cannot see me changing breed.

The danger with exposure of any breed in the media is the availability of the bred to those who would exploit them.  With the well established breed it is easy to obtain a bitch and dog and breed puppies in a short space of time.

So I think the best thing is for breeds that are numerically small to win Crufts those with very close knit breeders who are unlikely to sell to exploiters.

I don't think there was a dangerous rise in the numbers of Clumber Spaniels bred after that breed won, but when the Westie won the already exploited breed was just churned out more.

The GSD is already bred too much by the wrong people and owned the same way.

In my childhood all the bad press was for the GSD attacking children, after that it was the Dobe.

Last night I watched (again) After Thomas about a young boy with Autism who is very much improved by having a Golden Retriever in the family. Thoroughly enjoyed it but at the same time my heart sank because some parents with Autistic children or perhaps children with behaviour problems will think that by buying a dog all their problems can be solved and will go and buy a dog not for themselves or the rest of the family but as a companion to their child. Some people just don't seem to understand the responsibilities of dog ownership.

"My sis watched a movie once, and fell in love with the Puli.  Since then, she has done massive research on the breed, and knows that when she gets a dog, the Puli is for her"- yes! the first thing someones going to go for in a dog is a look they like, but it's the research that tells you if its for you. me, i love the look of the basset hound, the komodor and various others, SO don't suit me though

There are many breeds on my "Oh my I have to watch that one at the shows'.  I love the standard poodle, but way to much grooming.  I always imagined myself, walking down the street, with a well behaved, magnificently carved dog at my side.  But to get the dog looking how they look in the ring, is to much for me at this point.

I hope the min pin doesnt get to popular.  I have had people say to me, "oh its a little dobe" and then say well if I cant have a dobe, I will get a small one. 

We can blame media a lot, but we also have to blame the "breeders" and the "buyers".  By breeders I dont mean those who health screen, carefully research the breed and pedigrees, and screen the potential buyers, and all the other things that go along with being a true breeder.  If it wasnt for these BYB cashing in on the fads, then there wouldnt be a problem.  I wonder truely what the next "In" breed will be. 

from my lifetime (fast approaching 23, ahh!) i remember media panics about gsd's, then dobes, then rotties and now the staffie. your so right about the smaller bred dogs, with a breed as rare as the clumber its not viable to mass produce them.

A lot of people approach me and ask about my Sibe. They've seen snow dogs/eight degrees below and decide they want one. If they research and it really is the dog for them fine but they are damn hard work, certainly not an easy breed! After mentioning a few of their not so good points they soon seem put off!

i think sibes are beautiful but i walked one once that belonged to a friend of my mums who raced. never again i just couldn't cope with them. i don't think many people could.

Ditto,a dn I am a Spitz breed owner.  I can walk a mixed age group of up to 6 of mine on my own, one sibe would do me in.

yeah i can comfortably walk 2 adult bullies at the same time but she had me flying through the trees. we were at a race so maybe she was excited lol. gotta say that i loved watching them racing, the sibes go mental! they obviously love it to bits

I agree Astarte Sibes are certainly not the dog for everyone although people generally see their peircing blue eyes (and assume they all have them) and think this is a valid reason to buy one! Ridiculous! We've started walking ours on a head collar because shes so strong now and still not fully grown. She hates it but has started to accept no headcollar no walk. I also cant believe how many people avoid her now shes got it on. They used to come over and fuss her but now think her headcollar is a muzzle so cross the road instead!

Wayne Rooney has just got a DDB pup so these may be the next 'must have' dog.  Oh dear :-(

I thought since Turner and Hooch they already were.

Possibly even more so now as there seem to be more and more of them about but maybe that has something to do with them coming off the export register (they have, haven't they??).  Films, winning Crufts, etc etc must scare the pants off some breeders, especially if it was a less well known breed that everyone suddenly wants NOW (although I appreciate any decent breeder would ask the relevant questions etc etc).

I want to see the film BECAUSE of the dog :) Yes, devout shepherd owning fan! However, it is worrying if they do become fashionable as I would agree that they are not a first time dog owners breed. The amount in rescue is absolutely horrendous, to the point our local rescue started refusing shepherds for a while, so as not to be dominated by them - so sad

K

My God I shall be in fashion at last, having already got the latest accessory, my GSD!

I have DDB's and the only way people know what they are is saying Turner and Hooch Dog!!! I hope neither are the new 'in' dogs because neither of them are really for Jo Publics First time dog. Allthough i do admit, my first dog was a DDB, but i was well into the breed by then and have proven being a good owner with them as the one has now multiliplied :D. Never knew wayne had one, but so does Gerrard, van der whatever and so did Jordan Katie Price once up on a time. Hope they dont because them being bigger than a lab will become the next hard mans staff, and get a bad name like the poor Rotties have done. Quality will get watered down even more booo hooo.

What happened to just wanting a hair do or clothes from a film why does it have to be a living animal, now for back yard breeder to milk dry. Films should use neutered cross-bred rescue dogs, people might get those then.

In my humble opinion the next 'in' dogs will be Akitas, Cane Corso, Presas, and mixtures there of. You only have to look through your local papers and exchange & mart etc to see an increase in the number of them for sale. GSDs, I believe were the 'in' dogs some time ago, had their problems, 'fashions' changed and people moved on, and things calmed down for the breed. Other breeds such as Rotties experienced the same sort of problems, idiots wanting them for the image, so idiots 'breeding' them on demand and producing very poor dogs. Couple these poor dogs and the owners lack of interest and training you are simply asking for trouble.
I wish people would not buy dogs for the image, but this will always happen - you only have to walk down the street and see some moron with something loosely resembling a staff, wearing a ridiculously large studded collar. I hope BTs don't suddenly attract this sort of attention following the recent oliver series on bbc1.

> I have DDB's and the only way people know what they are is saying Turner and Hooch Dog!!!

Standard questions when i get people talking about dogs...

"whats a hush puppy dog?"
"whats a dulux dog?"
"whats the dog in as good as it gets?" (i believe a brussels griffon if i have the film right)

My response "AHHHHH! its not a (e.g.) hush puppy dog! its a basset hound!"

"nah its a hush puppy dog"

then i go quitely insane :)

Yep I have to say to people there is no such thing as a snow dog, there are sled dogs of various breeds and similar looking dogs used for other purposes like hunting herding, and simply companionship.

Though if I had a £1 for every time a hard boy rolls done their window and says "Those Akita's for sale?" I would be rich. 

Oh I don't even have Akita's :D

I wish someone had mentioned this was a Horror Film......I hate Horror Films...

Oh I can do vampies etc type horror, as it is fantasy.  the oens I hate are the psycho killer type, as unfortunately that can be far to close to real life.