# New breed rules coming- 10/2025



## Wunderwhy6 (Nov 29, 2020)

The judge (Heidi) at the trial this weekend announced to everyone there are new rules coming to the USA in regards the breeding of German shepherds. The rules will allow us to remain part of the WUSV. She stated we are currently in a transitional period, but there is a hard cutoff line of October 2025.

*I am interested in what everyone here thinks regarding them?*

The official information is still spreading through word of mouth and publications. I took brief notes however, which I’ll type here.
Going forward, the requirements to breed a GSD that Germany will call a GSD include more than a pedigree and OFAs. There are three levels: Basic, Advanced, and Premium.

Basic: pedigree and registration, microchip, SV x-rays (will grandfather in OFAs if born before 10/21), show rating, SV DNA tested or stored, new character assessment test, BH and AD. 

Advanced: All of the above plus an IGP 3 with minimum of 80pts

Premium: All of the above plus a breed survey 

The judge specified that in order for a litter to be registered as one of these, the requirements must be done before the time of breeding, and will default to the lowest level. So if a premium male is bred to a basic female, the litter will all be basic. 
There is some room for moving upwards. If the female becomes advanced the litter can be made advanced, however, even if the female then becomes premium, that last litter will remain advanced. But any other litter between the two can be labeled premium.

This will affect showing dogs and breeding. It will not affect IGP. A GSD who is not even the basic level can participate in sports but she stated they will be registered to compete as a mix German shepherd. Mix because they do not meet minimum requirements of breeding to be a German shepherd.

AI will not be accepted- for now. Heidi is still fighting to have this changed. 

There likely more I am missing but this is what I have written down. Any thoughts?


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## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

Wow. Not a breeder and on the surface this sends interesting. With all that work I expect prices to go through the roof.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

There are a lot of issues with this. I talked a bit to Heidi one night and have talked to others. It DOES affect IGP. It affects anyone wanting to trial at national levels because your dog needs to be registered with the USCA so needs all the boxes checked. It affects future generations of dogs that do not come from breed surveyed stock.

* Let's be VERY clear on this. This is relevant to the USCA in regards to being a WUSV member. This does not affect AKC registrations at all. *

In my opinion, many breeders here will ignore it just as they do breeding long coat to stock coat. That progeny can never be breed surveyed or registered with the USCA so can never trial/show at national levels.


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## Wunderwhy6 (Nov 29, 2020)

Thank you for the clarification (and correction 🙂)

The long term ramifications are still a debate. I do agree though that this will drive prices up quite a bit for pups from a breeder following these rules.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

IMO, Germany is just further limiting the gene pool and many countries do not have the resources for conformation shows. This is one of the reasons the BS was left off as a requirement for the WUSV a few years ago.


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## DogsRPeople2 (Feb 16, 2021)

Wunderwhy6 said:


> The judge (Heidi) at the trial this weekend announced to everyone there are new rules coming to the USA in regards the breeding of German shepherds. The rules will allow us to remain part of the WUSV. She stated we are currently in a transitional period, but there is a hard cutoff line of October 2025.
> 
> *I am interested in what everyone here thinks regarding them?*
> 
> ...


What about dna? Thats science. If dna says its 100% gsd than it is, regardless of rules and laws.


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## Wunderwhy6 (Nov 29, 2020)

It will definitely limit breeding. Particularly with refusing AI on top of it all. It is hard enough getting a puppy from the west coast to the east coast (as my brother found out with Kai’s littermate), much less a qualified adult even further. I appreciate what Heidi mentioned when discussing this: it will limit breeding for many to a regional pool of dogs. The exact opposite of what their genetics needs. 

@jax Do you know if they will grandfather in established lines for breeders who might just be missing one or two requirements in past dogs? Or would the entire line need to be scrapped?


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## Wunderwhy6 (Nov 29, 2020)

DogsRPeople2 said:


> What about dna? Thats science. If dna says its 100% gsd than it is, regardless of rules and laws.


By German GSD standards there is no such thing as a white German shepherd, despite their DNA stating GSD. White GSD enthusiasts created their own breed with its own standard to get around this. I imagine the mindset will be the same in this case with the “mix” GSD. This is only a theory though, I may be misunderstanding how the documentation will work. Another member might have a better understanding.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

DogsRPeople2 said:


> What about dna? Thats science. If dna says its 100% gsd than it is, regardless of rules and laws.


You are not understanding the topic. 

The SV is the parent club in Germany. They set the breed standards. They are setting the rules for breedings. 

The SV is trying to maintain breed standards. Again, this has nothing to do with AKC or any other registry in the world. This is about maintaining the relationship of the USCA with the WUSV. Nobody is questioning the pedigree of the dogs. They are setting rules to maintain breed standard. 

The remark on the "mixed breed" entry has ONLY to do with trialing in IGP...because again - this has nothing to do with AKC. We will still register all of our litters with the AKC. The USCA registry is for competition and conformation for those following the SV breed standard. A dog that does not have all the boxes check will have to enter as a Mixed Breed in CHAMPIONSHIPS. They will not be able to enter in the USCA Nationals but will be able to enter in the WDC, which is an all breed competition.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Wunderwhy6 said:


> It will definitely limit breeding. Particularly with refusing AI on top of it all. It is hard enough getting a puppy from the west coast to the east coast (as my brother found out with Kai’s littermate), much less a qualified adult even further. I appreciate what Heidi mentioned when discussing this: it will limit breeding for many to a regional pool of dogs. The exact opposite of what their genetics needs.
> 
> @jax Do you know if they will grandfather in established lines for breeders who might just be missing one or two requirements in past dogs? Or would the entire line need to be scrapped?


It will not limit breedings. This is not going to affect registering with AKC. 99.9% of the dogs born here never see a championship or even a conformation show. We, here in the U.S., already ignore conformation requirements, long coat to stock coat breedings, and AI restrictions. But still follow the standard for temperament and conformation. 

The SV is limiting their gene pool. Not breedings. The breedings will still happen and further bottle neck the breed byr following the rules. 

This is literally only affecting the top 1% of competitors....let me repeat that....COMPETITORS. Because they will have to choose their dogs more carefully, it may knock out some homebred dogs. Many still buy their dogs overseas anyways.

The logistics of making all this happen here in the U.S. is crazy. We don't have enough conformation shows and we are to wide spread. This is only in relation to the USCA. 

Not even mentioning the GSDCA and their rules that they make up as they go along...and took the stick hits out because Germany did. Now, there's a topic - so GSDCA and USCA alternate years for hte quali and sieger show. How is that going to work if one organization keeps the stick and the other doesn't? LOL


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## mycobraracr (Dec 4, 2011)

These rules will have little to no effect. Most of your hard core IGP people already follow the SV rules and standards. The health testing is good, for competition to help elevate some of the shady stuff that was rumored to be going on with that. It only effects those playing in the USCA.


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## mycobraracr (Dec 4, 2011)

Jax08 said:


> This is literally only affecting the top 1% of competitors....let me repeat that....COMPETITORS. Because they will have to choose their dogs more carefully, it may knock out some homebred dogs. Many still buy their dogs overseas anyway.


Or they’ll just ship their dogs to Germany to get it all done and have them shipped back. I know a few breeders who do that near me. Ship off a young dog to a friend in Germany, get it back in 90 days with IGP3, AD and V rating and KKL. It’s magic! Haha


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

mycobraracr said:


> These rules will have little to no effect. Most of your hard core IGP people already follow the SV rules and standards. The health testing is good, for competition to help elevate some of the shady stuff that was rumored to be going on with that. *It only effects those playing in the USCA.*


and only at championship levels.

I think this will actually discourage people from entering conformation. Forcing an issue never works.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Let's just use this as an example. 

For years, in order to be eligible for dogs to go the WUSV Sieger Show, the dog must be breed surveyed...and the parents must have a breed survey at the time that the dog in question was conceived. 

How many dogs do you think fit that requirement right now? 

i can tell you that my Faren meets that requirement. At the time of the breeding, the parents both had BS's. The mother did not have a lifetime BS yet, just the first. Her BS expired between the F and the next one. She had several litters here in the states after the F litter. Not a single dog from those litters are eligible for universal sieger and the WUSV Sieger show.

There are very few breeders, currently, that care whether the dogs are breed surveyed. And that will continue.


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## DogsRPeople2 (Feb 16, 2021)

Jax08 said:


> You are not understanding the topic.
> 
> The SV is the parent club in Germany. They set the breed standards. They are setting the rules for breedings.
> 
> ...


Thank you for explaining it to me! You are correct that I did not understand what that was about. Im still learning, still new to GSDs.
Thanks again.


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## Bearshandler (Aug 29, 2019)

Wunderwhy6 said:


> Basic: pedigree and registration, microchip, SV x-rays (will grandfather in OFAs if born before 10/21), show rating, SV DNA tested or stored, new character assessment test, BH and AD.


I could be reading this wrong, but this is less than what is typically required. I talked to someone in Germany about him bringing a puppy in and he said it would depend on if the SV accepted the X-rays.


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## Bearshandler (Aug 29, 2019)

mycobraracr said:


> Or they’ll just ship their dogs to Germany to get it all done and have them shipped back. I know a few breeders who do that near me. Ship off a young dog to a friend in Germany, get it back in 90 days with IGP3, AD and V rating and KKL. It’s magic! Haha


I’ve seen some dogs titled in Germany. They didn’t look like there was anything fishy with them.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

@Bearshandler - I believe you are right. Basic is less. Right now, the SV only gives registration for IPG1 and a BS. So this would allow less for this level of registration.


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## ODA564 (Jun 23, 2021)

I've lived in Germany. Germans are anally retentive pedants obsessed with making everything as limiting as possible.

Every pursuit (what we'd call hobbies) has layers of organizations - national to local - with tests, requirements, rules, etc. It's what they do. And the existing standards are always too lax - they must be tightened to keep out the not grimly dedicated "hobbyists" (i.e. Amerikaner und andere Aüslander!).

Breed standards are important. The health of the breed is important. And they should be realistic. Would a resurrected Horand von Grafrath meet these standards?

Or is this about limiting competition?


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## Boatswain2PA (Dec 26, 2021)

car2ner said:


> Wow. Not a breeder and on the surface this sends interesting. With all that work I expect prices to go through the roof.


I suspect that is one of the reasons behind it....


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## gregesilas (8 mo ago)




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