# A Test (For Breeders)



## amjrchamberlain (Mar 8, 2005)

JUST FOR FUN....

Don't you just wish you could require testing of "breeders" to be allowed to breed? I mean, breed specific things would matter - like how to spell the breed. That's definately a pet peeve of mine. On a local site, there is an ad online for "German Shepphards". As opposed to German Sheppsofts?









So...if we could require a written test what would you ask. You can be as serious or silly as you want to be, I suppose.









I want the first question to be - Who is considered the Creator of the breed? Can't answer? Automatic NQ. LOL

How tall is a GSD supposed to be? 30 inches is what you are breeding for, you say? NQ!

Ok.







I think you get my point...lol

Cheers! (Please feel free to move if not in the correct section).


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## Fransheska (Sep 11, 2008)

lol 

Why are you breeding?

a) cute puppies! Awww so cute!
b) BIG MONEYY!!! 
c) well i have a purebred and so does my neighbor soo we figured, lets teach the kids about the miracle of life
d) for the love of the breed, i have researched for years, have a good pair with all the right tests and im confident i have homes for all potential puppies 

if you answer a,b,c, ...

NO PUPPIES FOR YOU! lol


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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

LOL! These are good. 

How about:

Can you identify the three main Lines of German Shepherds, and do you even _know_ which line YOUR shepherd is from. 

Okay, here is an easy, throw-away question, which I bet most so-called "breeders" wouldn't even know:

WHY is this breed called a Geman _shepherd_ dog? (Hint: the answer is contained in the question.

Let's see how many "breeders" on craiglist and the like could answer that one?


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## DianaM (Jan 5, 2006)

Great questions and thread! Mine to add:

1) What health problems are this breed prone to?
2) What is the breed's origins and what is its intended purpose?
3) What is the name of the breed's main worldwide organization?
4) What working/temperament tests do you do to prove your breeding stock can work?
5) What is an Alsatian? 

Can't answer those or any on this thread, get out of breeding GSDs.


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## Chris Wild (Dec 14, 2001)

> Originally Posted By: Castlemaid
> 
> WHY is this breed called a Geman _shepherd_ dog? (Hint: the answer is contained in the question.





> Originally Posted By: DianaM
> 2) What is the breed's origins and what is its intended purpose?



What's interesting is how many of those who would be considered good, knowledgeable breeders, owners and fanciers would get this one wrong.

It seems, due to the name and herding heritage (not to mention AKC moving the GSD to the herding group when the group was split from the working group) a good number of people think the GSD was created to BE a sheep herding breed. 

When the truth is that it was created FROM sheep herding dogs to be an all around working dog, geared primarily for police and military work. One who could still herd, yes, but that was not the primary purpose for which the breed was created.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: AngelaMOJUST FOR FUN....
> 
> Don't you just wish you could require testing of "breeders" to be allowed to breed? I mean, breed specific things would matter - like how to spell the breed. That's definately a pet peeve of mine. On a local site, there is an ad online for "German Shepphards". As opposed to German Sheppsofts?


The "breeder" of Onyx called them Shephards for quite some time. The vet that I just quit has shephard listed as the breed on my dogs records.


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## Catu (Sep 6, 2007)

> Quote: German Shepphards". As opposed to German Sheppsofts










Love it!


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## Karla_Calderon (May 15, 2005)

> Originally Posted By: Chris Wild
> 
> 
> Castlemaid said:
> ...


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## DianaM (Jan 5, 2006)

This is one of the most versatile breeds in existence, if not THE most versatile!

Police, military, personal protection, tracking, SAR, narcotics, agility, obedience, therapy, assistance, guide, herding, hunting (yes, a few), flyball, rally, showing, border patrol, protection sports, and of course beloved family pet!


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## amjrchamberlain (Mar 8, 2005)

LOL Fun, fun! Great questions all around!









Oh...I think I might need to make a correction - the title for this little diversion is not meant to imply that only breeders should respond. So, everyone feel free to join in!!


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

i'd like the ask the breeders of "old style" (old fashioned, old world, etc) shepherds - what time period they're actually referring to


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## SunCzarina (Nov 24, 2000)

Since this site has fantastic google-ability - maybe we can add some key words that someone looking for a sheppid / shephard / german shepherd breeder might put into a search engine? (Long day and I'm too tired to think about keywords.)

My test questions would be:

Quote the standard height and weight for males and females (I dunno or I think it is are automatic disqualifiations!)

If your dogs deviate from this standard, what is special enough about them to want to breed them? ie. what do they have to offer the breed?

What does OFA stand for? 

What is the age a dog can have their hips certified?

What do you do to socialize your puppies before they go to their new homes?

What do you do to match the puppies to the lifestyle of their new homes?

-tired... getting sleepy - fingers locking up


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## DianaM (Jan 5, 2006)

> Originally Posted By: Camerafodderi'd like the ask the breeders of "old style" (old fashioned, old world, etc) shepherds - what time period they're actually referring to


When they were eight years old and all they remember is a giant, quiet dog lumbering about. Because they were eight years old, they forget that the dog was huge just because they were tiny, and the dog was lumbering about because Mom and Dad worked hard to drain its energy. But now, they breed oversized heated couch pillows thinking that that's how a GSD- a WORKING breed- should be.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

http://vankelderdogs.dutchbingo.net/breeding.html#howtotell

My questions are in there


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## spartshep (Feb 20, 2008)

This is an excellent topic and all answers are good. However, there is a side to breeding that no one touched on, that being medical. Are you all aware of the possible complications that go along with labor and giving birth and do you have the preparedness to deal with it if no one is around but yourself. And for puppies...is everyone prepared with the proper knowledge to help *jump start* a pup that has fluid in his lungs or just is too tired from labor to breathe. There are many medical emergencies that happen every day, hopefully people recognize them if they happen to either mom or pup. My test would include not only history, pedigrees,criteria for breeding, etc., but intense focus on medical knowledge.


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## Smithie86 (Jan 9, 2001)

Connie,

Good points.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

> Originally Posted By: DianaMWhen they were eight years old and all they remember is a giant, quiet dog lumbering about. Because they were eight years old, they forget that the dog was huge just because they were tiny, and the dog was lumbering about because Mom and Dad worked hard to drain its energy. But now, they breed oversized heated couch pillows thinking that that's how a GSD- a WORKING breed- should be.


Or the dog was "lumbering about" because it was WAY overweight. And THAT is the ONLY reason it weighed over 100lbs.


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## amjrchamberlain (Mar 8, 2005)

> Originally Posted By: DianaMWhen they were eight years old and all they remember is a giant, quiet dog lumbering about. Because they were eight years old, they forget that the dog was huge just because they were tiny, and the dog was lumbering about because Mom and Dad worked hard to drain its energy. But now, they breed oversized heated couch pillows thinking that that's how a GSD- a WORKING breed- should be.


This is so true!! My grandpa raised pigs when I was little. I used to tell the craziest tales about the hogs. How they were as tall as the barn! The biggest pigs I ever saw! LOL As I got older I realized that that could not be true...Turns out...I was just really small. LOL 

It's also kind of like when you are a child and things seem so different and then you move away from home - when you come back, Or if you see the neighborhood in old pictures, sometimes there are feelings of sadness that things aren't the way you remember.


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## GranvilleGSD (Mar 28, 2007)

How about what country did the German Shepherd originate from? I work with a Golden "breeder" and she couldn't tell me where Goldens came from! (Scotland in case you were wondering)


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

It would definitely be an essay test. 

Give people enough rope, and they hang themselves. 

If a person cannot give you a decent answer, with well thought out arguments, then how in the world can they provide support to the puppy buyers. 

Some sample questions:

1. Discuss venerial disease in dogs.

2. Discuss laws in your location that affect dog breeding.

3. Discuss over-population in shelters and breeders' role in the problem and in the solution.

4. Discuss abnormal pregnancies, specifically marking at what point you call in a veterinarian.

5. Discuss puppy growth stages from whelping to when they are ready to go to their new owners.

6. Discuss dog guardianship vs. dog ownership. 

7. Discuss common health issues of your breed(s). 

8. Discuss how to properly care for pups orphaned during the whelping process.

9. Discuss your method for determining breed-worthiness of your breeding stock. 

10. Briefly discuss the top five items that you want your puppies' owners to understand and follow. 

11. Discuss your method for screening puppy buyers.

12. Discuss one of the following contraversial subjects, outline briefly arguments for and against, conclude with your policy and what you recommend to puppy buyers: early spay/neuter; vaccination protocols (how often, if at all); parasite control (monthly administration of pesticides, injested or through the blood stream).


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## amjrchamberlain (Mar 8, 2005)

Excellent essay questions, selzer!


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