Before we decide which dog is better for our individual lives, we must decide which dog is better for the breed as a whole.Before we can do that, lets look at some of the differences between the 2 types of dogs. I guess the whole reason to have a dog is to meet certain needs. The conformation dog cannot do anything that other conformation dogs cannot do. It can only look good, be healthy, and be a dog.Working dogs are for certain purposes. Perhaps a size difference helps in the field, perhaps previous working breeds have fallen off and true working dogs in that breed are hard to come by. It always strikes me as odd when i see on TV working breeds that are trialed strictly according to looks and bone structure. You could rarely take one of those AKC champions and expect them to be able to keep up with a dog bred for purpose.People feel they have accomplished an incredible thing when they trot a dog around a ring and created him to look exactly as someone else said they should. There is no individuality. Bruce Lee always taught his students not to practice karate, or jeet kune do, or jiu jitsu, because then they fall into a specific style and become locked into that. rather, thier standard of fighting should be just that: fighting. We should not strive so hard to create and conform to a conformation standard. A standard written for a working breed must be based off of working dogs.
We talk about how we are prooducers of champions, home of champions, but our meager accomplishments are light and weightless when our loftiest goals are to breed a dog that a judge feels up and gives it a trophy. If I simply wanted a companion, i would go to the shelter and adopt one of those precious "mutts" that some jackass left behind.
In the show world, there are great folks involved, but also a large element of beuracratic snobs who feel as if the standard is the law. God help those who deviate from it. In the world of working dogs, the breeder breeds his dogs for his purposes, keeps one or two back for himself, and makes the rest available to like minded people. If he is constantly talking about coloration, bone, and muscle, then his focus is lacking. If those are the major things he pushes when selling pups, do not buy a pup from him. If another person doesn't like his dogs, not only does he not care, it may even motivate him more to work harder. When a Christian does right, he gets the devils attention, and when a working dog breeder does it right, it gets the conformation peoples attention.
The only people i would let get in my ear about my program are my mentors, and the breed creators themselves. In high end kennel clubs, if the breeder mixes in his flavor, he is in danger of losing his membership, and his dogs get noted on thier paperwork.Then all of his hard work goes down the drain because of conformation. therefore, the presiding kennel club decides what your goals are, what your dreams, vision and plans are. You dont run your breeding program, they do! All because you want conformation correct dogs. Conformation will not chase the unwanted animal out of the yard. Conformation will not protect you on a hike or in a dark alley, conformation will not protect your children from a would be attacker, rapist, or kidnapper. IMO, conformattion doesnt always even look good. Conformation does not prevent a C-section birth, it doesnt promote healthy breathing, deep lungs, and proper internal function. It doesnt promote solid workable temperament. CONFORMATION DOESNT PAY BACK ALL THE HASSLE IT CAUSES. Winning shows are not that hard. the basis for the word "conformation" is "conform". What is it we are striving to conform to? Conform to what? A club or boards opinion? Another groups likes and dislikes of your breed of choice? You give up the freedom of choice when you choose show dogs. Temperament, health, then purpose, should be the 3 biggest things you really shoot for when breeding dogs. Temperament is vital in working dogs. He must be even, steady, predictable, and reliable to handle the daily situations that come his way. he can have the attitude or drive he needs to posess his working ability, but he needs to be able to be around people and not lose his edge. Ability and drive can be developed even though they are a part of his breeding, his temperament is bred into him. The show guy( or gal) would argue that the show dog has to be even tempered to be in the ring and be judged and touched by strangers. I will argue that the average show dog is bred and raised for conformation. Many trainers wont even put collars on the dogs because it will hurt thier fur for the show!!!! I have been threatened more by show dogs than by working dogs. In fact, i dont think ive ever been accidentaly bitten by a working dog. If a breed was intended to be a companion, then dont try to turn it into a working dog. BUT----- if a breed was intended to be a working breed, then dont try to turn it into a show breed and conformation dog. Dont try to change the dogs purpose. Work entails a huge list of variety, alot of different things your dog can do.Im still sort of new to working my dogs, But i have bred and raised both show dogs and working dogs, and i know which side of the fence im on.
If we went and got shih-tzu's & labradors and tried to make them do pp and weight pull, dont you think the shih-tzu and Lab people would be upset? Pretty much yes, and with good right. We are going out of the bounds of the breeds purpose. Thats why so many of us get uptight when people select for color and couch potato conformation.
I believe in breed standards. I believe in conformation. But I think we should be extremely careful about what/who we are conforming to.
We talk about how we are prooducers of champions, home of champions, but our meager accomplishments are light and weightless when our loftiest goals are to breed a dog that a judge feels up and gives it a trophy. If I simply wanted a companion, i would go to the shelter and adopt one of those precious "mutts" that some jackass left behind.
In the show world, there are great folks involved, but also a large element of beuracratic snobs who feel as if the standard is the law. God help those who deviate from it. In the world of working dogs, the breeder breeds his dogs for his purposes, keeps one or two back for himself, and makes the rest available to like minded people. If he is constantly talking about coloration, bone, and muscle, then his focus is lacking. If those are the major things he pushes when selling pups, do not buy a pup from him. If another person doesn't like his dogs, not only does he not care, it may even motivate him more to work harder. When a Christian does right, he gets the devils attention, and when a working dog breeder does it right, it gets the conformation peoples attention.
The only people i would let get in my ear about my program are my mentors, and the breed creators themselves. In high end kennel clubs, if the breeder mixes in his flavor, he is in danger of losing his membership, and his dogs get noted on thier paperwork.Then all of his hard work goes down the drain because of conformation. therefore, the presiding kennel club decides what your goals are, what your dreams, vision and plans are. You dont run your breeding program, they do! All because you want conformation correct dogs. Conformation will not chase the unwanted animal out of the yard. Conformation will not protect you on a hike or in a dark alley, conformation will not protect your children from a would be attacker, rapist, or kidnapper. IMO, conformattion doesnt always even look good. Conformation does not prevent a C-section birth, it doesnt promote healthy breathing, deep lungs, and proper internal function. It doesnt promote solid workable temperament. CONFORMATION DOESNT PAY BACK ALL THE HASSLE IT CAUSES. Winning shows are not that hard. the basis for the word "conformation" is "conform". What is it we are striving to conform to? Conform to what? A club or boards opinion? Another groups likes and dislikes of your breed of choice? You give up the freedom of choice when you choose show dogs. Temperament, health, then purpose, should be the 3 biggest things you really shoot for when breeding dogs. Temperament is vital in working dogs. He must be even, steady, predictable, and reliable to handle the daily situations that come his way. he can have the attitude or drive he needs to posess his working ability, but he needs to be able to be around people and not lose his edge. Ability and drive can be developed even though they are a part of his breeding, his temperament is bred into him. The show guy( or gal) would argue that the show dog has to be even tempered to be in the ring and be judged and touched by strangers. I will argue that the average show dog is bred and raised for conformation. Many trainers wont even put collars on the dogs because it will hurt thier fur for the show!!!! I have been threatened more by show dogs than by working dogs. In fact, i dont think ive ever been accidentaly bitten by a working dog. If a breed was intended to be a companion, then dont try to turn it into a working dog. BUT----- if a breed was intended to be a working breed, then dont try to turn it into a show breed and conformation dog. Dont try to change the dogs purpose. Work entails a huge list of variety, alot of different things your dog can do.Im still sort of new to working my dogs, But i have bred and raised both show dogs and working dogs, and i know which side of the fence im on.
If we went and got shih-tzu's & labradors and tried to make them do pp and weight pull, dont you think the shih-tzu and Lab people would be upset? Pretty much yes, and with good right. We are going out of the bounds of the breeds purpose. Thats why so many of us get uptight when people select for color and couch potato conformation.
I believe in breed standards. I believe in conformation. But I think we should be extremely careful about what/who we are conforming to.
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