Natural History

Posted in german shepherd, golden retriever | Tagged german shepherd, golden retriever | 4 Comments

4 Responses

1. on August 19, 2018 at 4:29 pm kittenz

   That pup is going to be a spectacular dog! I love them at this age, when they have lanky legs, big ole paws, and every-which-way ears.

   
   
   • on August 19, 2018 at 6:13 pm retrieverman

     This is his dad: https://retrieverlady.com/quest/#jp-c
     arousel-940

     
     
   • on August 19, 2018 at 6:14 pm retrieverman

     http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/german_shepherd_dog/dog.html?id=1893655-alkarahs-bossa-nova

     
     
2. on August 20, 2018 at 1:06 am kittenz

   I love the bright golden tan with crisp saddle & mask and that streak of silvery fur across the mane; I can never decide just which color I love the most in German shepherds, because no good dog can be a bad color, but when I think “German shepherd”, unless I am remembering a specific dog, that brilliant black and gold, standing stacked moderately in ASL fashion, is the picture that first comes to mind.

   I am 100% positive that all versions of stacks first originated as an attempt to portray a dog that just casually stopped at some point in its natural movements, before those stacks became stylized. People think that they don’t teach the stack (whichever stack they use in various parts of the world), but they do; any breeder worth their salt starts teaching puppies to stand, and German shepherds are quick studies,

   I had never given the matter of just where the GSD stack originated much thought, really, until I got Heidi, as an almost completely untrained adolescent.
   Of course I taught my own puppies to stand; it’s what you do, and they have no difficulty learning that “this is the way I’m supposed to stand still”. But observing Heidi stalking my cats (she’d obviously never been around cats until I got her) opened my eyes. I believe that the GSD show stack(s) originated from the dogs’ natural stalking movements, much as setters’ and pointers’ “pointing” derives from natural stalking behavior. I have photos and video of Heidi stalking, just moving naturally, creeping up on a cat, and one aspect of that stalking is strikingly similar to a show stack, though not as exaggerated or polished.

   There sure are some fine animals in your puppy’s pedigree. I always thought Dallas should have taken the BiS at Westminster. He was one of the most beautiful and spirited GSDs I’ve ever seen. If I recall correctly, he was trained in herding after he retired from the show ring, though I don’t know whether he ever trialed or it was just for fun, to explore and expand his natural abilities.

   
   

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