Robin Nuttall wrote:
Sionnach wrote:



I forgot to mention Schutzhund, but as a point of note - from comments
I've read over the years, both on USENET and in other areas, I'd've thought
the OP would be more likely to find a higher number of physically
better-built but temperamentally unsuitable (e.g. "sharp" temperaments) GSDs
in Schutzhund.

Um, no. A sharp, unstable temperament is severely frowned upon in
schutzhund. The mantra of every schutzhund trainer I know is a STABLE
temperament. Either you've misunderstood or you've been
misinformed--both things very easily happen with people who don't do or
take a lot of interest in schutzhund, so it's quite understandable.

A successful schutzhund dog, especially a schutzhund GSD, has a rock
solid temperament and in fact is often difficult to put into fight
drive. Most schutzhund work these days is done in prey anyway.


I wonder if the difference is regional. I'm not that far from Sarah
and I've seen some rather unstable dogs trying schutzhund at the club
level. The better clubs don't allow the unstable dogs for the bitework
training. One of the TDs I worked with made obedience and tracking
manditory each and every session before any protection work was done.
That helped weed out the macho jerks that thought schutzhund meant
having a big bad dawg.

Beth