Hello. I want know if in the other countries it is as in France.
It exists there lines of “work” and lines of “beauties”? I wanted to have your opinion there above. Is it necessary to continue to tend about a type, or put the capacities foward? Contrary, is it necessary to privilege the phenotype by leaving in background the strong behavioral characteristics? Does we have to tend to a recasting of the lines so that the ones grow rich by qualities of the others? Today, the lines are differently named “Use” and “Standard”.
Must we stay in this name, or must we tend towards a redefinition for, in the long term, having 8 definite varieties which would make it possible each amateur to be found there without having the feeling not to belong to the “family”.
This is a great debate which we have in France and which owners, breeders and users seek a solution so that everybody can find one's happiness there.
I have always been thinking that balance in all is neccesary. Gronendael as other BSD variants have been since the beginning of creation of the breedstandard a "working" breed. It is essential to maintain and strive for better quality in working. If this is lost in our Groenendaels, we no longer have a working breed but something else that the origin of the breed is far from.
Having been bred so long and becoming in type quite homogenic in overall population, I see no reason how breeding exterior and type ONLY would be beneficial for the breed. For one it has been through the history of different breeds the thing that has caused most problems. For the second there are bigger issues that should be considered as more important ones when thinking of breeding... such as health: HD, ED, eyediseases, cryptorchism, epilepsy... Thinking of France and most of other european countries examining the dogs used for breeding for other than HD is not even this day very popular. Not even mentioning examining not only the breeding material but also their littermates.
Type can be always improved, but if the workingability is mostly gone how can we ever get it back This is why I think breeders should widen their minds and be thinking not only the success in the shows but more like maintaining and improving health and character in the breed keeping the type as close as possible to the breed standard, but not let the exterior lead their way in breeding.
Then after all it is the puppybuyers who have to live with the dogs. Having a dog that is healthy and good in character, posessing workingability for what ever the owner pleases to do, but could have the ears a bit closer together over her head... I say the owner will be more satisfied with the dog than the one that has a dog with stunning looks but is afraid of almost everything, is no more use than going for walks and lie on the sofa and going to shows and/or has healthproblems.
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