One would never try to teach a parrot to dive for oysters. Yet many try to train genetic wrecks to be Working Dogs.
It is very interesting to note that many of the sporting and show lines of working dog breeds could never work because of poor structure, however, many of these dog's X-ray O.F.A. good or excellent and their genetic distortions are being reproduced.

If we look at the German Shepherds Dog that can no longer walk on his hind feet but rest on his hock, we would see this poor cripple could barely walk, let alone work.

These dogs however are being called champions by the Kennels Clubs and breed registries.
So if we are looking for a good working prospect the word "Champion" should set off alarms of warning.

The actual genetics behind breeding are totally discarded for a Champion or Grand Champion title on the papers.

The very food for human ego is poison to the dog as a working animal. The O.F.A. is a travesty.
In my opinion it causes more harm than good.

One dog in a litter may show good on x-ray. Pulling of the dog's legs to obtain the x-ray is an affliction of unnecessary anguish that can cause permanent damage. If the positioning is off slightly, you will get a misreading. To rectify this is more difficult than rewriting the constitution. It is a scandalous, misleading, useless task that solves nothing nor will it ever.
It should be banned.

I am amazed how people rise up to stop the cropping of ears and docking of tails, yet they permit this.

When you purchase a dog you are purchasing genetics. A composite of his or here ancestors.
He or she will not reproduce themselves. In order to do this your must go to the Sire and Dam.
When you breed you breed your male to a female or vice versa.
You open up a whole new world of genetics. That is why you cannot hope to purchase a good working dog from a show or sport breeder. Take an Schutzund III Sire. He breeds a dozen females because of his "title." A dozen unknown combinations that sell because of the "sires."
Yet to reproduce him you would have to go to his sire and dam as I stated earlier. So now you have an average of 100% unknown genetic makeup pups. All because of a sires sporting title.
It goes on and on.

Your chances of getting a good dog are just as good, if not better, from buying a local pup from a sire and dam you can see. The only way to reproduce working dogs is to work what you breed and breed what you work.
This takes time and few breeders do this today. Your's is the decision.

Do you contribute to the weak or assist the strong?

Time is running out on the good dogs left.
Build or destroy that is genetics in plain English.
You are responsible for every generation you breed. Just as you are responsible for the work and safety of those who work with and around you.

Pick your genetics wisely.
Don't buy a pup on his sire merits but on the proof of a proven crosses. Do they work or not?
This is what working genetics means.

A true working dog will not be a good sporting dog.
He will have too much character.
He will he not be a good show dog.
His legs will be too straight and strong. His back will not be sloped enough.

Think! Think! Think!

You will not be tracking food but man.
You will not be looking for a decoy in the same blind time after time, but a needle in a haystack.
Your dog will not be biting a sleeve but flesh and pushing through the elements.

My last thoughts on genetics.
The best and worst dogs are in North America. The Germans have ruined the German Shepherds dog.
For this they should be ashamed.
Instead they insist the crippled dogs they title are still the best.
Perhaps genetics has something to do with this also.

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