I dont' want my post misinterpreted, which is the only reason I'm chiming in again. Yes I agree that alot of politics are involved in the show world, and that dogs that shouldn't be finished often are. However (This is weird because a post along this line is going on in one of my Dane rooms), Danes don't have working lines vs showing lines, and in my opinion, I think that there is no reason to breed a Dane if it isn't at least pointed.
Please hear me out. Shana, your Pyrs are Live stock guardian dogs. They still can be found doing the very job that they were bred for. (I don't see many Danes, if any, nowadays being used for boar hunting). Because you have dogs that have proven themselves as working dogs, they've already proven themselves, and don't really need to be proven in the show ring.
There are several breeds that have definitive working and showing lines. A working dog won't do well in the show ring and the show dog can't herd. I doubt I'll ever see a GSD that is a champion in the ring do well as a herding dog. The pasterns'll take care of that. Show ring Aussies are long necked and lack of coat, and are in general more snipey than their sturdier working cousins. Confirmation borders are much more bulky than the slinkier ones that are such excellent herding dogs. A Bench English Setter can be a field trial dog, but a field setter can never be a Chamionship winning show dog. However Malmutes are a dog that often goes from the ring to work the next day (I know there are many many multi titled dogs in the world, and I'm not debating this, or saying which breeds can and can't be multi titled, I'm just giving examples).
Sarnwefie.
Newfies are still used in water work. They're still a dog that's doing what it's bred to do. I don't know very much about Newfies so I won't pretend that I do. I'm talking about Great Danes in particular, and while I totall and completely agree that there are quite a few of them that I think don't adhere to the standard, if you have a dog that does, why not show it? The reason I say this is because every single owner or breeder or whatever suffers from kennel blindness. If we didn't have impartial (And I know often they're not impartial) parties judge them, eventually the breds we love would look nothing like themselves. With Danes, someone who likes a more heavy dog will eventually get a dog that looks more like a long legged mastiff (Nothing against Mastiff owners, but if you want a mastiff, get a mastiff). And the people who like snipier dogs will end up with more of a giant greyhound (Nothing agaisnt greyhound people, but if youwant a greyhound, get a greyhound.) That is why I beleive showing, especially in my breed of choice is so important.
Ang
