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CORNERSTONE German Shepherd Dogs
461 FM 573 S, Mullin, TX 76864 Phone: 325.985.3598 or 3359 / C 325.451.4518PEDIGREES
IS A PEDIGREE IMPORTANT?
A pedigree refers to an ancestral line, thus every dog has a pedigree. Some are recorded, some are not. Proving a GSD is a true German Shepherd without a recorded pedigree is as impossible as proving one is heir to a fortune with no existing proof of heir-ship. So far as the GSD is concerned, the “fortune” in this analogy is all the marks and characteristics of the breed standard which make the true, full-blood German Shepherd such a remarkably magnificent animal. A good pedigree is more than “a piece of paper.” With the proper title identifiers, it tells you your GSD has a background of quality German Shepherds in its ancestral line, guaranteeing his/her high potential to be all a German Shepherd can be.When reading a GSD pedigree, you may see letters such as V, VA, SG before the name of a dog. Without further research on your part, this recorded letter designation is telling you that a very competent person (or persons) has evaluated the dog and his/her performance under certain required and controlled conditions, and has judged the dog to be of the quality suggested by the assigned letter. The V signifies Excellent, the VA signifies Excellent-Select, and the SG signifies Very Good. This assures you of worth and caliber because of these evaluations (explained further below). Always look for these identifiers when researching a pedigree.If there are letters following the name, such as SchH (followed by a 1, 2 or 3), this means the dog is titled in Schutzhund at the progressive levels suggested by the numbers. (For an interesting explanation and discussion of the demanding sport of Schutzhund, visit:http://home.flash.net/~astroman/schutzhund.html).
There are other significant letters in a pedigree which may be researched at:
http://home.flash.net/~astroman/glossary.html
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V (Vorzuglich) is the German word for excellent. The V designation when preceding a dog's name indicates that it has been evaluated as excellent in a German style conformation show. In order to earn the V the dog must be entered in the working classes meaning it must have a Schutzhund title. The V is reserved for dogs with excellent conformation and movement. It is the highest conformation rating that can be awarded in a local or regional show.
The "V" is also used to refer to very high scores in Schutzhund, but in this case, it is not part of the dog's name. The maximum points awarded for each of the three phases is 100. If the dog earns 96 or above in any of the three phases of tracking, obedience or protection, the dog will receive a "V" rating. If the total points earned in all three phases is 286 or above, the dog will receive an overall "V" rating. The same concept applies to the FH and IPO titles.
VA (Vorzuglich-Auslese) means excellent-select. The VA precedes a dog's name and means that it has earned the highest possible conformation title possible, and it has demonstrated pronounced hardness, courage and fighting instincts in the protection test. The dog must be virtually flawless in structure and meet the German breed standard in every respect. The VA title is only awarded at the German Sieger Show (a national German Conformation Show) and at large national shows in other countries including the United States.
SG (sehr gut) literally means "very good" in German. When SG precedes a dog's name, it means it has received a very good rating in a German style conformation show. This is the highest rating that can be earned by a non-titled dog. The V rating in conformation can only be awarded when a dog has a Schutzhund title.
SG is also used to refer to very good scores in Schutzhund, but in this case, it is not part of the dog's name. If the total points earned by the dog in achieving a Schutzhund title are between 270 and 285 (out of 300), the dog will receive an overall rating of SG.
If you are not familiar with the Schutzhund sport, the word is a German word that literally translated means "protection dog." Schutzhund is a demanding sport, testing a dog's temperament and willingness to perform tracking, obedience and protection. If you want to read about this very interesting sport, we again point you to: http://home.flash.net/~astroman/schutzhund.html
All of this means there are some very excellent German Shepherds in a puppy's background where these letters are present, thus very very likely that he/she will carry some of the very same outstanding traits.
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PLEASE NOTE: If we place a puppy with you and circumstances evolve to where you cannot keep your Cornerstone German Shepherd Dog, we encourage you to please first call us at Cornerstone before taking it to a shelter (325.985.3359).
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Cornerstone German Shepherds
Dedicated to the Magnificent German Shepherd Dog
In the Heart o' Texas, midway between Abilene and Austin on Hwy 183 ~ 461 FM573 S, Mullin, Texas 76864
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Call 325.985.3528, or 3359 ~ e-mail us at: info@cornerstonegsd.com
"Enjoy the pleasure of a Cornerstone German Shepherd!"
++ Lovable Companion * Devoted Protector * Noble Servant + +
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