Can a GSD be compared to a house?
of course, NOT. WE can't compare a structure to a living creature. But most of us understand the difference between parts of a house (and their importance) and we can compare that to different important aspects of a German shepherd dog.
This may be a somewhat weird analogy, but a few days ago I had to explain German Shepherd Dog qualities to a general contractor. Comparing a GSD to house made total sense to him. So, I made this graphic.
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Let's start with a FOUNDATION. If a GSD was a house, then genetic health testing would be a foundation! Every house has a foundation - a good one or bad one, a crawl space or no real foundation at all. Some foundations need major repairs (like a total hip replacement). Some are so well finished that we might even put a bedroom there! Please make sure that you also put a visual to this comparison - health testing itself is just that - a foundation! You can't live in a foundation without any structure above! So a dog with just HD/ED is not a breeding prospect automatically. Needs a little more!
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Yes, we need to build some WALLS - that is the Physical appearance of a dog. Like it or not - there is a breed standard and every part of a dog is explained in detail. Size, color, proportions. Every detail is like a building block that when put closely together makes walls of the house. Some walls are brick, some are wood, some are tent walls. Choose what you like.
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Going forward - DOORS AND WINDOWS - yes, blue ribbons and golden cups - titles and show scores. Some are important, like a front door, some are for decoration only. Some people will argue that these are not important. Oh well, try to live in a house that has no windows or doors. That's a cell, not a house!
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Final touch - the ROOF! Woof- woof! Yes, every house needs a roof - for a GSD that is a breed survey. The breed survey is the ultimate instrument used as the selection method for the German Shepherd Dog Breed. It is absolutely necessary for the preservation and advancement of this breed. The roof is super important, because when it rains - and no roof - it pours through the walls, into the foundation, damages the windows and doors. Roof has a time limit and can be replaced on the house and sometimes, it can be replaced for a lifetime of that house! Just like a breed survey!
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And lastly, the NEIGHBORHOOD - of course! The houses around your house. All the dogs on the pedigree - what are they? Are they custom built mansions (VA1) or are they manufactured homes? You know that value of the home is directly impacted by the value of the closely neighboring houses. So yes, that is important!
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Now, some of you might not agree on everything here, but I though it would be fun to do this analogy.