Questa was purchased as a quality puppy with the intent of using her in the future to breed.  She has a pretty impressive lineage. 

However, there is more to breeding than lines and lineage.  The individual dog also needs to exhibit the qualities you want in an animal that is passing on her genes.  Under the German System, the dog is not allowed to be used for breeding and have registered puppies unless the dog achieves her Schutzhund 1 title or her Herding title and is breed surveyed and her hips and elbows pass the x rays.  The dog cannot compete for her Schutzhund 1 or herding title until she has passed the German Temperament test (BH).   In the AKC system any dog with papers can be bred and produce papered puppies. 

Right now, there are too many dogs out there.  There are people who breed and sell puppies and never title the parents and never do any health certifications.  They breed two AKC registered parent dogs (of the same breed), make puppies and sell them to make money. 

A responsible breeder is looking to improve not only on the dog being bred, but to retain and improve on the standards of the breed.  This, to my thinking, includes temperament, health and working ability along with conformation.  This means the dog is out either actively doing a job (successful herding dog, successful K9, successful Guide dog etc.) or the dog is titled in both working and conformation. 

Questa was in her first dog show as a puppy in the 4 to 6 month old class.  It was a small show under a German Judge and she placed first in a class of two puppies.  This is not a title and did not count toward her titles for breed survey, but it was fun and she was cute and the judge really liked her. 

When she was 16 months old she was entered in the National Seiger show in Virginia (2011) where she placed 13 in a class of females aged 12-18 months old.  She had been to two other shows in between.. in one she placed 2nd out of 6 dogs her age and in another she placed 6th out of 6 dogs.  In all the shows the judge gave her an SG rating "Sere Gut" or Very Good.  A dog cannot get an excellent (V) rating until the dog has been titled and breed surveyed. 

Questa entered "protection" training with an eye to a title.  She has already started tracking and was showing real talent there.  Her obedience was coming along.  At first she seemed interested in the "helper" and wanted to work.  However, her attention and her focus was off.  She would sniff the floor and sometimes even stand behind me conveying that she really did not want to engage the "big scary guy." 

Over a few weeks, the only way she would engage the helper was in defense.  When she went into defense, she was not targeting the toy and playing... she was defending her self and was very unstable in her bites.  She would have bitten the helper anywhere she could reach.  He tried and tried to engage her prey drive.  She sniffed the ground and refused to engage except in the destabilizing defense mode. 

I was asked to try a different venue.. and different helper and training group.  Finally I took her there and while she did do some avoidance, she also did engage in prey drive.  She was actually a little better when she came in heat.  Sometimes, while biting on the pillow, she would whimper.. as it all of her drives were telling her to bite and her courage was failing because she was really a bit scared while working. 

After a few weeks of going to the different helper and training group, and talking to the trainer there, I decided to spay Questa.  I had her thyroid tested first and it was normal (it is on OFA).  There was a lot of conflict in me over this decision.. and certainly Questa's breeder objected.  She is a very pretty dog and has great size and athletic ability.. but without strong 'nerve' and 'courage' she lost her breeding privilege card.