The 10,000-Hour Rule

A spirited debate has existed among psychologists for at least several generations regarding the question of whether expertise in a given field is gained through innate talent or intensive practice and experience. Malcolm Gladwell in his book Outliers seeks to discover why some people succeed far more than others. Gladwell argues that the true story of success is much more complex than innate talent. He postulates the theory, with abundant supporting research, that one’s rise to top of any given field is determined by what is described as the “10,000-Hour Rule.”

This theory is based largely on a study by K. Anders Ericsson. According to Ericsson, Prietula and Cokely, new research shows that outstanding performance is “the product of years of deliberate practice and coaching, not of any innate talent or skill.” In their article, entitled The Making of an Expert, they outline three key factors that underlay elite performance in a given domain. These factors are deliberate practice; outstanding coaching, feedback and mentoring; and a significant investment of effort over time (typically ten years or more).

Gladwell claims greatness or expertise requires far more than a God-given talent. The 10,000-Hour Rule is centered upon three pillars. The first is that achievement is talent plus preparation. Researchers have largely agreed on what they believe is the number for true expertise: 10,000 hours.

Daniel Levitin in his book This is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession writes: “The emerging picture from such studies is that ten thousand hours of practice is required to achieve the level of mastery associated with being a world-class expert—in anything. In study after study, of composers, basketball players, master criminals, and what have you, this number comes up again and again. Of course, this doesn’t address why some people get more out of their practice sessions than others do. But no one has yet found a case in which true world-case expertise was accomplished in less time. It seems that it takes the brain this long to assimilate all that needs to know to achieve true mastery (197).”

Obviously, ten thousand hours is an extraordinary amount of time that requires an encouraging and supporting team to achieve. 10,000 hours is roughly 3 hours a day times 10 years. Furthermore, not all hours of practice or experience are equal. This level of practice must be deliberate, intentional. It requires not simply monotonously repeating tasks and experiences, but building upon previous knowledge and experience. This is what is called scaffolding in education where strategies are developed and implemented to assist learners to succeed through support and experience by activating prior knowledge, building new experiences based upon past successes and failures, providing clear direction, clarifying purpose and expectations, and establishing momentum. The 10,000 hours must, therefore, be intense moving from one level of understanding to new heights of knowledge and experience at each new level.

The second pillar is opportunity. If one is to achieve the 10,000 hours of intensive practice to become an expert, there has to be some kind of opportunity for this practice to take place. This will often take the form of family or friends who will enable the expert-in-training to be able to escape some of the pressures of every-day life to embark upon a journey toward expertise. Normally top achievers also work closely with teachers, coaches or mentors who have reached high levels of performance themselves. This expertise requires individuals who will give of themselves and share their positive successes and painful failures of the past to motivate and guide.

The third pillar is luck. Gladwell illustrates this point by examining the formative years of Bill Gates and several others. The computer savvy Gates succeeded in part as a result of an incredibly lucky series of events—connecting with the right people at the right time in the right location.

What does this have to do with breeding and showing German Shepherd Dogs? Everything!! The question before us is simply this: What does it take for a breeder, owner, and exhibitor of the German Shepherd Dog to become an expert?? There are a number of stalwarts in the breed today. I can name quite a few and you probably can, as well. How did they become the experts they are?? And who influenced them??

In the next blog, I will seek to contextualize the 10,000-Hour Rule to breeding and showing the German Shepherd Dog. What might the 10,000 hours of intensive practice look like for the breeder, owner, exhibitor of German Shepherds??

Successful Breeding

Last year I purchased an older book (first published in 1961 by Kaye & Ward Ltd, The Windmill Press, Kingswood, Tadworth, Surey, Great Britian with seven subsequent editions) by Nem and Percy Elliott entitled The Complete German Shepherd Dog. This is an entirely revised edition of The Complete Alsatian.

This title had been on a recommended listing of books about the German Shepherd Dog I had found in another book which I had recently read. In addition, I was particularly interested in this book as I had shown several German Shepherds under the co-author, Percy Elliott, while living in Kingston, Jamaica in the mid-1990s. Both Nem and Percy were international judges and recognized authorities on the German Shepherds.

There is much guidance to be found within this book on every aspect of the German Shepherd’s care to the establishment of a kennel and an accounting of training for character, the show-ring, competitive obedience and working qualifications. The novice and inexperienced breeder will find this book helpful. More experienced breeders will find essential information on important bloodlines listed of British, German and American award winning from the first shows ever held.

The contents of this book are presented in six (6) sections:

1. Breed History and Standard

2. Breeding

3. Modern Bloodlines

4. Care and Management

5. Showing and Training

6. Records of Champions (British, German and American)

In addition, you will find a well-written glossary and excellent index.

I would like to highlight briefly three (3) key ingredients necessary to be a successful breeder gleaned from the pages of Chapter 2: Practical Breeding. These elements that constitute a successful breeder are conclusions that the Elliotts have drawn based upon over forty years of breeding. Breeders normally strive to better their breed through the development of a guide or system of breeding which will undoubtedly produce better and lastly results.

The Elliotts postulate that breeders are always looking for a secret to success and that this is, in fact, natural and commendable. Many breeders seek to find  a formula, perhaps even scientific procedure, that they hope will work to aid them in being successful and competitive. The authors state unequivocally that there is no secret formula. Instead they simply outline three (3) ingredients which are necessary to be a successful breeder.

The first is breed knowledge.

“You must know what a good dog or pigeon is like, otherwise how can you hope to produce it (82).”

The second is ‘common sense’.

“If ever there was a misnomer, this is it! When one looks around in many walks of life, this so called ‘common’ commodity is rather rare isn’t it? . . .The ability to see to the core of anything seems to be beyond some rather clever people. I don’t think common sense can be taught, it comes naturally or not at all (82).”

The third essential is luck.

“Without this you get nowhere. You can plan all you want and be correct in all your assumptions but without luck there is nothing. The more knowledge and common sense that you possess the more you can cut down the odds and not rely on luck so much (82).”

Elliott continues to state that “it is my opinion that there is unlikely to be ‘scientific’ breeding in this hobby, and I suppose, to be honest, I hope not too. To breed scientifically one would need to keep many animals to carry through a programme. This would be too many for the good of the breed. Who would ever be able to keep the necessary number and give the correct environment a Shepherd deserves? I believe it is better to proceed in the old fashioned way but with one proviso. That is that breeders and ruling bodies exercise concern for the breed that we all profess to have, be less secretive about breeding results, make known anything of importance, good or bad. If we pool our knowledge and exercise such common sense as we have we ought to improve the ration of good ones. This is what breeding is about not the occasional good one and lots of faulty or insignificant specimens (82).”

Know the breed! Possess common sense! Be lucky! I hope that you have noted that the order of the key ingredients seems to be our importance. If you possess common sense, in general; but lack knowledge of the breed—you will probably fail! If you are lucky; but lack knowledge of the breed—you may obtain or breed a good one, but you will probably not be able to sustain your success in the future! Knowledge of the breed; first and foremost! Knowledge of the breed is at the heart of successful breeding. Knowledge of the breed is the bedrock of successful breeding! Knowledge of the breed must be at the center of your system; coupled with a good dose of common sense; with a bit of good luck and fortune sprinkled about!

This book will be well worth the very meager amount spent. You will be able to find it through Amaxon.com or other online book sellers. Here’s to a good, successful breeding program!!