Working line gsd

[kauleen]

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wla jd koi idea ana hehehehe

[yasabi]

unsai nka lahi sa working og show line

The German Shepherd Dog Breed - Show Lines and Working Lines

By Enrique Navarro


A couple of weeks ago I wrote an article in which I explained that there are many types within the German Shepherd dog breed and that these types can be divided into two categories; dogs which have physical qualities that reveal their intended purpose and dogs who by their physical particularities show their place of origin. In this post I will talk about the first scenario, which are the differences between Show Lines (or High Lines) and Working Lines.

There are quite a few differences between these two types of German Shepherds, but the most prominent one is their physical type. The physical conformation of GSD's from Show Bloodlines is much closer to the ideal described in the breed standard, while German Shepherds of Working Bloodlines are bred with focus in their aptitude for the job, rather than in their physical conformation.

German Shepherds from Show Bloodlines recognized by the FCI are very consistent in type. A good GSD from Show Bloodlines is a strikingly beautiful dog. Show line German Shepherds are inclined to be larger, more angulated and brighter in color than Working Line dogs. They are predominantly black and red and demonstrate a fluid trot and sound temperament which is usually softer than that of Working Bloodline German Shepherds.

A mayor misconception among enthusiasts and even some breeders and trainers is that GSD's of Show Lines are only bred for conformation and are unable to work as efficiently as GSD's of Working Lines. This is not totally true.

Let's clarify this. The German Shepherd Show Line is the most popular breed type in Germany. It's true that they are bred for competition in the show ring, but they must also have working titles. They compete world wide under the German SV system, which requires working titles of show and breeding dogs. Germans take great pride in their breed, thus they make sure that the dogs they breed are the best and they have very rigorous rules when it comes to breeding. All breeding stock is required to pass a hip certification and previous to breeding each dog must have at least a Schutzhund I title and pass an endurance test; and a courage test at each national show where they compete.

Representatives of this line can be effective show dogs, but they can also perform as herding dogs, service dogs, guide dogs, search and rescue dogs and sport dogs, and they make exceptional family companions and protectors. However, many show line dogs lack the energy and the nerves required of true protection dogs. Their energy and their nerves are what separate them from the working line dogs.

Working Bloodlines on the other hand are bred generally for their working traits rather than their appearance, thus the appearance of these dogs varies a lot. Although powerful and athletic, they are less likely to show the refined conformation typical of show lines; still, many due show exceptional structure. They are oftentimes sable, but also come in a series of different colors. They can be black and tans, saddle backs, bi colors, solid blacks and pretty much every other color except white.

Working Lines also have more drive than the average Show Lines. They are usually more energetic than Show Line German Shepherds and have a stable though stronger temperament, solid nerves and great disposition. They are also generally healthier. These dogs also make incredible family companions, although some show more drive and aggression than would be wanted in a family or guide dog.

Crosses between these two types are as good or as bad as the animals utilized to make the cross. Generally, they do not show the extremes of either parent's type.

Both dogs make loving, caring, warm hearted friends and are great at a wide range of jobs. As I have described in previous posts, one of the main things that separates the German Shepherd dog breed from other breeds is the fact that although there are breeds which are better at specific tasks, no other breed has mastered such a large spectrum of skills.

[Chinese Kung Fu]

Nice GSD

[Justice`Hugo]

unsai nka lahi sa working og show line

Basic difference as to appearance:

Showline GSD:


Working line GSD:


According to M. Curtis:

The split happened in the 70's when saddlebacks became the standard for showing. That automatically limited the dogs to be used for breeding if you wanted to win shows. Form follows function. If your function is to run around a ring with an exaggerated gait, your form will soon follow. The split soon became too big for the working breeders...the structure to win in shows became too radical for working breeders to follow. "The German Shepherd Dog is a working dog, and must be bred, and shown as such" - Max von Stephanitz...those who didn't follow those guidelines set by the breed's founder created the show line GSD.

During this time the true German Shepherd was still flourishing, the largest, and most successful breeding programs of working dogs took off during this time as well. Pohranicni straze, Policia, the DDR dogs flourished. Working dogs flourished in the militant communist bloc. Dogs who didn't meet standards weren't explained away. Excuses were not made. They were shot in the head, and you moved on and kept trying for perfection. Agree with the practice or not, it created the best working dogs the World had yet seen. When the Berlin Wall fell, everything changed. America won the war against communism and the Kremlin. Westerners now saw the dog they traded for soft tempered dogs of incorrect structure. The West Germans who did have working dogs had to play catch up, these Eastern Bloc dogs were simply better working dogs (in most cases). They began buying the DDR/Czech dogs en masse. They bred great dogs to their okay dogs and got more average dogs. They didn't adopt the breeding philosophy of breeding excellent dogs to excellent dogs the East Germans lived by and therefore were doomed to fail.

Fast forward, now we have West German "sporting" lines. I don't consider many of them to be "working" dogs. They are average tempered dogs with high prey and play drive who's function was to "win" at Schutzhund. So the resultant form are lighter boned, fast, playful, energetic dogs of medium temperament (hard dogs are hard to control).

DDR dogs are mostly crap, as a result of breeders who didn't follow the breeding philosophies of the former communist bloc and decided to ride the cash cow of "Pure DDR puppies!"...

The Czech dogs remained strong thanks largely to the efforts of outstanding breeders with old fashioned philosophies.

European Show lined dogs thanks to the influx of DDR dogs are more massive, heavier boned dogs with darker pigments. They're still in general, weak of temperament.

American, Canadian, and GSDs from the UK and Australia to me, simply, are no longer German Shepherd Dogs at all. They don't look like GSDs, they don't act like GSDs, and people in the streets mistake my dogs, who're bred to the old standards of what a GSD should be, are mistaken for wolf hybrids...that goes to show how much these new dogs no longer resemble GSDs. They are very weak, and often unstable animals bred without working ability OR health in mind (which is why many "good" breeders of these lines only have 1-3 generations of dogs who've been hip scored and I, Euro show, and all working line breeders have 10+).

Mixed bloodlined dogs: There's a huge number of people who've tried to mix working and show lines who've ended up with dogs too "ugly" to show and too weak to do real work. There are also people who've mixed American Show to Euro Show lines to add bone and pigment. I also include the basic oversized BYB GSDs in this group too, they also have little to no health history and are in general very weak dogs who're often unstable.

The working GSD I think is still strong among the good breeders and here to stay due to the stubborn nature of good breeders. But even here on this site I've seen criticism by GSD owners and regular pet owners about not buying working line dogs because they're "too much" and that they should buy weaker lined dogs...I recently heard working line dogs compared to Lamborghinis and how not everyone can drive one without getting hurt...this again shows the reason the split exists in the first place. People who claim to be enthusiasts of the German Shepherd Dog but are NOT interested in what makes the GSD a GSD...working ability! Who wants a Lamborghini with a Toyota engine? Every AKC/UKC breeder, that's who! If you can't handle a Lamborghini, don't buy one at all. These "GSDs" in the states are like those cheap fiberglass kit cars you can buy on ebay and slap on a Pontiac or Volkswagon frame!

"Please make sure my German Shepherd Dog remains a working dog, for I have struggled all my life long for this aim" - Max von Stephanitz...the founder of the German Shepherd Dog. Who could argue with this? Words directly from the founder's mouth? Ask an AKC/UKC breeder if their stock is Schutzhund titled. Not their great great great grandsire...but their stock, and then you'll have your answer.

[zyraeoene]

***drolllllllll

[Justice`Hugo]

Guten Morgen!

[peejee]

Molly..

[Justice`Hugo]

@peejee, Molly looks great. How old is she? Kinsa iya parents?

[peejee]

Glock vom Blauen Adler sire
Karrie vom Blauen Adler dam

[Justice`Hugo]

Glock vom Blauen Adler sire
Karrie vom Blauen Adler dam

Yes, same with Ammo and Rafa..