The German Shepherd Dog Breed – Show Lines and Working Lines
Article by The Dog Breed Expert
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.
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The author's website features original articles about the German Shepherd dog breed.
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The German Shepherd Dog Breed – DDR, Czech and British Lines
Article by The Dog Breed Expert
These days, I have been gaining more visitors on this blog, which I have dedicated to the German Shepherd dog breed; something for which I'm appreciative. So thanks for coming back if you have already read one of my posts before and thanks for coming for the first time if that is the case.
In past posts I expressed that the German Shepherd dog breed has several varieties and types consistent with the standard of the breed and that in some scenarios it is possible to identify their place of origin by their physical features. In this article I will name a few I know of, just to demonstrate the point.
A couple of the most familiar ones are the German Shepherd dogs of German lines and the German Shepherd dogs of American lines. I have already explained the predominant differences in structure and temperament between these two lines on another post, so I will not bore you with their detailed description again. If you are interested, you can check my post from December 6th 2009; "The German Shepherd Dog Breed- Difference Between German Lines and American Lines".
A few other lines that fall in this category are:
East German Lines (DDR)
They were designed in the German Democratic Republic (Deutshe Demokratishe Republik) informally called East Germany, from those dogs that stayed in the East after World War II.
The DDR was a socialist state, which was founded in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany and in the portion of East Berlin which was occupied by the Allied forces. Geographically, it comprised of northeast Germany rather than all of eastern Germany. Its dissolution began with the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989 and ended in October 1990 with the German reunification. It has been 20 years since the reunification of Germany. However, even today a break down still exists between the German Shepherd bloodlines recovered after the World War II.
The DDR no longer exists today, but the DDR German Shepherd Dog still does, although in my viewpoint it's a "dying breed". Before the fall of the Berlin Wall, East German dogs were kept secluded from West German dogs and because of that, they preserved their own different characteristics. Although they came from the same original stock before the war, the division prevented the mixing of bloodlines and they developed relatively differently. Nowadays German Shepherd dogs of pure East German Lines are pretty unusual and many lines are extinct.
True DDR bloodlines are limited to four decades of breeding in former East Germany, but their bloodlines may be found in the pedigrees of German Shepherds around the world today.
DDR dogs have a strong, solid, lean, muscular body, heavy bone construction and a large massive head. They have dark pigmentation and are not as angulated as West German show dogs. These dogs have a strong temperament, great working capacity and are well suited for Schutzhund, police work, search and rescue and many other tasks. Most importantly, DDR German Shepherds have a very low rate and severity of hip dysplasia.
Czechoslovakian Lines (Czech)
They were bred in communist Czechoslovakia as state working dogs. These dogs were usually developed from DDR lines and are essentially the same.
Czechoslovakia existed as a sovereign state from 1918 to 1992. In 1939 though, Czechoslovakia was forcefully subdivided and to some extent incorporated to Nazi Germany, and this lasted until 1945, when the Soviet Union took over the eastern part of Carpathian Ruthenia, which afterwards became part of the Slovak Republic. From 1939 to 1945 the state didn't really exist, although the Czechoslovakian government did continue to exist in exile. On January 1st 1993 Czechoslovakia peacefully separated into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Before the revolution in Czechoslovakia and the fall of their communist government in 1989, German Shepherds bred in Czechoslovakia were primarily working dogs used for the protection of their borders. What is extraordinary is that their breeding was done in just one kennel founded in 1955, which was owned by the Czechoslovakian Army's Border Patrol. The dogs used for breeding were chosen mostly from the East Germany (DDR) and the breeding program centered on solid nerves, working ability, strong bones and dark pigmentation.
The DDR and Czechoslovakia were members of the Soviet Bloc and they both produced working bloodlines to be used as help to border guards and as police protection dogs. Because of the intimate affiliation between the two, both lines are pretty much the same bloodline.
British Lines (Alsatians)
These lines are descendants of old lines that were imported into the British Isles before the post-war German lines.
Around 1908 the first German Shepherds showed up in Great Britain. In 1917, after America entered World War I, everything associated with Germany acquired a negative connotation. The American Kennel Club changed the name of the breed from the German Shepherd dog to the Shepherd Dog. On the other hand in England, the breed was renamed Alsatian, after the French-German border area of Alsace, Lorraine. The name Alsatian was never actually used anywhere else, except for England, and it was changed back to the German Shepherd dog in 1977.
These dogs developed a little differently than German Shepherds from other locations. They have heavier bone structure, a long body type, uniform shoulders and an even top line. They come in a number of colors, being black and tan, black and red, sable, bi color and black the most common.
English Lines German Shepherds have a soft temperament and they vary in drive. They make remarkable family companions, particularly for first time owners, but they also function well as service dogs, therapy dogs and guide dogs.
Nowadays, it's very hard to find German Shepherds of pure East German, Czechoslovakian or British Lines; in fact, even finding pictures of true representatives of these lines is difficult. To illustrate the fact that these lines have physical characteristics which visibly identify their origin, some of the pictures I've used in this article are from the mid to late nineteen hundreds, when these lines were unaltered. The German Shepherd dog breed has evolved in many diverse ways since it's creation and it will continue to; hopefully for the better.
About the Author
The author's website features original articles about the German Shepherd dog breed.
The German Shepherd Dog Breed- Difference Between German Lines and American Lines
Article by The Dog Breed Expert
The last time, I wrote about the two lines within the German Shepherd dog breed; American lines and German lines. I explained how a single breed became two contrasting breeds and I indicated that in upcoming articles I would attempt to go into more detail as to the differences between this two varieties of GSD. This article is the second part of that previous post.
The first registry was developed in 1899. Captain von Stephanitz was the president of the F
The German Shepherd Dog Breed- German Lines Or American Lines – Which Are Better?
Article by The Dog Breed Expert
The German Shepherd dog breed which was brought into existence over 100 years ago, has changed immensely since then. These breed has gone in separate directions in Germany and America. Now, German Shepherds bred in Germany have a completely different look and a different temperament from those bred
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