German Shepherds or Rotties? - Page 3

Gusmanda they don't want a Pit Bull.  We're examining two breeds here....Rottweilers.....and German Shepherds.... And the experience that has been had or seen by members on this board.  I can only vouch for Shepherds (out of these two breeds) as to what I've either seen at the clubs I've visited, or being trained in general in this sport.  I've been around a few Rottweilers, but they were nothing more than people's pets and that's it.  They had temperament issues (fear biters), but knowing the people who own the one's I've seen.....that said it all.  No socialization at all, no training at all, etc. 

perhaps question should be: do they want to live with a rott or a GSD? Tempers differ both on-field... and off

 
  Nothing is better than a top german shepherd, they are surely the most complete breed.  Nothing to discuss...

Soli, normally I'd agree with that statement lol, but since this is information I'll be passing on to the person who isn't sure which they want......

GSD guy maybe meander over to the Rottie board, maybe they can be more objective.  A rottie just doesnt have the flair that some other breeds have for sport. 

I've had both rotties and shepherds.  Rots are big, powerful animals that can bite as hard as fock.  But they are not nearly as smart and universal as a shepherd.  Not that that is a bad thing in some cases.  There are some owners that simply can't keep up with the intelligence a German shepherd posses and brings to the table.  Depends on the owner I guess.  If he is a dumbass then tell him to get the Rottie.  If he is smart, the shepherd is always the best choice.

oh boy...what do you mean by Rotts are not as universal??? Dumb asses should own Rotts....hmmmm

If they like rotties best then they should get a rottie.  Obviously you can still do schutzhund with a rottweiler.  Since they are new to schutzhund it's not like they are expecting to reach the highest tiers of the sport with their first dog.  They should just enjoy themselves with their beloved companion.

LOL

I think - look at it this way: what breed do you see in sch. more? GSD's and there's a reason. I think a GSD lover will probably be a bit biased in favour of the breed, but for someone who is simply a sch. enthusiast and doesn't care so much about the breed they use, they are still probably mostly using GSD's (or maybe Mals or Dobermans, but they aren't one of the breeds your friend is after).

Of course a great Rottie will be better than a weak GSD, so we can only generalize here. I just think if you mostly see GSD's, there's proably a good reason for it, which is that it's likely a lot easier to find a good GSD sch. dog.

I am a horse person and I do dresage. There are a lot of off track thoroughbreds on the market that can be bought relatively cheaply. I have seen TB's do very well in dressage, but as a rule they don't have the suspension, conformation and lofty gaits that a warmblood does for dressage. So while there are undoubtedly some TB's out there who could kick my WB's butt at dressage, I'd probably spend a heck of a long time trying to find one. It was easier to pay more money to buy a WB from proven dressage bloodlines that I know can do the job, than scour the earth trying to find a TB could could. (I am not knocking TB's here either, for those who love them)

I think if they truly want to get into sch. it's simply easier to find a good WL GSD, rather than just being set on a certain breed.

One of the main physical setbacks for the Rotti is that they are not able to tolerate heat, because they are a brachycephalic breed. I had a conversation with a dyed in the wool Rotti owner with a couple years in sch with them . He wanted a gsd so that he could continue training along with other club members during the hot summer months without worrying about his dog over heating. I told him that any dog will over heat when it's in the nineties, he said not as quick as a Rotti.