DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AMERICAN & GERMAN IMPORTS - Page 1

Hello,what is the main difference between the american german shapherd & the german (import)shepherd.I heard that the backs,feet,& length are diff.and also I heard that the AKC is concedering renameing the american version in its confirmation shows.Thanks & have a great NEW YEARS!!

Oh boy, have you opened a can of worms. :) The differences range from extreme to nonexistent. Old American show lines have been bred for sharply angled hip joints and sloped backs, both of which give a flowing gait prized in the US show ring, and which do tend to make the dog as a whole look longer. They look completely different from anything you'll see out of Germany. Other American lines will look basically identical to German lines- largely because many of them are descended from very recent European lineages. A working shepherd on either side will probably look much the same.

If you want to be more specific and maybe dig up some more worms, you can place them in 3 distinct catagories, American Show Line, German Show Line, and the German Working Line.

The main reason I went to german imported dogs is that you see the hip ratings,show and working titles on the dogs for generations. I think the german lines are much less likely to have hip problems due to the breeding requirements by the SV. I am sure some will disagree but we are all entitled to our opinions.

I agree that the German line dogs have a lot more information easily available. One of my dogs is a mix of German show/working, American show, and Czech working lines. Oddly enough (considering I am in the US), the American lines are the hardest to trace. So, if you like to be able to trace your dog's lineage all the way back to Horand von Grafath, a German line is the way to go. That being said, I love the DDR/Czech lines- got a little Czech female recently (born in US to two import parents) and she is a beauty.

If you search google on "Linda Shaw" you will come across a nice article with anatomic comparison of the american lines, german show lines and working lines and how it affects their movement and working ability as well as endurance.Happy reading!!

Dognut, American shepherd: an artificial breed created by us americans, starting back in the fifties, that resembles anatomically the german shepherd; it's characterized by a weak temperament, health problems (spinal stenosis, hip dysplasia, ear infections, and hyperthyroidism), and weak nerves. STAY AWAY FROM THEM; YOU WILL PAY A FORTUNE FOR A CRAP DOG GErman Imports: Showlines: Nice dogs conforming to the sv regulations; bred primarily to be shown in the ring, but with very strict requirements: the dog has to have a hip rating, and a sport title, namely schutzhund; these dogs are very good overall dogs, family dogs, very good temperament, social and protective; this line of dogs originated back in the fifties with Vello ze den sieben-faulen in germany (some people may disagree with this or have different viewpoints); They are nice looking dogs (beauty is in the eye of the beholder) This dog is used for conformation, family gardian and protection; NOT BRED OR SUITABLE FOR POLICE WORK (there might be exceptions of course) Working lines: The true german shepherd; conforms to the definition of the total german shepherd coined by the founder of the breed, Max von stephanitz; this dog needs a job! they are the police dogs, the SAR dog, the patrol dog, the home guardian and loyal companion. Not as big and flashy as the german showlines (again beauty is in the eye of the beholder) bottom line: do research, do research, do research; set in your mind what you want and look for it; you can get those three dogs here in the states; get ready to pay over 2,000 for a good german showline (never understood why); you can get a nice working dog for $800-1200. YOU DONT HAVE TO GO TO GERMANY OR OVERSEAS TO GET A GOOD DOG; THERE ARE GOOD BREEDERS IN THIS COUNTRY OF GERMAN SHOW AND WORKING SHEPHERDS read this website and learn about pedigrees and titles and what they mean, hope this help Kosmas

Dognut, Every "showshepherdnut" looks for something like Ursus Batu The "workingshepherdnut" looks at Stormfront Brawnson as the ideal. you can both see their picture in this website; type their names under GSD search and their pictures and pedigree will come up

Makgas, I think you're a little hard on the American shepherds. There are plenty of good, solid American shepherds around- you just won't see them in the show ring. And the German show lines have their own issues- like the big roach- which sure doesn't look like the "ancestral" GSD to me. Show lines, of whatever extraction, can very quickly become caricatures of the breed. Oh, and on the subject of the different "shepherd nuts": a "Czech shepherd nut" would see an ideal more along the lines of Titus z Pohranicni Straze or Norbo Ben-Ju.

MJ, yes, Titus and Norbo, great exponents of the breed; love them; had a titus granson once; he was great. didn't want to go into details on the different "working lines" before that had originated after different selection and neeeds process; to me they are all the same as long as the breeding goals are equal: the ones on STephanitz's book. And yes, german showlines have their issues, roach back and so forth... k.