Why are Showlines generally priced higher than Working Lines?? - Page 12

  I still do not comphrehend how it is less work for a showline. They title in schutzhund and they compete for conformation ratings then they breed survey. They have the same acomplishments for the breed survey.

I figured you'd dodge the question, Sue.  Classic "my dog is better than your dog because he's mine," mentality.

Wahtever you need to tell yourself is fine by me.  I'm not here to fight with you.  I don't have a problem with show lines or the people who own them,  I admire them, their hard work, and their dogs, but the dogs are different, that's a fact of life, that cannot be denied.  I just think we see things differently when it comes to our idea of the perfect GSD, and  I also think there is more than enough room for both.  Like I said, GSD people all belong to the same dysfunctional family, and need to learn to appreciate each other, despite our differences.  We need to just accept we will never agree on what the perfect GSD is, and let it go.

      I wish you all the best and joy in your dogs. Time for me to go groom my pup and pack for Dallas :)

I have trained and worked with both and absolutely agree that they are different but am on the fence as to which temperament is more correct.  The standard calls for a dog with a calm demeanor and by that definition, even the type of show line dogs I prefer might be considered a little overly 'busy'.

I like a lot about working line dogs and enjoy training with them.  I think they're generally easier to train, especially for novices, because in my experience they're harder to screw up.  I don't think we often necessarily see a true representative sample of these dogs, though, because those that wash out of training typically simply disappear.  The dogs we end up seeing are the minority that can actually work, not the majority that don't.

Conversely, many show line dogs continue to be shown as long as possible regardless of whether they can work or not so we get to see those that wash out of training.  Do I think that many SL breeders concentrate too much on looks and not enough of working ability?  Absolutely!  Do I think that many of the most visible kennels that breed SL's fall into this category?  Of course.  Do I still think that your blanket statement that, "show line folks prefer a softer, low drive dog," is absolute BS?  You bet I do because those big breeders don't define the rest of us any more than the spook I ran into at the pet store last weekend defines WL's.

What baffles my mind is how the same people who claim that SL people concentrate too much on looks are themselves so quick to pre-judge an entire group of dogs based only on that criteria.  There are entire clubs that I avoid simply because I don't believe their bias will allow them to give my SL dog a fair chance...they do nothing whatsoever to encourage exactly that working ability that they criticize the dogs for lacking!  Seems rather counter-productive to me...

wow Keith....wanna run for president of 2012

Do you need a 'busy' dog to have a dog with high drive?  I don't think you do.  And I agree with you Keith, where are these calm dogs?  I had one once, with plenty of drive, plenty of courage, fight drive and also herding instincts.  I want him again, and for the life of me I cannot find him anywhere, in any line.

sueincc
 Hard work by itself is not a virtue.
GSDNewbie
The difference is philosophical, and  it reflects itself into reality . The  working dog enthusiast subscribes to the workability of the dog as a primary purpose of the breed as it was originally intended and the beauty of the dog is then an inevitable result of his physical balance and  functionality, his ability to work.
Where for  show people the exterior look is primary and the workability is afterthought and for some it is necessary evil and some do not give a damn about workability at all as long the dog wins in show. There are rare exceptions and I know of some.
 That is the difference.  
Prager Hans

keith grossman,

lets just look at it this way. To the working line, the only working dog that can really
"work" is a dog super in prey drive, higher pain tolerance and and hair trigger aggression.
Now is that balanced?

How many times have you heard "SL can't compare intensity and prey drive against wl"?

The showlines have calmer stable temperaments and can be good service dogs, therapy dogs
etc....and the best part is they can still be titled with proper training.showline breeders
do have high drive puppies. So it really depends on what one is comfortable with in ones
environment.

One can simply argue over and over again which is the better one sl or wl?, but will that get
us anywhere?

Neither side is going to acknowledge that the other is better in some ways or another.For most of us,to acknowlege means defeat.

i wonder how many people have schutzhund titled their dogs or are they mainly kept as pets?
How many of us own both sl and wl?

so finally, it boils down to what is the best kind of dog for you and that will depend on
how one intends to live with their dog(kennel dog or house companion), how much experience
you have as a handler with aggressive dogs,how far you want to go in SchH competitions.

With the higer pain tolerance, the higher aggression,the higher prey drive,you had better
know what you are doing and how to handle the dog in a safer manner if you want a working
line shepherd.If you intend to compete in SchH3 nationals, you will find that the working
dog is much more likely to get you to that level.

If you want a nice quality dog with relatively easygoing temperament that does have natural
but sensible protection drives, that can make its schutzhund titles with proper training and
is easier to live with and around children in a family environment, then you will do better
with a german showline

Yeah, you can say that the showline cant work and workline is way too aggressive(higer prey
drive and intensity),at the end of the day, it is you who have to live with that dog however
you choose to live with it and what you make out of that dog is what matters more than
anything else, dont you agree?

p.s. i use "working line" and "showline" as i believe that is the general term used here. in

my opinion, all shepherds are working dogs

SonyaBullinger
Your
 statement makes it obvious that you have mistaken view of what it means if the dog is working dog.
 You are mixing work and sport and associate extremes in the breed with work lines.
  
Yoi8u say:
lets just look at it this way. To the working line, the only working dog that can really
"work" is a dog super in prey drive, higher pain tolerance and and hair trigger aggression.
Now is that balanced?

 Who said that?! You must be kidding right?!!:)
 


Prager Hans