Is a Working line GSD equally a good family companion? - Page 2

"More zest"......I like that description and I think it's on the money. I have only had high drive working lines, but they have all been "excellent family companions" as Shelley said. They have all been very stable and defintely have "off switches" in the house. The thing is, they do have energy and are best matched and probably most happy with very active type families that are committed to doing things with the dog on a daily basis. "A tired dog is a good dog" is very true! They really aren't suited for someone who maybe wants to walk around the block every couple of days. They are very intelligent and if left to their own devices and bored they sometimes find rather destructive things to do. I have some friends that are really into Border Collies and one who runs a BC rescue. I do not think the energy of a working line GSD is anything like BCs. To me, the average BC is hyper-speed hyper and also seems to have Obsesssive Compulsive Disorder. One person I used to know who rescues, breeds, does flyball, agility and herding with her BCs puts an X-Pen around her easy chair when she comes home from work so the dogs don't keep nagging her!!!

Sue, So true on "A tired dog is a good dog" comment. I try to tell people (pet clients) that all the time, but to them a walk around the block with their Lab is exercise! And I so know what you mean as far as OCD in a BC! My dogs too, have an off switch.

I can say answer without a doubt the original question. "Is a working line GSD equally a good family companion?" Yes for me they are. They are active so keep them busy mentally and physically.

Our working lines dogs are wonderful family companions. And they have their own couch.....

All of my working line dogs have been and currently are pets/house dogs. As long as you give them a job to do, give them exercise and training they can make excellent house dogs/pets.

I work with a LOT of families who buy a working line dog with absolutely NO idea what they are getting into. I think it's very sad the breeders aren't educating them. A high drive dog requires a lot of training, exercise, and mental stimulation, sometimes more than the average, inexperienced family can give, and it's very sad to see fine working dogs going to waste in a backyard somewhere, or shuffled around from home to home because people cannot handle them. I find often I need to educate these people as to what exactly they own, teach them what drive is, and how to incorporate it in a way they understand to apply to the dogs' daily behavior.

I totally Agree with KCzaja. I own a working dog and I realize that he is a handful of dog. The working dog requires a very structured environment and definitely a let out for its workability. It depends a lot on the bloodlines too. Some of the Guru breeders have mastered the in-exact science of breeding to such perfection that they know what diet to feed to their bloodlines what level of training they require and what exactly would be the behaviour of the dog at each stage of its life. I feel very humbled in the company of such Gurus. cheers

If anything, temperament and nerves are just as important, if not more so, for family companions/pets. What is in a family. Often children...and where children are concerned, temperament and strong nerves are, IMO, ctitical. IMO it is the TEMPERAMENT that determines whether a dog will make a good family companion that means a stable temperament and iron nerves. Sharpness, over-much noise sensitivity, fear-biting, etc. are the things that lead to POOR family companions. It is my experience that the solid nerves are more likely to be found in the working lines. My dog has over-the-top drives, very active aggression and is a monster on the fireld. He is a big teddy bear at home. Frankly, anyone seeing him at home would have serious doubts that he had any working ability at all. Yes, he was a "zestful" little demon as a puppy. :-) I have seen very laid back, low drive dogs whose poor nerves and unstable temperament made them, IMO, unsuitable as family pets.