whats the best gsd line for....? - Page 2

i like the german show lines, they can work, but also can be quite calm in the house and i train mine for OB and they do well, i have one in SCh trainning right now. some have alot of energy and some dont, alot have a good on and off swtich which i like very much. mine are house dogs , so i like calmness in the house.. some can be very protective and some are not .  like they have said its about finding the right pup with the right temp  for your needs..

my experience i would say the females are more protective..

even if the american lines were protective why would someone want to deal with bad hips,bad back, and the other health issues most american lines usually have.

If you are a first time GSD owner I would not recommend working lines... you need a dog that you can handle most german working lines are not for FIRST time gsd owners your almost better going off with an american line german shepherd they tend to be more mellow and they can still be protective most german shepherds are, also 100% working line german shepherds from germany arent cheap how much are you willing to spend for a dog that wont be worked or in Schutzhund or a breeding prospect, I agree find a reputable breeder is a MUST.

I have yet to meet an American show line that is testing for DM;  hopefully with any luck they are testing for other things??  HD/ED/eyes/cardio; thyroid, etc. etc.  If you do not have good health in any GSD, you have nothing.  Look for a breeder that tests for all of the above and more on this forum look under DM testing;  you will find a host of breeders that do their  homework.  Best of luck in your search.  Nan

Price is not really a problem as I do not have any other pets at the moment. I know that working gsds are alot to handle but I have spent many yrs. researching and reading many gsd handbooks.

Hi Doggss, it's more imporant to purchase a puppy from a breeder with quality dogs that can explain the differences in the puppies temperament & activity level from the litter. This way your more likely to find the best match for your lifestyle. Try to attend local schutzhund clubs while training, & trails to see the various GSD's there. At these events you can ask about the dogs various lines & see which type you tend to like the best. Also visit local breeders with various lines so you can see the different types for yourself.

Since your looking more for family protection stay away from lines that tend to produce very high drives for sport. Most of the Czech / East German lines mixed together or with West German lines tend to produce more balance drives in the puppies = settles in the house when not working. They also tend to retain more natural protective nature in them.
My dogs have a mixture of Czech & WG lines. They are wonderful with children, all live inside our home together, settle when not working, & are very protective. While most have very high drives so do still require ALOT of activity daily they will settle down afterward. Our own girl with more old DDR lines mixed in needs the less amount of activity daily. But I've found working lines vary greatly in activity level. One of my best young up coming pup's has super drives but she spends her days relaxing on the sofa when not training / working. Another one of my dogs never seems to ever sleep & always ready to work.

Once you find a breeder you can trust it'll be a lot easier for you to find the right puppy.

Good luck

I have 2 perfect females for you 1 is 5 months and 1 is 7 months old both strong West German working lines temperment perfect for what you decribe

I agree with Zeppelin88, I wouldn't recommend working lines either, if you are a first time GSD owner and if you don't want to WORK your dog in any particular dicipline other than watching the house.
Working lines need to work and require active training. They will get way to bored to only lie around in the house and yard, even with lots of exercise and dogs from straight working lines are usually not calm enough to be a relaxed companion dog only (of course you have the odd exception).

I feel differently then some..... American Showlines and German Showlines....they have a nasty history, now I am not against them I had 4 but you hear of more Showlines ripping little girls faces apart.  I believe workinglines to be more stable, if you get the right lines (you have a much better chance) you will have a dog that is clear in the head, confident and with rock solid nerves.  Sometimes the old bloodlines can be good like one person said Uwe Kirschental, and I like Asko Lutter blood, my girl is linebred on Uwe and she's an Asko Lutter granddaughter, Asko can cause pups to be late bloomers but my girl has been nothing but a pleasure to be around, she used to play with my neice (my neice would get mad at her for taking her toys and say no!!) and Lexi would just kiss her to death, and she'd actually tickle her with her teeth....she loves seeing people smile, she would ever so gently nibble up and down her arm to make her laugh.  Don't get me wrong, I loved my Showlines... but they each had their issues, and I've seen well bred Showlines that have horrible temperaments just horrible, now I know that there is a bad one in very bunch, sure there are bad workinglines but I really feel that Showlines still have bad blood, for years they were strictly bred for looks, many breeders would sacrifice a sound dog for the better looking dog whereas with the workinglines, if the dog has a bad temperament he or she does not reproduce (if it's a reputable breeder we are talking about.)  Nowadays good Showline breeders  are trying to balance out looks and temperament but you have to consider that a dog 4-5 generations back can have a major impact as to what type of disposition a puppy has.


You need to find an honest breeder, one that spends a lot of time with their puppies, will tell you if they don't have what you are looking for and spends enough time with their pups to develop personality charts for each puppy,  and likes them to be multi taskers... a lot of people raise their pups just to be working dogs, disconnected, "hard" some people like their dogs like that, now while I like a hard dog, I want one that I can trust around any and everyone AND do their job, not just one job but any job put in front of them.  I loved my Showlines but workinglines are better in my opinion, easier to train, smarter, more willing.

I'll probably get yelled at for expressing my opinion, lol.

Not by me vH.  I have workinglines that are great with little toddlers, totally trustworthy!
Also, very well behaved in the house, in the car, or ANYWHERE we go.  Yes, they need something to chew on or they'll find something, and yes they need obedience, as any dog does to be a good happy companion.  Of course they need  exercise and stimulation too as does any dog, SL included.

I haven't had many showlines -  two, one was fantastic, the other was a spin head.  Sooo, I certainly wouldn't throw out the workinglines in my search OP. :)