Basic differences between working and show lines - Page 3

CatawbaGSD:

All dogs will bite be it thru prey,aggresion,fear they will all bite at some time. Some that are a bit weak? just whatch any of the recent seiger show working sections there are more then a bit.

                             

"Interesting observation, Vikram, if you don't mind me saying so. And what would it be in a workingline? Toughness and drive?"

Beautiful, Silbersee - you are exactly right!

"Is the show line not meant to be a watch dog or a protection dog?"

One of mine is a show line.  He is an Excellent watch dog, better than the one who isn't a show line.  He isn't titled yet, but is in training for SchH and is doing very well in protection work.  Good grips, strong hold & barks, nothing wimpy about him; not as full of drive as the non-show line.

Interesting comment made by a club training director who knows my dog well and who has done a lot of helper work with both working and show line dogs.  He's known my show line since he was a baby, and said to me the other day that as my new working line puppy grows up, don't be surprised if yes, there is more drive in the WL dog, but not nearly the intelligence my SL has.  The WL may have more ball drive, more prey drive, which is what you want for SchH sport, and will excel as a sport dog, but for pure Intelligence and catching-on-quickly to training of ALL kinds, he hasn't seen many WL that will top some of the show lines he's worked with. 

He said some of the most successful WL ones are drive-y fiends, but that's mainly what they are. 

That brings me to the whole nature vs. nurture thing, so I'm going to have a lot of fun seeing if with the way I raise young dogs my WL develops brains as well as drive.

This dog I have now has a ton of drive and energy, and is very slow catching on. 

At one time I showed Shepherds in conformation in the US... AKC.   And still the 1st thing I see when I look @ a dog is the conformation.  I've especially got a weakness for big strong male heads with dark eyes and lots of expression.  Nope dogs don't run on dark eyes... it's just what I like.   I also show in Obedience, and have trained a PPD.  I'm now in the process of purchasing a pup... and am getting it from strong working lines (West German, DDR, Belgian) but also from lines that often are "V" or "SG" rated.  I'm not willing to throw out either side of the versitility of the GSD.

The comment by Bob is a great one to expain the difference.  If I want to run the Gran Prix I'd pick one kind of car, but if I'm on safari in Africa I'd choose a different one.  Show lines focus on gait, the picture of a stacked dog, above and beyond all else. If it ain't got the conformation they don't consider it "breed worthy".  Working lines want the drive to work. Whether that's herding, obedience, SAR, Police Schutzhund... whatever.  It's about what is looked at as Most important. 

Same is true in other breeds.... Golden Retriever, Lab, Cocker, setter all have Field and Show versions.  One reason that the Border Collie didn't work on being AKC recognized was the consern that they'd become a "pretty picture" with no ability to continue to work.  I raised and raced Siberian Huskies back in the 70's, and AT THAT TIME most of the influential kennels in the country insisted that their show stock also still have the sledding abilities.  (Not sure that's continued today)

Ibrahim, take a look at this thread:  http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/gsd/bulletins_read/304140.html#304178 about someone trying to breed for all aspects of a true German Shepherd.