WORKINGLINE V SHOWLINE - Page 1

Another thought has been crossing my mind since the postings of Videx ETC. ..................  It seems to me that the amount of showline dogs that are also doing titles ( not just the Schutzhund training ) in the U.K. these days far outway the amount of workingline dogs doing conformation shows ....................... why is this do you think ????????????.

Is it because the showline breeders are more caring as to the future of the German Shepherd Breed than the majority of workingline people in the U.K. ????.

Or is it because the workingline breeders have not got the knowledge or ability to produce conformation as well as the easier trained workingline dogs ????.

I am not at all biased in any way at all but it does appear that more than a few of the showline breeders are taking more steps to producing a good all round dog that has good conformation as well as good working ability !.

As I have stated before the top B.S.P. dogs are also being shown in conformation classes , they do this with good reason so why do I keep hearing negative remarks from what I call the lower class of working people in the U.K. e.g. that they are only interested in the brain the dog has ?, to me this is being very short sighted indeed !.

Good conformation has a great bearing on the durability and prolonged soundness in any animal and should not be scoffed at.

Its not that they're more caring its just that they need a working title to show.

SLADE.   I appreciate your comment but my post does mention the U.K. .......... You do not need any working title to show in the U.K. !.

? sorry

You could easily flip through old posts and find dozens of show/work line debates. It's been done, and done, and overdone and always turns ugly.

I think there are several reasons why many people who work dogs do not show them.

From a personal perspective I loathe showing.

I also take the view that if a dog is made correctly it will perform correctly (and this indeed reflects the view of all judges of all breeds I have ever met).

Dogs that are not of the correct physical construction do not generally have longevity in ANY performance field. 

I am sure others have other views but these are mine.  Handsome is as handsome does IMHO.

No probs Slade, I did see where you were trying to come from though.

Over here in Belgium the working line Dogs go to a Dog Show and they compete against the Showline Dogs

The Owners of the Working line G.S know full well they will not come out the winners against the Showline Dogs and it is not expected that they will, but stranger things happen i expect

But the reason for entering them is that the Dog must get a GOOD, and this helps it in the quest to be Korclassed,  this  they need for breeding.

Plus it is very good for the Dogs to be in a social enviorment along with other Dogs as they are measured, teeth looked at, Normal hands running over them for conformation, and they do everything the Show Dogs do, and it does them the world of  good

My Fred is due to go to such a Show and i will enjoy myself

Steve, Belgium

trueview,

Both camps breed for specifics, very few people breed for the overall dog in my opinion. 

A working dog is just that, doesnt matter what it looks like.  Its has to be built for work.   A showline follows a different set of rules as far as looks, thats what show means.   A show dog can be just as capable in my opinion of doing the work but not as likely.   And there are some beautiful working dogs.

There are great all round dogs out there as well.   Far beyond the restrictions of labels.  The norm however keeps the two camps separate for now.  Until people change the way they breed and what they consider a great dog to be.

Short sighted indeed.

Yes Two moons I agree with you but although there are the two camps I have noticed in more recent years that the ravine between the two is getting smaller all the time and as you say there are some really nice working dogs out there now but not yet in the U.K.  from what I've seen anyway.

There appears to be a bottleneck of bloodlines emerging fast in both camps so at some point I can see the only sensible option for the future is to merge working and show bloodlines ( being very selective on both sides of course ).