# Working line Gsd as family pet??



## tinadillon (Oct 7, 2015)

Can it be done?. As most if you know I am researching whether my next dog should be a Gsd or Boxer. (bare in mind I'm in the Uk) Several people have recommended to me to look at 'show line gsd' but during the course of my research I have noticed the show dogs exhibited at crufts have prominent sloping backs and a distinctly lower rear end. This (in the long term at least) does not look healthy to me. So I ask,can a Wlgsd given correct training and exercise be a loving family pet and get along with children and other animals?.
Looking forward to hearing your opinions on this.
Kind regards, Tina


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## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

yes they can. We have a few working line dogs in our club and one is a family dog with a golden and a rescue GSD and the occasional foster dog, and a Mom and her son. Great dog. 

When you talk to a breeder let them know that you want a family dog. They can be a very valuable help choosing the pup that has the right temperament.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

For a pet I would look to lines known for biddability and genetic obedience. Some working lines are highly independent and, while they may have great working drives and be great working partners can be a little more aloof than you may like, even with the family and a lot more active than you may want as well. But WL dogs vary a lot in this regard.

My current dog's idea of cuddling with me is incessantly trying to initiate play. The idea of laying at my feet by the fireplace does not register. ........ but I got him for work. Find a good breeder and give them a realistic view of your future dog's day / weekends so they can help make the best selection. A good breeder will help you find what you need even if they can't provide it.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

I got mine as a rescue--the best move I ever made. I can not say enough good things about him. He can take or leave other people(except kids, he loves all kds), but loves his family and friends of the family. I don't think I could get his temperament ever again, but it would be my goal. He loves being by me, has a super high ball drive, and higher prey drive. It took me a while to understand the difference between him and my female. Now I see it even more between him, the female, and the younger male. He is a special dog. It blows my mind that he was dumped at a shelter, sat there for a couple months and was close to being put to sleep. I just wish the fools that gave him up because he was mouthing the kids could see him now. Their loss and definitely my gain


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## Vaks (Dec 30, 2011)

oh yes!!!

My female, BH, IPO3, FH, AD, SG and .... couch potato


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## Lobo dog (Sep 19, 2014)

Lobo Is our family pet, lives with 6 people (4 kids). If we had wanted a lower key dog than we would have chosen a different puppy from his litter, but we wanted a higher energy dog to go on hikes and be my jogging partner and Lobo is great for that. I do wish he was more biddable because he is a very independant creature which makes training more of a process. It is definitely possible to find a WL who will make a great family companion


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## Shade (Feb 20, 2012)

Absolutely, find a good breeder and be honest with your plans. Hopefully they'll have a match for you 

Delgado is a fantastic dog, my first GSD and it's been a real learning curve but he's been a joy to have and train. Smart as a whip and he keeps me laughing constantly


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Shade said:


> Absolutely, find a good breeder and be honest with your plans. Hopefully they'll have a match for you
> 
> Delgado is a fantastic dog, my first GSD and it's been a real learning curve but he's been a joy to have and train. Smart as a whip and he keeps me laughing constantly



What Shanna said, replace Delgado with Hans, LOL.


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## Susan_GSD_mom (Jan 7, 2014)

I have had several WL GSDs, the current two are both rescues, a male and a female. Maybe it's just the males-bonding-with-female (human) and females-bonding-with-male (human) thing, they were all good companions, but the males seemed more affectionate, more of a velcro dog. My current male has taken on the job of unofficial service dog, helping me with my sister, for whom I am a caregiver. Not long ago he absolutely saved her from what could have been severe injury, and a number of other times he has prevented potential injuries. And, yes, he is high drive, goes mad outdoors, and occasionally gets the "zoomies" in the house. But he is a good, good dog. My female is also a good dog, but not as attentive where my sister is concerned. But definitely has her affectionate side.

Susan


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## d4lilbitz (Dec 30, 2013)

Absolutely! Just be honest with the type of drive you need and can handle. I have a DDR/Czech intact male (20 months) who I do IPO with. He lives in a home with two other dogs (sometimes three) and a 10 year old boy. Very stable in temperament and has had a good foundation training since he came home at 8 weeks. Providing you're able to properly exercise the dog both physically and mentally, a working line can thrive in an active companion home. There are some great breeders who sometimes produce companion homes pups! Some pictures of my guy with my other dogs, "his" boy, and out in public with children.


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## tinadillon (Oct 7, 2015)

Vaks said:


> oh yes!!!
> 
> My female, BH, IPO3, FH, AD, SG and .... couch potato


What beautiful pics!


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## tinadillon (Oct 7, 2015)

d4lilbitz said:


> Absolutely! Just be honest with the type of drive you need and can handle. I have a DDR/Czech intact male (20 months) who I do IPO with. He lives in a home with two other dogs (sometimes three) and a 10 year old boy. Very stable in temperament and has had a good foundation training since he came home at 8 weeks. Providing you're able to properly exercise the dog both physically and mentally, a working line can thrive in an active companion home. There are some great breeders who sometimes produce companion homes pups! Some pictures of my guy with my other dogs, "his" boy, and out in public with children.


Absolutely adorable pics!!!


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## tinadillon (Oct 7, 2015)

*Wow i am astounded and very pleased....*

.....at the amount of positive replies to this question!!. I did not anticipate a response like this and the wonderful stories of rescues too!. It just goes to show the versatility of the breed 
THANK YOU EVERYONE!!!


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## d4lilbitz (Dec 30, 2013)

tinadillon said:


> Absolutely adorable pics!!!


Thank you! 



tinadillon said:


> .....at the amount of positive replies to this question!!. I did not anticipate a response like this and the wonderful stories of rescues too!. It just goes to show the versatility of the breed
> THANK YOU EVERYONE!!!


 
Good luck in your search!


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

temperment wise I feel that all of my WL dogs would do well as family dogs (I have a large extended family with lots of children), the only problem I could see, personally, is the amount of time I've had to put into them in order to get them to that place. the little guy I have now was nearly a second/part time job the first year.... so that on top of mommy duties would have exhausted me and him w/o that time could have been a mess.

I will say however that of all my GSD, my WGSL boy is the most natural family dog.... gentle, playful, affectionate and loves just being around kids. my WL dogs like kids basically because kids throw balls, lol. Tilden is not extreme at all in conformation - so just as WL dogs vary in temperment, SL can vary in conformation.


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## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

Now granted my working line dog is only 5 months... She absolutely LOVES kids, she is very sweet and biddable. But she does have that independent streak, she is not a cuddly dog, heck she can't cuddle because she never stops moving. She is also extremely mouthy, everything goes in her mouth and she has drawn blood a few times. I wouldn't recommend a higher drive dog for a family with young kids unless with an experienced handler.

I also have a working/show cross 3 year old male and he is the best house dog I've ever had. He was the easiest puppy I've ever dealt with too. If we had kids I know he'd be amazing with them, he is very gentle and tolerant. Still has the independence, neither of them have any separation anxiety and I've not had to deal with any crate screaming... I can come and go and they don't take any issue. As he's gotten older though he's become a bit more of a shadow and will follow me everywhere around the house if I let him. 

As far as showlines a lot of breeders seem to be moving away from the extreme angulation.. I know some very nice moderate SL's. Also don't let a photo of a stacked dog fool you as a stack can dramatically change the appearance of the dog. I wouldn't rule them out... If you do go the working line route, make sure to find a reputable breeder and be 100% honest about what you're looking for.


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## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

Adding in to say I also have small dogs, cats, rabbits, rats and a parrot... My show/cross is only trustworthy with the cats and dogs and even that took A LOT of training, he constantly was trying to herd them. As far as the small animals he would kill them in a heart beat and we are working on it but I'll never trust him. My female working line is actually a little more mellow in that department but I still don't allow her to be near them yet. Having a dog with high prey drive, there will probably have to be some training there to live cohesively.


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## NINADOG (Oct 3, 2014)

I wouldn't rule out the show lines...they make exceptionally good, low key companions and are easy to handle, especially if you're not interested in training for competition and just want a family pet. If you don't like the more extensive angulation, most of the show breeders have puppies that won't make the show circuit and these are the puppies that are less angulated and more upright on their hocks and they are the ones they sell as companions, to pet homes. They also usually charge less for them then the show prospects.​ There are good and bad traits in all lines, so regardless of the type of lines you end up going with it's important to buy from a well established breeder who knows the lines and the types of temperments/drives they produce and can evaluate the puppies to be able to place them in the type of home they are most well suited for.​


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## familydag5 (Jan 24, 2015)

My WGWL is an absolutely wonderful family pet. He adores our three children, youngest being 2, he is affectionate, playful and is ever watchful of the kids. He is no golden retriever but does great with all the visitors, he is up for anything and just wants to be with his people. I have to be sure he gets his daily mental and physical exercise which has been a big plus for me, it gets me out running and I so enjoy our OB classes. Beware the land shark phase with kids, it was well worth it but wow was that a challenge LOL!


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## Gwenhwyfair (Jul 27, 2010)

Go out and see the dogs. Check them out at a working venue such as IPO. Listen to the stories you hear told there too. Just make sure it's the right dog for you.

You mentioned considering a boxer as well. Going between a boxer, which we were discussing recently are bred far more as companion dogs vs working dogs, to a WL GSD is a leap. 

Totally different critters 'under the hood'. 

Just make sure to do your research.

Good luck!





tinadillon said:


> .....at the amount of positive replies to this question!!. I did not anticipate a response like this and the wonderful stories of rescues too!. It just goes to show the versatility of the breed
> THANK YOU EVERYONE!!!


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## MythicMut (May 22, 2015)

When you speak with breeders be very clear about what you want. Reputable breeders (WL and SL) can determine if their line is right for you. They are also very good at picking out the pup that will best suit your purpose. American SL GSDs have more "slope" than European lines. It's best if you can visit a breeder to see any dogs from their own lines that they have on site. Many pics will show a dog "stacked" (that GSD poise) which can accentuate that slope you see. The topline might be more level than you see in the pictures. Like the pics you posted!


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## Dainerra (Nov 14, 2003)

Singe is a Czech line dog. As a pup, he was a nightmare of crazy puppy landshark naughtiness. My kids were older, 10 and 15. 

We do community events, therapy work with the elderly and other activities like agility and rally. 

Here are some photos from our public service group at Turkey Trot.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

Our first dog was a working line. He was a great dog and definitely not your average dog. He was not affectionate a bit aloof and liked his own space. We got him when he was 2 years old. He was extremely disciplined. We could leave a whole turkey dinner (just an example)out on the table overnight and he would not touch it. When our kids where born he was an old man with much arthritis and passed away soon after at the age of 12. In every litter of puppies each pup have different personalities. As the others had said talk to a reputable breeder and tell them what you are looking for. Good luck in your search


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## tinadillon (Oct 7, 2015)

NINADOG said:


> I wouldn't rule out the show lines...they make exceptionally good, low key companions and are easy to handle, especially if you're not interested in training for competition and just want a family pet. If you don't like the more extensive angulation, most of the show breeders have puppies that won't make the show circuit and these are the puppies that are less angulated and more upright on their hocks and they are the ones they sell as companions, to pet homes. They also usually charge less for them then the show prospects.​ There are good and bad traits in all lines, so regardless of the type of lines you end up going with it's important to buy from a well established breeder who knows the lines and the types of temperments/drives they produce and can evaluate the puppies to be able to place them in the type of home they are most well suited for.​


You make a very good point there re show lines as companion dogs. Thankyou will certainly bare it in mind!


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## tinadillon (Oct 7, 2015)

Dainerra said:


> Singe is a Czech line dog. As a pup, he was a nightmare of crazy puppy landshark naughtiness. My kids were older, 10 and 15.
> 
> We do community events, therapy work with the elderly and other activities like agility and rally.
> 
> Here are some photos from our public service group at Turkey Trot.


Wonderful pics!


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## tinadillon (Oct 7, 2015)

MythicMut said:


> When you speak with breeders be very clear about what you want. Reputable breeders (WL and SL) can determine if their line is right for you. They are also very good at picking out the pup that will best suit your purpose. American SL GSDs have more "slope" than European lines. It's best if you can visit a breeder to see any dogs from their own lines that they have on site. Many pics will show a dog "stacked" (that GSD poise) which can accentuate that slope you see. The topline might be more level than you see in the pictures. Like the pics you posted!


'Talk to breeders and be clear about what you want' that seems to be the way to go.Thankyou


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## MythicMut (May 22, 2015)

tinadillon said:


> 'Talk to breeders and be clear about what you want' that seems to be the way to go.Thankyou


:thumbup:


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