# Working vs Show line



## Mominohio (Dec 26, 2012)

We plan to get a puppy within the next year. We have been researching the breed for quite some time now. The one thing we cannot decide on is whether to choose a Working or Show line. I have heard so many different opinions on this. We found a breeder we REALLY like,that seems really professional. Her dogs are working line though. Were a reasonably active family,three young kids. Naturally we want a trainable dog with an excellent temperament. Any advice or experiences anyone can offer would be great,thanks.


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## martemchik (Nov 23, 2010)

You're going to get a lot of different opinions on this...most of which (due to the forum) will be towards the working line.

You really have to ask yourself how much time you'll have for your dog. Are you an active family that has your kids in sports/clubs/ect? Or are you an active family that will be able to include your dog in the activities you do (hiking/fishing/outdoor vacations)? Oh and have time to do just dog activities (training, training, and more training).

A working line generally has more energy, more drive to do things, and doesn't like to just sit around. In my experience, my dog gets a little stir crazy when we don't do training/exercise for a few days in a row due to bad weather or just a busy schedule. My dog wants to play and work way more than the show lines at my GSD club. And for a dog his age he is no where near as calm as some of the dogs around his age. He is always vigilant, always paying attention, always on the go. He has two speeds...full and sleep.

This is not to say that the show lines at my club aren't obedient and have excellent temperaments. They might not have what people on this forum might consider correct working temperaments, but they are wonderful around kids/dogs/families and in general have no problems getting through day to day life.

I'll add that I train my dog at my club 3 times a week, and then do brush up work at home daily for at least 30 minutes. I wouldn't trade my boy for the world, but I also have a lot more time on my hands than someone with 3 children. As long as you go to a good breeder, that has a good reputation for breeding successful dogs, you'll be fine. It just depends on how much you're willing to do with your dog that you need to ask yourself.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

so what are the lines --


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## Mominohio (Dec 26, 2012)

Thank you very much for your help! We are definetly active outdoors,camping,fishing and hiking is something we do a lot of in the warmer months. We have a large fenced in backyard. We aren't planning on doing any competition with the dog,therapy is something we have considered. Which it sounds like a show line might be better if thats what we decided.

Ohio Breeder of AKC German Sheph
This is the breeder we are seriously looking at,hers are working line.


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## Chris Wild (Dec 14, 2001)

It really comes down to personal preference. You'll hear vastly different opinions from different people, some of those based on first hand experience and some based on heresay. But bottom line is that the opinions of others really doesn't matter if their preference and lifestyle isn't in line with yours. 

My advice would be to get out and meet some dogs of both types. The breeder you found is active in a local SchH club, which has members with both types of dogs. So visiting that club may be a good place to start. Meet some working lines. Meet some show lines. Interact with the dogs themselves and talk with their owners about what they are like to live with every day. Sit down as a family and decide what you want and do not want in a dog and what sort of activities if any you might participate in, then use that information to formulate some specific questions to help you decide which might be best for you and then pose those questions to people with some solid first hand experience with dogs of both types. If you can meet the dogs and meet the people, you'll probably be able to decide for yourselves pretty easily which would be the best fit.


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## Questforfire (Apr 18, 2012)

Chris Wild said:


> *My advice would be to get out and meet some dogs of both types. The breeder you found is active in a local SchH club, which has members with both types of dogs. So visiting that club may be a good place to start. Meet some working lines. Meet some show lines. Interact with the dogs themselves and talk with their owners about what they are like to live with every day. Sit down as a family and decide what you want and do not want in a dog and what sort of activities if any you might participate in, then use that information to formulate some specific questions to help you decide which might be best for you and then pose those questions to people with some solid first hand experience with dogs of both types.*


I agree with the above. Once you have spent enough time around both WL and SL, you should get a good idea which type is the right one for you and your circumstances. Good luck in your search.


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## JohnD (May 1, 2012)

I have owned both types. IMO----GSD of both types
need a lot of time and training. 

Both want to run, play and be trained..I love the fact that GSD are up for most
anything...And what a waste if you think a show dog just wants to lay around
and sleep all day...

Look at your life style. How much time you have to work a GSD...

If you can't devote a lot of time every day then please don't get either!


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## Andaka (Jun 29, 2003)

Where are you located? That will also help us recommend breeders close to you.


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## valb (Sep 2, 2004)

I agree with JohnD, I've owned one of each type. They
did both require time and training, but I'm a homemaker
w/o kids, so I had it to give.

I will say I personally like the working lines a bit better,
mine got to the upper reaches in age (14 years 3 months)
and I think the extra 'fire' and drive really helped her in
the later years. But like others here have said, it
depends. Some of them I think of either type, with good
environments, while not exactly a greyhound couch
potato, are very adaptable to whatever is going on.

I had a horse fall over on me and smash my left leg and was
out of commission for about 6 weeks or so, and my show lines
dog didn't bounce off the walls any.


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## x11 (Jan 1, 2012)

sounds to me like you just want a good healthy active pet quality dog and you happen to like the gsd breed. the biggest thing for good pet quality dogs is verifiable genetic health. once yr family and dog bond it is traumatic to lose the dog cos it has a genetic issue widespread in the breed (depending who you ask) 

most show or working breeders of good reputaion should be able to supply this kind of dog. could be a working line dog in a litter that did not appear to have the higher drives the breeder was looking for or just a neat show line dog.

if you don't plan to compete in anything, which you did not say you were, really focus on health and temp by looking at parents, progeny, conditions of kennel, breeder achievements, lists of satisfied customers and how much the breeder is prepared to back his/her own dogs with written contracts, return policy etc.

personally i would not finacially support show breeders or increase the demand for pet quality dogs but that is just my personal thing.

have you considered saving a dog's life (gsd or other) and checking out rescue. a lot of excellent pet quality dogs waiting to love you and your family for years of fun. if you save one and love and care for it you and your family will be my personal heroes, not kidding.


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

I've had working lines for 10+ years, I recently rescued a show line dog. I really don't see any difference in the intensity or the drive. They both need a lot of exercise and attention. The show line is a little more needy but it may be because she is a rescue and we didn't have her from a puppy. 

I'd start meeting dogs and breeders and don't forget rescues. When you find the right puppy for your family, you will know.


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## codmaster (Aug 5, 2009)

Mominohio said:


> We plan to get a puppy within the next year. We have been researching the breed for quite some time now. The one thing we cannot decide on is whether to choose a Working or Show line. I have heard so many different opinions on this. We found a breeder we REALLY like,that seems really professional. Her dogs are working line though. Were a reasonably active family,three young kids. Naturally we want a trainable dog with an excellent temperament. Any advice or experiences anyone can offer would be great,thanks.


 
A bigger question is what do you want to DO with your dog? If you want to do ScH, then obviously your chances are much higher of getting a good dog for that from a good working line kennel. BUT if you want to show your dog in the breed ring then a WL puppy would greatly lower the odds of success in that arena.

If you just want a pet GSD, either place could produce a winner.

And please don't forget - by choosing one line or another you are NOT guaranteed to get a puppy with the ttaits/temperamnet that you want - just can increase the odds of success.

Best bet of all is to find a good reputable breeder (either line depending on your goals with your dog) and tell them what you want to do with the puppy and let them mainly choose your individual dog!

But do make sure that you can trust the breeder!!!!!! (Like the ones prominent on this forum!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

I don't think anyone can say thet SL are lower drive than WL - higher per cent perhaps but I have an American male GSD from a TOP US SL kennel and I would challenge anyone to say that he is not a VERY high drive dog that does well on the Tracking field, on the herding ring and even in the ScH protection field as well as AKC OB. His activity level is crazy! (OTOH - he is very unusual even within his own litter as i have seen 2 brothers and 2 sisters and they are most different in tmperament and energy).


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

I agree with Chris. Go to the breeder's club (it is about 1/2 hour south of Cleveland just off of 71) and see the different dogs. Your primary goal is a dog with very sound nerves, temperament and character. The lines shouldn't matter, IMO. 

I actually know this breeder personally. I have seen the female she is breeding several times from when she was a puppy. I saw her sire compete (excellent tracking dog) and her grandsire (quite a few times). I also saw her mother's mother's sire trial once (another super tracking dog). There are not a lot of dogs in this country where I could say that.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

It would also depend on the breedings, too. There are show line and working line litters you couldn't pay me to own a dog from and there are show line and working line litters I would try to move mountains to get a dog from. For me it really boils down to the actual dogs we are talking about and not generalizations of type that both offer a full spectrum of quality.


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

Mominohio said:


> Were a reasonably active family,three young kids. Naturally we want a trainable dog with an excellent temperament.


Either line could give you that. I have heard people say that show lines are harder to train than working lines, but I haven't owned or trained a show line myself. I've owned working line and mixed line dogs, and most have been easy to train.

Key is going to be choosing a breeder you trust, whose ethics and philosophy you agree with, regardless of bloodline. You can get a range of temperaments in every litter, so there's a good chance (depending on the breeding) that you'll find a match in either line. 

Basically you would want to avoid extremes. Some pedigrees are more "extreme" than others, and some puppies are more "extreme" than others.



Mominohio said:


> We aren't planning on doing any competition with the dog,therapy is something we have considered. Which it sounds like a show line might be better if thats what we decided.


Could be, but there are plenty of working line dogs in therapy, guide and service. So it's more about the particular pedigree and the particular pup in the litter than it is about bloodlines generally, IMO.


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## blackshep (Aug 3, 2012)

Lots of great advice here.

I just wanted to throw my $0.02 in, as I'm a "pet" owner and I got a WL. The breeder helped me select the right dog, which was a lower drive female from the litter.

I'd definitely go to the best breeder you can find, make sure they do all the appropriate health tests, or go to a rescue. Just make sure you are not supporting a BYB who is breeding whatever dogs to one another without a care about health or temperament.

One thing - with a GSD be prepared to work your butt off. The socializing alone for the first few months is pretty ridiculous. It's exhausting, but well worth the effort. I'd HIGHLY recommend training classes and puppy class too. 

Also, look into some activities you can do to challenge their brains, especially as a growing pup where you have to be careful about how much exercise you do with them. Something like tracking or scent detection classes, they can do right from the get-go and won't hurt their growing bodies! 

Good luck!


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## Jovi_Girl (Dec 4, 2012)

I have a working line pup, and I had pick of the litter. My girl had a higher drive than most of the other pups and since I'm very active and have plenty of time to train, I chose her, but there were a few dogs in her litter that were content to lay at my feet and do absolutely nothing. The breeder helped me a lot with my decision, also, because he knew what I was looking for. If you have a good breeder, you shouldn't worry...they'll help you choose the puppy they think will suit you. I also agree that if you're looking for just a companion/family pet, then a rescue dog would be something to look into. 


Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

A dog with excellent temperament should not require a ton of socialization, training, or exercise. 

A dog of excellent temperament and correct structure should be able to manage a ton of socialization, training, and or exercise. 

A GSD of good character should be able to relax in any situation, taken out of the kennel at 9 months, over to a house with strangers including kids, shouldn't matter, the dog should be just fine. He should not go stir-crazy if he is not walked into the ground before being left for the day. That's insanity. A dog should not require being physically and mentally exhausted every day, to have a reasonable expectation for behavior. A dog should not have to be trained every day, or several times a day to learn basic and advanced commands. And a dog should not be losing steam before you are if you give them age-appropriate amounts of exercise. 

If any of the above is true, look at the temperament of the dogs, because a GSD should be able to live in most conditions, with most types of owners, and adjust to the activity levels, and training levels of the owners. 

It should not be rocket science. 

I am a fan of the West German Showlines. I think they are great all-around dogs. The can go go go, if you want them to, they can lay at your feet and relax. They can be trained to do anything including police and military work. They learn quickly and enjoy good training. You can have them with other critters, people, babies, old people. Just all-around great dogs.


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## blackshep (Aug 3, 2012)

selzer said:


> A dog with excellent temperament should not require a ton of socialization, training, or exercise.


I think all dogs should be very well socialized, and trained regardless of temperament. So while I agree with the rest of your post, I don't necessarily agree entirely with this point.


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

blackshep said:


> I think all dogs should be very well socialized, and trained regardless of temperament. So while I agree with the rest of your post, I don't necessarily agree entirely with this point.


I think she's saying that a dog with a solid temperament and nerve doesn't NEED to be extensively socialized to grow to be a well rounded dog. It should come naturally to them through their genetics.


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## GSDElsa (Jul 22, 2009)

If you want an active, fun, trainable pet then you really can't go wrong with a reputable breeder from either line. If you are interested in protection sports or a working dog you'd have a higher chance of getting a really good, high drive dog in the working lines from personal experience. 

Visit breeders and see who you have the best feel for and make sure you undersatnd what "reputable" means (lots of good threads on this). Just be realistic with the breeder as to what you are going to do with the dog so you don't end up with "too much" of a beast. I have a pretty darn high drive 22 month old. He needs a ton of mental challenges and training (physical activity doesn't do it!) and he would not be a good dog for most pet homes....it would be doable, but not sure how much fun. Something to be said for a lower drive dog that still wants to work for you but doesn't NEED it as badly....if that makes sense.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

West German show lines, rule.


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## codmaster (Aug 5, 2009)

It really depends on what you would like to do with the dog, decide that (or them as the case may be). Then find a reputable breeder of the type that you like - have them pick out a puppy (or other dog) that will best fit your set of requirements.

I.E. if it so happens that you wanted to do both AKC Obedience and Conformation showing - you most definetly would not want a dog from either German WL or SL's. (Statistically that is as you might find an individual dog from either line that could do well in both!).

In that case you would be best suited to find a good breeder who is breeding American GSD's doing well in both areas.

If you wanted a ScH dog, then probably the WL dog would be the best potential source!


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## Marc (Oct 25, 2012)

Personally, I think you should decide what you want out of your dog and that should make your mind up for you. As has already been mentioned, both working and show line GSD's need a lot of exercise, the difference being a working line will not stop before you.

I recently started attending a local schutzhund club, because my dog had so much drive, and she loves it. I never planned for her to be a working dog, she has both show and working in her pedigree (I wanted diversity for the health benefits), I just wanted an intelligent companion, that I could train well and would be a great pet, but as she is so suited to schutzhund, i thought I owed it to her to do it. 

If you are happy to adapt to the needs of your dog, and are prepared for anything, getting either dog would be fine. If you are prepared to give you dog plenty of exercise, but NOT happy to spend upto 15 hours per week working your dog, then a working line might not be best for you.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

Think the thing that can't be stressed enough and is being said over and over and over is that if you get any GSD puppy what you first need to look at is the 

TIME ELEMENT involved with these puppies.

First and foremost you need look at your lifestyle and family to determine the current *free* time you can invest on properly raising a GSD puppy. Tons of time to exercise, socialize and our pups REALLY benefit from some type of organized classes. 

The next thing is to find a responsible breeder with the type of GSD that you prefer and work with them to get a pup. The best breeders can recommend other breeders if they don't have one currently or feel another line will suit your needs more.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

If this breeder is still in consideration Ohio Breeder of AKC German Sheph I would say give them a call , pay them a visit . I liked what I saw and I particularly liked the breeders emphasis of " He has great drive for the work, but he is also very correct. He is *extremely* trainable."

good strong durable bodies , clearn in mind , stable and well adjusted - look like dogs you can live with easily, not over the top dogs 

"West German show lines, rule.  " In the west German show ring !!! " just kidding


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

Marc said:


> Personally, I think you should decide what you want out of your dog and that should make your mind up for you. As has already been mentioned, both working and show line GSD's need a lot of exercise, the difference being a working line will not stop before you.


I have not found that to be true at all. I have a working line who is a cuddle bear and always wants to go in before me. I also have a show line who is intense and will not stop. She is ball, ball, ball all the time. I think it depends on the dog not the line. A good breeder or a good rescue will help match the dog to the family.


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

I have a working line girl lying quietly on her bed, which is pretty much what she does when indoors. Very calm and well-behaved, easy to live with. Once outdoors, she's running around looking for her ball and will chase it until either she drops dead or you stop throwing, whichever comes first. 

She has a lot of drive, and yet she was the "pet" of the litter... I did put a lot of time and training into her when she was young.


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## Mominohio (Dec 26, 2012)

Thank you very much for all the helpful replies.  It will definetly help us reach a decision as to which type of puppy is right for our family. We are located in southern Ohio,I haven't found a whole lot of breeders here.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I wouldn't look in your area, there are several great breeders within a day's drive however. They may not have litters on the ground right now, but making contacts while you learn about the lines may have a pup when you are ready. Really, going about finding a pup that suits what you are looking for should take about 6 mos to a year...or longer. And that wait will be worth it! You may even change your mind every so often as you learn, which makes waiting more beneficial.


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## huntergreen (Jun 28, 2012)

selzer said:


> A dog with excellent temperament should not require a ton of socialization, training, or exercise.
> 
> A dog of excellent temperament and correct structure should be able to manage a ton of socialization, training, and or exercise.
> 
> ...



imho, you just described what a gsd was meant to be. great post!!!!


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## codmaster (Aug 5, 2009)

huntergreen said:


> imho, you just described what a gsd was meant to be. great post!!!!


 
Would that be ANY GSD - whatever line they happen to be from?


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## Mooch (May 23, 2012)

There's been a few pictures on here recently of dogs which are working lines crossed with show lines - and they look great  Best of both worlds perhaps?


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

Mooch said:


> There's been a few pictures on here recently of dogs which are working lines crossed with show lines - and they look great  Best of both worlds perhaps?


Best of both or worst of both. It can go both ways. I got the latter. Loved the dog for what he was but he was a mess.


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## Mooch (May 23, 2012)

Oh really?? That's a shame 
What was the issue with him ? Nervous, weak nerve, high drive and aggressive? 

I have Show line dogs and love them to bits, the working line appeals to me from a looks point of view, but I'm not sure if I would get a working line as I don't do any real "work" with my guys. T
hey are pet dogs that go for walks, swim and fetch kongs and do a little bit of fun dog training LOL They are happy with that but I'm not sure a high drive working dog would be content with that. It's the reason I'd never get a Kelpie or a border collie - they NEED to work or they go loopy


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

In my case the dog had high prey drive, weak nerves and resultant issues with minor dog aggression (we controlled his environment and access), severe east west and was somewhat down in pasterns, roach back, undescended testicles (so he was neutered at no small expense), retained puppy teeth which caused a severe dental misalignment that had to be fixed, perianal fistulas, and food allergies...but he had a lovely black and red coat. He did live to be 11 though and passed away due to hemangiosarcoma.

Neither parent was listed in the PDB but the father was an IPO3 Czech dog KKL1a for life and the dam's mother was a BOB at Crufts and her entire lineage was predominantly West German Show. The dam was a lovely dog by her own right.


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