# Need a little help



## mattr (Nov 11, 2020)

Unfortunately our WGSL passed recently and we are heartbroken. My family and I are looking to get a new german shepherd. It's my wife and I and our two children (5 and 3). We are not sure if we want to go with a show line again or a working line. Originally I was leaning toward a working line b/c it would be something different (im concerned about getting a duplicate look of our last dog). Our gsd was a male of around 80-85lbs, very strong and high drive for a show line. 

Is a working line drastically more intense than a higher drive show line? Anyone have any advice? We can take the dog to do training such as tracking and protection and give him 30 min or so a day in play in hour half acre yard and a few mile job a few times a week as well. We are just a little concerned that if we went with a working line we might be overwhelmed or it might be too intense for the kids and they wouldn't get a long with him?


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## Bearshandler (Aug 29, 2019)

There is a wide range of working lines, so cookie cutter answers can be very wrong depending on the dog. Based on the working lines around usually around me, there is a big difference in drive and intensity. Those are also considered high drive working lines though. The east german dogs tend to be similar in prey drive to the show lines, if a little higher. You can get a working line that fits, you just have to find the right one from the right breeding. What was your typical day like with your showline?


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## mattr (Nov 11, 2020)

i would take him to the daycare near my home. they also do work with some police dogs, so he would do partial daycare and then an hour or so of training and then some time on the treadmill and some frisbee time. We would pick him up after work and then play for about 30mins or more outside in our yard, work on some of the training at home and then 3 times a week i would take him for about a 2-3 mile jog with me. 

I'm not sure if you are familiar with any breeders in and around illinois, but we were looking at working line by bill kulla or mybodygaurd in illinois...or another show line from alta-tollhaus in michigan


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## Bearshandler (Aug 29, 2019)

mattr said:


> i would take him to the daycare near my home. they also do work with some police dogs, so he would do partial daycare and then an hour or so of training and then some time on the treadmill and some frisbee time. We would pick him up after work and then play for about 30mins or more outside in our yard, work on some of the training at home and then 3 times a week i would take him for about a 2-3 mile jog with me.
> 
> I'm not sure if you are familiar with any breeders in and around illinois, but we were looking at working line by bill kulla or mybodygaurd in illinois...or another show line from alta-tollhaus in michigan


I don't know about the second one, but the other two are great choices. That schedule could work for a working line. I'm not a fan of the daycare, but if you made it work with your last dog so be it. It doesn't sound like they are just throwing them all together.


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## chuckd (Jul 16, 2019)

Talk to Bill, he's a straight shooter. Lots of knowledge and, at worst, he can steer you in the right direction.


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