# American vs German Import



## dadsbestfriend (May 26, 2009)

I am sure that this could be debated on at length, but is there a general consensus as to advantages of buying an american GSD or a pup from German imported parents for the average house dog with good health history?


----------



## katieliz (Mar 29, 2007)

well, i'm sorry to have to say, after a lifetime of owning american showline shepherds, that they seem to have more and more health problems all the time. you have to do your research and look very, very hard, and even with health (eyes, hips and elbows, cardiac, etc.), guarantees you can still have problems. i think you'll find that people here favor german lines.


----------



## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

I'd say go with either the west german showline or american showline. Stay away from the working lines if you don't plan on having your dog do any type of work or participate in schutzhund. Not to say that the working lines can't be great companion dogs, but just look at their line name, theyre bred to be worked.

That leaves the american and west german showlines in terms of choices. From my reading on this board, it seems like the american showline dogs are going to have the lowest drives and may be best for what you're looking for. That doesn't eliminate a german showline dog though. Speak to breeders and tell them what you're looking for. A good breeder will be able to help you choose a puppy that's right for you.

From personal experience, i have a bit of a mutt in terms of lines. My Lucy comes from both german lines. Her sire is west german show and her mother is east german (DDR) working. I'm no expert, but i'd say she has a medium drive for a GSD. On average, she is excercised for at least 4 hours every day in some form or another. This can be either physical (walking, playing ball, playing with other dog friend, etc) or mental (training). Without that excercise, this dog can be a handful. A tired dog is a happy dog.


----------



## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

I dunno, my working line puppy isn't any worse than my German showline dog. Halo doesn't get anywhere near as much exercise as Lucy Dog does - it's closer to 4 hours a week than 4 hours a day. My dogs get adventures on the weekend, but during the week they're hanging out at home with us and most of their exercise is playing with each other, or from any training I'm doing with them at the time, which is more mental than physical activity. She's adapted quite well to our routine, and I treat her the same as I do Keefer, my showline boy. I don't consider her particularly low drive, but she's not bouncing off the walls and hanging from the chandelier either.


----------



## MelissaHoyer (Sep 8, 2006)

I live with two working line GSDs. 

My older girl, Grace, has a more laid back personality, always has. She is a perfect house dog and a great companion. 

My younger girl, Kira, is a bit more intense and does require more exercise than Grace ever did. She has a great desire to work and learn...makes for a great partner. She also settles very well.

They probably get a 15 minute walk on week days with several romps in the back yard. Weekends we do a lot more and they are really pooped out lol. Both are great in the house...but it boils down to training and expectations IMO. Talking with breeders about what type of dogs they produce is a good way to start...every pup is a little different.


----------



## wolfstraum (May 2, 2003)

I have European working lines and can safely say that there is not one of my dogs or pups that is not a good companion dog!!!! Yes, they need some exercise, they need to be obedience trained, but they do NOT bounce off the walls or become obnoxious PIA to live with - they do not NEED to live in a kennel...in fact they crave being with people, and enjoy living in the house....I would NOT rule out working lines as companions IF they are carefully bred and the breeder lives with them...

Lee


----------



## Chris Wild (Dec 14, 2001)

In terms of a good, soundly temperamented, healthy companion any of the 3 subsets (American, Euro show, Euro working) will produce dogs who can excel at that, and all will occasionally produce dogs who do not. Since you're not looking for a pup for participation in a specific venue like showing, SchH, etc... there's no reason to restrict yourself to any of the types and I'd recommend focus more on specific bloodlines and breeders, rather than just general type.


----------



## dadsbestfriend (May 26, 2009)

Thank you all very much for the feedback. One more question, are there any prominant physical features that differ between the different lines that are fairly consistant. The reason I ask is because I have noticed that some GSDs have very long coats while others have very short coats. I figure color is probably fairly random, but if I were looking for a very short hair black and tan lower drive dog am I leaning toward american show?


----------



## gsdsrule (Apr 10, 2009)

American show lines are a farce. Health issues big time and those over angulated rears wobbling and weaving along are stomach turning.

Just my opinion of course. Don't care for the roached hyena look either.

My plain old farm bred pet quality suits me fine. Nicely built, she can run 5 miles a day behind the truck with no problems. Sweet temperment yet reserved with strangers. Love this dog a great deal.


----------



## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

What do you mean by "American"? There are American-bred west German show line dogs. Honestly, I see no reason to import a showline _puppy_, there are some great German show line breeders here in the states, many who import the dogs themselves or have split kennels in the US and Germany. My puppy was born in the USA but his mother was an import and she was taken to Germany to be bred, so essentially he is a German dog but I didn't have to go through the hassle of finding a good breeder in a foreign country and all the shipping hassles. 

As far as German show lines, color is 99% black and red/tan and 1% sable. Some dogs are quite faded and others have more blanket black but most are the "classic" black snout and black saddle. American show lines have black and tan, but sable, bi-color, and solid black are not rare.


----------



## Chris Wild (Dec 14, 2001)

> Originally Posted By: Chris ToevsThank you all very much for the feedback. One more question, are there any prominant physical features that differ between the different lines that are fairly consistant. The reason I ask is because I have noticed that some GSDs have very long coats while others have very short coats. I figure color is probably fairly random, but if I were looking for a very short hair black and tan lower drive dog am I leaning toward american show?



American lines tend to be taller with more lean and lanky builds, finer heads and bone and greater rear angulation. Most are black/tan, though sables, blacks and bi-colors are found. Most are a standard stock coat (short hair) though long coats can be found.

German show lines tend to be large and heavily boned. Backs are often roached. Stock coats tend to be more of the plush variety, and long coats are common. While the rare black or sable can occasionally be found, 99.9% are black/tan.

Working lines run the gammut in terms of looks. Since the focus of their breeding is more the mental aspect of the dogs than the physical appearance, they come in all sizes, shapes, colors and coat types. Structure and size are of course taken into consideration, but since they are approached from the standpoint of utility, making sure the dog is physically sound and able to work, rather than fitting the picture desired in a show ring, there is much more variance found in this line.


----------

