# Favorite Line?



## EmilieMaria (Feb 22, 2017)

Hi, I am posting on here to see everybody's opinion and start some conversations. What is your favorite shepherd line(s). There are many different lines you can choose when getting a German Shepherd such as working or show. For working lines there are Czech, west, ddr/east(if there are more SORRY). And as for show lines American and German. I am no expert by any means and would love to hear your opinions about the pros and cons of each. I personally prefer the ddr/east German working lines. I love there appearance(blocky head, large bone, deep chests) and there temperament/health. I have also met more ddr shepherd than any other line so my opinion is based on my personal experiences. Would love to hear some feedback and know what you all think  !!!

And to brighten someone's day here is a picture of my 3 week old puppy who is now 5 weeks that I'm getting SO SOON:


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## MineAreWorkingline (May 2, 2015)

Gorgeous puppy! Is he DDR?

I love all German Shepherds.


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

Very cute puppy. 

I have always owned and worked dogs from west German working lines though a few have gone back on some old DDR. Hera has some Belgian. With my Dexter/Elena daughter, Ileana, I will look for a dog that is WGWL with the right Czech lines.


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

I do like the DDR dogs. My boys have both been DDR of at least 50%. I like the bulk of them. But my current DDR has less prey/play than I like TBH. But we work around it. Just takes longer. 

My girl is WGWL. She was a young adult (8mo) when I got her and went through a ridiculous gangly goofy odd looking stage for about a 1.5 years. But she has nerves of steel. Solid prey/play and great confidence and agility. Really a great package. But that first 2 years. Lol. Then one day I was at work and I had brought her with me. We had indoor/outdoor runs and I had gone outside to help with a horse and coming in with a coworker I look up and say "now see, that's a good looking Shepherd" my coworker looked at me and was like "that's YOUR dog!" I was flabbergasted and went all the way up and I'll be danged. It was Lena and all of a sudden she was a gorgeous girl. To this day she is one of the best looking dogs I have ever seen. So beautifully put together. I feel bad I used to think she was homely. Lol. 

All around I would love the true bulk of a DDR with the higher prey of the WGWL. I don't like prey monsters, but I do like enough for solid motivation.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

My Czech/WGWL is a fantastic blend....I would take another of him in a heartbeat. I like a more serious dog, not so much prey but there has to be some in there to work. I love the fight drive and power that he has. He is aware of his surroundings always, which 'sport' people may not like, but I love a dog that thinks and deciphers with a biddable nature. Perfect balance of drives. 
I would look at a blending of these lines again, but I doubt I'd get the same results from different pedigree matching. 
Yet, he produced much like himself with his first litter.


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

The next breeding I want to do will bring in a bit more old DDR (Lord and the dogs behind the old Wolfendobel lines). The DDR dogs often (depending on the lines) and many of the Czech lines bring in excellent hunt drive. You just have to be careful if you want a working dog. Some are just breeding for the looks or type and have forgotten about work.


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

lhczth said:


> The next breeding I want to do will bring in a bit more old DDR (Lord and the dogs behind the old Wolfendobel lines). The DDR dogs often (depending on the lines) and many of the Czech lines bring in excellent hunt drive. You just have to be careful if you want a working dog. Some are just breeding for the looks or type and have forgotten about work.


My boy Ike had Lord through Alk. And he had a perfect amount of prey/play and great hunt drive. A very nice balance.


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## Deb (Nov 20, 2010)

I think a favorite line is going to depend on what the owner wants to do with the dog and what 'look' the owner likes best. If I want a dog to do IPO with it's going to be a bit different than one I might look at for a pet. I might be looking at a different line if I want to be doing herding or SAR work.


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## mycobraracr (Dec 4, 2011)

My favorite line is a cross of lines. Really, I like all the working lines for various reasons. So for me it comes down to individual dogs.


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## wolfstraum (May 2, 2003)

European working lines

Within that, I like aspects of all of the subsets - WGWL, DDR, Czech/Slovak, Belgian.....much as I did when breeding horses, where I started with an App [(prior to smartphones!  ) I started with a colt who blended a mostly TB dam with an American remount Arabish x Foundation blooded stallion and ended up with a mostly TB blooded mare who was by TB racing legend Spectacular Bid!], I started with a dog mostly DDR, and have dogs who are largely Czech DDR and with Belgian and WGWL.....

In this way - I have kept the hunt drive and tracking ability, I see real prey (groundhogs and raccoons beware their yards!) and social aggression AND the prey/toy drive....also, I am trying to keep the desire to engage the handler that came from Xito Maineiche - who would eagerly engage you with nothing more than a 2 inch twig or piece of straw - did not need toys or aids, the dog wanted to work with you and had natural focus....

I have also found that the dogs I have and the lines I have been using have been relatively free of many of the genetic health issues so common in our breed....bringing in a new bloodline in a breeding always makes me pause, as I fear what unknowns are lurking in the genes....I avoid heavy linebreeding and back massing to dogs very common in so many pedigrees common here in the US.


Lee


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## wolfstraum (May 2, 2003)

lhczth said:


> The next breeding I want to do will bring in a bit more old DDR (Lord and the dogs behind the old Wolfendobel lines). The DDR dogs often (depending on the lines) and many of the Czech lines bring in excellent hunt drive. You just have to be careful if you want a working dog. Some are just breeding for the looks or type and have forgotten about work.



Pretty much what I have with my stuff - have looked for Wolfendobel and Ilja in all my breedings...Xito Maineiche had them so they are in all my current dogs....the DDR of course via Lord ....the two Czech males I used brought in fantastic hunt (Ikarus) and such solid nerves and temperament (Gaston)....good health too.... Have had litters with other lines, and really feel like I have found what I want in these....the health is a really really big positive!


Lee


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## zetti (May 11, 2014)

gsdsar said:


> I do like the DDR dogs. My boys have both been DDR of at least 50%. I like the bulk of them. But my current DDR has less prey/play than I like TBH. But we work around it. Just takes longer.
> 
> My girl is WGWL. She was a young adult (8mo) when I got her and went through a ridiculous gangly goofy odd looking stage for about a 1.5 years. But she has nerves of steel. Solid prey/play and great confidence and agility. Really a great package. But that first 2 years. Lol. Then one day I was at work and I had brought her with me. We had indoor/outdoor runs and I had gone outside to help with a horse and coming in with a coworker I look up and say "now see, that's a good looking Shepherd" my coworker looked at me and was like "that's YOUR dog!" I was flabbergasted and went all the way up and I'll be danged. It was Lena and all of a sudden she was a gorgeous girl. To this day she is one of the best looking dogs I have ever seen. So beautifully put together. I feel bad I used to think she was homely. Lol.
> 
> All around I would love the true bulk of a DDR with the higher prey of the WGWL. I don't like prey monsters, but I do like enough for solid motivation.


Your WGWL girl sounds vet much like a nice WGWL I had some years ago. For him, the magic age was around two years as well. At eighteen months, we nearly gave up in him. Good grief. He was just a knucklehead.

He blossomed into a wonderful dog. A bullet on the field, calm, biddable and super responsible. He definitely stepped up and became the man of the house. 

I've got my second Czech dog now, he's only fifteen weeks, but I'm thrilled with what I'm seeing. Good nerves, good drives, confidence, full, calm, super hard grip. And I do mean hard. He's also very social, which I like.

My first Czech dog was many years ago, retired K9. Nice dog. Social, ball crazy, Czech head, he was up there in years so I took him to the field just to play and do obedience--he loved it.


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## Nigel (Jul 10, 2012)

I'm not sure which lines, 3 of my 4 gsds are of mixed lines. All 4 bring different levels of drive and have slightly different temperaments. Knowing what comes from where is still a learning process for me.


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## cdwoodcox (Jul 4, 2015)

I am still learning about lines and what breeding/pedigrees bring to the dogs. Luckily I'm good on pups for some years. However, if I was looking for a pup right now I would want one that would grow into a dark Sable, short coat, about 85- 90 lbs. Thick boned, blocky head, muscular, confident, and social. good prey, hunt, and defense drive, but also the fight drive to go anytime with anyone. With an off switch so when we're at home he's just a good pet. I don't know what lines or what mix of lines produce that but that will be what I will be looking for eventually. Maybe in 5 years.


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## RZZNSTR (Jan 24, 2015)

I'll just make it simple with my current GSD. He's 16 months old and my first Czech GSD. He is very sharp and clear headed. He impresses me everyday in training and just being my partner. He is truly an athlete. Fast and tough. I wish I'd had him 30 years ago.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

cdwoodcox said:


> I am still learning about lines and what breeding/pedigrees bring to the dogs. Luckily I'm good on pups for some years. However, if I was looking for a pup right now I would want one that would grow into a dark Sable, short coat, about 85- 90 lbs. Thick boned, blocky head, muscular, confident, and social. good prey, hunt, and defense drive, but also the fight drive to go anytime with anyone. With an off switch so when we're at home he's just a good pet. I don't know what lines or what mix of lines produce that but that will be what I will be looking for eventually. Maybe in 5 years.


You just described Karlo for the most part(the Czech/WGWL that I posted about above)...he isn't blocky headed, wears his noggin well on his 95# frame. Everything else is spot on!


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## astrovan2487 (May 29, 2014)

I'm still very new to pedigrees but I've gotten to see a lot of different dogs over the past year or so and it's helped me notice differences in the lines. I'd have to say my favorite is definitely the working lines, specifically Czech and East German. This is a bit biased though because my dog is mostly Czech, some DDR, West German, and Belgian and most of the dogs I see work are similar lines. I absolutely love the balance my pup has. Nothing is extreme (except maybe ball drive). She has great hunt drive, good prey, aggression, and fight drive but is clear headed enough with a good off switch that she is a joy to live with as a pet as well. Most of the other dogs at club are similar in that they can excel doing IPO but still be great pets and live in the house with their owners. A dog that is over the top or excessively aggressive doesnt really do anything for me.


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## cdwoodcox (Jul 4, 2015)

onyx'girl said:


> You just described Karlo for the most part(the Czech/WGWL that I posted about above)...he isn't blocky headed, wears his noggin well on his 95# frame. Everything else is spot on!


Isn't your dog a sibling or somehow tied to bills dog from club.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

cdwoodcox said:


> Isn't your dog a sibling or somehow tied to bills dog from club.


Yes, Karlo and Teagan are littermates from the Wildhaus G litter (DellaxAndy Maly Vah). 
They'll be 8 next Thursday. Time sure does fly in dog years.


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## zetti (May 11, 2014)

cdwoodcox said:


> Isn't your dog a sibling or somehow tied to bills dog from club.


What a gorgeous dog! Nice grip, too.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

zetti said:


> What a gorgeous dog! Nice grip, too.


He was getting stepped on in the drive, glad he outed. Frank was grinning from ear to ear~ Karlo is a hard dog to drive.


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

onyx'girl said:


> Yes, Karlo and Teagan are littermates from the Wildhaus G litter (DellaxAndy Maly Vah).
> They'll be 8 next Thursday. Time sure does fly in dog years.


I didn't realize Karlo and Deja were the same age. She will be 8 on the 15th.


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## Xeph (Jun 19, 2005)

Crosslines are my favorite. They've been the best balanced from what I have seen and experienced.

While I have primarily American show lines, I am crossing into Euro show and working lines.


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## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

Zefra is a bit of a mix, Czech lines through her dam and a mix of DDR/West working through her sire.

She has been an absolute blast to raise and train. She catches on quickly, super drives, lives to work and engage, but has been a bit of a challenge for me since I am a new handler. She can be very sassy and if she wants something, she will do all she can to get it. Powerful female with a bit of an edge... I wouldn't trade the world for her!

I'm bringing home a "cousin" that will be all Czech in just a couple of months now. Very excited because the dam of this pup (has same mother line as my girl) seems very similar in character and in the work and produces such.


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## cliffson1 (Sep 2, 2006)

I'm with Jeremy, I like all the working lines, DDR, Czech, WGWL, Belgium, KNPV, Scandinavian, Czech/West, for the present I don't care for the two Showlines ( ASL/ WGSL) because of their genotype.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

We are a pet home and had a working line - Belgium lines and presently a American line and wgsl pup. I do love all the lines and happy with each one.


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## cliffson1 (Sep 2, 2006)

Let me clarify my post, as a former breeder, a steward of the breed, and historian of the breed, I like all of the lines as long as they are not genetically leading to or creating faults in the breed. So my personal likes cannot supersede the genetic composition.
Example: My favorite color type is the black and red/burnt orange color; and frankly this color has been in the breed since the 50s but the genetic composition was very different. So though I don't find the WGSL dogs favorable because of their genetics, I do like the color type. 
I hope this makes sense.


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## Deb (Nov 20, 2010)

It is a beautiful striking color.


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