# Czech dogs



## tsb (Jul 26, 2012)

Can anyone provide me with any information regarding Czech dogs; temperament, trainability, physical characteristics, and do they make good family dogs.


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## wolfspirit (Dec 10, 2009)

I used to work at a PP training centre where he had about 45 Czech GSD's. I would say it's a mixed bag......some could be family pets, some couldn't, some where more trainable then others...some had good steady nerves, others didn't. How much of all that comes from how they were reared and trained in the Czech Republic (we got them at about 18 months - 3years) I don't know. 

We had some nice dogs, but to be honest I didn't see anything that would make me rush out to buy a Czech dog...but that could also be the supplier we got them from.


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## cliffson1 (Sep 2, 2006)

There are very few all Czech dogs being bred or sold these days. The vast majority today are Czech/ West/ DDR dogs. There are still a few pockets that are breeding all Czech dogs, but even some of the most renowned Czech kennels are breeding dogs mixed with West working dogs.


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## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

cliffson1 said:


> There are very few all Czech dogs being bred or sold these days. The vast majority today are Czech/ West/ DDR dogs. There are still a few pockets that are breeding all Czech dogs, but even some of the most renowned Czech kennels are breeding dogs mixed with West working dogs.


Cliff - do you see this as a positive or a negative?

I would think it would depend on the dog/line but do you think we are doing a dis-service to the GSD/Czech lines by doing this? Or do you think by mixing these particular lines together that we are "creating" something more closer to what the standard calls for?

Just curious since I own a Czech West DDR mixed female.


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## cliffson1 (Sep 2, 2006)

I started mixing them almost 15years ago....I wouldn't have done it if I didn't think it was a positive. Most people were against this thinking at that time on all sides. But Czech lines are no different than any other, there comes a time when new genetics need to be used to keep genetic diversity. If not extremes will be the outcome, for a breed that was built around moderation.


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## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

Great response Cliff.


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## Blitzkrieg1 (Jul 31, 2012)

I have Czech / West German Show Line girl. With all the members of my household she is lovable and submissive. Also good with our cat and chihuahua. 
She is very obedient, picks up new commands quickly. Has decent drive. My only issue with her is she is a tad reactive with strange dogs and people. That being said we got her at 5 months so did not socialize her from 8 weeks. I have seen major improvements already. I will also say the loyalty and engagement she offers me is second to no other dog I have had or worked with previously. That makes her a joy to work with.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

I have both a Czech dog (carrying some DDR) and a Czech x West German. I like them both. The straight Czech dog is a bit heavier built and more handler sensitive than the cross though both are pretty fearless and resilient otherwise. Both have good working drives. The cross is definitely a bit more "intellegent". Either way though I don't think comparing two dogs offers any type of generalization.

The cross is still only 13 months old and does have good bone so he will probably bulk some) but both have excellent temperaments, with ZERO dog agression (pretty dog neutral actually) and are fine around all kinds of people, though I would not be inclined to leave either one unsupervised with nothing to do.


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## dbrk9 (Aug 9, 2012)

Mine is Czech/ East German, she is super smart, a lover with people, once in a while someone will set her off but if she is on the lead and meeting a person that I introduce her too she is happy, self confident and eager to greet! She is an awesome watch dog already, barks only when she needs too. I have four other dogs all under 15 pounds and they bark at everything. She does not. She will not even howl with them... yet anyway. She has a very high prey drive and goes nuts over any chase, hide and seek, the cat, rabbits, anything that moves...even horses but we are working on that. Her favorite game is the lunge whip game, where I drag it in circles, she will hold on command, and when I give her the command to go after it she will. She also loves tug and is quite strong at it. All this and she will be 5 months on the 26! 

I got her at 10 weeks and have made it a point to socialize her by taking her everywhere with me. The horse shows are great full of people, horses and dogs. 

I love her and sometimes just can't stop looking at her. She turns heads wherever she goes and most recently at a dog show GSD owners wanted to know her lines and she got lots of compliments.


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## Jag (Jul 27, 2012)

This is a great thread for me, as Grim is a Czech dog. My first, and I'm very eager to work with him! I look at his pics often... to me he's a def. head turner!  It's also good to know who here has a Czech dog for later on if I had any specifics I wanted to know...although my breeder is great and has been a wealth of info. on the topic.


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## Ace952 (Aug 5, 2010)

you can find czech dogs to fit what you are looking for. I suggest speaking with breeders who know what they are doing. Many claim but really dont.

If i was looking for all czech lines I would probably only buy from 1or 2 in the states. I would import for sure though from a well known breeder.


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## Blitzkrieg1 (Jul 31, 2012)

Jag said:


> This is a great thread for me, as Grim is a Czech dog. My first, and I'm very eager to work with him! I look at his pics often... to me he's a def. head turner!  It's also good to know who here has a Czech dog for later on if I had any specifics I wanted to know...although my breeder is great and has been a wealth of info. on the topic.


Lol everytime I look at your posts my mind just processes your avatar as a chubby sharpei puppy. Then I look closer and realise its a chubby GSD pup. Cute little guy .


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## Jag (Jul 27, 2012)

Blitzkrieg1 said:


> Lol everytime I look at your posts my mind just processes your avatar as a chubby sharpei puppy. Then I look closer and realise its a chubby GSD pup. Cute little guy .


Thank you! I should update with his newer pic! :wub: Thanks for the reminder. I think he's a gorgeous little man!


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

3 of my dogs have been from Czech lines. Awesome temperment, loved them! One did have DM and Pannus though. Think that was more enviornmental than genetic. At least that was how my vet felt about it.


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## maverick1964 (Sep 12, 2012)

Does anyone know the best treatment for pannus in a Czech GSD?


Sent from my iPad using PG Free


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

We had a special eye ointment we had to put in Shadows eyes daily.


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## wolfstraum (May 2, 2003)

Pannus is not "characteristic" of Czech lines, or any specific line - in fact - it can and does happen in many breeds of dogs.

Many GSDs do have it, and it appears that genetics do play a part in it...I have a male who has it and many of his "cousins" have it also (progeny of his dam's brother) - as do other unrelated GSDs.

Lee


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## cliffson1 (Sep 2, 2006)

Thx Wolfstraum!


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## wolfstraum (May 2, 2003)

NP Cliff - the dogs in my male's family are all pretty much WGWL dogs 

I also have ventured into mixing Czech lines in my programs (there is already Czech in further back generations behind the C, I and K litters)....looking at the pedigree of the K litter - it is 25% +/- each DDR and Czech, 25% Belgian, and 25% WG....blending these geographically based genetics allows you to avoid bottlenecks of certain linebreedings and still complement/compensate the dog's temperament, structure and characteristics.

Lee


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

With these blends is there any difference with a Czech fatherline vs a Czech motherline or since it is typically an outcross does it really matter? I know enough about breeding to be really dangerous if I tried it.


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

jocoyn said:


> With these blends is there any difference with a Czech fatherline vs a Czech motherline or since it is typically an outcross does it really matter? I know enough about breeding to be really dangerous if I tried it.


I know nothing about breading but I do know pannus is classified as autoimmune and it is my understanding that autoimmunity runs down the mother lines. At least in humans.


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## wolfstraum (May 2, 2003)

jocoyn said:


> With these blends is there any difference with a Czech fatherline vs a Czech motherline or since it is typically an outcross does it really matter? I know enough about breeding to be really dangerous if I tried it.


I think that depends on who you ask....the yahoo-gsd euro group gets extremely analytical about who is where in a pedigree.....

on my litter - the czech lines were in the male side, both female lines (his sire and his dam) were Czech lines....I did see some common traits in the pups as youngsters (a little suspicion of people in distance) which they matured out of .....that I had not seen in any ohter litter....

Lee


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

I once had a Czech/WGWL bitch. She was a bundle of explosive energy; hard as nails, afraid of nothing, very social with people and other dogs, but was obsessed with cats in an unhealthy way. She was a bit ADD, not particularly biddable or affectionate, just wanted to play play play--prey drive off the charts. She was a neat dog in a lot of ways but not the dog for me and my cats. She also had moderate HD, but you would never have known it, she was in perpetual motion and as quick and atheletic as they come, never showed pain or lameness. At about 18 months of age, I rehomed her to a SchH enthusiast with no cats.


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## tsb (Jul 26, 2012)

Thanks, I appreciate everyone's input.


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## cliffson1 (Sep 2, 2006)

Though I think it makes a difference, for practical purposes I think most people look at the sire/dam line interaction.


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## GCK9 (Mar 29, 2011)

Pannus is genetic and a auto immune disorder. I had a dutch dog that had Pannus and polyarthritis and probably DM she went down at 11 yrs weak in the hind end. This was many years ago before DM was known as well. Pannus is treated easily as long as the owner will be dedicated to treatment. Pannus does not show up many times until the dog is a adult . Please post the pedigree of your Czech dog that had these disorders. My Czech dogs have been free of auto immune disorders but always good to learn. I have heard of two other Czech dogs with Pannus and they had a similar pedigree.


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