# GSDs: DDR, czech, west, east, american..??



## Dr89 (Nov 18, 2010)

I couldn't decide which forum this fit into best so, hopefully this will do. But I was wondering about the differences between allll the different "kinds" of german shepherds. While I've been able to find a lot of information on here, the 5-letter-minimum search makes it extremely difficult to pin-point what I'm looking for. 

What I would really like is for someone(s) to provide a picture example of each different type...like an average example of a good DDR, a good West German, etc. 

Thanks for any help! And if this is a bad place for this topic someone please move it!!


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## DharmasMom (Jul 4, 2010)

I have to ask, what does DDR stand for?


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

Breed Types & Related Families


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

DharmasMom said:


> I have to ask, what does DDR stand for?


East Germany (Deutsche Demokratische Republik), but here's some more info.

East Germany - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## Dr89 (Nov 18, 2010)

DharmasMom said:


> I have to ask, what does DDR stand for?


Goes back to WW2 when the East Germans were basically cut off by Churchill's "Iron Curtain," so essentially they had no access to any GSD lines other than what was already in East Germany. So as far as I'm concerned DDR = East Germany. I don't know if the experts have a different use for the term but...


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## Dr89 (Nov 18, 2010)

Lucy Dog said:


> Breed Types & Related Families


Lucy Dog thank you so much!! that's exactly the site I was looking for...I stumbled across it once and for the life of me could not find it again! thank you


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

Lucy Dog beat me to it.


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## Kirra (Apr 6, 2013)

The link above doesn't work but the page was changed to: 

Shawlein Fine Art & Purebred German Shepherd Dogs 

Though, the pictures did not show up for me.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

pictures work Shawlein Fine Art & Purebred German Shepherd Dogs


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## Chip Blasiole (May 3, 2013)

I believe the term DDR is a minomer and that there really aren't any DDR dogs anymore as the wall came down decades ago. People selling so called DDR dogs are using a sales gimmick IMO, and usually aren't that experienced with hands on training of their breeding stock sand certainly don't follow the strict breeding evaluations and guidelines of the original DDR breeders. Plus, the original dogs were not necessarily all that good and the ones that came to the states tended to be their inferior dogs. Same thing for Czech dogs for the most part. They are also known for their good bone and pigment, and there are some very nice ones, but the original bloodlines are all but lost. Originally, they bred very aggressive dogs with social aggression because they were owned by the state who didn't have to worry about getting sued for a dog bite. I have heard that the old time Czech breeders would cull the pups with high prey drive because they wanted overly defensive dogs and not happy prey dogs. The modern Czech lines are often crossed with West German working lines these days. 
West German working lines have also lost a lot of valuable genetics due the emphasis of schutzhund. The sport looks for extreme prey and social dogs that are not too independent. The sport, IMO, doesn't adequately test for other desirable traits, so you end up with more of a sport dog than a working dog. They all have way too many health problems due to the popularity of the breed and overbreeding dogs that should not have been bred.
European and American showlines are GSDs in name only.


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## Chip Blasiole (May 3, 2013)

Tat should be misnomer/to misname, but the editor wouldn't allow me to change it.


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