# Need a little advice.



## Maverick10 (Sep 5, 2015)

I am planning to be getting a German Shepherd soon. I will to be doing quite a bit of training with him, but nothing like entering competitions. That being said, I still plan to continually teach him new commands and tricks, want take him jogging off-leash, play fetch daily etc. He will have a lot of ways to stay active. What I am looking to do is have a smart, fast learning dog.

Here is my dilemma, I want a straight-backed German Shepherd. After some research I saw that these dogs are primarily labeled as the "Working Line". I am worried even with all the activity I will do it will not be enough for the dog. Is it all about the certain dog and its own individual temperament/drive, or will the WLs all be a really intense dog. The last thing I want is a board and miserable dog. I don't want a show-line because they primarily have sloped-backs. Plus, I heard that they do not have much of a drive to learn. (Correct me if I am wrong, still relatively new to the GSD).

What do you guys think? What should I do or go with? If you want to recommend any good breeders that coincide with your input that would be awesome as well. (I live in the Midwest, Iowa)

Thanks.

(EDIT: If an admin sees this could they move this to the "Choosing the right puppy section"? Thanks, my bad.)


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

straight back/slope back, has no bearing on a dogs ability to do whatever you want to do with it or the level of energy. It's all about finding a good breeder who will match you with a puppy that will fit your lifestyle, your wants and don't wants. 

If you list your general location someone maybe able to recommend a breeder near your area.


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## Nigel (Jul 10, 2012)

You could probably find the dog your looking for in either lines. Try looking around your area for clubs/show/trials. Go to some events and watch the dogs and talk to owners, find out what it is you like, ask owners of those you like what breeder they used, ect... Research the breeders, there are some threads on the forum that can help with this.


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

Maverick10 said:


> I am planning to be getting a German Shepherd soon. I will to be doing quite a bit of training with him, but nothing like entering competitions. That being said, I still plan to continually teach him new commands and tricks, want take him jogging off-leash, play fetch daily etc. He will have a lot of ways to stay active. What I am looking to do is have a smart, fast learning dog.
> 
> Here is my dilemma, I want a straight-backed German Shepherd. After some research I saw that these dogs are primarily labeled as the "Working Line". I am worried even with all the activity I will do it will not be enough for the dog. Is it all about the certain dog and its own individual temperament/drive, or will the WLs all be a really intense dog. The last thing I want is a board and miserable dog. I don't want a show-line because they primarily have sloped-backs. Plus, I heard that they do not have much of a drive to learn. (Correct me if I am wrong, still relatively new to the GSD).
> 
> ...


Well good on you for researching prior to making the commitment. I agree with Jakoda.. You want to find the right breeder, who will hear you and match the dog with what you want and are planning on doing with it. I would reach out and talk to a few different ones and tell them exactly what you posted here, activity wise. A good breeder will have no problems matching you with a pup or pointing you in the right direction if what they have will not be good for you. 

To add to that, I have a SL.. who I thought was WL. I didn't do the research before making the purchase (hind sight is always 20/20). For that reason I had no idea how to read a pedigree, but I lucked out big time with a really solid dog. Titan has a straight back with a steep croup.. and his energy/focus is through the roof. Once I started getting familiar with training and the breed, I was certain I had a WL. There was just no other way. Nope. He's a SL.. who happens to have most of the dogs in his line also titled in ScH and other sports. 

I would say.. do not generalize and truly don't focus on SL vs WL in regards to what you want. I have known WL that would fit perfectly in your world and not be bored and SL (like my Titan) who would happily do everything on your activity list (and we do) and still need more. It's truly about find the right dog for you through a reputable breeder. The only time I would encourage you to scrutinize WL vs SL is when you want to show a dog or want to work the dog n a specific discipline or participate in a sport (ScH/IPO, agility, PP, flyball, SAR, etc.) 

Keep up the research and ask tons of questions.. like you are and you will find the perfect fit for you and he/she will be everything you want.


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

wyoung... it sounds as if you have a west german showline (sch titles in lineage) and perhaps the OP is referring to american showlines (sloped back). although I still agree that they can find a suitable dog for their needs within any line, I still think it's worth pointing out that there are differences between the two showlines as well.


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## Nikitta (Nov 10, 2011)

I have owned show lines in the past. The 2 I have now are working lines. The only difference I can see is these 2 have a higher prey drive but other then a limited time where I showed one of my SL GSD, they have all been great pets which is what I really wanted anyway. Good for you for asking questions.


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

Fodder said:


> wyoung... it sounds as if you have a west german showline (sch titles in lineage) and perhaps the OP is referring to american showlines (sloped back). although I still agree that they can find a suitable dog for their needs within any line, I still think it's worth pointing out that there are differences between the two showlines as well.


You would be correct  I have never looked into American SL, good point.. I have heard there is a difference there.


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## Chance1 (Sep 5, 2015)

Hello I am also currently looking forward to buying a German shepherd puppy but I had some questions before doing so. I found a seller for them and he has a beautiful male AKC registered thick bone long hair German shepherd. The mother is a pure bred short hair German shepherd. I have received pictures of the puppies but i am unsure how their hair would be. I am more on the long hair side rather then short hair.

Here is the puppy I am looking forward to get . Any help on how his hair would be?


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

wyoung2153 said:


> You would be correct  I have never looked into American SL, good point.. I have heard there is a difference there.


Straight back is generally a BYB term. And just FYI, any good breeder of any line should be able to provide a stable, active pet. Look for a breeder that stresses health and temperament and be honest about exactly what you want. Even in hard core working lines, not all pups are going to make the cut. Most knowledgeable, reputable breeders are going to want their pups in the right home. I can tell you that some WL breeders are a bit hesitant to place pups in pet homes.
In response to the above, 
My BYB rescue Shadow,most probably ASL breeding, at 4 years old. Not holding her up as a great example of the breed, just showing the lack of 'sloped back' in a fairly natural stance.


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

^just for clarification, I put sloped-back in parenthesis not as a defining characteristic but rather to highlight the comment that led me to believe the OP was referring to ASL.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

Fodder said:


> ^just for clarification, I put sloped-back in parenthesis not as a defining characteristic but rather to highlight the comment that led me to believe the OP was referring to ASL.


 I believe you are correct, I to thought they were referring to ASL, which is why I posted a pic of my girl, who is not well bred, to show that ASL does not always mean deformed. With all the hype and fuss about show breeders producing 'frog dogs' I didn't want them to have an unrealistic view of the lines. And Shadow is the only ASL I have pics of,


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

I can also add that Shadow has way higher prey drive then my WL, she is also more energetic in general and has a much harder time controlling her drive. She can't turn it off.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

I have asl who is perfect for us. We were looking for a dog to do training / tricks with not necessarily competions but who knows. A nose works class is finally opening up as I been more then patient getting him in there. He has one heck of a nose!!! I believe he has much potential. Looked toward getting asl because I heard they have less drive mainly because we needed someone to get along with our chihuahua. He is not bouncing off the wall but has plenty of energy and not lacking in prey drive. Great with kids and people. We have kids and their friends around all the time. You have much to choose from and any line from a good breeder you will get what you want. Yes asl are not all deformed and have more going for them then just looks!!! Good luck in your search. You will get great info from this forum.


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## ConcreteCowgirl (Nov 5, 2015)

Jenny720: my mom and dad are on a quest to find exactly that type of dog - an active but low prey drive GSD from a solid, decent breeder. They are looking at rescues as well, but they have one rescue with issues and will likely select a puppy as their second dog. Would you mind telling me which breeder your dog came from?



Jenny720 said:


> I have asl who is perfect for us. We were looking for a dog to do training / tricks with not necessarily competions but who knows. A nose works class is finally opening up as I been more then patient getting him in there. He has one heck of a nose!!! I believe he has much potential. Looked toward getting asl because I heard they have less drive mainly because we needed someone to get along with our chihuahua. He is not bouncing off the wall but has plenty of energy and not lacking in prey drive. Great with kids and people. We have kids and their friends around all the time. You have much to choose from and any line from a good breeder you will get what you want. Yes asl are not all deformed and have more going for them then just looks!!! Good luck in your search. You will get great info from this forum.


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