German Shepherd Bloodlines Explained

“EVEN THE MOST PERFECTLY BUILT DOG IS OF NO USE IF HE DOES NOT POSSESS THE INCENTIVE TO GIVE OF HIS BEST AND UTTERMOST”

— MAX VON STEPHANITZ - Father of the German Shepherd Breed

ORIGIN OF THE GSD:

The German Shepherd we know today was created in the late 1800's by Max von Stephanitz.  He had a vision for a breed that could work alongside farmers with their flocks, protect the flock/property/family, and be good tempered enough to act as a family companion. 

PEDIGREE LINES:

EAST GERMAN WORKING LINES – East German Working Lines are truly incredible dogs under the right training and handling circumstances. They’re generally smaller, more driven and extremely agile. They can make excellent family dogs but benefit greatly having training regimens from experienced handlers.  These dogs do well with a job that requires high drive and intelligence or being able to participate in higher level training & competition such as farm work, police or military. They have a high tolerance to pain, will not usually respond to normal corrections and can have behavioral issues if not stimulated properly in body and mind. 

WEST GERMAN SHOW LINES – Show line dogs can be quite striking in appearance as they’ve been bred with conformation in mind.  Although their drive to work is not as high as the Working Lines, they do still possess the urge and ability to work and protect.  That being said, their temperaments are much more calm resulting in a dog that is highly trainable making it a good family companion and protector.    

AMERICAN LINES – The American Shepherd’s lineage may have originated in the same place as West & East German Shepherds, however, breeders have strayed far from the original standards and the result is a very different dog.  As show dogs, they look and act vastly different from West & East German lines.  The males are less masculine often with smaller heads like that of a female. The coloration lacks the deep reds of West or East German lines and they may be larger, yet thinner boned.   The bigger and more worrisome differences are in the temperament.  American GSDs don’t go through any temperament testing so breeding stock is not chosen based on temperament.  The result is a dog that has little, if any, drive to work and lacks the courage to follow through with protection.  This last point is very important when choosing a GSD because although the untrained eye may think a dog is demonstrating aggressive behaviors as a result of protectiveness around strangers, the lack of an even temperament and clear mind can result in fear biting or being skittish in general. 

REGISTERED DOGS:

AKC REGISTRATION – Unfortunately, the AKC does not require any type of breeding standard to be met for a dog to be registered.  This means dogs that don’t have the desired characteristics necessary to make a good breeder are still allowed to be bred and apply for AKC Registration.  Because of this, it’s imperative to research the breeder you’re considering working with. Look at the parents. Do they have the qualities you’re looking for? Have they been genetic tested? How are their temperaments? Conformation? Both parents should be the type of dog you’d want in your home as their pups will possess qualities from both parents.